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The Cerulean Audiobook Summary

From New York Times bestselling author Amy Ewing (The Jewel) comes the exciting first book in a new fantasy duology. Rich, vivid world-building and ethereal magic combine in an epic tale that’s perfect for fans of Snow Like Ashes, These Broken Stars, or Magonia.

Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn’t quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the City Above the Sky. She is curious about everything–especially the planet that her City is magically tethered to–and can’t stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she’d been taught to trust. In order to save her City, Sera must end her own life.

But something goes wrong, and Sera survives, ending up on the planet below in a country called Kaolin. Sera has heard tales about the dangerous humans who live here, and she quickly learns that these dangers were not just stories.

Meanwhile, back in the City, all is not what it seems, and the life of every Cerulean may be in danger if Sera is not able to find a way home.

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The Cerulean Audiobook Narrator

Kim Mai Guest is the narrator of The Cerulean audiobook that was written by Amy Ewing

Amy Ewing earned her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School and received her BFA at New York University. The Jewel started off as a thesis project but became her debut novel, the first in a New York Times bestselling trilogy. The other books are The White Rose and The Black Key. She lives in New York City. Visit Amy online at www.amyewingbooks.com or on Twitter @AmyEwingBooks.

About the Author(s) of The Cerulean

Amy Ewing is the author of The Cerulean

The Cerulean Full Details

Narrator Kim Mai Guest
Length 15 hours 19 minutes
Author Amy Ewing
Category
Publisher HarperTeen
Release date January 29, 2019
ISBN 9780062885661

Subjects

The publisher of the The Cerulean is HarperTeen. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fantasy, General, YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Additional info

The publisher of the The Cerulean is HarperTeen. The imprint is HarperTeen. It is supplied by HarperTeen. The ISBN-13 is 9780062885661.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Melissa

April 06, 2019

I was fortunate to have an early copy of this book from HarperCollins Canada. Thank you for this!! I was psyched when I received it, because the synopsis was so promising, and I really liked the book! The story is told from four different characters point of view, enabling us to know the thoughts of Agnes, Leo, Sera and Leena. It touches different kinds of love, as well as different kinds of magic. Everything is unfolding very fast in the second part of the book, so much that I was constantly looking at the pages left and panicking: I wouldn't know all I want to know in such a few pages! Well, I didn't! I can't wait for book 2!

Shannon (It Starts At Midnight)

January 25, 2019

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight One thing I must say about this book, before we get into its entirety, is that the first say, 15% had me crying, smiling, in awe... and then lots more crying but look, emotions are good! I was in freaking love with this magical world in the sky. In. Love. And okay, I don't read synopses before starting a book, but some of the stuff is easy to predict regardless. That was okay, it didn't really have any impact on my reading experience. Plus, twists happened later anyway, yay!Anyway, around 15-20% is where the location change happens. And I still really, really liked the book, but it did lose a bit of its magic for me at this point. Also, I need a map. Like desperately, and I hope there is one in the finished copy, because this world was a lot. And not in a bad way! Really, the author did a phenomenal job of creating such intricacies in several different cultures within the book, it's quite impressive. But maps help.There are four POVs, and this did not bother me at all- I daresay they were necessary. Sera, who is the character we first meet in Sky Places (and I adored from minute one) stays with us throughout. Ground-dwelling siblings Agnes and Leo each have a POV, with quite differing views of the world around them. Leo is kind of a typical-seeming dudebro at first but you can tell he's really not underneath the machismo. Agnes is fabulous from the start ha.  Sera's best friend Leela rounds them out, and she's lovely and I really enjoyed what she added to the mix.Speaking of characters, their interactions with each other are really the crowning jewel of this story. The lengths they'd go to for each other in some cases; the tension in others. The family dynamics between Sera and her mothers is one of the loveliest I have read about in a long, long time. And the friendship Sera and Leela have is so strong and inspiring!I don't want to say too much about the plot, but Sera wants to know what has happened to her people, and will do just about anything to save them, as she thinks she's failed her mission. Agnes and Leo are dealing with a dad who is basically the grossest of all time and has a sentient zoo I guess and honestly he is the worst. They need to figure out what they truly want out of life. Leela just wants her bestie back, and to uncover some truths about her people that will send her (and everyone else) reeling. But it kept me completely invested and I definitely need more! Bottom Line: Such lovely and unique world-building, and characters that I am fully invested in coupled with some really heavy emotions make me certain to return for the sequel!

