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A review by kevinscorner
Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier
emotional
sad
4.5
What a beautifully written and surprisingly heartbreaking story Isle of Blood and Stone was. I went into the book expecting a fairly typical YA fantasy, but this was not at all what I was expecting. Eighteen year ago, the Royal Navigator and two young princes of the island kingdom of St. John del Mar went missing during a daytrip and are presumed dead after a botched kidnapping for ransom attempt by a neighboring kingdom. But when a map with hidden clues shows up after all this time, the former Royal Navigator’s son Elias alongside newly crowned King Ulises (the youngest prince) and his mixed-blood cousin Mercedes must unravel the mystery behind the map, and they may find some truths they are not ready for.
I just loved Elais as the main protagonist. He is a 19 year old who finds a connection with the father he never knew through his love of exploring and mapmaking. His love for his new family, his loyalty to his best friend/king, and his budding romance with Mercedes really shine through in the prose and the nobility of his actions. The book is character-driven through and through, but the central mystery will leave you at the edge of your seat. When Elias and his friends unravel the mystery and find an unspeakable betrayal, it nearly broke me as it did them because it was far more heartbreaking that even I expected.
Isle of Blood and Stone is a lush and heartfelt low fantasy with a compelling central mystery.
I just loved Elais as the main protagonist. He is a 19 year old who finds a connection with the father he never knew through his love of exploring and mapmaking. His love for his new family, his loyalty to his best friend/king, and his budding romance with Mercedes really shine through in the prose and the nobility of his actions. The book is character-driven through and through, but the central mystery will leave you at the edge of your seat. When Elias and his friends unravel the mystery and find an unspeakable betrayal, it nearly broke me as it did them because it was far more heartbreaking that even I expected.
Isle of Blood and Stone is a lush and heartfelt low fantasy with a compelling central mystery.