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The Map That Led to You
A long time ago, a witch burst into flames. A pirate and a mermaid fell in love. A map was marked with a glowing X. And a Republic was born.
In the present day, two girls are given a history assignment: to try and piece together the rise and fall of the famous and corrupt pirate Republic, which once formed their island home.
As Reggie and Maeve sift fact from fiction, they realise that everything they've been told about the Republic is wrong. That the problem with history being told by the victors is that a lot gets left out. That ancient legend might be uncomfortably close to home. As their tentative friendship deepens into something more, they realise that a magical world could be on their very doorstep...
Blending high-seas swashbuckling adventure, lyrical poetry and contemporary romance
THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU is another genre-defying, intoxicatingly rich tale of myth and magic from RAPUNZELLA author Ella McLeod.
Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Dean Atta and Kalynn Bayron.
In the present day, two girls are given a history assignment: to try and piece together the rise and fall of the famous and corrupt pirate Republic, which once formed their island home.
As Reggie and Maeve sift fact from fiction, they realise that everything they've been told about the Republic is wrong. That the problem with history being told by the victors is that a lot gets left out. That ancient legend might be uncomfortably close to home. As their tentative friendship deepens into something more, they realise that a magical world could be on their very doorstep...
Blending high-seas swashbuckling adventure, lyrical poetry and contemporary romance
THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU is another genre-defying, intoxicatingly rich tale of myth and magic from RAPUNZELLA author Ella McLeod.
Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Dean Atta and Kalynn Bayron.
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Published April 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 21, 2024
“Let me show you what love means,
Let me right what has been wrong.”
This books isn’t in my usual reading genre but is exactly what my soul needed. The beautiful metaphor of self-love and acceptance is beyond gorgeous and made me cry multiple times. I didn’t think it was possible to love SO MANY characters in one book. The yearning and the love between them is perfect too.
I was totally lost in the huge scope of this book and, despite how dynamic and big the world is in terms of place and characters and time period, it flows perfectly and had me invested at every point. It’s clearly incredibly researched, which only makes it even more tangible.
And on top of it all? The most stunningly lyrical poetry to tie it all together and add something truly unique. Ella McLeod does it again. An “intoxicatingly rich romantasy” is exactly what it is and more.
Let me right what has been wrong.”
This books isn’t in my usual reading genre but is exactly what my soul needed. The beautiful metaphor of self-love and acceptance is beyond gorgeous and made me cry multiple times. I didn’t think it was possible to love SO MANY characters in one book. The yearning and the love between them is perfect too.
I was totally lost in the huge scope of this book and, despite how dynamic and big the world is in terms of place and characters and time period, it flows perfectly and had me invested at every point. It’s clearly incredibly researched, which only makes it even more tangible.
And on top of it all? The most stunningly lyrical poetry to tie it all together and add something truly unique. Ella McLeod does it again. An “intoxicatingly rich romantasy” is exactly what it is and more.
February 15, 2025
Unexpected 5stars, was sceptical at first because who writes second person PoV, but it overall ended up being amazing
April 15, 2024
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
3.5 stars
THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU is a dual timeline tale of outsiders, magical islands, and fighting for your home, whatever shape that takes.
Despite the above blurb, the focus of the book is not on the present but on the past. The narrator there, Levi, gets the largest portion of page time - and I did enjoy this timeline more. It's the high seas portion of the book, full of ships and pirates and a treasure map...
Levi has grown up on a ship in the aftermath of a witch's death that led to a republic in defiance. But there's a secret he's not been told and the empire wants to conquer the republic. I liked the dynamic between him and his sister Vega, how they had each other's back the entire time.
By contrast to the adventure of the past, the present (narrated by Reggie) felt more like a contemporary tale about two girls and their relationship in a town with Opinions on what is and isn't proper. There are links to the past with their research project and the tree, but given what they were researching was what was playing out on page in the past, it felt like they existed primarily for their relationship.
I picked up this book at a less than ideal time - I was not well and my head was a bit clothy, which meant it took me a while to get into this book. My attention span wasn't great and it contains two narrative elements I struggle with on a good day - second person narration and verse. However, once I got into the book, I could appreciate how the elements were used.
These narratives styles are used to demark the three timelines (and three narrators) well. Levi, and the past, is the more common third person prose while Reggie and the present is in second person. The mythology, happening before and during, and between the others, is in verse. The verse suits this mythological aspect well, giving it a sense of oral tradition being passed down.
