A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone

The Pirate Queen Chronicles #1

by Gina Denny

A runaway princess. An empathic pirate who loves her. The warrior guarding her back. An adventure to sweep you off your feet.

Fast-paced, lush, intuitive storytelling with a deliciously torturous slow-burn romance? Yes, please! A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone is an unapologetically feminine pirate adventure that romantasy fans are bound to sail through.
—Morgan J. Watchorn, author of Fire to the Stars

Ida has an adventurer’s heart. When she followed that heart, she left behind the jungle island queendom ruled by her mother and ended up on board a merchant ship, with nothing but the blade in her hand and the magic in her bones to protect her. One, she’s great at using. The other, not so much.

Carrington’s magic tells him there’s something different about this girl who carries herself like a queen but wields a blade like a warrior. His magic also tells him she needs more protection from someone—he can’t figure out who—on her crew than even she realizes. But keeping her alive is a heavier task than he bargained for, and unraveling her secrets turns out to be a full-time job of its own.

After a bad contract leaves the ship in dire financial straits, Ida needs all the allies she can get, and a sailor who seems to know too much is more alluring than she’d like to admit. Before the two of them can untangle their feelings for one another, Ida needs to save the ship, and that might mean heading for the one place she never thought she’d ever see again: Home.

Perfect for fans of Adalyn Grace and Victoria Aveyard.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Slow Burn

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[Belinda Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. 😭 The premise immediately caught my attention—a runaway princess, pirates, magic, an empathic sailor, a warrior protecting her, and a slow-burn romance? YES. 🏴‍☠️✨ Unfortunately, the execution left me much more confused than captivated.

I wasn’t very hooked during the first few chapters, but I wanted to give the story some grace, so I kept going. Sadly, I never developed that emotional connection with the characters that I was hoping for. There were moments where I genuinely found myself wondering, Wait… what exactly is happening now? 😅

Ida had so much potential. She was a heartbroken princess who had lost one of her sisters, felt trapped by royal expectations, and desperately wanted an adventure beyond her island queendom. She had a rebellious streak, constantly sneaking away and getting herself into trouble. 🌊👑

After meeting Galvin and secretly spending time with him, Ida eventually left her royal life behind and sailed away on his merchant ship. Then a devastating storm killed Galvin, leaving Ida as the new captain. From there, she had to keep her crew fed and paid, deal with a disastrous contract, navigate dangerous situations, and eventually face the home—and the family—she had run away from.

That premise sounded SO good to me. Unfortunately, I struggled with the way the story revealed information. 😭

One of my biggest problems was Ida herself. We eventually learned more about why she had left, but it took a long time to get there. We also never really got enough information about her sister’s death, which was supposed to be such an important part of her emotional journey.

There were also several plot elements that left me scratching my head. 🤔

The romance was another disappointment for me. 💔

The blurb promised an empathic pirate who loved Ida and a deliciously torturous slow burn, but I never really felt that connection. Carrington could sense Ida’s emotions and seemed determined to protect her, but I didn’t feel enough emotional intimacy between them to make the romance land for me.

I didn’t dislike Carrington. I just didn’t feel particularly invested in him either. Maybe his importance would have grown in future books, but in this one, I was left wanting much more.

And the magic system? I needed answers! 🪄😭

We knew Ida had magic in her bones and Carrington had his own abilities, but I spent much of the book wondering how the magic actually worked. Where did it come from? Did everyone have magic? Was it connected to certain bloodlines? Was it elemental? Was it connected to a particular place?

I had questions. So many questions. 😂

I think my biggest issue was that the book had all the ingredients for something I should have absolutely devoured, but I never felt fully grounded in the world or the characters. The story moved forward, but I often felt like I was trying to catch up with it rather than experiencing it alongside the characters.

There were some genuinely intriguing ideas here—the runaway princess trying to build a life at sea, the consequences of abandoning her family, the struggle to keep her crew afloat after a terrible contract, the mysterious magic, the danger surrounding Ida, and the inevitable return home. 🌊👑⚔️

I just wish the story had revealed some of that information differently and allowed me to understand Ida and the world before asking me to believe in them.

Tropes & vibes
👑 Runaway Princess
🏴‍☠️ Pirate Adventure
⚔️ Princess with a Blade
🪄 Hidden/Unexplained Magic
💫 Empathic MMC
🛡️ Protective MMC
💕 Slow-Burn Romance
🌊 Adventure at Sea
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Complicated Family Relationships
🔐 Secrets & Hidden Powers
🏠 Returning Home
👸 Feminine Pirate Fantasy

Thank you to Gina Denny and The Nerd Fam for the opportunity to read this ARC. 💕📚

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for this gifted ARC!

I feel bad because I really wanted to love this one! Especially since I think this is the author's debut, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.

The premise is so fun! A runaway princess turned ship captain, a magical necklace, and a mystery to uncover. There are a lot of ideas here that I think could have made for a really fun fantasy adventure, but it ultimately felt like the story wasn’t fully fleshed out beyond those ideas.

The magic system and the lack of background for characters are what I had the biggest issues with. We never really get an explanation of how people get magic, how it works, or how it’s actually used. At times, it felt like the magic was added simply to make the story feel more like a fantasy. It isn't fleshed out at all. I also wish we had gotten more of the characters’ backstories earlier on. Ida becomes a captain after winning a fight, but we don’t really know enough about her background to understand how she would have those skills. She’s a princess, so I had a hard time believing she could suddenly hold her own as a captain without more explanation.

Especially because Ida has three sisters, I wanted more information about how royalty works in this world. Who is expected to rule? What are the other sisters being prepared for? What kind of training did Ida receive growing up? Having some of that context earlier would have made her character and abilities feel much more believable.

And this is definitely a personal gripe, but we are reminded A LOT that Ida is 19 and tall/lean. I get that she’s young, but sometimes her behavior felt much older than 19. Going from being a young princess to confidently commanding a ship full of men is a pretty big jump, and I think more backstory would have helped make that transition feel more natural.

That being said, if you’re someone who reads more for the vibes, I could definitely see this working for you! The writing is descriptive, the scenes were easy to picture, and there’s a fun atmosphere, an interesting premise, and a lot of potential here.

For me, though, I needed a little more than vibes. I wanted more world-building, character development, and explanation behind the magic and the world. I definitely think there’s potential here, especially for a debut, but it ultimately felt a little underdeveloped for me

[Daniela Nero · Rating 3 out of 5]

A runaway princess who becomes the captain of a ship, a mysterious magical pendant, an empathic sailor, and secrets waiting back home? This had so many ingredients I should have absolutely devoured.

I loved the atmosphere, the ocean setting, and the glimpses of magic throughout the story. Ida is bold, adventurous, and determined to build a life outside of what her family planned for her. I also really enjoyed the matriarchal society and the idea of a princess trading royal expectations for life at sea.

Unfortunately, I never felt completely grounded in the story. I wanted more explanation of the magic, Ida’s past, and how she had the skills to suddenly lead a ship. The multiple POVs also created some distance for me, and the romance between Ida and Carrington never developed enough for me to become emotionally invested. It was sweet, but I needed more chemistry, yearning, and time together.

I kept waiting for everything to build toward one huge moment, but the story ended before I felt like it reached a true climax. The epilogue did make me curious, though, and there is definitely a lot of potential for the series to grow.

This wasn’t a bad read. It just needed more development and emotional depth for me to truly connect with it.

*Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the earc. #abrokenheartofblackenedstone #thenerdfam*

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very thankful that I got the opportunity to receive and read this ARC. I have followed Gina for a while on socials and I was very excited to hear about this book and read it.

Overall, I am rating this book 3 stars. Seeing as this is a debut, and I am not a writer or editor, I wanted to give this book some grace. I also want to say that I think this series has promise and I am interested to see how the story plays out.

The initial premise of this book caught my attention. Ida is heartbroken after the death of one of her sisters, feeling trapped in the royal princess life and needing a good adventure. She is a bit of a rebel, always sneaking out and looking for fun trouble. She meets Galvin and after sneaking around with him for a while, she runs away from her royal life and sets sail on his merchant ship. Soon after, a big storm hits, killing Galvin. After a nomination, Ida ends up being the new captain of the ship. She gets into some trouble while delivering a shipment regarding a contract agreement and it sets in motion the rest of the story. Trying to keep her crew paid and fed, going back to the Breverik Isles and having to own up and face her choice to run away and how that impacted her family.

What I like about this story:
I liked that the story jumped right into a scene, it really captured my attention. I enjoyed the pirate adventure aspects and the hints of magic. I also really enjoyed how Gina Denny descripted everything from emotions, to the environment. I felt like it painted a really clear picture and helped me envision the world easily. I liked that Ida is ab it rebellious and she wanted to break out of the royal mold and see the world. I like that she wanted to do right by her crew and make sure they were paid and fed and I also like that she wanted to make things right with the Burgess company and fix the issues with the contract. I also liked that the Isles were a matriarchal society and that there was LGBT+ representation. The epilogue was also very intriguing and makes me interested for the rest of the story.

What I think could have been better:
I found myself questions whether parts of the story and other characters were important. I don't understand the addition of Brita. There is no point to her character in my opinion other than to show that Ida is not ruthless and compassionless. Otherwise, we don't really learn her story. I also found myself questioning the pendant. It seems really important in the first couple of chapters, but then we don't hear about it for a while. There are a few mentions of it later on in the book but we get hardly any information until the end. It seemed like it would be a much bigger plot point for this book and it just faded into the background really quickly.

I also was confused about Ida most of the book. It takes a while before we actually know why she ran away. Although we never learn what happened to her sister. We finally learn some of this info around the 40% mark. I was also questions how Ida would even know how to run a ship or have any leadership ability. We do get more information about her but I was wanting it sooner. Because we don't learn a lot about her background in regard to her knowing how to fight and use weapons or how to steer a ship, It just felt weird that she would somehow know how to do this without giving the reader the back story. I think that if some of the book was structured differently, the same info just in a different order, I would have an easier time believing that Ida is a badass pirate leader that is cunning and witty. I had a hard time believing it.

I didn't feel like the romance hit at all. There didn't seem to be a real connection other that Carrington being bale to sense her emotions and want to help her. I don't dislike him as a character but he also did not seem super important. Maybe he will in the future.

