As Happy As Pirates or Burglars

This book and its sequel, “Captains of a Tyrant Fate”, drew me in with the promise of a kinky sexy fun time, and then caught me deliciously off balance with characters and a world that went much deeper than a first impression suggests. Some spoilers to discuss what I loved.

First, these books are unapologetically sexy and kinky and it’s great. The series kicks off with horny jewel thief Taisiya sweet-talking her way onto a pirate (space) ship and thereby into the crew’s kinky BDSMy polycule. There’s tons of riffs on the fantasy of being kidnapped and ravished by pirates, delightfully undercut by the fact that Taisiya is given a safeword before anything else. This lets the crew play rough in hot ways, and pushes Taisiya up against the reality of her own desires.

There’s lots I can’t talk about without spoiling the fun (and the cleverness), but suffice to say that while I enjoyed this first bit, things got even more interesting several chapters in. A series of hints that all might not be as it seems come to a head in a satisfying series of twists, opening up the story up into new and interesting shapes, with more characters taking center stage. I particularly enjoyed one of the AIs, whose journey ranged from the philosophy and semantics of selfhood to the sexy uses of powerful robot bodies and appendages.

That character’s arc is a great example of how what seems like a silly sexy fun space romp has a lot to say about identity, personhood, agency, and how our relationships intersect with and impact all those things. Deeply trans themes abound: “disguises” reveal inner truths; darkness creates space for otherwise inaccessible self-reflection. In nothingness, life’s raw joy may be rediscovered; in dreams, unacknowledged trauma and yearnings reveal themselves. Appearances can both matter deeply and deeply mislead, and learning to discern which is which, in ourselves and others, is part of the work of being human. This is a silly fun space romp; and it’s also a thoughtful rumination on the joy and terror of being known.

I’m a perpetual advocate for the power of kink in healing and healthy emotional processing as well as hotness, and these books really delivered there too. The kink is often playful, but there are moments where characters experience deep truths and transcendence through it. A main character meditates on the difference between suicidal impulses and the liberatory self-abnegation of submitting fully; that same character claims her own power without hesitation when the situation demands it, finding clarity in her own heart (and making me wanna stand up and cheer).

All this to say, I found a lot to unpack and enjoy in these books (more than I covered in this write-up!), and I definitely want to check out more of Jemma’s work.

Read this a while ago and forgot to comment here. I love love love this book. It's very high heat and super kinky, some of my faves and ones I hadn't explored before but it was a great read and super compelling