3.5 stars
THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU is a dual timeline tale of outsiders, magical islands, and fighting for your home, whatever shape that takes.
Despite the above blurb, the focus of the book is not on the present but on the past. The narrator there, Levi, gets the largest portion of page time - and I did enjoy this timeline more. It's the high seas portion of the book, full of ships and pirates and a treasure map...
Levi has grown up on a ship in the aftermath of a witch's death that led to a republic in defiance. But there's a secret he's not been told and the empire wants to conquer the republic. I liked the dynamic between him and his sister Vega, how they had each other's back the entire time.
By contrast to the adventure of the past, the present (narrated by Reggie) felt more like a contemporary tale about two girls and their relationship in a town with Opinions on what is and isn't proper. There are links to the past with their research project and the tree, but given what they were researching was what was playing out on page in the past, it felt like they existed primarily for their relationship.
I picked up this book at a less than ideal time - I was not well and my head was a bit clothy, which meant it took me a while to get into this book. My attention span wasn't great and it contains two narrative elements I struggle with on a good day - second person narration and verse. However, once I got into the book, I could appreciate how the elements were used.
These narratives styles are used to demark the three timelines (and three narrators) well. Levi, and the past, is the more common third person prose while Reggie and the present is in second person. The mythology, happening before and during, and between the others, is in verse. The verse suits this mythological aspect well, giving it a sense of oral tradition being passed down.
September 25, 2025
"They have come to steal our world, Kano. We will not give it up. We are pirates. The treasure is ours."
I'm UNWELL this might be the best book I've read this year and now I desperately need to become a pirate. Very occasionally, I will come across a book title and I'll know that the book is going to be a hit, and this was one. Comparing it to One Piece in the blurb was absolutely correct. It had the same hopeful, defiant tones and lovable storylines and characters (Vega!!). The inclusion of the gorgeous poetry made reading this such a magical experience, especially when everything started falling into place. Being extremely queer, written by an author of colour and featuring a mainly POC/nonhuman cast, it was also very politically relevant, and my heart ached for the Republic of Sheta Island. My only complaint is the prologue which was basically a huge info dump, but it didn't matter because the rest of the story was just too good.
I'm UNWELL this might be the best book I've read this year and now I desperately need to become a pirate. Very occasionally, I will come across a book title and I'll know that the book is going to be a hit, and this was one. Comparing it to One Piece in the blurb was absolutely correct. It had the same hopeful, defiant tones and lovable storylines and characters (Vega!!). The inclusion of the gorgeous poetry made reading this such a magical experience, especially when everything started falling into place. Being extremely queer, written by an author of colour and featuring a mainly POC/nonhuman cast, it was also very politically relevant, and my heart ached for the Republic of Sheta Island. My only complaint is the prologue which was basically a huge info dump, but it didn't matter because the rest of the story was just too good.
April 15, 2025
I wish I’d had this book growing up. Queer, Caribbean, Magical. How does one manage to feel decolonial rage but also a warm loving hug all at once? Who pulls off second person narratives? And poetry in the middle of it all! What a glorious glorious world. Absolutely loved it.
May 20, 2024
Queer representation AND pirates?! What's not to love!
August 9, 2024
A beautiful and authentic story about queer love. So much representation and history! Really loved the idea of fantasy being blended in with queer history and the loss of it because of colonialism.
July 10, 2025
Great book with an interesting style.
The combination of second person pov, third person and lyrical verse ensured variety and a different approach to differentiate between the protagonists/times. (Cause honestly sometimes in multiple pov books it's exhausting trying to figure out who is actually "telling the story" in every chapter and I prefer the approach of this author more to other ways I've seen it done before. It makes the reading experience more clear, although one should not forget, that this contributes to making the story seem less cohesive from time to time).
I absolutely loved the queer aspects of the story and some lines really made me think, especially in Levi's chapters and I liked that. Furthermore, he, Vega and Kano were enjoyable characters. I loved them.
However, there's a major issue I had while reading - MAEVE.
I only picked this up in the first place, for a cute sapphic fantasy read. And I tried really hard to love them - and well, I loved Reggie, but Maeve... made things difficult.
Without giving too much away for those who haven't read this yet...
It's okay not to be sure what you want.
It's also okay to have some issues you're struggling with.
It's also okay that this book addresses bullying.
But I felt like Reggie was just treated unfairly the whole book. And that made me mad.
The sapphic part was cute, but just for two pages, until something fucked it up again.
I wanted them to talk, in depth, about what happened and really apologize or make up for what they did.
And well... they did - KINDA...
I'm a forgiving person, but I think this book might give those folks who already struggle with forgiving too much an unhealthy idea of how to take care of themselves.
In the end, it wasn't actually that bad and it all ended up working out. But that was just on the surface and if these topics come up in a book, I want to dive into them.
Sadly, this aspect reduced my really positive reading experience, cause I always wondered if I should like her/trust her now instead of enjoying the cute moments.
And I wish that that there was more fantasy and/or magic, cause sometimes these aspects lacked... depth?
I mean, I absolutely looooved the combination of pirates, witches and fairies, but it wasn't quite enough for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this less than I thought I would, but it still ended up being a great read.
Oh and a map would be cool, especially if the book is titled "The MAP that led to you" ;)
The combination of second person pov, third person and lyrical verse ensured variety and a different approach to differentiate between the protagonists/times. (Cause honestly sometimes in multiple pov books it's exhausting trying to figure out who is actually "telling the story" in every chapter and I prefer the approach of this author more to other ways I've seen it done before. It makes the reading experience more clear, although one should not forget, that this contributes to making the story seem less cohesive from time to time).
I absolutely loved the queer aspects of the story and some lines really made me think, especially in Levi's chapters and I liked that. Furthermore, he, Vega and Kano were enjoyable characters. I loved them.
However, there's a major issue I had while reading - MAEVE.
I only picked this up in the first place, for a cute sapphic fantasy read. And I tried really hard to love them - and well, I loved Reggie, but Maeve... made things difficult.
Without giving too much away for those who haven't read this yet...
It's okay not to be sure what you want.
It's also okay to have some issues you're struggling with.
It's also okay that this book addresses bullying.
But I felt like Reggie was just treated unfairly the whole book. And that made me mad.
The sapphic part was cute, but just for two pages, until something fucked it up again.
I wanted them to talk, in depth, about what happened and really apologize or make up for what they did.
And well... they did - KINDA...
I'm a forgiving person, but I think this book might give those folks who already struggle with forgiving too much an unhealthy idea of how to take care of themselves.
In the end, it wasn't actually that bad and it all ended up working out. But that was just on the surface and if these topics come up in a book, I want to dive into them.
Sadly, this aspect reduced my really positive reading experience, cause I always wondered if I should like her/trust her now instead of enjoying the cute moments.
And I wish that that there was more fantasy and/or magic, cause sometimes these aspects lacked... depth?
I mean, I absolutely looooved the combination of pirates, witches and fairies, but it wasn't quite enough for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this less than I thought I would, but it still ended up being a great read.
Oh and a map would be cool, especially if the book is titled "The MAP that led to you" ;)
May 1, 2024
Brilliant!
I picked this book up lured by the Pirates and Witches hook, but found so much more within this pages. McLeod has crafted a stunning universe of beautiful prose, poetry and magic, with characters that are so painfully human despite being otherworldly.
The structure and style are different than anything I've read before, and I am in absolute awe of McLeod's craftmanship. We get three different timelines in three different styles, each more enchanting the other.
The most past is told in verse, when we follow goddesses of creation, Anansi spiders and witches, learning more about Caribbean mythology and lore. It is simply gorgeous.
Then the middle timeline, where we spend more time in, is told in 3rd person with a flare of omniscient. Here we follow the Pirates, Levi and Vega's story and omg these siblings have become my everything. Their relationship is wonderful, and I love them with all my heart. Bring Kano to the picture, a non-binary nymph, and this trio makes this book what it is, a masterpiece.
Finally we have the present timeline, which is told in present tense and---AND---second person pov! I'd never read a story like this and despite taking a little bit to get used to it, I absolutely adored it in the end. Here we follow Reggie and Maeve, and their sweet love story as they try to understand Sheta Island's history.
When those 3 timelines converge at the end ---- WOW, simply WOW.
The themes discussed along the narrative are also brilliant and have moved me deeply, such as love and loss, found family, finding oneself, but also colonialism and human rights, I mean, it's truly brilliant.
Each character in this book is ALIVE, the craftmanship in these plot lines is perfectly executed, the prose is STUNNING, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
This is one of those genre-defying/bending stories and I'm in love with it.
Best read of the year so far.
I picked this book up lured by the Pirates and Witches hook, but found so much more within this pages. McLeod has crafted a stunning universe of beautiful prose, poetry and magic, with characters that are so painfully human despite being otherworldly.
The structure and style are different than anything I've read before, and I am in absolute awe of McLeod's craftmanship. We get three different timelines in three different styles, each more enchanting the other.
The most past is told in verse, when we follow goddesses of creation, Anansi spiders and witches, learning more about Caribbean mythology and lore. It is simply gorgeous.
Then the middle timeline, where we spend more time in, is told in 3rd person with a flare of omniscient. Here we follow the Pirates, Levi and Vega's story and omg these siblings have become my everything. Their relationship is wonderful, and I love them with all my heart. Bring Kano to the picture, a non-binary nymph, and this trio makes this book what it is, a masterpiece.
Finally we have the present timeline, which is told in present tense and---AND---second person pov! I'd never read a story like this and despite taking a little bit to get used to it, I absolutely adored it in the end. Here we follow Reggie and Maeve, and their sweet love story as they try to understand Sheta Island's history.
When those 3 timelines converge at the end ---- WOW, simply WOW.
The themes discussed along the narrative are also brilliant and have moved me deeply, such as love and loss, found family, finding oneself, but also colonialism and human rights, I mean, it's truly brilliant.
Each character in this book is ALIVE, the craftmanship in these plot lines is perfectly executed, the prose is STUNNING, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
This is one of those genre-defying/bending stories and I'm in love with it.
Best read of the year so far.
June 18, 2024
This book is EVERYTHING my inner child needed. I thought the queer storyline was just sapphic but it's SO MUCH MORE than that. There's sapphic rep, non binary/gender non-conforming rep, bisexual rep (& more!!!) and all of it is so lovingly and unapologetically done. I've heard people critique other queer YA for being "unrealistic" and having "too many" queer characters, but it's NOT AT ALL unrealistic. Queer people are everywhere and it's so important for this to be reflected in fiction (in particular YA/children's fiction because these years are so formative in self discovery and learning empathy/understanding of others). I never EVER read a book like this as a child but I can imagine how safe and validated it would have made me feel, in much the same way as I feel reading it now.
The characters are so full of life and easy to love and the Black and queer representation is just utterly beautiful. The story is intricate and nuanced and gripped me from start to finish. The writing style is so clever (I'm sure that this author must have studied creative writing because WOW !!!) - changing tenses for different characters/timelines and even mixing poetry and narrative effortlessly.
There is NOTHING I would change about this book, I will be keeping it for life and will be reading it with my future children! Go and read it. I PROMISE you're gonna love it <3 x
The characters are so full of life and easy to love and the Black and queer representation is just utterly beautiful. The story is intricate and nuanced and gripped me from start to finish. The writing style is so clever (I'm sure that this author must have studied creative writing because WOW !!!) - changing tenses for different characters/timelines and even mixing poetry and narrative effortlessly.
There is NOTHING I would change about this book, I will be keeping it for life and will be reading it with my future children! Go and read it. I PROMISE you're gonna love it <3 x
October 6, 2024
pirates and mermaids and witches and fairies with lots of gender bending and queer relationships?? sign me tf up
a beautiful story about self acceptance, resistance, and finding your place in the world that highlights many types of relationships- romantic but also many platonic ones.
the writing is so beautiful it left me speechless at times. i loved the references to real pirate history with the republic and the integration of themes like colonisation, exploitation of the land, the pitfalls of individualism, gentrification, capitalism, and conservatism is extremely well done.
all the characters are so wonderfully queer and their queerness interacts so well with their magic and arc. one character i hold very near to my heart- Kano, a nymph who shifts between various states of human, water, and air, and who cannot be confined by the gender binary. way to make me yearn to be a nymph smh.
in conclusion, i absolutely loved it! a friend lend this book to me bc they had a feeling i’d like it but it appears i may just have to acquire it myself
a beautiful story about self acceptance, resistance, and finding your place in the world that highlights many types of relationships- romantic but also many platonic ones.
the writing is so beautiful it left me speechless at times. i loved the references to real pirate history with the republic and the integration of themes like colonisation, exploitation of the land, the pitfalls of individualism, gentrification, capitalism, and conservatism is extremely well done.
all the characters are so wonderfully queer and their queerness interacts so well with their magic and arc. one character i hold very near to my heart- Kano, a nymph who shifts between various states of human, water, and air, and who cannot be confined by the gender binary. way to make me yearn to be a nymph smh.
in conclusion, i absolutely loved it! a friend lend this book to me bc they had a feeling i’d like it but it appears i may just have to acquire it myself
January 6, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. So much in fact that I have reread it and reread it and am even annotating it. I found so much more than just a story in those pages. I found a home 💖. As a queer person I loved the representation and the fact that Kano is a them. The writing is lyrical and beautiful and the use of second person is so well executed and the fact they’re pirates… I would probably sell my soul for a sequel!!!
February 22, 2025
Fun fantasy with my absolute favs, queer pirates! Told through three different perspectives and timelines (one of which was second person… slay), this book weaves history, myths and magic together beautifully. Soooo sick of the nonbinary shapeshifter trope but the character was sweet/important that it’s almost okay. Great ending that brings the timelines together!
June 28, 2025
I picked up The Map That Led to You as an LGBTQ book club read. The formatting of the book is strange but creative. The plot was too slow and not engaging enough in the first half. The romance and faster pace in the second half was great. The romance was probably my favorite part. There was a lot of fluff that could have been cut out to improve the pace of the book.
June 29, 2025
Sink me!
Sadly I found the first half to drag a little, but then I couldn't put it down.
Vega is such a strong character and I wish I could be like her.
Levi's whole character arc and gender expression and acceptance was so lovely to see.
Kano has my heart.
I wanted more of Reggie and Maeve!!! I want to know what happens next!
Sadly I found the first half to drag a little, but then I couldn't put it down.
Vega is such a strong character and I wish I could be like her.
Levi's whole character arc and gender expression and acceptance was so lovely to see.
Kano has my heart.
I wanted more of Reggie and Maeve!!! I want to know what happens next!
September 2, 2024
A YA Romantasy to sing about! With wonderful prose, fantastic world building and characters to fall in love with. This book is a rallying cry towards the power of self-love and is gorgeously connected to its worlds mythology - a mind altering read. Divine.
Want to read
December 3, 2023How have I not heard of this…. It sounds good
April 16, 2024
Well sink me ! A gorgeous rollercoaster adventure of love, fallen stars, chosen family, home and finding your true self
dnf
October 25, 2024Second person pov….? No thanks.
January 18, 2025
3.5, I loved all the poetry and I cared so deeply about Levi and Vega but I didn't really connect with Reggie and Maeve. Still very well written though.
June 14, 2025
While I loved this book, I think I would’ve given it five stars nevertheless purely for how much effort the author must have put into it.
TMTLTY follows Levi and Vega as they navigate life aboard their father’s ship traveling the seas. Their life is turned upside down when they find out about ancient curses, mermaids who are even older, and a land full of magic and secrets.
I came across this book and picked it up randomly but I’m really glad I did. I loved the relationships in it. From Vega and Levi’s loving sibling bond to Levi and Kano’s romantic love. I really enjoyed the magic and world building of Xaymaca, the magical island, as a foil of our real world that exists under the rule of the Empire. It felt thorough and well thought out. It was fascinating learning that the River Mumma is an age old Jamaican myth.
I just really enjoyed this one and think you should read it 🫶 🫵🫡
https://www.instagram.com/p/DK3jTZZxN...
TMTLTY follows Levi and Vega as they navigate life aboard their father’s ship traveling the seas. Their life is turned upside down when they find out about ancient curses, mermaids who are even older, and a land full of magic and secrets.
I came across this book and picked it up randomly but I’m really glad I did. I loved the relationships in it. From Vega and Levi’s loving sibling bond to Levi and Kano’s romantic love. I really enjoyed the magic and world building of Xaymaca, the magical island, as a foil of our real world that exists under the rule of the Empire. It felt thorough and well thought out. It was fascinating learning that the River Mumma is an age old Jamaican myth.
I just really enjoyed this one and think you should read it 🫶 🫵🫡
https://www.instagram.com/p/DK3jTZZxN...
July 17, 2025
I absolutely loved this story. Just the switching POV was a bit much for me. I can handle two, but three???
December 24, 2024
I've been following Ella McLeod's career since the beginning, and her books never fail to leave an impression on me. The Map That Led To You follows Rapunzella in its exploration of colonialism and magic and storytelling, mixing poetry and prose, different points of views, and weaving together a narrative that is at once moving and hopeful. A shout out to Levi, my favourite genderqueering pirate - every scene of his was such a delight, even as he went through more and more trauma. Great for magical realism fans and pirate fantasy fans alike!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2024
Absolutely breathtaking romantasy. Wonderful characters, worldbuilding and a stunning mixture of poetry and prose. Makes me want to quit my job and set out to sea to discover adventure. The writing is sumptuous and dreamy, and so easy to sink into. It's an absolutely brilliant book by a really exciting writer.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews