Thanks to Alfred A. Knopf Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
4.5/5

I love getting carried away in Amie's stories......it is so easy to find yourself envisioning the world and the characters and never wanting to leave. This story is no different and the conclusion of this duology was just as captivating as the first book. While the first book took place primarily in Selly's world on the sea, this story shifts back to Leander's world and it's Selly who finds herself a fish out of water. Not only does she have to learn how to navigate life at court, but she, Leander and Keegan have to search for a way to prevent the imminent war between Alinor and Mellacea. Meanwhile, Laskia is trying to manage the link between her and Macean while planning how best to attack Alinor. Jude is stuck with trying to help Laskia as well as trying to save Tom and figure out a way to save himself as well.

I listened to the audiobook and it is such a treat to have a different narrator for each of the POV's as it makes it so easy to become attached to the characters. Each of them has different events from their past that they are trying to work through as all these world events press upon them. Found family is one of my favorite tropes and Amie is a master at creating flawed characters who struggle to make the right choices while dealing with the consequences of their actions. Keegan and Jude's journeys were lovely and heartbreaking and my gosh, the scenes with Jude and Tom were some of the absolute best of the book!! I will definitely be counting the days until the next story Amie has for us!!

We will be purchasing this duology for our HS library. It is an unusual duology- I think it will be for fans of Rick Riordan who enjoy more complex fantasy worlds with complicated systems. It was good.

I love all of Amie's writing and book 1 of this series had me absolutely captivated.... and now I can say the same for book 2! The world building and the characters are the two things that had me invested here. While there are a lot of different POV's in these books, I'm not sure there is any other way to tell the full story!

Selly and Leander were just wonderful - I actually went back to read book 1 before diving into this 2nd book and to see the evolution of their relationship in full was just the best. Seeing Selly totally in her element in book 1 and then quite out of her element in book 2 in Leanders world was exactly what this story needed.

I also really loved the secondary characters here - Jude, Keegan and yes even Kiki

Thank you for the chance to read this early!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Amie Kaufman for the opportunity to read The Heart of the World in exchange for an honest review.

The Heart of the World concludes The Isles of the Gods duology.
SPOILERS for those who have NOT read the fist book.

Leander and Laskia have both become vessels for the gods, one for Barrica and one for Macean, once sealed away, now aiming to come back to the world and wreak havoc and war.

Leander at least has Selly, who becomes his anchor. She is able to ground him from the immense powers of the goddess withing, allowing small snippets of power to flow through her as a temporary release. With the nations goddess basically rebirthed through the vessel of Leander, he has come to acknowledge the almost-completion of his princely duty. Unable to function without Selly at his side (because of the goddess' immense power), Selly gets to meet his mother and temporarily live in court, learning courtly ways, a dire contrast to her life at sea. They also have Keegan, their scholar, whose former betrothed, Kiki, becomes one of Selly's best court friends. All the while, they aim to determine how to stop the goddess from waging war, but there may not be much they can do.

Laskia has always lived in her sister's shadow, and now she has a use for her and Jude. The two fall to the role of her anchors, but they aren't enough. Laskia spreads Macean's power out to the people, demonstrating a more negative side to a god's power. Jude just wants to escape with his boyfriend, but he knows there are events that must take place before he can life a happy life, if he even survives.

When the countdown begins, mere days of peace remain until the deities enact war upon each other. Leander, Selly, and Keegan aim to find a way to prevent the war, lest their land be lost to devastation, like that of another god...

While the whole novel involves the two gods from the end of the first book, it further develops the relationship between Leander and Selly, as well as offers more insight into the choices of characters like Jude, Keegan, and Laskia. This book is everything it needed to be, with a nice wind-down to its resolution. This installment made me appreciate both Keegan and Jude a bit more, characters I wasn't personally invested in from the first book. More could have been offered for us to see with Leander and Selly, but the glimpses we get hint at enough of what is to come for their futures.

A really great end to a worth-while duology. Fans of fantasy-romance, seafaring adventures, and the power of gods will devour this short series.

