The Perilous Sea audiobook

Why can't all books have sky dragons and pegasi and impossible romance? *sigh*

The Perilous Sea opens with Iolanthe waking up in a desert with no knowledge of who she is or what she's doing there. Nearby is a boy about the same age as she is who has no idea who he is, either. Injured, scared, and wary of each other, they have to team up to survive the forces that are trying to kill them before they can escape the sands of the desert. Then the story goes back and picks up where the last book left off, catching the reader up on what went down in the meantime. The entirety of The Perilous Sea is told by flashing back and forth from the past to the present, and I thought it worked pretty well. If you've read book one, then you know that Titus' entire life has been lived out while trying to fulfill his destiny, as told by his mother (a powerful seer) via her diary.And while Titus has always believed that his destiny is written in stone, Iolanthe believes that visions of the future can be interpreted in many ways and that destiny is a choice.This book plays heavily to those themes.Also, some of the minor characters from the last book begin to feature more importantly. And while some questions are answered, more questions arise. I'm especially interested in Iolanthe's memory gaps.I'm really interested to see how this all pans out!Recommended. I listened to the audiobook version by Balzer + Bray which was read by Philip Battley, and I enjoyed it.

Rating: 4.5 StarsI am still reeling from the aftermath of The Perilous Sea. With The Burning Sky, Sherry Thomas introduced us to a world of magic and destiny, one in which our protagonists--Titus and Iolanthe--had to battle the Bane, the deadly ruler of Atlantis. The Perilous Sea picks up shortly after The Burning Sky left off, only this time it is the end of the summer holidays and Titus, whisked away to princely duties in Atlantis, has not seen Iolanthe in months. Now, finally reunited, to two are determined to work harder, fight longer, and discover the secret to bringing down the Bane. Only, it seems fate--or rather the diary of Titus's late mother, a seer--has very different ideas...From the beginning itself, The Perilous Sea sets itself apart from The Burning Sky due to its format. Thomas writes two different timelines simultaneously, meaning that every alternate chapter jumps between the present and the past catching up to the present moment. With cliffhanger endings concluding every chapter, it is practically impossible to set this book down once you've picked it up, not only because of the urge to discover the situation in the timeline you left behind, but also to figure out how our protagonists went from Point A to Point B. Moreover, from the onset of this novel itself, it is clear that Thomas is choosing to focus on the age-old question of fantasy: can one truly make his or her own destiny? Very early on in The Perilous Sea a sequence of events plays out in such a way that Titus begins to doubt the veracity of his mother's prophecies. Or, at any rate, her interpretation of them. Thus, the lives and focus of both Titus and Iolanthe are upturned by these circumstances and the emotional turmoil they experience is simply heart-breaking. I love that despite the fact that we know both these protagonists so well from The Burning Sky, Thomas continues to challenge them, forcing them to become even better, stronger, and more confident versions of themselves. Additionally, these change of events cause The Perilous Sea to be far more romantic than we may have anticipated. In one timeline, circumstances allow for Iolanthe and Titus to fall in love all over again, albeit in a different way. In another timeline, Iolanthe and Titus must battle through their differences to find a way back to one another, despite the hurdles they themselves have erected in their paths. In both instances, it is abundantly clear once and for all that yes, these two truly do love each other and, above all, they are stronger together than apart. The Perilous Sea continues to excel as a sequel, however, primarily because of the depth we gain about the secondary characters. I truly enjoyed the characterization of the secondary characters we met in The Burning Sky, particularly Titus's friends in Eton, but in The Perilous Sea we finally peel back the facades these boys put forth and discover the true individual beneath. The plot of The Perilous Sea is such that the secondary characters are just as important, this time around, as our two protagonists, so the depth they're given in this installment is a pleasant--and very welcome!--surprise. What's more, the Bane is finally unveiled for the true horror we are told he is. While we learn a little of this villain in the previous installment, The Perilous Sea travels deep into his past and--believe me--the atrocities he is capable of are cringe-worthy. In fact, The Perilous Sea packs plot twist after plot twist, reveal after reveal, at such a breakneck pace that it is difficult to imagine what Thomas can possibly unveil further in the final installment. We receive answers about Iolanthe's past--everything from her origins to her memory keeper--speculate about Titus's parentage, and learn the minute secrets as to the true reality of Titus's mother's visions. It's such a spectacular sequel simply because we believe one thing to be true, only to find that it isn't what we thought it was. While this ensured that readers were constantly in a state of surprise, at times the narrative style of this novel became a detriment to the story as a whole. For me, at any rate, I didn't find both timelines to be completely necessary and, what's more, the fact that one timeline moved at a significantly slower pace than the other one, could be a bit jarring at times. Most importantly, though, I found the never-ending reveals to be pleasant--at first--but found myself needing slightly more detail or clarification than was provided. And, sadly, the political turmoil that marked The Burning Sky is mostly devoid in this novel as the focus is on overthrowing the Bane. I am hoping--and eagerly looking forward to--seeing more of Atlantis's political scheme in the sequel, along with the final battle that is looming ahead. The Perilous Sea is one of the strongest sequels I've come across this year and if Thomas continues to improve and build upon this series as she has, I do not doubt that the finale will be unforgettable.