Amanda

January 25, 2019

You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....The Cerulean is a fantasy that I tried really hard to get an advanced review copy of because I loved Amy Ewing’s previous series. I was so thrilled when I got a copy from Edelweiss. The cover s absolutely stunning and I really liked Amy Ewing’s first two books in The Lone City series, so I went in with super high expectations. I am pleased to say that it was not a disappointing read.I loved the characters. Sera was intriguing as she really stood out among people from her city. She was bold and outspoken, but also curious and brave. I loved the relationship that she had with her three mothers and also how loyal and dedicated she was to her best friend Leela. The two main characters from the planet, Agnes and Leo, were interesting as well. I immediately liked Agnes, who was kind of an oppressed woman, but fought for a better life for herself. She was also clearly a morally good character. Leo, on the other hand, took a while to grow on me. In the beginning I hated him because of his actions, but as his character changed throughout the story I really started to like him more.The world building was absolutely amazing. There was a floating city, which Sera was from, above the planet and it was attached to the planet by a magical tether. The floating city was fascinating. It was filled with only women, who were blue. Sera had three mothers and there were no men in the city so all of the citizens married other women in groups of three. Ironically Agatha, who was from the planet, was a lesbian and Sera, who was from the city filled with only women, was straight. The descriptions of the world were so vivid and fantastical. I am so glad that this is going to be a series because I would love to return to this world with these characters.While the characters and the world building made this book shine, the plot brought my rating down from 5 stars. The beginning was kind of slow, but once it picked up it was a really good read, but not because of the plot. I wanted there to be more interesting stuff happening once Sera was on the planet. I felt like the climax of the story was kind of lame, it wasn’t built up enough and I felt like it could have been executed way better than it was. The ending also felt a bit abrupt. I understand that it was setting up for the second book, but it just didn’t feel completely finished to me.Overall I would say that this was a great fantasy. I loved the characters and the wold building. The plot could have been better, but with such great characters it was still a wonderful book. It was a bit slow paced, but if you are looking for a vivid fantasy world to dive into, this would be a perfect choice. After reading I would really love to continue the series and also revisit Amy Ewing’s last series.

Charlotte

May 04, 2020

The fact that this book has so many DNFs and low ratings on Goodreads truly baffles me. I really enjoyed The Cerulean, despite having come into it with very low expectations.I picked up this book is because I had received it in a bookish subscription box some time ago, and I didn’t want my money to

Ashley

February 05, 2019

The Cerulean was unlike anything I ever expected or had read before. It really knocked me on the head with how vivid and surreal the landscape was in The City Above the Sky. It took some time for me to paint the picture as Sera explored but I loved all the small treasures like the strange and familiar animals and plants mixed in. The idea that where-ever they tether, The City Above the Sky absorbs a part of their planet in the form of minerals, flora and fauna was so cool. I did worry though if it would end up being a darker sort of reason (like they leave the planets when they suck them dry leaving the world empty and dying butttt that’s a secret.) The family structure Sera grew up in was also very unique! Everyone is female and they form groups of three woman where each one takes on specific duties based on their “color.” There is an orange mother who is more of the devout religious person, the purple mother who births the children but also takes care of the emotional needs of the family, and finally the green mother who tends to do the more domesticated roles like teach the child, cook and clean as well as create clothes. (I really hope I’m explaining this correctly and in a way that’s not confusing. It all fits together very seamlessly and I loved seeing each families dynamic.)The first 10% definitely had me crying even when you think normally you wouldn’t be attached to the characters so quickly. The emotions were just so well written that it got me right in the feels over and over again. After Sera leaves the City Above the Sky we get introduced to more characters from the actual “ground world” and !!! it’s so fun and exciting to see the difference between them and how they all interact. She’s essentially coming from a LGBT world where woman marry woman and there are no men to the ground world where everyone is only heterosexual or keep their non hetero feelings secret.We meet two new characters that get their own POV as well as Sera and Leela from the City Above the Sky getting their own. This is definitely a lesson in great character dynamic because as Sera journeys to find out what has happened to her people we gain valuable knowledge from the other characters as well. (And poor Leela, I’m so sad just thinking of her amazing friendship with Sera and them being torn apart!) Anyway I’m being very vague because this books holds a lot of secrets as well as twists that both make me scream and want to punch something. (In a good way I promise, I just want to protect all my sweet cinnamon rolls from danger.) I’m dying for the second book and highly recommend The Cerulean to anyone who is looking for a fantastical adventure

Hedi

November 22, 2020

What a lovely surprise! I stumbled upon this book when i was just browsing in the bookstore and the synopsis really drew me in. Man it did not disappoint! It’s a fantasy world with a lot of sci-fi elements in it, which i loved. But there are also a few topic interlaced into the story that i find really up to date with current occurrences. Like racisme (that people who are or look different than us are less) and sexuality (the lesbian community where Sera is from and the sexuality of the characters). I thought it was beautifully done, of course this book wasn’t perfect but i loved it enough to give it it’s five stars. Sera’s world was just amazing, with only females and interesting family trees. In Sera’s world there isn’t a man necessary to create a baby, the females created them on their own. Also her actual world was very interesting with everything the Cerulean had learn from the different places they had stayed at. Very interesting! What i didn’t like about Sera was her naive nature, which i kinda understood because she never had seen anything other than ceruleans but her need to cry out her blood was magic every time she said her name made me cringe a few times.. like girl do you think that is wise to tell everybody? As for Leo, Agnes and Leela.. they were great side/main characters. They al go through different levels of character growth, which made them more believable and not just good or bad. I’m very excited to read the next book, which i’m starting right after this one!I’m glad i read this book before is saw the negative reviews. Personally i don’t see the homophobic and racist points. Personally i saw how Amy Ewing tried to write a story about different people of different worlds. She never made it seem as one world was better than the other. Yes Kaolin is portrayed as the old world we used to life in, where same sex love or any kind of love that is other that heterosexual is forbidden and punished, plus was oppressing females. But Pelago was the world where women are at power and al kinds of love are celebrated. Also i never saw the Ceruleans as the “pure white people”, for me they were an alien species that came to this world to learn from it and give their knowledge as well. Plus the humans of Kaolin and Pelago were of al different colorings. Please if you feel like you want to read this book and it’s sequel, ignore the negative reviews and judge for yourself. Go in with an open mind.

Ina

October 20, 2019

Endlich ein neues Buch von Amy Ewing ! Wer mir auf dem Blog folgt oder auch in den Social Medias, der weiß sicherlich, dass ich von der JUWEL-REIHE absolut begeistert war. Und genau deshalb, war ich auch Feuer und Flamme für den neuen Roman der Autorin, auch wenn diesem Buch bereits viele negative Stimmen vorausgegangen sind.Denn im englischsprachigen Raum kam das Buch nur bedingt bei den Fans an und hat viel negative Kritik einstecken müssen. Ob berechtigt oder nicht, davon wollte ich mich dann natürlich selbst überzeugen.Amy Ewing schreibt keine gewöhnlichen Geschichten, dem sollte man sich vorab schon bewusst sein. Bei der Juwel-Reihe hat sie einige wirklich kontroverse Themen verarbeitet, die mich im ersten Moment schockiert haben. Bei KRISTALLBLAU stand vor allem "Queer-Bashing" als Kritikpunkt im Fokus und ich will gar nicht abstreiten, dass es vielleicht zutrifft, da ich aber in der Beziehung nicht betroffen bin, mich folglich auch nicht wirklich mit dem Thema auskenne, hatte ich natürlich einen sehr objektiven Blick auf alles, was in der Geschichte um Sera passiert und muss sagen, dass mir das Buch recht gut gefallen hat.Sera ist eine Cerulean und lebt in einer Stadt im Weltall, die durch ein faszinierend funkelndes Band mit einem Planeten verbunden ist, aus dem die Stadt Ressourcen zieht. Man kann das alles wirklich schwer erklären, weil die Stadt der Cerulean und auch ihr ganzes Lebenskonzept sehr komplex ist.Und damit bin ich auch direkt schon beim ersten positiven Punkt: Der Weltentwurf hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen. Amy Ewing beschreibt alles sehr bildhaft und gut vorstellbar und man möchte sich gerne in den Nacht- und Taggärten der Cerulean verlieren.Die Ceruleans selbst sind ausschließlich Frauen, leben meist in Dreierkonstellationen zusammen und ziehen ihre Töchter groß.Ihre Körper sind silbern, ihre Haare blau. Sie sind ein sehr harmonisches und gläubiges Volk. Und folgen den Worten ihrer Hohepriesterin bedinungslos. Sera bricht aus diesem Gerüst jedoch ein wenig aus, denn sie ist absolut wissbegierig, hinterfragt vieles und sie lechzt nach mehr. So gerne würde sie einmal den Planeten unter ihnen besuchen. Das ihr dieser Wunsch bald auf unangenehme Art und Weise erfüllt wird, das ahnt sie nicht.Der Planet, der mit Seras Stadt verbunden ist, ist in zwei verfeindete Kontinente aufgeteilt: KAOLIN und PELAGO. Hier spielt sich der zweite Teil der Geschichte ab und wir lernen das Zwillingspaar Leo und Agnes kennen, die sowohl optisch als auch charakterlich nicht unterschiedlicher sein könnten. Agnes muss sich dem patriarchalischem System von Kaolin fügen. Hier haben Männer das Sagen und eine Frau braucht für jedes bisschen die Einverständnis eines verwandten oder angeheirateten Mannes. Solche Systeme regen mich grundsätzlich gerne auf, Agnes mildert es aber ein wenig ab, da sie sich nichts gefallen lässt. Sie ist eine sehr kluge Protagonistin, die die Wissenschaft liebt und am liebsten Zeit in ihrem hauseigenen Labor verbringt. Ihr Ziel ist die Universität in Pelago und dafür ist sie bereit zu kämpfen. Ich mochte Agnes sehr, was man von ihrem Bruder Leo zuerst leider nicht behaupten kann.Leo ist zunächst ein richtig ätzender Charakter, gänzlich unsympathisch. Er eifert seinem Vater, einem gefeierten Theaterregisseur nach, der die Leute um sich herum wie Dreck behandelt. Leo ist verzogen und selbstsüchtig. Zum Glück erlebt er im Verlauf der Geschichte eine komplette Wandlung, erkennt, dass die Dinge die sein Vater leistet, gar nicht so erstrebenswert sind, wie er dachte. Und als er sich schließlich mit seiner Schwester zusammentut, da fing ich sogar an ihn ein wenig zu mögen.Ich will bei meinen Beschreibungen nicht so sehr in die Tiefe gehen, weil es in diesem Buch wirklich viele interessante Themen und Parts gab und ich nicht unabsichtlich etwas vorwegnehmen will. Aber ich kann Euch sagen, dass die Geschichte, auch wenn sie sich stellenweise ein wenig lahm entwickelt, echtes Potenzial hat.Amy Ewing ist echt ein Ausbund an grenzenloser Fantasie. Während die Welt der Cerulean irgendwie magisch erscheint, ist Old Port, die Stadt in der Agnes und Leo Leben eine Mischung aus viktorianischer Ära und Moderne. Außerdem beschreibt sie ihre eigene "Freakshow", es gibt magische Wesen, die der Vater der Zwillinge für seine eigenen Zwecke fängt und "ausstellt", was mich gleichermaßen fasziniert, wie auch abgeschreckt hat. Und ich fand die Themenfülle ziemlich interessant, auf beiden Seiten.Ich muss nochmal auf das "Queer Baiting" zurückommen, weil ich diesen Kritikpunkt einfach nicht verstehen kann. Es wird kritisiert, dass Sera, als eine Cerulean, die ja nun nur unter Frauen aufwächst, die Beziehungen unter einander hegen, sich später in einen Mann verliebt und das muss ich hier einfach mal klar dementieren, denn ich habe dieses Gefühl, dass sie sich von einem männlichen Charakter angezogen fühlt, nicht als Liebe, sondern als reine Neugier empfunden. Und selbst wenn, wieso sollte sie sich nicht von einem Mann angezogen fühlen dürfen. Nur weil sie von einem Planeten kommt, auf dem Frauen Beziehungen miteinander haben ? Es gibt ja gar keine Möglichkeit, hier eine heterosexuelle Beziehung einzugehen, woher soll sie also wissen, ob sie sich nicht vielleicht zu Männern hingezogen fühlen könnte ?Wäre dies jetzt bei Agnes der Fall, die sich ganz offensichtlich von Frauen angezogen fühlt, dann würde mich das alles sehr wundern, aber bei Sera hat mich das überhaupt nicht gestört. Sorry, das geht einfach über meinen Verstand hinaus, vielleicht auch einfach deshalb, weil mich dieses Thema selbst nicht betrifft und so habe ich daran überhaupt nichts Verwerfliches gefunden und kann hier keine Kritik anbringen.Im Übrigen gibt es in diesem ersten Band auch gar keine Liebesgeschichte im klassischen Sinne, es geht natürlich viel um die Verbundenheit zwischen Geschwistern und um freundschaftliche oder mütterliche Liebe, aber dabei bleibt es, was ich überhaupt nicht schlimm fand. Dafür punktet Amy Ewing mit ganz anderen Dingen.Ich fand diesen Auftakt wirklich mehr als gelungen, die Idee ist grandios und ich bin schon so gespannt, wie sich alles weiterentwickeln und wie die Fäden am Ende zusammenlaufen werden. Lediglich im Mittelteil hätte ein wenig mehr Spannung aufkommen dürfen. Das ist aber auch der einzige Kritikpunkt, den ich habe ! Ach und das Cover, aber dafür gibt es keinen Punktabzug, denn oft ist es ja schwierig, die Rechte am Original zu bekommen. Ich finde das deutsche Cover wunderschön, ohne Frage, passender ist allerdings das Amerikanische, denn es spiegelt einfach einen wichtigen Teil der Geschichte wider. Aber man kann halt leider nicht alles haben. So what !

