Review: Hunt On Dark Waters by Katee Robert

Title: Hunt On Dark Waters
Author: Katee Robert
Publication: 18 April 2024 by Penguin Books UK
Genre: Fantasy Romance
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Rating: 4/5★

A stern captain meets his witchy match in this captivating first fantasy romance novel in the Crimson Sails series from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash-hit Neon Gods.

Evelyn is a witch with a perfect storm of impulses: terrible taste in bed partners, sticky fingers, and a lust for danger. After she steals from her vampire ex and falls through a portal to another realm, she’s fished out of the waters by a band of seafarers and their telekinetic captain. She’s immediately given a choice—join their ship’s crew or die.

Bowen has no memory of his life before he became one of the Cŵn Annwn. He and his band of pirates are bound by vow to patrol through Threshold, the magical sea in between realms, keeping the portals to other worlds safe. When he rescues Evelyn, he doesn’t expect to be attracted to the unflappably brassy pickpocket. The longer he spends in her presence, the more he begins to question if his heart is the next thing she’ll steal.

But as tension heats up between Bowen and Evelyn, the danger at sea escalates as well. Because Evelyn has no intention of keeping her vows to the Cŵn Annwn, and if she betrays the crew, both she and Bowen will pay the ultimate price….

Hunt On Dark Waters was a fun and adventurous romp through the magical universe of Threshold, a realm in between and connected by portals leading to different realms. Katee Robert’s trademark queer rep and steamy romance didn’t disappoint either. It was also a really quick read where I just kept turning the pages and reading chapter after chapter. Entertainment, spice and fun galore in this book!

This first book in the Crimson Sails series follows Evelyn, a chaotic witch who jumps into danger without thinking twice. When she steals from her vampire ex-girlfriend she falls through a portal into another realm into an ocean full of mythical creatures. She’s fished out of the water by pirates and their captain who just happens to be a telekinetic. They give her a choice to either join them or be tossed back into the water and to whatever lurks deep down below. We also meet Bowen, the telekinetic ship captain. Together with his crew he attempts to keep the waters of Threshold safe from monsters. When he rescues Evelyn he didn’t expect a witch with sticky fingers bend on getting home. Another thing he didn’t expect was feeling so drawn to her.

I really enjoyed reading this story set in the high seas. The characters were all fun, different and each with their own history. I absolutely loved Evelyn. Her chaotic energy and penchant for stealing made her just a really entertaining and endearing character to read about. Her being bi was just a bonus on top of it all. I also loved her interactions with Captain Bowen who was more rigid and strict compared to Evelyn’s tumultuous persona. I always enjoy a good opposites attract romance and Katee Robert nailed it with this one.

There were many secondary characters that I also loved getting to know like Lizzie, the vampire hunting Evelyn and Nox, the quartermaster of a different ship. Their stories will feature in book two and three of the series, I’m very glad to say. I can’t wait to read them!

About the author:

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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