The Pirate Queen of Ruin

Sins of The Flesh #2

by Ash Raven

Orthia Moore
I pledged my life to a god—my Love—who has kept me alive for centuries in hopes that one day I would provide them with enough strength to bring them to our realm. In return, they have given me incredible powers, a second chance...

And a soulmate.

But as time has passed, I’ve not found the one meant for me. That is, until my Love calls for me to drag up a being of such divinity that I know she is my intended. Our god says that she has chosen us.

But she is a human, and I will never claim a human.

Delphini Fields
I have everything: money, power, status—until my penniless playboy of a fiancé murders me. My rage and desperate desire for vengeance calls to an ancient creature, a powerful god who offers me a choice: Revenge or death?

It’s an easy answer, but with my new life aboard Orthia’s ship comes with many complications. I have new powers I can’t fully harness, and we’re on a mission to help raise a god from the abyss. Not to mention, I have a soulmate who's determined to keep me at arm’s length.

But I always get what I want.

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, Pirates, Monster Romance, LGBT, Romance, Paranormal

425 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2023

About the author

Ash Raven is an indie author who specialises in spicy monster and alien romances that focus on plus-size and LGBTQ+ leads who get the love of a lifetime. They strive to write stories that are inclusive and real, with a touch of magic and a boat load of spice. When they are not writing, they are cuddling with their two orange cats and drinking oat mochas through a straw.

Born and raised in Indiana, they have been living their own insta-love romance in London, UK since 2015.

Reviews

[Fey Flowers (enbytweenthepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delphini and Orthia are really something else. I liked the development of both, Delphini has become so much tougher and yet remained gentle for the people she can trust and Orthia has lost some of her toughness and gradually allows some gentleness. A great metaphorical symbiosis.
Love is such a big part of them - sometimes I couldn't tell which part is just them. Are they chess figures or are they the playing field?
I'm obsessed with the bathing room, this sweet and spicy orgy sounds just fantastic.
But I don't really see the plot.
Yes, revenge and a new world order (did it really have to be exactly that wording?), but where? And what?
Will they kill all abusive cis men out there? Good luck, my ladies.
.
.
"Hurt me then, as long as you want me, hurt me."
.
.
"Love me like I love you"
.
.
Thank you for trusting me with an ARC... and for the thirst for pomegranate juice 🖤

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was dark AF. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the MCs had tragedy and betrayal heaped upon them to a horrifying degree. They had a rocky beginning to their relationship, but when they did come together, it was a beautiful thing.
I enjoyed this book and the revenge vendettas were fascinating.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: murder, SA, violence, gore, drowning, parental manipulation.

[Anne-Marie Romance Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orthia and Delphini are two women done wrong by the people around them and connected across centuries by their hurt and longing. Their circumstances are different, but their souls know each other deeply. Orthia has spent centuries in service to her god, Love, all the while hoping for her promised mate while leading a crew of women wronged. Delphini has been betrayed and left for dead. When she is offered a choice, accept her fate or pledge herself to an eldritch tentacle god and join Orthia's crew.

This book is a monster romance ode to every woman who has ever cried out for vengeance and justice. The crew have all been wronged, but have taken their control of their destiny and their power back. I loved reading about a pirate ship full of strong women who refuse to be broken by the word around them.

This book is also packed full of super hot spice. Not only are the two main characters unafraid to express themselves physically, the whole crew are very open with each other. When the author said "everyone is f*cking everyone," they weren't kidding. There is a lot of plot here, but it is balanced with a lot of spicy time.

This book was like Kenyon's Dark Hunters series, but with tentacles, queer af, and full of female rage. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lines that absolutely gave me life.

“May you suffer in the afterlife”

Orithia has the elegance and wrath of Helen Mirin combined with Dame Judi Dench, plus bloodthirst. Delphini is also just overall the woman of my dreams, calculating, clever, and most importantly cautious. I was a huge fan of the Librarian of Souls, over the moon for the Pirate Queen of Ruin- and cannot wait for this universe to expand (I do pretend that Ash writes these books just for me).

I recieved this book through and ARC sign up, and this entire review was written out of my sheer delight to get to read it.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

5⭐
3.5🌶️

@authorashraven can do no wrong in my book. I looooooved The Librarian of Souls, so the hype for book 2 was so real. They. Did. Not. Disappoint.

This book is sapphic, it has amazing plus-size rep. It's monsters and humans 😏. Oh... and the heroines are both stabby bad-asses??? Yes. Please. Alllllll of the conversations around consent and k!nk are perfect. The spice was 🥵. Gods below.

Delphini & Orthia now hold a special place in my heart. AND ALSO THE ENTIRE CREW. iykyk

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark sapphic ballad of female rage

Revenge, murder, sapphic monster orgies, fated soulmates, and tentacles. This book was filled with female rage and power and chemistry and I absolutely loved it.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling

Fated together and fighting the evil that surrounds the world and others. The journey that one’s begins to one their HEA.

[monsterinthepages · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Pirate Queen of Ruin’
RELEASE DATE: 21st December 2023

━━ † ━━

⭐️ overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 plot intensity: 📚📚📚📚
🔥 burn: 🔥🔥🔥
💋 spice: 💋💋💋💋💋
🍬 sweetness: 🍬
🩵 the feels: 🩵🩵
🤣 humour: 🤣
🩸 gore/violence: 🩸🩸🩸🩸
👤 POV: 1st person - duel POV

━━ † ━━

Wow, wow, WOW!!!

I first saw this book teased on instagram and it mentioned sapphic monsters with spice, pirates and feminine rage—which got me hooked from the very start…and now that I’ve read it?? My previous expectations for this book were blown COMPLETELY out of the water!! It’s so utterly fantastic!

“The Pirate Queen of Ruin” mixes eldritch elements, pirates, mythical fantasy and dark romance to create a unique experience that is filled with vengeance, blood, devotion and—at the same time—soul crushing love, respect and spice that’s steamy enough to melt your heart!

The characters were vividly animated with heart, colour and grittiness that fit perfectly with a rich world and lore. Orthia and Delphini both embrace a unique journey with their Love (both in the context of their emotional love and the eldritch goddess/being they name ‘Love’) which builds them both up as individuals as well as fated soulmates entwined with all the teal and pink coloured tentacles.

The spice is hot…like SCORCHING, after the slow-ish burn between the two main characters (though there is steam happening before). I will ALSO mention a certain communal bath scene that had me on the edge of my seat and hooked on EVERY word—it was long, detailed, explicit and panty-drippingly delicious. It’s a perfect example of a good sapphic scene that, at times, borders on poetically erotic.

There are a few trigger warnings to this book, as it is a dark fantasy/romance that deals with some pretty heavy topics. Though these topics are not explicitly written on page in heavy description, there is enough detail written to warrant content/trigger warnings — which are present in the beginning of the book from the author.

━━ † ━━

⚔️TRIGGER LIST⚔️

— Explicit sex
— Sexual assault (on page, not explicit)
— Graphic violence & blood
— Murder (on page)
— Mentions of recreational drugs
— Forced marriage (FMC with other)
— Abusive relationship (FMC with other)
— Drugging
— Mild knife play

━━ † ━━

“The Pirate Queen of Ruin” is a stunning piece of dark sapphic fantasy monster romance that is filled with the fury of pure feminine rage, eldritch beauty, fated soulmates, dark and gritty pleasure, all the tentacles you could want and need—as well as a gripping story that keeps you invested from the very start. Plus, there isn’t enough sapphic monster spice out there and the spice in this book is DRIPPING with all the sweet pomegranate slick from Love’s tentacles. I would highly recommend this book! 5/5 stars!

━━ † ━━

❗️I received this ARC via a sign up and every part of this review is written willingly and genuinely with my own personal feelings/thoughts and is under no conditions or obligations❗️

[Lia ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

" You are ours, Delphini, your sweet essence is one we shall savour into the new age and beyond. "

----------------------—

Story rating: 4.0⭐️
Romance rating: 4.0⭐️
Spice level: 4.0🌶️ 
Smut frequency: 3.0⏳

----------------------—

Tropes:
💎 sapphic romance
☀️ grumpy x sunshine
💫 fated mates
💖 bubbly, black & plus-size fmc
🖤 pirate queen sworn off love
🔪 revenge and female rage
✨ "Good Girl"


⚠️ TW: murders, SA, physical assaults, drugging, violence, blood, gore.