Amanda

February 09, 2019

*review to come*

Fernwehwelten

September 19, 2019

Sera ist eine Cerulean – was bedeutet, dass ihr Blut magisch ist. Vielleicht sogar magischer als ihrem eigenen Volk bekannt ist, denn als sie sich zum Schutz ihrer Heimat opfern soll, landet sie stattdessen in einer völlig fremden Welt. Und nachdem sie den gewählten Tod für ihr Volk überlebt hat, plant die Cerulean nicht, den Kampf um ihr Leben nun zu verlieren.Das neue Fantasybuch von Amy Ewing, bekannt durch ihre Juwel-Reihe (die ich zu meiner Schande bis heute nicht gelesen habe), entführt den Leser zunächst in eine Welt, wie sie sich die Wenigsten von uns in ihren kühnsten Träumen ausgemalt hätten. Malerisch, zauberhaft und gänzlich anders als alles, was wir kennen. Mich hat von Beginn an begeistert, wie detailreich diese fremde Welt erschaffen wurde. Ich liebe es, wenn man beim Lesen das Gefühl entwickelt, einen solchen Ort tatsächlich zu erleben. Amy Ewing hat keinen willkürlichen Platz geschaffen, sondern den Cerulean eine Heimat gegeben – mit Geschichte, Tradition und etwas, was man wohl als Religion ansehen kann. Die Dynamik der Cerulean war etwas Neues. Ich für meinen Teil konnte ein Gefühl für ihr Gedankengut und ihre Lebensweise entwickeln. Und während normalerweise ein Mensch, wie wir ihn kennen, in eine fremde Welt stolpert, gelangt in diesem Buch ein unbekanntes Wesen in eine Welt, die der unseren zumindest ähnlicher ist.Oftmals beschleicht mich bei diesen „Weltenwechseln“ das Gefühl, dass die Protagonisten es außerordentlich schnell und unrealistisch verarbeiten. Hier nicht. Die Charakterentwicklungen sind spannend und runden die Handlungen des Buches ab. Neben dem Aspekt der Magie werden auch Themen wie Unterdrückung, Vorurteile, Habgier und Selbstfindung behandelt, was in Kombination eine wirklich gute Geschichte ergab.Der Schreibstil leitet einen kurzweilig und bildhaft durch die Geschichte. Es gab kleinere Längen, jedoch ohne mich jemals richtig zu langweilen. Ich muss sagen, dass ich mich wirklich auf den nächsten Teil freue – denn ich habe das Gefühl, dass das Abenteuer von Sera und ihren sowohl alten als auch neuen Freunden noch einiges für den Leser bereithält.

