Book Review: The Isles of the Gods (#1) by Amie Kaufman
Published: May 4th by Rock The Boat
Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy, Romance, Magic
Quick Thoughts: It felt like a true action-packed beginning to what is sure to be a fascinating series.
About The Book:
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…
First Thoughts
I’ve heard nothing but great things about Amie Kaufman’s books, but somehow I’ve never actually read anything by her which is such a shame because I own a few books by her (These Broken Stars is one) and just haven’t picked up them yet. But when the publisher contacted me about The Isle of The Gods, I was immediately intrigued. I’ve been getting back into some fantasy books lately after not reading them for a while, so I knew it would fit right in.
My Review
Selly’s heart truly belongs at sea. So when her father leaves her marooned, she won’t be left on the side-lines on dry land without knowing what’s going on. But following him comes at a hefty price, her chances quashed as she meets Prince Leander. He commandeers her ship, requesting her help to escort him across the sea undetected so that he can fulfil a ritual on the revered Isle of the Gods.
Despite Leander’s eagerness and request of her help, Selly has zero time for a juvenile Prince, let alone an inclination to take him or go with him anywhere. Definitely not even for his handsome looks. But against her better judgement, what begins as a harmless agreement leads to chaos and treachery on the sea. Gods stir from their sleep, unlikely bonds form in the shape of cautious friendships, heading for a cataclysmic danger of war—or much worse, when magic comes into play amongst the backdrop of unforeseen romances and maritime deceit.
Overall, The Isle Of The Gods was as exhilarating and addictive as promised. We follow a handful of characters over the course of the book, which can be confusing at times as they formed in my head, but by the time I got halfway into the book it became second-nature. If you can handle multiple POVs (I know some readers find this perplexing) it really is a treat for the found family trope. My favourite character remained Selly because we spent a lot of the time with her, although there were other surprise favourites like Laskia, even though she made decisions that didn’t always fill me with confidence. The fantasy-elements-meets-1920’s-vibe was *chef’s kiss* and it felt like a true action-packed beginning to what is sure to be a fascinating series. Amie’s writing is punchy, compelling and makes for an unputdownable novel. Four brilliant stars! (BRB, going to read all of Amie’s books!)
About The Author
Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and is in development for film and TV. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and daughter, their rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. She is the host of the podcasts Amie Kaufman on Writing, and Pub Dates.
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happy reading!
