The heart of the world by Amie Kaufman

Fans of The Isles of the Gods will be thrilled to see the sequel The heart of the world and discover what has happened after the exciting conclusion to the first book. Leander is now the Messenger of the goddess Barrica and is filled with her magic. It could easily consume him, but Selly can draw the magic away and keep him alive. Meanwhile, Macean, the God of Risk, is awakening and Laskia is his Messenger, using her sister Ruby to stay alive. Selly and Leander return to the palace and face the arduous task of trying to prevent war. They are ably helped by Keegan who uses all his scholarly skills to find a solution, and Kiki who aids Selly to manoeuvre through the political machinations of the royal court.

The Heart of the World is told in the voices of the different protagonists (Selly, Leander, Keegan, Jude and Laskia), which means that the reader becomes involved in their fears and hopes while often being left on a cliff-hanger at the end of their chapter which ensures that the reader continues with the story. Kaufman keeps the reader glued to the page as everyone wants a war. Preventing this seems an overwhelming task for Selly and Keegan, who must keep their wits about them and produce peaceful solutions before the countryside is devastated.

The romance between Selly and Leander is slow-burning and beautifully handled, while Jude’s feelings for Tom will tug at the reader’s emotions. The complex interactions of the characters and the way they had to make sacrifices for the good of their world gives a richness to the narrative, making it difficult to leave their world.

I will always pick up books written by Amie Kaufman and look forward to more in the future. Older readers who enjoy books featuring gods may like to try books in the World of the five gods by Lois McMaster Bujold and Threads that bind by Kika Hatzopoulou.

Themes: Princes, Magic, Gods and goddesses, Sailing.

Pat Pledger