Swoon Thursday (#297): The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas!

He did not move again. Not because he might startle her - she had ever been imperturbable in these matters. But because he was startled. He had thought he knew everything there was to know about his desire. Had considered it, so long fettered and trammeled, as tame, or at least manageable.

When it had always been feral. Primal. 

Her lips touched his nape, just above the rim of his collar. He spun around, cupped her face, and kissed her on the mouth, a kiss that he might never be able to stop.

She was the one who eased them apart - and combed her fingers through his hair. "You are welcome to stay."

- eARC, page 94

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FINALLYYYYYYY.  I adore Charlotte and Lord Ingram. This romance is a slow-burn one that is finally happening in book three! YAY!

Review: A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

Book Two of the Lady Sherlock series

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: September 5, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

The game is afoot as Charlotte Holmes returns in the atmospheric second novel in New York Times bestseller Sherry Thomas's Victorian-set Lady Sherlock series.

Being shunned by Society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she’s had great success helping with all manner of inquiries, but she’s not prepared for the new client who arrives at her Upper Baker Street office.

Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte’s dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half brother.

In the meanwhile, Charlotte wrestles with a surprising proposal of marriage, a mysterious stranger woos her sister Livia, and an unidentified body that surfaces where least expected. Charlotte’s investigative prowess is challenged as never before: Can she find her brother in time—or will he, too, end up as a nameless corpse somewhere in the belly of London?

What I Liked:

This sequel novel was incredible, quite possibly even better than A Study in Scarlet Women. I don't read nearly enough mystery fiction novels, but I'm glad I started reading this one. Clearly Sherry Thomas can write anything, and I'd enjoy it!

In this second book, Charlotte Holmes has a new set of cases that are puzzling and strange. Lady Ingram has sent a request for Sherlock Holmes, to find her childhood love, who did not meet her at their annual rendezvous. There is something peculiar about this request, and Charlotte knows it's not just the case of a missing man - especially when Lady Ingram cites that the man is Myron Finch, Charlotte's half-brother. Throw in a dead man and some business from the previous novel, and it is clear that this is no ordinary situation. Charlotte and Mrs. Watson must find Myron Finch before any unpleasant business catches up to him - or them.

There are so many moving parts to this story, which was fantastic! Charlotte takes on several cases, and some of them intersect. The primary one is that of Lady Ingram, but there is also a woman who believes her housekeeper is trying to poison her. There is the matter of the dead man, whom Charlotte happens upon by chance, in some ways. In the end, all of these plots come together, except one. I thought it was so neat, how everything connected. As you're reading the story, you wonder about each individual case. But then as the climax draws near, it becomes obvious that many things are connected.

Thomas had me guessing about everything, right up until 98% of the book, when all is revealed. Don't get me wrong, the author drops information here and there, enough to make you think you understand what the mystery is. But the big reveal is nothing like I would have expected. I must applaud Thomas for how she set up the crime and the mystery!

Charlotte is so, so clever! I can't imagine writing such a clever character being easy! She is so perceptive and intelligent - nothing gets past her. She is so formidable when using her brain. Thomas did an amazing job of writing Charlotte.

The other characters were equally as well-developed and likable. I enjoyed reading scenes from Mrs. Watson's POV - she is a very kind and intelligent woman. Most of the book is written from Charlotte's POV, but all is from third-person, so the author had the freedom to have scenes from different characters' POVs. It was mostly Charlotte and Mrs. Watson. Mrs. Watson is a fantastic sidekick, and I liked seeing her friendship with Charlotte grow and solidify more.

Lord Ingram is a big part of this story, though he plays less of a big role as he did in the first book. His presence is always noticed, even though he is barely in the book (in terms of being in the same space as Charlotte). He is as honorable and clever as always, though of course not nearly as clever as Charlotte. He is a good man.

We also got to read from Livia's POV, and I liked that. Livia is a sweet girl, and her part of the story was fun to read. Fun, and sometimes a little wistful, but also hopeful. She has begun writing the tales of Sherlock Holmes and I think it's obvious that she loves it. 

In terms of romance, there is even less of it than there was in book one, at least for Charlotte. She does get a proposal but not from who we as readers would want (that couldn't happen anyway). However, this proposal thing is dealt with by the end of the book. Fret not!

I won't say too much more, especially in terms of the mystery. Suffice it to say, Thomas has written a really good mystery that will be difficult for most readers to crack, until the end. 

What I Did Not Like:

I would say the only thing I would complain about is the lack of romance. I understand why, but I want romance between Charlotte and her man! I think it'll be more possible in the next book, but still. The setup of the possible romance is so strange. But I guess it might move in a good direction in book three. Maybe? I don't know!

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend these books to fans of mystery novels. This is a historical fiction novel that is purely mystery-based. And if you hadn't noticed yet, it's a gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes story. It's great for adults or young adults, even though it is published under an adult imprint. I kept guessing at the mystery until the very end, which is the mark of a great mystery novel, to me!

Rating:

4 stars. I can't wait to see what is in store for Charlotte next! I do hope certain things proceed (you know what I'm talking about), but I also hope certain things are addressed and brought to light, in book three. Basically, I have a lot of expectations for book three!

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Review: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Book One of the Lady Sherlock series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: October 18, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. 

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

What I Liked:

When I first saw this, I was curious, because I've read some of Sherry Thomas's books in the past, and really enjoyed them. She writes adult historical romance, Young Adult fantasy, and now alternate historical fiction! Such a wide range of fiction to write. And Thomas has not let readers down, in any genre or age level!

I'm counting this as my Pili-Pushed recommendation of August! To see all of my Pili-Pushed reviews, click on the "Pili Pushed" tag on my blog!

Charlotte Holmes has a brilliant mind and excellent memory, and it has always set her apart. She isn't interested in catching a husband and maintaining a household - she wants independence. To achieve her independence, she does something ghastly, and she runs away, as a result. Now on the streets, Charlotte is faced with the harsh reality of being a woman with no references, no experience, and no education. But when three deaths occur, two of which involving her sister and father, Charlotte knows she must do something to cast the blame elsewhere. She knows her family is innocent. Sherlock Holmes is born, a mastermind problem-solver, and it is up to Holmes to solve the mystery of the three murders.

I liked Charlotte - she's so clever and observant, it's almost bizarre! At first I was furious at The Thing she did that turned society against her - how could she do something like that? But I came to really respect her decision, and who she involved, and why it needed to happen. I wish it had happened some other way, but you have to admit, it was... well thought-out. Charlotte - Sherlock - is brilliant and thinks of just about everything. At times I wondered if she felt human emotions like everyone else, but Charlotte is just as human as anyone else.

Other characters worth mentioning - Mrs. Watson, Inspector Treadles, Lord Ingram, Livia. Mrs. Watson takes in Charlotte as a lady's maid, but she's more than meets the eye. In fact, Charlotte doesn't know certain things about Mrs. Watson until the very end of the book. Inspector Treadles is put in charge of investigating the Sackville death (one of the three), the one not indirectly related to the Holmes family. Treadles is quite intelligent in his own regard, and I love how sweet he is with his wife. Lord Ingram is a rich and powerful lord, married to a haughty, cold woman who is estranged from him, and has two children. Lord Ingram is, well, Lord Ingram. He is the silent, intelligent type, very clever but one that has a quiet yet forceful presence. Livia is Charlotte's older sister, who, at twenty-seven, is a spinster in her parents' home. I liked Livia, though I liked Charlotte more.

This book is written in third-person, and we get to read from Charlotte's, Treadles', and Livia's POV. I liked Charlotte's the most, but as the book went on, I began to really enjoy Treadles'. Livia's felt the most useless to me, throughout the whole book.

The mystery was so well-written! I wasn't quite sure of anything, until the reveal. Thomas has a way of twisting the story so that you're never sure who did what, no matter how sure you think you are. It certainly kept me reading! The more interesting parts of the mystery came around the 40% mark and beyond.

There is a tiny smidgen of romance, but it's weird and complicated, and I really can't see how Thomas will make that work. Part of me really doesn't want Thomas to make it work. But then, Charlotte and her man are really great together. They've known each other for years, and while they've never done anything with each other, they've had this simmering chemistry between them for years. I want it to work out but... it's weird. How is Thomas going to make it happen?

This book wrapped up perfectly, with the mystery solved and the correct people taken blame. I know this is book one of a series, but I'm honestly curious as to how this will be a series. I'm glad though, because I want to know how the barely-there romance is going to work out. Oh, and I'd love to see more mysteries solved by Sherlock Holmes!

What I Did Not Like:

I'm going to be honest -- the first, let's say, one-third of this book was frustratingly slow, and boring. I struggled to get past that initial one-third, and it took me several days to do so. Once I did, I flew through the rest of the book.

Obviously I'm going to complain about the romance -- it's so disappointing in a way! I don't know how Thomas is going to let it work out, because there really is no good ending. Unless everyone dies. Or key people. Ugh! Frustrating.

Would I Recommend It:

I do like this book a lot, and there is very little "big stuff" to complain about, so I do recommend it. However, it might be a good idea to binge-read the series, if you're like me and would prefer a romance easier on the heart? I have no idea how Thomas is going to let that work out, but I'm sure binge-reading the series will be much less painful than waiting for each book to publish to see how things go. 

Of course, if you couldn't care less about romance, and you're 100% in it for the mystery, then READ THIS! It's such a great historical fiction + mystery novel! Gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes for the win.

Rating:

4 stars. My complaints seem relatively tiny compared to how much I liked the book overall. Hopefully the series in general will work out nicely (in terms of those few complaints I had). I am looking forward to reading the next book! (In Fall 2017, unfortunately...)

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Blog Tour Guest Post with Sherry Thomas, Author of The Immortal Heights (and GIVEAWAY!)

Welcome to the blog tour for The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas! Guys. I am SO thrilled to help promote this book (and series)! It is hands-down one of my favorite series ever. The Immortal Heights was an excellent conclusion novel! Check out this lovely guest post by the one and only Sherry Thomas, and enter to win fabulous prizes!

On Choosing the Titles for this Series

By Sherry Thomas

Oh, titles. What a trip down memory lane.

The working title for book 1 of what would become the Elemental Trilogy was always POWERFUL. I loved that title. I felt that it conveyed everything that needed to be said about the story, which was about powers and powerful mages, with a powerful romance attached to boot. And the sequels would have one-word titles too: INDELIBLE, for the one that dealt with magical amnesia; and INDOMITABLE, for the final volume, of course.

I was so committed to POWERFUL that when I was talking to editors who were interested in the book, I asked them whether they would be willing to keep the title: I was going to let that factor into my decision making. Unfortunately, every editor said no. I sighed and bowed to the inevitable. I’d been around the publishing block a couple of times and knew that marketing always made the final decision on titles. 

Once I signed with Harper, we began hashing out a new title for book 1. This is me replying to a bunch of suggestions from marketing. 

I am rather fond of THE LAST ELEMENTAL MAGE, since the original series title was THE LAST GREAT REBELLION--or at least in my mind it was.  THE LAST GREAT ELEMENTAL MAGE?  A GREATER ELEMENTAL MAGE?  Or maybe we should echo A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and call it A REVELATION OF MAGES.  :-)

Here’s another one of my replies:

Senior Kidlet's latest contribution: SKYSPARK

Was talking with my friends and they liked LIARS' CONSPIRACY.

There are some interesting titles to be had once you introduce the words LIES or LIARS.  

ELEMENT OF LIES for example.  

The process went on for months! Nothing conveyed both the magic and the romance aspects of the story, at least not economically. I don’t think anyone is unhappy, for example, that Book 1 isn’t called ENCHANTRESS OF FIRE AND AIR. Although I do think THE LIGHTNING PROPHECY would have worked.

And then all of a sudden it was settled. Marketing decided on THE BURNING SKY. I didn’t love it but by that point I was like yay, at least we’re done with the title. :)

Once you have a title for Book 1, then the sequels’ titles have a model to follow. In my case, an adjective, followed by some sort of natural feature. Book 2 was at first called THE SHIFTING SANDS. Anyone who’s read it will see that it’s quite fitting, since one entire timeline takes place in the Sahara Desert. But there was concern that “shifting” wasn’t a very strong word, kind of wishy-washy. And then the nail was on the coffin when art department tried to implement our original cover idea, that of a dragon made of sand, and realized the palette was too monochrome.

At that point in the writing of the book, I’d moved away from the desert timeline. I know, shocking, but there is a version of that book in which nobody sets foot in the Sahara and nobody suffers magical amnesia. That particular draft opened like this:

History has no record of it, but the time was early September, 1883, and the place, a nondescript patch of ocean floor at the bottom of the Firth of Clyde, off the coast of Scotland, some thirty, thirty-five miles southwest of Glasgow. 

It was not terribly deep, three hundred feet or so. Though the water was murky, enough sunlight still seeped through to sustain life. Currents flowed slowly, following patterns established by millennia of heat exchange, barely disturbing particles of sediment. 

But on that day, the sea churned violently. Had a boy been standing at that spot—and managed to somehow avoid being swept away by the ferociously roiling waters—he would have been witness to an amazing sight: a vertical tunnel, like the eye of a storm, delineated by a furiously spinning wall of water, that allowed him to see all the way to the cloudless blue sky far above.

A moment later, however, a ship would come crashing down, followed by the mass of all the water that had been earlier displaced. So it was fortunate that there was no one on the ocean floor to bear witness to this singular occurrence.

There was, however, someone who saw it from a safe distance. 

Someone whose fate would now be decided by the perilous sea.

You can see why we decided on THE PERILOUS SEA. Even after the desert timeline was reinstated, the title still applied. Since what happens that day at sea still plays a pivotal role and the sea is still definitely perilous.

Book 3 was the easiest yet. My editor asked if I had any ideas for titles, I wrote,

I'm thinking of some synonym of mountains for the noun, maybe "heights", to keep it one syllable.

I still love incandescent for the adjective. Lucent, adamantine--guess I just like obscure words. Or "fiery" could work in a pinch.

Immortal?

The Immortal Heights?

My editor was on board. With a grand total of 6 emails exchanged, we got ourselves a title. 

And I hope this was an interesting peek into the sausage-making process!

About the Author:

Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed romance authors working today. Her books regularly receive starred reviews from trade publications and are frequently found on best-of-the-year lists. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® Award.

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 Immortal Heights volume three of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2015.

Author photo by the lovely and talented Jennifer Sparks Harriman at Sparks Studio.

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About the Book:

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

Book Three of The Elemental series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: October 13, 2015

Official Summary:

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good. 

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort.... 

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough? 

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

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Check out the first two books!

      

(Click on the covers for more information.)

The Giveaway:

For First Place US Only:

1 winner will receive The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, The Immortal Heights, and a handmade solid lotion bar and some homemade face scrubs, plus a burning sky bag. US Only

Runners Up US Only:

 2 winners will receive The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Immortal Heights. US Only

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Follow the Tour:

10/5/2015- Reading Teen- Review
10/6/2015- City of Books- Interview
10/7/2015- Fiction Fare- Review
10/8/2015- The Eater of Books!- Guest Post
10/9/2015- Fall Into Books- Review

10/12/2015- Carina's Books- Interview
10/13/2015- Nicks Book Blog- Review
10/14/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
10/15/2015- Reading with ABC- Review
10/16/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Review: The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

Book Three of The Elemental series

Publisher: Bazler + Bray

Publication Date: October 13, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

What I Liked:

Oh. My. Goodness! I MUST reread this series as soon as possible. The Burning Sky is one of my favorite books ever, and The Perilous Sea was an amazing sequel. I absolutely loved The Immortal Heights! This series is perfect! Or as close as it gets. Definitely an all-time favorite series!

In this thrilling conclusion novel, Iolanthe and Titus must survive horrible tragedies and terrifying prophecies in order to save the realm and rid Atlantis (and the world) of the Bane. Titus will never let the Bane get to Iolanthe, but something must give. Sacrifices must be made. Prophecies must be upheld. Secrets must remain covered - until it's too late. 

This book was a whirlwind. It didn't start as a whirlwind (see my notes on that below), but it ended with crashes, bangs, and lots of lightning. Sherry Thomas defies expectation - whatever I thought I was in for, I got it, and then some. I have no idea how she crafted such an intricate, exhilarating, creative series! I am quite sure I will not read anything like this, not for a long time. 

I don't want to get into the specifics of the plot, as this is a conclusion novel. The first half is slow, but necessary. Titus and Iolanthe cross continents, climb mountains, scale towers, to fight to defeat the Bane, and for their love. The second half of the book was INTENSE. I think the switch flipped for me when we learn something irreversible about Iolanthe. At that point, I could not turn the pages fast enough.  

Oh, Iolanthe. I love her! This book is told in third person, sometimes Iolanthe, sometimes Titus (but nothing rigid, like alternating). Iolanthe is clever and capable, determined and stubborn. She never backs down, backs away, and always fights for those she loves. 

TITUS. Titus holds my heart (sorry, Iolanthe). He is so incredibly intelligent, authoritative, polished, talented, fierce, protective. He is the perfect Master of the Domain, prince, friend. He is the one who rules, but he also serves. It's not wonder everyone loves him (except maybe the Bane). Titus is clever and intelligent, always with a plan, backup plan, emergency plan. He has a knack for thinking ahead, and a master strategist. He is also quite the swoony hero. He never tries to control Iolanthe, but he is fiercely protective of her, and does everything he can to keep her - and the world - safe. Titus is easily one of my favorite royals in YA lit, one of my favorite heroes, one of my favorite swoony boys. He is so much more than a love interest - he's a prince first.

I love seeing so much of the secondary characters we all love, like Kashkari, his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Amaram even some unexpected faces. I absolutely adore Kashkari, and I felt bad for him throughout the novel. You have to read the series to know why - I feel for him, and wish he finds happiness! If only...

The romance in this book (and series) is so satisfying! No love triangle, no breakups/makeups/drama, just a sweet relationship between Titus and Iolanthe. The two of them are so in love, so devoted to each other, it's sweet and tender and sizzly all at once. Props to Sherry Thomas for keeping the romance so simple yet so wonderful. And swoony!

As with the first two books, the world-building of this novel is flawless and intriguing. I love the Crucible idea, in which the characters enter a storybook as a means of travel and uncovering secrets. I am totally not explaining this concept well - it is unique and inventive! I could get lost in the world of this series. There are wyverns! 

The ending of this book is surprising and, like the romance, very satisfying. You'll be worried about certain THINGS throughout this book, but it all comes together in the end. There is plenty of tragedy, but the ending, overall, is very beautiful. I love it! I love this book. Such a fantastic conclusion novel, a great package of series-ending awesomeness.

What I Did Not Like:

Like I've said before in this review, the beginning, let's say the first half, was very slow. I was just reading to keep going, see what would happen next. There was absolutely no chance of me DNF-ing this book, that wasn't an issue. It's just that things didn't really pick up until the second half ish, about when we find out something about Iolanthe's future.

Something that affected me - I could barely remember what happening in The Perilous Sea! I have The Burning Sky practically memorized, but details for The Perilous Sea elude me. This could have been why I struggled with the beginning of this book? Could be just an Alyssa thing.

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend this conclusion novel, as well as this series! Definitely an all-time favorite series. If you haven't read The Burning Sky, or The Perilous Sea, be sure to fix that as soon as you can. Meanwhile, I am going to be rereading this series. The Burning Sky is still my favorite, but this book and The Perilous Sea are not far behind! Fantasy fans - you NEED this series in your life!

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars (see my notes above). A stunning conclusion to an epic series! With gorgeous covers, too. And a beautiful romance. And a crazy plot. There are so many reasons why you could fall in love with series as much as I did!

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Swoon Thursday (#136): The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas!

"Kiss me."

He took a pretty glass jar from the cabinet. The jar was filled with sweets. He opened the jar and held it out toward her. "Try one."

She put a green-striped bonbon in her mouth. And when he kissed her, the bonbon melted with a burst of freshness: mint, basil, and a hint of silver moss. But it was he who made her pulse race: his hands in her hair, the sinew of his arms beneath her fingertips, the scent of Pears soap that  still clung to his hair and skin.

- ARC, pages 125-126

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The Burning Sky | The Perilous Sea

I love this series so much! Quite possibly one of my favorite series ever. Catch my review of The Immortal Heights on Sunday!

Review: The Hidden Blade by Sherry Thomas

The Hidden Blade by Sherry Thomas

Book One of The Heart of Blade duology

Publication Date: July 20, 2014

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the waning days of the last dynasty, in a quiet, beautiful corner of imperial Peking, a young girl's blissful ignorance is shattered when she learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of an English adventurer and a Chinese courtesan. What future is there for such a girl? But a mysterious figure steps forward and offers to instruct her in the highest forms of martial arts--a path to a life of strength and independence. 

Half a world away in England, a young boy's idyllic summer on the Sussex downs implodes with the firing of a single bullet. Torn from his family, he becomes the hostage of a urbanely sadistic uncle. He dreams of escaping to find his beloved friend--but the friend is in China, ten thousand miles away. 

