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highleyginger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely loved this book. It's a great murder mystery fantasy book with a very self depreciative lead however, his sense of humor is fantastic.
'My father always says: ' you can't run from your responsibilities,' but he lacks imagination. Besides, I'm not running. I'm side stepping. Crossing the road so me and my responsibilities don't make eye contact and aren't forced into awkward small talk both of us know isn't going anywhere.''
'We can get murdered tomorrow. Tonight, we party!'
Plus many other gems.
'My father always says: ' you can't run from your responsibilities,' but he lacks imagination. Besides, I'm not running. I'm side stepping. Crossing the road so me and my responsibilities don't make eye contact and aren't forced into awkward small talk both of us know isn't going anywhere.''
'We can get murdered tomorrow. Tonight, we party!'
Plus many other gems.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Self harm, and Murder
ribbonquest's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
More brutal violence than I was expecting and incredibly anime feeling. Everyone represents an animal, Fruits Basket zodiac style, and have different rainbow hair colors. The cast is very diverse, which flips back and forth between contrived and just a sign of how screwed up this world/system of governance is.
The youngest passenger is an adorable six-year-old so if "child on murder boat" raises any red flags for you, look into content warnings or just skip this one.
It's engaging but not for me.
The youngest passenger is an adorable six-year-old so if "child on murder boat" raises any red flags for you, look into content warnings or just skip this one.
It's engaging but not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Ableism
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
I've wanted to read this ALL YEAR and it was just as good as I heard it would be!!! I, at first, was so in denial of all the murders (for obvious Ravi and Eudora reasons) that I was CONVINCED that that none of it was real?? Or like a ploy to get all the Dux's to be civil with one another? But as the story kept going I realized that, yes all of these people were actually dead. I think the deaths that upset me the most were Shinjiro and Jasper (only because he was a literal child. he was kind of an awful person). (I was also really sad when Leo died even though he was also a prick. I just felt bad for the situation that led him to do all that). I expected more of them to survive for some reason but when Cordelia's plan was revealed it all made sense in the end (sadly). I was really glad Tendai and Yewande managed to escape mostly unscathed though and I'm still mourning a little the death of Wyatt??? I was so in love with the Wyatt version of Ravi that when he revealed himself I was so shocked. There were a TON of clues though now that I'm thinking back on all of it. Overall it was such a mind bobbling story because every character I suspected died almost immediately after. I can't wait to read more books from this author!!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
I've wanted to read this ALL YEAR and it was just as good as I heard it would be!!! I, at first, was so in denial of all the murders (for obvious Ravi and Eudora reasons) that I was CONVINCED that that none of it was real?? Or like a ploy to get all the Dux's to be civil with one another? But as the story kept going I realized that, yes all of these people were actually dead. I think the deaths that upset me the most were Shinjiro and Jasper (only because he was a literal child. he was kind of an awful person). (I was also really sad when Leo died even though he was also a prick. I just felt bad for the situation that led him to do all that). I expected more of them to survive for some reason but when Cordelia's plan was revealed it all made sense in the end (sadly). I was really glad Tendai and Yewande managed to escape mostly unscathed though and I'm still mourning a little the death of Wyatt??? I was so in love with the Wyatt version of Ravi that when he revealed himself I was so shocked. There were a TON of clues though now that I'm thinking back on all of it. Overall it was such a mind bobbling story because every character I suspected died almost immediately after. I can't wait to read more books from this author!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
hollowspine's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is a definite romantasy with an emphasis on the romance. Readers who want something a little spicy (but not too spicy) and who love classic romance tropes, like enemies to lovers, forced proximity/stuck together, and drunken games of 'never have I ever,' will find all that and more here, including a HEA. The other element is the mystery, which is similar to And Then There were None, only on a cruise ship rather than an island. Fans of snarky narrators will enjoy the feisty main character, Ganymedes, who is never without a quip no matter if the situation is a fusty dinner party, or witnessing a murder. The characters, representing the twelve political entities of the fantasy world, are a representation of POC, disabled and LGBTQIA+ folks. This romantasy mystery mashup is for fans of In Other Lands, and would lend itself to YA crossover readers. Fantasy readers who want very detailed world building and magic systems may feel let down. Avid mystery readers may figure out the puzzle early on in the story. While this is marketed for an adult audience the tone and characters are really more in line for YA readers. While this is in no way as good as Six of Crows, that's more what you're getting for character type, and romance spicy level in this book rather than the Magicians or A Marvelous Light. The characters, some of whom are in their late 30's read like teens.
