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Week One:
9/8/2014- A Book and a Latte- Interview
9/9/2014- Such a Novel Idea- Review
9/10/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post
9/11/2014- The Irish
Banana Review- Review
9/12/2014- Bewitched Bookworms- Interview
Week Two:
9/15/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
9/16/2014- A Backwards Story- Interview
9/17/2014- Carina's Books- Guest
Post
9/18/2014- Nerdophiles- Review
9/19/2014- Candace's Book Blog- Review
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author Sherry Thomas!
You can see my review of Book 1,
THE BURNING SKY,
right now!!!
THE BURNING SKY is only $1.99 right now on
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!!
B O O K T R A I L E R:
O P E N I N G L I N E:
She was being pelted with sand. Sand was everywhere. Beneath, her fingers dug into it, hot and gritty. Above, wind-whipped sand blocked the sky, turning the air as red as the surface of Mars.
A sandstorm.
She sat up. Sand swirled all about her, millions of sepia particles. By reflex she pushed at them, willing them to stay away from her eyes.
The sand stayed away.
he blinked--and made another pushing motion with her hand. The flying particles receded farther from her person. The sandstorm itself showed no signs of abating. In fact, it was worsening, the sky becoming ominously dark.
She had power over sand.
In a sandstorm, it was much better to be an elemental mage than otherwise. Yet there was something disconcerting about the discovery: the fact that it was a discovery; that she'd had no idea of this ability that should have defined her from the moment of her birth.
She also didn't know where she was. Or why. Or where she had been before she awakened in a desert.
Nothing.
Haven't read THE BURNING SKY?
You MIGHT want to consider stopping here and checking out my review of Book One instead!
BUT you can enter to win a copy of both books below!!!
This book is harder to sum up than most. There are two timelines running simultaneously, a huge change from the singular timeline of book one. Readers are thrust into the action on page one as Iolanthe wakes up in a desert with no concept of who she is. There is danger everywhere, and the agents of Atlantis are hunting her. Why? There's also a mysterious boy in the desert alongside her. Interestingly, he remembers nothing as well. Were the two friends or foes? Can they work together long enough to survive the hunt? This exciting present is intercut with the past as author Sherry Thomas brings readers up to speed with everything leading up to Iolanthe's current predicament. Ahh, what to say without spoiling things here? Let's just say that there's new tension between Iolanthe and Prince Titus due to the prophecy destined to shape the future. Have they been reading it wrong all this time? Can Titus still love her if she's may not truly be the foretold elemental mage that will bring down the Bane? There are so many twists and turns that come together, sever, and reconnect from one another, making way for a powerful finale. At first, I thought it would be hard to read two interconnecting timelines and remember everything, but with the deadly chapter cliffhangers, I always wanted to hurry forward and see, What next, what next...how can I be left hanging like this--oh, hello, friends, what's been going on with YOU since we last met!?
One nice thing about this trilogy is that the romance is incorporated as an element, rather than a destination. I hate when you're strung along for three (or more!) books thinking, Will they or won't they?, and then, with the exception of stolen kisses to keep the reader strung along, there's no relationship until the finale. Sometimes, depending on how the author does it, it feels like something's been stolen and you don't get enough time seeing the characters be happy after going through hell. One thing I really appreciate about this series is that the characters get together early on. Rather than focusing on the drama of falling into a relationship, it deals with learning how to build a real relationship after the early puppy love (or even, gah, those characters who suffer from insta-love!) phase, how to stay together despite arguments, how to work together to solve problems. I had this same sort of love for Four and Tris in INSURGENT and it was always one of the series' selling points to me. So, too, is the case here. A lot of stuff happens, but it doesn't get overly dramatic, and for better or worse, I loved scenes where Iolanthe and Titus were together. I can't wait to see how they interact in next year's finale. There's also a lot more development with secondary characters that fleshes them out in ways they weren't in book one. It wasn't just the Iolanthe and Titus show (Mmm, but I probably would have been okay if it was!). Supporting characters became just as important and really brought game-changing elements into play.And the Bane....GAH. There is so much more insight into the series villain in this book, and just...just...
GAH.
It is so hard to talk about the elements and twists of this book without spoilers.
So I guess I'll just say, rest assured that you're in for a thrilling adventure that will consume you until you get to the last page...and then you'll just want to go back and read it all again until you can finally have the finale in your grubby paws!
I'll also leave you with this:
When I first read THE BURNING SKY last year, as much as I enjoyed it, I wasn't 100% sold. There were some issues. I didn't know if I wanted to own this one in hardcover or wait for paperback. The interior was unique enough that I didn't want it as an e-book...though that $1.99 price may have swayed me. But I just love graphic design so much! I was going to wait until after reading THE PERILOUS SEA to make my decision because this book could have gone either way. The series could have just as easily been a hot mess. I did this same exact rationale thing with Rae Carson's THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS. Both series have gotten better and better with each book. I've loved the first book more upon re-reading it than I did initially. This has definitely become a Day One Hardcover series for me!
~*~
C O V E R D E S I G N:
I can NOT wait until my beautiful finished copy gets here and I can see this baby in person! I had so much love for the interior of THE BURNING SKY, and am sure this one will be the same way. (WHY did I group it with a preorder for a book coming out next week? Ahh, the wait, the WAIT!!!)
I would pick this up blind in a bookstore to see what the series was about. You can tell elemental magic is involved. And WATER. Two things I adore!
That water rising from the kingdom...is it dangerous? Is it saving everyone or killing them?
And...there is sand on the cover. I never, ever even noticed until after I finished reading, but it's so important.
Major cover love!
I would pick this up blind in a bookstore to see what the series was about. You can tell elemental magic is involved. And WATER. Two things I adore!
That water rising from the kingdom...is it dangerous? Is it saving everyone or killing them?
And...there is sand on the cover. I never, ever even noticed until after I finished reading, but it's so important.
Major cover love!
~*~
C O N T E N T R A T I N G S
Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details
Romance: PG13 ( lots of kissing, some innuendo )
Language: PG13 ( crudeness )
Violence: mild ( A villain leaves some gross presents, but nothing too severe )
Other: --
~*~
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: THE PERILOUS SEA
Author: Sherry Thomas
Release Date: Sept. 16, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins
Received: For Review
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
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.
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.
~*~
English is Sherry's second language—she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.
Sherry’s next book, THE PERILOUS SEA, volume two of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2014. Author photo by the lovely and talented Jennifer Sparks Harriman at Sparks Studio.
~*~
****Giveaway*****
Ready to check out
THE BURNING SKY
and its brand-new sequel
THE PERILOUS SEA?
THE BURNING SKY
and its brand-new sequel
THE PERILOUS SEA?
Enter to win...
For First Place
(US Only):
1 winner will receive:
The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade and a handmade solid lotion bar and some homemade face scrubs, plus a burning sky bag.
Runners Up:
(US Only)
2 winners will receive The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade.
Wow! This series seems so good and look at that cover!!! 0.0 It's beautiful! :D
ReplyDeleteWow, this cover is so gorgeous I almost wanted to pick it up without knowing anything else about it. lol.
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds fantastic
ReplyDelete