Islands of Blood and Storm
#6533.44 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 2019–2020 Reading commitment Low Kacen Callender Last reviewed 2026-08-18
Overview
Sigourney Rose, the last survivor of a massacred royal line in a Caribbean-inspired archipelago under colonial rule, uses her forbidden gift to control others' minds as she claws her way toward the throne that destroyed her family. A complete duology. Kacen Callender's first universe in this canon.
Dark fantasy, Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Islands of Blood and Storm Kacen Callender
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Queen of the Conquered | 2019 | 1 | core | 3.43 (2,389 ratings) |
 | King of the Rising | 2020 | 2 | core | 3.51 (399 ratings) |
A complete duology set in a Caribbean-inspired archipelago under colonial rule, following a survivor of a massacred royal line who can control others' minds as she claws her way toward the throne that destroyed her family. Kacen Callender's first universe in this canon.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Islands of Blood and Storm? Islands of Blood and Storm's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Islands of Blood and Storm? Publication order, starting with Queen of the Conquered. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Islands of Blood and Storm finished? Complete (2019–2020).
- How much reading does Islands of Blood and Storm take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books · ~400 pages).
- How is Islands of Blood and Storm ranked? #653 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 2,788 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #653?
Ranked #653 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.44 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (2,788 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 2 rated core books rate within 0.08 of each other.
- 0.01 behind #652, The Book of All Hours.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #653 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Queen of the Conquered (2019)
- King of the Rising (2020)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2020: won: Queen of the Conquered
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Suggestions computed from what Islands of Blood and Storm and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Charlatan Duology Dark fantasy / Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.59
- The Dark Star Trilogy Mythic fantasy / Dark fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 3.56
- Ironskin Fairy-tale retelling / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.39
- The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.26
Official resources
- World Fantasy Awards: Official Winners Archive
- Orbit Books: Queen of the Conquered wins the 2020 World Fantasy Award
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.44 across 2,788 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Islands of Blood and Storm (Queen of the Conquered) admitted accepted 2026-08-18
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-18
Rule: Core = both novels (Queen of the Conquered, King of the Rising); a complete duology.