Insi

September 08, 2019

Das hat mir richtig gut gefallen 😃 Ich hatte Anfangs ein paar Probleme mit dem Einstieg in die Geschichte, weil ich mir die Weltgestaltung nicht so richtig vorstellen kann, aber die Grundidee dahinter finde ich wirklich interessant. Das war mal was ganz anderes, auch wenn am Anfang alles etwas verwirrend ist. Ich mochte auch die Charaktere total gerne, vor allem Agnes. Ich bin sehr gespannt, wie es weiter geht und hoffe, dass Band 2 nicht so lange auf sich warten lässt.

Cassie

July 06, 2018

The publisher gave me an ARC in exchange for an honest review and this doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. The Cerulean by Amy Ewing is a book I've been ecstatic for ever since I heard about it. I loved her previous trilogy so I've been looking forward to the next book from her.Sera Lighthaven has a very curious mind. Born in the City Above the Sky, a realm of sorts that's tethered to a planet by a magical thread, she's always wondered about everything. The welfare of the planet below them, the old Cerulean (the name of her people) customs and stories. This makes her an oddity among her kind, with their blue hair and silvery skin Cerulean girls have specific talents that they contribute to the growth of their realm.Sera never had any specialty but she always could wonder, her life changes when she's chosen by a magical spell from the Mother Sun (the Cerulean Goddess/Creator) to be the Chosen one to break the tether keeping the City bound to the divided planet below.The Chosen One breaks the tether by sacrificing her life, falling from the City above with her blood mixing with the tether.The Ceruleans are of a matriarchal kind. A Cerulean household is made up of three married mothers, they have no male kind and can give birth by themselves. Their magical kingdom has to move from planets to planets once the planet they're inhabiting can't sustain their City anymore (the magical tether absorbs certain qualities from the planet). All that's known of the current planet before them is that it's made of two countries Kaolin and Pelago.Sera was surprised to be chosen, she wasn't pious or remarkable in anyway.A state of shock ensued, her mothers struggled with the decision and her best friend Leela stood by her side. A parting gift from Leela is a moonstone Leela once found, Moonstones are rare and are rumoured to contain magic.Sera is honored by her people and sacrificed after a ceremony, She is let go from the City along the lines of the tether into the planet below.Fortunately for Sera, she is saved by the magic from the moonstone as she plummeted below. After a long crash, she is found by aristocratic twins Leo and Agnes. Leo and Agnes are the children of an important Kaolinian Patron of the theatre Xavier McLellan. Xavier has began a new vocation of capturing exotic magical creatures from Pelagos and using them for his own nefarious purposes. Leo along with their father's men eagerly capture Sera happy to present her to Xavier. Agnes is not so ecstatic as she sees the intelligence in Sera and bonds with her. Thanks to the magic in Sera's blood, she can understand any language and in due time communicate in it. Her path crossing with Leo and Agnes forces a change, It makes Leo see his life for the meaningless existence that it is, and strive to be a better man than his father, It makes Agnes fight harder for her freedom in a Patriarchal kingdom that stifles women and subjugates them.These three characters are so amazing, I love their bond as it changes them and matures them in various ways. The three of them scheme on how to escape the claws of Xavier and the stifling Kaolin with it's oppressive people to the mode accepting Pelagos.They're so many amazing developments tackled, Agnes coming to terms with her sexuality, Leo letting go of his blind devotion to their father and seeing things for how they really are, Sera learning about life (this is important because the Ceruleans are sheltered to a fault) etc.While all this is going on, I enjoy the backstory of the feud between Pelagos and Kaolin, the two differing kingdoms have a rich history ripe with many mysteries.There is no way I can give justice to the different amazing points of this book as it's so vast. I literally couldn't put it down.Other aspects I like is the various bonds established, they're beautiful to read about and inspiring. There is so many original brilliant themes that shine through.Also, as Sera is saved, the tether does not break and the City Above is thrown into Chaos. Leela is an interesting addition as she finds out that many things they've been told are lies and sinister things go on underneath the facade of perfection. The different species featured in this series are just simply genius, I liked the way Amy Ewing shaped them to be.The ending is exhilarating as things are turned up a notch and the stakes got a lot higher, there's still like a million questions but the journey ahead promises to be nothing short of exciting.The characters are superb and badass, the magic is unique, the worldbuilding is phenomenonal, the cover is perfection etc. The Cerulean is certainly Amy Ewing's most ambitious book to date and she successfully pulls it off.I can't wait to see what's next for this amazing characters.P.S: I love that the Ceruleans have so many moms!! You can never have too much, after all, it takes a village to raise a child.

