ARC Review: The Island by S. Usher Evans

The Island by S. Usher Evans

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance

Publication: April 26, 2016 by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing

Series: Madion War Series #1

Length: 260 pages

Format: eARC from publisher

Goodreads

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country’s independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian’s medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo’s survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?

The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath.

Thank you to Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first read the synopsis, I was immediately interested. A fantasy/romance between two characters from warring nations? Count me in. Fortunately, I was not disappointed by this one.

THE ISLAND follows two characters, Theo and Galian, as they have to struggle to survive on a deserted island after (literally) crashing into each other. The concept of the book reminded me of a lot of other fantasy/dystopian/romances, such as the LEGEND series by Marie Lu. Luckily, although there were definite similarities, Evans crafts an action-filled story that had me gripping for more.

Our two main characters had a lot of development throughout the novel, which I really appreciated. Theo is a tough Raven pilot, who slowly becomes to find empathy for Galian, the Kylaen prince. Meanwhile, Galian, the sheltered “princeling,” gradually begins to learn to fend for himself. It was quite clear the way that both characters learned to evolve and begin to trust each other. On that note, the romance was inexplicably swoon-worthy. I’m a super big fan of slow-burn romances, and this book gave me exactly what I was looking for.

I would definitely have loved more background of the two nations and how they started the war, but I suspect we’ll learn more about their history in the next two books in the trilogy. I also felt as if the ending went a bit too quickly, but I’m definitely eager to see what’s in store for us next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you’re into fantasy/dystopian with a definite swoon-worthy romance, add this book to your TBR. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

Have you read this book yet? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!