This title takes the place of my Young Adult fantasy read for my reading challenge. I pretty much chose it at the library off the new YA shelf because the cover was so compelling. It’s not rare to find fiction based on folklore and mythology, but it is rare to find titles based on the mythology of the Pacific Islanders. In this novel, we follow Hanalei of Tamarind, once a revered lady from a royal family. When we meet her, she’s living in exile following the actions of her father who absconded from Tamarind with something important in order to save his daughter. After several years of scraping by to survive, she finds herself studying sea dragons. These majestic creatures are hunted by most, and their eggs, called dragonfruit, are richly sought for their magical properties. After encountering a group of dragons bearing dragonfruit, Hanalei finds herself back in Tamarind for the purpose of helping her childhood friend, Sam, obtain dragonfruit to save his mother who has been stuck in a permanent state of unconsciousness for the past 10 years. Together they will rekindle their old friendship and battle foes, both magical and human, on a quest to restore the future queen to her place on the throne.

Review

Truly, this is one of the most unique and refreshing storylines. I applaud Lucier’s ability to come up with something that hasn’t been done before. I liked Hanalei as a character. She’s strong, independent, complicated, and highly intelligent. I don’t think Sam was quite as well developed, and it was quite difficult to understand the chemistry between the two. We basically just know they were great friends, and they still like each other. A lot. I can’t say that we truly get to see how powerful their bond is or the potential it has to grow into something more. The adventure at hand takes center stage, and I normally like that. I would, however, like to be able to feel the chemistry if it’s a romance.

If you are, like me, a person who can read a book in which people are mercilessly mowed down but have serious issues with animal deaths, this isn’t the book for you. It may be due to the fact that Lucier did a wonderful job bringing the animal/magical creatures to life in this, infusing them with personality and complexity. She did a better job with them than with the human characters, if I’m being honest. That really makes a lot of what happens to be difficult to handle, especially because she doesn’t give us much of a break from it.

I had a few issues with pacing and found myself losing focus sometimes. It honestly took me a while to get through this one, as short as it was, because I’d get distracted by other things. Overall, I’d say I enjoyed the refreshing and unique vibe, but the execution could use a little polish.

Published April 9, 2024 by Clarion Books. ISBN 9780358272106. Hardcover. 356 pages.