An energetic pirate romp billed as Our Flag Means Death meets Six Of Crows. I really wanted to like this book as I love both those comps but I couldn't get behind it. The book was one note: horny banter. The worldbuilding was excellent and the core plot was good, but it all felt secondary to the main characters thinking about, talking about and trying to have sex. They mostly lacked depth beyond their headline traits (mysterious hot priest, exasperated non-binary captain, bisexual trollop) and Avra in particular is intensely unlikeable with a narrative voice like a chipmunk on speed. Not one for me.

This is the funniest book i've ever read. The protagonist is a 35 years old who behave like an insufferable 12 years old, he's also extremely horny all the time. It's basically Our flag means death but more sexual and over the top

This was such a fun and funny adventurous fantasy book, the story felt unique and it was thoroughly enjoyable

Thanks to NetGalley for the at.

As a huge fan of A Taste of Gold and Iron, I was really excited to get my hands on Running Close to the Wind. I adored ATOGAI and it was one of my favourite reads (and rereads) of 2023. That said, I went in blind with this book and made sure I didn't read any reviews first, so I really didn't know what to expect with Running Close to the Wind.

It's very, very different to ATOGAI. The world is the same and it's really wonderful to see the perspective from someone outside the royal family, and see different places and cultures. The worldbuilding is, once again, huge and brilliant, with a keen depth of thought put into religions and customs.

Overall, the book really reminds me of Terry Pratchett. It's a strong fantasy-comedy crossover, that doesn't particularly take itself seriously. It's marvellously silly, with some quite deep moments in there as characters understand their motivations and choices but it fits in well within the story. The plot plays somewhat second fiddle to the characters, with their arcs mainly progressing the story and the plot being relatively minor in comparison. It works well for this book, but did kind of leave me wanting a little bit more.

Overall, an enjoyable book, but very different from Rowland's other work. It's lovely to see an author who can turn their hand to different styles and genres!

This was a hilarious joyous read. It was ridiculously over the top, it made me cackle with laughter, and it was a grateful escape from the real world for a bit.

I’m already familiar with Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron, so I was very excited when this book was announced. The characters are all so distinct and outrageously funny. It was a breath of fresh air to read something that was hysterically over the top.

I loved the worldbuilding and the setting, something that Rowland excels at. The descriptions of the ship and the sea were lovely. I loved all the additional character we met, and the ending was just *chefs kiss*. A brilliantly written ending that made me giggle.

I highly recommend it - it left me cackling with laughter and I cannot wait to purchase this later in the year.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

This has been the most unique book I've read in a while. And while it has been a good change of pace for me, this book will be hit or miss for others. The tone is silly, goofy and slutty. While all characters follow the genre, the tone is mostly set by the main character, Avra Helvaçi. Other than being a self-acclaimed slut that frequently uses the words 'sexy' and 'reeee', he's also good at annoying others. The only reason why he hasn't gotten into serious trouble for his shenanigans is because he's known to be extremely lucky. People who know him call it his witch luck and know that they should not play cards with him.

He's a bit of a cat. He keeps whining when he doesn't get what he wants and he likes to flee on top of furniture. At the beginning of the story, he reunites with his old captain, who is tempted to throw him overboard. And at first, I agreed with them, but as I read on, I found myself wanting to read more and enjoyed the experience of rooting for Avra and his slutty plans.

Avra says that he wants things explained in simple language so he'll understand it, but oddly enough the word use of this work does not match that at all. The words 'incredulous', 'imminent', 'appallingly' and 'nefarious' have been used in just one paragraph. So where this is a silly read, I would not describe it as a simple read, especially for non-native English readers like me.

Lastly, there is this character named Julian. He's a lovely person and a good soul and also described as incredibly good-looking. And where he doesn't make it his personality, others do see it as a defining trait of him and objectify him. In the beginning, he's applauded to be good for improving the scenery and Avra states that he must have him. And where he doesn't seem to be bothered by it and it fits within the vibes of the story, it does seem best to give others a heads up, in case they don't like to read about that sort of thing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

**Thank you to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the e-ARC**
"Running close to the wind" promised a fun, queer pirates adventure and it delivered, not doubt about that ! The humour is permeating every bits of the novel, with the main character, Avra, being himself : vibrant, a bit silly, sometimes tiring. Tev, on the other hand is a more brooding figure, contrasting with Avra vibrating energy, while Julian seems like the collected but playful one. It works well for the story and the desired tone for the novel. I must I was sometimes a bit tired of the always present humour, it can be overwhelming. There is some sweet and quieter moments though, so it's nice.
All in all, I think this novel is for me mainly driven by its characters rather than the plot surrounding the sea serpents. i wasn't really invested in that part, maybe because of one of Avra's trait, who take away some of the tension that could have driven that part. There another kind of tension though. This isn't really a problem for me, but it is good to know about. As for the romance/relationships, it is present, obviously, but wrapped in this comedic tone, so it doesn't strike me as especially romantic, even with the growth and change in Avra and Tev bond,. But it was still endearing and interesting to see the dynamics at play between the three characters.
If you are looking for a fun sea asventure, with vibrant characters and queer pirates, that might be a book for you. The book fulfilled its promise !