Morgane’s path in life has always been to follow her mother into piracy. But when a run-in with a merchant vessel proves to be a trap, her mother’s dying words reveal that she was born into a very different life. Lost at sea as she has never been before, Morgane journeys to France to find her birth mother, and save her from the abusive husband keeping her prisoner.

An out-of-your-depth coming of age story, ‘The Vengeance’ has swashbuckling adventure and a wonderfully sympathetic pair of main characters, (with a great love story). This is a fast-paced adventure story, and often sacrifices world-building to maintain momentum. It’s a fun read, but when everything’s full steam ahead, it’s hard to enjoy the story beats as they come.

The Vengeance is a swashbuckler with a paranormal bent, though you’d be forgiven from thinking it was just historical fiction for the first half of the novel.

My favorite element of the story was our protagonist. Morgane is charming, in the way boisterous teen girls more confident in their physical skill than their minds are. Love a himbo, and I love a queer one even more (we only learn about her queerness quite late in the game, but the energy of a brash sapphic disaster is unmissable and would be even if she ended the book not having looked at a single woman romantically). Her relationshipwith her governess turned friend turned partner, Lisette, could’ve been quite sweet if it was given the room to grow into something that felt real.

And therein lie the roots of my problems with The Vengeance: an issue of pacing and an issue of focus. We spent so long getting Morgane to France, where ostensibly the court intrigue and drama and monstrosity was supposed to start, per the blurb… but then when she gets there, we rush through everything else, both the physical and emotional plot, the characterization of others, the introduction to the fantastical. We just barely get a reveal of supernatural creatures before we’re skipping through emotional growth and character relationship development, and then oops, back to the supernatural because that’s what the plot is! It was a frustrating experience because the world-building and character-building we got in the first half of the book, some of which was quite good (I wanted to hear more about the way Morgane’s life as a pirate and the relationships she built with her crew affected her even in that crew’s absence), ended up wasted as Morgane left those people behind. From a craft standpoint, you have to spend your page count wisely, and part of that means directing your focus wisely, off the backstory and onto the story you’re trying to tell.

As it stands, with the story being timed as it is, it was jarring to go from Rescue Mission/Pirate-themed Heist to Oops! Mom’s an Evil Vampire. I would’ve liked to have there be hints of the supernatural earlier, even if the rest of the balance of the book was the same (ie, so heavily weighted toward Morgane’s backstory as a pirate). There’s so much room for stories and lore on a pirate ship in the Caribbean! Zombies, mermaids, ghosts on the ship… some hint as to the fantasy would also explain how quickly Morgane got used to that new reality. Lacking that added to the rushed feeling, which made it so the climax didn’t feel built up to. There was no increase in urgency to signpost its coming and I was startled when I finished the scene and realized how few pages there were remaining to read. I didn’t feel like it resolved the emotional stakes, because throughout it wasn’t clear if they were “Morgane struggles to figure out where she belongs” or “Morgane struggles with feelings of foolishness/inadequacy/feeling unskilled.” Nor do I feel like there were dire stakes outside of the threat of death we faced the whole time anyway, so victory didn’t feel imperative.

I wanted more from the novel overall, because Newman is a skilled writer. She can do character work, she can create a heck of a setting. I just wish she’d been edited by someone who could’ve focused those talents in a little more, and helped her, on a developmental level, pick which story she wanted to write (swashbuckling historical fiction with court intrigue would be my preference, but it could’ve been a great paranormal revenge heist too!). And another editor to clean up some of the copy; there were missing and misused words and clunky sentences often enough to snag and distract from the story, and a good copy editing sweep could’ve caught them.

I recommend The Vengeance for folks looking for a quick light fantasy story that ties all its loose ends up tight, and prefers their fmcs to be Strong Female Characters. I’ll be revisiting Newman, because I think with some more publications under her belt, she could really be fantastic.

A book that left me feeling quite conflicted. I absolutely adore Morgane as a main character. She's strong-willed, so utterly genuine and therefore also flawed. She's relatable and very well-developed. I know who she is, what her values and motivations are. Unfortunately, I can say this only about her. All of the other characters really felt like just side characters. I can't tell you why certain characters helped her while others harmed her. We get told this information but there is not really much proof of any of this.

