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After the heart-breaking ending of A Merry Life, Kat is trying to live a peaceful life in Edo. She’s with her husband and three children and her scheming Mother in Law. She’s got a few friends, a part time job at the local health clinic, and the opportunity to shower once a week. But Kat was never made for the simple life, and her heart craves for her year long banishment from Bosch to be over, so that she can go back and re-enlist in the Bosch Pirate Force. She loved her previous job; loved the thrill of extracting Thralls, saving prisoners and running the drug, glitter.
The problem is, her husband is perfectly happy with their simple life in Edo. When Kat re-enlists and moves the family back to the Pirate Nation, he effectively has a strop. He gains a captaincy commission on a Federal Alliance ship for three years – due to start before Kat graduates from the BPF academy. The rift in their happy marriage is palatable, and Kat begins to wonder if her husband is faithful.
I absolutely adored A Merry Life when I reviewed it for Reedsy Discovery, and so when this follow up appeared in the ‘book pool’ I knew I had to grab it ASAP. I was incredibly excited to see what escapades Kat Wallace, former Thrall and adopted Pirate would get up to next. Safe to say, I was not disappointed. If possible, Navigating the Storm is even better than the first instalment in Kat’s tale.
Branson isn’t afraid to rip your heart out or to make you laugh at an unexpected point. Kat’s tale isn’t just one of a rampaging, gun toting, air-borne pirate; it’s one of growth from real trauma, loss, love, heartbreak and laughter. Yes, she’s a bad-ass. Yes, she’s got a foul mouth. Yes, she’s brash and bold and probably too loud. Yes, she’s messy and makes some horrific mistakes. But that’s what makes Kat so loveable. She’s real, she’s human, with hard edges that are beginning to melt into an even badder-ass.
Kat’s tale has bought tears to my eyes too many times to mention; I’ve read with my breath held as I see devastation unfold before my eyes. I get angry as I read about the duplicitous husband, the scheming mother-in-law and the murderous senator. But then, a smile forms as I read Kat’s succinct and pointed responses.
Overall, Kat Wallace has probably become one of my favourite ever characters. A woman with heart, a wicked sense of humour and who will cheerfully kill you if you wrong her. Bravo.
S. A.
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC Program. Read the review here.
You can buy Navigating the Storm by visiting Sarah Branson’s website. You can also buy A Merry Life (the first instalment in Kat’s story) on Amazon.
*If you do purchase any of the books I’ve recommended from Amazon, I may receive a small payment as part of the Amazon Affiliate program.Â