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Legends of Vioria #1
Windfall
Captain Liana Foley knows a thing or two about fights. She fights the King’s Navy. She fights to balance power in oppressive Vioria. She fights for respect as a female, bisexual, pirate captain. But she’s losing her biggest fight: to escape her secret past as a lost Princess.
With a mysterious letter and a stranger threatening to expose her, Liana is blackmailed into attending a royal ball and protecting her counterpart, sheltered Princess Rhian. The pretenses are suspicious enough, but Liana takes the risk in hopes to finally unveil the magic plot that killed her parents and forced her into hiding.
When Liana encounters Rhian’s own lightning-wielding powers, the ball erupts in violence. The sheltered princess falls into the care of Liana—and her band of pirates. On the run, the only safe haven for the Windfall crew to hide is the most-dangerous place of all: under the thumb of Liana’s narcissistic, abusive brother-in-law.
In order to protect her crew, her family, and naïve Rhian, Liana must demand sacrifices from herself and the people she loves. Her choices will make powerful enemies; good thing Liana Foley knows a thing or two about fighting those.
Content warnings:
Attempted rape
Domestic violence
Torture
Murder
Representation:
Own voices
Bisexual main character
Asexual
With a mysterious letter and a stranger threatening to expose her, Liana is blackmailed into attending a royal ball and protecting her counterpart, sheltered Princess Rhian. The pretenses are suspicious enough, but Liana takes the risk in hopes to finally unveil the magic plot that killed her parents and forced her into hiding.
When Liana encounters Rhian’s own lightning-wielding powers, the ball erupts in violence. The sheltered princess falls into the care of Liana—and her band of pirates. On the run, the only safe haven for the Windfall crew to hide is the most-dangerous place of all: under the thumb of Liana’s narcissistic, abusive brother-in-law.
In order to protect her crew, her family, and naïve Rhian, Liana must demand sacrifices from herself and the people she loves. Her choices will make powerful enemies; good thing Liana Foley knows a thing or two about fighting those.
Content warnings:
Attempted rape
Domestic violence
Torture
Murder
Representation:
Own voices
Bisexual main character
Asexual
362 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2021
11 people are currently reading
1134 people want to read
About the author
Shawna Barnett
4 books37 followersShawna Barnett is a mother, life-long advocate and author of swashbuckling tales. After receiving a BA in Politics from UC Santa Cruz, Shawna worked in victim advocacy and behavioral health. Born in San Diego, California, her experiences have taken her all over the United States. After settling in Tennessee with her daughter, Shawna seeks to speak out through writing and contribute to a world where everyone is safe and respectfully represented.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 14, 2021
This was an average fantasy/pirate story. It looks to be book one in a series that has some potential, but I don’t think it was fully realized in this installment.
I’ve been a big pirate fan since a little kid. I remember a teacher crushing my spirit when she told me that ‘no, I could not grow up to be a pirate as my job’. So when I read the blurb I was instantly excited about this book. I have to say that I was disappointed by how much trouble I had getting into the story. The first 25% or so is super slow. I honestly considered a DNF, that this story was just not for me, but it did pick up and became quite readable. The story never completely clicked for me, but there definitely was an entertainment factor to the read.
I do have to say that I was bummed about the romance. I saw the bisexual tag, so I expected a possible M/F, F/F and maybe even a non-binary relationship partner, but I thought the main romance would be between the pirate captain (who is a woman) and a princess. I don’t know if I misread the Netgalley blurb or what, but that is not what this romance was about. Both women are in love with men, and while they do talk about being bisexual, they only had maybe one longing glance with each other and that was it. Maybe something will happen in the next book, but a pirate/princess romance was a big reason why I wanted to read this so that was a real disappointment.
The two main ladies are Liana and Rhian. This is a total me issue, but having two names that sound similar with some of the same letters, really messes me up. I could not remember who was who and if you asked me right now, it would take me a minute to tell you who the pirate was. I just wish authors would not pick main characters names that are similar. Some of us don’t read them well.
I was trying to keep this short but I rambled so I’ll wrap this up by saying I wasn’t in love with the characters. The Princess does have some potential with a secret she holds. Her character was a bit wooden in this book, but I hope Barnett really packs some life into her for book 2. The pirate I was not crazy about. She was not pirate enough for me. I like my pirates a bit more dangerous and badass, and more than once her being too nice put other people in jeopardy. Again, I hope for some good characters growth for her in book 2.
In the end I wasn’t crazy about this but I thought it was an average read. It was not the kind of pirate story I prefer, but it did have its entertaining parts. I’m not sure if I want to read book 2 or not. If I knew it had certain changes I would consider it, but I’m on the fence for now.
A copy was given to me for a review.
I’ve been a big pirate fan since a little kid. I remember a teacher crushing my spirit when she told me that ‘no, I could not grow up to be a pirate as my job’. So when I read the blurb I was instantly excited about this book. I have to say that I was disappointed by how much trouble I had getting into the story. The first 25% or so is super slow. I honestly considered a DNF, that this story was just not for me, but it did pick up and became quite readable. The story never completely clicked for me, but there definitely was an entertainment factor to the read.
I do have to say that I was bummed about the romance. I saw the bisexual tag, so I expected a possible M/F, F/F and maybe even a non-binary relationship partner, but I thought the main romance would be between the pirate captain (who is a woman) and a princess. I don’t know if I misread the Netgalley blurb or what, but that is not what this romance was about. Both women are in love with men, and while they do talk about being bisexual, they only had maybe one longing glance with each other and that was it. Maybe something will happen in the next book, but a pirate/princess romance was a big reason why I wanted to read this so that was a real disappointment.
The two main ladies are Liana and Rhian. This is a total me issue, but having two names that sound similar with some of the same letters, really messes me up. I could not remember who was who and if you asked me right now, it would take me a minute to tell you who the pirate was. I just wish authors would not pick main characters names that are similar. Some of us don’t read them well.
I was trying to keep this short but I rambled so I’ll wrap this up by saying I wasn’t in love with the characters. The Princess does have some potential with a secret she holds. Her character was a bit wooden in this book, but I hope Barnett really packs some life into her for book 2. The pirate I was not crazy about. She was not pirate enough for me. I like my pirates a bit more dangerous and badass, and more than once her being too nice put other people in jeopardy. Again, I hope for some good characters growth for her in book 2.
In the end I wasn’t crazy about this but I thought it was an average read. It was not the kind of pirate story I prefer, but it did have its entertaining parts. I’m not sure if I want to read book 2 or not. If I knew it had certain changes I would consider it, but I’m on the fence for now.
A copy was given to me for a review.
July 7, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: bi mcs
CWs: attempted rape, domestic abuse, torture
I think it’s fair to say me and this book got off on the wrong foot, when in the opening chapter there’s an attempted rape. Because it didn’t do anything whatsoever in the story, it was just there for a reason I cannot comprehend, perhaps to establish the world as misogynistic (which, do we really need anyway?). So it was an inauspicious start.
Things went downhill from there.
On the whole, I was just bored by this book. The plot had promise, but it dragged a lot. Most of the first part was taken up introducing the main characters, and setting up the scenario on which the plot is predicated. The second part? Did nothing to further that. It was mostly about Liana travelling back home to her foster sister and helping her out with her abusive husband. Which. Has a place in fantasy, true, but it just felt so out of place given the rest of this story.
Actually on the whole, the entire book felt a bit cut and pasted together out of plotlines that didn’t really fit together. Part of that may well be that this is an ARC, I will accept. But it didn’t help me get into a book I was already a little predisposed to dislike because of the misogyny.
Which brings me to another point: what’s the point of having misogyny in your fantasy world if you’re not going to challenge it? It’s a fantasy world! You can have anything you want, and you choose to add misogyny? And not fully challenge the patriarchal systems that led to it? Okay, so maybe that’s a future-book-thing, but even so. There could have been hints of it. Instead, all I got was yet another misogynistic fantasy.
Add onto this the fact that there seemed to be no real establishing of characters’ personalities and motivations before they did things — a few times I was genuinely surprised at their reactions because I didn’t realise that’s the kind of person they were — and you have yourself this two-star read.
Of course, I’m well aware that I may just have come across another book that’s not for me. So if you’re intrigued by the premise, please do ignore this review.
Rep: bi mcs
CWs: attempted rape, domestic abuse, torture
I think it’s fair to say me and this book got off on the wrong foot, when in the opening chapter there’s an attempted rape. Because it didn’t do anything whatsoever in the story, it was just there for a reason I cannot comprehend, perhaps to establish the world as misogynistic (which, do we really need anyway?). So it was an inauspicious start.
Things went downhill from there.
On the whole, I was just bored by this book. The plot had promise, but it dragged a lot. Most of the first part was taken up introducing the main characters, and setting up the scenario on which the plot is predicated. The second part? Did nothing to further that. It was mostly about Liana travelling back home to her foster sister and helping her out with her abusive husband. Which. Has a place in fantasy, true, but it just felt so out of place given the rest of this story.
Actually on the whole, the entire book felt a bit cut and pasted together out of plotlines that didn’t really fit together. Part of that may well be that this is an ARC, I will accept. But it didn’t help me get into a book I was already a little predisposed to dislike because of the misogyny.
Which brings me to another point: what’s the point of having misogyny in your fantasy world if you’re not going to challenge it? It’s a fantasy world! You can have anything you want, and you choose to add misogyny? And not fully challenge the patriarchal systems that led to it? Okay, so maybe that’s a future-book-thing, but even so. There could have been hints of it. Instead, all I got was yet another misogynistic fantasy.
Add onto this the fact that there seemed to be no real establishing of characters’ personalities and motivations before they did things — a few times I was genuinely surprised at their reactions because I didn’t realise that’s the kind of person they were — and you have yourself this two-star read.
Of course, I’m well aware that I may just have come across another book that’s not for me. So if you’re intrigued by the premise, please do ignore this review.
October 18, 2020
*I received an early edition copy of this book prior to publication*
First off, WHEW, what a ride!
Overall, this book has EVERYTHING: romance, adventure, intrigue, magic, love triangles, secrets, princesses, and of course, PIRATES!
Windfall is definitely one of those books it is easy to misjudge. In the first few chapters, I felt like I had the story "figured out", but as soon as Captain Liana Foley receives a mysterious letter and is invited to attend the royal ball? Everything turns into a whirlwind of twists, turns, and unexpected adventures. After that, I simply couldn't stop reading because I had to know what would happen next, and there were so many things I never saw coming!
A few of my favorite things about Windfall:
- The use and incorporation of magic. I don't normally think of pirates and magic together but it absolutely works here and works well. The magic is well-designed so it gives certain characters power without causing imbalance. I felt like the element added an otherworldly sense of fantasy and drew me immersively into the world of Vioria.
- Speaking of, the world-building. It snuck up on me! As I said, in the first few chapters I thought I had it "figured out", and the Vioria universe seemed like any other fictional pirate world. The longer I read, the longer I could see this was a completely unique world, with full originality. I would struggle to compare this to any other book.
- That being said, in a structural sense only, Windfall reminds me a bit of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I say this because in both books the plot unfolds with little "aha" moments that change everything you've read, before it. I was also reminded of the sarcastic, no-nonsense, reluctant heroine. Otherwise, the ambiance and voice of Windfall is in a class all its own.
- How women have power, agency, self-awareness, and realistic flaws. I love that Barnett has created a swashbuckling universe that has gender conventions, yet gives women the mechanisms to overcome them.
- The slow, slow, slow burn romance between Captain Liana Foley and Princess Rhian Vitalis. The sapphic chemistry between these two reminds me of every book I read as a teen/young adult, where I dug through the subtext hoping to catch a hint of two girls falling for each other. Except in this case, it's canon! Also, something about the two of these makes me want to write fanfiction. I'll obsessively fantasize over them until the next book in the series...
- Supporting characters are incredibly well-developed. I feel that any of them could have a spin-off or short stories, and I would love those, too. It was clear that the author Barnett didn't introduce anyone without a complete backstory and care for them holistically.
Needless to say, I cannot wait for the next book. There is something for everyone in Windfall, but you'll be especially giddy if you are a grown-up who secretly still wants to be a pirate (me, that's me).
First off, WHEW, what a ride!
Overall, this book has EVERYTHING: romance, adventure, intrigue, magic, love triangles, secrets, princesses, and of course, PIRATES!
Windfall is definitely one of those books it is easy to misjudge. In the first few chapters, I felt like I had the story "figured out", but as soon as Captain Liana Foley receives a mysterious letter and is invited to attend the royal ball? Everything turns into a whirlwind of twists, turns, and unexpected adventures. After that, I simply couldn't stop reading because I had to know what would happen next, and there were so many things I never saw coming!
A few of my favorite things about Windfall:
- The use and incorporation of magic. I don't normally think of pirates and magic together but it absolutely works here and works well. The magic is well-designed so it gives certain characters power without causing imbalance. I felt like the element added an otherworldly sense of fantasy and drew me immersively into the world of Vioria.
- Speaking of, the world-building. It snuck up on me! As I said, in the first few chapters I thought I had it "figured out", and the Vioria universe seemed like any other fictional pirate world. The longer I read, the longer I could see this was a completely unique world, with full originality. I would struggle to compare this to any other book.
- That being said, in a structural sense only, Windfall reminds me a bit of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I say this because in both books the plot unfolds with little "aha" moments that change everything you've read, before it. I was also reminded of the sarcastic, no-nonsense, reluctant heroine. Otherwise, the ambiance and voice of Windfall is in a class all its own.
- How women have power, agency, self-awareness, and realistic flaws. I love that Barnett has created a swashbuckling universe that has gender conventions, yet gives women the mechanisms to overcome them.
- The slow, slow, slow burn romance between Captain Liana Foley and Princess Rhian Vitalis. The sapphic chemistry between these two reminds me of every book I read as a teen/young adult, where I dug through the subtext hoping to catch a hint of two girls falling for each other. Except in this case, it's canon! Also, something about the two of these makes me want to write fanfiction. I'll obsessively fantasize over them until the next book in the series...
- Supporting characters are incredibly well-developed. I feel that any of them could have a spin-off or short stories, and I would love those, too. It was clear that the author Barnett didn't introduce anyone without a complete backstory and care for them holistically.
Needless to say, I cannot wait for the next book. There is something for everyone in Windfall, but you'll be especially giddy if you are a grown-up who secretly still wants to be a pirate (me, that's me).
June 12, 2021
Thanks for the ARC Netgally, yes, it was on read now👩🏾🦯
I expected more but I liked the layout, with the pirates and all.
I wish the blurb didn't spoil the story because it took away from my reading experience. I wish the dynamic between the characters was way better than what they put out but oh well...
I skimmed through some pages because of how slow the plot turned out to be.
It's not what I expected and I don't mean that in a good way.
I won't continue the series, that's for sure!
I expected more but I liked the layout, with the pirates and all.
I wish the blurb didn't spoil the story because it took away from my reading experience. I wish the dynamic between the characters was way better than what they put out but oh well...
I skimmed through some pages because of how slow the plot turned out to be.
It's not what I expected and I don't mean that in a good way.
I won't continue the series, that's for sure!
June 30, 2021
As someone who's been obsessing over Black Sails for the last few months, I couldn't help but pick up this book when I heard "gay pirates"!!!! And this did not disappoint, this book is really good, definitely a very hard and high four stars, which I hadn't expected considering my luck with fantasy lately
So first, the world building is superb!!! I LOVE how it builds the ship and the town of the port where they're normally are and how they count on each other, and the contrast with the richness of the palace as well, building both these places with a familiarity and people around it that make it feel real. Also the magic is interesting, it doesn't overwhelm the story, it's discreet and its importance develops slowly, the piracy itself is still the pain activity or action you see
Now what I feel is the big thing that makes this book great is the relationships!!!! May there be romantic, familial or friendship!!! From those I'm gonna start with the town - you really see the importance Liana has on the town, and on helping it, the relationship she has with everyone there - the dynamic is so good!!! And then the friendships with the crew, but still the context of Liana being there Captain, leader, the way she cares for them, but also has more responsibility and power has and what that means, and how that comes to play with her family on board as well!!!!
Now the f/f relationship is one of the reps present on this book and it's really well done, it's this slow built, and you really get to see how Liana and Rhian start feeling for each other, it moves slow and soft and nothing is rushed, and the acknowledge of their bisexuality is very well done, it comes in organically and without a big revelation. Now both women are also in relationship with men, and those are also beautiful, and so well explored, these three relationships matter so much, and each of these people is their own person, the men are not expandable either, and I'm curious to see how this will go, because I honestly really like Liana with Rhian and Ameen - the love triangle (square) is not tiring, or overly complicated with drama or jealousy, but just built on the love of these four people (a polyamorous route could still be open!!!)
The mystery itself around these characters and their circumstances is really well built, and it moves the story forward for us to know these characters better, as they understand their past and truth better, and that's truly where the end of this book leaves us!!!
I just really adored this book and definitely a recommendation to everyone who loves "gay pirates"!!!! (Also watch Black Sails!!!)
I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of an honest review!!!
So first, the world building is superb!!! I LOVE how it builds the ship and the town of the port where they're normally are and how they count on each other, and the contrast with the richness of the palace as well, building both these places with a familiarity and people around it that make it feel real. Also the magic is interesting, it doesn't overwhelm the story, it's discreet and its importance develops slowly, the piracy itself is still the pain activity or action you see
Now what I feel is the big thing that makes this book great is the relationships!!!! May there be romantic, familial or friendship!!! From those I'm gonna start with the town - you really see the importance Liana has on the town, and on helping it, the relationship she has with everyone there - the dynamic is so good!!! And then the friendships with the crew, but still the context of Liana being there Captain, leader, the way she cares for them, but also has more responsibility and power has and what that means, and how that comes to play with her family on board as well!!!!
Now the f/f relationship is one of the reps present on this book and it's really well done, it's this slow built, and you really get to see how Liana and Rhian start feeling for each other, it moves slow and soft and nothing is rushed, and the acknowledge of their bisexuality is very well done, it comes in organically and without a big revelation. Now both women are also in relationship with men, and those are also beautiful, and so well explored, these three relationships matter so much, and each of these people is their own person, the men are not expandable either, and I'm curious to see how this will go, because I honestly really like Liana with Rhian and Ameen - the love triangle (square) is not tiring, or overly complicated with drama or jealousy, but just built on the love of these four people (a polyamorous route could still be open!!!)
The mystery itself around these characters and their circumstances is really well built, and it moves the story forward for us to know these characters better, as they understand their past and truth better, and that's truly where the end of this book leaves us!!!
I just really adored this book and definitely a recommendation to everyone who loves "gay pirates"!!!! (Also watch Black Sails!!!)
I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of an honest review!!!
April 6, 2021
*
e-ARC provided through NetGalley
*
I really, really wanted to love this. the premise of this book is absolutely phenomenal, but the execution wasn't what I expected it to be.
pirates in history were so gay, and maybe that's the reason why so many queer folks like me are so fascinated by them. this is about queer pirates and queer princesses in theory, but not very much in practice. I picked this up because it's sapphic. I was hoping that, as the synopsis prompted me to think, it'd be somewhat similar to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, as in that it'd be a light-hearted, historical fiction, with a cute, slow-burn romance. that wasn't really the case.
don't get me wrong; I didn't mind that this story was rather serious and that it discussed a lot of serious topics. but I think a lot could have been added through moments of humor and lightheartedness.
my biggest issue with this novel is Rhian and Liana's relationship. I hoped their romance would be the main focus in their dynamic, but (this is not a spoiler) they're both in relationships. and they both seemingly love their partners, and want to be with them, while also liking each other? I don't see how that made the story better in any way and I think this book would have had much more potential if it wasn't a love triangle, or, in this case, a love square?
I don't think Rhian was presented enough because she felt bland and underdeveloped. I felt no chemistry between her and Liana either.
nonetheless, I think the atmosphere of this story was wonderful. 18th-century pirates, palaces, balls, ship voyages, it was all amazing.
Overall, Windfall had an amazing premise but fell short. It could have been a lot more through simple character development and expanding some parts of this story.
I really, really wanted to love this. the premise of this book is absolutely phenomenal, but the execution wasn't what I expected it to be.
pirates in history were so gay, and maybe that's the reason why so many queer folks like me are so fascinated by them. this is about queer pirates and queer princesses in theory, but not very much in practice. I picked this up because it's sapphic. I was hoping that, as the synopsis prompted me to think, it'd be somewhat similar to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, as in that it'd be a light-hearted, historical fiction, with a cute, slow-burn romance. that wasn't really the case.
don't get me wrong; I didn't mind that this story was rather serious and that it discussed a lot of serious topics. but I think a lot could have been added through moments of humor and lightheartedness.
my biggest issue with this novel is Rhian and Liana's relationship. I hoped their romance would be the main focus in their dynamic, but (this is not a spoiler) they're both in relationships. and they both seemingly love their partners, and want to be with them, while also liking each other? I don't see how that made the story better in any way and I think this book would have had much more potential if it wasn't a love triangle, or, in this case, a love square?
I don't think Rhian was presented enough because she felt bland and underdeveloped. I felt no chemistry between her and Liana either.
nonetheless, I think the atmosphere of this story was wonderful. 18th-century pirates, palaces, balls, ship voyages, it was all amazing.
Overall, Windfall had an amazing premise but fell short. It could have been a lot more through simple character development and expanding some parts of this story.
June 28, 2021
*3.5 stars rounded up
Windfall is a pirate adventure that follows the story of ship Captain, and runaway princess, Liana Foley. I love a good pirate book and Windfall did not disappoint in that regard. The story is exciting, and you can really feel the bond between Liana and her crew. That being said, this story is fairly slow in terms of pacing. I was, however, pleased to see that this book has diversity in terms of both asexuality and bisexuality. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed to find out that the main wlw representation Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the love interests in a love triangle being both men and women, I just think that considering some of the harmful bisexual stereotypes that are out there, authors should be careful to avoid playing into them, as it is a slippery slope. That being said, I appreciate that the bisexual lead in Windfall, Liana, does directly address and dismiss some of these stereotypes. This book also actively discusses rape culture, which was nice to see. Overall, this was a good read, it just had a slow start, and personally I was a bit underwhelmed by the wlw romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Windfall is a pirate adventure that follows the story of ship Captain, and runaway princess, Liana Foley. I love a good pirate book and Windfall did not disappoint in that regard. The story is exciting, and you can really feel the bond between Liana and her crew. That being said, this story is fairly slow in terms of pacing. I was, however, pleased to see that this book has diversity in terms of both asexuality and bisexuality. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed to find out that the main wlw representation Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the love interests in a love triangle being both men and women, I just think that considering some of the harmful bisexual stereotypes that are out there, authors should be careful to avoid playing into them, as it is a slippery slope. That being said, I appreciate that the bisexual lead in Windfall, Liana, does directly address and dismiss some of these stereotypes. This book also actively discusses rape culture, which was nice to see. Overall, this was a good read, it just had a slow start, and personally I was a bit underwhelmed by the wlw romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2021
2.5
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have mixed feelings about this one. The first half of it dragged and the scenes seemed to end randomly or in weird places. Rhian barely got any POV time-she would get like a kindle page and a half and then it would abruptly cut off. The first half just felt really disjointed, and the moment that kicks the entire plot into motion was super contrived in my opinion-everything could have been avoided by having one conversation.
The second half was better, with longer scenes that seemed more relevant to the plot. I still felt like scenes were moving too quickly and could have been developed more but what was happening was more interesting. But characters still chose to keep weird things to themselves that would have solved a lot of problems! In this book or the next.
I didn’t like Liana or Rhian very much as characters. Rhian spent a lot of the first half crying and jumping to conclusions (this one is not a Rhian specific problem, as it happens several times with others as well). Liana was…kind of terrible in my opinion. Everyone loved her no matter what she did but she lashed out a lot; I understand that she was upset so I can be forgiving to a point, but some of the things she said to people, especially to the man she was in a relationship with, were awful and I couldn’t understand why people just let her get away with it. But I think in general the book has an over-idealized idea of Liana.
The relationship between Liana and Rhian develops so fast that it’s almost invisible, particularly on Liana’s part. But I like them in concept, and hope they will get more development in the next books.
On the other hand, I really loved Ameen. I was always happy when the POV came back to him, and I think he deserved a lot better than the way liana treated him. However, I do really like the dynamic they settled into by the end of the book. I also think the general concepts of the book are interesting! I like the family dynamic of the windfall crew, and i’m interested in Rhian’s story overall. I thought Liana’s backstory was really intriguing, and the way character paths crossed before they knew each other was also interesting.
I am interested in reading the next one though! I’m really curious how everything plays out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have mixed feelings about this one. The first half of it dragged and the scenes seemed to end randomly or in weird places. Rhian barely got any POV time-she would get like a kindle page and a half and then it would abruptly cut off. The first half just felt really disjointed, and the moment that kicks the entire plot into motion was super contrived in my opinion-everything could have been avoided by having one conversation.
The second half was better, with longer scenes that seemed more relevant to the plot. I still felt like scenes were moving too quickly and could have been developed more but what was happening was more interesting. But characters still chose to keep weird things to themselves that would have solved a lot of problems! In this book or the next.
I didn’t like Liana or Rhian very much as characters. Rhian spent a lot of the first half crying and jumping to conclusions (this one is not a Rhian specific problem, as it happens several times with others as well). Liana was…kind of terrible in my opinion. Everyone loved her no matter what she did but she lashed out a lot; I understand that she was upset so I can be forgiving to a point, but some of the things she said to people, especially to the man she was in a relationship with, were awful and I couldn’t understand why people just let her get away with it. But I think in general the book has an over-idealized idea of Liana.
The relationship between Liana and Rhian develops so fast that it’s almost invisible, particularly on Liana’s part. But I like them in concept, and hope they will get more development in the next books.
On the other hand, I really loved Ameen. I was always happy when the POV came back to him, and I think he deserved a lot better than the way liana treated him. However, I do really like the dynamic they settled into by the end of the book. I also think the general concepts of the book are interesting! I like the family dynamic of the windfall crew, and i’m interested in Rhian’s story overall. I thought Liana’s backstory was really intriguing, and the way character paths crossed before they knew each other was also interesting.
I am interested in reading the next one though! I’m really curious how everything plays out.
April 19, 2021
Windfall follows Captain Liana Foley, a pirate with a secret past. One day, she receives an ominous letter that threatens to reveal her true identity, forcing her to attend a ball at the palace. But then, everything goes wrong, and Liana flees the ball with the sheltered Princess Rhian Vitalis. Rhian also has a big secret: she is a witch.
This was such a good book! First, the world-building was seriously impressive. From the start, their world is clearly described and easy-to-understand, meaning there wasn't that 3 chapter "I have no idea who you are or what is happening" feeling that I sometimes get with fantasy/sci-fi. It was original and imaginative, while also being very well executed.
Marin was a lovely dad and it was interesting to read about their foster parent/child relationship! I also really enjoyed the myriad of strong, empowered, female characters. Throughout the story, Liana asserts that her name and title are "Captain Liana Foley," not "Miss."
However, I really wish it had been (so much) gayer. There was so much potential between Liana and Rhian, and it felt like their relationship should've been more. But from the beginning, they are both in very serious relationships with men, meaning their relationship couldn't be explored. It was great that their interactions helped Rhian to better understand her sexuality (yay bi rep!), but for a book that promises queerness, it was seriously lacking. I could be wrong, but it didn't seem as if there were even any queer side characters. In fact, the only mention of queerness in their society was that Rhian had been taught it was "forbidden."
The cliffhanger was intriguing, but it still felt like there was a solid conclusion, which was nice. Hopefully, in the next book, we'll get to learn more about the rest of the characters (especially Liana's crew!) and their backstories.
Final Rating: 3.5/5
Trigger Warnings: Attempted rape, murder, death, blood, torture, domestic violence & abuse
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
This was such a good book! First, the world-building was seriously impressive. From the start, their world is clearly described and easy-to-understand, meaning there wasn't that 3 chapter "I have no idea who you are or what is happening" feeling that I sometimes get with fantasy/sci-fi. It was original and imaginative, while also being very well executed.
Marin was a lovely dad and it was interesting to read about their foster parent/child relationship! I also really enjoyed the myriad of strong, empowered, female characters. Throughout the story, Liana asserts that her name and title are "Captain Liana Foley," not "Miss."
However, I really wish it had been (so much) gayer. There was so much potential between Liana and Rhian, and it felt like their relationship should've been more. But from the beginning, they are both in very serious relationships with men, meaning their relationship couldn't be explored. It was great that their interactions helped Rhian to better understand her sexuality (yay bi rep!), but for a book that promises queerness, it was seriously lacking. I could be wrong, but it didn't seem as if there were even any queer side characters. In fact, the only mention of queerness in their society was that Rhian had been taught it was "forbidden."
The cliffhanger was intriguing, but it still felt like there was a solid conclusion, which was nice. Hopefully, in the next book, we'll get to learn more about the rest of the characters (especially Liana's crew!) and their backstories.
Final Rating: 3.5/5
Trigger Warnings: Attempted rape, murder, death, blood, torture, domestic violence & abuse
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
May 14, 2021
1.5 stars.
This wasn’t a bad read by any means, but I was frankly bored out of my mind for half of it and annoyed the rest. Which makes it sound like a bad read, but honestly I think in this case it’s mostly more of a “me” thing than a “you” one.
The biggest problem for me was the writing. The pacing was weird (too slow in some parts and too fast in others), the romance was contrived and way more insta-love than I’d been hoping for, the characters were idiotic, and the execution of everything was just kind of cringey. Wattpad 2018 vibes. Like, the good side of Wattpad, but still Wattpad.
Good things: the concept. That’s kind of it. I did enjoy some parts, though (the beginning was pretty fun!), even if they weren’t necessarily definitive enough to be listed point blank. Definitely a good starting place, but all in all it could use some work.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This wasn’t a bad read by any means, but I was frankly bored out of my mind for half of it and annoyed the rest. Which makes it sound like a bad read, but honestly I think in this case it’s mostly more of a “me” thing than a “you” one.
The biggest problem for me was the writing. The pacing was weird (too slow in some parts and too fast in others), the romance was contrived and way more insta-love than I’d been hoping for, the characters were idiotic, and the execution of everything was just kind of cringey. Wattpad 2018 vibes. Like, the good side of Wattpad, but still Wattpad.
Good things: the concept. That’s kind of it. I did enjoy some parts, though (the beginning was pretty fun!), even if they weren’t necessarily definitive enough to be listed point blank. Definitely a good starting place, but all in all it could use some work.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2021
Windfall is an excellent pirate adventure set in the early 1700’s. Captain Liana Foley is the central character who is both a hero and a rogue. She is an enticing yet complex character who easily draws you into her world of piracy. Shawna Barnett builds an interesting world around Liana filled with lands which sound slightly familiar but are not of this world. The care she takes in her world building and filling it with sexually and racially diverse people is commendable.
The story brought me happily back to the days of black and white swashbuckling movies. Mom and I would make popcorn (shaken in a pot and topped with real butter) and curl up on the couch to watch the action packed adventure.
Windfall is an exceptionally well written novel. It is the first in a series which I am so thankful because I do not want to leave these characters behind.
5⭐️
The story brought me happily back to the days of black and white swashbuckling movies. Mom and I would make popcorn (shaken in a pot and topped with real butter) and curl up on the couch to watch the action packed adventure.
Windfall is an exceptionally well written novel. It is the first in a series which I am so thankful because I do not want to leave these characters behind.
5⭐️
November 5, 2022
4/10
// mostly me ranting//
First thing first.
The thing is.
I feel tricked.
And I really hate feeling that way.
Ok, now that I've said what was going through my head the whole time and made my reading way less enjoyable because of this queerbaiting thing we had going on in the blurb somehow??
Sadly the writing and the characters made me feel like I was reading a mediocre Wattpad story written by a random HS freshman.
Now, I wasn't only tricked by the blurbs de facto promise of a wlw romance but I was also made into thinking that it'd be a very interesting adventure in general. It turns out the story's mostly boring. I've had numerous points where I wanted to just put the book in the DNF pile but here we are.
Still a 4 out of 10 because
pirates..
Yes, only that. They are always gonna be cool and an interest of mine. Especially since the Elizabeth Swann appearance.
After everything I really am not sure whether I'll get the second book in the series, to be honest, though I think there people who would enjoy this. I was prepared for a fantastic pirate adventure with maybe some wlw romance and maybe my own expectations were at fault. I guess I'm just not the targeted audience.
Arc was given to me in an exchange for an honest review.
// mostly me ranting//
First thing first.
The thing is.
I feel tricked.
And I really hate feeling that way.
Ok, now that I've said what was going through my head the whole time and made my reading way less enjoyable because of this queerbaiting thing we had going on in the blurb somehow??
Sadly the writing and the characters made me feel like I was reading a mediocre Wattpad story written by a random HS freshman.
Now, I wasn't only tricked by the blurbs de facto promise of a wlw romance but I was also made into thinking that it'd be a very interesting adventure in general. It turns out the story's mostly boring. I've had numerous points where I wanted to just put the book in the DNF pile but here we are.
Still a 4 out of 10 because
pirates..
Yes, only that. They are always gonna be cool and an interest of mine. Especially since the Elizabeth Swann appearance.
After everything I really am not sure whether I'll get the second book in the series, to be honest, though I think there people who would enjoy this. I was prepared for a fantastic pirate adventure with maybe some wlw romance and maybe my own expectations were at fault. I guess I'm just not the targeted audience.
Arc was given to me in an exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
March 4, 2021queen pirates?? sign me up
April 25, 2021
I have to start of by saying that I was gifted this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
I LOVED this book. I wasnt sure where it was going when if first started with Captain Liana and her crew robbing the guard. It took me a moment to realize that that was suppose to have happened in the past and it then immediately jumped to the present.
I love all the characters. The interactions between Liana and her crew and the people at the inn. I love that they paint her as both ruthless and caring. She will do what it takes to ensure the safety of her people.
Rhian was a lot more naïve than I was expecting her to be. She was very innocent at the beginning but I do like that you get to watch her grow as a person and I love watching Liana and her grow closer. I have to say that I was disappointed that they didn't end up together at the end of the book, though they definitely set up for a second book.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was a light, easy and fun read that had me entertained the entire way.
I LOVED this book. I wasnt sure where it was going when if first started with Captain Liana and her crew robbing the guard. It took me a moment to realize that that was suppose to have happened in the past and it then immediately jumped to the present.
I love all the characters. The interactions between Liana and her crew and the people at the inn. I love that they paint her as both ruthless and caring. She will do what it takes to ensure the safety of her people.
Rhian was a lot more naïve than I was expecting her to be. She was very innocent at the beginning but I do like that you get to watch her grow as a person and I love watching Liana and her grow closer. I have to say that I was disappointed that they didn't end up together at the end of the book, though they definitely set up for a second book.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was a light, easy and fun read that had me entertained the entire way.
June 28, 2021
2,5*
Thank you Hansen House and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.
I was very curious for this book and maybe that made me expect more from it than I got. The story was slow a lot of times.
The writing style was good so I decided to finish reading this book even thought it couldn’t hold my attention for the most part.
Thank you Hansen House and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.
I was very curious for this book and maybe that made me expect more from it than I got. The story was slow a lot of times.
The writing style was good so I decided to finish reading this book even thought it couldn’t hold my attention for the most part.
May 1, 2021
2.5/5
[I got an e-arc of this book from netgalley}
I was very excited to start this book, all I had heard was pirates, princess, and a potential sapphic romance. Unfortunately, perhaps my previous biases may have seeped through into my experience reading the book.
We primarily follow Liana Foley, a captain of a crew I grew to love. The found family trope is always welcome to me, and I enjoyed the little bickering and encounters between Liana and her crew.
I liked the coexistence of magic and piracy in the plot, and the reveals of not just Liana but side characters too, but there was not much, I felt, to grip on to.
I thought there was a lot of potential for the story and how it was set up, but in the end, I just felt it fall a little flat. I think Liana was a wonderful main character, and I did enjoy her moments, but I didn't find myself caring all that much. Which was a disappointing reality since I really wanted to invest myself.
The book does have on paper bisexual and asexual representation in its characters, and I appreciated the discussion around the identities. I enjoyed seeing Liana so comfortable in herself, but the sapphic romance was ... not there? The synopsis made me think there would be more focus put on it but, Rhian and Liana did not have many moments and they are both happy in their previously established relationships. And, I can't believe I'm even saying this, I didn't want the respective men to get hurt. Ameen was amazing, and Whyte obviously loved Rhian.
That's not to say that there could not be a potential f/f romance in the future of the series. It just did not develop very far in this book. I liked the idea of the trope, but I didn't feel the characters had much chemistry.
All in all, I will probably pick up the next book just to see if I will indulge more in where the characters go with their story and hopefully enjoy it a little better.
[I got an e-arc of this book from netgalley}
I was very excited to start this book, all I had heard was pirates, princess, and a potential sapphic romance. Unfortunately, perhaps my previous biases may have seeped through into my experience reading the book.
We primarily follow Liana Foley, a captain of a crew I grew to love. The found family trope is always welcome to me, and I enjoyed the little bickering and encounters between Liana and her crew.
I liked the coexistence of magic and piracy in the plot, and the reveals of not just Liana but side characters too, but there was not much, I felt, to grip on to.
I thought there was a lot of potential for the story and how it was set up, but in the end, I just felt it fall a little flat. I think Liana was a wonderful main character, and I did enjoy her moments, but I didn't find myself caring all that much. Which was a disappointing reality since I really wanted to invest myself.
The book does have on paper bisexual and asexual representation in its characters, and I appreciated the discussion around the identities. I enjoyed seeing Liana so comfortable in herself, but the sapphic romance was ... not there? The synopsis made me think there would be more focus put on it but, Rhian and Liana did not have many moments and they are both happy in their previously established relationships. And, I can't believe I'm even saying this, I didn't want the respective men to get hurt. Ameen was amazing, and Whyte obviously loved Rhian.
That's not to say that there could not be a potential f/f romance in the future of the series. It just did not develop very far in this book. I liked the idea of the trope, but I didn't feel the characters had much chemistry.
All in all, I will probably pick up the next book just to see if I will indulge more in where the characters go with their story and hopefully enjoy it a little better.
April 29, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CW for this book: Attempted rape, Domestic violence, Torture, Murder
I actually ended up enjoying this book a lot! It started off pretty weak for me with being thrown right into the story and not really understanding what was going on. Honestly, it took me halfway through to really get into the story (both the plot and characters bored me up until that point). But after that, I was hooked.
Like: pirates, princesses AND magic? Yes, thank you!
Liana was definitely my favourite character, and my favourite parts were those from her point of view. I love reading about bisexual characters and being able to see myself in them! But... how old is she supposed to be? How old is anyone supposed to be, actually? Both Liana and Ameen feel very adult. Compared to them, Rhian feels extremely young and naïve.
There was an attempted rape scene in the beginning, and while I absolutely appreciate the content warning in the description, that scene felt completely unnecessary. It added nothing to the plot.
Also, the love square felt a bit unnecessary. Both Liana and Rhian are very much in love with their partners, which made the slightly romantic hints and moments between the two of them feel strange. Since this is the first book in a series though, I suppose there is more to it - and that it will be explored more later on.
One thing that bothered me a lot when reading was the way accents in speech were written out. I understand that the author wanted to portray a specific way of speaking. However, it slowed down the reading a lot for me.
Not a 5-star read for me, but I enjoyed it, and I know that others are going to love it.
CW for this book: Attempted rape, Domestic violence, Torture, Murder
I actually ended up enjoying this book a lot! It started off pretty weak for me with being thrown right into the story and not really understanding what was going on. Honestly, it took me halfway through to really get into the story (both the plot and characters bored me up until that point). But after that, I was hooked.
Like: pirates, princesses AND magic? Yes, thank you!
Liana was definitely my favourite character, and my favourite parts were those from her point of view. I love reading about bisexual characters and being able to see myself in them! But... how old is she supposed to be? How old is anyone supposed to be, actually? Both Liana and Ameen feel very adult. Compared to them, Rhian feels extremely young and naïve.
There was an attempted rape scene in the beginning, and while I absolutely appreciate the content warning in the description, that scene felt completely unnecessary. It added nothing to the plot.
Also, the love square felt a bit unnecessary. Both Liana and Rhian are very much in love with their partners, which made the slightly romantic hints and moments between the two of them feel strange. Since this is the first book in a series though, I suppose there is more to it - and that it will be explored more later on.
One thing that bothered me a lot when reading was the way accents in speech were written out. I understand that the author wanted to portray a specific way of speaking. However, it slowed down the reading a lot for me.
Not a 5-star read for me, but I enjoyed it, and I know that others are going to love it.
August 30, 2021
Ugh someone please help me!!! This book just destroyed me😭
When I read the synopsis of this book and it said it was about a lost, bisexual princess who has becomes a pirate I was immediately sold! Who doesn't want to read a book about a pirate princess!!!
I must say this book didn't disappoint me. When I started this book I was immediately hooked. This book was set in an amazing world and then I didn't say anything about the characters😅
So we have a lot of characters but we have 3 pov's although it is mostly from Liana her point of view we read the story:
🌺 Liana, the main character of the story. She is the captain of the windfall. And I have to say that she has now a special place in my heart❤️ she is such a strong character and she fights to help others.
🌺Almeen, we don't get much of his pov's. But when we do we get little bit of more information about him. He is amazing and kind and he would do anything to protect Liana and the crew of the windfall.
🌺Rhain, she is a princess. In the beginning we don't get much of her pov's but later we got more of her and I have to say that I liked to read in her pov. During the story she has grown so much in a positive way.
This book let me feel so much emotions😭 I couldn't put it down when I started it. This story was so well written, the tension kept building up. She got me seated at the edge of the chair. I wanted to now what happened next.
So now I am at the end of the book I am shocked, disappointed because I already finished it, curious about the next book😆 I think I will need the second book soon because this book was so good and I am so excited to know what will happen next!!!
Last but not least I want to thank the author for providing me with an earc in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis of this book and it said it was about a lost, bisexual princess who has becomes a pirate I was immediately sold! Who doesn't want to read a book about a pirate princess!!!
I must say this book didn't disappoint me. When I started this book I was immediately hooked. This book was set in an amazing world and then I didn't say anything about the characters😅
So we have a lot of characters but we have 3 pov's although it is mostly from Liana her point of view we read the story:
🌺 Liana, the main character of the story. She is the captain of the windfall. And I have to say that she has now a special place in my heart❤️ she is such a strong character and she fights to help others.
🌺Almeen, we don't get much of his pov's. But when we do we get little bit of more information about him. He is amazing and kind and he would do anything to protect Liana and the crew of the windfall.
🌺Rhain, she is a princess. In the beginning we don't get much of her pov's but later we got more of her and I have to say that I liked to read in her pov. During the story she has grown so much in a positive way.
This book let me feel so much emotions😭 I couldn't put it down when I started it. This story was so well written, the tension kept building up. She got me seated at the edge of the chair. I wanted to now what happened next.
So now I am at the end of the book I am shocked, disappointed because I already finished it, curious about the next book😆 I think I will need the second book soon because this book was so good and I am so excited to know what will happen next!!!
Last but not least I want to thank the author for providing me with an earc in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
Pirates? Check. Princesses? Check. Magical powers? Check. Slow-burn sapphic romance? CHECK.
This book was a surprise in the absolute best way. Shawna Barnett has created such a vivid world full of lovable characters (including some that you love to hate). She keeps your attention from the first page right to the last, and it was such a joy each time I sat down to read some.
📚Find this and other reviews on my blog!📚
The main character is Captain Liana Foley, a pirate with a mysterious backstory who gets roped into helping Princess Rhian, a shy young woman who secretly has magical powers. The whole cast was compelling, from Ameen the quarter-master, to Squiddy, the orphan-turned-sailor. Without going into overwhelming detail and backstory we got such a strong sense of the camaraderie between the characters and the strong bonds of friendship.
A shout-out as well to Barnett’s world-building, which was effortlessly done and, again, without needing huge bouts of exposition, we were drawn into the historical and political landscape of the world she’d created.
It was also really nice to read a story about two bisexual women, set in the past, who are both in relationships with men and (most importantly!) DIDN’T cheat on their partners with each other! It’s astounding how many stories have a cheating-bisexual storyline, but not this one! Huzzah!
It’s very rare that I get to the end of a book and am itching to read the next one, but this one is up there! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Liana, Rhian, and the rest of the crew in the future, and to find out where Barnett is taking them!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
This book was a surprise in the absolute best way. Shawna Barnett has created such a vivid world full of lovable characters (including some that you love to hate). She keeps your attention from the first page right to the last, and it was such a joy each time I sat down to read some.
📚Find this and other reviews on my blog!📚
The main character is Captain Liana Foley, a pirate with a mysterious backstory who gets roped into helping Princess Rhian, a shy young woman who secretly has magical powers. The whole cast was compelling, from Ameen the quarter-master, to Squiddy, the orphan-turned-sailor. Without going into overwhelming detail and backstory we got such a strong sense of the camaraderie between the characters and the strong bonds of friendship.
A shout-out as well to Barnett’s world-building, which was effortlessly done and, again, without needing huge bouts of exposition, we were drawn into the historical and political landscape of the world she’d created.
It was also really nice to read a story about two bisexual women, set in the past, who are both in relationships with men and (most importantly!) DIDN’T cheat on their partners with each other! It’s astounding how many stories have a cheating-bisexual storyline, but not this one! Huzzah!
It’s very rare that I get to the end of a book and am itching to read the next one, but this one is up there! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Liana, Rhian, and the rest of the crew in the future, and to find out where Barnett is taking them!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
April 29, 2021
3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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This is a perfectly fine and fun bi pirate (birate, if you will) misadventure, however I feel as though it is a bit misleading. For some reason, I was expecting Rhian and Liana to get together in this book? I didn’t feel much chemistry between them though, and even the one scene that implied a beginning romance felt one sided and forced due to the lack of buildup. I don’t know which couples will end up together, but frankly I don’t feel invested enough. If it’s a slow burn, it’s a little too slow in my opinion. In contrast, plot was fast-paced and exciting... But for some reason I was dragging my feet through it? Something about the writing threw me off, even though I can’t actually pin what was wrong. Perhaps it was the intentionally incorrect English to show certain characters’ dialects? Or maybe the forcibly inserted expositional moments? They weren’t awful, but it just didn’t feel very natural. That being said, the plot itself had many twists and turns, and I enjoyed the story’s intensity and liveliness! It’s very satisfying for anyone who likes pirate books, and there is quite a crew of characters to love! Though there were enough issues to affect my enjoyment of the book, I think it was still enjoyable and fun—it’s fair to say Windfall was a 3 star read!
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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This is a perfectly fine and fun bi pirate (birate, if you will) misadventure, however I feel as though it is a bit misleading. For some reason, I was expecting Rhian and Liana to get together in this book? I didn’t feel much chemistry between them though, and even the one scene that implied a beginning romance felt one sided and forced due to the lack of buildup. I don’t know which couples will end up together, but frankly I don’t feel invested enough. If it’s a slow burn, it’s a little too slow in my opinion. In contrast, plot was fast-paced and exciting... But for some reason I was dragging my feet through it? Something about the writing threw me off, even though I can’t actually pin what was wrong. Perhaps it was the intentionally incorrect English to show certain characters’ dialects? Or maybe the forcibly inserted expositional moments? They weren’t awful, but it just didn’t feel very natural. That being said, the plot itself had many twists and turns, and I enjoyed the story’s intensity and liveliness! It’s very satisfying for anyone who likes pirate books, and there is quite a crew of characters to love! Though there were enough issues to affect my enjoyment of the book, I think it was still enjoyable and fun—it’s fair to say Windfall was a 3 star read!
August 1, 2021
Rating: 2.5*
I heard about this book from a friend and got really excited with the mention of sapphic pirates - and then once I saw the blurb and read the premise of the book, it really did seem like a read I would thoroughly enjoy. However, once I had started the book I found the beginning really slow and the plot seemed to drag out at certain points. The latter half of the book did get more exciting, it just took a while to get there. It does feel as though perhaps my expectations for this book were too high, and although I enjoyed it in the end, I won’t be reading the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I heard about this book from a friend and got really excited with the mention of sapphic pirates - and then once I saw the blurb and read the premise of the book, it really did seem like a read I would thoroughly enjoy. However, once I had started the book I found the beginning really slow and the plot seemed to drag out at certain points. The latter half of the book did get more exciting, it just took a while to get there. It does feel as though perhaps my expectations for this book were too high, and although I enjoyed it in the end, I won’t be reading the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2021
This book was about bisexual pirates- I was always going to enjoy it. It follows Liana, a pirate captain who is also an exiled Princess, her characterization wasn’t exactly original, but it was enjoyable.
The pacing in the first half of the book was a little slow for me but it did allow the author to bring depth to the primary cast of characters. I liked most of the character cast and those that I didn’t were meant to be disliked in one way or another. I particularly enjoyed Ameen’s character (although a little less in the final chapters but that’s just personal preference) I really appreciated his being asexual as it’s rare to come across a male asexual character in fiction.
The bisexuality aspect of the plot felt a little bit forced for me in places but I’m hoping it will be fleshed out in subsequent novels. I did feel a little cheated that binary gender roles were still a thing in this world, from the blurb and description I wasn’t expecting that, and it did feel like the only reason for it was to set Liana up as ‘different from the other women’ in her world which was aggravating. The world building was solid though other than that and I got immersed in it.
Overall, this was a straightforward fantasy adventure novel and I enjoyed it. I’m always here for pirate stories and this was no exception, I’ll be reading the sequel.
I read an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
The pacing in the first half of the book was a little slow for me but it did allow the author to bring depth to the primary cast of characters. I liked most of the character cast and those that I didn’t were meant to be disliked in one way or another. I particularly enjoyed Ameen’s character (although a little less in the final chapters but that’s just personal preference) I really appreciated his being asexual as it’s rare to come across a male asexual character in fiction.
The bisexuality aspect of the plot felt a little bit forced for me in places but I’m hoping it will be fleshed out in subsequent novels. I did feel a little cheated that binary gender roles were still a thing in this world, from the blurb and description I wasn’t expecting that, and it did feel like the only reason for it was to set Liana up as ‘different from the other women’ in her world which was aggravating. The world building was solid though other than that and I got immersed in it.
Overall, this was a straightforward fantasy adventure novel and I enjoyed it. I’m always here for pirate stories and this was no exception, I’ll be reading the sequel.
I read an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
Want to read
April 6, 2021This book sounds so good. I will be counting down til August 12th omg.
June 10, 2021
An awesome adventure with altruistic pirates and their brave captain and through the characters you can explore the different facets of relationships. This is the only book I've read that shows how a character with sexual orientation and a character with asexual orientation can make a relationship with each other work. This was an impactful point of view because without this understanding you might think these personality traits make people incompatible.
Sometimes it was scary, sometimes it was sweet. This book provides a point of reference to better understand interpersonal connections without sacrificing the integrity of the story.
This is an author I'll follow.
Sometimes it was scary, sometimes it was sweet. This book provides a point of reference to better understand interpersonal connections without sacrificing the integrity of the story.
This is an author I'll follow.
April 8, 2021
“I don’t think I’d mind becoming a pirate” - it’s always been a bit of an escapist dream to be a bisexual pirate queen, and Windfall provides an excellent version of that dream.
Having not had time to read books for fun, this was the book to get me out of the slump. I read this cover to cover in an afternoon, carting my tablet around as I cooked dinner and unloaded the dishwasher one-handed. It was enthralling and fun and I even gasped aloud at some of the twists!
Windfall follows pirate Captain Liana Foley, a strong leader who both commands and cares for her crew, as she accidentally kidnaps Princess Rhian and then the aftermath! For the 18th Century, it was especially exciting to see the women define their own form of agency and leadership (especially as sapphic-coded pirates/royalty!). However, it wasn’t just the main characters, the barkeeps and relatives provided different forms of ‘strong female characters’ that weren’t reliant on their ability to fight their way out of a situation.
The reason I gave this 4.5 stars (rounded to 5 as I still enjoyed this so much) was because I thought the characterization of differing characters was… patchy. For example, Liana’s second in command had the opportunity to play a far more significant role with their abilities (although this does seem to be a bigger focus in the second book from the preview I have read) and so that was a bit disappointing on reflection. Similarly, I thought that Rhian appeared to play second fiddle to Liana and this character deserves further fleshing out.
On the other hand, I appreciated that all the characters had some backstory, even the minor ones. Again, I remain hopeful for the sequel and to see more of these characters and what they are capable of!
As far as plot, twists and writing style goes, I still thoroughly enjoyed Windfall and I eagerly await Book 2!
My thanks to NetGalley, the author Shawna Barnett and IBPA for the e-ARC.
Having not had time to read books for fun, this was the book to get me out of the slump. I read this cover to cover in an afternoon, carting my tablet around as I cooked dinner and unloaded the dishwasher one-handed. It was enthralling and fun and I even gasped aloud at some of the twists!
