I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Windfall is a tale of loyalty, magic, and revenge aboard the pirate ship of the same name. Captain Liana Foley and her crew are pirates with a conscience. Each crew member was distinct and played an important role in this found family dynamic. The stakes are high as several crew members are seriously injured, as the crew navigates runaway princesses and power hungry men.

The big three strengths of this fantasy, to me, were the characters, worldbuilding, and small moments. 

Starting with the characters, the reader can absolutely understand why everyone in the crew admires Liana. As captain, she has to make tough decisions at times, but she always has everyone’s best interest at heart. She ensures that crews' families are provided for comfortably and allows second chances when mistakes are made. Ameen is a fantastic partner, and an interesting character of his own merit as well. His character arc was just as engaging as those of Liana and Rhian, and we appreciate this ace quartermaster. Speaking of Rhian, it’s easy to see how she becomes enamored with life on the sea, and Liana herself. One of my favorite quotes from the book actually pertains to Rhian and Dillon: 

‘King Lyell saw that Rhian’s focus fixed behind him, and he turned to see Whyte with a stupid lovesick grin upon his face.’ pg. 245.

On to the Worldbuilding, there are several islands and colonies mentioned during Part 1 and I appreciate the attention given to different languages and religions of this world. These were details that definitely had an effect on the remainder of the story (Liana and Ameen having roots in different cultures, etc.). Shawna Barnett went through the effort of creating words for months in this world, which is a nice detail as well. This is an adventure that spans years, so the calendar reference is helpful.

The best little moments here were the sea shanties and daily life aboard the Windfall. Shawna Barnett certainly lucked out with sea shanties growing in popularity in 2020 and 2021, and here it helps the story feel even more immersive. When the Windfall’s rudder was damaged, it took time to be replaced. These are the realities of seafaring and are all part of the journey. 

The only criticism I could think of is pacing. Part 1 is slower paced, which is understandable given the setup required. However, there is an important character moment that takes place during Part 3, and the reader isn’t privy to it/it happens very quickly.

Overall, this was a fun Queer pirate story, with well plotted twists, and I’ll probably pick up the sequel Between Wind and Water. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s Bisexual awakening was Elizabeth Swan in the Pirates of the Caribbean Series, or those who enjoy other Queer pirate stories such as The Mermaid, Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim.