Thanks to Knopf Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: “The Isles of the Gods” is a high-seas adventure you won’t want to miss out on! 

 

One aspect of “The Isles of the Gods” that I enjoyed was reading from a new point-of-view each chapter. Kaufman’s choice to alternate between Selly, Jude, Laskia, Keegan, and Leander’s viewpoints not only helps the reader to piece together each character’s role in the quest they must embark on, but also provides opportunities for her readers to see parts of themselves reflected in her diverse characters. Kaufman’s efforts to represent characters of different races/ethnicities, socio-economic classes, and sexualities mirrors the diversity of our world, which I thoroughly appreciate. 

 

The slow and gradual development of Kaufman’s characters over the course of “The Isles of the Gods” gives her the space needed to build her fantastical world. Kafuman does a fantastic job making each country distinct from one another with her detailed descriptions. For example, I especially like how Kaufman contrasts Alinor’s rolling greens hills with Mellacea’s crammed city to make both regions more memorable. Additionally, she goes in depth about the land’s origins, the Gods and Goddesses that ruled over them, and the ways in which they are honored. 

 

Kaufman’s complex world-building does not allow the story to take off until its halfway point, but once it did, I was completely engrossed by the slow burn romance, the high stakes atmosphere, and the intriguing magic system. With the threat of war between Gods looming, I cannot wait to see how book 2 unfolds.