I really enjoyed this book. It was a great start to a series, but it felt like it took me forever to read it. It took 10 days which I know isn't a ton, but my usual is less than a week.
There are many POVs, I think we get 5. At first this seemed like a lot and a just a lot to remember, but I ended up really enjoying have all those different views on the story.
The main 2 POVs we get are Selly and Leander. The third POV we get in this group is Keegan. Selly is a sailor. She starts out trying to leave the ship she is on and find one headed north to be with her father. This ends up not happening since before she is able to sneak away, they are forced to set sail carrying secret cargo. The prince. Leander needs to travel to the Isles of the Gods to make a 25 year ritual sacrifice, which he is a year late on because he just liked having fun too much to do it. Keegan is a scholar who just wanted a ride to the Bibliotek and now here he is on this top secret mission. I absolutely loved these 3 characters. Selly is so smart and confident, though she has magician's marks that have proved time and time again to be duds. Leander is cocky, but is that hiding something else? Keegan loves his books and his schoolwork but has a great sense of loyalty. The other 2 POVs we get are Laskia who wants to kill the prince to start the war. Jude is blackmailed into identifying the price after Laskia's plan comes to fruition.
So like I said, the plot of this book is getting Leander to the Isle of Barrica to make a sacrifice to his god, Barrica. So many things happen. It's an incredible journey. But at points, I felt like it just dragged a tiny bit. So many things went wrong and they had to make a new plan, I think that if one thing had gone right somewhere in the middle, it would have felt a little less one note.
This book really left off without a super cliffhanger, but with a lot of unanswered questions that I am really keen to learn more about. I am really excited for the next one already!

Another masterful story from the genius of Amie Kaufman. The worldbuilding is interesting and the characters enchanting--I only wish we'd had more time with each of the POVs.

A plot involving old sleeping gods… I was IN.

An incredible character driven story. The pacing was a little slow considering the story took place over a two day time period. But I TORE through it. I loved all of the POV’s, the character development and dynamics, world building. Cannot wait for the books to come.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Honestly, I have been a fan of Amie Kaufman's work for years, but this novel was a breath of fresh air for me. The adventure and world that Amie Kaufman created in this novel are wonderful and I can't wait to share it with my students. Perhaps the best thing about this novel for me was the characters. They are all round, well developed characters who seem so real - flaws and all. Watching the characters grow and seeing their motivations for their actions - good and bad - was my favorite part of the story even though the plot was fast-paced and full of action.

As a teacher of Creative Writing, this is definitely a mentor text I could use to show students how to develop a character and show how growth in a character arc can be accomplished. I look forward to using it with my students after publication!

4.5/5 ⭐️
Wow. I walked into this book a little unsure, but wow. I could not put this book down, it sucked me in. I really enjoyed the different POVs because it added so many layers to the story and the world because they all had very distinct backgrounds and upbringings and flaws. But I appreciated that the events were kept between two sides. So like three of the narrators were always together and the other two were together. But the multiple POVs work because of this quote the story starts and ends with: “Everyone tells the same story different ways. And the only version we’re the hero of is our own.” By the way, Leander was my favorite. I liked all the narrators, but Leander is my favorite kind of book boyfriend. You know, the ones with an overly inflated ego that can’t fathom anyone not liking them, haha.
Overall, I am definitely going to be recommending this story. Between having a prince in disguise, a sailor, a scholar, a mobster, and a bruiser, all working to stop or encourage another great gods war, this story was truly entertaining and will have your heart racing.
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children's for providing an advance reader copy for my honest review.

Like many, I'm mostly familiar with Kaufman's collaborative work and two of those series have become heartwrenching favorites. I was really quite eager to see what a solo novel by Kaufman would be like and it did not disappoint.

The Isles of the Gods is a fantastic set up to what I believe will be a duology. It is a little slow to start, there's a lot of character and world development with a medium dose of plot. Its a good trade off, however, as I've found myself already quite attached to 3 out of the 5 POVs (yes there are five POVs) in this story and I can see the pacing picking up more in book 2.

The writing is excellent and makes for a light but emotional read. I think my only complaint is that I would've liked a little more ramp up of the romance. Just a touch. It's not super abrupt but I do feel like the relationship went from severe dislike to I need them in my life rather quickly. This did not stop the relationship from pulling at my heartstrings, however, so its a small complaint.

I cannot wait to read the sequel and almost hope it will be expanded into a trilogy as I feel like there is a lot of potential in this world. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Isles of the Gods is Amie Kaufman's first solo attempt. With it, she proves she can write an exciting story without a writing partner. Her story is a hybrid adventure/fantasy story with fun characters, some twists, a great romantic arc, and many unanswered questions.

All of those bloody death moments in her other novels may not have been the work of her partners, as I suspected. It turns out Ms. Kaufman has a bloodthirsty streak and likes to put her characters through hell. There are several cold-blooded scenes that will take your breath away with their cruelty. Ms. Kaufman, I never knew you had it in you!

Selly, Leaner, and Keenan make for an unlikely but effective trio. All three have an entire luggage set of issues, but together they work. Jude is similarly intriguing with his background and current issues. Meanwhile, Laskia makes for one evil villain. The girl proves zealots are among the most dangerous types of people out there.

The Isles of the Gods struggles with a predictable plot. From the beginning, you know where the story will end and why, if not the how. It doesn't make the story any less engaging. However, the lack of surprise forces you to focus on characters' interactions, which I enjoyed. So while there is a lack of suspense and tension, the bright side is that it allows us to get to know the characters, and the characters are what make the story.

After so many novels as a cowriter, it is nice to see Ms. Kaufman pen a solo effort. While not perfect, The Isles of the Gods is a strong start. I enjoyed Selly's and Leander's banter and sighed with joy as they fell for each other, another not-surprise but enjoyable nonetheless. There are enough intriguing unanswered questions that I want more of the story. It also ends with a bit of a shocker, so now I cannot wait for the sequel!

“The Isles of the Gods” is a high-seas adventure you won’t want to miss out on!

One aspect of “The Isles of the Gods” that I enjoyed was reading from a new point-of-view each chapter. Kaufman’s choice to alternate between Selly, Jude, Laskia, Keegan, and Leander’s viewpoints not only helps the reader to piece together each character’s role in the quest they must embark on, but also provides opportunities for her readers to see parts of themselves reflected in her diverse characters. Kaufman’s efforts to represent characters of different races/ethnicities, socio-economic classes, and sexualities mirrors the diversity of our world, which I thoroughly appreciate.

The slow and gradual development of Kaufman’s characters over the course of “The Isles of the Gods” gives her the space needed to build her fantastical world. Kafuman does a fantastic job making each country distinct from one another with her detailed descriptions. For example, I especially like how Kaufman contrasts Alinor’s rolling greens hills with Mellacea’s crammed city to make both regions more memorable. Additionally, she goes in depth about the land’s origins, the Gods and Goddesses that ruled over them, and the ways in which they are honored.

Kaufman’s complex world-building does not allow the story to take off until its halfway point, but once it did, I was completely engrossed by the slow burn romance, the high stakes atmosphere, and the intriguing magic system. With the threat of war between Gods looming, I cannot wait to see how book 2 unfolds.

I will read anything Amie Kaufman writes. She has won my complete trust for writing compelling and addicting sci-fi/fantasy stories. Which makes me happy to report that The Isles of the Gods was no exception!

So many of my favorite tropes were included: one bed, inaccessible magic, tension and angst! Selly was such an enjoyable main character to read about, and I think a lot of teen and young adult readers especially will connect to her.

If you enjoy pirates, multiple POVs, alt historical fantasy, this is for you!

4.5/5
Thanks to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

"It's not that I thought I'd live forever. I just didn't expect this kind of advance notice about when I was going to die."

