The captain and crew of the Blackbird, caught in a storm on the raging Northern Sea, fight for their survival. The storm quiets all at once, and they find themselves shipwrecked on an island full of jagged, broken slopes of shining crystal. And somewhere out beyond all the crystal, a beast howls.
Years later, people—soldiers, smugglers, noblemen, assassins—are on board a ship in search of a mysterious island full of power, magic, and riches.
Zachary is a retired master thief, but now he is dying. He hopes to find a cure for what ails him.
Logan has lived his entire life in the shadow of his father and brother. But now he is determined to forge his own path. He stole his brother’s (Dustin’s) ticket in order to sneak onto the ship. He felt Dustin would be angry at him for what he had done, but still, he hoped to earn his brother’s respect.
On board with these three are smugglers and trained assassins. Each one has their own agenda; sharing what they might find is not part of it. No one trusts anyone else. Then the ship wrecks, and they find themselves in the ocean right by this mysterious island, shrouded in mist, they’ve all been seeking.
The strong characters in this story are richly developed and I was at once immersed in their lives. I believe you will be too. They find so much more than they bargained for on this island. Things become so bleak for them that it is likely no one will leave this island alive. What is on this island? Magic. Twists and turns. A shipwrecked individual that has been there for a very long time. Pathfinders. Betrayal. Secrets. Life and death situations. Monsters made of crystal that only grow stronger when a person thinks they’ve defeated them. Is it even possible to defeat these crystal monsters?
The action and adventure never stop in this unputdownable book. If you would like to join in the adventure by reading Untamed Isles: The Path Awakens, I’ve provided an Amazon link for you below.
Amazon Link: Untamed Isles: The Path Awakens
Favorite Sentences:
Now the people spoke of portals to other worlds and islands of gold risen from the depths, of magic and sorcery, of the power to fulfill a man’s greatest desires.
Bending in two, he struggled to recover his breath, and choked as the unpleasant combination of rotting fish and tar assailed his senses.
But hope was a dangerous thing for a dying man, and so he’d never truly allowed himself to believe.
The whispering of the wind through the long grass became a sibilant hiss, as if demons had truly ascended from the seven hells.
Bulging muscles of crystal rippled as the giant head shifted, its fur shining.
He didn’t believe in fairy tales—even if they came in the guise of ancient legends.
New Words Learned:
becalmed – (of a sailing boat or ship) motionless through lack of wind
gutter – to incline downward in a draft
About the Author:
Aaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Master of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his job in 2014 and see the world. One year later, he published his first novel – Stormwielder – while in Guatemala. Since then, he has honed his skills while travelling through parts of SE Asia, India, North and South America, Turkey, and Europe, and now has over a dozen works to his name. Today, his adventures continue…
