I usually love everything Amie Kaufman so I was disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this. I found it slow and I lost interest halfway through. I also found it hard to distinguish between the different points of view as they all sounded the same. It was therefore hard for me to connect with both the story and the character. Sadly, not for me.

This had a great premise and there were some promising parts but it was a big disappointment.
I really enjoy books that have a nautical theme, so The Isles of the Gods sounded like it could be a good fit for me. Whilst I did enjoy the scenes that were set at sea and their descriptions, I thought everything else was a bit of a mess. The characters were far too similar to each other and it was a struggle to distinguish between their voices. I wanted a bit more world-building and background on the lore and magic system as well. Plus some major pacing issues made certain parts of the book a real slog to get through.
Good premise but terrible execution. I would not recommend picking up this book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

An enchanting, interesting read. This was my first Amie Kaufman book and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Amazon Summery
Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series spanning gangsters' dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Illuminae Files and the Aurora Cycle.

Selly has salt water in her veins. So when her father leaves her high and dry in the port of Kirkpool, she has no intention of riding out the winter at home while he sails to adventure in the north seas. But any plans to follow him are dashed when a handsome stranger with tell-tale magician's marks on his arms commandeers her ship under cover of darkness: He is Prince Leander of Alinor, and he needs to cross the Crescent Sea without detection so he can complete a ritual on the sacred Isles of the Gods.

Selly has no desire to escort a spoiled prince anywhere, and no time for his entitled demands or his good looks. But what starts as a leisure cruise will lead to acts of treason and sheer terror on the high seas, bringing two countries to the brink of war, two strangers closer than they ever thought possible and two dangerous gods stirring from centuries of slumber...

My Review
This is a first book in a new series and it is sooo good!

The Isles of the Gods is set at sea and brings lots of adventure, love, magic and sleeping gods. I love the world building, characters and plot especially all the twists and turns. I like the different points of views and can't wait for book two.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this early access!

I enjoyed this book - it was entertaining, the characters were interesting, and the world building kept me intrigued. The romance aspect was so-so.

Kaufman does Fantasy?! Yes! Yes, please!?! Enter Selly, our main protagonist and another 4 POVs… I was ready to taste that sea salt!! 🌊

I loved how this was pieced together, from the fresh take on magic systems to the slumbering gods, it’s a jump start into this new world on the sea for me! We’ve got tickles of a slow burn romance and an intricate journey… I was in my element!

I’m privy to a cheeky character build, and I thought this was done well, I’d like to see more from our villain Laskia in book two!

Basically, I’m on tenterhooks following the end of the book, I’m thoroughly teased on the edge of that cliff… how long until the next instalment please?! 🫠

I'd like to thank @rocktheboatnews for my gifted physical copy of this book - you spoiled me! I also received a copy via @Netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It's interesting that there seem to be quite a few fantasy books being released at the moment that rely on 'the gods' being real entities that can affect day-to-day events and wreak destruction in the form of wars. I did quite enjoy this one, especially the character of Selly, who I found very likeable. The romance element is slightly cliche but well-done, and the world-building was very well-rounded. Setting pretty much the whole novel on the seas is also a strong move, as it creates tension in the plot very easily. I'll definitely read the next instalment.

I read and enjoyed the Aurora series by this author and enjoyed this novel, the first in a series.
A well plotted, entertaining and compelling romantic fantasy: excellent world building and character development
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

An unfortunate DNF at 37%.

I was so excited to read The Isles of the Gods, having followed Amie Kaufman's Instagram Stories about it while she was writing, and around the time the book was announced. Sadly, it just didn't hold my attention.

I'll be fully transparent and admit that I've been in quite the book hangover/reading slump since reading Fourth Wing, but I tried to persevere with this. I really enjoyed Selly's POV, and had she been the sole narrator, I probably would have trudged on with this book, but the set up was far too long for my tastes and - at 37% - I hadn't found myself caring about any of the other characters yet.

I'd love to give The Isles of the Gods another chance, but for the time being, there are too many books on my Netgalley shelf that need reading to get my ratio back up to standards.

I'd give what I read of The Isles of the Gods 3 stars.

Thank you to Rock the Boat and Netgalley for my free eARC.

