One of the smoothest transitions to a second book I've read. This time Reyna, who was a minor player in the first book, steps into the protagonist role and does a stellar job. The romantic tension between her and Levi is great, and the events and tight situations in the story make for a fast page turning experience. This is the third book I've read by the author and I'm looking forward to many more. ( )

This is a companion book to the young adult fantasy mystery and romance Isle of Blood and Stone.

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, the author wrote that her stories come from a love of the Indiana Jones movies as well as a lifelong fascination with old maps. Both of these passions are evident in her work.

We met most of the characters in this book in the previous one, but eight years have passed. The focus is now on Reyna, who is 17 and an aspiring mapmaker who must come up with a masterwork for the School of Navigation. She is on a ship sailing home to St. John del Mar when the ship is attacked. Something was very strange about the attackers and their methods however. In any event, Reyna managed to escape, and made it to Selene, the capital city of the neighboring kingdom of Lunes.

Swimming up to the dock in Selene, Reyna encountered Prince Levi, mourning his father - the king - who had just died. They are drawn to one another, but Reyna felt she had to leave on the first del Marian ship she saw to go home and if possible get help for the captured crew of her ship. Back in del Mar, it was decided that Lord Elias, now 27, would go to Luna for the coronation of the new queen, Levi’s older sister Vashti.

Before long, Levi showed up in St. John del Mar to report that Elias’s ship and the whole crew had also been taken under mysterious circumstances, and Levi’s brother Asher - traveling home on a different ship - was missing as well.

Levi and Reyna set out together to find their friends and family who had vanished. What they discovered was stranger and more dangerous than they could have imagined.

Evaluation: I love the characters in this series as well as the world-building - imaginative but not too complicated. Although part of a duology, either book can be read as a standalone, but if you read one, you will want to read more! My only complaint is that there were several loose ends left dangling at the end of this second book. I hope this means the author will consider another companion book to continue the story. ( )

Literary Merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
Recommended: Recommended
Level: High School and above

What a fun read! I am a big fan of sea-faring books, and this one did not disappoint. Having chosen this from my review group at work, I didn’t have time to read Isle of Blood and Stone first, however, these are companion novels and can totally be read independent of each other which was so nice!

The world building was excellent, and only expanded on what I’m sure was initially instilled in book one. I was able to catch on quickly to the different kingdoms and the caste system without anything being overly info-dumpy, which can be attributed to the great writing style. The novel begins with action from the start, throwing the reader directly into the story which I really loved. From there the pacing continues at a good speed and I found myself flying through this book in a day.

The characters are also wonderful. From what I’ve seen in other reviews, I believe Reyna was a young girl in book one and acted as a side character. In Song of the Abyss, she’s all grown up and having adventures of her own. Reyna is a map-maker in training for the royal family and after a few mishaps, ends up on an adventure with Prince Levi of a rival kingdom in order to save those they both care about. I love that Reyna is smart and compassionate and not afraid to speak her truth. Levi is sweet and caring and ready to help. They have a connection almost immediately, but their romance develops nicely over the course of the book without the insta-love factor. It’s there as a secondary plot element, which is great, seeing at the main focus is finding their friends and family who have vanished and saving them from a cruel fate. There’s also a really large focus on women who work together and support each other, instead of betraying and tearing each other down, so I appreciated that aspect of the novel a lot.

I really enjoyed picking this one up and now I think I’ll go back and read the first book in the series. Can’t wait to see what Makiia Lucier writes next! ( )