I also wanted to know about the magic system. None of that was explained so it was hard to understand the magic side of the world without any explanation. Where does the magic come from? Does everyone have magic or just specific bloodlines? Is it elemental? Derived from a certain place? We don't learn any of that.

Lastly, It just seemed like there needed some more editing overall. I am not one to really focus on small editing issues because its not really a big deal to me. However, it seemed like there was a lot of sentence structure issues. I found myself having to reread multiple sentences because the wording was weird or it seemed like a word was missing. Also, like I said previously, I think that the story would have had more of an impact if it was structured differently. If it started out with her in town with Galvin, Ida sneaking around and talking about her grief, then deciding to leave and run away, then all the stuff on the boat, I think it would have given the reader a better understanding of who Ida was.

Overall, I don't think this is a bad book and the premise is interesting enough, especially with the epilogue, to keep me wanting more. If you like a slightly more cozy vibe then this is definitely a book for you!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Gina Denny and the NerdFam for this ARC!

I was very excited to read this story- who doesn't love a pirate adventure? The world was immersive and the story kicked off with a bang. The FMC is headstrong and determined to escape her future as a royal. Her motivations are clear- after the death of her sister and her impending royal duties of marriage, she wants to escape. She convinces a captain to allow her to escape on his ship, and her journey begins. There is a clear and solid backbone for this story. Where I "struggled" a bit was when the chapter POV's started switching and it felt like the alt POV's were more "info dumping" than furthering the plot. I also feel like the plot/ build up was lost in these alt POV's. At the end of the book, I found myself craving a big "WHAT?!?" moment as we often get in romantasy series but it never came.

The epilogue gives me more hope for the second book! I will continue the series and am curious to see how the story continues!

Congrats to Denny on her debut novel!

[Biff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. Had a self-published feel to it. No hook and felt like it could use a good edit.

[Stephanie Dalman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted books. #abrokenheartofblackenedstone #thenerdfam

I’ll admit, I went into Broken Heart of Blackened Stone expecting something a little different. When I read “runaway princess,” “pirates,” “romantasy,” and “magic,” my brain immediately went to Pirates of the Caribbean. 🏴‍☠️

This is not quite that. The pirate elements are there, along with plenty of sailing, piracy, and life aboard a ship, but the story leans much more heavily into character growth, self-discovery, and the slow unfolding of its magical elements.

And despite that initial expectation mismatch, I really enjoyed this book.

Ida was probably my favorite part. She’s funny, smart, and watching her grow throughout the story was incredibly satisfying. Considering she’s only 19/20, I thought she handled herself remarkably well in situations that would have been overwhelming for someone much older. She makes mistakes and has plenty to learn, but I never felt like her age was being used as an excuse to make her helpless. I really enjoyed watching her find her footing and become more confident in herself.

I also really enjoyed the pirate crew dynamics. There’s something fun about watching the relationships within the crew develop and seeing how the dynamics shift when you go from having a male captain to a female captain. Ida has to earn her place and figure out what kind of captain she wants to be, and I liked seeing that process play out.

Carrington was another POV I enjoyed. His ability to sense emotions makes him incredibly emotionally intelligent, and I loved that aspect of his character. He is very clearly in love with Ida from the beginning, and the yearning and slow burn are definitely present.

That said… Carrington is a little too soft for me. 😂

He sounds stunning, but for a man who is so completely gone over Ida, I didn't always *feel* the depth of their connection on the page. There is flirting, touching, and plenty of yearning, but sometimes his “I will follow this woman anywhere” devotion felt a little ahead of what we were actually seeing develop between them.

And if you're coming for the spice… bring your own pepper. 🌶️

The spice level is very low. I’m talking half a chili pepper. 😂 There is definitely romantic tension, but I was hoping for a little more payoff.

The POV I struggled with most was Kendhall. I actually think she’s an interesting character, but every time her chapters appeared, I found myself wanting to get back to Ida and the crew. Her chapters frequently came right at the end of a cliffhanger or during a scene where I was completely invested, and suddenly I was pulled away from the action and back home with Kendhall and the guard.

It gave me the same feeling as reading Lord of the Rings and thinking, “Okay Frodo, I love you, but can we please go back to literally anyone else?” 😂

The ending, however, definitely worked.

There is a pretty significant cliffhanger, and by that point I was invested enough that I absolutely need the next book. Some things I saw coming, but there were also a few things that surprised me, which I appreciated.

Overall, this was an enjoyable romantasy with a strong FMC, entertaining crew dynamics, pirates, magic, character growth, and a romance that is very much a slow burn.

I’m hoping the next book gives us:

🌶️ More spice
⚔️ More fight from Ida
🏴‍☠️ More piracy and crew dynamics
❤️ A little more development between Ida and Carrington
🔮 More answers instead of magical vagueness
🗣️ And perhaps a little more directness from everyone involved

Despite the things that frustrated me, I’m invested now, which is probably the most important thing.

I need answers. And apparently that means I need book two and three.

[Nena Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible read!!! I absolutely loved Ida!!! I loved how she was a Queen that new hoe to weild a blade!!! I love pirate books so much and thos one was a breath of fresh air. I totally loved the magic system and the world building!! The was angst, longing, it was incredible. This book had so many layers to it, I loved peeling each one back and exploring it. I highly encourage everyone to read this book!!!!!