There are books that you read when you’re bored, simply because you’ve already started them, and hey, you aren’t a quitter. There are other books that whisper to you, calling out and distracting you from what you’re doing. Books that make you flirt with irresponsibility; the laundry can wait an hour or two, right? Surely that paper doesn’t have to be written until tomorrow? I love books like that. There’s a third kind of book, though. A much rarer breed. There are books that don’t give you the choice to put them down. Books so intense that you accidentally skip your morning workout. Books so delicious that you forget to eat breakfast AND lunch, and by the time you realize that sound isn’t actually the dragons in the story growling, but rather your stomach, you’re already late for dinner. You make due with whatever is in your fridge. (For me this was birthday cake; vanilla with buttercream frosting.) The Perilous Sea, is one of THOSE books. The Burning Sky was handily one of my favorite books to come out last year. More honestly, it was one of my favorite books to come out in the last century. As often happens with book two in a trilogy, I had prepared myself that, while I was still expecting awesomeness, it might not be as fresh and amazing as book one. It happens. I was still thrilled when a series of fortuitous events landed an ARC of The Perilous Sea in my hands. Even if it wasn’t all that The Burning Sky was, as the intro to TBS says, I still expected magic. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. I said it. I was WRONG. For all of the overwhelming genius that was The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea was BETTER. Yes, I said it. It was even better. Everything that I loved about The Burning Sky, every spectacular element, appeared in The Perilous Sea, more polished and intricately woven with every page I turned. Prepare yourself for quite the emotional roller-coaster. The layout of the book has you switching back and forth between two different points in the story timeline. You will go from grinning like an idiot one moment, then fall immediately back into despair and denial the next. And then back to the foolish smile. I don’t want to say too much, because I don’t want to give any of the surprises away. There are many surprises. But if you loved The Burning Sky because of the strength of its characters, you will not be disappointed. If you loved The Burning Sky because of the intrigue and magic of its world, you won’t be disappointed. And if you loved The Burning Sky because of a particular doomed Prince with a penchant for distance spells and dragon slaying…Well. That line forms behind me. ;)Reread July 2015

