Untamed Isles Books in Order

Untamed Isles opens with a strong adventure hook. The sea parts, an island rises, and rumors spread about treasure, danger, and a power that can change a person's fate. That is the kind of setup that promises movement right away, and Aaron Hodges leans into it.

The lead here is Zachary Sicario, a retired master thief who would probably prefer a quiet life if his body would let him have one. Instead he is struck by a wasting illness and forced to make a choice. Accept the end, or go back to the dangerous skills and dangerous people he spent years leaving behind. He chooses the second option, which tells you a lot about the tone of the book.

This is fantasy, but it has a strong expedition and treasure-hunt feel. Zach is not a farm boy learning he is special. He is older, more tired, more calculating, and very aware that the people around him are younger, stronger, and often more ruthless. That gives the story a nice edge. The danger is not only ancient magic. It is also competition, bad odds, and the fact that Zach may be trying for one last great score with less left in the tank than he wants to admit.

That tension matters.

The setting helps a lot too. An island rising from the sea is already a good image, but the wider atmosphere of strange lights, disappearing ships, whispered promises, and hurried secret expeditions makes the whole book feel restless in the right way. Everyone wants something from the island, and very few people are being honest about it.

If you like fantasy that mixes thieves, rival expeditions, buried power, and a protagonist who has to rely on experience rather than youthful destiny, Untamed Isles is an easy one to try. It feels adventurous and mysterious, with just enough desperation under the surface to keep the stakes sharp.