Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn | BBNYA Finalist Book Review
Our Bloody Pearl
Author: D.N. Bryn
Pages: 206
Genre: Fantasy | LGBTQ | Romance
Publisher: Bryn Books
Publication Date: 26th July 2018
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
It’s Fridayyyy and I have a week off work next week. I plan to get a lot of reading done and also organise my bookshelves as they’ve started to get messy. Today I have another blog tour for you but this time for one of the finalists in the BBNYAs last year. This was probably one of my favourite reads of last year and I still love talking about it now. Just keep reading to hear how much I loved it!
I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.
BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and scorebooks written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official.
The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!
Synopsis
The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between their hypnotic voices and the strength of their powerful tails, sirens have little to fear.
That is, until the ruthless pirate captain, Kian, creates a device to cancel out their songs.
Perle was the first siren captured, and while all since have either been sold or killed, Kian still keeps them, prisoner. Though their song is muted and their tail paralyzed, Perle’s hope for escape rekindles as another pirating vessel seizes Kian’s ship. This new captain seems different, with his brilliant smile and his promises that Kian will never again be Perle’s master. But he’s still a human, and a captor in his own way. The compassion he and his rag-tag human family show can’t be sincere… or can it?
Soon it becomes clear that Kian will hunt Perle relentlessly, taking down any siren in her path. As the tides turn, Perle must decide whether to run from Kian forever or ride the forming wave into battle, hoping their newfound human companions will fight with them.
This adult fantasy novel featuring a nonbinary disabled protagonist is a voyage of laughter and danger where friendships and love abound and sirens are sure to steal—or eat—your heart.
Trigger warnings: mild gore due to carnivorous sirens and sensations of drowning.
My Review
Where do I even begin with this book? I could sit here all day and tell you all the things I loved about Our Bloody Pearl, but I will do my best, to sum up, everything in this review!
This book is nothing like I’ve ever read before, I wish I could forget everything that happened and read it with a fresh set of eyes all over again. I envy anyone who hasn’t yet read this yet and gets to experience it for the very first time. So, I haven’t really read anything about pirates and sailing the seas too much, but Our Bloody Pearl has unlocked a new love of mine. I am now obsessed with this action-packed book with murderous Sirens and Pirates who hate each other, treacherous seas that must be a nightmare to sail and romance that is genuinely the cutest. It is truly a one of a kind book and you are definitely in for a treat when reading this book.
I was completely absorbed by this story as soon as started reading it. Writing this review now is just making me want to read it all over again and I probably will. Just like the pirates in the book, I too fell for the songs of the Sirens but luckily I escaped unscathed apart from this world being engraved in my mind, I can’t say the same about them though.
I loved how much detail went into this book and not just the fascinating yet deadly seas, alluring Siren Pods and bloody action that keeps you on your toes but the way gender and sexuality are expressed. This isn’t just done through Pearl’s gender-neutral character, but also through other LGBTQ characters that you can’t help but adore and admire throughout.
Pearle and Dejean’s journey into becoming friends and maybe a bit more (wink wink) was an absolute delight to read about. Their sweet made-up sign language was so interesting to me and it always warmed my heart when they used it. I loved all the characters in this book, it’s really hard not to.
Overall, Our Bloody Pearl is an absolute gem of a book that will have you hooked from page one. There are plenty of diverse characters to get to know and love, a great balance of gory action and sweet romance, as well as a fascinating world that is sure to lure you in.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
D.N. Bryn began writing short stories in middle school and has yet to stop. They received their bachelors degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UCSD, and enjoy a day job involving respiratory disease research. They bring their love for animals, science, and mythology into all their writing, and are passionate about creating inclusive worlds where a diverse array of characters can go on grand adventures without being hindered by social misconceptions based on their appearance, sexuality, or gender.
Comments
Nice review. I was impressed by how the author wove in a love story without a sexual aspect. I suspect that resonated with many people who seldom see themselves in books.
Fantastic review Ellie Mai, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!!