I obtained a assessment copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my assessment and all opinions are my very own.

Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson

Mogsy’s Ranking: 3.5 of 5 stars

Style: Fantasy, Romance

Collection: E book 1 of Ship of Spells

Writer: Purple Tower Books (November 4, 2025)

Size: 512 pages

Creator Data: Web site | X

I’ve at all times discovered it arduous to say no to a maritime fantasy, particularly one which guarantees a magical ship, a scrappy crew, and adventures on the excessive seas. So, it’s actually no shock that Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson fully bought me with its description. On paper, it sounded precisely like what I might take pleasure in: a pirate-themed voyage with a heavy dose of romance, the form of setup that carries a nostalgic, old-school really feel however with a contemporary twist. And for some time, it appeared just like the e book was going to ship, however by the top, I confess my emotions for it grew to become much more sophisticated.

The story follows Ensign Honor Renn, a Bluemage with the Oversea Navy till her ship was destroyed in a battle with an enemy vessel. Left stranded within the ocean clinging to a chunk of wreckage, she is relieved when rescue lastly comes, however not within the kind she was anticipating. The crew that pulls her out of the water is from none aside from the mysterious and fabled Touchstone, the Ship of Spells lengthy whispered of in seafaring lore. Its captain, Thanavar, comes from the southern area of the world often known as the Nethersea, whose individuals wield a risky magical substance known as chimeric. He instructions a various crew of outcasts who’ve discovered a house on the Touchstone, amongst them a faun, a minotaur, a harpy, and varied different supernatural beings.

Renn is initially cautious of Thanavar, each as a result of she serves the Oversea Navy and since she doesn’t belief the risky nature of chimeric magic. However as she travels with him and his crew, she begins to uncover their bigger function and the true stakes of the long-standing battle between their peoples. Renn finally realizes that she has been dropped into in the course of a fragile political scenario tied to the Dreadwall, a barrier that has stored their two sides from open warfare for generations. And now that peace is about to crumble. The identical catastrophe that sunk Renn’s ship had additionally woke up an unpredictable magic inside her, and Thanavar could be the key to serving to her management it. Caught between her former loyalties and her rising connection to the Touchstone, our protagonist should adapt shortly to her talents and her new life at sea if she hopes to stop the tensions from erupting into full-scale warfare.

If a mixture of excessive fantasy and naval grit is your factor, Ship of Spells won’t disappoint. Dickson packs the novel with wall-to-wall environment and traditional maritime fixtures, and for me that continues to be the e book’s true standout. The Touchstone itself is the spotlight, together with its magic-touched crew whose range and quirks convey a lot of the story to life. A lot in order that I typically wished we had extra background on the solid to match how memorable they’re on the web page. For whereas the nautical elements are glorious and clearly the place many of the creator’s consideration went, the remainder of the worldbuilding doesn’t at all times attain the identical stage. The setting is full of magic, creatures, and intriguing concepts, however many of those components really feel dropped in somewhat than constructed from a robust basis, as in they don’t fairly really feel lived-in or grown from inside the context of the world.

Character work can also be hit-or-miss. Some crew members really feel manner higher developed, whereas others drift out and in of scenes with out a lot to say or do, leaving solely the faintest impression. Renn herself is fortunately extra memorable, however she just about matches the mould of the younger, flawed romantasy heroine, which means impulsive and cussed—however most likely not within the endearing manner the creator supposed. I definitely like the truth that Renn is a protagonist with actual company and never a passive one sitting round ready for issues to occur, however sadly, her tendency to leap headlong into conditions that make her look silly feels extra like a style cliché than a singular character trait.

As for the romance, I feel this space is the place I really feel essentially the most torn. It’s not typically I want for extra of it. Normally, my challenge with romantasy leans in the other way, since an excessive amount of romance typically overshadows the plot and the whole lot else. Right here, although, the romantic thread is barely current for a lot of the e book. There’s an absence of chemistry between Renn and Thanavar from the beginning. Their dynamic reads extra like one between a hardass commander and reluctant subordinate than anything. Undoubtedly not attractive or alluring. Sarcastically, Renn shares extra pure rapport with a number of different crew members than with the supposed love curiosity. By the point her relationship with Thanavar lastly ramps up within the second half, it falls very flat. Don’t get me flawed, slowburn romances may be extremely rewarding, however this one by no means even held a spark, and a romantasy with no payoff by some means feels even much less satisfying than instalove.

Ultimately, Ship of Spells turned out to be a blended bag for me. The Touchstone, the crew, and the sense of seafaring journey had been all excessive factors. The primary half particularly hooked me with its swashbuckling motion. Nonetheless, the place the e book stumbles is its shaky worldbuilding and an inconsistently paced romance resulting in an absence of chemistry. Backside line, if the romantasy label is what attracts you in, be ready that the romance aspect of the equation could be just a little weak, however readers in search of a maritime-themed fantasy will discover it delivers an satisfying voyage.