Five SFF books with island settings

Makiia Lucier grew up on the Pacific island of Guam and has degrees in journalism and library science from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Her books have appeared on many notable lists, including the Kids’ Indie Next, the American Booksellers Association’s ‘Best Books for Children,’ and the American Library Association’s ‘Best Fiction for Young Adults.’ A Death-Struck Year, her debut novel, is set in Portland, Oregon during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. The world of St. John del Mar, in which Isle of Blood and Stone and Song of the Abyss take place, was inspired by a childhood love of the Indiana Jones movies, as well as a lifelong fascination with old, old maps.

Lucier's forthcoming YA fantasy, Year Of The Reaper, hits bookstores on November 9, 2021.

At Tor.com Lucier tagged five favorite SFF books with island settings, including:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

“It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don’t do a great job of it.”

In this Japanese-inspired fantasy, Yumeko is a half-human, half-fox raised by the monks of the Silent Winds Temple. The monks have in their possession part of an ancient scroll that, when made whole, will summon the Great Kami dragon from the sea and grant its possessor a single wish. When her guardians are murdered by demons searching for the scroll, Yumeko manages to escape, only to tumble directly into the path of a brooding young samurai, one who may end up being her fiercest protector, or her deadliest enemy.

Shadow of the Fox is a fun start to the trilogy (see also Soul of the Sword and Night of the Dragon), filled with evil courtesans, sinister assassins, and some seriously scary fantastical creatures.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue