The Islands of Iros

by L.M. Bracklow

Three close friends—Luke, fearless, optimistic, outgoing; Damien, steadfast, self-contained, loyal; and Kaori, smart, strong-minded, determined—journey across the sea with the Crimson Raiders, their island’s fearless champions, to find the sorcerer’s finger, rumored to bestow unimaginable power on the one who consumes it—enough power to vanquish their island’s enemies. This fast-paced, engaging story mixes vicious pirates, seductive sirens, gruesome monsters and so much more as it weaves magic, mayhem, and adventure into a tale of deep friendship told with great style and good humor.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2023

About the author

Luana Mitre (better known as L.M. Bracklow) is a Peruvian author who loves dogs, traveling, and reading as many books as she can get her hands on. She has a degree in sports journalism, but her true passion is writing books for children. Enthralled by fantasy since she was a little girl, Luana has now written a fantastical story of her own. The Islands of Iros is the book of her heart, and she hopes kids everywhere will enjoy reading it as much as she enjoyed writing it!   

Reviews

[ariana esnifa libros · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐ recién encuentro el libro en la app pq lo andaba buscando en español ajjajs. YO SOLO VOY A DECIR QUE SI NO CONTINUAN LA SAGA ME PEGO UN TIRO EN LA CASA DE LUANA QUE ESE ENEMIES TO LOVERS Y CHILHOOD TO FRIEND TO LOVERS NO PUEDE QUEDAR EN NADA!!! aparte doy un aplauso por eso q pasó al final pq no pensé q se arriesgaría Y LO HIZO, me pongo de pie. en fin, lukmian hasta la muerte 🙏

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the stars.

Adored this one! This book was SO FUN. It had everything I want in an action adventure book and while it was middle grade, it was absolutely a story that can be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages.

While reading this book I frequently found myself wishing I was still teaching middle school because I would LOVE to incorporate this book into a novel studies unit! My 6th graders would have loved this book.

I loved the friendship shared amongst our three main characters. It was so precious and innocent and I loved how they developed their own little found family. I think kids need examples of sweet friendships where there’s no rivalry, no competition, just pure friendship love. And this book did such a sweet job or portraying childhood friendship.

Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise! It’s been a couple of months since I read a MG fantasy and it blew me away! The author’s writing is so well developed and flows so easily that you would not expect this to be a debut, and yet it is! ❤️

Perfect for fans of Treasure Planet and Percy Jackson, this magical adventure tells the tale of three young teenagers and how they form an unbreakable friendship bond and end up in a dangerous quest across the sea.

Damien is the quiet but clever one of the three, he is my favorite. Luke is the more impulsive and joker one! When Kaori, a young orphan girl, manages to steal some lemon tarts from Luke’s parents bakery, both Damien and Luke become fascinated by her. Their paths cross again when all three join the training camp to hopefully sail with the Crimson Raiders. Each of them have their own motivations to join and seek the sorcerers finger. I absolutely loved the dialogues between them, I found myself constantly laughing.

A fun and adventurous tale which provides the perfect amount of escapism ❤️

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review !

[Kiana Mitre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started the book I couldn’t stop. I was completely intrigued about everything the Islands of Iros had to offer. The only reason I regret reading it is because the rest of the story is not published and I’m fully invested in Luke, Damien and Kaoris’ adventures and feel the need to know whats going to happen next. Thank you L.M Bracklow, for sharing your talents with us 💜💜💜

[Laly Arce Chumpitassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ¡QUÉ BONITA HISTORIA! Definitivamente necesito la continuación 🤩💙 quiero saber más de nuestro trío protagonista, están súper bebés y quiero cuidarlos por siempre.

[Seraphinegoode · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review and HONESTLY I absolutely adored this book! The characters were my favorite part. Luke, Kaori and Damien are my new favorite trio like MOVE HARRY, RON AND HERMIONE there's a new sheriff in town ;) when I tell you their bickering was top tier and their friendship was just *chef's kiss*

OK SO I KNOW THEY'RE LIKE 12 BUT IS IT BAD THAT I SHIP LUKE AND DAMIEN AKALFNAOSDEADNJAD PLSSSS ITS SO OBVIOUS THAT DAMIEN HAS A CRUSH ON LUKE AND I JUST CANT OK THEIR BOND IS SO PRECIOUS AND I HOPE THEY END UP TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. LM. BRACKLOW IF YOU'RE READING THIS PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!

ahem...anyway

THE PLOT?!?!?! I was invested since the first chapter it's so original, magical and fun!!! I literally screamed when the Mokrullian spy was revealed because HOW DID I MISS IT and Kaori becoming Darakhan's vessel at the end???? OOF talk about a plot twist people

NOW THE SIDE CHARACTERS! I feel like Ivan, Nisha and Arlo deserve a series of their own like??? Each character just popped off the page! L.M. Bracklow did a fantastic job with her characters and I applaud her for it. Also, is it just me or is Ivan kind of hot???? idk maybe I have issues and a thing for the asshole characters lol anyway I wouldn't mind if he punched me in the face. Do I sense an enemies to lovers plot with him and Kaori? HMMMMMMMMM I'M ALL FOR IT TBH GIVE IT TO ME PLEASE

all in all, this is definitely one of my new favorite middle grade books and who knows maybe it will become the next big thing?!?!?!

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Islands of Iros: BIG THREE MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

I said what I said

ok I'll stop rambling now! thank you L.M. Bracklow for the ARC! and thank you for this fantastic story!

Mwaaaaahh

[emily (emsvirtualshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭑⭑⭑⭑½

THOUGHTS!
this was honestly such a good middle school read! I used to read things like this all the time when I was younger and i loved all the adventure & nostalgia!!

This was such a fun read🥺It’s absolutely worthy of 5 stars I just didn’t like one specific thing that happened to the main girl Kaori… but that’s definitely just personal preference!! I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a cute middle school read. Releases Jan 24, 2023!!!

[Adriana Valera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado ✨ ha sido una bella travesía y poder introducirme en el mundo de Luke, Damien y Kaori 💜 la autora maneja muy bien los elementos de la historia y si bien está llena de aventura, un poco de acción, revelaciones, rescato mucho el valor que se da de la amistad y la familia 💕

Es un libro que puede ser leído desde la edad de los 10-12 años en adelante, una bonita historia 🥺 ¡Y ansiosa por leer el siguiente!

PD: shipeo a Damien y Luke 🙈 cuando lean el libro, verán por qué 🤭

[Isabela Jácome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, full of adventure, thrilling characters and good writing. You can feel L.M. Bracklow talent and passion for writing in every page of her book. Definitely recommending it.

[eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

ohmygod a book i didn't realize i need!!! the islands of iros hooked me from the very beginning with its polar opposite characters. it's so easy to understand and as i am more of character oriented as a reader, this is perfect. my initial thought when i finished it? "okay now give me the whole series" i couldn't stop comparing how i felt with when i read the lightning thief and how evil it is that i have to wait for the next books, probably years to come.

the main characters are everything i could ask for. i'm not a big fan of third person pov but this time i don't think the author left anything out. as for the world building isn't that complicated, i feel like there's more the author hasn't told us yet about it and i hope i get to know more of it in the future!! i think we'll need more description of the places (especially the camp) though once u get the vibes, it's quite easy to imagine everything.

and which middle grade fantasy book won't make u split personality??? luke the "i'm the world itself and everyone knows it" boy, damien the "i'm the quiet mysterious kid and yall will kneel to me (though i feel kinda guilty xx sorry ahah)" boy, and kaori the "i'm the smartest girl ever" surely are fighting to own the rein of my inner child and i can't help unconsciously doing basic things with each of their perspectives, which is super fun. also this boy ivan!!! if i say i want to adopt the emo blond kid of the series, damien, i want to marry ivan, the "i hate u but i will kill for u" mf in the future since we're basically the same age so i'm definitely gatekeeping him. (by the way is it me or there's SOMETHING between ivan and kaori???)

i'm so invested in luke, damien, and kaori's adventure i'm not sure i'll survive waiting for the next books tbh!!

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado la historia pero creo que lo que más me fastidió fue la traducción 😅, debí haberlo leído en inglés.

Pero ese verdad se lee súper rápido y vale la pena.

[Hannah DCamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've had trouble getting into this one. The concept is definitely an interesting one, and I'm always excited by a fantasy set around island nations, but the execution left me wanting.

Most of my complaints are technical. The characters (side characters included) are distinct and have some depth to them, albeit not well translated onto the page; the plot is spare but very intriguing; the worldbuilding is also more minimal than I'd have liked, but there are hints that it could have some depth too; the plot pacing was wonky.

The biggest hurdle to my enjoyment was the writing. It didn't always stay consistently "fantasy," in terms of dialogue or description. Words and phrases from contemporary language were used often, especially "OK." And frequently the writing was just clumsy: "Kaori had failed to remember about Ivan being a superhuman trained by Captain Bauer himself since he was a child." There was little to no subtlety, and every emotion and action of the characters was explained immediately, sometimes with randomly introduced backstory and too much "telling." Some of this may be a translation issue, or simply the fact that English isn't the author's first language - in which case major kudos for what she was able to accomplish. Either way, she would definitely have benefited from having a more thorough editor.

There is so much potential here, as I mentioned; I'd love to see more from this author as she grows in her writing, and I'd love to see more of Iros. Heck, I'd appreciate a direct sequel for this book, because I want to see the three main characters fight some giants. You can never go wrong with a pirate-y adventure, and I've no doubt that some kids will enjoy this; it's easy to follow, easy to get into, but I wish the completed work had been a bit more polished.

[marr;་༘࿐]

Amigass, hace mucho tiempo llevaba buscando autoras de mi país que publicaran libros con este tipo de género y por fin encontré a unaaaa. Estoy muy emocionada, ya quiero leerlo

[darlinreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Islands of Iros is a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy series that follows 12-year-old Luke and his friends Damien and Kaori as they enrol in the Nakamura Training Camp in the hopes of becoming Crimson Raiders, the soldiers who protect their island, while seeking revenge, freedom, and gold.

The goal? Join the Crimson Raiders on their annual quest to find Selior Darakhan's finger, which is rumoured to bestow unimaginable power on whoever consumes it.

Our protagonists, Luke, Kaori, and Damien, were a dynamic trio with compelling personalities and distinct voices who worked well together and kept the story interesting. I particularly liked Luke, who, despite his stubbornness at times, had a heart of gold, which was wonderful to see in a main character. The plot, told from the alternating perspectives of the trio, was also intriguing. What's not to like about searching for a magical finger wrapped in mystery in uncharted waters filled with sirens, pirates, monsters, and enemies?

Despite this, unfortunately, I did end up dfn-ing it for a couple of points that made it difficult for me to truly get into it. The main issue was that I personally found it was too fast-paced. The story's pacing meant that we were jumping from scene to scene frequently, never lingering in one scene for too long before moving on to the next event. While this did mean there was never a dull moment, I personally felt the characters and world-building suffered as a result. The characters and world-building were interesting, had a lot of potential, and could have benefited from more fleshing out.

Overall, the story is easy to get into and follow, and I believe it will appeal to the intended audience, especially with the wholesome friendship, constant mayhem, and action-packed events. Regardless, it'd be nice to see more of the author’s work in the future.

[Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review]

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This was one heck of a middle grade adventure! It has everything I look for in a middle grade book: adventure, magic and a fast pace. And pirates. I love me some pirates! The main characters were something fierce, and I loved them to bits. Whenever one of them was in danger my heart just pounded in my throat. The plot itself was fun and engaging, and the witty banter between the characters had me laughing out loud more than once.

