Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Not fully in love with this, but I won't deny it was a fun, enjoyable read. When I read a Kaufman book, I can always expect strong characters, lots of internal struggle, witty banter, and a tingly romance. This book is no exception. My only qualm is that I thought we had too many POVs, some of which I didn't really like or care for because I didn't feel wholly immersed in their story like I did with Selly and Leander. Kaufman crafts great characters though, and there's no doubt I'll read the sequel, especially with that ending.

Kaufman always has great world-building as well, and like most of her other stories, the magic here in unique in terms of how it is used. I'm definitely eager to know more about Selly and her growing romance with Leander, the prince. They're both fun characters even though he obviously gets on her nerves, but that makes the banter between them quite fun. Despite what I thought were too many POVs, I liked Keegan and Jude well enough. Perhaps I didn't really care for Laskia because she's the "villain" but the fact that she's trying to prove herself to her sister and make something of herself beyond that is admirable. I'm a little iffy to the almost manic devotion to she has for her god, though.

Like I said earlier I definitely plan to read the sequel and I hope we get to know more about Leander's family and how everything ties together.

I LOVED this book! Great fantasy and great writing, even though it is a little bit slow in the beginning. I will definitely be reading more AK.

I devoured this book. Amie Kaufman's writing takes you on an adventure with beautiful storytelling. The Isles of the Gods is a fast-paced, action-packed tale filled with flawed characters and an interesting world. I enjoyed the magic system, and always love a good story about warring gods that drag humans into their mess.

The story is told from multiple POV's, and most of the setting takes place at sea which I really enjoyed. The descriptions were spot on, making me feel in the setting. This is definitely a good book for summer, and I wish I had been able to read it while on a cruise!

I love that I still have questions and am certainly looking forward to book 2! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I forgot how much Amie Kaufman's stories hurt my feelings, but in the best way. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the sea/sailing aspect as well as the magic and religion element. Leander and Selly starting out as sort of 'flirty' enemies was a great addition too. I am really excited to see where this series goes because the ending definitely makes me want more of this story and world.

Full review here: https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-the-isles-of-the-gods-by-amie-kaufman

I have been a longtime fan of Amie Kaufman’s books over the years, so it was a no brainer when I saw this book. But for some reason I struggled to connect with this book and it’s characters. Personally I felt like there were too many POVS, we didn’t get to spend enough time with each character and as a result they felt underdeveloped. The pacing also felt very slow and it dragged especially in the beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Children’s, and Amie Kaufman for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Isles of the Gods was certainly less swashbuckling than I hoped it would be. Instead of swashbuckling vibes I found the story to be very politically focused and I was definitely disappointed by that. I was looking for a pirate adventure with gods and enchanting islands and very little of the book was focused on that. However, this was still a good read and it had a strong storyline and even stronger characters. The magic system was unique and I liked the idea of the spirits but also wished we got more detail on them. The 5 different POV's was interesting at times but other times I felt like it took away from the story. Overall this was a good read it was just way more politically based than I was expecting.

I enjoyed this book with one caveat. We follow three main characters, Selly, a young sailor wanting to impress her father, Leander, the prince of Alinor, and Keegan, a scholar trying to get to the life he wants. All are thrown together to try and get Leander to the Isle of Gods to make a sacrifice to his goddess in the hopes of averting a war. But there are players that want nothing more than a war. The three of them have to keep their wits about them and lean into each of their strengths to survive and stop the war. This book explores relationships, magic, and religion. I liked the characters, the plot and the pace of the story. The only nitpick I have is Selly’s reaction when something goes wrong with her magic. It’s all the horror! Something almost bad happened! I’ll never do it again! It was just eye-roll inducing. Her character is so good (even the bad parts) that those reactions really took away from her character. But overall, I liked the book and am looking forward to book two.

