I loved this! I was immediately drawn in and had a hard time putting this book down! It’s obvious the author knows the sea and sailing, and she’s passed that love and knowledge onto her main character Selly, who is fierce and capable and passionate. The world and action are so engaging, but the characters really shine. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

The plot wasn't the most original, but because of the characters and world-building, I didn't find that to be a distraction.

Reader’s Notes:

– this is the first of a series (not sure how many, but bk2 releases July 2024)

-this is told mainly from Selly, Jude, Laskia, Keegan, & Leander‘s points of view (the prologue is someone else)

– there is fantasy violence & death (characters are trying to start a war)

– it is mentioned that several characters have an interest in/relationship with someone of the same gender as themselves

– people in this world believe in/worship gods (similar to the Greeks/Romans); they also give offerings of various sizes throughout the story (from coins to lives – their own + others)

– some people (magicians) can control the elements(s) after they sacrifice things to them (in the sense of giving something up); the elements that they control are called spirits & have a form of personality that depends on what element they are

Review:

My main reason for giving this book 4 stars (though it wavers more between 4.25 & 4.5 stars) is due to having a personal issue with the last three points mentioned in my reader’s notes (and it was a little hard to keep track of who was narrating the chapter if I put my book down too long). I’m not entirely comfortable with the 3 notes, so at this time, I am unsure if I will continue to read the series or not.

The main reason I’m unsure if I’ll continue the series (on the opposite side) is because I was at the edge of my seat reading this book! And that ending I was not thrilled with (in the best way) and really really didn’t want it to end where it did!

Outside of the narrators themselves, I really enjoyed the high seas travels and seeing characters thrown out of their elements. It was fun to try and guess what would happen next and if our main main characters would ever make it to the isles alive. I really enjoyed Selly & Leander’s banter and sass. These were by far my favorite characters and points of view that I enjoyed reading out of all the narrators. Though each narrator had a great point of view that really expanded the scope of the story and all the little things happening outside of the main story between the two of them! I loved that even in her own point of view, Laskia was keeping most of her cards close to the chest and not letting others catch on to how big of a network/plan she had in mind. I loved that Jude was conflicted/caught between those who’ve been in charge of him for so long and the friend he once had. (I’m curious if he picks one side and stays loyal to it in the events of the next book.) And Keegan balances out Selly & Leander in both knowledge & clear headedness (for the most part). I liked that he grew close to the two of them and that they all had a sense of loyalty towards one another.

Summary:

Selly was supposed to be learning how to care for a ship and it’s crew, but all her captain does is send her out on errands. Finally fed up, Selly is determined to go find her father, the owner of the fleet Selly has been on ever since she was born. But to do that, she’ll need to get on another ship heading in the directions her father went.

When an unexpected passenger joins the roster under the cover of night however, Selly’s plans of reuniting with her father are dashed. Because the passenger is none other than Prince Leander and he chartered their boat to get to the Isles of the Gods so he can make a sacrifice on behalf of the royal family of Alinor. A sacrifice that should have been made sooner…

While on their journey, Selly and the crew discover that there may be greater repercussions than anyone could have thought for having accepted the charter. Now, Leander is being hunted by people who are on the brink of starting a war between two countries. And if they succeed in catching him before he makes it to the isles, then they will all have something greater to fear: the reawakening of the gods and lands being decimated once more when they go to battle…

Oh, I wanted to like this book so badly! I was excited to see Amie Kaufman publishing her own writing, and the description of the book appealed immensely to me. However, I felt that the multiple perspectives distracted from the plot, and the world-building, while interesting, wasn't concrete enough to ground me in the setting. The romance felt too quick (although that may be my own love of slow-burns influencing my rating) and the premise, while intriguing, is not enough for me to seek out the sequels.

The Isles of Gods started out promising to me. As the story continued to unfold I found it difficult to be attune to any of the characters. Their personalities felt a little to stagnant and trope like to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Love Amie Kaufman but this was just meh for me, still look forward to anything she writes and will pick them up always!

I tend to love YA fantasy, it's genuinely one of my favourite genres.

However, when books are focused on tropes, or what they want to have included in the story rather than the story itself, I find it falls rather flat for me.

I found the addition of a very underdeveloped, unnecessary romance to be very annoying. It did not need a romance subplot, but it felt like the author added one in there thinking that to succeed, there needed to be romance.

Additionally, the fact that there were multiple POVs, and they were all in first person, really took me out of the story. I did not enjoy that and found that they were all bland and sounded the same. I could not tell them apart whilst reading. I am not sure why authors these days are afraid of third-person narration.

Lastly, I don't want to get too into it, but there were some very weird racial undertones that I did not enjoy whilst reading, such as the two antagonists in the story being POC, and one POC describing another POC as "darker skinned than him". Did not enjoy that.

I don't see myself picking up any more of Kaufman's future works.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this work.

This is a page-turner! There is everything in this book - high sea adventure, romance, danger at every turn. This is a must read!