[Ari Bledsoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

**disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am obsessed!! She’s a runaway princess who becomes the pirate captain and he falls so hard and so fast! It does looks to be the first of a trilogy at the moment, so i will be enviously waiting for the next ones in the series!!

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted books. #abrokenheartofblackenedstone #thenerdfam

[gigi !! · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

I originally received this as an ARC so thank you to The Nerd Fam and the author for the access.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Fantasy is one of my top genres and yet I found A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone to be so dull. In a world where there's people with powers, mermaids, fairies used as a light source, it felt like none of it was used to its full potential. I can't even use pirates in that list because apparently all of the people we met on the ship or visited through the ship were just sailors besides Ida, who barely counted as one herself--and the trilogy is literally called The Pirate Queen.

To sum up my feelings towards this book and why it's a 1.5 star to me, I just didn't care about the characters or where the plot was going. I really was interested in this book because the description made it sound so promising and I wanted to read about pirates before summer ended, but this probably would've been a DNF if I wasn't hoping something would happen (spoilers: nothing did) and felt sort of obligated to finish it. A lot of my issues stems from the author's choices for the characters. Ida as captain and a princess with the ability to alter her appearance didn't feel as fulfilling or cool as I assumed it would be, Carrington being an empath and his literal job before becoming a sailor was to take away people's pain during labor came off so performative, and Kendhall's chapters served zero purpose-besides world building-until the end. I'm still wondering why Britta wasn't written as a teenager if she was just going to be defined by her size and I really couldn't care less about what the epilogue means for the books going forward.

I am sorry for not having anything good to say about this story, but I just didn't look forward to picking up this book every day other than to finish it. I don't see myself continuing the trilogy or recommending this to anyone interested.

[RachelReadstheRoom · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted book.
⭐️⭐️.75

I was drawn in by the premise of the story, but the book never fully delivered. Runaway princess, pirate ship, mutiny, magic, romance. I enjoyed the dual POVs and the various settings. The world building was done well. Kendhall was the most interesting/developed character.

I was confused about whether it was a pirate ship or just a merchant ship. Carrington was described as a pirate, but he just seemed like a sailor? I just didn’t get “The Pirate Queen” plot that I hoped for.
I did not understand the pendants and what they meant. There were clues, and I honestly hope I’m wrong as to what the clues alluded to. The romance was okay, slow burn, but not really necessary to the plot.

The magic system seemed promising but was never fully explained. Shape shifting, empath, magic wards, sirens…how did it all tie together?

A lot of mystery and reveals were set up in this book/book one. Hopefully, book two helps clear some things up.

[Ilana Fischer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I respect and admire the author so much yet found this book to be lacking in so many areas.

The premise has so much potential: a grief-stricken princess runs away from her responsibilities only for more grief and responsibilities to find her at sea. I wish we could have started with Ida’s normal life and been with her as she made her decision to run away, then the storm could have been the midpoint where everything changes and she needs to step up, things go to shit, and we could have ended with her returning home with a lesson learned.

Instead, the plot felt almost random, Ida’s goals were unclear, and the side characters came off as one dimensional.

[siobhan900 · Rating 2 out of 5]

proof that you can talk all over the internet about the craft of writing and the industry, but that still doesn’t make you a good writer.

really disappointed in this.

[Angelica T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.0⭐️
Spice: 0

Thank you to the author and The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

In all honesty, I wanted to enjoy this book because it does have potential. I’m just not entirely sure what I’ve read. The book blurb and tropes were extremely intriguing and what had me signing up. I went in with excitement, which gradually dulled into confusion and a bit of frustration.

The world building was not lacking, as Gina was very descriptive regarding adventures out sea to Brevick Isles to Atanase. I would say it would be a rather immersive experience for someone that truly connects with the story itself.

I tried really hard to connect and relate to any of the characters, but I struggled. Ida (FMC) is running from grief to discover the world, find who she is, and what she's meant to do in life. She joins a pirate crew that eyes her warily, but she's protected by the Captain, Galvin. A storm causes devastation, and has Ida fighting to be respected by the crew as she steps into the role of Captain, because someone discovers her secret, she's the runaway Princess.

Carrington (MMC) is this handsome crew member that has secrets of his own. His encounter with Ida has him curious, and as the story unflods he feels this connection to her. He swears to protect her, after she overcomes obstacles during the story.

Kendhall (side character) was betrayed by Ida, who she labels as her best friend though Ida is a princess. She wallows in the issue that she has failed to do her duty and tries everything she can to redeem herself, but also misses her best friend. Illiana (side character), Ida's sister and heir to the throne. The story features her courting for marriage, but there's not much else than that. The common thing between Ida and Illiana is the death of their sister and the grief they're all trying to work through. Ida has to go home after some of the obstacles she encounters to ask the Queen, her mother, for help.

Slow burn - indeed, but I didn't feel the connection between Ida and Carrington. I didn't really feel tension or romance between them. The ending has me questioning if maybe there's more MMCs, or if this character has their own story.

Overall Notes: The plot itself seems a little all over the place. I'm not entirely sure how everything was meant to piece together between all the characters and their stories. I have so many questions, as again by the end I was confused. What I did love is a female monarch! The women ruling Brevick Isles is why they haven't been breached by enemies or invaded.

Again thank you to the author and TheNerdFam for the opportunity. I'm wishing the author well, and I hope she finds her audience.

[Kaitlyn Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone was such a good read! I absolutely loved the concept a runaway princess, magic, an empath, LOTS of pirates… what more could you ask for?!

This easily could have been a 5 star read for me if it weren’t for the ending. It felt so abrupt! One second I was reading the story, and the next I was suddenly in the epilogue. I was genuinely confused and felt like I had missed something. I just wish the ending had been given a little more time to wrap everything up. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book! I especially loved the multiple POVs. Multiple perspectives can sometimes get confusing in fantasy books, but these were so easy to follow and added so much to the story.

Overall, I had such a good time reading this one, and I will definitely be picking up book two! I’m excited to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to Gina Denny and the Nerd Fam for this ARC! 📚🤍

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an awesome read. I loved the Pirate aspect to this. I loved the world building, the description, the way it pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re along for the ride. This was captivating and intense. Right from the beginning I found myself really wanting to continue. To see how things were going to progress and what the outcome would be. I had a really great time with this story.

[ASK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone

ARC review
4🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ida is constantly searching for a way to find the world, and herself, beyond the life that was planned for her. Smart, brave and remarkably controlled, she takes on danger and responsibility while revealing very little of what is happening beneath the surface. The more I read, the more I found myself wondering whether she is running towards adventure, away from grief and expectations, or towards a life even bigger than the one chosen for her.

My thoughts
Ida is a complex character. We only see what she allows us to see, and I'm not quite sure yet whether I'm impressed or worried.

She is either a master of calm, a creative problem-solver who doesn't panic when she's in the middle of conflict or danger, or she's not fully aware of how serious some situations are and is skimming the surface of them. Or both.

All I know is that she repeatedly takes action in moments when other people might freeze or flee.

When she takes over as captain of the ship, she has to deal with unwilling subordinates, the possibility of mutiny, dwindling reserves and other dangers. Yet she thinks about how she's never been subjected to quarter rations.

That detail struck me because it feels almost like something a teenager might think, someone who hasn't yet developed a certain level of empathy or hasn't had to understand what deprivation means for other people. And strangely, that made her feel more realistic, rather than simply making her seem out of touch.

At the same time, Ida has a high level of maturity and sees situations holistically, doesn't seem to hold grudges.

She sees the bigger picture and leads from a place of rational, detached logic.
She also seems to have learned how to block out her own needs, wants and pain.
And that's one of the things I'm most curious about.

How did she learn to do that?

What happened in her upbringing?

What taught her to put those things aside?

Because there is something fascinating about a character who can remain so composed in the middle of danger while apparently keeping so much of herself inaccessible.

I'm still trying to understand Ida's family, particularly her mother and her mother's response to her.

There is something interesting here about what it means to have a public life, to deal with heartbreak while still having responsibilities to other people, and to balance your duty to others against your duty to yourself.

How do you allow yourself to deal with what you encounter?
What you feel?
The fate you're given?

I want to understand Ida's relationship with all of that much more deeply.

What is Ida running from, or towards?
This is the question I keep coming back to:

Was Ida running towards adventure?
Was she running away from:
grief?
responsibility?
expectations?
the life planned for her?
Or did she simply want to do even more than what had been planned for her?

I suspect there may be guilt, shame, grief and fear underneath some of her choices and perhaps not necessarily guilt over something she did. Maybe it's guilt over something she cannot or doesn't want to do. But I'm still unsure.

And I think that's partly because we're observing Ida rather than being inside her head. There isn't a first-person POV giving us direct access to those feelings. We're watching her reactions. We're looking for signs. We're trying to work her out from the outside. And I'm enjoying that uncertainty.

One thing I would absolutely love is a magical and world index. I want to know more about the creatures and the different powers in this world, ideally all of them, or at least some of the significant ones.
There's enough here to make me want to understand the world more deeply, and an index would be something I would genuinely use while reading.

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this!

[Chloé | Banter & Blades · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️½

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

I kept going back and forth between 2.5 and 3 stars with this one, but I think 2.5 is where I landed.

There are actually a lot of ideas here that I really liked. The matriarchal society was probably my favorite part, especially the way women can choose other women to marry for political power. I also really liked the different types of magic, particularly the shapeshifting and empath abilities. The setup had potential, and I thought the dialogue was perfectly fine.

But I just never really connected with the story or the characters.

We get three POVs, the FMC, MMC, and Kendhall, her friend and guard, and I wonder if that contributed to some of the distance I felt. I knew what was happening to everyone, but I never became emotionally attached enough to really care what happened to them.

The romance unfortunately didn’t help. It was very light, a couple of kisses, no real spice, and I personally didn’t feel much chemistry or yearning between the characters. And absolutely no banter, which you know is always going to hurt me a little.

This is technically New Adult, but it read much more YA to me, both in the characters and in the romance.

The pirate element may also just not be my thing, although I’m not ready to blame the pirates yet because this is actually my first pirate fantasy. I have another one waiting on my TBR, so apparently we’re conducting an experiment now.

The second half does bring more twists and family manipulation, and the ending is a cliffhanger. But instead of making me desperate for the next book, I mostly felt like this entire book had been the prologue to a much bigger story.

