Ahoy there me mateys! Sea-dragons!  Ye know ye have to read this book.  Makiia Lucier is an author that I wish more readers knew about.  If ye haven't read her books before, this is an excellent place to start.  This young adult fantasy is inspired by Pacific Island mythology and it is lovely.

Hanalei is in exile from her home island of Tamarind.  Her father stole the dragonfruit (egg) of a sea-dragon to cure her from poison.  Only that egg was meant to heal the princess.  In the years since, Hanalei earns her living as a researcher of the sea-dragons.  Everyone else sees the dragons as a commodity because their parts are used for all sorts of products.  A dragon hunter captures Hanalei to track down a pregnant sea-dragon.  Through this adventure, Hanalei finds her new purpose.

I loved so much about this book.  The world building deals with an archipelago.  I love that we get to spend time on both the sea and learning about island life.  The sea-dragons are ferocious beasts and I loved learning about their lives and habits.  Many islanders from Tamarind have magical tattoos that can emerge from the body and are companions.  Tamarind is matriarchal and the glimpses we receive about the culture and economy are fascinating.  There is romance but it is light and how it is resolved at the end was extremely gratifying.  I also loved that Hanalei is not blamed for the choices her father makes.  I loved the friendship Hanalei made with the other women on the island.

There are some brutal scenes involving the sea-dragons and in their being hunted.  There are some deaths that made me ache.  The consequences of the use of dragonfruit are haunting.  However, for me, the feeling was realism in a fantasy world.  And overall, the ending is positive.  I highly, highly recommend this one to the crew.  Arrrr!