----------------------—

~ STORY & PLOT 📝 ~

Ok, so a sapphic fantasy with:
👉 a deal with a forgotten god
👉 unapologetic rage and violence
👉 badass heroines
👉 plus-size & bipoc rep
👉 lots of spice with tentacles

What's not to love ?? I was hyped when I read the blurb but nothing can compare to the delight it was to read the actual thing.


~ ROMANCE & MAIN CHARACTERS 💖 ~

Between Orthia's reluctance to accept her soul mate to her full adoration of Delphini, Delphini's complete trust in her fated bond with Orthia, their devotion for Love, and Love's tenderness & otherworldly presence: I was done for.

Their relationship is so intricate but so well-balanced. It's everything. Caring, soothing, and scorching hot. 🔥


~ SPICE 🌶️ ~

Spice is kinda slow burn, with a lot of build-up until it goes up in flames 🔥

We have :
🐙 lots of tentacles and suckers
🐙 light knife play
🐙 dom x sub dynamic
🐙 group sex

among other things ☺️

----------------------—
This is an arc review. Thanks to the author for the advanced ebook copy 🙏💖
----------------------—

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was such a unique story!

Orthia and Delphini are two women, from two different worlds, who come to find eachother under insane circumstances.

Their traumatic pasts rob them of everything, including their lives. But a magical goddess of the sea known as Love, has given them a second chance..all of hey have to do is seek revenge on those who have wronged them.

This was a mashup of dark sapphic fantasy meets time travel and mythology, with a dash of historical romance for good measure. It did take me about 20% to get into the groove and adjust to the writing style, and I’m still not sure if I understood the references to days at the start of each chapter..but the story itself was great!

If you are on the hunt for a unique sapphic romance, love stories of fated mates/soulmates, and appreciate dark romance and speculative fiction..then this is for you! Highly recommend and look forward to more from this author!

[Noriboo]

DNF

•••

I want to make it clear that I chose to put this book away after reading up to 50%.
Because I didn't finish the book, I'll abstain from rating.
The author has been very clear in her trigger warnings, and I have read a lot of monster smut of different species.
However, this was my 1st time reading tentacle smut, and I found out that's my line.

If you can stomach tentacle shenanigans, then I do recommend this book if you're looking for a sapphic romance revolving around female rage and finding love in an urban fantasy setting.

•••

I received a free ARC. My opinions are my own.

[Sharingtheadventure · Rating 4 out of 5]

I walked into this blindly. I volunteered for the arc.

This was dark this was heavy and spicy I highly recommend it!

[Genovee Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was one of my first times reading a sapphic novel, and I truly loved it. The character development, the adoration of feelings, the tense yearning. I ate it up.

[Diana Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

FMC: Orthia, Delphini
MMC(s): None
Tropes: Rejected Mates, Tentacles, Murder as a love language, spicy swords and daggers, black FMC, plus sized FMC, “My Wife”, bath house orgy, forced proximity,
> Reviewer add:
Perspective: Dual first
Plot or character driven: Character
Spicy scenes breakdown:
> Present? Yes
> Detailed? Yes
> With only one character? No.
> Multiple, with both/multiple characters? Yes.
> Personal favorite? Bathhouse.
> State of the joystick? Non-existent, this is a woman/woman/enby.
> Anything else to note?
Burn speed: Fast
Can this be read as a stand-alone: Yes.
Re-Readability: Craving to do so right now.
Monster level: 1-3
Content/Trigger Warnings/Enticements: Listed on Author’s IG.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary, honest review.

“Something tickles in my chest and I could swear it was hope.”

Delphini is a woman of the modern world that gets introduced to Love, a eldritch deity that currently inhabits part of Orthia. Orthia is a woman of the ancient times who’s running from her fated mate. And then there’s murder.

This is a wlw with tentacles from an enby eldritch deity. If you can read that sentence and be like “no” then this is not the book for you. If you read that and your response is anywhere from maybe to yes, then YES. YES. Y E S. And then there’s murder because our power throuple are murder wives and spouses. And their pirate crew murders men that have wronged them. Check, check, and check.

I want to roll around in this universe and never leave.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pirate Queen of Ruin is a unique sapphic monster romance filled with lots of female rage, tentacles, and murder!

I have not read a book like this before! Orthia and Delphini come from two different time periods, but share so much in common when it comes to their revenge on awful men. I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of their relationship. Orthia tries to deny the fated mates connection she has with Delphini and the progress from hate to devoted love felt genuine and had a great pacing. There's a great sandwiching of rage and murder with moments of softness, relationship progressions, and more mundane happenings. Oh, and don't forget the tentacles! Love is a godly figure that promises both Orthia and Delphini their revenge, but also a really fun and exciting romantic life. The spice is spicy! There's a bit of voyeurism, group action, and lots of ladies loving ladies.