Hej__jessica

August 22, 2019

Ich habe mit dieser Geschichte einfach mal ins Blaue gegriffen und gedacht "Probieren geht über studieren!" und es am Ende nicht bereut. Eine wirklich fantastische Geschichte deren Weltenaufbau einfach nur toll und faszinierend war und dessen Charaktere mich bis zum Ende hin begeistern konnten. Ich habe nicht das große Literaturwunder erwartet, war am Ende aber dennoch sehr positiv überrascht und konnte durchweg überzeugt werden. Eine rasante Geschichte die aber hier und dort auch die leisen Töne beherrscht und so gekonnt zwischendurch auf die Bremse tritt sobald es gefühlt etwas zu viel wird. Charaktere die man kennenlernen und erforschen möchte und die bis zum Ende einfach sympathisch daher kommen, runden das Gesamtbild der Story perfekt ab. Ohne zu viel verraten zu wollen, kann ich nur sagen, dass ich vor allem Sera sehr mochte. Ein starker Charakter mit einer tollen Geschichte und dem Mut sich auf eine Reise ins Unbekannte zu begeben. Einfach toll umgesetzt. Dazu die Verschmelzung zweier Welten die perfekt zusammenpassen und dennoch extrem verschieden zu sein scheinen. Wörter wie Hohepriesterinnen, Geheimnisse, auserwählt, auf Leben und Tod - lassen mein Herz höher schlagen und brachten so einiges an Action mit sich.Für mich ein Griff in die Wundertüte, ein absoluter Glückgriff mit einem wundervollen Cliffhanger der extrem Lust auf Mehr macht und die Wartezeit zum nächsten Band enorm erhöht. Alles in allem kann ich diesem Buch mit seiner gut durchdachten und zu Überraschung neigenden Story einfach nur 4,5 Sterne geben. Dazu ein knackiger Schreibstil und es liest sich wie geschnitten Brot. Jugendlich, frisch, mit der Extraportion Fantasie und neuen Ideen.

