This fantasy really hits the nail on the head with its portrayal of the romance. I found myself wholly invested in the characters which was brilliant. However I did find the plot and world building suffered slightly for the romance to take the forefront which was disappointing.

Isle of Blood and Stone is the first book in a new duology by Makiia Lucifer, and the first Historical Fiction book that I've read this year. As a genre that I don't normally dip into, it should be noted that I'm still getting my bearings in books like this. It makes my reading of them take a little more effort than most other things, but I'm enjoying the ride. Which is why the fact that Isle of Blood and Stone is heavier on the history than on the fiction/fantasy side of things made this a bit of a rough read for me. I'm on the fence on this one, and I'll explain why below.

The story drops the reader directly into a day in the life of one Lord Antoni, with little to no explanation of why. It took me a minute to figure out that he was an important mapmaker, and that he was somehow linked to the royal family. Once I'd finally settled in a bit, and the big reveal of the chapter happened, the book suddenly fast forwarded eighteen years. So, to say that I started this book with no footing is pretty accurate. It took me another four or five chapters after that to really settle in, and feel like I had my bearings enough to enjoy the story.

What's great about this book though is that the characters are actually really intriguing, once you get to know them. Reyna, who was studying to be a mapmaker herself and unknowingly sets things in motion, made me pay attention. Once the discovery of the maps that may have been made by Lord Antoni, after his supposed death, came to light I was fully on board. By the time that Elias came fully into the picture, and the quest began in earnest, I was more than ready to follow along to the end.

Unfortunately, this is a really slow building story. I mentioned above that it's heavy on the historical portion of things, and that's definitely an accurate assessment. Action is scarce, and descriptions abound. The reader is taken back to the times of court politics and intrigue, but not in the way that I'm used to in the fantasy books I generally read. It's very heavily described, rather than shown. While the mystery aspect of this was good, it took so long for things to establish, and then longer still for things to pick up, that I found myself wanting to skim forward. I was invested enough to want to know how things turned out though, so that's a good sign.

Did I mention that I was on the fence? On the one hand, the ending ties back into the beginning and brings the characters and the plot full circle. All of my questions were finally answered, and I felt pretty satisfied. On the other hand, it took so long for me to actually settle myself into my surroundings at the beginning that it made things feel really slow. I see the potential here, and I liked the book enough to want to see what happens next. I only hope that the next portion of this story has a bit more action.

A exciting, action packed book, with a suspense filled story based on a riddle that a map maker must follow to find out what exactly happened to his father on the day he and the two princes in his charge disappeared. This is a wonderful tale with well thought out characters that work very well together even though some seem a bit overzealous at times. I liked this book and its wonderful collection of characters, oh and the puzzle to figure out.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was an amazing journey that immersed you in it's world completely. The characters, the setting, and the plot all created a world with such depth, that it felt like a real place. The mystery had enough layers to make it difficult to figure out completely and the last couple chapters were a whirlwind of excitement. I can't say enough about how great this book was.

I was so excited to do the Ace of Shades blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club because I’ve seen some hype for this book and the premise sounded amazing??????

I was also worried because so many people were comparing it to “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo, and officially NOTHING will ever be the Dregs and I didn’t want a knock-off soc. PASS. I AM PSYCHOTICALLY PROTECTIVE, GO HOME.

but I was joyously surprised because this book has a unique aesthetic and has managed to separate itself from SOC in my mind which was HARD. SOC is better always. but this book was good too???????
Enne Salta lives in this old-fashioned world (there’s cars, basic phones, subways, smog, skyscrapers, no internet) where everyone is born with two “talents,” one from each parent. The stronger talent is known as your blood talent, the recessive is called the split talent. Your talents are either Talents of Aptitude (like dancing or arithmetic, boring, anyone can learn these eventually) or Talent of Mysteries (I.E MAGIC). These talents were SO COOL, some people had literal powers of seduction or could detect every lie, it was so imaginative and I loved it.

