Song of the Abyss, the followup to Isle of Blood and Stone (Tower of the Winds series), introduces Reyna, who is an explorer and mapmaker for her royal homeland of St. Jon Del Mar. As the story opens, she is sailing home, when pirates attack her ship and take the sailors prisoner by bewitching them with a siren song. Reyna escapes with her maps and swims to shore where she meets Prince Levi of Lunes, who is grieving the death of his father. After hearing her story, he insists on taking her to her ship, which they find abandoned, aside from the corpses of sailors who were old or infirm. Levi insists she return to Lunes with one of his men, but she, fearing he will steal her maps, escapes when they get to the harbor and boards a ship bound for home. When the emissaries from her kingdom sail to the Lunerian king's funeral, they, too are abducted. Together Reyna and Levi uncover the disturbing truth about all the missing men, who have been taken to a kingdom in the north. They travel to the kingdom under the guise of delivering a shipment of clay and devise a rescue plan once they find the men. This romantic sea-faring adventure, complete with ghosts, sirens, magic and romance, will keep readers on the edge of their seat. Although set in the Tower of the Winds world with some recognizable characters, this book is a standalone fantasy with an exciting new plot and cast of characters.

(Note: This book includes graphic depictions of violence and mild body horror.)

I very much enjoyed Makiia Lucier’s previous Tower of Winds novel, Isle of Blood and Stone, so I was thrilled to get an eARC of Song of the Abyss. While Song is a sequel, both books are standalone. Characters from Isle do make appearances, but they’re secondary to Reyna, who is no longer a child and has become a mapmaker. One of the things I love most about this book is the world that Lucier built, where mapmakers and mythological creatures all vie for attention on the page. There is a sense of wonder and magic in this world, from whirlpools that hold onto the spirits of those that drowned within them to the excitement of finding a topographical feature that no one else has recorded before. This is a wide world filled with pirates and secretive courts and the possibility of finding something or someone new if you just look far enough.

Reyna is a fantastic protagonist and an excellent mapmaker: smart, resourceful, and unquestionably brave even when some pretty terrifying stuff is going on around her. On top of that, her compassion and kindness are significant assets to her as she tries to figure out exactly who has been kidnapping crews at sea and why. Those qualities frequently help her obtain allies where she would otherwise flounder or miss out on key information or help.

I also enjoyed Reyna’s developing relationship with Levi. It was easy to see why they could be drawn to one another at the start of the book, so I didn’t feel like their separation in the first part of the book negatively impacted my ability to buy into their romance later on. I enjoyed their dynamic, especially as they had opportunities to trust in and learn about one another throughout the story. I was particularly pleased with the trust Levi showed in Reyna at the climax and the state of their relationship at the very end of the book.

That said, I do wish Reyna and Levi had spent more time together, if only because I wanted to see more of them. However, the separation allowed the chance to flesh out the supporting cast, most of whom were solid characters in their own right. I was particularly fond of Blaise and her character arc.

Recommendation: Get it soon. Song of the Abyss is a solid fantasy book, especially if you like tales about exploration. Reyna’s quest to unravel the mystery of the disappearances at sea is well worth the journey, and the world that Makiia Lucier built is easy to dive into. Even if you haven’t read the first novel, you should give Song of the Abyss a chance.

I give the book three and half stars. I had trouble with the story. I had trouble reading the first 100 pages. The story picked up and I was able to finish the book. I just felt the pacing of the story was off balance. However, I would still recommend the book because I loved the characters.

3.5 Stars. Best enjoyed on a beach or on a boat and with a sense of adventure.

I’d like to preface this review by stating that although this book is a sequel t0 the Tower of Winds, it is not necessary to read the first book prior to this one. Although the del Marians often elude to events that happened in the first book, the storytelling in this one is not dependent on that and the story does truly stand on its own.

Reyna is a mapmaker for the kingdom of St. John del Mar. During one of her adventures, her ship is overtaken by a mysterious group led by a distinctive leader with an interesting sword topped by a chrysanthemum. The men aboard her ship, seemingly in a trance, transfer themselves to the ships that had overtaken them and Reyna escapes into the unforgiving sea, finding her way to the kingdom of Lunes where she meets a handsome stranger, Levi, who turns out to be a Lunesian prince. After a small coup, she escapes back to St. John del Mar where she puzzles out who could have possibly taken her crew. While home, Lord Elias and her childhood friend Jaime, two very important people in Reyna’s life, take a ship of their own to investigate these pirates or slave traders…and fail to return, seemingly gone the same way. It is up to Reyna to band together with Levi, whose own brother, Asher, was taken the same way. They must search for their lost loved ones in a distant, isolated, and lush kingdom once thought to be legend, and figure out what this leader did with them before the people they love are lost forever.

