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ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
5.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
Initial post reading thoughts:
Absolutely stunning and mesmerizing 😍
Teaser Review:
I was super lucky to win a giveaway for Song of The Abyss back in November and an eGalley prior and I was going to wait longer to start it because this book does not come out until August. But the cover kept looking at me and I was looking at it and I caved. Release date is still a while off BUT I loved Song of the Abyss to much to not talk about it now. So, please enjoy this teaser review.
○The action starts from page one and doesn't slow down for a moment. Each page furthered the plot and sucked me deeper into the story.
○Lucier created a cast of really likable characters. Obviously I didn't like the villain in the story, but I loved the connections each character had with each other and how in their own little sense were a family.
○It took me all of about two pages to fall in love with Levi, the prince of Lunes. He is super dreamy and moody and amazing.
○Though Song of the Abyss can be read as a stand alone it is a part of the Tower of Wind series and its companion novel Isle of Blood and Stone follows the story of Ulises and Elias who do play a large role in this book as well. It isn't required but I am sure it does clear some of their back story up.
○The last fifty pages over the novel were a complete page turner. The whole villain, what they were doing and the whole cultural part of the story really interested me. It was something really different and refreshing.
○Song of the Abyss was absolutely both stunning and mesmerizing!
Be sure to check back closer to August for my full review of Song of the Abyss, I promise this is one fantasy novel you are not going to want to miss in 2019!
Initial post reading thoughts:
Absolutely stunning and mesmerizing 😍
Teaser Review:
I was super lucky to win a giveaway for Song of The Abyss back in November and an eGalley prior and I was going to wait longer to start it because this book does not come out until August. But the cover kept looking at me and I was looking at it and I caved. Release date is still a while off BUT I loved Song of the Abyss to much to not talk about it now. So, please enjoy this teaser review.
○The action starts from page one and doesn't slow down for a moment. Each page furthered the plot and sucked me deeper into the story.
○Lucier created a cast of really likable characters. Obviously I didn't like the villain in the story, but I loved the connections each character had with each other and how in their own little sense were a family.
○It took me all of about two pages to fall in love with Levi, the prince of Lunes. He is super dreamy and moody and amazing.
○Though Song of the Abyss can be read as a stand alone it is a part of the Tower of Wind series and its companion novel Isle of Blood and Stone follows the story of Ulises and Elias who do play a large role in this book as well. It isn't required but I am sure it does clear some of their back story up.
○The last fifty pages over the novel were a complete page turner. The whole villain, what they were doing and the whole cultural part of the story really interested me. It was something really different and refreshing.
○Song of the Abyss was absolutely both stunning and mesmerizing!
Be sure to check back closer to August for my full review of Song of the Abyss, I promise this is one fantasy novel you are not going to want to miss in 2019!
maubryn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ialwayshaveabook's review
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
apriljp57's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ameserole's review against another edition
5.0
I have received this ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Totally went rogue with this series. No, I didn't read the books out of order. It has just been like a super long time since I read the first book of this wonderful series. For example, I read [b:Isle of Blood and Stone|30339493|Isle of Blood and Stone (Tower of Winds, #1)|Makiia Lucier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1512421047s/30339493.jpg|50838532] almost a year ago. Yup, May 20th to be exact. So you'd think that I would've been normal/smart about diving back into the first book before reading this one.. and you'd be completely wrong. I definitely just kind of dove into this one not regretting anything.
Song of the Abyss was so freaking good. I fell in love with Reyna and Levi so quickly. God they are truly wonderful and make such a great team. But mostly I just love little Reyna. She definitely reminds me Arya Stark.. which makes me so freaking giddy since GoT is in it's final season. She is my ultimate favorite character and if any book character reminds me of that little ninja bad ass - I will instantly love.
A lot happens in this book. I'm trying not to spoil anything.. but damn, a lot. I loved the ending so much. I love little teasing moments I get between my ship because they were just so god damn cute and adorable from day one. This book just brought me so much joy and happiness - which is probably why I devoured it so freaking quickly.
It just took me like 3-5 business days to woman up and write the damn review.
I still have no regrets.
In the end, I already miss these characters. I hope there's going to be another book but if not, I will continue to reread these two books for the rest of my life.
Totally went rogue with this series. No, I didn't read the books out of order. It has just been like a super long time since I read the first book of this wonderful series. For example, I read [b:Isle of Blood and Stone|30339493|Isle of Blood and Stone (Tower of Winds, #1)|Makiia Lucier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1512421047s/30339493.jpg|50838532] almost a year ago. Yup, May 20th to be exact. So you'd think that I would've been normal/smart about diving back into the first book before reading this one.. and you'd be completely wrong. I definitely just kind of dove into this one not regretting anything.
Song of the Abyss was so freaking good. I fell in love with Reyna and Levi so quickly. God they are truly wonderful and make such a great team. But mostly I just love little Reyna. She definitely reminds me Arya Stark.. which makes me so freaking giddy since GoT is in it's final season. She is my ultimate favorite character and if any book character reminds me of that little ninja bad ass - I will instantly love.
A lot happens in this book. I'm trying not to spoil anything.. but damn, a lot. I loved the ending so much. I love little teasing moments I get between my ship because they were just so god damn cute and adorable from day one. This book just brought me so much joy and happiness - which is probably why I devoured it so freaking quickly.
It just took me like 3-5 business days to woman up and write the damn review.
I still have no regrets.
In the end, I already miss these characters. I hope there's going to be another book but if not, I will continue to reread these two books for the rest of my life.
delaneybull's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
skwiecien's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.5
coffeedragon's review against another edition
3.0
I went through the previous posts for this blog tour and it looks like everyone knew that you could read this book as a standalone from Isle of Blood and Stone. I must have missed the memo because I went and read the first book, which is now making me feel conflicted! Why? Because I adored book one!!
In Song of the Abyss, we are once more dropped off into the lands of St. John del Mar, except eight years into the future. While book one followed the adventures of Elias, Mercedes, and King Ulises, they have now gone into retirement because of their old bones. Now we get a glimpse of this world through the eyes of Reyna, who was actually a pretty important side character in the first book! When I realized this was the case, I was a bit EHERM, worried
It was nice to see that my worry was only half-justified. I say half because when I put these two books together, Isle of Blood and Stone definitely comes out as the winner, but if I think about everything that we got in Song of the Abyss, well, we do get some nice content
“You don’t really believe she made that swim.”
“No, that part I believe,” Levi said. “But if she is a painter I’ll eat that compass.”
In Song of the Abyss, Reyna is on her way back home to St. John del Mar after being on an expedition for one year where she charted a new map. When she’s woken up by her bodyguard and told they have been attacked by possible pirates, strange ones that leave their enemies blank-faced and pliant, Reyna knows she must destroy all maps on the ship. Including the one she just made. A whole year of work destroyed. New routes and lands once more shrouded in mystery. Which is why she does what no mapmaker would ever do
She decides not to destroy the maps and escapes her taken ship, crosses the sea filled with dangerous sea lions and serpents, and lands right in the hands of the one family she didn’t want – the Lunes royalty. Specifically, one Levi Lamech, second son of King Lamech and captain in the royal navy
“We’re perfectly capable of doing what men can do. It does not mean we have to look like them.” She held up a hand when Reyna would have spoken. “Before you say anything more, I must tell you my physician says I am in a delicate stage and must not be distressed in any way.”
That silenced Reyna. Momentarily. “You’re shameless,” she said.
In terms of characters, I have to admit that I really liked Reyna. Considering the many girls in YA, I felt like Reyna was very mature for her age, possibly because of the things she experienced as a child, but possibly because that’s just her character. You could tell she really loved exploring, refusing to give in to the mapmaking men that only seemed to want to keep her indoors to make a family. While there were some moments where I couldn’t help but scream because talk about reckless!!, I also just thought it was cool that she didn’t hesitate to help those she loved
But perhaps the reason that she stands out on top of all other YA girls is that she doesn’t let the romance dictate her actions look I just finished reading Crier and SCREAMS. Like the first book, in this one, the romance is pretty clear cut and because of Reyna being Reyna, she’s very open and clear about her feelings, preferring to be honest than be led around by misunderstandings. That said, I do have to say that my favorite moments usually came from Levi, who was often feeling jealous over her relationship with a certain guy who I was sad didn’t get much story time!!
“We’ll see Jaime before you know it, and he’ll be swearing his love for you, and for me, and likely even for your handsome, brooding captain. You know he’s not particular.”
Outside of the romance and more into the worldbuilding and plot, I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. I really liked the first few pages because of how Reyna escaped the ship and then tricked Levi and his crew (#impressed). But after Reyna makes it back home, the pacing really slows down and we’re introduced into some mundane tasks like Reyna cleaning up a really messy room. And getting some dresses done. Even part of the voyage became a bit too much, even though it really did wonders for the relationship between characters. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded all of this as much if the ending hadn’t felt as compressed as it did
Once I was in the last fifty pages for this book, the content felt a little rushed. There was no planning done and yet everything worked out for our characters. Which I was happy about because of ma boys, but also, it took away potentially suspenseful moments. I know while I was reading I kept thinking, has NOBODY been caught snooping? How is it all going so well? They must have their sneak at level 100
“What we choose to believe is powerful, Reyna.”
