Reviewed: April 19th, 2025
Released: January 2nd, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Murder Mystery
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 heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
But when a beloved heir is murdered, every one of these powerful people becomes a suspect.
Now Ganymedes – alone and vulnerable without a Blessing – must become the hero he was never born to be.
With the body-count rising, can he unmask the killer before they reach the shore?
Helen’s Thoughts: 5/5
What a brilliant book. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down. I must admit the beautiful foiled cover caught my eye, such a lovely blue! And then when I saw it was a fantasy murder mystery, I was intrigued.
I read this in two days. Completely hooked from the beginning. Des is the lynchpin of the story. His life is a lie, and he hates it. He has no Blessing, feels a complete fraud, and tries to get out of the voyage.
Once on the boat, we meet the other eleven Blessed, and so starts what reminded me of the sacrifices for the Hunger Games. Each Blessed had no choice, they are their parents heirs, and now face the reality that their lives will be sacrifed to protect their province. The characters are beautifully fleshed out, each reminiscent of where they came from, each with conflicting objectives, and a contradiction to the supposed unity of Concordia. It was great to see diverse characters introduced so seamlesslessly, both those with a disability and within LGBTQ+.
After the first murder, it falls to Des, the least of them, the one without a Blessing, to try and figure out who is the murderer before they are all killed. And he carries the story easily. A hero who despises himself, and yet sees the good in others.
The majority of the story is told on the ship, but you don’t notice as it is like a microcosm of the outside world. The little dragon servers are that little sparkle of the fantastical to remind you that all may not be as it seems.
Very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
Purchase Voyage of the Damned
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: Paperback
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series and now Harmony, a dystopian science fantasy.
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