From the award-winning author of Pirates of Aletharia, comes its highly anticipated sequel, Goddess of the Sea.
Emilia Drakon, pirate, fugitive, and dragon sorceress, loves her captain and her dragons, and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect them—including the will of a sea goddess.
Captain Maria Welles, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to see her enemies bleed. If she wants safety for her crew, that’s only because she’s their captain, and if she longs for the love of her sword-and-magic-wielding surgeon, Em…well, okay, that’s where things get complicated.
Regardless, Maria can honestly say she has no interest in playing this deadly game between gods and goddesses, but when she finds herself in the middle of it anyway, the infamous pirate captain, who likes to think she knows everything, will have to delve into a world unknown to her.
Luckily, she has her dragon-riding surgeon to serve as guide.
Lesbians, Pirates, & Dragons: 1. Pirates of Aletharia 2. Goddess of the Sea 3. The Dragon Child
Britney Jackson is an award-winning author of LGBTQ fantasy and sapphic romance. She’s adored books for as long as she can remember and has loved writing for almost as long.
She has a passion for creating the kind of heroes she needed when she was younger: heroines with mental illness, flaws, and traumatic pasts. She centers her books around strong, lesbian and bisexual women who find courage, love, and happy endings.
She resides in Alabama with her two kids and the snuggliest cat you’ll ever meet. She has a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts and Religion and did her graduate work in English.
Her recent sapphic fantasy novel, Pirates of Aletharia, won a Goldie Award in 2022, and she’s currently at work on its sequel.
"Sometimes, we survive not because of our choices, but because we're more clever than we give ourselves credit for."
6 stars. I had to sleep on it but I’m back! Buckle up, babes because this is going to be a long and ramble filled review. Say hello to my favorite book of the year.
First off, that ending? Jail! How dare you make me wait forever this book and then end it like that! I feel personally attacked. I need book three right this very second.
Second, this book is almost 700 pages. I lost sleep last night reading this because I couldn’t put it down. I can see how some people could say that it maybe didn’t need to be so long but I disagree. Almost 700 pages of Captain Maria Welles? Bless. I also feel like Jackson really utilized those pages. There’s some fantastic character growth in this from both Emilia and Maria. It’s paced well and I can honestly say that I was never bored while reading this. Even in the slower moments.
Third, (I’m not sure why I’m still doing this numbering thing but shh! Just go along with it for now, thanks) the romance between Maria and Emilia has grown so much. The chemistry between them is impeccable. I loved seeing Maria be vulnerable with Em and we got to see a new side to her that she only shows Em. Em really grows into her own here and it was easy to see how her relationship with Maria really aided in that. They are perfect for each other and really bring out the best in the other. Also, while there’s not a lot of sex in this the scenes that we do get were fantastic. The sexual tension between them is delicious. Just them sparring together turns into something hot.
There’s so much action in this and I couldn’t get enough, especially at the beginning. The first scene where we see Em’s dragon was fucking awesome. I was honestly kind of worried that the dragons would be under utilized but nope, definitely vital to the story. Em’s dragon can communicate with her telepathically and it’s just so cool.
We get so much of Em bonding with the crew members and outside of the romance those were some of my favorite moments. We get to know them all so much and I really enjoyed it. Even the jack ass one. IYKYK.
To circle back to the romance for a second holy shit we have legit ‘touch her and die’ going on here. Maria literally threatens to kill multiple people for even *thinking* about causing harm to Em and. I’m. Not. Okay. She’s so protective but then we also see Em be just as protective. While she really cares for everyone on the ship she’d hurt any of them if they cross Maria and I’m. Not. Okay. I fucking love these two so much.
This book was my most anticipated of the year and it exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. I’ll be sitting here impatiently waiting for book three if you need me.
