YA Fantasy Early Review: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas (The Elemental Trilogy #2)
Egalley thanks to Balzer+Bray
Synopsis 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.
Release date: Sept 16th 2014.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository | Fishpond
9/10
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Oh, man... What a book!"You might be the scariest girl I have ever met," he told her.
"Let's not be dramatic," she said drily. "I'm the only girl you can remember ever meeting."
Titus and Iolanthe continue to astonish me with their excellent banter and wonderful, healthy love towards each other. They are both are just... so incredibly mature, quick-witted and fun, it's impossible not to fall in love with them all over again.
The Perilous Sea is split into two time frames. First is the present where a girl and a boy wake up in The Sahara desert with Atlantis agents on their heels and absolutely no memory of who they are and what they are doing there. They are of course Titus and Fairfax, and it's fun to see them get comfortable almost instantly with each other all over again mentally and physically under an incredible duress.
The second time frame is the nearest past up until the moment they woke up with no memory, and here we are treated to the next half term in Eton, games of cricket and secret wizardry workings towards Titus mother's prophecies coming to fruition.
The plot is excellent, clever, convoluted, but the main attraction IS the characters themselves. The prince and the elemental mage are so mesmerizing together and apart, there is so much chemistry and camaraderie between them without any dramatics, that I am sincerely and most certainly in awe of Sherry Thomas for creating them so perfectly rounded.
"Are you making the summer villa extra nice for me?"
Their eyes met. "What if I am?"
She smiled. "Just remember, no flower petals on anything, anywhere."
His expression changed briefly.
"DO I look like someone who would strew petals on anything, anywhere?"
"Yes." Her smile widened. "You look like someone who thinks a few bushels of rose petals is the epitome of romance."
The thing is, Titus IS quietly, unobtrusively romantic. And while Fairfax makes gentle fun out of him, she secretly loves it, and loves the great care he puts in every detail of his plans concerning her, even if their ultimate destiny is to destroy Bane. So, Miss Thomas, it seems you can take the girl out of romance genre but you can not take the romance genre out of the girl. *grinning*
This is not intended as a slight, I loved it, and the book felt much stronger because of it. Very highly recommended, excellent series, read it!
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Красивейшая серия вышла у Шерри Томас всё-таки.Несмотря на сложный, хитроумный сюжет и интереснейший мир, главным фактором притяжения здесь всё-таки являются главные герои. Титус и Иоланта - настолько харизматичны, остроумны и так безумно хорошо работают в партнёрстве друг с другом, что оторваться от их диалогов и действий по отношению друг к другу просто невозможно.
Иными словами, как герои, для меня они - одно совершенство. Их прагматичный романтизм, решимость и отсутствие драматики несмотря ни на что, их умение вырабатывать эффективную тактику и стратегию действий при любых обстоятельствах... всё это мне безумно импонирует как читателю.
Действие в Бушующем Море разбито на две временные линии. Одна - в настоящем, когда парень и девушка приходят в сознание в песках Сахары без памяти о том кто они и что они там делают, с агентами Атлантиса, идущими за ними по пятам.
Вторая - в ближайшем прошлом в Итоне, где Титус и Фэйрфах продолжают тайно расследовать как же наконец можно убить Бэйна, кто такой Кашкари и как им найти бывшего учителя Иоланты, который пропал из подземелий Инквизиции в книге предыдущей.
Читать надо, концовка подходяще эпичная, да и сама книга - одно сплошное удовольствие. Виват Шерри Томас!