I've loved Amie's stories she has co-written, so I was very excited to have received the ARC for The Isles of the Gods. And let me tell you, she absolutely hits the mark with this story!! It's a wonderfully crafted tale set in an ocean-centered world and it's full of adventure, twists, heart, loss and love. Amie excels at writing fully realized characters that never feel flat, but are full of nuance, grit, loyalty, flaws and grow throughout the story.

The main protagonist is Selly, the daughter of an influential ship owner and she is hoping to rejoin him after serving aboard another of his vessels. Her goal to get back to her father is waylaid as she becomes embroiled with royalty, gods, assassins, and a potential war that may cost thousands of lives.

Isles is an absolute delight to read and you can tell how important the sea is to Amie as it is a character in and of itself. The relationships between the characters and their growth throughout is so well done and I quickly became attached to Selly, Leander, Jude, and Keegan. Fantasy fans should snap this story up and let it carry you away!!

The Isles of the Gods is a Young Adult fantasy novel by Amie Kaufman. When Selly’s father abandons her, she decides to continue her life at sea. Her plans are changed drastically when a handsome stranger boards her ship with an unusual mission, to sail undetected across the Crescent Sea to the Isles of the Gods. When the stranger is revealed to be the Prince of Alinor, Leander. Shelly begins to realize this simple life on the ocean is about to become very complicated.

This book feels very average for a lot of the beginning of the story to me. I felt like there wasn’t really anything new and interesting and I almost put it down. I also really don’t like books that have large portions at sea. But reading all the reviews, I decided to give it until the 30 percent mark just to see what happened and I’m glad I did! This story takes a little while to take off but once all the characters are established and we really start learning more about the world, it became a very fascinating read. There are also tons of chapters and they are relatively short most of the time which makes this a very fast paced read.

I have read several science fiction books by Amie Kaufman but they have always been co-authored so I was really excited to see what she would do with a fantasy book all on her own and I think she was mostly successful. This has politics involving religions, a clash of two cultures based on gods, a love story that never feels forced, and an ending that really surprised me. I didn’t realize how emotionally invested I was in the story until the last chunk when I was worried about what might happen.

We get five perspectives we read from and some are definitely more important than others. There is a character named Jude that I really wish we would have gotten more from. Either that or I wish we would have just had two or three perspectives. I got confused more than once about who I was reading from and had to look it up. The character voices feel very similar.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes young adult fantasy because this is a fun one. But it feels very young adult so if you don’t regularly enjoy that age range/genre, this won’t be the book for you.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book somehow had everything in it I didn't know I needed? Sea adventure, magic, romance, subterfuge and I could go on. The bad thing about these advance copies is simply that I have that much longer to wait before reading the sequel...ugh.

I love Amie Kaufman but I did not at all anticipate how much I was going to love this book. This was full of adventure and kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t believe I got to read this before it’s even out and now I have to wait EVEN LONGER to read the next one! I’d do it again.

3.5 stars rounded up.

The Isles of the Gods hit all the popular YA fantasy tropes, and did a great job of telling a story filled with sympathetic characters to root for. Although at times the twists and plot were predictable.

We have:

- Magic system based on elements
- Religious conflict between nations
- Found family
- Opposites attract
- Falling in love with someone in a different social class/Cinderella story
- Hints of The Chosen One
- Not like other girls
- Going on a quest to save the world
- Good vs. Evil

While some of these tropes aren't my favorites, the author still managed to create a decent story. It's slightly above your average run-of-the-mill YA fantasy.

I did love the world building and the religious conflict between the nations. Although the idea of having each nation be beholden to their own specific god seems insular, this is a YA fantasy so I understand that things are simplified.

I also loved the action packed scenes. Once the action got going, it really went all out. But the author was skillful and left enough breathing room so that the action was impactful without being overwhelming.

Other reviewers have mentioned the multiple POVs. I had no issue with it, except that Jude's POV didn't seem to make too much of an impact on the whole story. ***SPOILERS*** I was hoping for a redemption arc for him. But alas, that didn't happen. Though I suspect it might occur in a sequel. ***END SPOILERS***

The Big Bad, along with her goals, do seem very one-dimensional though. I wished that her story would've been more nuanced. We get to read her POV, but it feels robotic, like she had no feelings (whether good or bad) for any of the atrocities she committed. She's the jealous and angry younger sister to a crime lord, and that's literally her only trait.

But even with my complaints, I'll still hang around to read the next installment. The author left enough storylines dangling for a sequel or two.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.

Amie Kaufman is someone I always telling myself I’m going to read more of and this is why!

This book was amazing, the world building, the chatatcers, etc. they were all great and really stuck out for me!

The characters were well rounded and abundant in adventure. I enjoyed reading all their POVs. There was also a dash of romance which I love!

What a fantastic adventure story! I loved the high stakes, interesting magic system, and extremely slowburn romance.

Things I didn't care so much for were the setting which seemed early 1900s gangster and simultaneously high-seas which kinda had me scratching my head, and I wasn't a fan of so many POVs in the first person. That just seems like a personal preference for me though.

Regardless of my criticism the story was well written and a lot of fun. I can't wait to see how the story will unfold in future installments.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

Thank you to @netgalley @randomhousekids @knopfteen for an eARC of The Isles of the Gods by @amiekaufmanauthor !

The Isles of the Gods is an epic Multi-POV Fantasy Adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat. Incredible magic system, worldbuilding, and characters- this story about old sleeping Gods and the countries they left behind will leave you in anticipation with every turn on the page and every chapter read determined to find out what happens next. I definitely can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love the cover. The artist is one of my favorites and that was what drew me to the book at first. I’m not a fan of high fantasy books but this one was actually very good. I have a soft spot for sailors/pirates so this was right up my alley.

What happens when a prince on a mission to stop a war, a scholar running away from his arranged marriage, and a sailor desperate to find her father end up trying to save the world together? You also throw in an ex rich boy who’s fallen on hard times in desperate need of money to save his mother and two sisters hell bent on causing a war and we get this action packed story.

I loved our main characters here. I’m glad this is going to be a series because the book ended at a point where I was really getting invested. The last half of the book picked up a lot for me and I was ready to figure out the ending. I was rooting for my babies to make it to the Isle in order to save the world. That ending had me shook I’m ready for book 2 already!

Gosh this book was sad. Sad things just kept happening over and over again. I can just imagine the pain and anguish Leander felt. And poor Shelly. Everyone sure does have a lot of trauma that they have to work through now.

The enemies (?) to lovers/ forced proximity/ slow burn romance that Leander and Selly had was so cute. I shipped them from the moment she put the flower in his hair and made fun of him. I knew they would be adorable together. Also I want to know more about Jude. He’s a central character but he doesn’t have much screen time. I wanted to get into the meat of his story.

Although I’m not a fan of high fantasy, this one did it for me. It’s very character driven and divided into different POVs in each chapter. You see a lot of the magical world they are in as well as their powers. There’s a mystery there with Selly’s power I’m dying to know about.

The backdrop is a rich world with clashing cultures and lifestyles. It has opposing gods with people pushed about like pieces of a high-stakes game. I found the magic system intriguing, and as a reader, you are given information, slowly building your understanding as you follow the characters. The story includes a scholar, a sailor, a prince magician with uncanny power over the elements, a torn enforcer, and a criminal zealot.

Sometimes when I read more than one perspective, I prefer one storyline over the other, and I will skip over most of the content of the less intriguing characters. I followed Keegan, Leander, and Selly's storylines, only reading the basics for the other perspectives.

It was a good solid read. The conclusion felt a little weak, which turned this from almost a 5-star to a 4. I prefer stories with a true conclusion, but this story had a lot of pieces happening at once hence the need to split up the novel. Note: I also was a little surprised that this is considered a Teen & YA. I would probably push this toward the adult fantasy genre due to the violence.