NSFW Book Review: My Girlfriends are Pirate Elves! Book 2 by Eden Redd

Title: My Girlfriends are Pirate Elves! Book 2

Author: Eded Redd

Publisher: Eded Redd

Publication Date:  July 13, 2020

Genres: Fantasy, erotica

Shelves: Female-authored, female-dominant

Avast ye mateys! They say dead men tell no tales, but sexy elves from another realm certainly do, and My Girlfriends are Pirate Elves! Book 2 is once again guaranteed to shiver ye timbers.

As she did in the first book, Eden Redd mixes erotic romance, urban fantasy, and portal fantasy here, mixing elves, pirates, magic, and superpowers, but that superhero element expands to fill more of the story in this second volume – which may be good news or bad news, depending on how you like your fantasy. Personally, I would have preferred a bit less of that mix, but that’s less a complaint about the superhero/supervillain antics and more a celebration of the fantasy elements. As much as the superpower subplot does have a significant bearing on the story, I was impatient to get back to the elves.

With the comically awkward introductions out of the way, we get more character depth and character building here, which also means we get a deeper, more satisfying exploration of the polyamorous harem dynamic. Jon, Lilly, Syndra, Zelda, and Cora are a family now, and while they are still discovering what that means, still defining Jon’s role as their Shullkar, they’re already falling into a comfortable sort of shared intimacy. In that respect, Cora’s sudden obsession with Urth dating rituals, and her insistence on claiming Jon as hers, makes for a thoroughly entertaining story all on its own. As untouchable Aquris royalty, she’s eager to experience what her crewmates have so long taken for granted, and the mixture of innocent naivety and over-eager aggression is fantastic.

That superpower element comes into play with the arrival of Jon’s superhero parents and a supervillain ambush during a poly date to a strip club, of all places. It’s well done, complete with comic book banter, extreme action, comic violence, and some genuine moments of tension and danger, and it all serves a purpose for both Jon and Cora, but I shall say no more there. Outside of that encounter, the story takes us to Aquris for the first time, where it is Jon who is the fish-out-of-water, comically attempting to blend in. There are some Matrix-level fights there, fueled by unfamiliar booze, and a funny little subplot about the power of coffee in a land that’s never experienced it, but this second book gets very dark before it reaches its climax, with the fate of at least one character hanging in the balance.

My Girlfriends are Pirate Elves! Book 3 sees the crew trapped in Aquris, leaving me hopeful for more magic and monsters, and the introduction of a curious new crew member has me excited for more romance as well, so bring it on!

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.