At the time I requested this book I was very interested in it. Obviously, it has been a few years since I requested this and I am no longer interested in it now. It doesn't match my current reading tastes and I apologize that I didn't read it and thank you for the kindness you showed offering it to me.

It's always fun to read a fantasy that's wound up in a mystery, and Isle of Blood and Stone was no exception --- once it gets going it's the kind of book that keeps you up late into the night trying to race to the end. I loved the entire cast of characters (especially Mercedes) and THAT. FREAKING. ENDING. My heart is pounding just thinking about it, and, of course, I had to wait so painfully for book two to come out after I finished this one, which was by far the worst thing about this book!

Very slow to start but once you got going it pulled you in! Get past the first 1/4 and you won’t be able to put it down! Thoroughly enjoyed this read!

A historical fantasy coming of age adventure reminiscent of Tamora Pierce! A group of friends encounter a map that may lead them to solve a years old mystery of two missing princes whose supposed deaths have left a kingdom in disarray.

Great world building. I adored this fantasy world and I recommend this book to every fan of the genre.

Missing Princes and Mysterious Maps

Ten years after his father was kidnapped and murdered, along with the realm's two older princes, Elias is given two maps which suggest they are still alive. Although highly reluctant to follow up in the clues, Elias caves to the will of his best friend and king, who wants to learn more about his missing older brothers. Together with King Ulises and friend/crush Mercedes, they brave haunted forests and monster-infested waters, following the clues left by the map.
A small world and a slow pace

The story, despite sounding like it would be a grand adventure, actually has more of a slice of life feeling to it. Elias and the others never leave their island kingdom, and each have day-to-day duties that still need attending. Elias is a navigator preparing for an upcoming expedition, Ulises is a king and all that comes with such rank, and Mercedes is a diplomat. It is, frankly, almost as if the mission to find the three missing people is an after thought that they fit into their spare time.


And...yeah, I don't care. I loved these characters too much, along with the myriad of side characters who make appearances. The story is largely character driven and introspective, which works out GREAT when you have interesting characters. The world as well was great, with a lot of character and color. I loved the low fantasy aspect of it, where there were no magic users or overt magic going on, but it was considered only slightly odd to have literal ghosts and sea monsters roaming around.


More romance, please!

Plus, oh I was a sucker for that romance between Elias and Mercedes. There wasn't near enough of it in this book. Then again, that seems to be my curse: the lighter the touch the more I want it, but I only want it because there's not enough of it. This author has a talent for adorable stubborn dorks who clearly are pining after each other but are too busy snarking to admit it.



Will I read this author again? Anything she puts out, yes.

Will I continue this series? Check back in a few days for a review of Song of the Abyss

(to be posted 8/16)

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and the fact that the title has been archived.

I adore high fantasies with the element of 'historical' fiction, which is what Isle of Blood and Stone executed perfectly. This adventure was riveting from start to end hit me in all of the feels.

Wasn't what I expected but still a good read! I wanted more world building which is a personal preference. Would definitely try another book by the author.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 1/5

Publication Date: April 10th, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t say, DNFed

Pages: 400

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.

The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side—whether he wants her there or not—Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

And yet another book I had to DNF a bit ago. I tried to read this about 3 months before and I just couldn’t get past the first 50 pages. I thought the writing was really weird and the characters weren’t connecting with me. The pacing was also really slow for me and I just couldn’t connect well to this story.

Verdict: I couldn’t connect to this one.

HELL YEAH SURPRISE 5 STAR
The best 5 star reads are the ones that take you by surprise. I don’t know why I expected to have mixed feelings on this, I hadn’t even seen any reviews for it. It’s a real diamond in the rough. Great characters, a quest, side plot romance that doesn’t take over the plot, and a rich fantasy world is everything I love.

Incredibly atmospheric
Obviously I loved a lot of things in ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE, but what really made it a great fantasy was the atmosphere. The writing in this is fantastic. The descriptions are incredibly well written and really paint a brilliant picture of what’s going on. It was nice to read after finishing a book that had pretty mediocre writing.

NA fantasy with intriguing politics
While there is a mystery and quest central to the plot, the politics of the world are just as fleshed out as they should be in any decent fantasy. And because the characters were older (19 year olds) and higher up the social ranks, they had big parts of play in the society.

I couldn’t get enough of these characters
Like I said before, the characters were one of my favourite parts of ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE. The dynamics were so beautiful. I had so many character feels. It’s a shame we didn’t get see all that much of Ulises and Mercedes and their complicated lives.

What is left for a sequel?
According to Goodreads, there is a sequel to ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE coming next year. Which I am not mad about at all, but… I don’t know where the story will go. Everything central to these characters has pretty much wrapped up and I’m scared it might drag the story on. Unless it’s set 5-7 years in the future and features one of the kids in this book as an adult… HELL YEAH I’D SIGN UP FOR THAT.