Overall, I’m glad I was introduced to this series but I didn’t really feel very attached to Song of the Abyss. There were a lot of fun moments (as I’m hoping I conveyed with the quotes I chose), but I felt like the payoff wasn’t as good as it could have been. I do recommend it if you like a mature 17-yo female protagonist, an interesting world where mapmakers are the heroes of the kingdom, and where the romance is clear cut and too soft for my soul
I gave it a 3/5 for a slightly above average read. I wonder briefly how my experience would have been if I’d read this one first and not Isle of Blood and Stone, which is where I fell in love with the worldbuilding
In Song of the Abyss, we are once more dropped off into the lands of St. John del Mar, except eight years into the future. While book one followed the adventures of Elias, Mercedes, and King Ulises, they have now gone into retirement because of their old bones. Now we get a glimpse of this world through the eyes of Reyna, who was actually a pretty important side character in the first book! When I realized this was the case, I was a bit EHERM, worried
It was nice to see that my worry was only half-justified. I say half because when I put these two books together, Isle of Blood and Stone definitely comes out as the winner, but if I think about everything that we got in Song of the Abyss, well, we do get some nice content
“You don’t really believe she made that swim.”
“No, that part I believe,” Levi said. “But if she is a painter I’ll eat that compass.”
In Song of the Abyss, Reyna is on her way back home to St. John del Mar after being on an expedition for one year where she charted a new map. When she’s woken up by her bodyguard and told they have been attacked by possible pirates, strange ones that leave their enemies blank-faced and pliant, Reyna knows she must destroy all maps on the ship. Including the one she just made. A whole year of work destroyed. New routes and lands once more shrouded in mystery. Which is why she does what no mapmaker would ever do
She decides not to destroy the maps and escapes her taken ship, crosses the sea filled with dangerous sea lions and serpents, and lands right in the hands of the one family she didn’t want – the Lunes royalty. Specifically, one Levi Lamech, second son of King Lamech and captain in the royal navy
“We’re perfectly capable of doing what men can do. It does not mean we have to look like them.” She held up a hand when Reyna would have spoken. “Before you say anything more, I must tell you my physician says I am in a delicate stage and must not be distressed in any way.”
That silenced Reyna. Momentarily. “You’re shameless,” she said.
In terms of characters, I have to admit that I really liked Reyna. Considering the many girls in YA, I felt like Reyna was very mature for her age, possibly because of the things she experienced as a child, but possibly because that’s just her character. You could tell she really loved exploring, refusing to give in to the mapmaking men that only seemed to want to keep her indoors to make a family. While there were some moments where I couldn’t help but scream because talk about reckless!!, I also just thought it was cool that she didn’t hesitate to help those she loved
But perhaps the reason that she stands out on top of all other YA girls is that she doesn’t let the romance dictate her actions look I just finished reading Crier and SCREAMS. Like the first book, in this one, the romance is pretty clear cut and because of Reyna being Reyna, she’s very open and clear about her feelings, preferring to be honest than be led around by misunderstandings. That said, I do have to say that my favorite moments usually came from Levi, who was often feeling jealous over her relationship with a certain guy who I was sad didn’t get much story time!!
“We’ll see Jaime before you know it, and he’ll be swearing his love for you, and for me, and likely even for your handsome, brooding captain. You know he’s not particular.”
Outside of the romance and more into the worldbuilding and plot, I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. I really liked the first few pages because of how Reyna escaped the ship and then tricked Levi and his crew (#impressed). But after Reyna makes it back home, the pacing really slows down and we’re introduced into some mundane tasks like Reyna cleaning up a really messy room. And getting some dresses done. Even part of the voyage became a bit too much, even though it really did wonders for the relationship between characters. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded all of this as much if the ending hadn’t felt as compressed as it did
Once I was in the last fifty pages for this book, the content felt a little rushed. There was no planning done and yet everything worked out for our characters. Which I was happy about because of ma boys, but also, it took away potentially suspenseful moments. I know while I was reading I kept thinking, has NOBODY been caught snooping? How is it all going so well? They must have their sneak at level 100
“What we choose to believe is powerful, Reyna.”
