You don't need a Blessing to be a miracle.
Voyage of the Damned
by Frances White
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
About: A ship sets sail on a twelve day voyage with the twelve Blessed of Concordia. Each represent a district of their great nation: Dragon, Tiger, Tortoise, Butterfly, Elephant, Spider, Ox, Ermine, Bear, Crow, Grasshopper and... Piss Fish. Ganymedes is the Fish, the lowest of the low, and he has a secret that can sink him further - he isn't really Blessed like they are. But when Blessed start getting murdered, Ganymedes works to unravel secrets, gifts, grudges and alliances. He alone is the most underestimated, the least threatening, and the only one who won't play by the rules. Where's the fun in that, after all?
Thoughts
This is so much fun! The audiobook especially is really fantastic. Ganymedes is the best character to follow when you're solving magical murders and the narrator just nailed the voice. Frances White does this perfect balance of silly humour and wait, but who can we really trust and is someone I love going to die??
It's an isolated murder mystery so there aren't many characters, and yet I love the way we get to know everyone. Some favs of mine were Ganymedes (obviously) as well as Grasshopper, Dumpling and Dragon and Butterfly had moments where I really wanted to find out more about them. The characters feel very distinct (helped by having the animal districts and magical gifts to distinguish them) and it doesn't really matter if you get a lot of page time with a character or very little, there's a sense that this person has a whole layered history and complex personality to them. They've all made mistakes, they've all got secrets, and their motivations can be complicated.
The mystery element is done really well. I kept doubting my theories, doubting the characters, wondering who would be next... It really holds the suspense well and you fully feel like you're solving the crime alongside Ganymedes.
And the romance! Frigging adorable. I loved how it builds up and all the twists and turns of it. The writing is really emotional and pulls you deep into all the feels.
Overall, this is original, fun, action packed and with world building that gets better and better the further into the story you get. The twists give it fantastic re-read appeal, and the romance will stay in my heart. If you like fantasy, and you like murder mysteries, you have to read this book.
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