The girl trains to be deadly. The boy flees across continents. They do not know it yet, but their lives are already inextricably bound together, and will collide one fateful night when they least expect it. 

CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON meets DOWNTON ABBEY, this remarkable tale of friendship, danger, and coming of age will stay with you long after you have finished the last page. 

A prequel to MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY.

What I Liked:

I love Sherry Thomas's books. Her YA series, The Burning Sky/The Perilous Sea/Book three, is amazing! One of my favorite YA series ever. I'm a huge historical romance fan as well, and I plan on reading some of her historical romance novels. This particular novel is not a historical romance novel - it is the prequel to a historical romance novel, My Beautiful Enemy. The Hidden Blade details the childhoods of Leighton, an English boy, and Ying-ying, a Chinese girl.

Leighton's father and mother are somewhat estranged - his mother goes to meet another man once a month, and has a child by the man. Leighton's father has found comfort in the arms of a man, Herb, but his father hates that he is homosexual. This book is set in the late eighteen hundreds, so it was politically and religiously "wrong" to be homosexual. Leighton's father and Herb are caught by Sir Curtis, Leighton's father's brother and patriarch of the family. The father kills himself, the mother and her bastard son are sent away, and Herb runs for his life. Leighton, a child of about eleven, must live with Sir Curtis, a prison-like life. He cannot escape, cannot leave the house, cannot run.

Meanwhile, Ying-ying leaves as the daughter of a concubine. Da-ren is not her father, but an unknown Englishman is. Ying-ying is not well-accepted in the Chinese society because she is the illegitimate daughter of a foreigner and an unmarried woman, and that woman is now a concubine. When her mother dies, she and Amah (a woman that has been taking care of her and training her in martial arts) move to Da-ren's home - which is a prison of its own.

This book is extremely sad. It's heartbreaking to watch the two stories parallel each other, because both children suffer so much, at young ages, in different situations. My heart hurt for both characters, for their losses, for their pain, for what they could have had. Neither character meets the other in this book, but they are bound by one thread. It was an interesting connection, though it was sad to see that they never actually met.

The storytelling is rich and intriguing. Thomas switches back and forth, between Leighton and Ying-ying's story. Thomas's writing is beautiful and purposeful, as always. She infuses so much culture and history into this book. I loved seeing the portrayal of women's roles in England and in China, the presence of homosexuality in England and in China - how different and yet how striking each "world' was. Very well done by Thomas.

Overall, I have a solidly positive outlook on this book - there were just some things that didn't work for me.

What I Did Not Like:

Why this book received three stars from me has nothing to do with the quality of the book. Thomas wrote an AMAZING prequel novel. The stories of Leighton and Ying-ying are beautiful and powerful, and I'm sure they put things into perspective for readers who plan on reading My Beautiful Enemy (I haven't decided if I want to read it or not).

My problem was, this book was entirely too heartbreaking for me. I spent the ENTIRE novel feeling desolate or angry and agonized or upset. While that definitely shows the skill of the writer, for making her reader so emotionally distraught while reading the book, it wasn't something I enjoyed. I didn't LIKE reading this book. I didn't enjoy feeling distraught. Sadly, there were times when I struggled to keep reading, because I wasn't enjoying the reading. 

Again, this doesn't really have to do with the storytelling, the quality of the story, the genre, etc. The story made me incredibly sad and angry and I couldn't find myself liking the book as I was reading it. Do you see the distinction? I liked the book overall, but I didn't find myself enjoying it as I was reading it. I definitely cannot see myself rereading it.

Would I Recommend It:

Ehh. Not quite. Some people might like reading about hopelessness and despair and tragedy - personally, I don't. I try to read for enjoyment, enlightenment, enrichment, but not necessarily for sadness and heartache.

Rating:

3 stars. A great book! Definitely a well-written piece of literature. Just... not my type of read, in terms of the sadness and tragedy. Love the historical fiction though.

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Review: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Book Two of the Elemental series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

What I Liked:

HOLY GUACAMOLE, EVERYONE. This book was intense! It was intense and I LOVED it. Thomas keeps up the pace and the excitement set in book one, but adds twists and turns and puzzles that made this book feel like a pretzel or Twizzlers or something! Mind-blowing, that's what this book was.

Titus and Iolanthe survived the battle with the Inquisitor and the Bane, though the Bane still lives and must be destroyed. After a too-short summer, they find themselves back at Eton, where things just aren't the same. Atlantis seems to come closer and closer to Iolanthe, and even at the non-mage school, the prince and lightning mage aren't safe. Titus discovers new information that could jeopardize everything, and Iolanthe finds herself at a crossroads. As paths unfold and secrets are brought to light, Titus and Iolanthe must remember themselves and the love they hold for each other in order to survive and save everyone.

I admit, I was so afraid of reading this sequel. I LOVED The Burning Sky so much, so I didn't want to read this book and dislike it. I'd rather be ignorant and never know how book two ended up, it seems. Of course, I would never do that to myself, because I'm just too curious and I loved book one too much to NOT read book two. But still, sequel terror is real, everyone. Thank goodness this sequel did not disappoint! As I suspected it wouldn't. Even though I doubted. Oops?

The plot is incredibly complex and labyrinth-like. It amazed me how many twists and turns and curve balls that Thomas threw in this one book! Information was discovered left and right - new information that changed many, many things. Titus relies heavily on his mother's diary, but he soon finds out that his mother's observations of her visions are very... open-ended. Open to interpretation. This complicates things.

Also, there are two plots to this book. One occurs in the Sahara Desert, in which two people (who, of course, are Titus and Iolanthe) wake up in the desert with no personal memories, no memories of themselves, but memories of life in general. They do not remember themselves, each other, how they got there, but they remember about the Bane, Atlantis, etc. This plot worried me a bit, because of course the two people were Titus and Iolanthe. But this plot happens seven weeks after the "real-time" plot at Eton. So what if Titus and Iolanthe never regained their memories?! What if everything is messed up? Ahhh!

The second plot occurs seven weeks BEFORE the Sahara Desert one - but each plot is told simultaneously. So it's like we know the past (while we are in the Desert chapters), or the future (while we are in the England chapters). It's weird to think about, and it stressed me out to read the to (I hate dual plots like that, in which they are not synced in the same time, but one is in the future), but this one really worked, and the ending was very satisfactory.

Titus... I love Titus. I loved him in book one, and while he annoyed me a tiny bit with his unshakable faith in his mother's diary, he still amazed me in general. That boy is so powerful, so collected, so intelligent, so cautious. He's literally perfect without always acting or seeming perfect, necessarily. He never sleeps and is always taking care of others, so he definitely seems like a martyr, and not a spoiled prince. Titus, I'll be your Chosen One elemental mage any day...

And Iolanthe - I really like her. One of the things I really like about non-alternating dual perspectives in third person is that I usually like the protagonists more when the perspectives are in the third person. Iolanthe goes through a lot, emotionally, in this book, and I'm glad we witness that via third person narrative. I love that Iolanthe did and did not give up on Titus. I love her decisions in the end. 

The ending! Oh my heart. I thought the ending would never come - I was so fearful for so many things. Things ended to my liking, not necessarily perfect, but to my liking. I LOVE how Thomas built this trilogy - the third book will be EPIC. The war with Atlantis and the battle against the Bane will definitely make a remarkable - INSANE - conclusion to an intense and immensely creative series!

What I Did Not Like:

Just a few small things, things that are definitely "Alyssa quirks". I really don't like the dual plot lines, in which one is in the future, so we know what WILL happen, because we see it happening in the future, as the "present" is also happening. It's not that it's confusing, but I just hate ALREADY knowing. And in this case, Titus and Iolanthe suffer from memory loss in the "future". Will they ever remember everything?! Will they ever love each other again?! Will they know who they are and their roles in the war against Atlantis?!

Of course, this just makes the book that much more infuriatingly engrossing - I just had to know, without looking at the ending, of course. So it's a good and bad thing!

Also, one thing I also mentioned in the dislikes of book one - more romance, pleaseeee! More Titus and Iolanthe. Alone. Together. Not trying to save the world or save each other. Another reason for an epic conclusion. *winks*

Would I Recommend It:

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS!! THE SERIES, IN GENERAL!! Definitely read The Burning Sky if you haven't already, and be sure to catch this sequel. Historical fantasy at its finest, in my opinion! You won't regret the decision to start this series. 

Rating:

4 stars. More like 4.5 stars. I am convinced that book three will blow us all away and that it will be the best book of the series. I AM READY!

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