The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman | Review
An epic high-seas YA adventure
Title: The Isles of the Gods
Author: Amie Kaufman
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Released: May 4, 2023
This review contains mild spoilers.
Amie Kaufman is one of those authors to me whose writing I will always read. Novel, short story, shopping list… I’ll take it.
The Isles of the Gods is her first solo YA, and to say I was excited to read it is an understatement. It’s got everything I love from her (and in general): magic, romance, royalty, high stakes, adventure, and memorable characters.
The novel follows five characters amidst the whisper of war not just between humans, but between their gods too. Leander, the prince; Selly, the sailor; Laskia, the gangsta; Keegan, the scholar; and Jude, the bastard. I know it sounds like five perspective characters is a lot for a single author in a single book, but never did it feel overwhelming, confusing, or like a character wasn’t pulling their weight. Each character’s point of view added something integral to the story - plot or otherwise. I loved reading every single one. They were also a wonderful reminder of the complexity of human beings - there are no inherently good or bad people, and if we could only see from the perspective of the other side, the better we might understand motivations and points of view.
Ruby says nothing worth having ever comes clean. That is the good stuff was easy, everyone would claim it. So it doesn’t matter if you find it hard, doing what’s necessary. That isn’t what makes you weak. You’re only weak if you turn away from the hard parts. I will not be weak.
The world is beautifully crafted and 1920s inspired - it straddled between the old ways and the new ways in that technology is just being developed; there are auto vehicles sharing the roads with horse and cart. All with a backdrop of magic and sleeping gods. Even though the majority of the book takes place on the sea, the world felt wonderfully rich and inhabited. The mythology of the gods was a lot of fun to read and learn more about, and I’m excited to see how that particular plot plays out in the next book.
The magic system is elemental-based but doesn’t feel rehashed like I always worry elemental magic will. Instead, it settled itself in as an integral part of the world and its people, and I enjoyed learning more about it and watching the characters who possess it unlock their own abilities.
I used to be so sure of everything I knew. But now all I know is that the world is vast. And like this ship, I’m a tiny speck in it. That’s what Rensa was trying to show me - I’m just one part of something far larger, and there’s no weakness in that. Only strength.
There’s several reasons why Amie Kaufman is such a successful and much-loved author, and The Isles of the Gods showcases every one of them. If you’re a fantasy fan, I highly recommend this one.