Island of Exiles

by Erica Cameron, Kristin James (Read by)

Overview

In Khya's world, every breath is a battle.

On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. Only the clan of Sagen sy Itagami can offer protection against enemies and elements. That is why the safety of the clan comes before one's self, and why Khya is a warrior above all else. But when obeying orders could cost her brother his life, her once safe home becomes a deadly trap.

The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she's never seen. Only Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn, is willing to help her.

To save her brother's life and her island home, her only choice is to trust someone she once considered an enemy, turn against her clan—a betrayal and a death sentence—and go on the run.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228014015
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, asexual, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon decor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, was the first volume of the Dream War Saga. Erica and her coauthor Lani Woodland launched the Laguna Tides series with Taken by Chance. Her other series include the Assassins series and the Ryogan Chronicles.

Kristin "KJ" James was born and raised in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. Acting has always been a passion of hers. Starting on the stage as early as preschool, KJ pursued her passion into college, where she received a bachelor's degree in communication with a double emphasis in theater and public relations from Mississippi State University. After college she found herself more and more drawn to voice-overs. Several classes, coaching sessions, seminars, research, and a home studio later, and she now records and produces audiobooks on a regular basis. When she's not in her booth, you can find her crocheting, playing video games, or running with her dogs.

Editorial Reviews

"Cameron expertly blends worldbuilding and intriguing characters with page-turning action scenes and a story that builds in tension and complexity. The novel's commitment to diversity adds new dimensions to thestory, as the cast is entirely nonwhite, and the clan recognizes nonbinary gender identities and complex sexual orientations. This is a rare gem of abook.... [and a] fresh, original series starter." ~ Starred Kirkus Review

"Erica Cameron's ISLAND OF EXILES is a remarkable achievement: a fantasy world so richly imagined, so finely detailed, and so strikingly original, even the most incredible elements feel totally real. The energy of the desosa will tingle along your skin as you race through this amazing book, and at journey's end, you'll long for the sequel so you can immerse yourself once more in the mysteries of Itagami! -Joshua David Bellin, author of the Survival Colony series

"Island of Exiles is imaginative, bold, and as electrifying as a Shiara storm."-Lori Lee, author of Gates of Thread and Stone and The Infinite.

A beautifully wrought fantasy filled with magic, rebellion, and romance, plus a strong, butt-kicking heroine to root for!"-Lea Nolan, USA Today Bestselling author of Conjure, Allure, and Illusion

"I was consumed by the savage mysteries of Cameron's harsh and haunting fantasy world. A story of love and loss as searing as the desert heat."-Diana Peterfreund, author of For Darkness Shows the Stars

"Harrowing and heartfelt. The intricately-realized world of ISLAND OF EXILES crackles with harsh magic and gripping suspense."-A.R. Kahler, author of The Immortal Circus series

"ISLAND OF EXILES has everything I've been looking for in a fantasy--powerful characters, magical powers that make me itch with envy, and a spoken language that is as intrinsic to the story as it is beautiful."-Amber Lough, author of The Fire Wish and The Blind Wish

From the Publisher

★ 2017-01-20
Cameron (Assassins: Nemesis, 2017, etc.) tells a YA fantasy tale about a "nyshin"—a warrior, mage, and hunter—on a desert island rife with danger. Khya is no stranger to hardship. Life on the island of Shiara is inhospitable at best, and as a nyshin, burdens fall especially heavily on her. Nevertheless, she's always been able to depend on her clan and the fact that everyone in it works for the good of the many. But everything changes when they threaten to take from her the one thing she can't give up: her brother, Yorri. Her worries are understandable as her sibling approaches a rite of passage that will determine the course of his life, but the greatest dangers facing her are ones that she can't even imagine. As storms rage across the island and enemies probe the clan's borders, a conspiracy begins to unfold that will test everything Khya has ever known. Not knowing whom to trust, she must rely on strange bedfellows: Sanii, a member of the servant class and the love of Yorri's life; and Tessen, Khya's sometime-friend, sometime-archrival, and possibly something more. But most of all, she must depend on herself, casting aside faith, duty, and honor for the strength of love and family. Readers won't be able to put this book down, as the excitement begins from the first page and only grows from there. Cameron expertly blends worldbuilding and intriguing characters with page-turning action scenes and a story that builds in tension and complexity. The novel's commitment to diversity adds new dimensions to the story, as the cast is entirely nonwhite, and the clan recognizes nonbinary gender identities and complex sexual orientations. The lexicon of unique terms and concepts may be intimidating to some readers, but the vocabulary adds fantastic texture to the world without distracting from the plot. This rare gem of a book has a lot to offer readers, including magic, action, and intrigue on the edge of a knife. A fresh, original series starter bolstered by a dynamic protagonist and a welcome sense of depth.

Kirkus Reviews