This follow-up was a lot more character-driven than the first book, which I really appreciated. And even with all the focus on character growth, there was still an epic plotline that kept you racing through the story to see what happens in the end.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

First things first. I am so grateful for the synopsis of what happened previously as well as the opening letter giving some backstory. I wish more series did this. It was great to get back into this world. I loved Selly and Leandre in the last book. I missed the sea adventures but enjoyed the two gods facing off. I am glad it ended the way it did.

🤍 Thank you @netgalley for the ebook of this most anticipated sequel🤍

The Heart of the World picks up right where book two ends and launches right back into the action.

I do wish I had gone back and reread the last part of book one because I needed the refresh.

Overall, this was a solid duology but I did feel like this book didn’t keep the great pacing and addictive plot like book one.
I am happy to have read these books, though!

For the reader who loves:
• ya fantasy
• multiple POVs
• gods + war
• found family
Out September 17th

★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: kissing

Selly, Leander, and Keegan believed they had successfully saved their country (and the world) from a war between the gods. The cost…Leander’s humanity. Now a Messenger of the goddess Barrica, Leander is filled with untold power, power that is consuming him and leading inevitably to his death. But Leander has one thing other Messengers did not, Selly. For Selly has bound herself to Leander, acting as his anchor and sharing his immense power until they can find a more permanent solution. They think they have time until it becomes apparent that Macean, Barrica’s brother and eternal foe, has made himself a Messenger of the conniving, murderous Laskia. Laskia and her unwilling companion Jude have made their way home to Mellacea where Laskia is raising an army to wage war against Barrica and the country of Alinor. The last time the gods warred, a country and all its people were destroyed. Now Selly, Keegan,and Leander must race against time and journey to The Heart of the World, not only to save Leander, but to save their world.

An amazing ending to The Isles of the Gods duology. Kaufman is a plot spider, weaving the delicate, sticky threads of multiple storylines together. In, out, and around until all the threads coalesce into a strong, solid center that captures the reader’s imagination and won’t let go. The way she balances all of the different characters and plots, layering them, adding to them piece by piece is masterful. She doesn’t shy away from complex, intricately knotted stories. Instead, she slides in, braiding and untangling them as needed, crafting the perfect tale. Kaufman's characters are always strongly written. She deals with multiple main characters at once, but each is truly unique with their own strengths and weaknesses. They are all a piece of a well designed mosaic. Even her villains are three dimensional, often inspiring pity and sympathy. Kaufman’s meticulous storytelling is a hallmark of her books and it shines through in The Heart of the World. The pace is break neck as Kaufman takes us from one end of her world to the next, filling each page with adventure, romance, mystery, and magic. The only complaint is it ended all to soon. This beautiful world is rife with possibilities. I couldn’t put it down and was disappointed when it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was so close to a 5 star. I was really digging the high stakes and adventure in this one. I really thank the author for having a recap in the beginning because I needed it. It really helped my brain remember the little details of last time.

This is also one of those stories where I liked the main characters but I was more invested in the B cast. Keegan, Jude, & Kiki stole the show for me. I wish we could have had Kiki in the last book because she is delightful. Keegan being aroace coded was great. Ive wanted to hug poor Jude since the last book.

I love the look at religion and its effects on people in this universe. It seems to be a huge point of their society. The ending made me smile and tear up a little. This was a very good duology and I think I enjoyed this book more than the first.

Selly and Leander have been through a lot and the result is love. He is now the Messenger for the goddess Barrica and Leander is the only thing keeping him from being taken over by the dark magic. Unfortunately, Barrica wasn’t the only goddess who woke up and this new god is trying to start a war. Will these two be able to stop the evil in the world, both immortal and human? Will their new bond survive what they must go through next?

The Heart of the World is the second book in The Isles of Gods fantasy series. The beginning of the book has a refresher of the first book so those who have a space of time between novels will be reminded. This might be too much if you are reading the books close together, though. Kaufman has taken the world-building from the first book and expanded on these dynamic characters. A good fantasy read for those who enjoyed the first part.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely adore Amie Kaufman, and this duology is just the latest of her books to blow me away. The Heart of the World is the final book of the Isle of the Gods duology, and it picks up where the first book left off. Selly, Leander, and Keegan have returned to Alinor with Leander transformed as the Messager of Barrica, meanwhile, in Mellacea, Laskia has also become a Messanger and is trying to awaken her sleeping god. Jude is caught between his ties to Laskia and his loyalty to Leander. I loved this book, the plot, characters, writing, everything was fantastic. So without further ado my--spoiler free-- thoughts.
First up the adorable, the unbelievable, the one and only, Selly and Leander. I loved these two in the first book, but seeing their relationship grow and face hardships both godly and worldly was amazing. I can’t say much without giving anything away, but let me just say that I was extremely happy with what happened to these two in this book. Now on to the other musketeer, Keegan. Keegan was one of my favorite characters from the first book, and I loved him just as much in this one. He had a bigger role in this book, and I enjoyed learning more about him. Next up is Laskia. I hated her in this first book (obviously). She’s the villain but I also found her super annoying and her reasonings irritated me. She is much the same in this book, but I will say that I liked seeing her finally standing up for herself in the last little bit, and though I would have preferred a different ending for her, I understand why the author chose the one she did. Lastly, Jude. I kinda felt like Jude was unnecessary in the first book, but I really enjoyed him in this one. He was one of my fav characters and I am glad that he finally decided who he was and what he wanted. There are new characters in this book, my fav being Kiki, and I loved seeing more of the world and exploring the magic and gods within this book.
On to the plot. I really enjoyed the plot of this book. It is a bit slower than the first one, with everything leading up to one big moment. That being said, I flew through this book, finishing it in just a few sittings. I actually prefer plots that are a little slower and have less action, so there is that. Amie Kaufman is an absolute legend at writing engaging and magical plots and I love them.
In conclusion, yes. I loved this book, it was exciting and lovable and emotional. The first book was super good, but this one was perfection. Oh and don’t worry there is a cute little epilogue where everyone gets their own ever after.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (closed door)

The gods have their messengers, and that means the threat of war is looming. As Selly and Leander face the reality of their new bond, they also wonder if they'll both survive the power that links them. Meanwhile, Laskia revels in her new abilities, and Jude struggles with whether to run or continue the path he's been on with Dasriel and Laskia. Will the gods be released back into the world and bring a war that could destroy everything, or will our heroes find a way to bring about peace without sacrificing themselves?

This. Was. So. Good! Book one was good and fine, but this one sucked me in from the beginning and never let go. There were some POVs in the first book that bored me a bit and seemed unnecessary, but this time every character had a purpose and contributed to the storyline in a meaningful way. There was so much tension and conflict throughout, and I never knew what was going to happen next. The characters all had to gamble with their lives and hope that they'd come out alive in the end. There were stronger friendships and more romance, and I wasn't sure if everyone would get a happy ending. I even loved the addition of Kiki's character, even though she didn't get as much page time as she deserved. I should also point out that the first chapter provided a great recap of book 1 for readers like myself who didn't reread before jumping into this one. Whether you enjoyed Isles of the Gods or not, I highly recommend picking up the conclusion to this duology! It definitely made me excited to read more from Amie Kaufman!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is an excellent follow up to the first book and completes another great series by Amie Kaufman. The conclusion is satisfying, characters well drawn out, and there are some solid unique plot points to differentiate this novel from so many YA fantasy series out there. I look forward to her next series.

Story: Selly and Leander return to his home as anchor and messenger: heavy responsibilities that take a toll on both. Selly must navigate Leander's court while also ensuring that he does not become lost to the goddess who granted him powers. Laskia also has messenger powers - but she needs to find an anchor and allies fast. Meanwhile Jude and Keegan each has a mission to complete that will change the fate of kingdoms and the gods themselves.