I did not care much for the romance as I didn't feel connected to the love interest. Technically speaking there were enough scenes to build a connection between the two characters as well the readers and the relationship but the latter got neglected in depth. I don't know much about the love interest and wish we could've dug deeper into the development of that character and the relationship.


The pacing was a little awkward. The first part on the ship was really nice and I would've loved to spend more time there as I was promised pirates. The only pirate we get throughout the rest of the story is Morgane. The rest is all just tangible build-up to the ending which gets resolved SO FAST. The build-up didn't feel senseless but there was also not much to be gained from it. As we travel with Morgane we meet her father who is swiftly killed off. At the end we meet her mother who gets no more than two scenes with our MC before she's also killed off. Introducing and killing off important characters within a few chapters feels really jarring. And it was done thrice in the book! I think it worked well with Anna-Marie but the other two (three even if you count the Comte) felt too forced and too fast.


I was also promised vampires and got none until 90% into the book?? This felt much more like a prequel than a first installment of a series. Everything feels sort of wrapped up plot-wise so I am merely curious as to how Morgane's life continues but there's no hook or cliffhanger plot-wise.

(I did really enjoy the Rapunzel allegories. Very fun twist to the original story!)

The Vengeance is a swashbuckling fantasy adventure that follows Morgane, daughter of the pirate captain Anna-Marie. Her ship is the Vengeance and they are known to attack and destroy ships from the Four Chains Trading Company at any opportunity. When Morgane’s mother is fatally wounded during one such attack, she reveals the truth to Morgane – she is not her mother but her aunt. This sets Morgane on a quest to France, to find her real family and what happened to them. What Morgane finds will be darker and more dangerous than she ever thought possible.

This was such a fun read. This is my first book from Emma Newman and I thought it was a really entertaining story. The plot is intriguing, though I do think the pacing was a little uneven at times. The story felt well written and Newman did an excellent job of bringing the sights and sounds of historical France to life. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that were set on the ship as they were detailed and well researched.

Our main character Morgane is a strong female pirate and she’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in (or punch someone in the face). I thought she was a terrific protagonist and I loved the way she ruffled feathers, questioned the ruling classes and completely disregarded etiquette. The romance in the story is also well developed and I liked the way the relationship progressed without taking over the main story arc. I am very much looking forward to seeing where Newman takes Morgane and her pirate gang in book two. Overall I thought The Vengeance was a compelling fantasy tale so if you’re looking for a story that features a strong female character, that’s full of mystery and has a hint of vampires and werewolves, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Emma Newman threw everything but the kitchen sink into this novel: werewolves, pirates, and vampires all have their roles to play. Unfortunately, I frequently found myself wishing this novel had chosen just one of those things to stick with instead of incorporating all three.

I enjoyed the base pirate storyline the most. Morgane is an irritating protagonist with a penchant for running headlong into literally every danger she could have easily avoided, but I liked her spunk when compared to Lisette's quiet charm. Their sweet sapphic romance did feel underdeveloped as there was very little buildup to it, but once the ball got rolling, I thought they were cute. I was reminded of the TV series Our Flag Means Death a little when they taught each other the ins and outs of their very different lives. I would have loved to see more of that, honestly.

With all the various people chasing after Morgane, the middle of the novel felt quite convoluted. I lacked enough clarity on who was who and why they wanted Morgane in the first place. And as others have also said, for the first entry in a series titled "The Vampires of Dumas," to have the first vampire reveal itself at the 90% mark is a little ridiculous.

I honestly would have preferred if this one stuck to a historical fiction world as it had for 75% of the novel OR if it had introduced the fantastical elements much earlier. As it currently is, the sudden genre switch-up was jarring and irritating. I will probably continue to read the series as I sense many of the issues in this first installment would be cleared up in the second.

This was a solid read, offering an intriguing premise and a unique world from Emma Newman. "The Vengeance" has a distinctive voice, and Newman's exploration of the central themes is thought-provoking. I appreciated the clever ideas presented and the way the narrative unfolded. However, I found some of the character motivations a little hard to connect with at times, and the pacing occasionally felt a bit slow, particularly in the middle section. While it had its moments of brilliance, it didn't fully pull me in to the extent I'd hoped.