And I think that’s ultimately my issue. The world had some cool ideas. The magic had potential. The setup had potential. But I kept waiting for everything to pull me in emotionally, and it just never happened.

It wasn’t a bad read. It was okay. But unfortunately, I already know I’m going to forget most of it.

2.5⭐️, rounded to 3.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone had such a promising premise—a runaway princess turned ship captain, dangerous magic, mysterious secrets, and a slow-burn romance at sea. I especially enjoyed Ida’s strength and complexity, and there were some genuinely lovely moments of yearning between her and Carrington.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t completely live up to the concept for me. The magic system and world-building felt underdeveloped, and I often wanted more background on the characters and their motivations. Some parts of the story moved quickly without enough foundation, while others dragged, making the pacing feel uneven. I also wanted the romance to develop more deeply because the potential between Ida and Carrington was definitely there.

There are a lot of interesting ideas in this story, and I can see the foundation for a fun fantasy series. While this installment didn’t fully capture me, I’m curious to see how the world, magic, and relationships develop in the next book.

Thank you to the author and The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Waterfall *Daughter of Northridge Earthquake* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've gone back and forth on my feelings about this book for a while, and I think what I've decided is that it's a fine book. Not great nor terrible, just fine. I would have called this a really promising third draft, or a spectacular second draft, but it was just missing some of that polish that I would hope for in a complete book.

There were things I really liked about it. Ida is tall, bold, and fun. The vibes were absolutely on point, I loved the setting. Some of the worldbuilding details were really great as well. The prose was easy - honestly, the whole book was an easy, light read.

But overall the story didn't feel complete. The romance didn't feel earned and there wasn't really much story to speak of. I was about halfway through and realized I was still waiting for the story to actually start, and I honestly couldn't tell you what the climax even was - the book just sort of... ended? Kendhall's POV felt entirely superfluous except for one scene toward the end, which I was actually really excited about, until that just fizzled out. While I know it's a planned trilogy, I didn't feel like anything I got was narratively satisfying enough to call the story complete. Not that it was a cliffhanger, it was just open-ended.

Carrington was a dear but my goodness he did not have any life or personality outside of Ida and I did not enjoy that. I could not tell you a single reason why those two should have had a romance, they didn't have much chemistry. I enjoyed their romancing scenes but they did not feel earned.

There were also a few smaller things that added up and didn't help my opinion of it. Some editing issues (not the copyediting issues, since I was given an arc I am fine with spelling errors, though since I got my copy so close to release all I can hope is that it wasn't the final one) such as plot holes like Kendhall stating everyone thought the princess was sick only to later have everyone talk about the runaway princess and a few other things I won't mention because of spoilers. The magic wasn't just poorly explained, it wasn't explained at all which led to a lot of confusion. Ida didn't get much interiority or have any emotions in times when I really wanted interiority and really felt like she should have been feeling things, and the whole vibe of the book felt more YA than NA. There were a lot of open threads and things that did not come into play at all, that felt completely like setup for the next book but retracted from the experience of this one.

I know it sounds like I'm harping on the book and only have negative things to say, but overall it entertained me, so it did it's job. I still intend to read the others, but at the same time this isn't a book I would rave about or recommend to friends.

[amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a GR kindle giveaway, I really wanted to like it but it took me a long time to get drawn into the story. Really confused as to why it has the 3rd POV for Kendhall and how important she was to this story? I feel she was just inside eyes into the castle while Ida was away for our benefit?
Ida and Carrington have good chemistry and interesting magic. I can see why Ida wants to leave the castle as well after reading about how controlling her mother is (weather Ida realizes it or not). I do not think I will be looking for book 2 though.

[Karen Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to expect:
👸Runaway princess
👑 Secret Royalty
🔥 Slow-burn
♥️He Falls First
🪄 Magical Humans

Contains Spoilers:

“Twenty-seven days on the open sea had taught Ida two things. One, men—as a whole—were not as tough as they claimed. And two, nobody could lie like a young woman raised to be an international diplomat.”

Ida is a 19 year-old, shape-shifting princess who will likely never become queen. Her sister, Irina, dies in an accident. To avoid her grief, the possibility of becoming a rich merchants wife AND to appease her need for adventure—Ida runs away from her life. She convinces her captain main squeeze, Galvin, to take her aboard his ship so she can experience life. During a storm, Galvin and several crew are washed overboard leaving the ship in need of a new captain. Ida becomes the new captain with help from Carrington—an empathic young sailor. Ida wears a mysterious magical necklace gifted by Galvin which begins glowing after his death. Carrington and Ida discover they have feelings for each other. (The slow-burn is real!) Now Ida’s true adventure and problems begin.

There are three main POVs in the story: Ida, Carrington, and Kendhall (Ida’s personal guard who “let her runaway”). All three characters have strong feelings of guilt/making mistakes from what I could piece together. I’m still not sure why new have Kendhall’s POV. We don’t learn much detail yet, but that left them feeling a little flat honestly. I suspect more detail is coming in the next book?

I read this book very quickly and enjoyed it. I do have more questions then answers at the end and hope book two will answer them! I am a mood reader and this hit at the right time for me with pirates/mermaids. The premise of the story grabbed me! The pacing of the story kept me engaged —even with a few editing errors. I loved the descriptions of Ida’s kingdom—the jungle is lush and full of animals/fairies. This is a world of humans with various types of magic and magical creatures such as mermaids and fairies. There isn’t much world building or detail regarding the magic system. The magic necklace—I had a theory, then changed it towards the end, and was wrong! It did keep me guessing throughout the book! There were minor references to pirates and I’m still not sure if Ida and her crew are pirates (in the traditional sense anyway)?

Overall I liked this book and feel it is a quick, enjoyable and uncomplicated read!

**Thank you to the Nerd Fam for the gifted book.

[Lisa Spofford · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy of this ARC via the Nerd Fam and I am voluntarily writing this review. A BROKEN HEART OF BLACKENED STONE is the first book in THE PIRATE QUEEN CHRONICLES by Gina Denny. Ida leaves her island queendom to join a merchant ship, where she meets Carrington, whose magical empathy senses danger all around her. When a crooked merchant fails to honor a contract which puts the entire crew at risk, Ida must manage secrets and a possible return home. This is a lower spice book with potential to become spicier and open door in subsequent novels. It is a third person and, for the most part, triple POV, fantasy romance with tropes including runaway princess, empathic sailor who loves her, royal guard and friend who guards her back, adventure, danger, ship’s captain heroine, sailor hero, LGBTQIA+ positive, and difficult choices. I thought this was a good start to a new fantasy series. Ida is an interesting combination: a trained diplomat and leader, good in a fight, and willing to give second chances but also deal swift punishment. Carrington has a magical gift of empathy and finds Ida endlessly fascinating. Of all the members of the ships’ crew, he is the most firmly in her corner, but he feels unworthy of her class and rank. Kendhall is the royal bodyguard Ida left behind who was raised with her and is her friend as well as her protector. She struggled with Ida’s desertion and will never let her leave on her own again. I am not clear what part she will play in this story, but her POV allowed the reader to know what was happening while Ida was away. The start was a bit confusing, making me think that there was a previous title, however, this is the author’s debut novel. It did settle in within a few chapters and begin to make sense. There seemed to be prior knowledge that I was missing at the outset of the book. I found the characters enjoyable and the story interesting, and I am interested in reading further to see what may happen. I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy fantasy romance and adventure in a magical world full of mythical creatures where many people have magical skills. (4.5 rounded to 5 stars when necessary.)

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review:
I really, really thought A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone was going to be a 5-star read, but there were a lot of little things that started adding up. If this were not a debut novel, I most likely would have rated it 3–3.5 stars instead of 4. However, since it is a debut and I enjoyed the majority of the book, I am giving it 4 stars. I also think this series has a lot of potential, and I definitely plan to continue reading it.

The very first scene immediately caught my attention and made me want to keep reading, even though I was supposed to be going to bed. I really enjoyed the pirate adventure aspects of the story, especially with magic mixed in. The world-building was descriptive enough that I could easily imagine each place we visited, although I would have LOVED a map to go along with it.

I also loved how progressive the world felt for the time period it was inspired by. We have a matriarchy instead of the usual patriarchy, the tailor near the end (when you read it, you'll know what I mean), and just overall LGBTQ+ positive vibes throughout the book. Those details made the world stand out to me.

As for what I think could have been improved, the romance didn't really hit for me. I felt like the characters needed more of a connection for me to fully buy into their relationship. I also wish Ida had given us more of her history and the trauma that caused her to run away in the first place. It was mentioned quite a bit throughout the story, but we never really learned what happened. I'm hoping that is something we get more of in the next book.

I also found the addition of Brita a little confusing. I'm sure we'll learn more about her in the next book—or at least I hope we will—because right now I am not entirely sure what to make of her or her role in the story.

I would have also loved to learn more about the magic system. We were introduced to a few different types of magic, but not all of them were really explained, which left me with a lot of questions. Again, this could absolutely be something that gets expanded on as the series continues.

Lastly, there were more editing mistakes than I would normally expect to find in a published book. Usually, those don't bother me too much, but some were pretty jarring and made me reread a line a few times just to figure out what was going on.

All that being said, I still really enjoyed A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone. For a debut, I think there is a lot of potential here, both for the author and for the series itself. There were things I wanted more from, but there was also plenty that kept me invested and made me curious about where the story is going next. I will definitely be continuing the series.

[Kala Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book really caught my attention because I am such a sucker for a pirate romance and a strong FMC! Give me pirates, adventure, romance, and a badass heroine and I’m pretty much sold!

I really loved how much adventure was packed into this story. It felt like there was always something happening, and I genuinely felt like I was right there alongside the characters. The action kept the story moving and definitely kept me entertained, and I loved the overall atmosphere and the feeling of being swept away into this world.

That being said, I do wish there had been a little more detail in some areas. There were a few plot points and characters that left me feeling a bit lost, and at times I felt like the writing got a little muddy and I had to pause and piece together what was happening. I think a bit more explanation and world-building would have helped me connect with the story and characters even more.

Overall, though, this was such a fun and adventurous read! It definitely hooked me enough that I want to continue with the series because I still need to know what happens next I’m hoping the next book gives us a little more depth and clarity while keeping all of the adventure and action that made this one so entertaining!

[Trisha · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Thank you Nerd Fam for the ARC!