Segunda entrega de la trilogía, Los Elementales, y creo que sigue manteniendo la misma esencia, o quizás la supero un tanto, que me cautivo en el primer libro. La narración cambia en esta entrega, ya que la historia está escrita en primera persona, con dos puntos de vista, es decir, el de los protagonistas; entrelazando el presente y el pasado. En el presente, los protagonistas han perdido la memoria, no recuerdan nada, se encuentran en el desierto y solo saben que deben huir de los Atlantes (antagonistas), ya que no pueden dejar que estos los atrapen. Y paralelamente, en el pasado van dándonos indicios de los sucesos que antecedieron a los personajes a terminar en tales circunstancias. He de admitir que la autora dominó a la perfección, el entretejer estas dos narraciones y logando unirlas sin perder el hilo de la historia en ningún momento; manteniéndome con la incógnita de como los personajes llegaron a ese momento.El desarrollo es más dinámico; la autora nos va dando más descripciones tanto de los personajes como de hechos que nos ayudan a comprender aún más hacia donde va la historia. Los personajes, en cada libro me gustan más; Iolanthe y Titus han desarrollado una relación que va más allá del cumplimiento de la profecía, la cual los mantiene unidos. Las escenas que desarrollan juntos son de mis favoritas, me encantan sus diálogos sarcásticos; cuando los leo consiguen hacerme suspirar, reír y entristecerme.¡y ese final! Es que la autora nos deja en una escena en la que quedas total y absolutamente intrigado; ¡necesito leer el tercer libro ahora ya!

5 STARSSO GOOOOOOOD!!!I love everything about it. E-VERY-THING. I'm definitely adding it to my top favorite books of all time. YES.Here's my criteria ratings:PLOT - 5WRITING STYLE - 4.5CHARACTERS - 4.5ROMANCE - 5UNPUTDOWNABLE LEVEL - 5Now I can't wait for the third book!!!

10 stars! Brilliant! This is without a doubt, one of my favorite series ever. This book was even better than the first. I can't wait to see where it goes next.I loved THE BURNING SKY so much. But it didn't have NOTHIN' on this book!Yes, I think THE PERILOUS SEA is my favorite read of this year (so far).I just can't begin to describe the depths of my love for this series, these characters, this world, that ROMANCE, all that action, and the incredible, incredible storyline. There is nothing I would change. Nothing. I could read this book a hundred times and never get tired of it.Sherry Thomas is a romance writer, and it shows.She knows, with all the knowing there is to know, how to write an amazing, suspenseful, tension-filled romance. The feelings that Iolanthe and Titus have for each other are just palpable, believable, FELT IN YOUR BONES! I WANT TITUS. I WANT, I WANT!But the romance is just the tip of the iceberg.Thomas also knows how to create a world that is so completely fantastical, yet, at the same time, so believable. I don't want to say too much about this book in particular, because so much would be too spoilery. But let me just assure you that there is NO second book syndrome. AT ALL. Not with the romance, not with the storyline.There's something that happens . . .And the way she wrote it . . .And the how things end up evolving, again . . .It's just SO PERFECT!We learn a lot more about Iolanthe, Titus, and even the illusive Bane. Creepy! The boarding school is still a main character, which I adore, but there are also adventures into the Crucible (Awesome), and into the desert (so mysterious).If you haven't read THE BURNING SKY yet, just GO! READ! NOW! Some have said it starts out slowly (I disagree), but everyone I've talked to has ended up loving it. If you love magic (and if you don't how can you even stand living?), you must read this series!Now Gimme Book 3!!!

