Kaufman, Amie. Isles of the Gods. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-47928-5. $19.99. 464 p. Grades 9-12.

Selly is a sailor and always has been. Although she has instructions from her father to stay where she is, she decides to board a ship to join him on the open seas. When her ship is commandeered by Prince Leander, she discovers he must complete a ritual and sacrifice on the Isles of the Gods to prevent one of two ancient sleeping Gods from awaking and starting a war. While Selly reluctantly agrees to help Leander along with his former schoolmate, Keegan, who was a stowaway aboard, they embark on a dangerous journey across the sea so the Prince can fulfill his task. There are some, however, who want to see Leander fail. Laskia is on a mission to find the Prince to prevent his sacrifice. Some, like her older sister Ruby, want to start a war, and with the help of Jude, a fighter and former acquaintance of the Prince, they set off after him. Prince Leander has one advantage: he’s an extremely powerful magician, and when he teaches Selly to harness her powers as well, they do their best to outrun their enemies in a thrilling and dangerous race against time.

THOUGHTS: Isles of the Gods is the first book I have read by Amie Kaufman, and I found this story to be wonderfully adventurous. I’d recommend this one to readers looking for action and peril with just a touch of romance. Told from multiple points of view, Kaufman creates an original mythology which adds to the mystery and magic on the high seas within this thrilling novel.

Fantasy