Under the Radar

Man, I got sucked in by Biden's speech and almost forgot to post today. (Not bad, but I think I coulda stuck with Googling the transcript tomorrow. I'd give it a B+ and I'll upgrade that to an A if any of those major pieces of legislation pass in the next two months.) No longer in the mood for writing up anything lengthy.

I've read and reviewed a number of YA novels here. Most of them seem to have gotten a fair amount of fanfare (blog tours, social media mentions, banner ads on book websites, strategic Listicle placement, etc.), but I've encountered a few that seemed to slip largely under the radar. Two of those are Isle of Blood and Stone and Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier. Sure, there are some things about these books that are formulaic, but like a good rock song, sometimes all you want is a formula well executed. And, in fact, these books do also put some variation into the formula.

The fantasy world of Isle of Blood and Stone seemed reminiscent of Portugal in the Age of Explorers, with a nobility invested in trade, seafaring, and map-making. The writer is from Guam, and I suspect aspects of that heritage make their way into the worldbuilding of the island kingdom of St. John del Mar (although I really don't know enough about the history of Guam--I didn't even know it was colonized by Spain until I Googled after reading this series.)The book follows two young nobles--Elias, whose mapmaker father was killed years ago when the two heirs to throne were abducted and murdered, and Mercedes, an orphaned noblewoman of mixed ancestry who currently serves as diplomat and spy. When a map with a hidden riddle is discovered, it raises questions: could Elias' father and the lost princes be alive after all? who was really behind the abduction, and is there a traitor in the palace?

Sure, there are tropes, including it sometimes stretching the belief that two young nobles, basically alone, are entrusted with the investigations and adventures. (Also, in terms of worldbuilding, there are a few objectionable throw-away details, like a casual reference to cannibalism.) But Lucier does a good job of maintaining tension and keeping up the mystery; though it's fairly obvious there is a traitor, the older adult characters are drawn sympathetically yet leaving room for suspicion (and I had at least one surprise). Elias and Mercedes are likable, and there's a real sense of history to the setting. 

So why doesn't this book get more buzz? Does it fall into a common pattern of writers of color receiving less publisher support than white writers? Did it get a big publisher book but (surely at least somewhat outside the target audience) just missed it? The treachery and the encounter with a leper may be a bit darker than the content of some YA books--but honestly not that much; such an argument would be a real stretch. I don't know why I hadn't heard of it before it showed up in my "you might also like" scrolling, but I found Isle of Blood and Stone to be a refreshingly enjoyable read.

I don't think Song of the Abyss is quite as strong as its predecessor, but given the importance of seafaring to St. John del Mar, it's nice to have a book that gives us a voyage. There's a time jump, so Song follows a minor character from Isle, now grown up and an aspiring mapmaker herself. There's piracy, diplomacy, and a journey to a mysterious distant land (which evokes China, including a fantasy take on the terra cotta army). It's also a lot of fun!