First read: August 2014Second read: September 2015 - even better than the first time around ♥4 starsThe Perilous Sea, or as I like to call it "THE SEA DRAGON COVER I HAS A SEA DRAGON FWEEEEEEEEEEE", was - as you might already be able to tell - one of my very highly anticipated books of 2014. It's the sequel to The Burning Sky , which I absolutely loved in spite of its flaws. Though The Perilous Sea continues to fall short in certain areas, by the end of this book I was fully engaged and swamped with feels yet again.The biggest weakness to The Burning Sky was admittedly the world building. Sadly, The Perilous Sea does not exactly make up for what was lacking in the first book. Some things are definitely more developed: I feel like the different kinds of magic were explored more - which I absolutely loved - and I gained a better understanding of the functionality of the Crucible. However, I'm still confused about the world in general. One of the big questions I had at the end of the first book was how exactly these mage and non-mage realms fit together - whether they were both on Earth, or whether they were in different dimensions, or what. By the way they have different systems of years, you'd think different dimensions. But then in this book, Iolanthe gets stranded in the mage realm (I think - it maybe wasn't ONE HUNDRED PERCENT clear) and travels back to England by various boats - noting passing by most of the African continent. I... just... WHY CAN'T YOU GIVE US A MAP? IS IT SO HARD? I'm so lost, seriously. Is the Domain on Earth or NOT. Where is Atlantis, for that matter? Or am I just stupid and missing something blatantly obvious?But, ehm, I knew that there was a high probability that the world building would still be a hot mess, so I didn't let that deter me from the story for too long. At least, I tried really hard not to let it. Point is, The Burning Sky introduced one of my favorite ships from last year: Titus and Iolanthe. They had a lovely hate-to-love transition with much bantering. Well, The Perilous Sea brings back the banter - that's for sure. I was giggling SO MUCH at this book. Titus is his lovely sassy self and I wouldn't have it any other way. Iolanthe is a worthy opponent, and the two are gold together. But for anyone who doubts how genuine their relationship is (I can't imagine you would, but just in case), The Perilous Sea shows them as clearly being amazingly compatible and drawn to each other - no matter the (spoilery) circumstances. And the lengths they'll go to to protect each other! FEELS. I was reminded all over again how great the dynamic between the two of them is and how badly I just want them to do nothing but kiss. Okay some other things too if you know what I mean.The plotting also had similar issues as in the previous book. I mean, first off, I was pretty damn lost because I couldn't remember much of what happened in The Burning Sky. The Perilous Sea doesn't do the best job of jogging your memory. But even aside from that, the plot lacked direction, and for most of the book I was wondering what the fuck was going on, or whether this was a case of middle book syndrome. (view spoiler)[I'm still confused about Iolanthe's lost memories. Like, was that revealed in the first book already? Was it just about her mom - how she blocked Iolanthe from remembering her? Or were there other things too? SO CONFUSED. (hide spoiler)] I did very much appreciate the way the story dealt with prophecies, however. How much of a prophecy is pre-determined - and how much is ensured by the receivers of that prophecy through hard work? I always love when stories make you think like that, and The Perilous Sea does a great job of fully exploring the topic, in a way that kept me on my toes and intrigued. There were some surprising plot twists, yes indeed.The last 50-something pages pulled it all together again. And I'm SO GLAD it did, because before that I didn't have a single clue how to feel about this book. But seriously, Sherry Thomas pulled out a MASSIVE plot twist I NEVER saw coming. I literally just held the book in my hands, rereading a certain paragraph a few times, going...Seriously, HOLY CRAP. Right when that happened, I was once again 100% invested in the story. The earlier plot lines finally started coming together, and though I was initially hesitant by the way the story alternated between two timelines, I finally saw how beneficial it was for the pacing of the story and that last POW, in my face. How does Sherry Thomas get me to feel so many things when objectively this series is still not the best? I dunno. I think she's a wizard. Summing Up: A MASSIVE thank you to Jamie for giving me her copy of The Perilous Sea! Though the world building and plot still lost me a couple times there, the level of feels for this series is SO DAMN HIGH. THAT FREAKING ENDING. ALSO TITUS AND IOLANTHE. AND AWESOME KASHKARI. AND CUTE COOPER. AND WINTERVAAAAAAAAALE. My mind is still reeling a little bit. Umm, can I have the next one plz? GIF it to me straight! We interrupt this normally scheduled GIF to instead bring you the most perfect freaking song...http://youtu.be/v_XHTzc6lag Recommended To: Fans of feelsy fantasy, who can look past a few flaws.*This review is of an ARC.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Iolanthe more than ever, committed to fulfilling her destiny was disappointed when Titus switched gears and declared she was no longer the chosen one. This was devastating to Iolanthe, who’d just embraced the cause after much struggle, and in the process fell in love with Titus.Things turned around very quickly as friends became foes and vice versa, and the unlikely became the centre of evil itself.This 2nd book in the series built very well on the first book, and it was enjoyable and wholly entertaining.4 stars!

