(3.75 ⭐) If you want a sparkling world with dangerous underwater seadragons, magical tattoo animal companions, and a protagonist who cares deeply about preserving and protecting nature, you’ll love Dragonfruit.

Hanalei has grown up orphaned & in exile from her home island. Her father stole a seadragon egg meant for the princess - one that can undo your greatest sorrow - and used it to awaken her from a poisonous coma. She’s made a life for herself studying seadragons, until she gets a rare chance to return home.

Sam, the son of the princess and the last prince of Tamarind, was one of Hanalei’s best childhood friends. He’ll do anything to help his mother recover, and has been searching for dragon eggs ever since Hana left. 

The two soon reconcile and search for the dragonfruit together, but with every granted wish comes a great cost. And they’re not the only ones following the seadragons.

This is a brilliant world, steeped in magic and inspired by Pacific Islander culture and mythology. The sea and the ferocious yet mysterious dragons leapt off the page, and I was fascinated by the colorful and unique uses of magic special to Tamarind. 

I think Hanalei and Sam are both compelling main characters. Hanalei grew up surrounded by trauma, and while she’s had to be tough, she never loses her compassion. Her homecoming is filled with new nature-based wisdom, and she cares very deeply about the seadragons and all they represent.

And Sam - even though he’s got a community around him - feels a bit forlorn and alone. He longs to explore the world like most young adults in his culture do, but he’s forced to mature and stick around because of the responsibility to his people. He’s also quite gentle and caring, but not a pushover of a leader. 

There are big lessons here around respecting nature and ensuring that we behave as part of a cycle. Hanalei studies the seadragons and views them as living creatures and not things to rip apart for money or thoughtless monsters, but she also kills when it is necessary to protect the balance of life or protect her loved ones. 

I do think some of the worldbuilding was a bit shallow, and there’s a reveal at the end around the dragonfruit that felt like it opened up some plot holes for the rest of the story. I also wished for a fuller arc with the dragoners - they were foreigners who were brutalizing the natural order, and though one specific pirate ship is the main villain, I would have loved to see a challenge to ALL the dragoners towards the end of the story. Same with the child labor plotline!

There’s also a very rough animal death scene which felt unusually dark compared to the tone of the rest of the book. If you’re sensitive to animal cruelty, this may be a tough read overall. It was jarring to me because I would actually describe a good chunk of this book as bright & happy & cozy.

Lastly, the pacing was a bit uneven at times, with the end feeling quite rushed. I loved this world and all of its characters, and didn’t feel like all of their stories were given a properly full conclusion.

But overall - I really enjoyed this story! I’ll definitely be following Makiia Lucier and reading whatever is next.

CW: death (parent), murder, graphic animal death, animal cruelty, violence, blood, injury, kidnapping, grief, chronic illness, vomit, fire, confinement, colonization, fire, injury

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