The Burning Sky

The Elemental Trilogy, Book 1

De: Sherry Thomas

Narrado por: Philip Battley

Magic, romance, and intrigue combine in this extraordinary novel—the first in the Elemental Trilogy—for fans of Cinda Williams Chima and Kristin Cashore. Publishers Weekly called it "a wonderfully satisfying magical saga" in a starred review, and Kirkus Reviews said it "bids fair to be the next big epic fantasy success."

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.

©2013 Sherry Thomas (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Worth every minute.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the execution. I will certainly be listening to the next book.

pretty darn good

I am fairly sure this is a YA book and I am not a YA. Wasnt sure I was going to keep this book when I started listening, but it did not have the over simplistic dialogue of some YA and the characters were complex enough to keep my interest. same with the plot. so I am going to continue with the series and that is a pretty big compliment from this mature adult.

Entertaining & imaginative

If you could sum up The Burning Sky in three words, what would they be?

Entertaining, imaginative, engaging.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Burning Sky?

The opening line was remarkably effective "... the previous sentence was all a lie." It seemed gimmicky at first, but it did draw me in.

What does Philip Battley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator brought British pronunciation to the story (set in Great Britain, sort of), which is always entertaining as an American listener.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several moving moments, but you will just have to find them for yourself because I won't spoil the plot!

Very good listen

The narrator is very good and the story itself is also. All in the title.

Stereotypes abound, but it works

The story is fast paced and the narration is excellent. If you are looking for something surprising and unexpected, this isn't it. It is, however, a fun romp through sci-fi / fantasy with elements of young adult, magic and romance.

I expect that I will also get the other two books in the trilogy.

A wonderful world of magic!

Be prepared to enter an intense new world of magic. Dare I compare it to Harry Potter. It's definitely not the world of Harry Potter, but it will give you the same kind of feeling. I feel in love with this book of elemental magic. Imagine your world changing with the flash of a lightning bolt. Who you thought you were and the one person who was like a father to you, is not who he seem to be. You are whisked away by a prince who helps you by making you appear as a boy to keep you safe. This fast pasted book will leave you on the edge of your seat and searching for the next book as soon as this one is over. What a great read!

imaginative

little hard to follow at times but keeps your interest. left me wanting to read the next book.

Not bad but not brilliant. Had to push to finish.

Some really interesting ideas but none of the best ones get developed well. The love part of the love story seems super forced.

Awesome Fantasy Adventure

Iolanthe just wants to ensure her guardian, a drug addict, keeps his post when she calls lightning down, alerting the Bane’s minions to her presence as the Elemental Wizard destine to bring down the Bane, making her public enemy number one in Atlantis and the Domain.

Luckily, Prince Titus’s mom warned him about Iolanthe in the prophesies she kept before her death, so when Titus sees the lightning, he charges to the rescue on a magical steed. He gets to Iolanthe seconds before the minions arrive, and the game is afoot. The two flee to Victorian England, where they must rely on deception and their wits to evade plot after plot. At one point, even the Prince’s allies attempt to kill Iolanthe. Will the intrepid pair fall in love? Defeat the Bane? Or be captured by his Inquisitor and her minions?

Prince Titus is dedicated to protecting both Iolanthe and his Domain, but he pretends to be callow and stuck-on-himself while Iolanthe is talented, resourceful and incredibly stubborn, which creates many delightful bits of banter as she wants no part of the Prince’s suicidal plans to take down the tyrant.

The humor, the historic details, the magical world and the awesome characters you can root for make this story a page-turner. I seriously can’t wait to read the next novel in this series, or any of Sherry Thomas’ books. Wow can this author write.

If you like fantasies with romance and humor, I bet you’ll love this book.

I purchased and listened to this digital download offering from Audible—Yep, this novel, and others like it, are why I have an Audible account.
#tagsgiving, #sweepstakes, #fantasyromance, #awesomeread

I couldn't stop listening!!

during car rides, meal prep, even while sitting on the couch when hubby was watching a movie!! excellent narration, excellent plot build, a nice touch of romance without overwhelming the true plot. I loved it!