Wow.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***The Perilous Sea by Sherry ThomasBook Two of the Elemental seriesPublisher: Balzer + BrayPublication Date: September 16, 2014Rating: 4 starsSource: ARC sent by the publisherSummary (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!

This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst BookwyrmA teenage boy and girl are in the middle of the Sahara with no memories of who they are and how they came to be there, and all they know is that they need to avoid the people from Atlantis. 7 weeks earlier Titus and Iolanthe have spent the summer apart and are eager to return to Eton to spend time together and to find a way to stop Atlantis and the Bane. However, when Titus makes a shocking discovery it changes everything about their relationship and the mission. With Iolanthe coming to terms with her new role and Titus finding out if he should believe his mother’s prophecies will they be able to avoid the Bane’s grasp and find a way to defeat him. The Perilous Sea is a really good sequel, just as enjoyable as The Burning Sky. This book had action, romance, suspense and twists, and does not suffer from middle book syndrome. This book is really interesting as it is written from both the past and the present and it was fascinating how the character got from how they were to the present situation. Everything Iolanthe believes in is challenged in this book and she has to discover who she truly is but like the last book she is a bit too perfect and good at everything. Titus has an internal battle in this book and he really struggles with what to believe in but I liked him better in this book compared to the last. The secondary characters are interesting, especially the Eton boys as we got to know them better. There is a big twists at the end of the book and I am really looking forward to reading the last book in the series. I would recommend The Perilous Sea to fans of the first book The Burning Sky.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 starsThis is how a sequel can not only take a story forward but make the previous installment stronger! I loved the spin in this sequel - what is Iolanthe was not the Chosen One that Titus has been preparing for? And how that put their partnership and relationship to the test brought about some beautiful angst (yes, angst is good with me) that just made me love the couple even more. Not only that but running parallel with the present storyline is a near future with the pair stranded in a desert with no memories! The desert scenes were my favorite. I usually don't enjoy amnesia storylines but this gave such a fun way to see how they would partner up and get close, just as themselves, without a grand destiny binding them together. Also the chase scenes, the fights with wavryns (I still can't spell it - let's say dragons!), and their flirting with each other - all great fun!And this book had some shocking twists and we finally learn even more about the Bane - who turns out is a really nasty villain. Plus, this book gave room to get to know the side characters! I really liked Wintervale, Kashkari and all we find out about him. And Cooper added some much needed humor, if in small doses! All in all, I loved this sequel!

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti? Before I start with my review take a moment and look at that cover. Even if I wasn't persuaded that I should read The Burning Sky after seeing this cover I knew it must be done. So when the ARC landed on my Kindle I couldn't but return to this world immediately. With the slight disappointment that The Burning Sky was for me I really hoped that this one would fix all those world-building problems and that I'd fully enjoy this story. It did that and then some more. When this story started I was lost and as the story started to reveal in front of my eyes I couldn't but urge myself to read faster, until the last 30% of the book that blew me away. The best part of this story, aside from finally getting the full picture of this world, is actually how it's divided into two storylines. One that follows Titus and Fairfax in Eton and other on their biggest quest. You could see the future of the story and discover it detail by detail and easily connecting it with the other storyline. With all great discoveries and twist and turns it was so good to see that the chemistry between Fairfax and Titus didn't change and that their slow-burning romance was there. It was also great to see how they acted when everything seemed hopeless. But for me, the highlight of this book lays in its unpredictability. I really couldn't even imagine that the Bane would do such things. He was really a villain here. Awful and heartless one, but one whom I'd love to see and understand better. Hopefully I'll get to see that in the last book in this series, which cannot be here soon enough.