The Islands of Iros by L.M. Bracklow

What worked:

The plot is told through the viewpoints of Luke, Damian, and Kaori. Each of them hopes to become one of the Crimson Raiders, defenders of Zutoro, but their reasons are vastly different. Damian hopes to find treasure and the legendary, power-filled finger of a sorcerer who died many years ago. Kaori wants to escape servitude to seek adventure across the seas. Luke doesn’t really want to join the Crimson Raiders until he swears to get vengeance against the enemy general responsible for his older brother’s death. The alternating chapters provide unique thoughts of these characters that aren’t always shared with their friends.

The search for the sorcerer’s mysterious finger is at the center of the plot and comes across as an unusual quest. It’s weird that someone will need to eat the finger in order to absorb all of the sorcerer’s powers and the fact that the sorcerer was evil adds an element of uncertainty. Actually, one of my first questions was wondering if the malevolent nature of the sorcerer might influence the person possessing his magic. I can give you three guesses about which character will eventually inherit the sorcerer’s powers. To add another layer of mystery, hints are cast that the sorcerer may not actually be dead so readers will wonder when he may pop up again.

A curious twist to the plot is when the person inheriting the magic is trained by another character, a Crimson Raider, who expected to receive it. There’s an inherent animosity between the two characters due to the jealousy and anger felt by the trainer, although he’s generally portrayed as an annoying bully anyhow. He’s never practiced magic, but he’s done more research about it since he assumed he’d become the new sorcerer. The trainee obviously has no idea how to conjure the ability and nose bleeds and weakness result whenever enchantments are cast. Also, anger is a strong catalyst to evoke the power which causes me to wonder if there might be an evil nature to it. Toward the end of the book, the author introduces another huge twist to the sorcerer’s magic that dramatically changes the characters’ roles.

What didn’t work as well:

Readers may want to know more about the inner workings of the characters, especially Damian. He’s the quietest of the three main characters and is driven to find hidden treasure but it’s not clear why. There’s also a moment during Crimson Raider training when he surprisingly threatens another boy. The action makes sense in the context of the situation but that behavior is out of character for Damian. He is the most difficult one to figure out due to his angry moments and his avoidance of interacting with others.

The Final Verdict:

The plot is easy to follow and should appeal to young readers. The most interesting aspect of the story is the magic because of the mystery behind how it works and the toll it takes on the sorcerer. Overall, it’s an exciting start to a series and I recommend you give it a shot.