All in all I can highly recommend this book, you will not regret getting it!

[Kam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2⭐
Los amo a mis churrirumis 😭 Damien, Luke y Kaori de vrd se ganaron mi corazon Y DIOSSS estoy esperando el otro libro a ver cómo sigue !!!

[marisol Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, full of adventures and great twists, you are going to love it🥰🥰

[Grecia Verano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente potencial en esta saga. 💖

Amando.

[Fahed Mitre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Twelve-year-old Luke Weiler loves his older brother, Finn who protects their island from Mokrullian enemies. However, when Finn’s ship explodes right before an important mission, Luke vows revenge against the Mokrullian leader, Elvos Kreen and enrolls in the Nakamura Training Camp with his childhood friend, Damien. Alongside their new friend Kaori, they are chosen as trainee’s to accompany a mission to search for Darakhan’s finger – claimed to grant magic to the one who eats it.

Luke, Damien and Kaori are my new favorite trio. We have the ridiculously useless yet funny; the ridiculously good at anything yet serious; and the ridiculously smart yet sensible. Out of all three, Luke was my favorite.

Luke was a character I loved from the first page and more as the story progressed. He had a lot of love to share and didn’t judge anyone at first glance. Although he wasn’t good at anything in particular, he tried his best and valued his friends. His emotions were written on his face, but Luke always considered the other person’s feelings. Even when feeling depressed or annoyed, Luke tried to put other’s first. He really was a good kid and one who understood when he went wrong.

The plot of this story was intriguing and there was never a dull moment. Told in alternating perspectives of our trio, we get a glimpse of the events and the growing bonds from each side. The mystery of finding Selior Darakhan’s finger, to Luke’s new sorcerer powers to the Mokrul spy was all executed beautifully. There was a lead up, rising action, the reveal and the falling action – not too fast and not too slow. I also loved our supporting characters, from the Crimson Raiders to their Captain. Each was justifiable, had a key role in the story and was a great addition to the family. Honestly, I feel that you cannot dislike them and this includes Ivan because he’s just not that great at expressing his emotions but he does care.

Overall, this was a story I devoured and now unfortunately, wait for the next book in the series. I must admit Damien’s feelings towards Luke were quite obvious and I loved their bond! I was a bit sad near the ending because Luke’s future really started to worry me given his friends are so much more gifted. However then I remembered, that Luke’s finding Darakhan’s finger first and his sometimes unexplainable behavior was not natural. There is more to his story and I’m highly anticipating the next book in this series!

This is a series I hope to own in the near future!


Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Islands of Iros

Author: L.M. Bracklow

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, pirates, magic

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 10+ (violence, bullying, parental death, murder, threats, starvation, terrorism, sibling death, racism, scary moments, war)

Explanation of Above: There are a couple of scenes with some weapon (sword) and physical violence. Bullying is shown, murder is mentioned very vaguely, and war is briefly mentioned. Parental death is mentioned and a sibling death is briefly shown in an act of terrorism. There is also some other death mentioned. There are some threats made and starvation is shown and mentioned. There are some slight references to racism and there are some scary moments.

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 266

Synopsis: Three close friends—Luke, fearless, optimistic, outgoing; Damien, steadfast, self-contained, loyal; and Kaori, smart, strong-minded, determined—journey across the sea with the Crimson Raiders, their island’s fearless champions, to find the sorcerer’s finger, rumored to bestow unimaginable power on the one who consumes it—enough power to vanquish their island’s enemies. This fast-paced, engaging story mixes vicious pirates, seductive sirens, gruesome monsters and so much more as it weaves magic, mayhem, and adventure into a tale of deep friendship told with great style and good humor.

Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this book! I loved the story and I thought it was very compelling. The book did well to bring in some more scary adult moments to a middle grade novel and in an age-appropriate manner. The book was a fun pirate filled adventure and it had some great character development and world building. I especially loved the friendship between the three main characters within this multi-POV book, it gave a very HP-like feel to it which would make this a good replacement rec for those needing HP magic but not any of the problematic HP issues. I can’t wait to see what this author does next.