This is a 2.5ish for me, rounding up because maybe I'm the problem here?

The premise of this is so interesting, and I've been itching for a good pirate read, but this fell flat in so many ways for me.

The good news for folks--there's no "first 15% of the book is worldbuilding info dumping." The bad news, is that it takes the ENTIRE book to get information laid out at all for you, so you spend the entire book wondering if you missed something and trying to force yourself to care about the characters. We don't get any motivations until around the halfway point, and by then I've stopped caring. I think even a prologue explaining some of this would have gone a LONG way in making me care about the characters and what was going on. There's no overarching goal/plan guiding the story, so without a reason to care about the characters, I had a lot of "but what are we even DOING here?? WHY???" moments.

And the romance felt...off to me. Maybe it's because I didn't connect with any of the characters or what they did? Maybe it's because I stopped caring by the time it started to present itself? But Carrington just...wasn't it for me. We basically know he finds her attractive and something about her makes him want to use his magic to take away her negative emotions. End of list. There's very little interaction between the two that leads to relationship development for the majority of the book--just plot forward discussion, not romance/relationship discussion. And even then, it's almost always from HIS POV, so we see HIS feelings towards her, but not the other way around. So it feels a little forced.

Overall there are some interesting things here--I loved that we got ACTUAL pirate/ship content and the way we included some politics into everything. I think the overall story has a lot of potential, and I was invested enough to finish, but I just think this didn't really work for me in the ways it needed to.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book so I am sad to be giving it 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3).

There were a few things in this book that really worked well. The premise of the book was interesting (a princess who becomes the captain of a pirate ship) and the romance was substantive. I really liked Carrington (even if I wanted him to be a little less polite, lol).

My main gripe with the book was that I felt that it lacked a climax. I understand that this is a series and that Book 1 may be leading us towards a greater conflict, but I did expect the tension to peak at some point and for Ida's choices to result in more serious consequences.

Some editing errors and small plot inconsistencies also took me out of the story at times.

[Whispers of ink · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Thank you, The Nerd Fam and the author, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone, but I ultimately settled on a 3-star rating because of several concerns. The opening scene was engaging, blending pirate adventure and magic, but a map would have enhanced the experience.

While the progressive themes were appreciated, the romance felt shallow and lacked depth, especially regarding Ida's trauma; the magic system was intriguing but poorly explained.

Ida, a grief-stricken princess turned ship captain after a devastating storm, faced challenges that the story often communicated poorly. I wished for more backstory, particularly about her sister’s death. The emotional connection in the romance was lacking; I needed more engagement with Carrington's character.

Overall, while I enjoyed the premise of a runaway princess and a slow-burn romance, the execution left me feeling unanchored in the story. I just wanted a clearer narrative to really connect with Ida and her journey.

[Halee Hawksley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ The premise of A Broken Heart of Blackened Stone is enticing, but it lacks execution. The sentence structure, character development, and world building need work. For full transparency, and in the hopes that this is helpful feedback, I’m going to share the things I liked and the things I think could be improved upon.

What I liked:
I appreciated the set up for a unique magic system! The addition of mermaids and fairies will be so fun and I’m excited to see more of them.

I adored Kendhall’s character! Her POV was my favorite to read from and I’m excited to get to spend more time with her.

I like how unique the setting is and I think the political landscape has so much potential.

What needs work:
Unfortunately, I did not find the story to be captivating. I didn’t feel connected with the characters or invested in their development. People are dying and conflicts are happening, but the characters do not seem to care, and in turn, neither do I.

There is no development for the romance. In one of Carrington’s first chapters he talks about how he’d die for Ida, and the only reason he gives for liking her is that she can hide her emotions well. I would have appreciated more development in their slow burn, more details on why they find each other intriguing, and a better scaffolded relationship development. Also…HE NEEDS TO BE TALLER!! ;) It mentions that he and Ida are the same height and she doesn’t find him attractive to begin with.

There were some instances where the writing didn’t make sense. Sometimes in sentence structure, and other times in opposing POV’s. (Carrington mentioning that Ida’s stomach flipped, etc.) There were many times where I wished the writing had been in first person.

Congratulations to Gina Denny on her debut novel and a big thanks to The Nerd Fam for the ARC!

[Lelith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Such an unusual and interesting story, with beautiful, atmospheric descriptions and a lot of potential, let down a little by pacing, and some other small issues.

I definitely enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more than the first, and the ideas here are so interesting I'd love to read the next book to see if it was just a bit of a rough start.

The writing felt kind of waffly at some points. Reiterating the same things, but not moving the plot on. There were a couple of times where the plot of the book so far was recapped. I don't think it was really necessary. The pacing also felt sluggish in the first half of the book.

I loved the descriptions of the island, and the glimpses we saw of the magic. I would love to see more of this! I also loved the pirate-y boat setting, so fun!

I thought the romance had a bit of an abrupt start. I have no idea what first drew Carrington to Ida, though I could see the attraction more as time went on. I'm still not all that sure what Ida sees in Carrington. I would have loved for the romance to be a little more developed.

I loved a lot of the side characters. I can't wait to see more of them. :)

I'd still recommend it for a light, atmospheric read, and an interesting story. I just wish it had gone through another round of editing.

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted book.