When Selly’s father leaves her behind to embark on another of his adventures, she is disappointed but not defeated. She comes up with a plan that would allow her to join his crew. Unfortunately, it is thwarted when a handsome stranger magician boards her ship and changes its destination. He is sent on a secret mission to perform a ritual on the mysterious Isles of the Gods, where two opposing gods sleep for centuries...

The Isles of the Gods is full of romance, magic and high-seas adventure. I loved the idea of the gods slumbering on the sacred island but still being able to affect the lives of the mortals. Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as I hoped. There were too many points of view, and the beginning seemed relatively slow, making it hard for me to get into the story. I still believe some people might love it, especially if they are fans of fantasy novels with sea adventures.

This is the first instalment in The Isles of the Gods series.

Selly lives her life on the high seas and isn't about to await news of her father at port so stows herself onto a ship venturing in the direction he was last spotted in. Her plans are sent awry when a prince with the marks of magic across his skin commandeers the vessel and alters their direction to the sacred Isles of the Gods. The two are at war from the moment they embark but soon entire countries will join them if they can't set their differences aside and unite against the approaching and suffocating darkness.

Multiple perspectives ensured the reader an enjoyable understanding garnered for those on differing walks of life in this fantastical world. Those in power, those fighting against them, and every area in between was explored. So too was life lived at sea, which I found highly enjoyable. It made for an action-orientated and adventurous storyline, only enhanced by the presence of the deities that later factored into this tale.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

This book had a lot of potential and whilst it had some good parts, it fell flat in others. The characters were okay, decent but nothing special. Some were written better than others and had more depth but my main issue was with the characters' motivations. why characters felt specific ways or did certain things were not always clear, especially for the ‘bad guys’. I couldn’t fully understand why they hated the people they did or what they even had to gain from plotting against the main characters which made the plot a little hard to follow. There were also a lot of POVs in this book which can work well, but in this case, some characters were too similar and ended up merging together.

The magic system and the gods also had so much potential, but they lacked background and depth. There were no real descriptions of how the magic worked or even what it really does and as for the gods, they don’t get much of a backstory either. There was no real explanation for why they exist or who they really are which confused me a little.

I did really like the writing style but the pacing was a bit off in places. It would be really slow for a few chapters and then a ton of things would happen in a matter of pages. It's one of the reasons it took me so long to read this book. the plot twists and action scenes drew me in but then the pace would slow again and I would start to get bored.

“I like you best with salt on your skin”

‘The Isles of the Gods’ is the first instalment in a new fantasy series by Amie Kaufman whose Sci Fi works I have LOVED so I was super hyped to see her coming out with a fantasy story!

The book itself follows (mostly) Selly, who finds herself in the position of helping a roguish Prince Leander travel the seas to the Isle of the Gods in order to make a ritual sacrifice….but sadly,
nothing goes according to plan.

The story itself is all told through multiple POVs - 5 in total which, I’ll be completely honest, I really didn’t think we needed at all and itself made it slightly disjointed. The book was a VERY slow start, I didn’t really get into it until over the halfway mark and found it took me a good few days to read which really isn’t like me!

BUT! In saying that, it was a fun read and I LOVED the magic systems in play and also the idea of old sleeping gods. And I will be certainly reading book 2 when it comes out, this one just maybe was not the strongest of starts.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is young adult fantasy and is the first in a series.

This is set in a world where the gods used to walk and fight amongst the people, but they've been sleeping for several hundred years. Only now, one nation is determined to wake their God. And if that means they need to start a war with their neighbours, then so be it.

Our 5 main characters are split across the 2 sides of this as they try to either make or prevent a sacrifice which will stop all this happening.

This was good, I did find it a bit slow to start, but I think that was possibly because it is jumping between 5 first person POVs and that is a lot of "I"s to get to grips with, figuring out who is who and which nation is which.

This does not have pirates but it does have a lot of sea based adventures which I always enjoy. We do also get the POV of both the good guys and the bad guys in this. I'm sure I've seen people describe the villain is morally grey, although personally I feel mass murder of innocents does push that over the line!

It is very much the first book in a series so there are a lot on unanswered questions, but equally it doesn't end on a massive cliffhanger.

4 stars, I'm definitely interested in reading the next book in the series.

This was my first Amie Kaufman book and I really enjoyed it! It kept me gripped throughout and was such a ride. Great first book and looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommend for fantasy fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Rock the Boat for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, violence, injury, major character death, aquaphobia

"The Isle of the Gods" is the incredible new fantasy from Amie Kaufman, set in a world where centuries ago the god of risk was forced into sleep to prevent a war. Ever since then, the first ruler of Alinor's sibling has been sent to the Isle of the Gods, to sacrifice something in exchange for protection from the god of war. This has prevented conflict from breaking out and is the only guaranteed way to keep the peace and prevent gods from clashing once again. Selly Walker, the daughter of one of the greatest sailors, has no natural aptitude for magic and wants nothing more than to join her father in the north, but she's stuck working as a deckhand on the 'Lizabetta' for the rest of the year. After finding out that her father isn't coming back until after winter, Selly decides she's going to sneak away and find him herself- she won't miss out on any more adventures.

Things are ruined when a stranger commandeers her ship and it's someone she already dislikes. Prince Leander, brother to the Queen, needs to cross the ocean without being spotted so he can make his sacrifice. He's already a year late, having put it off, and tensions are beginning to rise. Selly doesn't want to be part of this, nor does the other passenger on board- a school friend of Leander, Keegan, who wants nothing more than to become a scholar. When the decoy fleet sent alongside Leander is attacked, Selly and the 'Lizabetta' must protect him long enough to reach the Isle of the Gods, even if it means losing everything in the process. Fast behind them, and with their own grudges to bear against both Alinor, their god and Leander, are Laskia, sister of a gang boss, and Jude, the boy who believed Leander abandoned him.

I adored this book from the first page, the world was so inviting and easy to slip into. Selly is a brilliant lead character, she's stubborn and hurting but so brave and kind deep down, with enough belief that things will be better. I loved her development from thinking she's not enough and that's why she's abandoned to realising that she doesn't need other people's validation. Her gradual relationship with Leander, tied in with her experience of having to protect him and Keegan, was one of my favourite parts of this book, because they were truly never supposed to meet but it works. Keegan, Laskia and Jude are just as interesting and I'm hoping that the sequel will have more of them- I especially liked that everything came back around to wanting and needing acceptance but never fully getting it, which drove Laskia to terrible lengths to gain her sister's attention. Amie Kaufman has written the ultimate adventure, full of magic and gods, of sailing and romance, and I can't want to see what might happen next, because the ending was incredible.

The Isles of the Gods is the first book in a new fantasy series by Amie Kaufman, and it’s a riveting adventure set high at sea in a world of spirit magic, slumbering gods and political plots. I’d read Kaufman’s sci-fi collaborations with Jay Kristoff, and this was the first time I’d read a novel by her as a sole and fantasy author.
The Isles of the Gods was a thrilling read – the stakes were high, and there were some shocking turns of events. The five main characters have a lot of depth, each with their own motivations, detailed background story, and some history between various characters. The narration starts out with each character’s individual POV, and it takes a good chunk of the narrative for threads to interweave and sides to be drawn.
On the one side, there are the sailor, the prince and the scholar. While Selly’s and Leander’s voices stand out more, Keegan offered balance to the trio. On the other side, there are the gangster and the bare-knuckle fighter. We get a good insight into Jude’s motivations, which make him a potentially redeemable villain. Laskia’s motivations take her into the darker spectrum of the morally grey, but her need for validation is relatable.

This was an adventurous and intense start to a new series, and I’ll certainly be here to find out how it continues!

This is the first in a series, so be aware of that if you are thinking of reading it. It also has a map! I love a book with a map, it makes it much easier to track what's going on.

This book follows five characters - some more than others - as their countries dance on the edge of war. It took me a while to sort out the characters, but that's quite common for me. It also features insta love! But it's the kind of insta love where they hate each other at first, and then the plot happens. This isn't a diss on the trope, by the way, I quite enjoyed it - there's something of the David Eddings about this book, which was great to read. (Classic Eddings, not the most recent stuff.)

I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next - and I'm making a preemptive plea for a recap in the next book! There's a lot going on here and it'll be tricky remembering it all.

Great fantasy read. Definitely give it a try.

Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series that spans gangsters’ dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas.

Such a gorgeous story that kept me captivated from beginning to end. Fantasy readers will love this fast-paced, gripping narrative full of heart and thrill with the most fabulous characters!

I absolutely devoured it!

4.85 dazzling stars