Island Eight

Medenciy has joined the ranks of SJM & NK Jemisen for me for great fantasy reads. I am SO glad I requested & received this ARC.

The world building was beautiful and easily imagined. The characters were fun and heart felt and I enjoyed watching them grow on their journey through their trials and tribulations.

This book is easily binged and well-written. I can't wait to delve into anything else Medenciy writes going forward.

TYSM for the ARC.

I received an copy of this in exchange for an honest review. NetGalley sent me a copy of this book and I can say that it was worth it. Thank you, NetGalley!

Sophia, a Salinan entertainer, unknowingly holds the key to the world's salvation, but not even the gods can protect her when the eyes of the castle alight upon her town. In Island Eight by M.Z. Medenciy, she embarks on an unprecedented journey, encountering new dangers and discovering a resilience she never thought possible.

This is a highly satisfying book. Can't wait for the next one! Hoping to receive an ARC again for that one. The author really did a great job about this. Kudos!

Despite a slow start, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book due to its solid world building, well-crafted characters, and relatable antagonist. The story follows Sophia, a married woman in her twenties, and her friends as they embark on a journey through fantastical lands to save her husband and home from the madness of King Kahel. With unexpected plot twists and turns, the reader is left anticipating what lies ahead.
M.Z. Medenciy's writing style is direct and unembellished, resulting in a fast-paced plot that immerses the reader in her world. Her characters are heroic and resilient, in line with the book's genre. For those seeking an engaging and efficient read, I highly recommend Island Eight.

Island Eight is everything you need and more! This book gave me back something I hadn’t even realized was missing for a long time. When I was young, to me reading was much more than looking at words on a page. I would be completely immersed in my books and the outside world would no longer exist. Until I read Island Eight, I had no idea that had been missing from my adult reading for a long time. This book threw me head first into its world. I was not reading words on a page, I was walking step for step with the characters. I wasn’t reading about their adventures, I was going on them as well! I cannot even begin to explain the hold this book had on me.

Island Eight is historical, modern, and futuristic. It has sci-fi, magic, and religion. Which sounds like a lot to put in one book! But it is so beautifully written that all of it flows together instead of feeling like it’s a bunch of aspects being crammed and forced to work together.
There is world building, there is adventure, there is romance with a little drizzle of spice. Something for everyone!
The ending has me NEEDING book two to come out ASAP.

The Green has Essence, and Essence is life. The trees have Essence, the fire has Essence, and all breathing beings have Essence. Once a tree dies, the fire fades, and breathing creatures go to their final resting place, their Essence is dispersed back to the Green.

*****

This novel frantically delivers a lean and wholesome fantasy world with just enough dark fat to chew on. There is a wealth of fun characters, fantastical locations, intriguing story arcs and multiple points of view. Short chapters are impactful and snappy, and there is a purposeful, ever-revealing, map which works wonderfully as a mystery building tool for the reader. This has vibes of J K Rowling so expect world building until the end, an abundance of mysteries and some story changing twists.

Medenciy is one to watch in the world of fantasy. This novel is Narnia meets the Horizon games. Don’t overlook this one as it needs more support.

Review sent to Goodreads and Amazon.co.uk.

A lengthy fantasy adventure filled with magic, romance, tragedy and more.

I loved the map that slowly revealed itself to the reader. The premise was great, the length was a bit too long (would’ve been more approachable as two books), the characters were decent. It was nice to have an actual adult female main character, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Sofia.

This is a solid book with great word building and definitely one that will appeal to all fantasy readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Atmosphere Press for a copy!