Genre: Historical, Paranormal
LGBTQ+ Category: Lesbian
Reviewer: Beáta
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About The Book
Enemies to Lovers has never been so swashbuckling!
Set in 1860s New York, Sadie “the Goat” Ferrell is one of the criminal superstars of the gangs of New York. Gallus Mag is her mortal enemy … and in an epic bar fight Gallus Mag bites off Sadie’s ear — and puts it in the pickle jar of other ears she has bitten off! — as the bouncer for the Hole-in-the-Wall bar in the notorious Fourth Ward.
Sadie takes this as sign, gives up on being a criminal by land, takes over the Charleton Street Gang, and is soon sailing up and down the Hudson River with the Jolly Rodger waving on the mast!
But there is so much more in store for Sadie than just being a small-time river pirate. She and her gang board the wrong ship, and suddenly Sadie is facing an all-too-real pirate queen — who is also a vampire.
Will Sadie survive meeting this powerful vampire and rise to meet her fate? And will she ever meet Gallus Mag again, and find out that hate and love are two very intense sides of the same coin…?
Warnings: graphic violence, blood-drinking, power imbalance
The Review
1860s New York.
Sadie “the Goat”, a young woman who makes her living any way she can (mostly crime), decides that she’d had enough from the difficult conditions on the streets, and becomes a pirate instead. She gains the loyalty of a group of boys, and starts small by stealing the wares from ships unloading on the river, but her exploits become bigger and bigger, until her crew runs into a real pirate queen – who is also a vampire.
This novella is part of the Blood & Ancients Scrolls series, in that it is set in the same world, but can be read independently. As I did. I then took way too long to actually write my review, so that I can talk about what kind of memory this novella left, instead of the normal fresh impression.
It is a good memory. I had a good time reading it and finished it quickly. The blurb promises a fast-paced story, and it definitely delivers on the action. It also makes you want to read more about the characters, so it is a good entry point to the series, or just to discover the author. It is also a satisfying stand-alone read, if someone was looking for interesting novellas, this one is a good candidate.
The bit that really makes it stand out is the use of period-typical slang. It brings so much life to the world, and it also makes it very clear that this author did her homework.
All in all, an interesting and fast-paced novella that leaves you wanting more. I would recommend it.
Also, the title is really cool.
The Reviewer
Beáta Fülöp is an aspiring filmmaker and writer. She identifies as aromantic and asexual, and has an autistic Special Interest in the representation of minorities. One day, she will use this knowledge in her own stories. Until then, she is happy to sit here and give her opinion on other people’s hard work.