I don’t know how to write this review, but im going to try.

If I could give it infinite stars, I would—not because it was "enjoyable" in the light sense, but because it reached into my chest and held my heart still. I couldn’t put it down. The worldbuilding? Rich, haunting, and deliberate—dark bargains and supernatural elements that never overshadowed the raw, bleeding heart of the story.

But Anne… Anne is why this book will live in my bones. I saw my own anger in her—the kind that simmers beneath "socially acceptable" smiles. The anger I swallow because the world calls it "too much" and says to "get over it." But Anne? She wields hers like a blade. Her fury isn’t performative; it’s survival. And reading her journey? Catharsis doesn’t begin to cover it. It felt like permission. Permission to rage. To grieve. To refuse to be small.

And Robb? Maybe, just maybe, he restored a little hope for me to find someone who will treat me that gently, without making me feel broken.

Were parts uncomfortable? Yes. Deeply. But that discomfort was the point. It was the book refusing to look away from the ugliest parts of survival—and in that refusal, it gave me something rare: validation.

If you’re a fighter who’s ever been told to "get over" your trauma, or a survivor who’s had to shrink themselves to feel safe—this book sees you. As Holly said: "You are more than the bad things that happened to you."

With that being said, please check all trigger warnings before diving into this dark pirate fantasy. Your mental health matters and should always come first 🫶🏽.

Thank you, Rhiannon Hargadon, for writing a story that doesn’t just break readers—it validates them. This gifted copy changed me. All thoughts are my own, but I hope other survivors feel seen in these words too.