Hey, fans of Our Flag Means Death! *points at this book* This one!

I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, we follow Avra Helvaçi, a former agent for the intelligence ministry of the kingdom of Arasti. He has recently stolen classified information and is on the run. He seeks help on the ship of his on-again, off-again lover, Captain Teveri Az-Ḥaffar. Tev isn’t entirely pleased to see Avra, but begrudgingly agrees to help him sell the information at the pirate refuge, the Isles of Lost Souls, as long as Tev and the crew can share in the profits. So off they sail, and things quickly distract Azra from his troubles: there’s a monk named Julian onboard Tev’s ship, and he’s completely gorgeous. (Unfairly so, in fact, considering he’s vowed to be celibate.) So Avra, Tev, Julian, and the crew must not only decipher the papers Avra’s stolen, they must also find a way to scrape a living as they enter the season that the sea serpents run (or rather, swim) rampant in the waters, and resources are few and far between. But if they succeed, they’ll never have to scrape by again—because they’ll be legendary.

If I were to describe this book in one word, it would probably be… “bonkers.” Other applicable words include, but are not limited to: ridiculous, goofy, unhinged, weird, deranged, and fun. It’s like Rowland took all the silly elements of Our Flag Means Death and dialed it up to, like, fifteen. And then never let up. It’s all silly, all the time.

Firstly, there’s the protagonist Avra. He is so odd, and pathetic, and annoying, and entertaining. He’s like if Our Flag’s Stede Bonnet had zero filter and all the sex drive, plus far less intelligence. Avra is just… fascinating for some reason. I want to examine him under a microscope, but also if he got stabbed, I would be okay with that. (He’d be fine, after all.) It was a strange and compelling reading experience for me, all right?

I also found Tev and Julian to both be wonderful. Tev is such a fun character, by turns irked and enchanted by Avra (I can relate). Moreover, Tev’s backstory and view of the world is so engaging, and I loved getting to know them more, and to see some gender non-conforming pirate captain representation! And Julian… well, he’s hands down my favorite character, though I’m not sure I can quite articulate why. He’s baffling, both mysterious and brooding, yet also openly flirtatious and teasing. The way he constantly winds up Avra is hilarious, and every scene with him thrills me. Basically, picture the stereotypical “Fabio” type of blond man, but wearing monk robes. See, aren’t you amused? And I loved his character development, and the scene where he monologues about following traditional rules was brilliant. Basically, the main three characters are great, and the side characters—who I don’t even really have time to talk about—are great as well (special shoutout to Cat, who I would love to befriend if given the chance).

I will say, this is definitely an adult book. So many references, so many sex jokes. Avra is just… he’s so horny (for lack of a better word, sorry). This is pretty light on the violence (light on any real piracy, to be honest), so mainly if you aren’t comfortable with sexual references, or strong language, this probably wouldn’t be the best book for you. I was too charmed by how stupid the characters were, and how light-hearted the plot was to care.

On a related note, there is no way that anything in this is meant to be taken seriously as a work of Literature™. This is a goofy book, and that is it, and Rowland clearly knows it. It’s a bewildering mix of antics, flirting, and going on random misadventures. There’s a line that made me laugh out loud because of how over-the-top it was: “the dog stared up at him with mournfully limpid cerulean orbs.” You know that when Rowland wrote that, there was the sense of “screw it, we’re reaching peak levels of odd word combinations” and I can only applaud. (Reminder that I read an ARC and the exact line might be different when the book comes out.)

However, while this book isn’t serious, it’s not like it doesn’t have real stakes. The government of Arast and the pirates are in direct opposition, and there’s some good themes about finding real connection in fellow outcasts, about how friends can support each other even if they’re very different people, and about how systemic problems can be navigable with the right people. There’s so much defiant silliness in this story, as these characters try to make their way in a world that’s trying to bring them down.

Basically the moral is, as long as you can laugh and have a good time with your people, the big bad guys can’t win. And I just… love that.

In the end, Running Close to the Wind was delightfully weird and weirdly delightful. I loved the characters, even irritating Avra, and the world is fun. The plot is a little meandering, and not very action-packed, but full of so much wackiness that it doesn’t drag. There are glowing dogs to hunt, stuffy government ambassadors to torment, and cake competitions to defend from mischievous seagulls. There are friends and chosen family and monks to flirt with. It’s the weirdest time I’ve had with a book in a long time, and never has the word “bewildering” felt more apt—but I had a fantastic time. If you want a light-hearted story with queer characters at the center, set in a cool historical-inspired fantasy world, try this!

Running Close to the Wind will be published on June 11th, 2024!

(One last thing: Avra and Tev have a running inside joke about alley possums, and it’s hilarious, and I had to give it a shoutout. It’s carried through the entire book, and I loved it.)