Also, the currency is electricity???? You can carry it in your skin, or in orbs, and just….sldkjskljds how different?????

When her mother goes missing it’s up to Enne to go into the City of Sin and see about it. Under the influence of teenage gang lord Levi Glaisyer, sweet precious proper Enne gets. that. job. done.
The plot was fascinating???? a HUGE theme is card playing, gambling, and all that symbolizes, and whenever a gang member approaches or addresses his Lord he or she has to cross her heart????? And when you swear yourself to a Lord it’s a physical bind and it’s physically painful to act in any way against your Lord. BAD*SS kdsfjlskjlds I was so impressed. the aesthetic just washes over oneself and it’s immersive.

I also loved the friendships????? Levi (who is bisexual btw & yyyyes rep) is really close to to his best friend Jac, who was a drug addict, and they always pull each other out of dark places like that which I was just. bye. establishing goals. Also Levi is close to another gang Lord, Reymond, who is gay and very much Levi’s big scary protective brother. Also Levi isn’t a white male, he has a darker skin and I was so happy to have him as a MC.
THEN Enne is introduced to the scene and she and Levi build such a close bond????? Lovers or not, they are friends and loyal partners and that MATTERS & is precious.

AND MY DEAR BLESSED Enne develops as a person tremendously????????? SHE IS FRIGHTENING. SHE IS UNDER YOUR BED WAITING TO SNATCH YOUR ANKLE. She starts as this sweet feminine girl and by the end??? BY THE FLETCHING END???? I refuse to give any spoilers. but even Levi is afraid of her. LEVI THE NOTORIOUS GANG LORD.

and quick language geek moment. instead of saying “acquainted” their dialect omits the ‘n’ and it’s just “acquain’ed”…. that dialect, my oh myyyyy. And Levi has this thing where he says “we need to talk, you and I.” or “we have a partnership, you and I”

it’s okay I am composed.
the thing about this book is……as much as you WANT to not compare it to glorious masterpiece Six of Crows……you just……have no choice. Inej Enne is an acrobat. Kaz Levi wants money power and glory. Nina Enne loves cookies and can eat like 12 without shame (MY GIRLLLL). The vibes are just so similar it’s easy to start comparing, and then it’s like fake money v. real money and you feel despairrrrr because KAZ I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. But if you can keep the two worlds separate it’s a lovely book. but it’s hard to do these tremendous things.

Also it was slightly cheesy that everyone kept saying “mucking” as a euphemism? It almost ruined the immersion, I mean, if you don’t want our leetle gangsters to swear just just don’t use any swearing. these are gang Lords who stab people. you can’t stab someone and then say, “muck it all, I’ve done a mucking bad thing.” That might be cute for one character, that one special psychopath who is just so adorable & doesn’t care. HOWEVER. It seemed like the author just didn’t want to expose our innocent souls to certain language. THAT ship has sailed.
Overall I really liked this book and I can’t wait to finish the series. I’m mainly staying for Enne, she has made SO MUCH progress and she has this entirely new exciting life and I love her *****SPECIAL****** NEW FRIEND LOLA. their relationship is going to grow up so strong & i’m ready for it. do I ship them yes.

Do you think you shall like this book? Can you look past the Six of Crows similarities??? (ps they are striking.)

The plot and world building were beautiful and detailed. The characters were interesting. I would recommend Isle of Blood and Stone to fantasy readers who like characterization with mystery solving over intense action.

After loving Makiia Lucier's A Death-Struck Year, I knew I would have to read any future books by her. And how fortunate for me, and what a wonderful surprise, when I picked up an ARC of this book at Yallfest and realized it was by the same insta-fave author who had me falling for Edmund in A Death-Struck Year. (It was clearly fate.) She has such an easy way with words, creating a world and characters rife with life I want more of. Just like in her debut novel, Isle of Blood and Stone immediately entranced me and refused to let loose my attention--seriously, I had sat down with the intent to read for forty-five minutes when I first opened it and....whoops, two and a half hours passed.

