Romantasy, steampunk, adventure, epic world building? I am here for it all, and more besides!
It isn’t just the title of Willows’ latest novel that is dreamy, the entirety of Ship of Dreams is a veritable dreamscape of words; imbuing enchanting visions that even Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams would be envious of.
Set in a steampunk version of Victorian Great Britain in 1898, Ship of Dreams invites readers to join fearless raider, Captain Alexis Minty, as she dishes out her own brand of justice from the helm of the Devil’s Urchin. Hell bent on addressing the extensive wealth gap between the land and the sky cities, Captain Minty can’t turn down a chance to covertly board the elusive silver dragon that sails the skies. When the raid doesn’t go to plan, Temp Strud, captain of the discreet yet lavish dragon pleasure ship, suddenly finds herself the custodian of a pirate. But as fate would have it, Captain Minty might be the one person that Strud needs to progress her quest to locate the legendary Golden Apple. If tenuously partnering with a pirate wasn’t headache enough, Captain Strud isn’t the only one searching for the Apple, making her mission one of danger and deception. Not to mention deliciously complicated by her growing desire, for non-other than a pirate!
Of all Brey Willows’ books, I think Ship of Dreams might be my new favourite. In amongst this scintillating Sapphic steampunk romantasy, is not only a monumental quest for an ancient artefact, but all the other qualities of a Willows’ story that I delight in. Both Strud and Minty have forged themselves found families with their respective crews; a version of platonic care and devotion that I love to see. There’s also a variety of mythology and mythological creatures on display during the quest: elements that Willows’ always excels at. And if you’re paying attention, you might also spot a few of the era’s literary greats on the passenger list, as they too explore their own pleasures of the flesh on board Captain Strud’s elusive airship.
“Rooms that were changeable, and illusions catering desires people couldn’t fulfil on land, high or low. And you could do an awful lot of questionable things in the low cities. Alex had done her share, so she knew that to be true.”
Brey Willows, Ship of Dreams
At approx. 360 pages Ship of Dreams is a slightly lengthier Sapphic novel than most, but oh boy, does it pack a timely punch. Fans of opposites attract, or forced proximity tropes featuring strong female leads are sure to love this story. With a treasure trove of diverse and entertaining supporting characters, there are a tonne of themes from gender norms to wealth disparities to explore throughout the narrative. Thus, whilst I enjoyed navigating the points of the quest probably as much as the characters did, the overall storyline is also really interesting. I particularly liked the fun of Wade and his gizmos and gadgets, but also uncovering the secrets harbored by both Temp and Minty, was at times as high stakes as the quest itself!
I picked up Ship of Dreams after a long stretch of reading mainly pure romances so much so, that I’d forgotten the thrill of leaning into a new world. The rush that comes from discovering and traversing original landscapes and concepts. This story reminded me of that joy in the most beautifully rich and fulfilling way.
And, the best part? You don’t need to have previously read a steampunk novel to reap the wonders within the Ship of Dreams, because the charm of a Brey Willows’ story, the allure of her writing, is her innate ability to world build in a manner that is as complex as it is simple. She is an expert at show, don’t tell, ensuring that readers can completely engage with the story, and thus will always recognise a Brey Willows’ book by the fantastical escapade they’ve just participated in.
Ship of Dreams was a literal dream of a story to read, and for romantasy lovers, a gorgeous book not to be missed!
I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.
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