A girl who wants nothing more than to sail away, a prince who is trapped in his duties, and a scholar who wants to escape his life all find themselves thrown together trying to survive a deadly girl who wants to awaken dangerous gods and kill the prince. Selly has salt water in her veins, she was made to captain a ship, but after her father left she is nothing more than the errand girl for the current captain and she yearns for his return to make her leader of her own ship. When she runs into a handsome stranger with magician marks on his arms she soon discovers that he is going to commandeer her ship and that he is Prince Leander of Alinor, the playboy prince who only knows how to party and cares little for anything else... and now he needs to cross the Crescent Sea so he can complete a ritual on the sacred Isles of the Gods. Selly wants nothing to do with the prince or his mission, despite how much he very much wants her to notice him and like him. What was suppose to be a leisurely voyage soon takes a turn for the worst when everyone on the ship is killed save for Selly, Prince Leandor, and the scholar Keegan. Three very different people, now must find a way to trust one another and help each other survive the murderous person hunting them and to find a way to get Leandor to the Isle to make the sacrifice before they’re all doomed. Not to mention that there is a growing romance between Leandor and Selly, despite the fact that they’re romance isn’t meant to work it does, but can they survive long enough or will they die? This one was an interesting one, it started off really slow and the there are 5 different character POVS. The character povs started off as very blended and it was so hard to differentiate the characters form each other but it did pick up around the 40% mark of the book and the ending was interesting.I think if you are a fan of sea quest, gods, magic, and unlikely romances, then give it a go! I do look forward to seeing where the next book goes.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book has many POVs in it, but I would say our main protagonist would be Selly. For the last year, Selly has been working on a ship basically to learn to be first mate while her father went North and promised he would be back for her after a year. Well, a year has come, and instead of returning, left her note stating he would be gone longer than expected. Now, Selly is determined to get off the ship she is on and go to her father instead of waiting for him to come to her, when the same evening she plans to leave, an unexpected person comes on board and their captain has them all leave immediately causing Selly to have to say on the ship and have to take this mysterious person to their destination instead, the Isles of the Gods.

I don't want to spoil too much of the story because I think trying to explain the synopsis would give away just too much, and I don't want to do that because this was such an enjoyable book! Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed at first when there are so many POVs, but as usual, Amie knows what she's doing when it comes to different viewpoints and having them come together at some point and see why we are meeting each of these characters at different points in the book.

One of my favorite things about this book is the fact that it is set at sea! I don't know why I thought it would be different, but the synopsis clearly shows, as does the cover, that this would be at sea. And I loved every moment of it!

Each of the characters are all so different too and each have their personal demons they're having to deal with, and then meeting one other and having to get along, so well done. One of my personal favorites would be Jude. One of those first chapters with him and his mom, my heart just melted and I fell in love with him.

This is a fantastic story with an impossible voyage that was such a fun read! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Amie Kaufman has such a brilliant way of world building that draws you in immediately. I thought the story was so fun, and was rooting for each of the characters. I can't wait to own a physical copy of this book so I can reread it!

5/5 stars for me!

Stars: ✨✨✨ + 1/2
Spice: None

Tropes:
- Elemental Magic
- Religious Conflict (Good vs. Evil)
- Found Family
- Opposites Attract
- Cinderella Story
- Hints of The Chosen One
- Not like Other Girls

First, I would like to thank Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a YA high seas/pirate fantasy series with romance elements and multiple 1st person POVs. The characters are framed by the conflict between different religious ideologies that are the foundation of the world's political systems. Each nation-state is working to empower its representative god - either to spark or prevent a war. Certain individuals, magicians, have the power to control a spirit element (earth, wind, water, fire). The strength of these powers varies within individuals and are used in both spectacular and mundane ways.