This is a thoroughly engrossing read. Morgane is a feisty heroine and for once, a young woman with significant sword and knife skills makes complete sense, given she’s been brought up on a pirate ship. I loved Newman’s depiction of the pirate community – especially as there were a sprinkling of female pirates and indeed, captains. There were the Articles that Newman mentions, though it’s also fair to say that some captains paid more attention to these rules than others. But captains who routinely displeased their crews were at risk of being overthrown and if the majority agreed that the captain wasn’t providing enough spoils to be shared amongst the crew, he (or she) would be forced to step down. I also liked the fact that Newman doesn’t try to sugarcoat or glorify the life of a pirate – it’s depicted as the final option for people who were often in terrible situations. A fair number of pirates were escaped slaves, for example. They were hard drinking, violent people who were only too glad to get a chance to spread the misery around to the crews of the ships they plundered.

I very much liked how Newman handles Morgane’s experiences in France, when she’s trying to pass for a noble-born young woman. Having studied History and read a slew of books set in the period, I realised that I knew more about how a high-born lady is supposed to behave than Morgane. That could have quickly become tedious – when readers know more than the protagonist about their circumstances, the pacing can stutter as we wait for the heroine to catch up. Not in this case – so much occurs so unexpectedly to Morgane from the moment she sets foot on dry land at Nantes, we aren’t given any time to get impatient at Morgane’s bewilderment and growing alarm.

Again, we’re aware that the family reunion Morgane is expecting is highly unlikely – far too many people have warned her, for starters. But the speed at which events go belly-up didn’t give me space to feel anything other than concern for her welfare. Her relationship with her governess is nicely handled, as is her grief for the woman she’d thought of as her mother. All in all, this is a cracking read that fully delivered plenty of excitement with a satisfying story. I finished it feeling a bit sad that the current adventure was over – and very much looking forward to the next instalment. Highly recommended for fans of swashbuckling swords and sorcery tales featuring a sympathetic protagonist. While I obtained an arc of The Vengeance from the author via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"The Vengeance" is about Morgan, a pirate captain's daughter whose true heritage catches up with her when her 'mother' is killed in battle. She's taken to France to meet her real family but not everything is as it seems. Morgan is sadly a very unlikeable protagonist who clings to unrealistic ideas until the very end. No reader should be surprised by Morgan's encounter with her own mother. While there is a lot of enjoyable swashbuckling and queerness, the story per se is quite weak, the fantasy and historical fiction elements included.

I enjoyed the book nevertheless. It was absurd and funny. Queer love ftw!

Morgane is the daughter of a fairly successful pirate captain of the ship Vengeance. Morgane has lived all her life on board the Vengeance, and is bold, skilled, resourceful and smart, and at the same time, naïve about the anything not ship-related.

When her mother Anna-Marie is wounded and dies after an attack on the Maître, a Four Chains company ship, Morgane not only loses her mother, but also all her assumptions about Anna-Marie and her aunt.

The captain of the Maître offers Morgane a new life, telling her that Morgane's aunt had commissioned him to find her and bring her back home to France. And, more shocking, Morgane discovers that Anna-Marie was her aunt, and the other woman her mother.

Angry, but also curious, Morgane decides she'll travel to France and reunite with her mother, and so begins a series of discoveries, once she arrives in port. There are men after her, she meets her father, who gives her information about her family that is greatly contradicts all the stories Morgane has built in her head, and there are supernatural beings.

When things naturally fall apart with her new relationship with her father, Morgane decides to travel to her mother's home, in the company of Lisette, a governess (hired by her father for Morgane). Morgane begins to learn just how many lies and half-truths her life has been built on. Does this stop her? Nope, Morgane keeps barrelling ahead, until she is faced with the reality of her family.

I totally enjoyed this book. I found the pacing worked for me, and I loved the sense of adventure, action and discovery that permeated the book. Morgane is frequently brash and willing to take great risks, but this is balanced with a keen mind and many useful skills she learned on ship.

As this is part of a series titled "The Vampires of Dumas", there were vampires, and they were terrible people, who make their appearance fairly late in the book. And there were also good people who helped Morgane and Lisette as they travelled together. I liked the fact that this story is built on the world of Dumas, and incidentally also is populated by vampires, who are, appropriately the nobility of the land, imbuing the already callous and terrible actions of the gentry with an extra layer of awfulness.

