The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2) by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: 16 September 2014
Rating: 4 Stars

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future. - Summary from Goodreads

Right from the first chapter The Perilous Sea I was sucked in and it was near impossible to put down. I’m serious, that first chapter is just evil! The chapters alternate between things that happen after summer when Iolanthe and Titus return to Eton and events that take place SEVEN WEEKS IN THE FUTURE! Guess which type the first chapter is. I’ll give you one guess…

This book spends a lot of time asking questions about the nature of prophecy. If you see it, is it written in stone? If you manipulate events to encourage the prophecy, are you making it happen? What if the Seer makes a mistake when interpreting the vision? Prophecy is a tricky thing, and Iolanthe and Titus are beginning to learn just how tricky. It causes drama in their relationship, but I like them better for dealing with it and working things out between them.

As good as the first book was, its sequel surpasses it in awesomeness. We get to know some of the side characters better, like Cooper and Kashkari (whom Sarah loves). It has plenty of action and tension in the book and the story is just so good! But for some reason I can’t give it a 5-star rating, it wasn’t until after reading book two that I figure out why. I don’t have an emotional connection with the characters. Maybe it’s because the writing style feels distant to me. When I’m reading an emotional scene, I’m reading about what the characters are feeling, I don’t feel it myself. That is the only thing that makes this series less than perfect for me.

I love how The Elemental Trilogy references fairytales in the Crucible. The innocence and “and they all lived happily ever after” of the fairytales contrast the horrible reality of what the characters are dealing with in such a heartbreaking way. It’s such a small part of the series but I wanted to mention it.

The Perilous Sea contains all the action, drama, and adventure that you can hope for in a sequel. The ending is set up perfectly for book three and leaves you hanging from the side of a cliff (metaphorically speaking) and anxious for the conclusion to the trilogy.
     -Christina