Latinx, queer + non-binary trans-masculine pirates? This was everything to me. As a pirate, sea adventure loving reader, I was so so excited to read this and it didn't disappoint! Mar's journey with his magic was one that I feel like is underrepresented in so much of fantasy today. The battle against this key part of them was heartwarming and beautiful. 

Throw in the deal with the devil aspect and I was fully invested from the start. Dami, the genderfluid demon that stole my heart, and Bas, fellow headstrong pirate extraordinaire, really brought everything together for me. I love the different relationships that Mar formed throughout the story. 

The representation in this book is so important. Pirate fantasy has long been a white cishet dominated subgenre when it's historically untrue. The additional exploration of spanish colonization and the drastic effect it had on Latin America was handled so well. Gabe Cole Novoa ends the book with an author's note that talks about bringing attention to an often overlooked part of history and it further shows just how important the representation in The Wicked Bargain is.