Voyage of the Damned by Frances White (ARC Review)

Title: Voyage of the Damned
Author: Frances White
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, LGBTQ+
Publisher: MIRA
Date published: August 20, 2024

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Harper Collins Canada in exchange for an honest review. Paid ad. Ad. Sponsored.

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?

⤖ My Review ⬻

The first thing I noticed about Voyage of the Damned is that the writing was completely different from what I was expecting. The story is told from the perspective of the main protagonist, Ganymedes, and therefore the tone for the whole book is set to follow this character’s personality and way of communicating.

Ganymedes’ communication style is a little self-deprecating while also a little charismatic and self-confident… and very much doused in humor—an interesting mix if you ask me. This made my experience with Voyage of the Damned unique because, while the subject of the story very much revolved around death, the way it was told (while definitely sad at times) was difficult to take too seriously because of the narrator.

It took me a little bit to get into the story and to really like and understand the main character, but once I did, I flew through the rest of Voyage of the Damned, needing to know what happens and how it all ends.

Ganymedes’ unique charm and the slow unraveling of the mystery kept me hooked, and I found myself appreciating the cleverness of the storytelling more as I went along. I’m definitely curious to see what this author will write in the future.