Plot Summary – Jaq lives on the ship Scylla with her lover, Lily, and several other seemingly immortal women. When they rescue a drowning man, their sacred world starts to be torn apart. The memories and violence that come back to them threaten their existence. Would you rather leave the past in the past or avenge it?

Song This Reminds Me Of – “Lipstick Lover” by Janelle Monae

Publication Date – November 14, 2023

Steamy Rating – 🌶🌶

Overall Rating – 4 out of 5⭐

Book Review – This is a wonderful quick novella that’s perfect for spooky season.

Honestly, a ship full of queer women would normally be an excellent getaway, but the ship Scylla has its secrets. Jaq and Lily are lovers, but when the crew rescues a drowning man, Lily soon leaves Jaq’s bed for him. This seemingly simple act upends the peace of the ship as memories start to be stirred up. The deal when each woman joined the crew was to leave their past behind; only the present and the future matter.

As memories rise to the surface, so does rage and grief. Jaq and Lily are at the center of it all. Should they live in their comfortable new lives, or should they return to a home they forgot and lay vengeance upon the men who wronged them?

This book had some great horror aspects and wove Slavic folklore with good old-fashioned rage. Each character has to reckon with their past, and that reckoning can bring them peace or damnation. I loved the way this book explored that rage. I think I would have liked it more if there had been more backstory for some of the characters. I was hungry for more of this world and honestly could have easily read a hundred more pages. The dynamic between Jaq and Lily was so interesting.

Their story is like what happens once you get what you want. Sometimes love is not enough to make someone happy or keep them by your side. There could have been more in the beginning to establish their relationship. I felt like I was searching for why Jaq would feel like this person loved her. Overall, this was a good, solid story that is a quick sapphic read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brigid’s Gate Press LLC.