4 reasons Song of the Abyss is the adventure story to end your summer with

The summer is coming to an end, but cooler weather often means more time for reading indoors. And Makiia Lucier’s Song of the Abyss is the perfect adventure story to round out your summer.

If you’ve read Makiia Lucier’s Isle of Blood and Stone, you already know that Lucier has a knack for combining intricate worldbuilding with adventure — and those two things alone are enough to pique the interest of most fantasy readers. And the second novel in the author’s Tower of Winds series offers just as much to be excited about as the first. Song of the Abyss is the perfect read for anyone looking to round out their summer with an adventure story.

Set eight years after the first installment, Song of the Abyss begins an all new journey with 17-year-old Reyna at its helm. And it looks like the mystery of Isle of Blood and Stone isn’t the only one Reyna will find herself wrapped up in over the course of her life. When people begin disappearing at sea, she’s forced to confront why that might be happening — and to travel to a far-off land with a foreign prince in order to set things right.

But when Reyna and Captain Levi arrive in this strange, northern land, they quickly realize that the situation is more disturbing than they thought. And it might be difficult to escape with their own lives, much less the people that were kidnapped. The stakes are high in Song of the Abyss, and the mystery is one that leads to some dark places.

But if the mysterious synopsis of the novel isn’t enough to intrigue you, here are four reasons that you’ll want to move Lucier’s latest book all the way up to the top of your TBR pile.

It’ll ignite your wanderlust.

Both of Lucier’s Tower of Winds novels tell the stories of explorers and navigators, so naturally, there’s plenty of adventure and travel to be found in both. Song of the Abyss takes readers to several different locations in Lucier’s world, and it often does so through seafaring. And stepping into Reyna’s shoes as she dives headfirst into the dangers of the seas and the mysteries of other civilizations will make you want to run off on your own adventures.

Even with the fast pace and intrigue of Song of the Abyss, there are plenty of moments when readers can just appreciate the landscapes the author has created. And those are as gorgeous as the story itself.

It has a charming protagonist and stellar supporting cast.

Song of the Abyss follows Reyna, a character we meet during Isle of Blood and Stone, though she’s quite a bit younger back then. Even in Lucier’s debut, Reyna is charming and brilliant, but her colors are able to truly shine during her own story — and she is, hands down, one of the best parts of Song of the Abyss.

Not only does Reyna have a genuine goodness about her that will make just about any reader root for her, but she’s smart enough to outwit many of the other characters in the book. She’s a protagonist that’s both relatable and admirable, and that makes Song of the Abyss all the more compelling.

Of course, characters like Levi and Reyna’s friend Blaise also make the story feel worthwhile. The bonds between characters leave you wanting to know their fates. And even the villain has enough of a reason for what he’s doing to get readers to symphathize. Overall, the cast is what adds life to Song of the Abyss, and it’d be lovely to see more of them in future novels.

The fantastical elements are well balanced.

Although the worldbuilding in Song of the Abyss is extraordinary, magic doesn’t play a huge role in day-to-day life for the characters we follow. The fantastical elements of Lucier’s world are often perceived as myths and legends, and it’s only after the characters have a run-in with spirits or mythological creatures that the reader realizes these aren’t simply fairy tales.

And the balance between the mythical and the ordinary gives Song of the Abyss an atmosphere that’s both eerie and dreamy — and so, so easy to fall into.

Its dark twist connects all the pieces.

Lucier seems to be a master at weaving together all the pieces of her story at the end, bringing even the most seemingly insignificant details into the fray and giving them a greater meaning later on. That’s part of what makes the ending of Song of the Abyss so satisfying — well, that, and the fact that the answers to Reyna’s questions are so dark and disturbing.

This novel never shies away from the more brutal ongoings in Lucier’s fictional world, and while the light definitely outshines the darkness, the more vicious pieces of the puzzle are what makes the story so believable in the end. And the foreshadowing always seems to be there, even if readers are too wrapped up in the plot to notice it.

Have you read Song of the Abyss yet? Tell us what you thought of it in the comments below!