Book Review: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

There’s a lot to be said for an entertaining main character, one who tells the story with energy and charm and keeps the reader engaged. This book has just such a character, and as a result it is a joy to read. It’s one of those books that I just flew through in a matter of days, enjoying every line and looking forward to the next time I could sit down and read (sadly, long gone are the days when I could just sit and read for the entire day – I’m too busy now!).

Voyage of the Damned is told from the point of view of the protagonist, Dee, who is a funny and charming young man, yet rather lacking in self-esteem, for reasons which quickly become clear. When he finds himself in essentially a locked-room murder mystery, he feels obliged to step up and try to catch the killer. But it’s not just a murder mystery – it’s also high fantasy and political intrigue, with the cast of characters comprised of the ‘Blessed’, who all have magical powers and lead their provinces under the leadership of the Dragons, overall rulers of the land of Concordia. And naturally, not everyone is happy with this arrangement.

In addition to all the other genres this book intertwines, there’s also a healthy dash of romance – and there ought to be a rainbow somewhere on the cover, because this book has straight characters, gay characters, bi characters, trans and non-binary characters – and not in a bold, brash, performative way, but in a way that just feels normal. The different provinces echo real-world cultures too, creating a world that is varied and magical, but still feels familiar.

The story is told with Dee’s brand of cocky sarcasm mixed with self-deprecating humour, and it flows along in a way that is truly hard to put down. Honestly, I loved it. There were times when I laughed out loud and times where I shed a tear. If you enjoy fantasy, intrigue, mystery and queer representation in your books, you have to check this one out.