Overall, Song of the Abyss was pretty good. The first half of it is where most of my issues stem from, and it’s mostly just because it’s super slow up until Levi and Reyna travel. I admittedly struggled to get into it because it seemed like there was a lot of people judging Reyna as only being ‘pretty’ and not recognizing her value as a scholar. Although this is kind of how the world worked in any other time setting, it was nonetheless a bit of a distraction from the adventure itself. There was also a little bit of insta-love, will they/won’t they, which I can take or leave that could have been written better. Maybe that’s a little nitpick-y, but I just wasn’t into it.

However, the last half of the book really started to amp up and the totality of the story was completely redeemed for me, starting with the maelstrom, which caught my attention and made me snap to attention and took my imagination for a ride. The remainder of the book took place in a once-mythical kingdom and their culture, which seemed to be a mix of Egyptian, Ancient Chinese, and Ancient Central American cultures. This is where palace intrigue, and world building sunk its teeth into me and I couldn’t put the book down until I was done.

The world, the characters, and the various locations are all described in detail and the main characters are fleshed out nicely. If you need to top off your summer reading list, I recommend this satisfying fantasy that will take you on an interesting adventure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

In SONG OF THE ABYSS, the second installment of Makiia Lucier's TOWER OF WINDS series, 17-year-old orphan and apprentice mapmaker Reyna's ship is raided by mysterious, revenant-like soldiers. Reyna must abandon ship and flee toward safety, leaving every single crew member behind and taking only the ship's most valuable maps with her as she swims toward foreign shores in search of help--and an explanation. So begins a great adventure that will thrust Reyna into the paths of sovereigns and princes (and worse) as she travels the high seas and explores foreign kingdoms never before seen by the wider world, all while trying to solve the mystery of the strange soldiers and the truth about what happened to her shipmates.

SONG OF THE ABYSS may be the second book in the series, but it's a stand-alone story most readers can enjoy without having read book one, ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE (though there are maybe a few details only returning readers will be able to appreciate). Readers who enjoyed book one will find the same lively cast of characters plus a few new faces, though Reyna's narrative definitely takes the spotlight--her desire to become a master of the Tower of Winds, her journey to save her friends, as well as her romance with Prince Levi of Lunes take center stage. It features the same accessible prose and the same deft descriptions of lovely landscapes that made IOBAS so enjoyable. In my humble opinion, Reyna's story was even *more* engaging than Lord Elias and Mercedes's (which I liked) . . . though I have hopes (and SUSPICIONS!) about book three.

Fantasy Cultures + Swashbuckling Adventure + Mystery + Dash of Romance = A Winning Combination on which Lucier now has a signature stamp, in good company with Susan Dennard (Witchlands) and V.E. Schwab (Shades of Magic).

If you loved IOBAS, chances are good that you'll love this one, too. And if you *haven't* read IOBAS, don't let that stop you from picking this one up (unless you plan to read book one and want to avoid the spoilers . . . there are one or two big ones). Any reader should be able to jump right in without confusion--for the most part, this book based on an entirely new adventure and events or existing relationships that require explanation are given it. Anyone who loves seafaring adventure tales of exploration, and discovery should definitely give it a try.

**I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine.**

I really loved this book. Having just read the first book set in this world, I was really excited for this companion following Reyna. Reyna is a great character and I love reading about her adventures and friendships. Strong friendships are a huge aspect of these stories and I absolutely love that. The romance is sweet but it doesn't overtake the story. There is just something about this world that clicks for me and I absolutely love reading about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I keep my reviews spoiler-free, and they are unaffected by the free copy.

I did enjoy the previous book, mainly for the journey, so I was interested in seeing what would happen here. This book is kind of a sequel in that it takes place years after the first one, but I don't think it's necessary to have read the first. It's been long enough I didn't even realize this had connections with the first until I looked back at my review and saw that a few of the same characters are in both books.

I hate always picking on the romance in YA, but the previous book did a decent job with it. I remember that they already knew each other, so there was some trust and companionship built in. Here we're stuck with the same YA romance tropes that pop up in every book: couple meeting and getting feelings despite rarely talking to each other, one half of the couple (the guy in this case) getting jealous because the other DARES to have a friend of the opposite sex, absolutely no chemistry yet we're supposed to believe they're falling in love or at least have an interest in each other, you know the drill. I was inwardly screaming whenever one of these tropes popped up.

Also, I understand that the author is mimicking a time period, but the casual sexism in this book made me so angry. Especially at the beginning, characters kept saying "Oh, that's pretty good. For a girl" or were surprised that Reyna was into exploring and maps and stuff, or were asking why she wasn't interested in being married and having babies. Basically, if Reyna is in the scene and there are men around, expect someone to make a sexist comment. Also, it seemed like every character had to comment on how beautiful she was.

This is a pretty chill book, like the previous one. I didn't get a real sense of the plot until about 30% into the book, and even then I never fully felt there was a sense of urgency in what they were doing. Things do pick up in the last third, but then it's sped up and resolved without much effort. It's really hard to describe. I still liked the book, but mostly for the creatures and exploring. If this book had cut out all the sexist comments and the romance, I would've liked it so much more.

If you liked the previous book, you'll like this one as well. This duology is definitely not for everyone, though. It's slower, more chill, and more about exploring the world than in action.

I read the first book in this series last summer. I really enjoyed it but it wasn't super memorable. Lucier's second novel in the series is so much more fun and I really enjoyed it much better than the first novel. The characters were more relatable and the pace of the novel was a lot steadier. I thought the storyline was a lot of fun and I was constantly on my toes. Plus, who doesn't love a badass female lead character? I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy YA fantasy, and I don't think you really even need to read the first novel to enjoy this one. Thank you to NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for and honest review.

Magnificent sequel!
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and a goodreads giveaway for the opportunity to read and review Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier!
The story begins eight years after Isle of Blood and Stone. Reyna is now a teenager and struggling to sneak off a ship that’s under attack. She saves herself and her maps because of her logic, swimming abilities and help from sea worms. Reyna ends up in Selene, in the kingdom of Lunes, where the king has just died. She’s the only person that escaped the attack. She accidentally meets Levi, one of the princes, as he’s grieving the loss of his father. He’s Captain of the Royal Guard and tries to detain Reyna so he can question her more but she escapes and finds a ship heading back to her home in Del Mar. Levi and his sister, Queen Vashti, visit Reyna’s kingdom to discuss ships being attacked since both kingdoms have people missing. Reyna helps Levi on the quest to find their loved ones and together they discover a horrible and treacherous deception. Song of the Abyss weaves a tale of differing kingdoms and cultures; one of them backwards and secluded and struggling to survive. A bit of historical fiction is added along with mythological creatures to create a fantasy that I loved; 5 stars for a book I couldn’t put down!

What a fantastic fantasy series. Once again left wanting more of this authors writing. It has all the political intrigue of a better written GoT and a lot of heart. Can't wait to see what Makiia does next.

Reyna wants nothing more in the world than a boat under her feet, blank parchment, and new lands on the horizon. Once she turns eighteen, she can complete her master work and become an official Master Explorer and Map Maker; then she will have everything she needs to accomplish her dreams. However, not everything is smooth sailing. After surviving and escaping an attack on her ship, Reyna finds herself at the hands of the neighboring royalty. Can she trust them, especially Prince Levi, to help her figure out who attacked her ship and find her shipmates?

In Song of the Abyss, the second in the Tower of Winds series, by Makiia Lucier, we are taken on a mystical adventure full of pirates, ghosts, sirens, and intriguing new lands. Knowledge of the first book helps the reader understand references to past events and characters, but is not necessary to enjoy this installment. Lucier begins her novel with a pirate attack and a daring escape, but then the story proceeds at a more relaxed pace. Her writing lacks adornment and has no unneeded flourishes, and since Reyna is a no-nonsense-kind of-girl, it fits.

Song of the Abyss is a plot-centered novel. The events drive the action forward while the character interactions slow things down, creating some inconsistent pacing. However, the plot is engaging and keeps the reader guessing at what obstacles will come next and the actions of the antagonist.

While Lucier gives insight into the mind of Reyna, I found myself wanting to know more about the side characters, especially her friend Blaise and Prince Levi. Hopefully, the next book will provide more character development for them. In terms of the romance in Song of the Abyss, as much as I was rooting for Reyna and Levi to get together, I felt that their romance fell a little flat. It felt too rushed.

While I really like the characters in Song of the Abyss, I lacked a connection to the them. Perhaps if I had read book one, I would have had more of an investment. Also, the pace was driven more by the plot, which means that not as much time was invested in fully developing the characters. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed Song of the Abyss, and I will happily dive into book three when it is released. Overall I give this novel 3.5/5 stars and would recommend it to fans of seafaring adventures and Passenger.

HOLY CRAP. I loved the first book, and the second is even better, you guys!

Remember Reyna, everyone’s favorite little badass from Isle of Blood and Stone? Reyna is the granddaughter of former Royal Navigator Lord Silva, and she’s the one who discovered the map who set off all the action of the first book. Well, Song of the Abyss takes place eight years after the events of Isle of Blood and Stone. Reyna is now seventeen and well on her way to becoming a Master Explorer, in spite of St. John del Mar’s institutionalized patriarchy. Reyna is on her way home from a year of exploring and creating gorgeous, painstakingly detailed maps when her ship is attacked by pirates. Never a good thing. These pirates speak a language similar to that spoken on the island of Coronad, and, of course, their ship has no identifying markers. Somehow, with the help of some pied-piper-esque magic, the pirates manage to take Reyna’s ship without a fight. Reyna just barely manages to escape, hitching a ride with some friendly sea worms to the nearby Isle of Lunes.

Lunes is having it’s own problems at the moment: the king has just died and his eldest daughter Vashti is now queen. The queen has two younger brothers - Levi, a dashing sea captain, and Asher, a lovable, but clueless college student who is bad with money. When Reyna arrives, soaking wet, on Lunes, literally the first person she meets is Levi, drowning his sorrows after the death of his father. Reyna just wants to find the first Del Marian ship she can and get the hell out - Lunes and St. John del Mar are allies, but they’d gladly stab one another in the back at the first opportunity. If the Royal Family of Lunes finds out who Reyna is, well, they’ll make her turn over her precious, precious maps. So Reyna ditches Levi, hops on a ship and heads back to St. John del Mar.

Everything’s fine now, right? Nope. Soon after Reyna gets home, Queen Vashti shows up, Levi in tow. They want to figure out what is up with these pirates - turns out these weird maybe-they’re-from-Coronad-but-not-really type pirates are really from a place called Miramar. Miramar is an isolationist nation that rarely ever admits foreigners. The Del Marians and Lunesians don’t really know all that much about them, except that they sent all their convicts to Coronad, Australia style, hence the similar language. Few Miranese ever leave Miramar...so why are bands of Miranese pirates suddenly raiding the seas and kidnapping sailors? The Lunesians want to know because, well, poor dumb Asher, after learning of his father’s death, hopped on the first ship he could find and ended up disappearing. Soon after, Reyna’s friend and mentor, Lord Elias, along with her childhood friend Jamie, also disappear. They’ve all been taken without a fight by these Miranese pirates and now everyone wants to know a) why; b) how; c) what the actual hell; and d) are their friends and loved ones still alive?

To find the missing, they must have an adventurous Master Explorer and a daring Sea Captain sail across the sea to the mysterious nation of Miramar to figure out what the hell is going on. So Reyna and Levi head west on Levi’s ship, the Truthsayer, to solve this mystery and definitely not fall in love or anything like that. Nope. Not gonna happen. They just want to find their friends and loved ones, that’s all.

Since I absolutely loved Isle of Blood and Stone, it almost goes without saying that, yes, I absolutely loved Song of the Abyss as well. We get to see more of the world Lucier introduced us to in the first novel, plus we get an entire story dedicated to the now all-grown-up Reyna, who was one of my favorite characters from the first book. If you haven’t read Isle of Blood and Stone, then you definitely want to do that, especially if you’re a fan of action/adventure YA fantasies with lots of political intrigue, ghosts, monstrous sea creatures and a leprosy subplot. If you go into Song of the Abyss blind, you might feel a little lost, but if you’re already a fan, then you’ll absolutely be in your element. Song of the Abyss starts out exciting and then just keeps going. At no point does the story drag or feel tedious - there’s a good balance between all of the action and the quieter moments in between. The romance between Reyna and Levi is sweet and develops naturally, but everyone’s main focus is on finding out what happened to their friends. The setting is, again, fantastic - the whole world of St. John del Mar definitely sounds like somewhere you’d want to visit (though maybe skip Miramar...). Also, I am just so fricking happy that Reyna got her own book - she’s a tenacious badass adventurer who isn’t about to let pirates or the patriarchy or feuding royals get in the way of her desire to be a Master Explorer.

My only complaint is that, after Song of the Abyss, we won’t be getting any more. According to the Word of God, this is to be our last foray into the world of the Tower of the Winds. Fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a third book? Maybe?

Song of the Abyss dives right into the action when the main character Reyna has to flee her ship from mysterious raiders. Her escape lands her in a rival country where her path collides with their Prince Levi.  Reyna and Levi soon find themselves thrust together on a high seas adventure to unravel the mystery behind the raiders who have taken their loved ones. This book was a faced paced and interesting read that had just enough romance to keep me going.  The characters and world were well developed and I really enjoyed each of them.

This is the second book in the Tower of Winds series but it could also be read as a standalone as no back story was needed. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars as it is lacking any really unique element, although I am very interested to see what Lucier does with this world in the future.


Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Books for the opportunity to review this advanced copy for my honest opinion.

DNF | 30%
Unfortunately, I was not intrigued by the overall story and it was truly jarring to be reading this book without first reading the first installment in the series. I did enjoy the plot and characters; it just felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. I will not be completing it SONG OF THE ABYSS.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I was extremely excited to get approved for an ARC of this via NetGalley! This has been an anticipated read for me and Fantasy is one of my favorite genres. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book, even though I ended up slightly disappointed in the end. The plot was an interesting adventure/mystery in a well-imagined world with a lot of interesting elements. I was never bored. This version of the Mediterranean Sea was filled with magical elements and cultures very reminiscent of ancient Greek sagas. The pacing was great, giving us action, adventure, mystery and a little bit of romance. The character development was well-done, and I really liked all of the main characters. Reyna is smart, spunky, and determined. She isn't too much of a cliche and I liked her. In a lot of ways, I could wish for another book with these characters, although it seems like there won't be one. I'll definitely look out for other books by this author. I found their writing style fresh and lively.
The only thing that disappointed me was the somewhat lackluster plot development after the first half of the book. There was every indication that we were going to get an adventure in an unknown land, with a mystery of personal importance to solve. However, the discovery was downplayed. Reyna and the other main characters fit too easily into this foreign land and hardly had any trouble figuring out what the mystery was. It was too easy, and that made it unsatisfying. I wanted them to stretch their skills more, to make mistakes and have to struggle out of them, to take risks and work it out on the fly. The lackluster ending downgraded it to a "nice" book, rather than a great book.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful companion to Isle of Blood and Stone! I loved that this book centered around Reyna and her adventures. I felt like Song of the Abyss had the same tone, and it was just lovely to be in the atmospheric, enchanting world that Makiia Lucier has created. While I have to admit that Song of the Abyss doesn't feel particularly ground-breaking, it's a world that I love to visit, and has characters that I love to spend time with. If you are looking for a classic fantasy world with likeable characters, this is an absolute must!

I did not read Lucier's previous book, but I will say that this one was a prime example of the author's storytelling capabilities. Rich world-building, deep characters, all the stuff that is right up my alley!

The action starts right off the bat and immerses you into the world quickly, which allows for the plot to move right along, which to me, was fantastic.

Since I've read Tamora Pierce, I can definitely say that fans who love her work would DEFINITELY love this!

I enjoyed Song of the Abyss more than I thought I would from the first few pages. What I thought would be a cotton candy fantasy romance turned out to have a cool mystery inside! That's not to say this book is perfect, but it was a satisfying plane read.
The main character, Reyna, has a lot of personality and agency. Things don't happen TO her, she makes her own choices about where to go and what to do. Her chosen profession is also unique and one I hadn't seen in a fantasy book before. I could have done with less focus on how beautiful she is (it's a book, I can't see her, and not only pretty girls can do awesome things), but that's a common failing with YA literature.
Prince Levi, on the other hand, was a fairly standard archetype. He's conventionally attractive, he's royal, he's got a lot of weight on his shoulders, he isn't immediately friendly; this is ground well-trodden in other books. That's not to say I didn't like his character, but that he wasn't all that unique.
My favorite character may have been Blaise-- her motivations were fascinating to read about (SHE WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR, DANG IT), and I was so happy with the way her story wrapped up. It was nice to see Reyna's best friend be a bit more than just a cardboard cutout; Blaise had her own subplot going on and I'd read a book about her later adventures.
The worldbuilding sort of bugged me, if only because there wasn't enough of it. I felt like all the countries were vaguely based on European and Asian countries, which can work well sometimes, but I didn't get a real feel for any of the cultures listed. The religions and fantastical creatures in the book also didn't get a ton of explanation-- we hear a lot about finned lions, but I feel like I couldn't imagine one if I tried. This may be partially because this book is the second set in in this world, which I JUST found out when I went to post this review to Goodreads. Maybe there was more exposition about the world in the first book.
The main mystery of this book took just a bit too long to really get started; there was a lot of foreshadowing, but it read like 75% of the book was leading up to the grand mission to uncover the mystery, while 25% of it was true action and wrapping up. I did figure out the big secret a few pages before the characters did, but younger readers might be totally surprised.
This review might sound like a lot of complaints, but this story had a clear arc and everything wrapped up neatly at the end, while still leaving room for a possible sequel. I had a good time in Lucier's fantasy world overall, and would definitely consider returning. Song of the Abyss leans a little on some familiar tropes, but the author shows a lot of potential to write solid, interesting standalone novels with unique themes.