There's a bit of a balance between time periods and locations that was at first a bit confusing to grasp, but ultimately the further I read into the book, the more I understood how everything contributed to creating the world. Once I understood where I was within the story, I really enjoyed the journey!

I definitely think you should give The Pirate Queen of Ruin a try! The witty banter between characters, plus size and queer representations, unique storyline, and spice provided the grounds for a really great and enjoyable read.

Thank you Ash Raven for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

👀Tropes: Sapphic, Dual POV, Feminine Rage, Touch Her and Die, Group 'Bathing' Scene

☠️CW: Murder, Violence, SA, Tentacles, Drugs

📚Read Method: Kindle eBook

✨Initial Reaction: I don't remember how I found The Librarian of Souls: A Sins of The Flesh Novel, but I fell in love with the world and the characters immediately, so I knew I needed to read The Pirate Queen of Ruin. Ash Raven writes so vividly, with every scene description artfully done. The novel starts off with both FMC's living through a tragic and awful moment in their lives, one that eventually leads to rage and revenge, where a god called 'Love' brings them together.

✨Final Reaction: I was a little frustrated with how long it took for Orthia to accept Delphini. Nothing to do with the writing, just how the character was so trusting and loving of 'Love', but didn't accept the fated mate they provided, and that speaks monstrously towards the distrust and rage that Orthia feels towards humans, which I don't blame her. When the spice starts, it's so hawt. There is a very spicy scene in the bath house that 'sucked' me in hard and honestly, it felt perfect for the characters. The only reason that this is not a five ⭐ is because I didn't LOVE the ending. It's fine, but felt rushed and not as detailed as the rest of the book. I didn't quite understand the wrap up and that might be on me.

💖Recommendation: If you want a sapphic, feminine rage read, this is the book for you. If you like tentacles, this one is for you.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pirate Queen of Ruin was a fantastic tale of revenge and love! While there’s plenty of darkness in the book, what shines through is the love and compassion between the MC’s! I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Orthia is the embodiment of a badass woman. She’s spent centuries leading the charge for her crew and their revenge. While her revenge was taken care of a long time ago, she stays for her goddess, Love. I really admired Orthia’s character development and how she was able to accept Del as her soulmate and regain a bit of her humanity back throughout the story.

Delphini takes no shit and I loved her! Her death was horrendous, but watching her revenge was so satisfying! She takes to this new afterlife with gusto and loves everything about it. She’s so confident and does everything in her power to show Orthia that they belong together with Love.

Love was a tricky character! Given she’s a goddess and not a physical being, it was interesting how she placed herself within Orthia and Delphini to move the story (and fate) along.

If you’ve ever wanted to read a book about women getting revenge on the men that did them wrong… THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is INTENSE! Not only do Orthia and Delphini each their own traumas to work on, there is super steamy sex on the menu. 😳 Strong themes of women supporting each other and getting revenge!

The only reason I gave this 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ instead of 4 is that sometimes it was hard to follow which “she” was which.

I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series! I love how Ash Raven weaves the supporting characters of this world together and sets them up to have their own adventures.

[Myramaynes]

I just wanted to read a cute lesbian story, but that was not it. I'm not into orgies. If that's your thing, I would recommend this book. The storyline is very unique and interesting. DNF @ 30%.

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sapphic Pirate Love

I absolutely loved this book! The love story was everything I hoped it would be, and the spice levels were off the charts!! I will be reading it again!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good, super confused over some stuff. I’m not sure if I missed some things? I’m still invested in this series.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an e-ARC!

“Violence can be the answer, even if it’s fictional”

I enjoyed this one! I LOVED how pink was a big theme in this book, especially for women's empowerment. This book is definitely for adult readers who can handle mature content, so if that does not apply to you then do not read this. The author advertises that tentacles are a big part of this story, which I can confirm is completely accurate. I liked how there was the romance element and then the mystical element. The god of Love was cool and I thought the ending was pretty clever. If you like mythical themes, one of the themes of this book is myths and worshipping gods/goddesses.

“All temples require priestesses to care for them”.