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Voyage of the Damned

Discover the Sunday Times bestselling fantasy murder mystery debut everyone is talking about

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Voyage of the Damned

By: Frances White
Narrated by: Nathan Foad
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!

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For a thousand years, Concordia has been able to maintain peace between its provinces, protected by a wall known as the Bandage. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor's ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the Goddess's mountain.

Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except one: Ganymedes Piscero - class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia? Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

©2024 Frances White (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Amateur Sleuths Best of 2024 Epic Fantasy Fiction Historical Humorous Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure Witty Detective Sailing

Critic reviews

A fiendishly compelling locked room mystery brimming with character and heart that blew me away! White’s protagonist Ganymedes Piscero is utterly endearing. His unique brand of humour, bravado, and vulnerability hits a bullseye in the feels. A delightful debut.
Frances White has crafted a brilliantly clever tale full of heart-warming characters, riveting twists and a gloriously conceived world
"Agatha Christie with glitter magic." I’m totally here for it.Both funny and flirty as it deals with issues of class, snobbery and sexuality amongst all the magic and murder. The result is hugely entertaining
An enchanting, bloody delight. Full of magic, laugh-out-loud humor, and so much murder
I burned through this in about two days. Absolutely bloody brilliant! Voyage of the Damned is clever and comedic, while also heartfelt and harrowing. I hope readers will come to enjoy Dee's escapades as much as I did
Voyage of the Damned is hilarious and full of heart. The twists and turns in this novel had be genuinely gasping with surprise. I had to pace myself as I really didn’t want it to end
Boundless imagination, sparkling prose—and a knack for the heartwarming moments as well as the hilarious—all combine to make Frances White a force to be reckoned with
All stars
Most relevant
Great story and performance. Not too spicy but plenty of romance and action. Diverse and interesting characters. None of the representation of orientation, gender and differing abilities feels forced instead it's all just part of the narrative.

Really enjoyed this book

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From the moment I started to listen/read this book depending if I was able to sit and read or listening on the go I was captivated!

The trope of 'unworthy' for a MC is often overused and normally done quite poorly in recent years, this novel does not do this. Ganymedes may be seen as useless and unworthy to the other characters within the context of their world but his I am not bothered sassy attitude makes up for that.

Throwing in a close quarters murder mystery with a hint of romance was perfect! I was unable to tell where the wind was blowing a lot of the time. In some cases getting annoyed when I was wrong (perfect execution for making that happen). Often murder mystery stories can play their hand too soon and ultimately spoil the reveal without meaning too. I did not see this ending at all!

I now wish I could go back and enjoy this story again for the first time as it was just perfect to me!

Extra props to the narrator who did a stunning job of the character portrayals and I hope to find his voice in more tales in the future!

Twists, Drama and sass!

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Obsessed. One of the best narrators I’ve come across to date. The story is witty, funny and captivating. I loved every second of this.

Best book I’ve read this year!

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Is it a locked room mystery? Is it fantasy? A romance? Yes! Nathan Foad's voice work really brings this cast of characters to life, whether it's the point of view character, chronic disappointment Ganymedes, his AI dragon servant Dumpling, or the mysterious Negüi, his distinct voices make the characters instantly recognisable. It's great to have a main character who is fat and loves his body, and it's clear that others find him attractive too. There are no 'default sexuality' assumptions, and it's refreshing to have a male character with tender and protective feelings for a lone six-year-old that he takes into his care without a second thought. Magnificent from beginning to end. This is definitely going to be on my re-listen list.

Richly characterised story with amazing narration

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Listened to this three times. Still can't get enough. Beautifuĺly written with humour, mystery, murder and love.

Brilliant book narrated brilliantly

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