This book was okay. It would’ve been better if there were more pirates and not a million different POVs happening at the same time. It probably needed to be longer in order to have better pacing, as the story felt rushed and the world building felt brushed aside in the process.
Even with saying that, the story was still interesting in terms of the gods, the gangs, the school the heroes went to, the royalty system, and the sailing all over the seas.
I would’ve liked this book better if the romance wasn’t so insta-love.
Thank you for the ARC!

I didn’t go into this book with high expectations, and yet I still didn’t really enjoy it. Overall, this book just felt boring. I felt the characters to be very flat and by the time anything interesting to start started to happen I already lost my investment in the characters and the story.

I think the biggest struggle I had with this book was the world. There was multiple POV‘s in this book and so jumping from different points of views in a world that I’ve never experienced it made it very difficult to envision the world in my head and understand the rules And culture of the world.

The pacing was very slow, and there were a few characters that were interesting, but as mentioned before because it was multiple point of view, there were many times where I would try to skim through a chapter because I didn’t really care about that character. The romance was decent, but because I was not invested in the characters the romance didn’t hit in the feels, like I want a romance to do.

Overall, this book just fell flat for me, and I will not be continuing with the series.

Thank you too Penguin Teen Canada for providing me and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the writing and just bought this book. The story is fun and fresh. I love the cover. It is subtle and yet magical.

3.5 stars

I can appreciate a book that has multiple POV but at some point someone has to tell an author that 5 is overkill.
I love being able to see into other people's minds but there has to be a limit and a little bit of mystery. I am also a fan of slow burn romance but when it is done properly and over time. While it may seem that way due to page count it doesn't count when days pass.

Onto the next - I need character growth and history, not just simple descriptors and then whatever is happening in their POV, whenever you could figure out who it was.

This book could have had so much potential to it but ultimately fell flat for me with the writing style and representation.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

It started off slow for me, but boy do I absolutely want more and more immediately! This is such a rich story with a unique fantasy world unlike any that I've ever read. It sucked me into the world and the lore, and then left me absolutely starving for even more information by the end.

I adored these characters and the found family aspect of it. They were each so relatable in such unique ways, and I couldn't get enough of them learning and finding out who they were meant to be. And then BAM everything got turned upside down over and over again, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

It was slow at times, but I loved the world building and the way that this book carried so many different threads and did it so flawlessly. It made so many POVs seem easy, and I couldn't get enough of all the different story lines and character arcs that we got.

I need the rest of this series yesterday, and I know you will too as soon as you open it!

I already knew the author's science fiction works and enjoyed them, so it was interesting to see their take on a fantasy story. This book gets a lot of things right: the premise itself, the magic system, and the characters. It suffers, however, when it comes to pacing, further complicated by a very saggy middle. I also reiterate what other reviewers have noticed—using first person in a multi-pov book was not the wisest choice, and lended itself to a very jarring experience.

This was such a fun read. It is the first time I'm reading a book by solely Amie Kaufman and I love her story telling. The story was fan and fast paced. The characters were interesting and exciting. I loved how the book ended. I thought that it was such a great ending that really sets up for the next book!

This one was a bit slow for me to get into. Although it wasn't my favorite I'm still going to recommend it for my library because this will be a great readalike for many teen series. Our readers could take to this way more than I did and it would be the perfect addition to any library.

“The Isles of the Gods” is a historical fantasy novel by Amie Kaufman, the author of “The Aurora Cycle” and “The Illuminae Files” series. The book tells the story of Telly, a sailor who sneaks aboard a ship to find her father and ends up on a secret mission to the Isles of the Gods. Along with Prince Leander and a group of companions, Telly navigates the high seas and battles gods to save the world from war.

Amie Kaufman’s debut in the epic fantasy series, “The Isles of The Gods,” is a masterfully crafted and enthralling novel.

The narrative introduces us to Selly, Leander, and Keegan—three characters of profound depth and relatability. Kaufman’s adept world-building and intricate character development transport us into a 1920s-style setting infused with magic, providing a canvas to explore social tensions and the motivations that drive the story. The alternating points of view seamlessly intertwine, culminating in exhilarating action sequences that leave a lasting mark.

At the heart of this tale is a young protagonist embarking on a perilous journey to unveil the truth concealed within a hidden island inhabited by formidable deities.

The characters themselves are multi-dimensional, each harbouring their unique desires, flaws, and motivations. The protagonist’s personal odyssey of self-discovery and growth stands out, as they navigate the treacherous waters of divine politics and confront moral quandaries that challenge their integrity.

While the story maintains a generally steady pace, there are moments of slowdown, and some plot elements may appear predictable. Nonetheless, the overall narrative remains gripping and immensely enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can tell that Amie wrote this because it was amazing as always! She really knows how to write a ragtag band of characters trying to save the world. I got pretty attached to the characters for sure. Everyone was awesome though Laskia is the worst yet also super awesome? 😂 I enjoyed all of the different perspectives and gosh that ending was so unfair and cruel and I’m just dying now thanks Amie 😂 I need book 2 asap.