12 new YA books you should stay indoors and read this August

Song of the Abyss – Makiia Lucier

Technically, this novel is a sequel to 2018’s Isle of Blood and Stone. However, Song of the Abyss follows the story of Reyna, who was a relatively minor character in the original story, which makes it one of those follow-ups that you can feel less guilty about recommending to folks who never read the first one. While some knowledge of Isle will probably help, and will certainly make Reyna’s story and world feel richer, you can also kind of consider this a standalone.

A rather significant time jump has passed since the events of Isle of Blood and Stone, and the young apprentice cartographer Reyna is now almost eighteen years old in her own right. She’s determined to become a royal Del Mar explorer in her own right, but her plans are derailed when her ship home is attacked by pirates and she swims to safety on a rival kingdom’s shores, where she meets their handsome, grieving prince.

The two are ultimately forced to join forces as part of a dangerous mission to a mysterious kingdom, in the hopes of finding some answers as to why several members of their royal families have disappeared.

The official synopsis describes the story in a bit more detail.

"As the granddaughter of a famed navigator, seventeen-year-old Reyna has always lived life on her own terms, despite those who say a girl could never be an explorer for the royal house of St. John del Mar. She is determined to prove them wrong, and as she returns home after a year-long expedition, she knows her dream is within reach. No longer an apprentice, instead: Reyna, Master Explorer. But when menacing raiders attack her ship, those dreams are pushed aside. Reyna’s escape is both desperate and dangerous, and when next she sees her ship, a mystery rises from the deep. The sailors–her captain, her countrymen–have vanished. To find them, Reyna must use every resource at her disposal . . . including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom. Together they uncover a disturbing truth. The attack was no isolated incident. Troubling signs point to a shadowy kingdom in the north, and for once, the rulers of the Sea of Magdalen agree: something must be done. But can Reyna be brave enough to find a way?"

Song of the Abyss is available on August 27.

Happy reading!