I especially appreciated that the author plays with dualities (in this duology) so effectively. We have two groups: Selly/Leander/Keegan and Laskia/Ruby/Jude who have become embroiled with the return of two gods. The first group has support and love on their side while the second is held together by fear and intimidation. The first group is not entirely good while the second is definitely not entirely evil. As well, the first book was about Leander being a fish out of water (no pun intended) at sea while the second novel puts Selly out of her element in the royal palace.

The running theme is of manipulation by the ones they thought loved them and the characters finding their own places in the world. This has less of the swashbuckling action of the first novel due to being set in Leander's palace but is all the better for not being a repeat as a result. Most of the action comes at the end and the first part of the book is about the deteriorating mental states of all the characters under the pressures of the returning gods.

In all, I greatly enjoyed this duology. Kaufman is a solid writer who makes characters that are relatable, flawed, but interesting. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

3.5 stars - I liked the first book in this series better and I gave that one 4.
This book picks up right where the first one left off. Leander and Laskia have both become messengers for gods while trying to prevent a war.
We have our same 5 POVs (Selly, Leander, Keegan, Jude and Laskia). This was obviously easier to follow than the first one because I already knew the characters. We get to know them all so much better and watch their relationships (romantic or friendship) blossom. I really liked that we got to meet Kiki (Keegan's ..."wife"). She was great and I loved how accepting she was that Keegan had no romantic feelings toward her. The fact that she helped him jump out a window to escape their marriage still makes me chuckle. I also liked getting to know Jude better as he is kind of a morally grey character.
This book was pretty slow in the middle and didn't lose my interest, but my mind drifted a little. I don't think the pacing had to do with the writing style, which I liked, it just wasn't as exciting as the beginning and end. The end was super fast paced and I also enjoyed the little epilogue-y part.

I just finished my reread of Isles of the Gods and it was PERFECT way to start off this book, I would recommend everyone do that. It's a nice refresher. now onto this book. I am convinced that Amie Kaufman can do no wrong. Everything she writes is utter perfection. It was filled with danger, romance, twists and turns, that you didn't see coming (although you should) and I wish I could have my memory wiped so I could read it again for the first time.

I believe this sequel to The Isle of the Gods was just as good if not better than the first. The romance between Selly and Leander was extremely satisfying, and the rich character development of Jude and Laskia just blew me away. The narrative of course was excellent (I would expect nothing less from an Amie Kaufman novel), but her ability to depict these nuanced personalities that are so complex and so human is just outstanding. Selly is still my favorite; we get to see a more vulnerable side to her that was sort of missing from the first book. Overall, I loved The Heart of the World. It’s one of the most original YA novel I’ve read this year.

I adore this duology with all my heart! I recommended the first book to everyone I knew, eagerly awaiting any news for the sequel, and getting approved for an ARC was a dream come true. I was in a bit of a reading slump for a while but "The Heart of the World" broke it! I love these characters so much - especially Jude - and the world feels so fresh. The ending is a tad rushed but it didn't change how much I loved everything else about the book. Normally in a multi-POV book, there's at least 1 or 2 characters that I just do not care about, eager to get through their chapters as quickly as possible - but I never had that issue with this duology. I loved every POV, the different perspectives and motivations of the characters, and the romance! Honestly, I wish this was a trilogy because I want MORE!

A great conclusion! I was blown away by the storyline, world building, and action in The Isles of the Gods. This sequel was its reactive counterpart. We see the fallout from the events at the end of the first book and how those choices affect every character. Although the plot was much more slowly paced, I could not put it down. I wish we could have seen more of Laskia’s perspective and more consequences for her. The ending felt rushed, but overall I am happy with how everything came together.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and Knopf Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

So good! After the breathtaking conclusion of Isle of the Gods, I couldn't wait to see what happened next with Leander and Selly and The Heart of the World did not disappoint. Although it was a very quick and easy read, so much happened and the plot felt well paced. Loved the characters and the conclusions ... I wish I had more of this series to read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy