"In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.
However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....
Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?
With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion."
"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."
Oh, my goodness. The ending of The Perilous Sea is epic. I love it. I'm going to say that it is a little contest between Titus and the Bane (the main villain of the story), but it is not just little. It is epic and awesome. My favorite part is Titus considering to send elephant feces to the Bane. Best part ever. And his arrogance is awesome. Never have I ever loved a character more for their sassiness. Well, other than Regina Mills, of course. I'll consider Dean Winchester, too. And some other characters, too. I love sass, don't you?
Alright, let's get moving.
The Perilous Sea starts of weird enough in the beginning, but I love it. (I love it!) It is a bit confusing at first, because I sort of forgotten some parts of the plot and story of The Burning Sky, but I do manage to jump those old brain cells. Yes, I do remember the entire story around the fifth chapter of The Perilous Sea.
Let me explain "weird." Part of The Perilous Sea is told from the past, but that is very irritating, though I do see a need for the author to tell the story like that. Still, it is annoying. And for that awfulness, I'm going to dock points.
However, I will give points for Titus' sassiness and awesome remarks. I just love him. I think the last time I'd seen the guy (a book character) like him was Raphael in Angelfall. Oh. I read Angelfall last month. That wasn't very long ago. Darn. It felt like half a year ago. It is funny how fast and slow time goes by. It just depends on perspective.
Told from two POVs, The Perilous Sea is awesome. I really enjoyed it despite the terrible start we had together. Great job, Sherry Thomas. Even though this is the middle child of the possible trilogy, it rarely failed or stopped in its path.
Titus is awesome. I think I told you that too many times. Thomas does go into a bit of relationship dive, but it wasn't too bad. It just says a lot about Titus and Iolanthe.
Iolanthe, too! She is good, but she isn't as good as Titus and his sassiness. Even his romantic words and his pokes at his old words (though he certainly doesn't remember it) is hilarious and entertaining. For that, I consider The Perilous Sea worth it. Worth reading even though there is a sequel coming out sometimes next year.
A sequel. I have to wait another year.
Let me sob in a corner, will you?
Rating: Four out of Five
"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