The seven god "children" with the "Mother" god isn't a unique idea, but it is done entertainingly - weaved into a love letter for sailing and the sea. The POV characters each have their individualized relationship with their god and country. Selly (the FMC) embodies several YA main character stereotypes - a mouthy tomboy and "not like those other girls", but still lacking confidence in herself. Leander (MMC) is a selfish royal playboy with room for character growth. The bookish, unpopular Keegan acts as a plot device in feeding his academic insights to the main protagonists - Leander & Seely - to move the action forward. My primary criticism surrounding the Big Bad (Laskia) is that she is one-dimensional, unrelatable, and seems to get all of the one-in-a-million lucky breaks she needs to achieve her plan of the moment. It's very difficult to sympathize with her and take her superficial motivation seriously. Jude is not a well-developed character, but the reader does not get much of his POV. The sea exists as another main character of the book with loving descriptions of sailings, boats, and the water as a consistent thread through the book.

The main characters are generally late teens/early 20s, with a significant amount of discussion given to the relationships they established when they were in "school". Several of the POV characters seem to struggle to know what to do now that the school friends are not what they expected. It's typical of YA, but a pet peeve of mine.

There is a fluctuating mix of high fantasy and urban fantasy depending on the location of the action. The technology seems to be somewhere around the early 20th century - with cars, guns, and electricity. The intense high fantasy elements don't come forward until the last quarter of the book - and this is where the action kicks into gear.

But even with my complaints, I will be looking forward to the next book in the series.

<spoiler>Isle of the Gods ends on a major cliffhanger.</spoiler>

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The Isles of the Gods - The Isles of the Gods #1 - Review

Couple: Selly & Prince Leander

Author: Amie Kauffman

Tropes: PNR, YA fantasy, many POV, adventure, quest, gods/magic

Review: This book is a YA fantasy that will leave you needing book 2 right away. It is high action and clean romance. The book is written from many POVs but alternates mainly between Selly, Leander and Keegan. It chronicles their voyage across the sea to the Isles of Gods where they hope to prevent a war.

I loved this book. I thought the characters were well developed and each was exceptionally original. I enjoyed Selly’s with, banter and cynicism about the world. I also liked how once Leander helped with her magic she realized that maybe she is not ready to wield it. TO me Selly was the glue that held the story together and I cannot wait for more about their adventure and her and Leander’s romance.

Leander was also a character I really enjoyed. I was pleasantly surprised at how much he grew and matured in the first book if this series. I felt like his happy go lucky attitude was done artfully to hide his inner fears and I was almost in tears at the end from his sacrifice. My favorite thing though was how he owned up to his shortcomings and tried to become better during their voyage.

The book is a sweet romance and does not have spice but both characters are drawn to each other. The chemistry between them is innocent and intense and I cannot wait to see where it goes. I really enjoyed how they leaned on each other and how their magic played a role in the formation of trust and loyalty.

I also enjoyed Keegan in this book since he fit the mold for a solid third friend. I thought he balanced both Selly and Leander out since he was more in in the middle. I also loved how he had random facts about everything and am curious to know more about his marriage arrangement.

Rating: 8.5/10, Leander!!!

I was so excited to read this book, because the synopsis sounded like everything I usually like.
Then, I read the first few paragraphs and realized it was told in first person, present tense. I almost gave up immediately, because the only thing I hate more is third person present.
But every so often a gem comes along that's so well written that I forget about the tense, and end up immersed in the story. I decided to give it at least three chapters.
And then it was two am and I was desperately trying to force my eyes to stay open so I could finish reading.
This book was absolutely wonderful.
The magic system is unique without being needlessly complicated. Every character is written in a way that you understand why they make the choices that they do, even if you hate those choices. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

I’m obsessed with this book and I need the next one NOW!!! The sea setting was exquisitely done, the mythology and magic system surrounding this new world is extremely cool, and the characters are just amazing!!! I love Leander, Selly and Keegan with all my heart and I hope we get a ton more of Jude in the next one.
This story is full of adventure, magic, high stakes, banter and romance, and it’s definitely a must read.

Amie Kaufman is well-known to YA booklovers for co-authoring incredible bestsellers such as The Illuminae Files with Jay Kristoff and the Starbound trilogy with Meagan Spooner. The Isles of the Gods is a rare solo outing for this author in her YA fantasy debut, which kicks off a brand new series set in a world with slumbering gods, scheming religious orders and capricious elemental spirits.

Selly is the daughter of Stanton Walker, a well-renowned captain and also an absentee father, having left Selly in the care of Captain Rensa when he headed north a year ago to scout out new trading routes and recruit new talent for his fleet of ships. Bristling under the tyrannical mentorship from Rensa, who has relentlessly stuck her with all the worst menial chores on the Lizabetta, Selly is determined to make her escape north to join her father.

Unfortunately, the disruptive arrival of Prince Leander ruins her plans when he derails the Lizabetta’s course to embark on a secret voyage to the Isles of the Gods. There, Leander must uphold the Alinor royal family’s tradition of performing a sacrifice to strengthen their goddess Barrica the Sentinel who maintains vigil to keep Macean the Gambler god of risk bound in sleep. But Macean’s followers crave his release and now, when Barrica is at her weakest, they will do whatever it takes to prevent Leander from reaching his destination so they can free Macean to walk amongst mortals once more.

This is a well-crafted story with a snappy, briskly paced plot that takes the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions, careening from one action-packed sequence to the next. There’s no shortage of heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled chase scenes that will seize the reader’s heart in a vice-like grip, rooting for the protagonists to overcome their latest obstacle safely. The author’s writing style is engaging and effortlessly polished with lush, vibrant descriptions that transport you into the scene.

Rather than offer up yet another take on the good versus evil fantasy cliché, The Isles of the Gods provides a carefully nuanced view on the conflict between Alinor and Mellacea, delving into the history between those countries and how their respective religions have shaped their people. While we cannot condone the homicidal actions of the antagonists, their viewpoint is showcased and treated with respect, making us see them as real people motivated by understandable goals and desires instead of being reduced to an evil stereotype. It’s a fascinating choice by the author and makes this book stand out from its peers by highlighting how its ‘villains’ are just as capable of love, compassion and vulnerability as the heroes, without crossing the line of excusing their actions.

While the blurb and cover image highlights Selly’s importance, there are five alternating character perspectives throughout the book which is arguably two or three too many. The inclusion of Selly and Leander’s perspectives makes sense as does Laskia to offer insight into the opposing force, however it feels unnecessary to also include chapter POVs from Jude, an old school friend of Leander’s who is blackmailed into assisting Laska, and Keegan, another schoolmate of Leander’s who despised him and is unfortunate enough to be on board the Lizabetta when Leander commandeers it for his mission. Jude could’ve been removed from the book with minimal impact and although Keegan is delightfully dry and disdainful in his interactions with Leander, a switch to his perspective really isn’t needed. As they are minor characters with far fewer chapters than the others, it felt jarring to come to a Jude or Keegan chapter because their voice wasn’t as distinct and could be confused for one of the others.

A noteworthy highlight of the book is how it features multiple queer characters in queernormative societies where there is no stigma attached to their sexuality—Leander’s sister, Queen Augusta, is married to a woman; Laskia and Jude openly flirt with their own sex without any fear of judgment, and the only reason that Keegan’s sexuality poses an issue is because it interferes with an arranged marriage his family is pushing onto him. It’s refreshing to see a fantasy novel prominently feature a diverse cast of characters and choose against incorporating prejudice or angsty plotlines relating to being queer.

The Isles of the Gods delivers an exhilarating cat-and-mouse chase of epic proportions with world-shattering consequences, a nuanced take on religious and political conflict that avoids black-and-white reductionism and fleshes it out in shades of grey, plus entertaining and chaotic characters with complicated histories and different fascinating dynamics between them. Be warned—a cheeky cliffhanger ending will leave you screeching desperately for the sequel!

Fun introduction to a new series! I loved the pirate/early 20th century world. The story is told from multiple POVs, with Selly being the main protagonist. I thought that the different POVs kept things interesting although it is a little slow moving in the first 100 pages. The magic system is unique and I’m curious to learn more about it and the gods of the world. I think fans of Shadow and Bone will enjoy this a lot. Can’t wait for the next book! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the arc.