I loved Morgane, and Lisette, who proves to be incredibly resourceful, resilient and kind, and a perfect match for Morgane's impulsiveness. I am eager to find out what happens next to these two women.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Starting out with this book, I was all in. Morgane is aboard her mother's ship, The Vengeance, along with the crew she has grown up with. There was plundering, action, and some great relationships between Morgane and the crew.
However, once she leaves the ship to find her mother, things screech to a halt. I found myself bored and beginning to skim. I thought the romance came out of the blue, and we didn't get any of the vampire stuff until almost the end. I thought the writing itself was well done, and I did really like the beginning, but the rest just didn't particularly work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

I very rarely set a book down with no intention of picking it back up. It’s just not how I operate. So, choosing not to finish this book, especially without it being due to surprise harsh content, is very unusual to me. So is leaving a “DNF review”, but I feel I’ve read far enough to have some productive things to say.

I first picked up The Vengeance based on its description. The idea of vampires romping around a Dumas-style world made me smile. However, I think that description is what ultimately spelled out this book’s demise for me. I love Alexandre Dumas’ books, and I came into this book with very clear expectations. I knew what I wanted, and I was positive I’d get it. Unfortunately, The Vengeance didn’t quite pan out the way I had hoped it would.

Morgane is the daughter of a ruthless pirate captain. Her mother rules her ship with an iron fist, engendering loyalty and respect from her crew and fear from everyone else. When her mother is killed during a raid (is that the right term?), Morgane learns that she is not, in fact, the daughter of a pirate queen.

Morgane decides to return to France to learn more about her past. The world Morgane enters glitters a little too brightly. There is something underneath that could spell danger for Morgane. There is intrigue and mystery aplenty. With a book such as this, I feel the story should move quickly, with a snappy back-and-forth. However, the pacing felt choppy. Important bits were glossed over while way too much time was spent on explanations and inner dialogue.

I found my attention wandering. Instead of it being a rollicking romp, the book moved slowly. The descriptions were well done, however. It’s clear the author is talented in that way. It just wasn’t what I was hoping for. I kept reading in the hope that things would pick up as the book continued. Unfortunately, they didn’t.

The second issue I had, and what made me ultimately quit reading, was Morgane herself. She spent so much time in her own head, feeling sorry for herself, questioning everyone’s motives, or just overanalyzing, that I eventually wanted to yell, “Snap out of it!” Her reactions rarely fit the situations she was in. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I don’t need to like a character to find them interesting. However, I didn’t find a single character interesting. I found myself reluctant to pick The Vengeance up. It was at this point (pretty close to halfway through) that I decided it would be best if the book and I parted ways.

The ongoing theme here is that things weren’t what I was hoping for. This is far from being an objective judgment of the author or book. My expectations were so far from the story the author created that I was disappointed. That isn’t to say the book was badly written. It wasn’t. The writing was descriptive and painted a picture of a lovely yet dangerous world. The action, when it occurred, was flashy and exciting.

I love Alexandre Dumas so much that I believe I shot myself in the foot with this one. I should have realized that my expectations were ridiculously high. It’s very possible that I might have enjoyed The Vengeance if I had gone into the book without seeing the “Vampires of Dumas” series title. Unfortunately, my experience with the book was a letdown. I will not be continuing the book or the series.

The Vengeance came for my attention and for the most part, it got it.

This was a dark, gritty, emotionally-charged read, filled with tension, betrayal, and that sweet morally grey chaos I live for. The MC was complicated in all the right ways, and the slow burn of uncovering her past had me turning pages (even if I occasionally yelled at her through the pages).

But and here’s the thing, the pacing was patchy. Sometimes I was flying through high-stakes scenes with my heart in my throat, and other times it felt like I was wading through plot molasses waiting for something (anything!) to happen. A little too much time was spent building tension that didn’t always explode the way I wanted it to.

Still, the payoff was decent, the world was immersive, and the emotional punches landed.

3.5 stars gritty, intriguing, and emotionally messy, just needed a steadier rhythm to be a true knockout.

Satisfying read! I liked this. The ending seemed a little rushed and the balance of the book seemed like it was more heavy towards the beginning with the climax happening a lot later than I expected. Otherwise, I thought the story was nice!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of The Vengeance. I wasn’t paid for this review, and all opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

The Vengeance by Emma Newman is a fast-paced, escapist adventure that blends historical France, female pirates, LGBTQ romance, and vampires into one highly entertaining read. Newman, well-known for her fantasy and sci-fi work—as well as her excellent narration—has long been a favorite of mine (I loved her Planetfall series), so I was excited to dive into this one.

The story follows Morgane, a young woman raised aboard the pirate ship Vengeance, captained by the woman she believes to be her mother. When the crew attacks what appears to be an easy target, the captain is assassinated, and Morgane discovers that her biological parents have been searching for her all along. Driven by grief and a desire for truth—or vengeance—she heads ashore to find them. If they are truly her parents, she wants answers; if not, they’re responsible for the captain’s death, and she intends to make them pay.

The catch? Morgane has no idea how to navigate life on land, especially not the intricacies of French high society. She’s used to solving problems with a blade, not manners. The result is a wild, often funny ride full of snarky dialogue, sword fights, and personal growth.

I really liked Morgane—though I know she’s been a divisive character among readers. Her fierce independence is compelling, but what stood out to me was how her journey forces her to confront the limits of that independence. She’s been sheltered more than she realizes, and I appreciated watching her grapple with her identity, the morality of her pirate past, and what kind of person she wants to become.

That said, the book isn’t without flaws. It’s described as set in the “world of Dumas,” though that feels like a stretch beyond the French setting. The vampire subplot is intriguing but underdeveloped, and the ending, while satisfying, felt rushed—particularly in terms of resolving key relationships. It also has the feel of a series opener, but there’s no clear indication that a sequel is coming.

Ultimately, The Vengeance is a genre-blending romp—part pirate tale, part road trip, part historical fantasy with a splash of supernatural romance. It might not satisfy readers looking for a deep dive into any one of those genres, but if you enjoy a bit of everything in your fiction, this is worth picking up.

The Vengeance by Emma Newman
#fiftyfirstbookof2025 #arc #TheVampiresofDumas #thevengeance

CW: piracy, death, murder, vampires, werewolves, kidnapping

From NetGalley: Morgane grew up at sea, daughter of the fierce pirate captain of the Vengeance, raised to follow in her footsteps as scourge of the Four Chains Trading Company. But when Anna-Marie is mortally wounded in battle, she confesses to Morgane that she is not her mother. The captain of the enemy ship reveals he was paid to kill Anna-Marie and bring Morgane home to France and her real family. Desperate to learn the truth about her lineage, Morgane spares him, leaving the Vengeance and everything she knows behind. Her quest reveals a world of decadence and darkness, in which monsters vie for control of royal courts and destinies of nations. She discovers the bloody secrets of the Four Chains Trading Company, and the truth about her real mother’s death, nearly twenty years before...

My thoughts: I was intrigued by the premise of this novel but it ultimately lacked a clear direction. The cover states that it’s book one in The Vampires of Dumas series, yet vampires don’t appear until maybe 90% into the book. It felt like a lot of build up to a conclusion that was tacked on and wasn’t earned. The story is also wrapped up quickly and handily, so while there can be a follow up, there’s no obvious pathway. The relationship between Morgane and Lisette is lovely, but the character change in Morgane is frustrating. The pirate story ceases to exist halfway through, so that’s obviously where book 2 needs to go, except it also needs vampires too, I guess. The story seemed a little scattered and lacked clear direction, but I think it had promise and I would be curious to see what is planned for book 2.

Thank you to @solarisbooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 5/6/25)

Emma Newman sets her tale of Morgane, daughter of the captain of the pirate ship TheVengeance (paper from Rebellion Publishing Ltd.) in the late sixteenth century, the golden age of piracy. Unfortunately Morgane’s mother is really her aunt, and upon her death, she sets out to find her real mother who had been sending gold and fine dresses for her. To say she doesn’t fit into polite french society is an understatement and a large part of the fun of the tale. There’s the guards hunting her, the father who isn't who he says he is, and, near the end vampires and werewolves. Though complete in itself, the tale is an introduction of the world of hidden monsters and I look forward to additional tales

This book had a very strong start and set the stage for an exciting story of intrigue, family secrets, and revenge among a backdrop of action-packed piracy. Unfortunately, the pacing slowed, the ship setting was left behind, and the story became significantly less interesting as several characters acted in extremely foolish and naive ways. The miscommunication and withholding information tropes were very present and were incredibly frustrating because so much could have been so easily resolved if more than the vaguest of statements had been made. The genre of the book seemed to abruptly change about two-thirds of the way through the book, and honestly, the last-minute fantasy additions did not add anything to the quality. The exact same plot and themes could have been conveyed in a historical fiction setting. I did enjoy the romance and some of the later characters who were introduced. The beginning of the book was definitely my favorite, and I wish that the story had focused more on the pirates, their backstory, and ship or introduced the fantasy elements earlier so the shift wasn't as abrupt. The big reveal at the end happened much too quickly and was not enough of a payoff given the very long build-up to it.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise of pirates and vampires is a dream come true but it all fell apart after Morgane left the ship. The four different groups trying to kidnap her, the overwhelming desire to find her mother (but not father?) and her arrogance made me start to not enjoy the story. The romance came from no where and the fantasy element of wolves at 60% and vampires not coming in until 80% felt like a last minute decision to make the story more interesting. I did love the start of the story but the ending fell flat for me unfortunately.

3 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/05/29/review-the-vengeance-by-emma-newman-the-vampires-of-dumas-1/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Entertaining but Lacking in Depth

Okay, I’ll start this review by saying that I enjoyed this read – it was entertaining and I never felt my attention wain. I wanted to reach the end and see what would eventually become of our MC and I liked the writing, which isn’t a surprise as I have read this author before. Of course there is a ‘but’. Some of the content feels very flimsy. The pacing felt a bit off and I didn’t really feel like the romance worked exactly – it felt more like it was a friendship than anything else.

Anyway, the story revolves around Morgane who has grown up on board a pirate ship. As we begin Morgane’s mother, Anna-Marie, meets an untimely end but before she passes she shares some truths with Morgane. Anna Marie is not Morgane’s mother, she is instead her aunt and the Captain of the ship that was paid to hunt her down now offers to return Morgane to her biological mother. From this comes the title of the book as Morgane is determined to seek vengeance for the death of her aunt.

As you may imagine, being raised aboard a pirate ship with a bunch of cut throats has in no way prepared her to mix in everyday society and so she spends the weeks returning to France being almost tutored by the new captain. Upon arrival in France however it seems that Morgane’s mother is not the only one seeking her and she seems to barrel around from pillar to post being pursued and kidnapped.

So, firstly, the positives.

I enjoyed the writing and in fact particularly enjoyed the first two thirds of the book which were predominantly based out at sea. Morgane was a little bit of a difficult character to really get on board with, she definitely makes some rash decisions but, she is quite young and also quite sheltered. Her knowledge of life on land is practically non existent (a fact that makes her decision to set out on her own even more mind boggling) and yet I think this naivety made me cut her some slack in certain respects. I did like that she stood up for herself on countless occasions and you certainly couldn’t doubt her courage.

My real issues that prevented this from being a stronger read mainly came down to two or three things. Firstly, I never really felt any fear for Morgane, the threats and dangerous situations that she found herself in felt very surface level, they didn’t have credibility and the way in which she managed to extract herself from the situations often felt too easy, plus there were certain coincidences that appeared to be manufactured in order to simply help her on her way. Secondly, the supernatural elements. Well, they just felt so flimsy and almost unnecessary, particularly given that they don’t show up until the final third of the book – perhaps the next in series will rely more on these elements. For example, (and this might lead to slight spoiler territory so if you’re thinking of picking this up then don’t read further), Morgane is captured by a man who is obviously a first class swordsman and supposedly one of an elite group, he is in fact a werewolf (but this won’t become obvious until later on) and yet I would say Morgane managed to best him and escape with ease. The same could be said of the vampires that eventually make an appearance. Without wanting to go into too much detail, for me, both these elements felt very under utilised. Neither of them really held any threat, there was no terror or horror, just a kind of resignation from Morgane along the lines of ‘oh, another baddy to kill’.

Finally, the romance. For me it didn’t work. It felt more like a friendship and in fact worked well in that respect.

So, in conclusion. This kept me entertained. I think I would read more in the series because I’m keen to see how Morgane develops moving forward but I do think this needs a little more depth, particularly in the supernatural areas.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The Vengeance had an awesome premise, but overall, the book didn't really come together for me. I'm sure there is a reader for this book somewhere.