Review: The Revenge of Captain Vessia by Leslie Allen

Title: The Revenge of Captain Vessia

Series: Sails of Black and Blood: Book One

Author: Leslie Allen

Length: 449 Pages

Category: Fantasy

Rating: 4 Stars

At a Glance: There is a slow-burn romance amongst the action and adventure and bloodthirst in The Revenge of Captain Vessia. While it doesn’t develop along the usual lines and expected beats of a romance novel, the heart and tug of this storyline gives readers a little something to root for besides Claire getting bloodthirsty payback against her sworn enemy.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: Claire Vessia’s been sentenced to death.

The last survivor of a ship of would-be-pirates captured by the navy, she’s been accused of all of their crimes.

She will die for it. Determined to go out with her head held high, her plans for a stoic execution are thrown out the window when a highborn lady offers her a chance to escape the noose… if she pays in vials of her own blood.

But she is betrayed.

Hung from the gallows and buried at sea, she rises amidst the waves as a Vampyri, an undead monster. Without a clue of where, or even what she is, and only a terrible hunger to guide her, it’s only when she consumes a person trying to help her that she begins to understands what’s been done to her.

Swearing revenge against the noble woman that turned her, the nation that accused her, and its people that killed her, Claire makes an oath that she will hunt down anyone under the navy’s flag, and carve a blood-strewn path on her quest for vengeance.

But when the perfect chance to strike takes the form of the child of her maker – Claire must ask herself how far she’s willing to go for justice.

Review: If you love a good swashbuckler, Leslie Allen delivers one in The Revenge of Captain Vessia. As you might expect, the story is not without its violent tendencies, and as the author cautions in the forward, “This book is drawn from my own experience and traumas of being a trans woman,” so be forewarned that aggressive transphobia disguised as righteousness is present in the telling.

That said, the revenge Claire Vessia exacts against her sworn enemy is well-earned. Turned into a vampire against her will, it leaves Claire thirsty in all the ways you’d expect. Not only is her hunger for blood never entirely sated, but her appetite for retribution only grows each day that she isn’t satisfying her vengeance against the woman who tortured and betrayed her.

Allen writes the seafaring drama and action scenes so vividly, the swordfights, the bloodshed, and ultimately the moments Claire feasts upon those she and her crew capture. When Claire learns of an opportunity to intercept a ship carrying her sworn enemy’s child, taking them prisoner becomes the key to tormenting the monster who preyed on her. There is a delicate and lovely twist, however, that leaves Claire questioning her decision.

There is a slow-burn romance amongst the action and adventure and bloodthirst. While it doesn’t develop along the usual lines and expected beats of a romance novel, the heart and tug of this storyline gives readers a little something to root for besides Claire’s bloodthirsty payback. The turning point in the relationship couldn’t have happened in more suspenseful or brutal ways. The payoff is a love story that is hard-earned and emotionally gratifying.

The only distraction in this fantastical and bloody tale is in its pacing. There are some points driven home repeatedly, but the anticipation of seeing what would happen next and, ultimately, to watch Claire weaponizing her strengths and finally winning access to her enemy kept me engaged to the finish. Now, I’m anticipating book two in the series to see what battles Claire and crew face next.