Fed up with a lifetime of mistreatment from superstitious locals due to her infamous pirate queen mother, Ophelia Young, the pirate queen’s illegitimate child, decides it’s time to break free from the shackles of her mother’s legacy. Rescued from a hostile crowd by a naval officer, Ophelia sees an opportunity to join the navy, hoping to step out of the shadow her mother has cast on her. Little does she know, life at sea is far from the honourable escape she envisioned.
Enter Betsy Young, Ophelia’s timid half-sister with dreams of a peaceful life and love. Devastated by a rejected marriage proposal and Ophelia’s enlistment, Betsy’s world crumbles further when their father falls seriously ill. Forced to bring Ophelia back to save the family business, Betsy unravels a shocking secret: Ophelia enlisted under Betsy’s name. Now, to protect her sister from the authorities and a deadly crew, Betsy must navigate treacherous waters during hurricane season, risking it all to ensure their safe return home.
Set your sails and let’s ride into adventure!
Ophelia intrigued me from the very first page and I immediately connected with. We learn that Ophelia is aroace (which was weaved well into the times that this book plays in) and just wants to get out of the shadow of her mother. But nothing is as easy as it seems and Ophelia learns a whole lot more about the navy and what they consider to be honourable—which isn’t a lot more than a smoke screen for the wide public. Betsy, similarly, was someone I took a liking to straight away. She is a fat young woman who also lives with anxiety (we love to see that in any book but in fantasy even more) and is incredibly talented at needlework but is often overlooked. Together, they’re a powerhouse.
I loved the sibling bonds in this. Though we don’t get to see Ophelia and Betsy interact as much as I would have liked, their love for each other rang true throughout the story. Even when they were arguing, you could tell it came from a place of love and worry for each other rather than actual anger. The way they fight for each other will make you want to hug your sibling (or at the very least, be nice to them for a whole five minutes before antagonising them again).
What I also enjoyed was how heavy this book was on the dialogue. Often in fantasy we have quite a lot of worldbuilding happening in retellings or inner monologue, but here we get tidbits of the world and how it works (and how Ophelia is seen by the wide population) through dialogue which gave everything a more dynamic feel that paired well with the plot.
While the secondary characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, I still had a great time with following Ophelia and Betsy on their journey.
A must for fans of pirate adventures, The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a fun fantasy tale with sisterly bonds that will make your heart soar.
The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 9th 2024.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Storms and pirates are nothing compared to the evil within men’s hearts.
After a lifetime of abuse at the hands of superstitious townsfolk, Ophelia Young, a bastard child of the notorious pirate queen, is tired of paying for the sins of her mother. Despite playing by the rules her whole life, she’s earned nothing but spite and suspicion. So when a naval officer saves her from the jeering crowd at her mother’s hanging, Ophelia hatches a new hope of enlisting in the navy to escape her mother’s legacy and redeem her own reputation for good. But Ophelia soon discovers that a life at sea isn’t as honorable as she hoped.
Betsy Young is as different as she could be from her half-sister Ophelia. She’s a nervous homebody who wants to keep her family safe and longs to be in love. So naturally, she’s devastated when the son of their family’s business partner rejects her hand in marriage and her sister joins the navy. But when her father contracts a life-threatening illness as well, Betsy has to bring Ophelia home to save the family business.
Unfortunately for the Young sisters, Betsy trying to get Ophelia recalled reveals that Ophelia enlisted fraudulently under Betsy’s name, a secret which Ophelia struggles to keep from crewmates who would kill her if they knew she was the pirate queen’s daughter. To save Ophelia from the naval authorities, Betsy will have to board a ship during hurricane season and brave all the dangers of the sea to get them both home safe.
