Pelippé Trueblood is a giantsblood—one of the great mariners of House Tru. Raised on the mighty ship Cay, he’s chosen at nineteen for a perilous voyage predicted in ancient prophecy. Young and unseasoned, Trueblood fears the gods may have picked the wrong man for the job. Worse, prophecy demands he be accompanied by Fen il-Kheir, and nothing in Trueblood’s life at sea has prepared him for this … dangerous new crew member.
Fen is a kheiron—a creature with the ability to shift between man and horse. With a dark past, little love for humans and less love for ships, Fen proves a reluctant passenger whose secrets about Trueblood could jeopardize not only the voyage, but the future of the world.
A feud of the gods. Ships built by giants. Spice that makes the world beautiful. Flying horses. Murder and misery. Belonging and bravery. Sailors, centaurs, warriors, queens, courtesans and storytellers. A tapestry of mythology and human experience, The Voyages of Trueblood Cay is both Javier Landes’ love letter to his life, and Suanne Laqueur’s most adventurous love story.
Publisher’s Note: Gil Rafael is the pen name of Javier Landes, who is a fictional character in Laqueur’s Venery series. The Voyages of Trueblood Cay is the novel Javier is writing throughout the series. This novel-within-a-novel contains subtle references to people and situations in Venery, however it’s not necessary to have read the series beforehand. Trueblood Cay can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone.
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I first purchased this book in June after finishing the first two in the Venery series, AN EXALTATION OF LARKS Venery Book 1, and Book 2, A CHARM OF FINCHES, both by Suanne Laqueur. I was immediately drawn to the author’s writing—she has such a powerful and unique voice, that I read both books more than once, and of course I had to send her a gushy fan letter because, let’s face it, when you’re a multi-published author (Which I am) you know just how damned hard it is to get things right. Ms. Laqueur went well beyond “right” and into “Unimaginably perfect.” When I mentioned starting the third book in the Venery series, she suggested I read THE VOYAGES OF TRUEBLOOD CAY first. It’s the book that one of the characters in the first two books is writing—actually, he’s thinking about it mostly in the first book and actually writes it in the second, but I loved his writing process and the way he tied his story into real events in his own (granted, he’s fictional) life.
So I purchased and started THE VOYAGES OF TRUEBLOOD CAY. I got about 100 pages into it and had work that needed to be done, so had to set it aside. That wasn’t easy. I was already so caught up in the story, the characters, the amazing world building and the various plots that were just barely coming together, that it was actually painful to stop and not open it at all for any reason. When I went back to it, over a month later, I decided to go back to the beginning and start over. I’m so glad I did. There are a lot of characters and threads to plots that are dropped skillfully into the beginning pages, and rereading them was a joy because they suddenly made more sense. I was also reading it with more attention to the story since I’d been feeling the pressure of undone work on the first attempt.
I’m not even going to try and describe the tale told by this amazingly talented writer. Every sentence is another piece of a poem, the characters are all heroes in every story you’ve ever loved, and again, the world–building is absolutely phenomenal.
I forgot I was reading a fantasy story by a fictional author, and kept finding bits and pieces of Javier Landes writing as Gil Rafael in this fantastical story ghost written (?) by Suanne Laqueur. I loved the mythology that is so much a part of the tale, loved the honor and integrity of the characters, the way they loved and cared about one another, how they made their decisions for the right reasons. It’s an uplifting story that had me in tears more than once—sometimes in sadness, others because the words I was reading were so beautifully crafted that they alone did me in.
I still have that third story in the Venery series to read, and I know I’ll be going back to read everything else this author has written. I am absolutely blown away by her skillful and perfectly crafted books, but this one, a book from within a book, is begging me to read it again. I highly recommend anything by Suanne Laqueur. I’ve bought these as ebooks, but I really think I need to buy them in print, just so I can fondle them a bit, take them off my keeper shelves and flip through pages, and let a paragraph or two (or maybe the whole book, again…) take me willingly into the worlds she creates. Definitely a skilled and multi-talented author, to imagine such amazing characters and put them into unique settings that are separate yet complete characters within the tale. Ms. Laqueur, I am so glad you told me to read Trueblood’s tale before starting A SCARCITY OF CONDORS. I’m going to read that as soon as I reread THE VOYAGES OF TRUEBLOOD CAY…again. Damn but it’s a wonderful book!!!
