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

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Genre: YA High Fantasy

Rating: 4 Stars

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning.

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training.

Guided by his mother's visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission—and her life.

The Burning Sky—the first book in the Elemental Trilogy—is an electrifying and unforgettable novel of intrigue and adventure. --Summary from Goodreads

I have been trying to up my fantasy reads this year and happened to run into this high fantasy on Goodreads. Because I was going to see the author at an event I decided to bump it towards the top of my TBR list. Though it was a bit of a confusing start, and perhaps because I haven’t read many high fantasy’s it took me a while to adjust, I really enjoyed getting pulled into this world.

I was a bit confused at the beginning as to what time this story was set in. We are given two dates that seem centuries apart but are actually happening at the same time? I didn’t know what to think. However, after a few chapters I discovered that the times did indeed coincide but one was the year for the mage realm and the other for England. Once I realized that I was able to fully enjoy the mixture of the Victorian England with the mage realm. It’s like Harry Potter in a way, where there are two separate world and only one knows about the other.

After a series of events where her elemental powers manifest into something beyond amazing, Iolanthe finds herself ripped from her old life and on her way to an all-boys school in Victorian England where she is in hiding from the Bane, a tyrant who wants to capture her, with the help of Prince Titus.

Let me just say that Iolanthe is an awesome heroine but she also makes an amazing boy. When she first arrived at Eton College, where the prince had spent years creating an identity for the person in his mother’s vision, I was as nervous as Titus as to how she would pull off being a boy but she fit right in, armed with an arsenal of insults and swagger. She’s quick and smart and though she never wanted this destiny thrown upon her, she rises to the task despite her fear.

The relationship between Iolanthe and Titus is a mixture of desire, disgust, and despair. Titus is protecting Iolanthe but only so he can train her to confront the Bane and hopefully destroy him. Iolanthe just wants to stay in hiding and live a semi-normal life. Titus basically cons her into creating blood oath with him leaving her little option but to train or else endure excruciating pain. You kind of wanted to kill Titus at this point but, like Iolanthe, there is no way to fully hate the boy who carries so much on his shoulders.

My favorite parts of the book was when they were in training in the Crucible, a book that they can enter and run fairytale and legend simulations in order to exercise their powers. They can even set it up so they can fight against dragons, how cool is that! In the Crucible you can get hurt, and even die, but it doesn’t physically carry over into the real world. And to exit the book all they have to say is “and they lived happily ever after.” Isn’t that awesome!

The world Sherry Thomas has created is a mixture of fantasy and historical and I love it. This story has good pacing and plot and the cast of characters, main and side (my favorite being Kashkari), really bring it all together for one great read. If you love fantasy, you must try out the Burning Sky.

-Sarah