Overall, I’m glad I was introduced to this series but I didn’t really feel very attached to Song of the Abyss. There were a lot of fun moments (as I’m hoping I conveyed with the quotes I chose), but I felt like the payoff wasn’t as good as it could have been. I do recommend it if you like a mature 17-yo female protagonist, an interesting world where mapmakers are the heroes of the kingdom, and where the romance is clear cut and too soft for my soul
I gave it a 3/5 for a slightly above average read. I wonder briefly how my experience would have been if I’d read this one first and not Isle of Blood and Stone, which is where I fell in love with the worldbuilding
vorpalblad's review against another edition
5.0
Spunky ten-year-old Reyna from Isle of Blood and Stone is now a 17-year-old apprentice explorer. While you don't have to read that to read this, it wouldn't hurt as there are references to events from that novel, and although her story is not central to that book, what happens to her family is important in how she will face the future.
With that out of the way, let me say that Lucier has once again written a riveting fantasy/adventure/mystery. While there's more fantasy here, mysterious creatures and dangerous whirlpools, Lucier's game is still strongest when writing adventure. Reyna's longing to prove herself, and her need for adventure fairly leap off the page. Lucier expands her world building, as Reyna and friends try to find out what has happened to the missing crews of ships from many nations. There's a dash of romance, a taste of political intrigue, wrapped up with a feminist bow.
While the editing felt less even than the previous entry, Song of the Abyss is still a fine novel and one I would recommend to ladies of every age (okay, that's an exaggeration; there is some violence or the aftermath of violence, so probably 10+).
With that out of the way, let me say that Lucier has once again written a riveting fantasy/adventure/mystery. While there's more fantasy here, mysterious creatures and dangerous whirlpools, Lucier's game is still strongest when writing adventure. Reyna's longing to prove herself, and her need for adventure fairly leap off the page. Lucier expands her world building, as Reyna and friends try to find out what has happened to the missing crews of ships from many nations. There's a dash of romance, a taste of political intrigue, wrapped up with a feminist bow.
While the editing felt less even than the previous entry, Song of the Abyss is still a fine novel and one I would recommend to ladies of every age (okay, that's an exaggeration; there is some violence or the aftermath of violence, so probably 10+).
alongreader's review
4.0
A wonderful followup to Isle of Blood and Stone, this novel sweeps the reader into an aquatic adventure featuring strange lands and magic. I loved the detail, things like the smell of the spices and the dresses Reyna (reluctantly) wears. The mystery was fascinating and I read this in almost one go...had to stop for work, more's the pity, but I got there in the end. The ghosts really creeped me out, too! I wasn't so sure of the instalove, but I've learned to accept and mostly ignore it, as it features in so many books nowadays.
I hope there's more books set in this strange, magical world. I'll happily keep reading.
“My goodness,” Dita said. “I’ve never seen such a transformation.”
They stood by a full-length looking glass in Reyna’s chamber, Dita expertly weaving strips of gold wire into her hair. It had been left loose; there was no time for anything more elaborate, and the strands fell like liquid onyx to her waist. “You’re like a chameleon. So much beauty under that scruff and paint.”
“I’m scared to death, Dita.”
Dita’s hands stilled. She met Reyna’s gaze in the looking glass. “Of Queen Vashti?”
“Of everything. What if Mercedes doesn’t get better? What if we can’t find Lord Eli—”
“Don’t borrow trouble.” Dita resumed her weaving, this time with more vigor. “What we choose to believe is powerful, Reyna. Mercedes and the babe will be fine. Elias will come home safe. He always does. *This* I believe.”
Her reflection showed busy hands and a solitary teardrop on her cheek. Reyna did not flinch when Dita pulled too hard. She said, “And so will Jaime.”
A black lace fan lay on a high chest. Dita took the fan, offered it to Reyna. “And so will Jaime.”
I hope there's more books set in this strange, magical world. I'll happily keep reading.
“My goodness,” Dita said. “I’ve never seen such a transformation.”
They stood by a full-length looking glass in Reyna’s chamber, Dita expertly weaving strips of gold wire into her hair. It had been left loose; there was no time for anything more elaborate, and the strands fell like liquid onyx to her waist. “You’re like a chameleon. So much beauty under that scruff and paint.”
“I’m scared to death, Dita.”
Dita’s hands stilled. She met Reyna’s gaze in the looking glass. “Of Queen Vashti?”
“Of everything. What if Mercedes doesn’t get better? What if we can’t find Lord Eli—”
“Don’t borrow trouble.” Dita resumed her weaving, this time with more vigor. “What we choose to believe is powerful, Reyna. Mercedes and the babe will be fine. Elias will come home safe. He always does. *This* I believe.”
Her reflection showed busy hands and a solitary teardrop on her cheek. Reyna did not flinch when Dita pulled too hard. She said, “And so will Jaime.”
A black lace fan lay on a high chest. Dita took the fan, offered it to Reyna. “And so will Jaime.”