This story is about Elias, a young talented cartographer and explorer whose life, as well as the lives of his close friends Ulises and Mercedes (who are cousins), are constantly defined by one tragic moment that happened long ago: Ulises' older brothers, the two elder princes of their nation, and Elias' father, a famous and much praised cartographer and explorer, were kidnapped from an outing--everyone else who came perished, and no one knows what happened to the stolen boys and man. This brought forth so many massive changes to their world: it spurred a war with another nation that ends in that nation's total destruction and a prejudice against its people; Ulises, an infant at the time of the tragic incident, goes from third in line of ascendancy to the direct heir to the crown, his entire life course changed to one of staunch duty to his nation; Mercedes, of mixed heritage that includes the conquered nation blamed for the kidnapping, deals with daily prejudice in a land that is her home but her skin causes discrimination despite her connection to King Ulises; and Elias, our protagonist, lives in the shadow of his father's greatness and deals with reminders from others of a man he never knew. And, most importantly lest I forget my brain, the mystery that persists from that devastating outing long ago, a mystery that isn't as clear-cut as it is made out to be.

I don't normally do this, but I want to start with what I didn't like. My reasoning for switching it up? There is hardly anything I didn't like. I'm not joking. My only complaint is that there are a few questions left unanswered regarding backstory of secondary characters, but seeing as this is a duology, the next book from young Reyna's perspective, I am forgiving of these few unanswered questions. Not to mention, this book so thoroughly tickled my fantasy fancy that those unanswered question hardly register. A little unsolved mystery never killed anybody! (Channeling my Gatsby twist a la the DiCaprio version's soundtrack. :) )

What most impressed me was the brilliant simplicity of the mystery and the factors that led to the disappearance of Ulises' brothers and Elias' father. For years it is assumed their tragic disappearance was a kidnapping executed by a neighboring kingdom. Everything known by the public points that direction, but things aren't adding up. Thus ensues one o the most interesting YA fantasy mysteries I've ever read, because Elias, Ulises, and Mercedes being to unravel the years' long mystery after realizing it was a story wrought with many holes. Going off on a related tangent, the mystery's reveal reminded me of the one in Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas, but Lucier's is much more effective and makes you realized just how twisted the true antagonist is in Isle of Blood and Stone. This won't make sense until you have read the book, but it is cleverly titled and I find it brilliant after the fact. That isn't a spoiler, I swear it.

Another aspect of this book I cannot emphasize enough is the positive step-family relationships. In real life and fiction, too often the step-family is treated as a negative, a point of contention or evil, a trope. In Isle of Blood and Stone, there is a bit of tension created by Elias' stepfather, but not of the predictable trope variety. Oh no, I cannot reveal specifics, but I want you to know it is an understandable tension, but it doesn't lead to dislike or hate. Though not related by blood, Elias and his step-father care deeply for each other, choosing to be a family and embrace their father/son roles. This positive representation of a normally negative trope warmed my heart. It wasn't even something I realized was lacking from books (in general) until I read this book.

I also found the budding romance between Elias and Mercedes a joy to witness. From the beginning you see its bud, but to watch it fully bloom over the course of a couple hundred pages, and in such a natural, non-overpowering manner...I swooned a lot at the slow burn. They are relationship goals.

All around, without a doubt, a 5 out of 5 bitchin' stars from me.

WHHHAATTTT THEEEE HECK?! I didn't know what to expect going in, but I am so glad I picked this one up! I am obsessed! Great plot, pacing, characters, everything! LOVED!

<i>Isle of Blood and Stone</i> starts off with a tragedy befalling a royal picnic. Eighteen years later, mysterious maps show up that may provide survivors Elias, Ulises, and Mercedes the answers and closure they need.

I truly loved the relationship between Elias and Ulises. These two young men had grown up following a great tragedy and the amount of support and respect they had for each other felt refreshing, especially given their age. Elias started out as a bit of a jackass but he grows on the reader as the story progresses. His friendship with Mercedes and Reyna add a layer of maturity. In addition, the complexity Lucier gives to all her characters is something to admire. Mercedes might have been my favorite for this very reason.

