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breezy610's review against another edition
4.0
Was pretty good. I will definitely keep reading on in the series.
starbursts299's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
helenleone's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
megrasmussen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ryaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into this book, but I ultimately enjoyed it quite a bit. More complete review to come.
Full review:
I admit it, when I discovered that this book was written by a romance author of some repute, I was a little worried. Romance novels are not my particular cup of tea, and while the premise of this book sounded promising, I was afraid it would become bogged down in long descriptions of the romantic aspects of the plot. While I enjoy romance in books, I prefer for it to be woven into the story rather than the focus of said story. Some minor spoilers to follow.
For the first section of this book it seemed that a romance novel was what I was going to get. There are some descriptions of longing glances that I found pretty florid (the descriptions of Iolanthe's navel being just one example--really? Who does that?), especially considering the peril in which the characters find themselves at the time. There were some hints of instalove, something that turns me off immediately, and I steeled myself for hundreds of pages of repressed panting on the parts of the characters.
It took me a long time to get through the first third or so of this book for this reason, and because the story just dragged. I wanted fantasy, and while I didn't mind the idea of its being an urban fantasy set in both a fantasy world and England circa the 19th century, I was very uninterested in the initial long descriptions of Eton and its cricket team. I admire the author's grasp of the subject matter, but it didn't appeal all that much to me. Seriously, I don't care about cricket. I think a good chunk of the first part of the book could have been cut, which wouldn't have hurt the narrative and would, indeed, have made it stronger by making it tighter.
Which brings me to another of the book's weaknesses: Iolanthe is almost too good to be true. I found her ability to integrate into Eton society (while pretending to be a boy in an entirely foreign land, no less), answer questions about England, and prove herself a gifted cricket player were all just a little too far-fetched. Things are much too easy for her, and I'd have liked to feel a little more tension, more of a worry that maybe she'd screw up. As it was, none of the "sticky" situations worried me because I knew she'd have no trouble getting out of them.
After a while, though, a funny thing started happening. I found myself really liking the book. I was intrigued by the Domain and by Atlantis, and I liked the sections of the book that dealt with this aspect. I felt Thomas struggled somewhat with the world building in the beginning, but at a certain point the book hits its stride, and the details drew me in. I particularly enjoyed the Crucible and its more mysterious applications.
What makes this book, though, are the characters. Once the story stops centering on their original swoony glances and focuses on building their relationship, it becomes a much stronger story. To my surprise, despite the initial instalovey tone, this is one of the better romances I've read in young adult literature because it does seem far more founded on substance than most. I enjoyed watching Iolanthe and Titus get to know one another, and there is some genuine depth to their complicated feelings.
I liked Iolanthe as a character, though she was just a bit too gifted. Still, she does have her difficulties and she isn't instantly good at every last thing, so that's to the book's benefit. She comes perilously close to being too perfect but avoids it by a hair, and it make her likable to me. I thought she also exhibited good growth over the course of the story.
Better than Iolanthe, though, is Titus. He leads a double life, which has left him fairly jaded about exposing his own vulnerabilities. I found the portrayal of his situation to be interesting and believable, and I liked how he evolved over the course of the book. His voice sometimes sounds a little too mature for a sixteen-year-old boy, but I could forgive this because I think the author does such a good job of delving into his psychology. I had an excellent sense of who Titus was and what made him tick, and I liked that he was flawed and willing to question himself.
There is one last point on which I quibble with the book: the villains. I never had a clear sense of their motivations, and I would have liked to see this aspect more developed. Why are they so eager to eliminate all mages when they make use of mages themselves? Why not try to turn them to Atlantis's cause instead? Why be so overt in their oppression when subtlety would probably have served them better? I hope this aspect of the plot is better developed in future installments.
If you're a fan of high fantasy, this book might not appeal because it's split between the "real" world and a fantasy land. But if you enjoy urban fantasy, particular urban fantasy with very strong and well-drawn characters, this would likely be an enjoyable read for you.
Full review:
I admit it, when I discovered that this book was written by a romance author of some repute, I was a little worried. Romance novels are not my particular cup of tea, and while the premise of this book sounded promising, I was afraid it would become bogged down in long descriptions of the romantic aspects of the plot. While I enjoy romance in books, I prefer for it to be woven into the story rather than the focus of said story. Some minor spoilers to follow.
For the first section of this book it seemed that a romance novel was what I was going to get. There are some descriptions of longing glances that I found pretty florid (the descriptions of Iolanthe's navel being just one example--really? Who does that?), especially considering the peril in which the characters find themselves at the time. There were some hints of instalove, something that turns me off immediately, and I steeled myself for hundreds of pages of repressed panting on the parts of the characters.
It took me a long time to get through the first third or so of this book for this reason, and because the story just dragged. I wanted fantasy, and while I didn't mind the idea of its being an urban fantasy set in both a fantasy world and England circa the 19th century, I was very uninterested in the initial long descriptions of Eton and its cricket team. I admire the author's grasp of the subject matter, but it didn't appeal all that much to me. Seriously, I don't care about cricket. I think a good chunk of the first part of the book could have been cut, which wouldn't have hurt the narrative and would, indeed, have made it stronger by making it tighter.
Which brings me to another of the book's weaknesses: Iolanthe is almost too good to be true. I found her ability to integrate into Eton society (while pretending to be a boy in an entirely foreign land, no less), answer questions about England, and prove herself a gifted cricket player were all just a little too far-fetched. Things are much too easy for her, and I'd have liked to feel a little more tension, more of a worry that maybe she'd screw up. As it was, none of the "sticky" situations worried me because I knew she'd have no trouble getting out of them.
After a while, though, a funny thing started happening. I found myself really liking the book. I was intrigued by the Domain and by Atlantis, and I liked the sections of the book that dealt with this aspect. I felt Thomas struggled somewhat with the world building in the beginning, but at a certain point the book hits its stride, and the details drew me in. I particularly enjoyed the Crucible and its more mysterious applications.
What makes this book, though, are the characters. Once the story stops centering on their original swoony glances and focuses on building their relationship, it becomes a much stronger story. To my surprise, despite the initial instalovey tone, this is one of the better romances I've read in young adult literature because it does seem far more founded on substance than most. I enjoyed watching Iolanthe and Titus get to know one another, and there is some genuine depth to their complicated feelings.
I liked Iolanthe as a character, though she was just a bit too gifted. Still, she does have her difficulties and she isn't instantly good at every last thing, so that's to the book's benefit. She comes perilously close to being too perfect but avoids it by a hair, and it make her likable to me. I thought she also exhibited good growth over the course of the story.
Better than Iolanthe, though, is Titus. He leads a double life, which has left him fairly jaded about exposing his own vulnerabilities. I found the portrayal of his situation to be interesting and believable, and I liked how he evolved over the course of the book. His voice sometimes sounds a little too mature for a sixteen-year-old boy, but I could forgive this because I think the author does such a good job of delving into his psychology. I had an excellent sense of who Titus was and what made him tick, and I liked that he was flawed and willing to question himself.
There is one last point on which I quibble with the book: the villains. I never had a clear sense of their motivations, and I would have liked to see this aspect more developed. Why are they so eager to eliminate all mages when they make use of mages themselves? Why not try to turn them to Atlantis's cause instead? Why be so overt in their oppression when subtlety would probably have served them better? I hope this aspect of the plot is better developed in future installments.
If you're a fan of high fantasy, this book might not appeal because it's split between the "real" world and a fantasy land. But if you enjoy urban fantasy, particular urban fantasy with very strong and well-drawn characters, this would likely be an enjoyable read for you.
booksbydann's review against another edition
4.0
Relectura: 4.5⭐
Lo amé tanto como la primera vez. Adoro a los personajes y a este maravilloso mundo tan bien construido.
Lo amé tanto como la primera vez. Adoro a los personajes y a este maravilloso mundo tan bien construido.
bluejaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Note: This is a review of the ARC.
Review: Narrated in third person by two alternative narrators: Iolathan and Titus The Burning Sky was a YA fantasy novel. The writing style of this book was confusing and difficult to adjust to. This was in part due to the fact that it is told in third person and the narrators switch with little warning between chapters. This was my main issue with this book as I had no idea what was going on for the first quarter of the book.
As for the fantasy elements, they were used fairly well. There are Mages (like wizards), dragons, the usage of the four elements, and valting (like apparating). I found the creative fantasy elements to be one of the most enjoyable parts of this book.As for romance, there was somewhat of a relationship forming between the two main characters but it’s unlikely to end well. I am also quite pleased to report that there was no love triangle and no love at first sight.
Iolathane was a strong heroine, not winy or annoying like some. I think readers will be intrigued by the fact that throughout the course of the novel Iolathane must masquerade as a boy to keep her identity secret. As for Titus, I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about him. He’s a boy with an agenda and nothing and no one will prevent him from achieving it. The side characters didn’t really have enough of the spotlight for me to have much opinion about them.
I wish I’d known this was going to be a historical novel in advance. When the narrators brought up historical England and their views on European colonization I was downright perplexed. I did, however, enjoy the fact that history reflected itself into the Mages’ realms to show how the the magical and “normal” worlds were not as different as the reader might otherwise believe.
For more reviews see my blog: http://bluejaybooks.wordpress.com/
For a video review see: http://youtu.be/102C1i5U4Vw
Review: Narrated in third person by two alternative narrators: Iolathan and Titus The Burning Sky was a YA fantasy novel. The writing style of this book was confusing and difficult to adjust to. This was in part due to the fact that it is told in third person and the narrators switch with little warning between chapters. This was my main issue with this book as I had no idea what was going on for the first quarter of the book.
As for the fantasy elements, they were used fairly well. There are Mages (like wizards), dragons, the usage of the four elements, and valting (like apparating). I found the creative fantasy elements to be one of the most enjoyable parts of this book.As for romance, there was somewhat of a relationship forming between the two main characters but it’s unlikely to end well. I am also quite pleased to report that there was no love triangle and no love at first sight.
Iolathane was a strong heroine, not winy or annoying like some. I think readers will be intrigued by the fact that throughout the course of the novel Iolathane must masquerade as a boy to keep her identity secret. As for Titus, I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about him. He’s a boy with an agenda and nothing and no one will prevent him from achieving it. The side characters didn’t really have enough of the spotlight for me to have much opinion about them.
I wish I’d known this was going to be a historical novel in advance. When the narrators brought up historical England and their views on European colonization I was downright perplexed. I did, however, enjoy the fact that history reflected itself into the Mages’ realms to show how the the magical and “normal” worlds were not as different as the reader might otherwise believe.
For more reviews see my blog: http://bluejaybooks.wordpress.com/
For a video review see: http://youtu.be/102C1i5U4Vw