Windfall follows pirate Captain Liana Foley, a strong leader who both commands and cares for her crew, as she accidentally kidnaps Princess Rhian and then the aftermath! For the 18th Century, it was especially exciting to see the women define their own form of agency and leadership (especially as sapphic-coded pirates/royalty!). However, it wasn’t just the main characters, the barkeeps and relatives provided different forms of ‘strong female characters’ that weren’t reliant on their ability to fight their way out of a situation.
The reason I gave this 4.5 stars (rounded to 5 as I still enjoyed this so much) was because I thought the characterization of differing characters was… patchy. For example, Liana’s second in command had the opportunity to play a far more significant role with their abilities (although this does seem to be a bigger focus in the second book from the preview I have read) and so that was a bit disappointing on reflection. Similarly, I thought that Rhian appeared to play second fiddle to Liana and this character deserves further fleshing out.
On the other hand, I appreciated that all the characters had some backstory, even the minor ones. Again, I remain hopeful for the sequel and to see more of these characters and what they are capable of!
As far as plot, twists and writing style goes, I still thoroughly enjoyed Windfall and I eagerly await Book 2!
My thanks to NetGalley, the author Shawna Barnett and IBPA for the e-ARC.
April 13, 2021
A book about pirates and princesses in the sapphic category...according to the blurb. This was one I was looking forward to reading. And even though the book in itself wasn't bad, it had a lot of strong female characters in it. Their strength didn't come from being good in fighting and beating every man (which is sometimes quite enjoyable but not altogether realistic) but more strength of character.
It had rather well fleshed out main and secondary characters and it looks like Barnett will expand on that in the second book, so she put in a good foundation character wise.
But, and this is a big but for me... after reading the blurb I was expecting a romance between the princess and the pirate. Yet to my complete surprise both of them are in love with a man and while at first I thought it would be a messy love triangle but it could still work out since there were certain signs that made me think I knew where the writer was going, this was not where the writer was going. We get a few lines about attraction, but both have given their heart to another and to be honest there wasn't enough chemistry to like the pairing but now I am reading a book labeled lbtgq with a blurb that promises me a romance and instead I get a nice enough pirate story with a few lines about a princess wanting to kiss the female pirate as if that's enough to be put into the lbgtq category. My disappointment was leading me towards 2 stars, but in all fairness, the book was okay. The blurb and category it was put into wasn't.
It had rather well fleshed out main and secondary characters and it looks like Barnett will expand on that in the second book, so she put in a good foundation character wise.
But, and this is a big but for me... after reading the blurb I was expecting a romance between the princess and the pirate. Yet to my complete surprise both of them are in love with a man and while at first I thought it would be a messy love triangle but it could still work out since there were certain signs that made me think I knew where the writer was going, this was not where the writer was going. We get a few lines about attraction, but both have given their heart to another and to be honest there wasn't enough chemistry to like the pairing but now I am reading a book labeled lbtgq with a blurb that promises me a romance and instead I get a nice enough pirate story with a few lines about a princess wanting to kiss the female pirate as if that's enough to be put into the lbgtq category. My disappointment was leading me towards 2 stars, but in all fairness, the book was okay. The blurb and category it was put into wasn't.
August 9, 2021
Windfall
is the first novel in the Legends of Vioria series. There is also a prequel novel, Seabird, which I need to get around to reading as it features the main character’s journey from princess to pirate captain. When the reader meets the main character, Liana Foley, in this story, she is already a captain. There is some backstory given throughout this novel, so the reader would not be lost if they did not read the prequel. As a word of caution, there is an attempted rape near the beginning of the novel, so it is just something to keep in mind while reading. This novel and I had a semi-rocky start as it took me a few tries to get into reading, however, it could just be me as a reader and not the novel. I am glad that I tried again as I was eventually captivated by the story and I am curious to read more when the eventual sequel is released.
The story starts with the introduction of Captain Liana Foley and her quartermaster Ameen Almasi in the early 1700s and her ship, Windfall. She steals in order to help those less fortunate while also hiding her true identity as a princess. Her foster family and brother know the truth after her parents died. Her backstory is explored a little about how she transitioned to the life of a pirate and I enjoyed her portrayal as a captain. She makes mistakes, but she looks out for her crew and in turn, her crew respects her. She is a very interesting and complex character and I loved her and Ameen. They had great chemistry and it is obvious to the reader how much they care for each other early on in the story.
When Liana attends a ball, she is blackmailed into protecting Princess Rhian by Captain Dillon Whyte, Rhian’s lover. After Rhian displays some magic, she is semi-rescued by Liana and they are forced to be on the run. The representation in this novel was well done as both Rhian and Liana are on-page bisexuals, along with some secondary characters, and Ameen is on-page asexual. I enjoyed that these were written as natural parts of their characters and did not feel forced. Although the synopsis of the story makes it seem Rhian and Liana establish a firm romance with each other, their story is more complicated. They have an attraction to the other, but each of them is also in a relationship. I enjoyed the romance aspect of the story, but I can see how the synopsis and the actual content do not fully align and could lead to some readers being disappointed. As this is a series, there are still many possibilities for any of the characters, which is another aspect I enjoyed.
The world-building was very imaginative and descriptive, so it was easy to picture the world where the characters lived. The pacing of the story is fairly slow at the start as the world and characters are established. The action picks up towards the middle and then slows a bit at the end setting up the cliffhanger that will lead to the sequel. There is some character growth in this story with a lot of potential in the rest of the series for more. Although the synopsis portrays Liana and Rhian as main characters, I felt Ameen was more central in this story than Rhian. Overall, this was an interesting introduction to this universe and fascinating characters.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, Hansen House, and the author for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
The story starts with the introduction of Captain Liana Foley and her quartermaster Ameen Almasi in the early 1700s and her ship, Windfall. She steals in order to help those less fortunate while also hiding her true identity as a princess. Her foster family and brother know the truth after her parents died. Her backstory is explored a little about how she transitioned to the life of a pirate and I enjoyed her portrayal as a captain. She makes mistakes, but she looks out for her crew and in turn, her crew respects her. She is a very interesting and complex character and I loved her and Ameen. They had great chemistry and it is obvious to the reader how much they care for each other early on in the story.
When Liana attends a ball, she is blackmailed into protecting Princess Rhian by Captain Dillon Whyte, Rhian’s lover. After Rhian displays some magic, she is semi-rescued by Liana and they are forced to be on the run. The representation in this novel was well done as both Rhian and Liana are on-page bisexuals, along with some secondary characters, and Ameen is on-page asexual. I enjoyed that these were written as natural parts of their characters and did not feel forced. Although the synopsis of the story makes it seem Rhian and Liana establish a firm romance with each other, their story is more complicated. They have an attraction to the other, but each of them is also in a relationship. I enjoyed the romance aspect of the story, but I can see how the synopsis and the actual content do not fully align and could lead to some readers being disappointed. As this is a series, there are still many possibilities for any of the characters, which is another aspect I enjoyed.
The world-building was very imaginative and descriptive, so it was easy to picture the world where the characters lived. The pacing of the story is fairly slow at the start as the world and characters are established. The action picks up towards the middle and then slows a bit at the end setting up the cliffhanger that will lead to the sequel. There is some character growth in this story with a lot of potential in the rest of the series for more. Although the synopsis portrays Liana and Rhian as main characters, I felt Ameen was more central in this story than Rhian. Overall, this was an interesting introduction to this universe and fascinating characters.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, Hansen House, and the author for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
August 12, 2021
I was granted eARC access to Windfall by Shawna Barnett via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to whoever handles approvals on behalf of Hansen House! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Wow. That's seriously all I can think to say immediately after finishing this, just wow. I loved it, but at times I also hated it and felt every other emotion toward it in between. It could be tighter, it could have started off without the attempted rape, and there were so many moments of characters who had given their hearts to others lusting after each other that kept rubbing me the wrong way... but at the same time this book has so much awesome about it. I think I'm going to call it a 4 out of 5. The awesome outweighs those negatives many times over and none of those negatives were too egregious, so it's definitely not a 3 or less, but there are also definitely choices made in here that the editor in me would have suggestions changes for, so it's not a perfect 5.
Let's start with the awesome. Liana Foley is a prime example of what a selfless, strong badass of a heroine in a fantasy action-adventure needs to be, and I loved just about every minute of her on the page. The world is well built, the politics are easy to understand, and we get enough information about the magic system to understand why Liana fears it without knowing too much to sympathize with Liana's limited knowledge and fear. The pirate crew and land gang supporting cast are also all pretty darn great! I love all of the loud and proud LGBTQIA+ representation in here, too, with bisexual Liana and Rhiann, asexual Adeem, and others cropping up as well. I also really love the fact that although Adeem is asexual, it's acknowledged and address that he's not aro/ace and he does get a romantic relationship, with a definitively not ace character to boot and the personal issues and reservations that come up in a mixed attraction relationship are actually addressed.
And pirates. Can't forget to mention pirates. Did I mention Liana is both a runaway princess AND a pirate captain? Elizabeth Swan who?
Now for the not-so-awesome. This book has what feels like roughly a baker's dozen different plot lines and a healthy-sized cast for each, not all of whom overlap directly but all of whom are intertwined by politics and familial relations. It's a delicately crafted web and not every strand has survived unscathed. On top of that, and besides the attempted rapes and unfaithful lusting mentioned previously, the last third of the book has at least 10 different possible endings. I kept checking my percentage remaining to see if this was the end or not, because it could have been, and then it kept going. So many twist and turns and flip-flops. So many near-deaths and near-misses. At least one deus ex machina saving of a doomed character. I was both so sure this book is getting a sequel at points and so sure it was going to end as a stand-alone at others. By the last 10% I just wanted it to end, one way or another.
Overall, strong start to a series with brilliant ideas, a few minor fumbles in execution, still absolutely a book I would recommend.
Wow. That's seriously all I can think to say immediately after finishing this, just wow. I loved it, but at times I also hated it and felt every other emotion toward it in between. It could be tighter, it could have started off without the attempted rape, and there were so many moments of characters who had given their hearts to others lusting after each other that kept rubbing me the wrong way... but at the same time this book has so much awesome about it. I think I'm going to call it a 4 out of 5. The awesome outweighs those negatives many times over and none of those negatives were too egregious, so it's definitely not a 3 or less, but there are also definitely choices made in here that the editor in me would have suggestions changes for, so it's not a perfect 5.
Let's start with the awesome. Liana Foley is a prime example of what a selfless, strong badass of a heroine in a fantasy action-adventure needs to be, and I loved just about every minute of her on the page. The world is well built, the politics are easy to understand, and we get enough information about the magic system to understand why Liana fears it without knowing too much to sympathize with Liana's limited knowledge and fear. The pirate crew and land gang supporting cast are also all pretty darn great! I love all of the loud and proud LGBTQIA+ representation in here, too, with bisexual Liana and Rhiann, asexual Adeem, and others cropping up as well. I also really love the fact that although Adeem is asexual, it's acknowledged and address that he's not aro/ace and he does get a romantic relationship, with a definitively not ace character to boot and the personal issues and reservations that come up in a mixed attraction relationship are actually addressed.
And pirates. Can't forget to mention pirates. Did I mention Liana is both a runaway princess AND a pirate captain? Elizabeth Swan who?
Now for the not-so-awesome. This book has what feels like roughly a baker's dozen different plot lines and a healthy-sized cast for each, not all of whom overlap directly but all of whom are intertwined by politics and familial relations. It's a delicately crafted web and not every strand has survived unscathed. On top of that, and besides the attempted rapes and unfaithful lusting mentioned previously, the last third of the book has at least 10 different possible endings. I kept checking my percentage remaining to see if this was the end or not, because it could have been, and then it kept going. So many twist and turns and flip-flops. So many near-deaths and near-misses. At least one deus ex machina saving of a doomed character. I was both so sure this book is getting a sequel at points and so sure it was going to end as a stand-alone at others. By the last 10% I just wanted it to end, one way or another.
Overall, strong start to a series with brilliant ideas, a few minor fumbles in execution, still absolutely a book I would recommend.
August 31, 2021
I was given a free e-copy of Windfall by Shawna Barnett (author), Hansen House (publisher), and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Windfall is the first book in the Legends of Viora series.
This review will be spoiler free.
Trigger warnings: attempted sexual assault, domestic violence, and other types of violent behavior.
I would characterize this novel as pirate-based sword and sorcery with a bit of magic and court and political intrigue.
The world building is serviceable without detracting or distracting from the story. The ship battles are interesting, and Ms. Barnett does provide descriptions that are interesting but is not the major focus of the story. I think the story takes place in a Renaissance-type European setting.
The magic system is mysterious and nebulous and is revealed through the princess’ arc as she learns and tries to master the magic.
One of the main characters is a woman who is a pirate captain and leads a very loyal crew. She has a mysterious past which is revealed bit by bit throughout the story and provides her emotional depth and motivation. The other main character is a princess who is supposed to be married to another noble for the benefit of the kingdom. I did not find the princess to be as fully developed or engaging as the pirate captain. I would have preferred to have read more about members of pirate captain’s crew.
There is a secondary character who knows about the pirate captain’s past and is connected to the princess and I would have preferred his role expanded in the story because I thought expanding his arc would add complexity and ambiguity to the story. I think if his character arc was expanded, it embellishes and deepen the court and political intrigue aspect of the story.
The story arc has some starts and stops and does have some dead spots in the middle of the book which took me out of the story on more than one occasion. I did not understand some of the characters’ actions at the end of the book.
I think I may read the second book in the Legends of the Viora series because I want to know what happens with the pirate captain.
I rate Windfall 3 stars.
I would like to thank Ms. Barnett, Hansen House, and Net Galley for the free ARC.
This review will be spoiler free.
Trigger warnings: attempted sexual assault, domestic violence, and other types of violent behavior.
I would characterize this novel as pirate-based sword and sorcery with a bit of magic and court and political intrigue.
The world building is serviceable without detracting or distracting from the story. The ship battles are interesting, and Ms. Barnett does provide descriptions that are interesting but is not the major focus of the story. I think the story takes place in a Renaissance-type European setting.
The magic system is mysterious and nebulous and is revealed through the princess’ arc as she learns and tries to master the magic.
One of the main characters is a woman who is a pirate captain and leads a very loyal crew. She has a mysterious past which is revealed bit by bit throughout the story and provides her emotional depth and motivation. The other main character is a princess who is supposed to be married to another noble for the benefit of the kingdom. I did not find the princess to be as fully developed or engaging as the pirate captain. I would have preferred to have read more about members of pirate captain’s crew.
There is a secondary character who knows about the pirate captain’s past and is connected to the princess and I would have preferred his role expanded in the story because I thought expanding his arc would add complexity and ambiguity to the story. I think if his character arc was expanded, it embellishes and deepen the court and political intrigue aspect of the story.
The story arc has some starts and stops and does have some dead spots in the middle of the book which took me out of the story on more than one occasion. I did not understand some of the characters’ actions at the end of the book.
I think I may read the second book in the Legends of the Viora series because I want to know what happens with the pirate captain.
I rate Windfall 3 stars.
I would like to thank Ms. Barnett, Hansen House, and Net Galley for the free ARC.
January 18, 2023
Looking to add books to my 2022-23 reading list, I came across Windfall through a mutual acquaintance of the author's who said it would be something I might enjoy. Reading the jacket, I knew I was fond of the aesthetic. Fantasy swashbuckling on the high seas, daring adventure, and slow burning queer romance. Other than that, the only knowledge I had about what to expect were a handful of reviews comparing to other more mainstream queer media of the last few years, and telling me that Windfall was something I could take or leave.
Despite that, when I did get around to reading it at the start of this year, I wanted to approach it with an open mind and see for myself if it would be my next page turner, or just something I'd read to support a friend.
I'm really happy to say I enjoyed my time with Windfall.
There are some real moments of magic in its 362 pages, especially for a first book. Powerful moments that really showed the promise of what this series and its world could be. I myself drawn in at certain points, really wanting to see, know, and experience more about the world of Vioria. Its peoples, its histories, and its magic. Its main character, Captain Liana Foley walks a line between pragmatic and heroic in a way that I found believable and engaging, while the Princess Rhian faces and rises to challenges not often explored in a traditional fantasy. The crew of the Windfall and its allies are likeable and interesting, and make the world feel lived in and the stakes personal.
My one criticism would be that there were moments I found Windfall's pacing to be a little jarring. Breaks in the scene or time skips that made me have to go back and try to reorient myself in the story, but it was never so much that I felt the urge to walk away from it.
Windfall is a refreshing entry into the Swashbuckling Adventure genre, and has major bright spots that make me excited to see more of the world and its characters. This is worth picking up for any fans of queer characters, pirate stories, or fantasy fans looking for something a little bit different than what they're used to. I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Despite that, when I did get around to reading it at the start of this year, I wanted to approach it with an open mind and see for myself if it would be my next page turner, or just something I'd read to support a friend.
I'm really happy to say I enjoyed my time with Windfall.
There are some real moments of magic in its 362 pages, especially for a first book. Powerful moments that really showed the promise of what this series and its world could be. I myself drawn in at certain points, really wanting to see, know, and experience more about the world of Vioria. Its peoples, its histories, and its magic. Its main character, Captain Liana Foley walks a line between pragmatic and heroic in a way that I found believable and engaging, while the Princess Rhian faces and rises to challenges not often explored in a traditional fantasy. The crew of the Windfall and its allies are likeable and interesting, and make the world feel lived in and the stakes personal.
My one criticism would be that there were moments I found Windfall's pacing to be a little jarring. Breaks in the scene or time skips that made me have to go back and try to reorient myself in the story, but it was never so much that I felt the urge to walk away from it.
Windfall is a refreshing entry into the Swashbuckling Adventure genre, and has major bright spots that make me excited to see more of the world and its characters. This is worth picking up for any fans of queer characters, pirate stories, or fantasy fans looking for something a little bit different than what they're used to. I look forward to seeing what comes next.
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