The pacing of the plot was also very well-executed. Unlike a ton of books that have a mystery to them, this book took its time unraveling the mysteries. Nothing caught me too terribly off guard, but the reveals were as surprising to the reader as it was to the characters. Their convictions became the readers own.

That being said, I wish there were more reminders of the connections between characters. I found myself having to reread sections because I found myself a little lost more often than not. Luckily, the ending clears things up very well.

A very good read for fantasy fans who want a bit more royal intrigue and less magic with very enchanting relationships.

I loved this book!

It was very fast paced. I read the first half of the book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Everything moved very quickly, so it was never boring.

The beginning of the story was a little confusing because it starts right in the middle of the action. At first, it was difficult to connect the prologue to the rest of the story, but it quickly becomes clear how the events of the prologue are important to the story.

I loved the ending of Elias’s search. I had no idea where the story was going to end up, but I think a clever reader could figure it out before the end. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming, though!

I’m so excited about this story! I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

Adventure, mystery, murder, and maps - what more could you want? <i> Isle of Blood and Stone </i> opens with a scene of a mass murder, which is a pretty great hook, then springs 18 years into the future as questions about what happened that day are brought to light through the discovery of two mysterious maps. Fast paced, but not at the expense of characterization, there's quite a bit of action to keep readers entertained, and the mystery is actually very compelling and not easily sorted out. The world that Lucier has created is very interesting, and my one critique of the book is that I wish there were more world building, though it does look like this is the first book in a series, so hopefully there is more to come.

When I read ‘Blood & Stone’ I felt like I was drawn onto an Mediterranean island and suddenly in the era of the great Leonardo da Vinci, when maps and exploration were paramount, and here, sea-dwelling creatures such as serpents are both feared as well as revered. There is such great imagery that is colorful and vivid; old-fashioned customs are used, such as leeches to suck out toxins from the blood (I love stuff like that), and tonics from plants are used to cure ills, and plant dyes are described in great detail, for that is how color is gained for pigment used for the paint on maps.
And maps, and the study of cartography, are central to this novel, and may be foreign to so many in this day and age, when so many people may not even have ever handled an actual paper map. Lord Elias is the royal mapmaker and longtime friend of the newly crowned King Ulises, and he is a a natural explorer, adventurer, and he wants to solve the long-time mystery and disappearance of of Ulise's two brothers. Two maps hold the clues and together with Ulises and Mercedes (Ulise's beautiful cousin, and his eventual love interest; what would the story be without that?); the three of them embark on a precarious adventure to uncover secrets about what happened many years ago with the boys' disappearance.

Although the story seemed a little slow to unfold, the characters gradually grew on me; after reading many main female characters in books recently, I really enjoyed reading a young male character; it's also a book with little violence, no use of bad language (suitable for younger readers), focus on story, with no obvious plot holes, and a new setting for a 'royal family' fantasy. I also very much enjoyed the look at the drawing up of maps and cartography, and the use of compasses; author Makiia Luciier evidently researched this extensively, and I have seen on her Twitter feed a great many interesting old maps!
I'd love to have seen more about the connection to the sea and more of the sea serpents; the community on the sea derives its character from the creatures and nature of the sea, so we see that in the designs, food, and colors around the people.
Overall, this is a lovely read, with a mystery that pulls you in, with main characters that are all likeable, in a beautiful setting at least I can see myself visiting (reminded me a bit of Cyprus?). If you prefer your YA fantasy without the blood and gore as in many books of late, this is the one for you. Luciier is natural storyteller and has conjured a beautiful novel on a magical Isle that you will want to visit.
PS. Another beautiful book cover.

4.5 stars

This book is just what I needed.

I know I've mentioned I've had a pretty ehh fantasy year so far and Ace of Shades was one of the first books to pull me out of that slump. But this is a book that's actually similar to all those books I've been trying (princes and mapmakers and all sorts of mystery) that is slaying!

Besides just loving the writing style--it's simple yet descriptive and makes everything clear in third person--I found it to just be really enjoyable in general to read.

The story has a very nice balance, in the different plots and in the characters. Elias is nice enough that you actually like him, but he does have some flaws and not too much of a tortured past--just enough of one to keep you intrigued. He is a little more heroic and less tortured, although it was refreshing than all those dominating males because he was courteous and nice and we need more of that.

What I really loved about the character dynamics with Elias is how he had such a great relationship with is family. He and his stepfather interact in such a cute way and I love how Elias has managed to form this heathy stepfather bond and is actively concerned about his family's well-being without it being the entire motivator of the plot. Even throughout the whole story, he respects both his actual father (that is, if he finds him) and his step father, and this was something that just came off as really cool in a fantasy novel.

I also really liked how Lucier showed how he was a nice person and didn't just tell it *cough*Everless*cough*. He's considerate and an enjoyable male main character that we honestly need more of in books narrated by MMCs.

I enjoyed some of the historical part of this fantasy novel as Lucier references different places but also twists some things to let her add more diversity and potential with the story. There's definitely some twisting of history as there's a huge emphasis on the importance of maps, but I like the references to places like the Pyrenees.

The whole thing was very entertaining to read and engrossing--I wanted to see what's going to happen next and I was invested in the story and the riddles and the maps and the world. Nothing is super slow or boring and there's all sorts of cool things like sea serpents and a whole ton of mystery.

There's definitely a little conspiracy going on and although the issue isn't the most complicated plot ever, I definitely found it enjoyable. Where I took off the half star really rested in how I felt like if Lucier tried, she could have turned this into more books with more intrigue and issues and I actually think I would have wanted to read all of them (aka my problem was that I wish there were more books). But it's also always nice to see fantasy standalones which are kind of a breath of fresh air in this series clogged world.

The only other thing I wanted to touch on was the transitions in the story. I'm pretty sure in the actual book (when I see a physical, I'll check inside to confirm) there are line breaks or something to indicate a shift in the third person POV, but in the DRC I read there weren't any and it immediately went to another point of view in the next paragraph and was very disconcerting. I'm pretty sure this was a formatting issue, but it's always good to check.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel and found it to be a refreshing fantasy read! I'd definitely recommend to someone looking for something similar to popular fantasy novels topic-wise, but without some of the more aggravating points to it.

I was getting tired of fantasy and wasn't sure if I'd like this book, but man, was I wrong! It's a slow burn book, so it took me a little while to get into it, but it was way worth it because the payoff is so satisfying.

The book is from several different third person viewpoints, but the most frequent one, Elias, a mapmaker who along with a clever 9 year old, Reyna, find a mysterious map that seems to look like one of his dead father's... the catch is that it was made after his father's death. Elias, his beautiful love interest and bad ass friend, Mercedes, and his best friend who is now the king, Ulises, try to figure out the mystery, and nothing is as it seems.

The characters are great and are well developed and a lot is packed into this richly wrought fantasy. It might seem initially slow to people, but I would recommend sticking with it, because it will be worth it in the end. I loved the story, the world, and the characters and how things are never black and white, but shades of gray.

Overall, a beautifully written novel and is intricately plotted. A must read.

I know I usually start with the positives of a book, but today, I am starting with the negative. The reason is, there really only was one negative: I really just didn't feel a ton about this book either way. Objectively, it was good and the plot was pretty interesting. But it didn't leave any kind of huge impression on me, and I feel like that's probably an important thing.

But I did like some stuff! I enjoyed the characters, and thought that they were well-written. I loved the romance aspect of the story, too. The plot is a bit of a slower paced one, and isn't full of action, but is more the characters trying to figure out certain things about their world and their loved ones. I don't dislike that sort of plot, so it was fine with me, but something to be aware of.