<b>Quick Stats</b>
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 2 stars
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
- 1 star because of some weird race stuff and also because of pacing, world building, plot holes, etc.


I’m going start this review by saying that the only reason I requested an ARC of this book was because I was told it would be a future illumicrate pick (my source was incorrect), and because of past controversies surrounding this author’s association with Jay Kristoff*, I wanted to read a copy before I decided whether to pass or not—normally, when an author is controversial I would just pass, but I wanted to give Amie Kaufman a chance, since her controversy is by association.
That said, I was interested in the premise of this book, and I saw many people hyping it up. After reading it, I’m not sure why that is. I think that at its core, this book is average. Reading this made it clear that the real talent behind Illuminae and Aurora Rising are Kristoff.

This book is told in five first person POVs, but the characters are bland and voiceless. I couldn’t tell one character from another while reading. If I skipped over the chapter heading, or set down the book in the middle of a chapter, I had to go back and check which character’s POV it was, because unless they addressed the other characters, it was unclear. I don’t think a single one of our characters had a personality outside of the most basic archetype: the tomboy sailor, the flirty prince, the socially awkward bookworm, the ambitious one, and the one whose just trying to save himself. The characters did, for the most part, have clear motivations (although Keegan and Selly’s weren’t the most convincing). However, that wasn’t enough to make them compelling to read about.
The plot of this book was interesting, but the execution made it fall flat. The stakes were high, but the pacing was off. It dragged for much of the book, except for a couple of chapters near the middle and the very end. Similarly, there were a lot of plot holes. Some came from the plot itself being underdeveloped (I can’t address those without spoiling things), and others came from the fact that the world building was… weird. The magic system is twofold: the spirits and the gods. We get explanation of the gods, but we never get any worldbuilding about the spirits. What are they? Why do they help people? Why are some people magicians and others not? It seems like it’s hereditary, but where did it come from originally? How are the spirits and gods connected? It felt like two different magic systems thrown into one book that don’t make sense together. The worldbuilding and plot were both very weak overall.

The last thing I want to address is the fact that the villain POV character is Black. This is a book written by a white woman. Of the five POV characters 3 are good guys (2 white, one POC), one is a villain (Black), and one is sort of a good guy but working for the bad guy under threat (POC). Mainly it makes me uncomfortable that the villains of the story are two Black girls who are evil because they used to be impoverished, and now that they’re not, they’re so desperate for power they’d commit countless atrocities and mass murder in order to gain more power for themselves. Also found it uncomfortable that the one fully good guy who is a POC specifically describes the villain POV character as being darker skinned than him.
Now, I don’t think this was purposeful racism, but it was weird, and it was uncomfortable, and I wanted to point it out.

I adored this so much, full of adventure , very fast paced and enjoyable story, an engaging abd accessible YA book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and the end was full of twists , I am so looking forward to book two. This is a great YA read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow what a fantastic adventure! Amie Kaufman is one of my favorite authors of all time! When I saw she was writing a new fantasy series, I never requested a book so fast in my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read an early copy.

This was everything I could have hoped for and more! If you love a fantasy book with an epic quest, this is the one for you. The world-building, lore, and magic systems are all brilliantly crafted and completely immersive. The plot is engaging and high stakes.

The multiple points of view add depth to the characters and expand our understanding and investment in the story. All the characters are so loveable and relatable. The found family aspects are so heartwarming and the budding romance relationship is adorable.

I have not one negative thing to say about this book. You will love it; it is absolutely a must read!

The cliffhanger!? Ahhhh I’m dying for the next book already and this one isn’t even out yet. I’m so excited for everyone else to read this and hear what everyone thinks. I hope this one gets the hype it wholly deserves.

I have read all of Amie Kaufman's previous work and I am a huge fan. Her writing is super accessible and easy to follow. This book reminded me of the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies and I really enjoyed Selly as a main character. I adored the found family aspect of this book and enjoyed the combination of different personalities and the bantering. I think YA audiences particularly those wanting to get into fantasy will really enjoy this book. I cannot wait to read the next installment.