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!
The Isles of the Gods is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 2nd.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series that spans gangsters’ dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Aurora Cycle and the Illuminae Files.
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 off to adventure. But any plans to follow him are dashed when a handsome stranger with tell-tale magician’s marks on his arm commandeers her ship. 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 stirring two dangerous gods from centuries of slumber…