The Voyages of Trueblood Cay is an epic and masterful story written by Suanne Laqueur. This is actually the story that Javier Landes writing as Gil Rafael writes during the Venery series. This book can be read as a stand-alone from the Venery series but why not read the series since it shows Ms. Laqueur’s masterful storytelling.
Back to this book, this is a fantasy book that is about so many things that a person goes through in life but most of all love – love from a parent, an elder, a friend, a lover, a soulmate, and one’s self. Throughout this fantastical story of giants and kheirons (both a horse and man) and so many other characters, we see love in so many forms that you will laugh and cry and hurt alongside each and every character that experiences what life dishes out during this epic tale. There is also this legend so to speak that we as readers get to see (or read) play out with the cast of characters in this book and how it ties everything together is just wonderful.
I am trying to convey how well this story was written and how much I loved reading it without giving too much away because even if you are not a fantasy reader, this book is one to read.
“We can’t sit around and wait for the world to be made beautiful for us. We must find beauty in a troubled world.“
Through the eyes and heart and especial penmanship of Pelippé Trueblood, I found tremendous beauty. Beauty in Gemelos and Gelangos. I learned what it means to be together with someone, and to belong. I learned what it means to be Da and what it means to be Kepten, and what it means to be Valentos.
I haven’t read the other books in the Venery series, and I can assure you, legantos, this one is 100% standalone. Though at certain points I couldn’t help but feel “okay, this moment is significant, this sentence right here is meaningful, and I’m sure it has a connection to the other books, it represents something that happened there.” Then again, it might be just my sentimental mind imagining things. 🙂
“As soon as you go, I’m coming after you. There’s no place you can hide where I won’t find you. Not in this life or the next.”
Sure, this book will make you weep, but it will also make you laugh too. For many chapters we see Pé as a kid, how he lives his life on the ship, with his father as Kepten, his two adopted brothers and all the crew members. We get to know each and everyone, what’s their role on the ship and what they mean to each other.
So it’s a while when Pé finally gets to meet Fen and it’s as memorable as you think. 😀 They went from hating each other to almost becoming friends, but everything should be as written, because we all know “once you write a thing down, it becomes real.”
“What do you see? Fen thought, which left his mouth as, “What the fuck are you staring at?”
“You,” Trueblood said. “All day long, all I do is stare at you.“
Never was there a more heartbreaking and beautiful story in the history of the world, anywhere, ever.
“You found me. You looked for me and you found me and you called me by name. Brought me back home, brought me to your bed and called me by name. Because I am yours and there is no place on this ship or in this world I can hide that you won’t find me.“
Now be good, legantos and listen to this tale. Listen to learn it. Learn it to tell it. Tell it to teach it.
I finished this book over 24 hours ago and am still speechless. I’m not really sure how I can describe it (or my emotions while reading it), but I’ll do my best (as the author rues the day that she gave me an ARC, since that’s the whole point).
Where do I start? This was a book within a book, a fantasy within a fantasy… No, none of that does it justice. Let me tell you what I know to be true without giving anything away. Laqueur thoroughly, tirelessly researched numerous mythologies, combined them to create her own, and then set a love story there. A story that one of her former characters “wrote,” to tell his own healing tale. In a time when mythological events were not so distant and magic and her creatures roam the earth, although Fen and Trueblood are each a step away from the control of a dynasty, they live in very different realities. Each is a player in his own epic story that will eventually become a tale passed through the ages, though they don’t know it.
To be clear, fantasy is not my favorite genre. It takes a while to get going (I’m impatient) and spends a lot of time on setting (I’m a character-driven reader). Yes, this was a fantasy, but it was more than that. It’s about being true to yourself and your destiny. About embracing love when it knocks at our door, no matter its form or how long it may last. And how our connections to others and our actions make us who we are and have the ability to change the world, even if only to one other person.
Only Suanne could make me sob over a pegasus (called pegaso in this story, but yeah, same thing) and a lark. You read that right, I ugly cried like a baby over these. I lost myself in the world of her creation and fell in love with her characters. The way that everything fit together at the end- the stories, the characters, the mythos- was perfect. Beautiful. A work of art.
Once again, Laqueur pours all of her heart, soul, effort, and intelligence into a novel that leaves me speechless.
(P.S. I’m at a 4.5 on this story. A 4 for the first part (because it was world building and I’m a restless reader) and a 5 for the second half.)
This book is everything!
Wow, I don’t have the words yet.
I love all Suanne’s books but this was unlike any other she’s written because of the fantasy genre. That said it still had the heartbreaking, emotional, unique and powerful storyline that’s the essence of Suanne’s writing.
I will agree with others saying the first 15-17% was a bit tough to get through. It was all back story told through legends and world building which was an essential part of this incredible storyline but I was slightly confused a time or two. But taking it all in slowly helped and once I better understood this world and it’s legends I was sucked in.
Just like her world building, her character development was phenomenal. So many great characters. Pelippé and Fen, Lejo and Raj, Kepten True, Abrakam. This wasn’t just a story about romance and finding that one great love. It was about friendship and family, the family you’re born with and the family you choose and what that family will sacrifice for each other.
Of course Suanne’s stories are never easy. The pain and loss and abuse always is heavy. My heart never survives and there was no shortage of tears from me. But the love and laughter was these as well, mending it back together.Thanks
The Voyages Of Trueblood Cay is truly a beautiful and spellbinding fantasy story. I have to be honest and say I don’t read a lot of fantasy. I’m picky when it comes to that genre. I’m not picky when it comes to my unicorn authors. I follow them. No matter what and what a journey Voyage was. All thanks to Suanne Laqueur. Her work and storytelling is from another world. That’s the honest truth. I’ve experienced it with her previous work. Her talent is unparalleled.
I was introduced to Javier Landes in An Exaltation Of Larks and A Charm Of Finches – The Venery Series. In those two phenomenal books he was working on a book. The Voyages Of Trueblood Cay is his creation thanks to Suanne Laqueur.
I went into this story with Javier Landes and his lifes journey in the back of my mind. TVOTC can easily be read as a standalone but for me who’s read the Venery series it became all the more special to me. That’s all I will say on that note;)
TVOTC has everything my hearts desire when it comes to fantasy romance. Yes, there’s romance but to me it’s more than romance. It’s LOVE in captital letters. The story oozes with love in all shapes and sizes.
The characters varies. TVOTC tells the story of humans, centaurs which are mythological creatures with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Then there’s kherions which is a centaur with wings and can shift between horse and man. Fen, one of the main characters, is a kherion who’s has experienced hell and so many losses. Pelippé Trueblood is the son of Kepten True who’s commander of his boat the Cay.
Pé Trueblood’s story is spectacular filled with friendships and love. So much love. How he and Fen come across one another is not my story to tell my dear Legantos which means Beloved Reader. Jump on this Voyage and fall in love with not only Kepten Pé Trueblood, Fen, Raj, Lejo, Abrakam. I could go on. It’s not just Pé and Fen. There’s a perfect ensemble of characters who each has a role to play in this story. They matter.
Gelang means “at hand” or “together with.” While reading and experiencing this magnificent book that’s exactly what I felt. GELANG. WITH EVERY CHARACTER . ALL THE WAY. FROM START TO FINISH.
5 Valentos & Gelangos Stars
Listen to tell it. Tell it to learn it. Learn it to teach it.
A fantasy tale, in a folk style telling of stories on board ship I was completely absorbed in this alternate world. It is an intricate story with a lot of names to recall but the main characters soon become familiar and adored.
I really liked the way it was told. I wasn’t expecting to become so emotionally involved but by the end I was a wreck, a total mess, and I loved it.
Fans of Laqueur will recognise characters, after all, this is a book from within a book. The Kepten and the Kheiron in particular are reminiscent of Will and Erik in the way they communicate.
Under it all this is a story of destiny, of redemption, the power of love and the lengths we will go to for those we love. The bonds between friends, fathers and sons and a mother’s love. You will laugh and cry, with them and for them, and you wont forget them.