In Summary
ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE is my third 5 star read of the year. It had everything I love in a fantasy: great characters, a quest plot line, interesting politics, and beautiful writing. Everything wraps up so well that I’m surprised it has a sequel in the works. I highly recommend ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE to any fans of fantasy.

I am thrilled to say that this wasn't just another YA fantasy book, like so many that are out at the moment.
It was a brilliant read with incredible world building and great characters.

The setting was clearly so well planned and thought out. The hard work definitely showed and paid off!

It was nice to read a fantasy that didn't overwhelm with action or huge amounts of complicated details.
I am not usually a fan of overwhelming love storylines but I really liked the little aspects of childhood romance sprinkled throughout.

I especially loved that this book overall was a mystery. I really enjoyed the who-dun-it aspect and the twists and turns kept my interest.

Great read!!!

Plot was interesting, but slow. It took me a really long time to finish because I would get bored, go read something else, and then come back to this.

Loved the mystery component and grew attached to the characters as I kept reading, and I ended up staying up late to finish.

I definitely liked how this book was slower paced, and less rushed than other fantasy books. I enjoyed the characters, however the story didn’t completely grip me. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good, and pretty well written, but I was never itching to finish it.

I'm so disappointed with myself because despite Isle of Blood and Stone being a well-written, interesting YA fantasy. . . I don't feel anything for it. Did it excite me? Eh, not really. Did I hate it? No, it was a good book.

This fantasy isn't a super action-packed adventure, taking a slower pace as the characters attempt to uncover a mystery that was left in the unknown for almost two decades. From a writing standpoint, I couldn't put my finger on it but it almost felt like a middle grade novel. Yet the main character, Elias, is 19, so the upper end of YA. The combination was interesting and I quite liked it, giving this book a different edge.

The mystery takes over the bulk of the plot and becomes a bit of a Clue game with who committed the crime with the poison in the meadow. But I liked that the story didn't focus solely on the mystery. There's a lot about family, a theme strongly supported by Elias's own family, the kinship between the navigators, the strong bonds between him and his friends, and so on. I think this sends a great message and gave the story the added depth it needed since it did move at a slower pace.

But Elias? He wasn't exactly memorable. He became less of a multi-faceted character and more of a name on the page. I found I gravitated toward the side characters such as Mercedes, Reyna, and even Commander Aimon. Mercedes is a highly independent young woman who works as a diplomat for her nation and I loved that she not only had a role of power but wasn't overly "strong" (where the author makes a point to remind you over and over that she's independent). Reyna is a nine-year-old wannabe navigator and all I could think was that I wanted to know her story because she's forced to overcome so much because she's a girl. Even at 9, she had something at stake. And Commander Aimon was a bit aloof but I could see something beyond that, and I wondered who he was before the time of the story.

That said, I did like that the romance subplot was already partially established. Mercedes and Elias grew up together, they have history and early on you can tell there is love there of some kind. But coming in where the story did with their relationship also meant that I didn't have much time to really develop an interest in the two of them getting together (which affected some of the tenser moments in the book).

But I'm getting nit-picky. Isle of Blood and Stone was a unique read I would recommend to YA readers of all ages. There's a bit of action, plenty of mystery, strong family vibes, and a well-written cast to fall in love with. The story, though I realize it's a part of a series, reads well as a standalone with a satisfying ending. Overall, I liked it. I don't feel strongly one way or the other about this book, but I'd recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier! The book opens with a beautiful map and the prologue begins innocently enough with the introduction of characters and setting. Then it closes with a bang. Chapter one takes place eighteen years later when a map is found suggesting that the two young royal brothers and Lord Antoni may not have perished all those years ago. This introductory book in this series gives us a taste of the intrigue and danger still to come. Mercedes is bold and interesting. Elias is determined and stubborn. I’m looking forward to more character development in the next series installment! 4 stars for this fantasy fiction!

Isle of Blood and Stone was a delight. It had an almost high fantasy feeling, what with the central quest to solve a kingdom’s greatest mystery, though its magic and fantastic elements weren’t nearly as splashy as a high fantasy comparison would suggest. I enjoyed the world with its haunted forests, constant expeditions, saints, sea dragons, and destroyed kingdoms. The main characters, Elias and Mercedes, were compelling, and I was more than happy to trail in their wakes as they worked to uncover the mysteries of the maps and the vanished princes. There was a strong cast of supporting characters (most notably Reyna, with an honorable mention to Ulises). While I personally felt that the unmasking of the true villain was fairly obvious, the mystery itself was well plotted and the emotional payoff upon the discovery of all of the truth was immensely satisfying. I’m looking forward to the next book.

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.