Ainslee || Jest and Hearts

February 15, 2019

https://jestandhearts.wordpress.com/2...I freaking loved this book. I went into it not knowing what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't put it down! Also look at that freaking cover, how stunning is that?!Now, before I start my review I just want to say, you can still love a book even if it has problematic elements. There are certain things I don't take into account when I review books which is probably why I enjoyed this more than some people.This is a hard book to describe, its quite unique and there's quite a bit going on, so I apologize if things aren't making complete sense in my review. Its pretty difficult to explain how I feel about this book because its such a unique world.I thought the concept of this book was very interesting, I enjoyed the actual plot, the majority of the characters, the world building and the different POVs. The story deals with grief, heartbreak, figuring out who you are, doing the right thing and friendship. There's also a lot of deception, cruelty, lies and corruption.The Cerulean is a YA fantasy that is told from 4 different POVs. Sera who is a Cerulean (The Cerulean are a group of silver skinned, blue haired beings who live in The City Above the Sky and possess magic) and shes from The City Above the Sky, Leo and Agnes who live on the planet below in Kaolin, and lastly Leela, Sera's best friend who lives in the City.Sera has been chosen as the sacrifice so her home, the City, can break the tether to its current planet. The City is tethered to a planet so it can sustain itself and when it can no longer thrive off of the planet it moves on to a new one. When she finds herself on the planet below she knows something has gone wrong with the sacrifice and she wants nothing more than to go home. However, fate has different plans for her, Leo, the pompous jerk kidnaps her to win his fathers approval. In the process of kidnapping her, he treats her like garbage instead of a living breathing thing. So lets star with the characters, I really did enjoy the majority of the characters, Sera the main character who is a Cerulean is inquisitive, shes full of questions and curiosity, shes brave, fearless and loving. Sera feels like she doesn't belong and that's mostly because of how curious she is and that she doesn't feel attracted or interested in other Cerulean's. As she comes from basically a lesbian society, its really interesting that she has no interest in women. She's straight, in case you were wondering. Her best friend Leela was mostly quiet and stuck to the rules but she had some great development and she turned into this brave, determined woman who would do anything to save her best friend and find out the truth.Then we have Leo and Agnes, Agnes loves science, she's not interested in fashion or social activities, she's attracted to women, she'd rather dissect frogs and tromp through the desert, shes intelligent, curious, shes oppressed and shes ready to do something about it. Then there's Leo and hes the one character I didn't enjoy. Leo is pompous, full of himself, he's only interested in pleasing his father and getting his approval, he seems to have no moral code and hes an all around jerk. While he did have some character development he's still a dick and hasn't redeemed himself in my eyes. I could write an entire essay on him and why I didn't like him but I'll refrain.This was a pretty unique world and I thought the City had some really great world building.. I could really picture myself there among the glittering glass buildings surrounded by lush gardens, trees and beautiful women. I thought the City itself was really interesting as it's a society of only women ruled by a high priestess who determines when events happen such as marriage and a birthing season. In order to determine when these events happen the high priestess speaks to Mother Sun, who the Cerulean worship. In the City each family is comprised of a triad of three mothers: purple, green and orange and each one has a different role in this society. When a birthing season starts only certain women (purple mothers) from each triad  are chosen to conceive, there are no men involved at all so this is seen as a "blessing" from Mother Sun. Its such a unique world which is why I really enjoyed it.As for the planet the City is tethered too, I felt like it did lack a bit of world building. It appears to be set in a time period similar to our world around the late 1800s - early 1900s as there are motorized cars that aren't very advanced. The planet is split into two countries: Kaolin and Pelago. Kaolin seems to be a pretty oppressive country for women to live in, women need to obey their fathers or husbands and aren't allowed to attend school. Pelago on the other hand seems to be a progressive country that doesn't oppress women, women can love freely and be with other women, they aren't confined to the rules of society like Kaolin. Having the two different countries is pretty interesting, there seems to be a feud between the two where they don't like one another. But like I said the world building was lacking.I really enjoyed the plot, I found it pretty fast paced and intriguing, I found myself unable to put the book down and I just kept flipping through the pages especially near the end. I also really enjoyed the magic in the book and I think there's still a lot to Sera's powers that we haven't seen and I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. There were some things I didn't fully enjoy such as the name for the City, I felt like the author could have actually named it because The City Above the Sky, is a mouthful and I don't believe the planet had a name either. I obviously wasn't a fan of Leo and felt like he hasn't yet redeemed himself for what he did to Sera. The last thing I wanted to talk about was Sera and Leela's friendships. I thought it was beautiful and so pure, both of these characters love each other unconditionally and would do anything for each other. Reading the heartbreak both of them go through is devastating. The Cerulean has some diversity, Leo and Agnes are both biracial characters, Agnes is attracted to women and the entire City is full of lesbians. I do recognize that there are some problematic elements to the book. However, I still enjoyed it, like I said above, you can still enjoy a problematic book.Before I end this review I wanted to briefly touch on the City and society and the fact that Sera is straight. Yes, she was born and raised into a society full of women, loving women with no humans or men present. I thought it was interesting that Sera was actually attracted to men, as she had never seen one or been around one before. I know a lot of people had an issue with this, I didn't. There's probably more women in The City Above the Sky that aren't attracted to women too or they are asexual, we just don't know because we only know Sera. I can understand why people didn't like this because they went into it thinking this was going to be a fully queer book and it wasn't. So if you're going to read this, don't go into it thinking the main character is gay, she's not. I know that's probably pretty disappointing to some of you but this is honestly a great fantasy and you should give it a shot. I think when this book was first announced it was announced as a saphhic utopia and I've also seen that in some other peoples reviews but I haven't seen that anywhere recently and it doesn't say it in the synopsis either. If you're on the fence about reading The Cerulean I honestly implore you to make your own opinions about it. Don't read a review and completely write it off. I would recommend this to fantasy lovers who are looking for a unique fast paced read. WHEW, that was a long one!Thank you to HCCFrenzy for gifting me a copy for review. 

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