Voyage of the Damned by Frances White: Book Review
This is a spoiler-free review.
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Published August 20th, 2024 by HarperCollins Canada
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, LGBTQ+
A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.
All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.
When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people and without a Blessing to protect him, Ganymedes’s odds of survival are slim.
But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their secret Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?
Or will the empire as he knows it fall?
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins Canada for sending me an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White is advertised as a magical, gay, mystery cruise – and did it ever deliver! I had so much fun with this novel!
Voyage of the Damned follows Ganymedes, the scion to the Fish Province. Fish Province is part of Concordia, an empire made up of 12 provinces. Each province is denoted by a different animal and has one heir set to inherit its leadership. This happens after they receive their Blessing. Blessings are gifts from the goddess, magical abilities intrinsically linked with the individual who inherits them.
With all the new heirs having inherited their Blessings, the 12 Blessed set out on a sea voyage upon a magically-powered ship to mark their rule. The only problem? Ganymedes never inherited a Blessing, and it doesn’t seem like he’s about to anytime soon. Ganymedes has to navigate the political landscape aboard the ship, including a hierarchy system (where Fish Province is at the bottom) and many different rivalries between players, without the help of a Blessing. And when the emperor’s heir winds up dead, Ganymedes ruse has the potential to turn deadly.
Voyage of the Damned was a fast-paced romp that kept me guessing until the very end! As someone who prides herself on often guessing the plot twist before it happens, I can honestly say I was delighted to be caught off-guard multiple times while reading this novel.
Maybe it was because the narrative from Ganymedes’ perspective itself was just so captivating; I was having so much fun reading, I didn’t think to work through all the clues before I came to the shocking reveals. What made it even better, was that as soon as the twists were revealed, I realized all the clues had been there all along, like tiny breadcrumbs leading to the inevitable – but completely shocking – revelation!
Another unexpected result of this novel was how much it touched me. I really felt for Ganymedes and his struggles with self-worth. I was rooting for him throughout his journey! I only feel as though the ending wrapped up a little too conveniently.
Being a murder mystery (with a heavy dose of comedic narrative) first and foremost, the fantasy elements don’t take the main focus in this book, but add a unique level to the plot. I’d highly recommend Voyage of the Damned to readers looking for a fun, shocking but not too serious, murder mystery set in a fantasy world.
Have you read Voyage of the Damned?
What did you think of it?
Let me know!
Liza
Liza is a twenty-something book blogger who spends way too much time with her nose in books and feels way too much. She loves cooking, baking, reality tv show watching and, of course, reading. She can be found most often with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Her blog, Literary Liza, features bookish content like reviews, recommendations, and author interviews.
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