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beatriks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My first YA fantasy (not counting Harry Potter), it was a ride and I liked it!
Can’t wait for book 2!
(I listened to the German Audio Book Version, which was really well done)
Can’t wait for book 2!
(I listened to the German Audio Book Version, which was really well done)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment and War
Minor: Death of parent
ctara2123's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Death, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: War, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent
kat_kim's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is fantastic from start to finish. Adventure on the high seas with a salty sailor, Selly & Prince Leander sailing into turbulent seas to the Isle of Gods to prevent a war between two gods. All the while being chased by a malevolent woman determined to elevate herself by starting a war by awakening her god…. Will Selly & Leander get the chance to see if their budding romance can survive???? Waiting very impatiently for the next book to continue the adventure ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and War
zimmerlemon's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Solid classic YA, nothing too crazy but sets up a pretty interesting world so it’ll be interesting to see where the sequel goes.
If you don’t like multiple POVs definitely don’t read this lol but I did think they were pretty well done and clear
If you don’t like multiple POVs definitely don’t read this lol but I did think they were pretty well done and clear
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The audiobook really made this book great. Such a good cast + good writing. The story itself was fine, nothing too amazing but the voice actors made it feel so real and vivid, excited to see what comes next
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, and Classism
ashlynndr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Gore, and Cursing
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Body horror
lawbooks600's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Representation: Possible implied minor Black, Asian, Latino/a and multiracial characters
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Before I begin, let me tell you something, it's been so long since I read a book from Amie Kaufman, since the last one I read was Aurora Rising, which I enjoyed, and that was months ago, so when I heard my library got this I put it off for a while, but now I finally read it. When I finished it, I felt it was so different from the preceding book I read from the author, but that isn't a bad thing, and I enjoyed reading it. The next book is next year, and it might be as good or even better than the first. It starts with one of the main characters, Selly Walker, or Selly for short, living in a town called Kirkpool in a country called Alinor, oh, and there's a map before the narrative starts showing where everything is, which was a nice touch from the author. The worldbuilding was excellent, but to summarise, think of what happens when a historical fantasy crosses with an urban fantasy, and initially I thought it wouldn't work. However, the author subverted my expectations by creating a world that's so unique and memorable, and perfectly blends the 20th century feel with touches of magic. Wow. When I think about it, it's almost as good as the world-building in Aurora Rising, since both immerse me into their stories.
Now with that out of the way, another significant character, Leander, joins Selly's crew as she sets off somewhere, but there was a navy battle (trust me, it's action-packed) which cost some minor characters and left them stranded, and here is where the book slows its pace (that didn't ruin my enjoyment, as that allowed me to explore the characters and their dynamics) but the romance was alright, and it was likely that it was added as an afterthought. Or it's me. I didn't feel like they had any chemistry. The second half was slow, but I got to see a city which felt like New York but set 100 years ago, which was intriguing, but eventually, Selly and the others set off again to somewhere. The ending quickened the book's pace, where a few pages later I saw The Isles of The Gods, hence the title, more action scenes, and a cliff-hanger! Wow! I can't wait to read the next one.
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Before I begin, let me tell you something, it's been so long since I read a book from Amie Kaufman, since the last one I read was Aurora Rising, which I enjoyed, and that was months ago, so when I heard my library got this I put it off for a while, but now I finally read it. When I finished it, I felt it was so different from the preceding book I read from the author, but that isn't a bad thing, and I enjoyed reading it. The next book is next year, and it might be as good or even better than the first. It starts with one of the main characters, Selly Walker, or Selly for short, living in a town called Kirkpool in a country called Alinor, oh, and there's a map before the narrative starts showing where everything is, which was a nice touch from the author. The worldbuilding was excellent, but to summarise, think of what happens when a historical fantasy crosses with an urban fantasy, and initially I thought it wouldn't work. However, the author subverted my expectations by creating a world that's so unique and memorable, and perfectly blends the 20th century feel with touches of magic. Wow. When I think about it, it's almost as good as the world-building in Aurora Rising, since both immerse me into their stories.
Now with that out of the way, another significant character, Leander, joins Selly's crew as she sets off somewhere, but there was a navy battle (trust me, it's action-packed) which cost some minor characters and left them stranded, and here is where the book slows its pace (that didn't ruin my enjoyment, as that allowed me to explore the characters and their dynamics) but the romance was alright, and it was likely that it was added as an afterthought. Or it's me. I didn't feel like they had any chemistry. The second half was slow, but I got to see a city which felt like New York but set 100 years ago, which was intriguing, but eventually, Selly and the others set off again to somewhere. The ending quickened the book's pace, where a few pages later I saw The Isles of The Gods, hence the title, more action scenes, and a cliff-hanger! Wow! I can't wait to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Full trigger warnings: Death of people from gun violence and a fire, shipwreck, military violence and war themes, explosions, blood depictionhaley49's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed the world building and the three main characters. I think there were way too many povs which took away some of the impact of plot developments and distracted from certain main moments. Most of the povs outside of the mmc and fmc were uneccessary. Nonetheless I enjoyed my read and am excited for book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: War, Gun violence, Suicide, Self harm, Xenophobia, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Terminal illness
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was pretty good! The magic system was really interesting and intricate, with pretty strong core cast of characters. It's bit like a pirate adventure, with magic. The plot did seem a little YA cookie cutter, but that's not always a bad thing. Of course, we end on a cliffhanger, so be warned if you do pick this one up!
There was a lot of detail put into the magic system, but I wish there was a little more detail put into the actual world building. At times, it was difficult to really place where all the countries were and what was happening with them. Maybe a map would have been helpful! Perhaps a hazard of listening to the audiobook.
Anyway, despite that, still such a fun read overall!
There was a lot of detail put into the magic system, but I wish there was a little more detail put into the actual world building. At times, it was difficult to really place where all the countries were and what was happening with them. Maybe a map would have been helpful! Perhaps a hazard of listening to the audiobook.
Anyway, despite that, still such a fun read overall!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Death of parent, and War
taryn_g's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: War, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood