"It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…
Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being 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 greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.
Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.
But Titus 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 Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life."
The Burning Sky is a four hundred page book of fun. I'm serious. It's a huge book of fun and games. I really enjoyed it. It's like Harry Potter and the Spanish Inquisition blended together. I do not mean a book named the Spanish Inquisition. I literally mean the Spanish Inquisition. Those people who tortured a countless number of innocent people during the "My neighbor is a witch!" eras. Yes, those people.
The magic is different. Instead of regular magic like Harry Potter, it's elemental magic. Well, most of it. Or at least, that's what the author makes it seem like. Iolanthe's strongest element is fire. Prince Titus's strongest element would be...well, most of the focus of magic is on Iolanthe (how the heck do you pronounce her name?).
The romance between Titus and Iolanthe feels more like lust. First of all, Iolanthe probably knows much more about Titus than anyone else. However, Titus doesn't know Iolanthe the most. The person who knows Iolanthe the most is her tutor. I don't like how Titus use subtle remarks to manipulate Iolanthe. It feels kind of wrong and I'm sure that's one of the signs of a dysfunctional relationship. Dysfunctional means abusive in the previous sentence. Also, that scene with the Blood Oath totally creeps me out. It's like Titus was using Iolanthe just for his means.
As a fast-paced book, The Burning Sky keeps me interested the whole way. I love sticking my toes in. My favorite scene so far is the Hegira (Iolanthe dressed as Hegira) saving the day with lightning and fire.
Atlantis takes a part. There's no mermaids, but apparently Atlantis controls the world. The Bane (the true villain of the series) rules Atlantis using the Inquisition among several spies and agents. The Inquisitor is the villain of Prince Titus. The Bane is the archenemy for both characters, but especially Iolanthe. It's a mage vs. mage all out war.
Titus is the smart one. He's the one who has foresaw everything. Especially with his seer mother's diary, he has the advantage this time. Since Atlantis controls everything, Prince Titus is only a prince in name and law. It's Atlantis' way of controlling the people.
Iolanthe is not as knowledgeable as Titus. While Titus has been preparing all his life for this moment, Iolanthe lives in a semi-carefree world with lots of agents and spies. She's naive yet also a quick learner.
Rating: Four out of Five
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