I found this to be an enjoyable, easy to read fantasy with just the right amount of mystery to keep me engaged. I am between giving it 3.5-4 stars since I liked it, but nothing particularly stood out to give it that wow factor. I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the setting and how Callender really brought the tropics to life through their descriptions of the fictional islands. I also loved that the main character, Sigourney, is complex and can’t be labeled as completely good or bad. She is self-motivated and wants to be accepted by both her fellow islanders and the ruling class yet finds herself an outsider to both groups due to her multiracial identity.

Although this was a pleasant read, I do think it could have been a bit shorter than it was or the plot a little more robust. The pattern established in the book became fairly obvious early on and dragged on for me just a little longer than needed. However, I was still invested in the story and wanted to read on to see who was responsible for the mysterious deaths. I enjoyed it enough to want to pick up the next book in the Islands of Blood and Storm Series when it’s released later this year!

To be honest, I think my expectations for this book were perhaps a little high just because I had seen a lot of hype about Callender’s Felix Ever After. I can’t wait to dive into some of Callender’s middle-grade books!