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A review by lawbooks600
The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman
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 depiction