Review: The Burning Sky

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
The Elemental Trilogy #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Source: Library
Date Read: 1/18/15 to 1/21/15
464 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning.

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.

The Burning Sky—the first book in the Elemental Trilogy—is an electrifying and unforgettable novel of intrigue and adventure.

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So I read The Burning Sky because of the recent release of The Perilous Sea, and I have to say, well, it was kind of below my expectations. 

The Burning Sky takes place in another world, divided between the mage world and the non-mage world, kind of like in Harry Potter. Iolanthe is THE elemental mage, but she doesn't know it. She's being tracked by the powerful Bane and the Inquisitor. On the other hand, Prince Titus knows all this already, and he's created a huge, thought out plan to hide Iolanthe from everyone, even though he's never met her.

So basically, because of his mother's visions, he locates Iolanthe, hides her away in his all boys school in England, the non-mage world, and everything is fine. Kind of. But not really. Because he's training her to go up against the most powerful man in the mage world, the Bane, and Iolanthe is confused, Titus is confused by his feelings, and more importantly, I AM CONFUSED.

Yeah, for one, I was really confused in the beginning. I even read the blurb this time and even then. First off, Titus kept on called Iolanthe Fairfax, his made up name for the disguise. He kept on saying "You aren't Fairfax" or "This isn't Fairfax", because he assumed that Iolanthe was a boy in his visions. But nope, she's a girl. So that makes everything complicated for an all boys school, in London.

Second, WHAT IS THIS WORLD? I was so confused about the non-mage world and the mage world, and then I realized it was kind of like Harry Potter. But you can actually use magic in the non-mage world, and people can be exiled to that world as well. 

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MAGIC? Why does subtle magic sound so much more powerful and useful compared to elemental magic? Why is Iolanthe so important when she can't even overcome some subtle magic? There's a glossary at the back of the book with little numbers attached to each term or idea or just something that needed to be explained. I thought it took too much effort to go to the end each time, and it just interrupted my reading. I'm also pretty lazy and unmotivated ha.

But even with all of this, I still thought it was a good start to a series. I mean, it did start out very confusing, I really like how everything played out in the end. I liked Titus and Iolanthe as characters. Iolanthe, although not as confident, still takes matters into her own hands, and refuses to depend on the prince because she actually wants to help. Titus, on the other hand, wants to protect Iola at all costs, even if it means his own life. He tries really hard, and, I don't really know what his motives are, other than trusting his mother's visions. It just seems like he doesn't have many motives at all. But I'm assuming that will be in the next book right!

So yep, overall, it was a good start, even though it was very confusing in the beginning. I'm looking forward to the next book, which I borrowed from the library so woo.