Bottom Line: I feel like I should have more to say, but I simply don't. It's one of "those" reviews, sorry to say. While nothing really stuck out as negative, neither did I have overwhelmingly positive feelings. It was a fine book, but not particularly memorable for me.

This is a very well-written fantasy novel that adults will probably enjoy as much as the YA target audience.

The story involves a mystery—who kidnapped two young princes on an outing almost two decades ago, and what happened to them afterwards? Another nation was blamed for the crime and was utterly destroyed in retaliation, but no trace of the princes was ever found. Then recently drawn maps are discovered that appear to be the work of Lord Antoni, the former Royal Navigator, who disappeared along with the princes. The current king, Ulises, recruits Antoni’s son Elias to follow clues hidden in the maps to find out what happened to his father and Ulises’ brothers.

There’s a lot to like about this book. The central mystery is intriguing, and while I did guess who the main culprit was, I didn’t get the full picture of who was involved and why until the end of the novel. The details about mapmaking incorporated into the plot were fascinating. There’s a real world grittiness to the story that often doesn’t appear in YA fantasies, both in terms of incidents mentioned—a trip to a barber-surgeon busy yanking out teeth, an encounter with a horrifying disfigured leper—and in the final rather shocking punishment meted out to the villain of the piece. The book definitely doesn’t have a “happily ever after” ending; it’s more like “this is the best we can do given the circumstances” instead.

The one issue I had with the book is that it didn’t really read to me like a YA novel. Not because of the grittiness, but because the main characters didn’t really come across like teenagers to me. Elias is supposed to be nineteen, but he’s a master geographer in his own right, which doesn’t seem realistic. Historical guild systems didn’t work that way, and given the realism that grounds much of the story, it seemed out of place. Beyond that, though, the experiences and reactions of Elias, Ulises, and Mercedes (Ulises’ cousin and the other major character) often read to me like they were somewhat older.

That’s really a minor quibble, though. Recommended to readers of YA and adult fantasy.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

What a fun story. Mystery and danger and adventure and secret clues in a map. Plus compelling characters and a sweet romance. I enjoyed this so much!

<i>Isle of Blood and Stone</i> is a great fantasy adventure with surprises up its sleeve. Especially in the way the clues of the story weaved together in the end. I figured out several details, but definitely not the full picture, and I had the best time watching everything unfold. I also loved the characters: Elias, Mercedes and my unexpected favorite Ulises. This story is mostly told in Elias' perspective, and I liked him so much. Although no one compares, he reminded me a little bit of Gen, in the way he can be comfortable in many settings. We also get a lot of Mercedes too. This girl has had to deal with a lot in her life because of her mixed heritage, but still she is fierce and sure of who she is. There's only one small part that features Ulises voice, and I'm hoping the next book gives us more of his POV <spoiler> and maybe a bit of a romance for him too!</spoiler>.

I'm forever a fan of a good romance and this one has one that is subtle but sure in its direction, without even the hint of a triangle (you know how that makes my heart happy). It's the perfect amount and made me grin for sure.

Put this book on your list! I cannot wait for the next in this series, and the adventures these characters will discover next.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Low. Hints of where the story will go but ends solidly.

I love maps and I love puzzles, which can both be found in Isle of Blood and Stone. I really enjoyed the story and the characters.

I love the relationship between the three main characters! Elias is an explorer and map maker. He has a wanderlust spirit that makes him curious about all things. Ulises is the King but also cares deeply about his best friend, Elias, and his cousin, Mercedes. He is very kind and I love the respect he has for others. Then of course Mercedes, who has to deal with the inequality for being a woman and prejudice against her from being half Mondragan. She’s a very strong, clever and observant. The three of them make the perfect team and I Iove how they work together and their relationship.

The romance is so cute!!! I love when two characters already have the basics of the relationship established when you start reading. It’s not a main focus of the book at all but Elias and Mercedes have been friends since children. They are not children anymore and I loved the cuteness of them kind of circling around what they actually feel for one another.

I loved this plot!! It’s a book, so I immediately suspect everyone when there is a riddle to be solved. The only people I didn’t suspect were the people who were either babies or not born at the time the original crime was committed. I loved the way the investigation is carried out in Isle of Blood and Stone. Following maps that are filled with clues, finding pieces that end up leading the complete puzzle. I also like how Elias and Mercedes both worked together and separately. Even though the POV is mostly Elias. We do get some of Mercedes as well and they end up at the same conclusions but take different routes to get there. It’s actually pretty interesting. Even though I started to suspect certain things, the motivations weren’t necessarily completely clear. It was enough not knowing to keep you reading and make it interesting when things are revealed.

The ending is perfect. When everything starts coming together. It’s not easy, where the villain is unmasked while tied up like a scooby doo cartoon. There are still obstacles that they have to overcome in order to catch them. Also they have to deal with the aftermath of everything they have learned. This is my favorite part, it doesn’t just fade to black, crime solved. We get to see the emotions of the characters as they figure out what to do with the information and how it will change their perspectives in the future.

For being a Fantasy it’s not the kind that has some big action and battle scenes. This one is more about the mystery, the maps and politics. Which I like to read both kinds.

I really enjoyed Isle of Blood and Stone. I’ll be excited to see what the next book features.

See the Full Review Here: https://wickedcoolflight.net/2018/04/10/isle-of-blood-and-stone-by-makiia-lucier-is-out-todaycongratulations-see-fly-girls-review/
I saw the description of this one on I really was intrigued. I hadn’t read any Young Adult stuff in a while, I had only been listening. I was expecting a fast paced adventure with a dramatic island type landscape. This was far from it. I would say this novel teaches friendship, follow through on promises, and perseverance. The one item I don’t like for kids is the revenge part. That comes later in the book, but there is quite a bit of it. Some of it gives the main character introspection and personal development, but not all of it.

Some of what I did love was she described the society and environment very well. There was lots of rich detail, emotion from the characters, and a sense of being there. The plot is great too. Who doesn’t want to solve a mystery from hand painted maps found throughout the kingdom. It is a wild tale that kids will enjoy. Also, as slow as it is you can assign reading at bed and they will probably still be able to put the book down when it is lights out.

I’m only giving this a 3.5 of 5 stars because of the pace of the novel and it was a little choppy. It didn’t grab my attention and keep it. The story moved too slowly. I will say if this were going to be a series I would have been able to understand the pace so she could really describe the world, but it really does have an ending that works so I don't think there will be more.

I’d been really looking forward to Isle of Blood and Stone – fantasy, maps, a dangerous treasure hunt, sounded right up my street! Oh, it was! I really enjoyed this book.

When two maps are found that seem to imply that the del Marian Kind’s two brothers survived the attack by the kingdom of Mondrago 18 years ago, King Ulises enlists his closest friend and navigating explorer, Lord Elias to help him uncover the truth. Elias has his own interest in the mystery. His late father, the Royal Navigator Lord Antoni, had been with the young princes when the attack occurred.

The King’s cousin, Mercedes, whose mother was Mondragan, joins Elias and Ulises as they attempt to find out the truth.

I loved the characters in this book. Sometimes a host of characters can feel overwhelming, but that definitely wasn’t the case here. What’s more, I felt like we actually got to know our main characters; at no point did I feel disconnected from them – a testament to Lucier’s writing.

Talking about her writing, I loved her style. It added to the feel of the book, a perfect accompaniment to the world that Lucier has created.

I found this to be a really entertaining novel. It’s easy to read, mysterious and tense at times, while wonderfully meandering at others.

When I finished reading, I actually craved more of these characters, so I was delighted to find out that there will be a second book. With the way that this book finishes, book two could go any way and I cannot wait to see what Lucier treats us to.

If you like the sound of a well-written, easy to read, fantasy treasure hunt with fantastic characters, strong females, fierce loyalty, deception and sea serpents, then this is the book for you!