I had to break out a keyboard for this. While the first book in the series had its faults (so much hot/cold behavior from Em. I hate the captain, oh she’s so lovely) it told a coherent story that spoke of a bigger interesting world. This one was a disjointed, rambling mess the devolved into bickering middle school banter full of lame sex puns. “Captain, you can’t keep saying those things” Em blushed. 🙄 How many times did I need to read that line? The interesting world is not so interesting anymore when every being (gods included)is distracted constantly by breasts. Everyone is intellectually 15 and there’s no escape. This book supposedly picks up right after the first but spends the first 20% climbing down a mountain (that they were supposed to be hurrying down because battle) but instead it’s a stroll because they get kept getting distracted by how sexy they found each other. What? Why is a favorite tree important? Oh right, it’s not. The pacing was terrible, the dialogue was juvenile and boring, and hopefully the sirens will just eat them. Even the newly added subtitle (lesbians, pirates and dragons) reads like a SEO keyword search that matches the writing “style”. This book was the equivalent of a high schooler trying to stretch an essay to 20 pages but they only had a 2 page story.
Straight heat actually devoured all 692 pages when I realized I was getting near the end I was like damn there’s not enough pages yet but all good things have to come to an end at some point so all I can say is wait eagerly for book 3
This is THE book I’ve been waiting to read ever since I finished the first one when it came out. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and about this wonderful pirate world. I’m in awe of this author’s writing and mind! This series is definitely my favorite pirate story. #1!! It is legit so so so good and well developed and simply perfection. I fell in love with it all during book 1 and I continued to do so in this one. Book 1 and 2 are both PERFECTION!! The pace and storytelling are just perfect. Sorry, but there’s no better word to describe it all 😅 PERFECT! PERFECT! PERFECT! I looove Maria and Em’s story (they are so adorable together, I melt every time) and I also love some of the crew (only the ones who accept Em duh) and I adore Em’s dragons pls I couldn’t stop smiling as I read their thoughts/conversations with Em. They are so effortlessly funny 😂 and of course, with them being present now, I also have to hurry about nothing bad/deadly happening to them. I was STRESSED during the war/fight parts. Nothing bad better happen to my faves, please author 😩 I BEG OF YOU!! Keep them all safe till the end so they can all live happily ever after 🥹 And on that note, I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 3!! I need to know what’s gonna happen next and how they are gonna work together with the sirens to solve this new problem. Britney Jackson, if you ever read this, THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this masterpiece with us. I really love this universe you’ve created. I’ve reread and listened to the audiobook of the first book several times and I’m sure the same will happen with this one until book 3 comes out. You’re amazing and your mind is brilliant! Keep up the amazing work 💛 Can’t wait for book 3 😍
I understand this book is 670 something odd pages long, but goddess I wish it was longer. I waited a literal eternity for this book to drop and it just ends. Like that. I don't have the patience to wait another eternity for next book of one of my top three favorite series.
I live for their banter. Captain Maria Welles, her smugness, her endless filtering, all of it is just perfect. Em and her oblivious self is just as perfect and I love their relationship together. They went through a lot of growth this book and I loved to see it.
I love them. I love the cats. I love the dragons. I love everything. I'm dreading the wait for the next book.
Heated passions unfolds in this second installment of mystical creatures within the human world. As traumatic events of the past unfolds, emotional bonds deepen. Characters that infuriate and make you swoon. Ending in a cliffhanger making you wait for more.
Goddess of the Sea is Book 2 of Britney Jackson’s Lesbians, Pirates and Dragons Series.
I’ll just dive right in and say the creatures featured in the story were marvellously crafted! I can’t say specifically cause I don’t want to spoil the fun. But they were captivating - both eerie and thrilling to explore.
The characters - another plus in this story was dynamics between characters. Since this is a “found family” trope of the book, each character brought a different type of amusement to the table. The dialogue in some parts of the story was top-notch hilarious! Note: I believe Em is autistic and Helen could have Cognitive Developmental Delay. Just my theory though.
