Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

2 reviews

natashaleighton_'s review

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Tapping into the current zeitgeist for all things dragony; Makiia Lucier has lovingly crafted a lush, vibrantly unique YA fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology that completely stole my heart! 

Set on the island of Tamarind, where legend states imbibing the egg of a sea dragon (called a Dragonfruit) can undo a person’s greatest sorrow. We follow the exiled Hanalei, a decade after her father stole a seadragon egg from the Tamarindi Royals in order to save her life. 

Captured by Dragon hunting pirates (Dragoners), Hanalei manages to escape their clutches only to find herself returned to the island of her birth, with an opportunity to undo her father’s actions (by helping childhood friend and prince, Sam find a dragonfruit to revive his comatose mother.) 

But Hanalei knows that Dragons and Dragoners are the least of their worries as imbibing the Dragonfruit comes with it own danger. For every wish comes with a price…

This was such a magical, swashbucklingly adventurous read, exploring themes of family, friendship and community in ways that few books ever do, let alone as successfully as Lucier does here. 

With family ties and ancestral heritage key motivators for our POV characters, I enjoyed delving into both Hanalei and Sam’s backstories. Having grown up together as children, it was also really interesting to see how their dynamics changed after soo many years apart, especially for Hanalei who’s yearned to return to her homeland and the safety it represents.

I loved both our MCs (Hanalei and Sam), and found that throughout their shared emotional journeys they each remained endearingly likeable. For Sam, a Prince within a matriarchal society, it was interesting to see how he navigated the expectations and duties of his royal heritage— which was a refreshing change from the typical western portrayals of monarchy and leadership. I also adored his bat marking Fetu who had such a cheeky personality. 

Hanalei, was probably the most in depth of our characters with a fairly detailed yet tragic backstory that drew me to her instantly. Brave, compassionate and willing to risk her own life for the people she cares for most—it’s impossible not to like her! 

The chemistry between the pair was so quite magnetic but the romance isn’t as prevalent as I had hoped (taking a backseat to their quest to save Sam’s mother), but adorably sweet nonetheless.

The lore of the Island (particularly around Sea Dragons) and the unique, tattoo based magic system (where people form bonds with their sentient, animal markings) was one of the most fascinating aspects of the story. We don’t go into too much detail surrounding the latter (which was a shame) but I loved how immersed I became in this beautifully lush world. 

Overall, a gorgeously crafted, fast paced and engaging read that fans of dragons, seafaring adventures or villains you’ll love to hate should definitely consider adding to their TBRs. 

Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA and Insta Book Tours for the finished copy. 
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sarrie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective relaxing tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

 
TL;DR: A surprisingly light and lovely YA fantasy, I highly recommend. It has notes of ‘cozy fantasy’ vibes in the later half - so if you’re wanting that this could be a pick up for you. 

I think this is a great example of the fact that I’m easily pleased if something stays true to it’s source and attempts to be unique. Is Dragonfruit a perfect book? Absolutely not! Is it a fun right and well worth the read? Absolutely yes! 

This fantasy follows Hana, who believes herself to be exiled from her home islands as she studies seadragons. She interrupts the hunt of a man she has had previous dealings with (not of the good variety) and is trapped on his boat as he chases a pregnant seadragon, using Hana to track her. Eventually the chase leads them to Hana’s home islands and the story truly unfolds. 

I am genuinely so tired of the character vs. the world that so many so many fantasy books use, that when Hana finally reaches her home and discovers/reconnects with friends and family it was seriously like a splash of cool water. This book is lovely, I adored so much about it. Again, it wasn’t perfect but it actually shows healthy, real relationships and not antagonizing, hateful ones. 

5 Magical Markings out of 5 (I pre-ordered this y’all. I loved it) 
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