The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a bit rushed in the ending and it got a bit wonky in pacing in a couple of places.

Verdict: It was great! I loved it!

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I just want to thank the lovely author for asking me to be an ARC reader for her debut novel!!

Secondly, WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK!

If you are looking for a comfort book with a hint of nostalgia, this is it. This perfect middle school read is the embodiment of comfort. I loved this book from start to finish. It had amazing characters, plot, and dialogue. Everything about this book was wonderful to read.

I'm just starting to get back into middle school reads and this by far was my favorite. It had all of my favorite things in one book: best friend trios, witty dialogue (especially those one liners), iconic characters, pirates, magic, and adventure! The Jake and the Neverland Pirates vibes were top notch!

There was never a boring moment in the book. It was nonstop action! The whole plot was so magical and unique. I applaud the author for showcasing her writing, creativity, and storytelling skills. Despite this book geared towards a younger audience, there was a sense of maturity that I think will be really beneficial to young kids reading this book (or even people of all ages). There was so much to love about this book. For me, her characters and dialogue were some of my favorite bits. These characters and their witty banter were hilarious to read. Seriously, the characters were so perfect. Even the ones you weren't suppose to like ended up still being likable!

I loved our main trio: Luke, Damien, and Kaori! They were such friend goals. I always love seeing healthy friendship dynamics. For young readers especially, I think this will be a really great thing for kids to read about! I'm an adult and I wish I was apart of their friend group. They were so loving and accepting of each other. There was never any amount of toxic behaviors or attitudes towards each other.

This book made me so happy! Even during the characters struggles, there was still such light-hearted content that just makes you feel like you're getting a warm hug. I loved every single aspect of this book. The amount of positivity that in these pages is wonderful! I highly recommend this book for those searching comfort, nostalgia, happiness, and adventure!

[A Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Luke and Damien have been friends for a long time, but when they meet Kaori, they decide to expand their friend group. The three of them decide to join their island’s champions, the Crimson Raiders, in their quest to locate a source of immense magical power. But misadventures occur along the way, and the three friends find their loyalty and bravery tested on their adventures.

The concept of this work is one that instantly drew my attention – I love fantasy, pirates, and oceanic adventures with a focus on friendship. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

One of the most important things for a work of fantasy is creating an engaging and immersive setting. This work had almost no real descriptions of the setting, the culture, or the people, which made this world unbearably bland. There was no worldbuilding, history, or explanations included for anything, including major plot points, which also majorly detracted from this book.

The writing style of this work was odd. The author chose to barely give page time to things that were supposed to be intense or dangerous for the characters yet devoted endless pages to dialogue that added nothing to the plot or the characters. The dialogue also included modern slang and the prose was often quite clunky and awkwardly written. The characters were poorly written overall. There were three main characters, yet none of them had a distinct voice or felt developed or alive. Everything was overexplained immediately after it happened, both for emotions and actions taken by the characters, which drastically slowed down the plot and was simply frustrating.

I imagine this book could still be enjoyable for younger readers, but I feel like it needs some intense editing and reworking before I could recommend it to anyone. My thanks to NetGalley and L.M. Bracklow for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Kate Duncan Mcilvain · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS! WAS! SO! GOOD!

As soon as this comes out, I will be purchasing a copy for my classroom library. My fourth graders will LOVE this. This is one of those middle-grade books where the characters just warm your heart and make you feel so included. Luke, Damien, and Kaori will simply live in my heart now. This isn't a story that allows you to forget the characters after a couple of months. This trio was so distinct and well-developed that I will carry them with me.

The Islands of Iros is the story of three friends who, for different reasons, share a passion to join the Crimson Raiders. This elite group of soldiers allows young trainees to prove themselves worthy to join their ranks by sailing alongside them. Luke, Damien, and Kaori go on an adventure with the hopes of reaching what it is they want most, whether that be freedom, revenge, or comfort. They face unexpected barriers as tensions between the Islands continue to rise.

This story is full of clever banter, kindness, and strength, and I could not stop smiling. Not only were the main characters intriguing, but Bracklow did an incredible job building side characters that added even more personality to this dynamic tale. I am extremely impressed by the writing style that balanced three points of view and a deeply tangled history of the Islands of Iros. I cannot WAIT for book 2 after that ending. I will truly miss these characters until then.

PLEASE pick this up if you enjoy found family, middle grade, pirates, magic, and overall wholesome reads.

Kaori held back a smile. "Will I regret this?"
"Probably," Luke and Damien said in unison.
"Then, sure." Kaori Beamed. "I'm in."

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a darker middlegrade than I thought it was going to be. And I loved it.

The best thing about this story is the relationship between our three main characters and how they interact. Each chapter switches between them with makes the story really fleshed out and that makes you get to know the characters well. We go from learning about Luke's grief after his brother's death to Damian's support and dreams to Kaori's want for escape. And nothing is hidden from the reader.

Under the entire story you can feel this undercurrent of a need to protect, the Crimson Raiders are a must to protect their Island against the Mokrullians and to try to find a finger. Yes, a finger. This blend of seriousness and standard middlegrade whimsy combined with the authors writing makes me want to have more.

But I have to go back to the first sentence I wrote in the review, this is a dark middlegrade. In most books for children that I've read, violent things happen off screen. We know from the beginning that Luke's brother has died, but we are there when it happens. We also get a proper look into Kaori's life as a forced servant to someone who is a known murderer. Things like this made the story feel more real to me but it's something that is necessary to know beforehand if it's something you want to avoid. There's plenty of light in the story too, and it's feels great to see the friends grow as they work through the story.

I would highly recommend this book if you want some darker middlegrade on sea.

Got this book from Netgalley for review.

[Fionna Rasilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puntaje: 4.5 ✨️

¡Me dio mucha ternura todo! ✨️ Fue como si me remontara al pasado porque me hacía acordar a las sagas con las que he crecido y he amado desde que tengo uso de razón como: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, One Piece, etc etc.

Estoy agradecida con la autora porque ha sido una historia divertida y fácil de leer sin términos muy complejos para quienquiera incursionar en el mundo de la lectura, sin importar la edad.

¿Qué puedo decir de los personajes principales? Los amé y me parece que van a establecerse cada vez más. Luke es demasiado gracioso; Kaori (a pesar de ser la más inteligente) le sigue las bromas a Luke; y Damien no se ríe y a la vez sí. Su dinámica es muy graciosa y amo que Luke y Damien hayan acogido a Kaori desde el día uno. Creo que cualquiera que estuviera en su situación, se merece ese tipo de amor desproporcionado.

Por otro lado, no me esperaba para nada el giro en la trama. Me quedé boquiabierta y tuve que recomponerme por un rato porque no podía creer lo que estaba pasando. Les juro que no me lo esperaba, no vi las pistas ni nada. Esa sorpresa no la sentía desde hace tiempo con ningún libro y por eso me ha encantado.

No puedo esperar a tener el segundo tomo y así sucesivamente. La historia se puede ampliar mucho más y el hecho de que se utilizaran los 3 puntos de vista de los protagonistas me parece genial porque así no te pierdes de ningún detalle.