However, I may be presenting a contentious point here, but I’d like to address the….. I don’t even know what to call it, let me just call it the “foreplay flirting”. Now, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s written as good as foreplay flirting goes, this is my opinion. I think there was just three too many furtive glances and dilated pupils for my liking. There was also a lot of talking especially during the first part of the story where they were facing the antagonist. But, because of my heightened curiosity to see what happens next, I overlooked the winded dialogue.
Overall, book 2 is an excellent follow-up to book 1. It’s adds all the necessary factors to a series to elevate its story telling prowess.
Loved it! Absolutely loved it! What a wonderful installment to the series. The development of Maria and Em's relationship, the adorable dragons (just don't tell them that they are), and the sirens.. Oh wow.
Yes, it's a long book, and in my opinion, that's a good thing. Plenty of time to delve into Em and Maria's relationship, to see all of those tender moments between the, to see just what they mean to each other, and how much that grows, and how much they grow too! There's the start of healing, there's acceptance, and of course, there is the crew as well. They're, well, what you'd expect.
We finally get to see the dragons, and they're a lot more involved in the story this time. And I absolutely love them. Their banter, their views - it made me smile and laugh so much.
There is a lot that happens here, developments that I didn't see coming, and the entire plot got a lot more interesting. It ends of a cliffhanger-ish, as expected for a series book, but I can say that I am very eager to read the next installment.
An absolutely great book that I've thoroughly enjoyed reading.
I read an earlier draft of this book and I loved it. I don’t doubt it’s gotten better now. I love Maria and Em because they’re hot but they’re also sweet. You know?
Something I’ve always loved about Jackson’s writing is the way she handles trauma and mental health. It’s realistic but also compassionate. Idk if that makes sense, but it reads as compassionate. Maria and Em are flawed realistic characters who heal in flawed realistic ways. I love that. Lots of piratey fun to be had as well. I was kind of a fan of the “little” kraken. 😆 Hope he comes back!
The universe Jackson is building is quite interesting. I really liked Emilia and Maria’s relationship; they clearly love each other and show it through both their words and actions (minus one scene where Maria was out of character and messed up). However the characters could get horny at random times, when they are in danger or even when they are covered in blood, and it could be a bit strange. Maria's actions raised some questions from the crew, and a possible mutiny looming added some tension. This book was an interesting blend of adventure, fantasy, and comedy. If you are expecting a serious book, you might be thrown off because the humor and puns are a big part of the book, making it a bit crazy and fun, which I found entertaining. I had a big issue with the pace of the book: for example, the first 10 chapters took place over a one day period, which I felt was the longest day on Earth.The conversations in this book are really long, sometimes happening during scenes where characters should be in urgent situations, and sometimes they led nowhere. I found myself losing attention. It made the audiobook a bit heavy, and I sometimes wondered if some scenes were really necessary.
I still look forward to reading/listening to book three, but I do hope it will be more straight to the point. Ps : Lindsey Dorcus's narration is really good
3.5 ⭐️ I was super excited about this read, I was but it fell pretty short of my expectations. It was a book full of filler and usually that's okay, especially for a second book, but over 600 pages worth?
Both Em and Maria were acting like honry teenagers for the majority of the book even in parts of the book where they were they were in the midst of a battle or running from danger. Their relationship has come a long way and there are tons of ‘touch her and die’ scenes in this book. Maria’s development is amazing in this book and we get to see a more vulnerable and sensitive Captain in this book.
We finally got to meet the dragons and they did not disappoint. They are every bit as scary and dangerous as a dragon should be but also overly protective of Emilia. I also loved the slight insight we got on the Sirens and I'm excited to see more of them in the next book. Even though this book was a little disappointing I am looking forward to the next of the series!
The wait was so worth it. Even though the first book killed me on the cliffhanger this book revived me lol. I loved the growth of the relationship between Em and Maria and its depth. I also love the dragons in this too, all the Wicked Fate crew as well. Honestly feels like these characters have become "Friends" to me ;) Everything about this book was perfect to me, didn't feel rushed and was well written. I have to say....soooo many laughs in this made the journey a memorable one. Can't wait for the next one.
What a wild ride! All my favorite characters. The banter. The intensity. The moments.
However, I think my favorite part of this book was that for the most part everyone got scenes together and got to stay in the same geographic area together. Often times a sequel will have the main two protagonists be kept apart for some reason. Maybe there’s a journey one has to do that the other one can’t do or a curse or something like that to keep tension going. I always worry that after the end of a first book everyone will spend their time apart and have to work their way back to each other.
But this was nothing like that! There were tons of moments between Em and Maria. Moments between Maria and the crew and Em and every kind of combination. Everyone got scenes together. Everyone got to do many things!!
It was so sweet and so tender and so fun and so sexy and so engaging. I will reread this just as many times as I’ve reread the first of this series. Can’t wait for the audiobook.
I loved seeing the relationship between Captain Maria Wells and Em unfold. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them along with the other crew. Seeing the different personalities of the dragons was also an amazing feature in this book. Can’t wait for book 3.
Em being blunt and snarky is what I live for. Not only does she not apologize for taking everything literally, she leans into it fully. No masking anywhere in this girl. But lets be honest for a moment. I loooved that we got more of Maria's POV because her emotions are so deep!!!! I can't wait for the third one.
I am happy to see the series continue by building upon what the first book laid out. The protagonists complexities and love for one each other was a pleasant top note to the story progression.
I look forward to where book 3 takes it. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long!
Has to be one of the most amazing books I have read. I love the progression of the relationship between the two main characters. Also the action was very vivid. Can not wait for the third book!!
I'm still making my way through this one. I don't know, maybe my standards have changed. Maybe I've grown. The first book I enjoyed. The sequel just feels immature. Middle of a battle and a casual, flirty stroll on a mountain. High school banter with the crew. Around halfway through the book and no character development. The writing style, it's not bad, but longer than it needs to be. Like the author was trying to get their word count up. It's slightly exhausting. Should you read it? Yes. But this isn't a great literary work. The writing isn't impressive. The story and characters are underdeveloped. But it's a way to pass a weekend.
Edit: A 20 hour audio book with at least half of it filler and still not enough character development to justify the time. I don't think I'm going to finish this one.
This book definitely falls into the classic “second book slump” that seems to happen so often in trilogies. Don’t get me wrong—I mostly enjoyed it, but it didn’t quite hit the same high notes as the first one. It’s another dialogue-heavy installment, which was fine at first, but by the 70% mark, I was getting a little over it—conversations felt endless at times, and I found myself skimming paragraphs—and I didn’t miss much when I did. There were moments where major plot or action events were happening, and then suddenly we’d pause for a long chat about, I don’t know, what they’re feeding the cats. Like, can we please keep moving?!
There were definitely some slower sections that felt a bit like a slog. I honestly think this could have been 85–100 pages shorter, and it would have been much tighter and more impactful. And yet, even with all that space, the supporting characters still felt underdeveloped. Also, why is it such a thing in these kinds of stories for people to not say what they’re thinking or feeling—especially when it’s something important? I couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated at times.
SOOOOO much flirting and innuendos….but I could have done with more spice (but I feel that way about most things soooo). That being said, there were so many lovely and tender moments between Maria and Em that left me kickin’ my lil feet and rooting so hard for them.
Even though this installment left me feeling a bit annoyed at times, I’m still really hopeful that the third book will pick up the pace and get back to everything that made the first book so good. Either way, I’m 100% along for the ride!
Please note that I LOVED book one and enjoyed this book! This is my personal opinion
*Possible Spoiler *
IM READY FOR THE NEXT BOOK, but I wanted to get a few things out that I was not a fan of during this installment
1. For the progression of this story, the book could have been 15 hours max. It was too long and had way too much filler 2. I could have done without the Monty Python type humor. It didn't work. I missed the cheeky banter from book one 3. Side characters became boring 4. 30 plus hours in, I was more than ready to get Catherine involved in the story 5. Usage of terms of endearment HAVE TO GO. My surgeon - I still hear it echoing