There is so much that I loved about this book. I am going to try to write a shorter review this time. As always, I do not actually read my first review again. So I might repeat myself a little. But oh, I'm so glad that I decided to read this book a second time. It was still as magical to me as last year. I adore these characters the most.
The writing is also fantastic, which is always so important to me. And I love the world very much. It is told from the point of views of Selly and Leander and Keegan and Jude and Laskia. Mostly the first two, whom I adore the most. They meet very early in the book. She very much does not like him. He very much likes her, because of this. I adored it so much. They have the best banter, when it isn't rude. I loved how it all started with her not liking him. Then it grew into such a wonderful friendship and more. Though it happened in just a few short days. But I did not mind. Since so much happened in those days. They were so good together. Sigh. The romance is small, but they obviously adores each other and it is so well written. I must have more of it in book two.
What I loved about this book was the magical world it takes place in. Some people have magic and are able to communicate with spirits and ask for help. Like small air or water spirits. Most people can see one spirit. Leander can see all four and control all four. I hope we get to see more of his powers. As I so loved when we got to see it in this book. I liked how the magic was displayed on a person's body as marks on their arms. I liked that this book was magical in a smaller way. And that all of it was a bit old, a bit modern.
Selly starts out with no magic. Though she do have the marks on her arms, just not fully formed. She has never been able to communicate with any spirits before, despite trying so much. Until she meets Leander. And he tries to teach her. I loved how that worked and how they were doing it together. And how she got better at it too. Selly is a sailor. She has spent most of her life on a ship. A little selfish, but fully amazing and kind. I loved how she changed during this book, how she started to see a wider world than her own.
And Leander started as a very spoiled rich boy. Which he was, as a royal prince. No one ever told him no. And so he was a bit spoiled. And so meeting with Selly was a bit difference for him. She didn't care about him being royal at all. And did not treat him as such either. I loved how their relationship started. Sigh. It was so much fun to read about them together. Leander is complicated. He seems like a party boy, only looking to have fun. But he is so much more than that. He was amazing and I loved getting to know him.
There is just so much about this book that I loved. Leander is a year delayed in giving a sacrifice to their goddess, which happens once every twenty-fifth year. Which is how he ends up on the ship that Selly is on. It's complicated, but also so interesting and exciting to read about. They are on a mission to go to The Isles of the Gods for the sacrifice. To prevent a war happening with a different town from theirs. And war is very much about to happen. I truly loved learning more about the world and how things worked there.
We also get to know Keegan, whom is also on their ship. He is getting delayed in going to where he was about to escape to. I loved getting to know this boy. He preferred books over people. Though he had not had a very easy life either. He went to school with Leander. But they were not friends. And so he is not happy to see him. I did not like how rude he was at times. Yes, he was right to be grumpy about things, but I still didn't like reading about it. I liked how he became friends with Leander and Selly after a while.
Then there was Jude and Laskia. They are from the place where war is about to happen. They worship a different god. As this world had a Mother and seven different gods and goddesses. Laskia is the sister of a crime boss in this town. And her life is not at easy one. She just wants her sister to approve of her. And so she is willing to do anything. Which she does. And I hated it so much. She was a villain, I suppose. But I wanted her to be different, haha. Despite her being mostly evil, I did like reading all of her point of views.
And then there was Jude. He works for Laskia and her sister Ruby. To keep his mother safe. He was one complicated boy. I both liked him and was annoyed with him. He is with Laskia when she is doing all her bad things. They are hunting down Leander. Many people gets killed. He does nothing to stop it. And yet I fully got that too, he had to keep his sick mother safe. But yeah. I was a little annoyed with him. Yet I can't wait to read more about him in book two and hope that he ends up changing a whole lot. Fingers crossed.
I have to mention another thing, before I forget about this. This is a book about close relationships. About people slowly becoming like family. Which I hope we see more of in book two, since this book took place over such a short time. But yes. I loved the growing friendships between Selly and Leander and Keegan. I loved how most of the book were just about those three together. I also loved reading about Selly's crew, the little we got to see them. They were adorable. Sigh. Rudest. I just loved all these characters the most.
There is still very much that I could say about this book. But I have already written way more than I was supposed to. Oops. I just loved this book so much. I loved the time spent at sea. It was written so well. I loved the magic. I loved when they arrived at the Isles. And how it all ended. Ah. The ending was all kinds of rude. Makes me so worried for book two. But I'm beyond excited too. The Isles of the Gods was such an incredible book. And I'm so glad that I read it a second time. You all need to read this lovely book too.
thank you for this post
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