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A review by mspilesofpaper
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Dragonfruit is a standalone oceanic fantasy inspired by the Pacific Island mythology that is aimed at Young Adult readers but can be enjoyed by adults as well. (Given the intensity of some scenes, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 16 years.) It has a hint of romance (it is the sub-plot), so please ignore the "romantic fantasy".
The following review likely includes spoilers (especially in the TWs at the end).
PLOT
Hanalei "Hana" of Tamarind is the daughter of an old island family who lives in exile as her father stole a seadragon egg that had been meant for the ailing princess of the island. Following her father's death, she's forced to endure gruesome work as a child until she is too old for it, which pushes her to work for a school that studies the seadragons that roam in the Nominomi Sea. Upon such an encounter, she saves two dragons (and their eggs) from a dragon hunter who then takes her captive and forces her to help him hunt the two dragons (and their eggs). The hunt takes them to Tamarind where she gets the chance to flee and face her own past. What follows is her, and Samahtitamahenele's "Sam", hunt for the dragons and their eggs as well as Sam hopes to get one to heal his mother.
WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The book is set in a fantasy world that is heavily influenced by Pacific Islander mythology and history. And while the the plot is relatively contained in terms of location (as the majority plays on Tamarind), the author still includes enough other islands, the outside world (aka white people), the islands' histories etc. to make the world feel alive and full.
As for the magic, there are the magical abilities of seadragon eggs that the consumption of parts of the baby dragon and the egg would fulfil someone's deepest wish (even if it comes with a terrible price). In addition, Tamarindi islanders have markings that are ... well, magical tattoos of animals that can become real creatures that can exist outside of the skin, so the marking's owner can use their marking. All markings have personality, names and their own character.
CHARACTERS
Hana and Sam are the main characters of the book and I found them very loveable and compelling as main characters. In addition to them, there are also plenty of side characters who are either on their side or are their opponents/enemies.
Hana is a young, independent woman who suffers from the past and thinks that she isn't welcome at Tamarind because of what happened (despite being a victim in a way as well). Her hardships have matured her beyond her age and she's well educated (especially when it comes to seadragons). She's brave and compassionate (especially towards the seadragons who are viewed as a pest by everyone else). Sam is the last prince of Tamarind, who cannot inherit his grandmother's throne as their society is matriarchal, so he's faced with the dilemma of having to marry and have many daughters or finding a dragon egg to heal his mother who's supposed to be the next queen. At some points, he feels slightly flat and could have benefitted from having a few more pages, but on average, he's an enjoyable young adult character.
My favourite side character was Vatuu (I hope that I wrote the name correctly because I listened to the audiobook, so I don't know the bat's spelling). Justice for Vatuu!
TW & CW
While the book is aimed at Young Adult readers, I wouldn't recommend it to readers on the younger spectrum because of a few violent/disturbing scenes (that even gave me pause and I'm in my mid 30s).
general violence, blood, injury, vore (a sea dragon devours several children and two adults, their bodies are visible when they are swallowed and fight against the dragon from the inside), animal cruelty and death, consumption of dead dragon babies, off-page death of parents, magical sleep, attempted sexual assault (I hope I didn't forget anything)
TL;DR
An ocean-inspired fantasy read for young adults and adults that features the question "How far would you go to achieve your deepest desire and are you willing to pay the price for it?. A well-rounded read with loveable characters and a new take on magic in the form of magical tattoos, which also incorporates the themes of community & family, greed & sacrifice, as well as responsibility and the history of one's family and with it the kingdoms.
The following review likely includes spoilers (especially in the TWs at the end).
PLOT
Hanalei "Hana" of Tamarind is the daughter of an old island family who lives in exile as her father stole a seadragon egg that had been meant for the ailing princess of the island. Following her father's death, she's forced to endure gruesome work as a child until she is too old for it, which pushes her to work for a school that studies the seadragons that roam in the Nominomi Sea. Upon such an encounter, she saves two dragons (and their eggs) from a dragon hunter who then takes her captive and forces her to help him hunt the two dragons (and their eggs). The hunt takes them to Tamarind where she gets the chance to flee and face her own past. What follows is her, and Samahtitamahenele's "Sam", hunt for the dragons and their eggs as well as Sam hopes to get one to heal his mother.
WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The book is set in a fantasy world that is heavily influenced by Pacific Islander mythology and history. And while the the plot is relatively contained in terms of location (as the majority plays on Tamarind), the author still includes enough other islands, the outside world (aka white people), the islands' histories etc. to make the world feel alive and full.
As for the magic, there are the magical abilities of seadragon eggs that the consumption of parts of the baby dragon and the egg would fulfil someone's deepest wish (even if it comes with a terrible price). In addition, Tamarindi islanders have markings that are ... well, magical tattoos of animals that can become real creatures that can exist outside of the skin, so the marking's owner can use their marking. All markings have personality, names and their own character.
CHARACTERS
Hana and Sam are the main characters of the book and I found them very loveable and compelling as main characters. In addition to them, there are also plenty of side characters who are either on their side or are their opponents/enemies.
Hana is a young, independent woman who suffers from the past and thinks that she isn't welcome at Tamarind because of what happened (despite being a victim in a way as well). Her hardships have matured her beyond her age and she's well educated (especially when it comes to seadragons). She's brave and compassionate (especially towards the seadragons who are viewed as a pest by everyone else). Sam is the last prince of Tamarind, who cannot inherit his grandmother's throne as their society is matriarchal, so he's faced with the dilemma of having to marry and have many daughters or finding a dragon egg to heal his mother who's supposed to be the next queen. At some points, he feels slightly flat and could have benefitted from having a few more pages, but on average, he's an enjoyable young adult character.
My favourite side character was Vatuu (I hope that I wrote the name correctly because I listened to the audiobook, so I don't know the bat's spelling). Justice for Vatuu!
TW & CW
While the book is aimed at Young Adult readers, I wouldn't recommend it to readers on the younger spectrum because of a few violent/disturbing scenes (that even gave me pause and I'm in my mid 30s).
general violence, blood, injury, vore (a sea dragon devours several children and two adults, their bodies are visible when they are swallowed and fight against the dragon from the inside), animal cruelty and death, consumption of dead dragon babies, off-page death of parents, magical sleep, attempted sexual assault (I hope I didn't forget anything)
TL;DR
An ocean-inspired fantasy read for young adults and adults that features the question "How far would you go to achieve your deepest desire and are you willing to pay the price for it?. A well-rounded read with loveable characters and a new take on magic in the form of magical tattoos, which also incorporates the themes of community & family, greed & sacrifice, as well as responsibility and the history of one's family and with it the kingdoms.