Estoy esperando con ANSÍAS que mis predicciones con los ship sean ciertas porque he llorado imaginándome toda una historia en mi cabeza 😊🤍👏🏼

[Luciana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vaya, me sorprendió la cantidad de reseñas positivas en el libro, supongo que simplemente no logré conectar para nada con la historia, pero ya que había comprado el libro asi que me obligue a terminarlo.
¿Que puedo decir? El concepto me encanto, vi tantas reseñas positivas en BookTok que caí en el marketing.
Es un libro para niños, que intenta no generar angustia, en las primeras 50 hojas te resumen la vida y metas de los tres chicos, te presentan sus problemas con seriedad como si tuvieran un gran impacto en la trama pero que se resuelven 5 páginas despues por pura suerte o casualidad.
Por otro lado, aun tengo en la cabeza la muerte del hermano, no porque fuera particularmente impactanto o dolorosa, si no porque se le dice a la familia que los corsarios carmesí no tienen intensión de iniciar un asalto para vengar el ataque que sufrieron ¿Y el pensamiento inmediato de Luke es unirse a ellos para vengar la muerte de su hermano? 🤨
No solo eso, se que es fantasía, pero, ¿Me estas diciendo que envían a niños de 11 años a misiones peligrosas con apenas una semana de entrenamiento? y cuando Luke se cae de la borda y uno espera algunas hojas de angustia, nuevamente todo se resuelve en 5 hojas, y nuevamente vuelve a conseguir algo importante por el azar y conveniencias de la trama.
En fin... podría desglosar mis quejas por capitulo, pero ya me desfogue lo suficiente, regalaré el libro a alguien que si pueda disfrutarlo, no veo la necesidad de guardarlo en mi biblioteca.

[Arianne Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

The Islands of Iros is a debut fantasy novel by author L.M. Bracklow and follows a trio of friends as they join the Crimson Riders, their Islands soldiers, on a quest to find a sorcerer's magic powers. This story, filled with many twists and turns, will have you exploring new lands, and encountering pirates, monsters and more!

This was my first middle grade book and I really enjoyed it. The three main characters, Luke, Damien, and Kaori, where so precious and I loved seeing them do anything for one another (found family is one of my favourite tropes!). The different Islands and the ground work that was set up in this book have me excited for future books in the series.

One thing I do wish, is that there had been more background information on the various Islands and on the Crimson Riders themselves. For example I kept wondering about the age of the Crimson Riders and the logistics of their crews/ships. I also wish the had been more information on the sorcerer's magic, and why he put it all in a finger (yes, a human finger), but maybe this will be revealed in the next book.

I received and eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Ivan Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hace un momento terminé de leer este magnífico libro, se há convertido en sorte importante de mi vida, no mucho libros logran este efecto en mi. Cuándo comencé a leerlo dije que lo hacía para ver si es tan bueno como dicen y es mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. No se que será de mi vida todo este tiempo sin Luke, sin Damien y sin Kaori, este trio tan peculiar que se ha robado mi corazón. La autora sabe reflejar muy buen los sentimientos de aya protagonistas, construir su mundo e introducirnos en el de una manera audaz, sin hacer caer al lector en el aburrimiento, la aventura de lso protagonistas sigue avanzando mientas te da pinceladas de lo que es el mundo que construyó, la forma de vida, la moneda, la descripción de las diferentes islas van de la mano con una narración extraordinaria y bien cuidada.

Este año há sido malo en lecturas para mi, no me han logrado atrapar del todo o he tenido una qué otra desepción con ciertas historias pero este libro, el descubrimiento del año para mi, llegó para cambiar todo eso. Espero con ansias el segundo volumen, se que será tan increíble como su antesesor.

[David Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So...I don't even know where to start with this incredible book. From the characters, to the action, places and situations, Luana did a goddess job of creating these things.
I felt like Kaori, Luke and Damien were my friends, not just characters I read about. They made me laugh, get angry, feel bad for their decisions, and even cry. And I don't cry at books often. The islands of Iros feels like a dream. A book that takes you in a too beautiful way on an adventure from which you don't want to escape.
With her words, Luana made me want more than anything to wake up on Zuturo and eat the delicious lemon tarts that are famous all over the island. I would even like to train with Ivan (although I'm sure he wouldn't like my funny attitude).
That being said, I hope everyone gets to read this fantastic book at least once, because they don't know what they're missing.
Now I'm going to go steal some snacks from Nisha with Kaori. See you later, world.