This was not my cup of tea, I was really in it for the people dying on a cruise ship thing, but that wasn't the focus of the story. The more I thought about it the more I felt like I was reading a fanfiction about something I'd like, but where the author and I had very different ideas about situations to put the characters in. While I was interested in who would die next, and whodunit, this was much more a romance story than a mystery. Many pages were dedicated to developing a romance, which I was not on board with (see the pun!) at first, but eventually came around to, but then the twist happened and nothing made sense.
I had just accepted the fact that I was reading a romantasy with a slight murder mystery subplot and was if not loving the heavy use of romance tropes, I was at least agreeing to stay on the ride. Through the chapters dedicated to having the characters need to go to the baths (together because murderer is out there!), deciding they needed a break from investigating all the murders to get drunk and play never have I ever together (totally not going to get murdered when we're passed out!) and then smooch under a willow tree in a scene that was not not inspired by the little mermaid. I was still on the ride. I liked the two characters (enough) and wanted to see how it all panned out (also I was still really hopeful that the first character who died would come back because she seemed like she'd be really cool).
Then the author revealed a twist, that for me made all of those scenes very very weird. And not in a good way. The author also pretty much treated the twist like it made sense and the characters accepted it pretty much within a paragraph and were able to move forward with a this new/old/other romantic thing that just made absolutely no sense to me at all. I mean, it also solved the mystery, but in a really stupid way - basically Ganymedes the MC who has been playing detective this whole time, just has the murderers explain everything to him. It was kinda like the scene where the detective gathers everyone in the study for the big reveal, only it's the murderer revealing it to the detective.
Also, there is no justice in the story. The MC ends up with someone I would say is a psycho and he's like, "you complete me." It's bonkers. Lastly, way too much telling, and very little showing.
This was not my cup of tea, I was really in it for the people dying on a cruise ship thing, but that wasn't the focus of the story. The more I thought about it the more I felt like I was reading a fanfiction about something I'd like, but where the author and I had very different ideas about situations to put the characters in. While I was interested in who would die next, and whodunit, this was much more a romance story than a mystery. Many pages were dedicated to developing a romance, which I was not on board with (see the pun!) at first, but eventually came around to, but then the twist happened and nothing made sense.
I had just accepted the fact that I was reading a romantasy with a slight murder mystery subplot and was if not loving the heavy use of romance tropes, I was at least agreeing to stay on the ride. Through the chapters dedicated to having the characters need to go to the baths (together because murderer is out there!), deciding they needed a break from investigating all the murders to get drunk and play never have I ever together (totally not going to get murdered when we're passed out!) and then smooch under a willow tree in a scene that was not not inspired by the little mermaid. I was still on the ride. I liked the two characters (enough) and wanted to see how it all panned out (also I was still really hopeful that the first character who died would come back because she seemed like she'd be really cool).
Then the author revealed a twist, that for me made all of those scenes very very weird. And not in a good way. The author also pretty much treated the twist like it made sense and the characters accepted it pretty much within a paragraph and were able to move forward with a this new/old/other romantic thing that just made absolutely no sense to me at all. I mean, it also solved the mystery, but in a really stupid way - basically Ganymedes the MC who has been playing detective this whole time, just has the murderers explain everything to him. It was kinda like the scene where the detective gathers everyone in the study for the big reveal, only it's the murderer revealing it to the detective.
Also, there is no justice in the story. The MC ends up with someone I would say is a psycho and he's like, "you complete me." It's bonkers. Lastly, way too much telling, and very little showing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, and Colonisation
charles_rowland's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i LOVED this book. taking notes on what would come next is one of my favorite things with mysteries and this book was PERFECT for that. i had so much fun reading it and truly enjoyed it so much. reading through dee’s pov and learning and growing with him was incredible. the only reason for 0.25 of a star off is i felt it difficult to connect w ravi as it didn’t feel like we had been following with him for most of the book, even if i know we had. it honestly could be a me thing but i def struggled to refocus on ravi and dee and not wyatt and dee. overall this book was a BLASY and so so much fun, not to mention the incredible rep
i received an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review
i received an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm
e_read_books's review against another edition
3.75
A really well thought out murder mystery considering there were 12 characters each with pretty different magical abilities to keep track of over 12 days in a fairly large ship. There were multiple equally plausible suspects to keep the reader guessing and as such I couldn't be truly surprised when the killer was revealed but the motives and plans still had some unexpected twists.
I was worried in the first couple of chapters that Dee would be too annoying of a character for me to follow. I'll admit his humour did not always land for me, but his true depth is quickly revealed to us and he ended up being a really compelling character and a pretty good detective. I absolutely loved his relationship with little Grasshopper (truly Adorable Level 5/5).
Lowering the score for me is I didn't quite jive with some of the humour and also the conclusion, though it fits well with Dee's character arc. I'm just never going to preferDee becoming the new Emporer "ruling the right way" over abolishing the system altogether. Though there was mention of independence later down the line . However, the meat of the story i.e. the murder mystery was a great fun time and the differing character dynamics between the 12 heirs created plenty of opportunity for great dialogue scenes with lots of character.
I was worried in the first couple of chapters that Dee would be too annoying of a character for me to follow. I'll admit his humour did not always land for me, but his true depth is quickly revealed to us and he ended up being a really compelling character and a pretty good detective. I absolutely loved his relationship with little Grasshopper (truly Adorable Level 5/5).
Lowering the score for me is I didn't quite jive with some of the humour and also the conclusion, though it fits well with Dee's character arc. I'm just never going to prefer
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Classism
inkysplodge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Self harm, Xenophobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, and Death of parent
mayas's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I devoured this audiobook!!!! It was so fun. The tone, character, and comedy reminded me a bit of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (which I also devoured!).
I loved the characters, especially Grasshopper :’) and i loved the (respective) commentaries on imperialism and connecting to others. I feel like Dee really grew over the course of the story, especially when it came to his relationship with himself and with others. I am proud of him.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the twist re the romantic lead. It took me a while to process and to think of “Wyatt” as really Ravi (I missed “Wyatt”!). Especially because I spent most of the book having negative feelings toward Ravi and Dee had seemed to get over him! But I pretty much made peace with it at the end. Wonder what my experience would be on a reread/listen!!!
Highly recommend the audiobook for this!!! The performance was GREAT. Wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s voice for Wyatt but was very happy with everything else! Also, the Spider Blessed’s voice really reminds me of Rachel Skarsten’s English accent, which was so ?!?! (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen Reign or the Hallmark movie where she’s a spy undercover as a nanny for the English royal family lol over Christmas).
Definitely recommend!!!!!!!!!
I loved the characters, especially Grasshopper :’) and i loved the (respective) commentaries on imperialism and connecting to others. I feel like Dee really grew over the course of the story, especially when it came to his relationship with himself and with others. I am proud of him.
Highly recommend the audiobook for this!!! The performance was GREAT. Wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s voice for Wyatt but was very happy with everything else! Also, the Spider Blessed’s voice really reminds me of Rachel Skarsten’s English accent, which was so ?!?! (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen Reign or the Hallmark movie where she’s a spy undercover as a nanny for the English royal family lol over Christmas).
Definitely recommend!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and War
sarahna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ceredonia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall a great story. Took some time to get used to the 'modern' language in this type of setting. Some of the plots got a bit convoluted but it came together well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Genocide, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail