Review : The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : The Burning Sky
Author : Sherry Thomas
Publication Date : September 17th 2013
Publisher : Balzer + Bray
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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.

Personal Thoughts

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas was one of the most beautifully crafted book that I've ever read. It felt like this whole book was molded for me with the way it was written. From the characters to the world-building, The Burning Sky was terrific on every level.

What made The Burning Sky a riveting read was the attention to details given by the author. Everything from the characters to the setting was complex and intricate, allowing the reader to get completely immersed in the beauty of this book. Iolanthe, the main character, was phenomenal. She was the kind of character who would do anything for her loved ones. At first, she didn't realize how powerful she was, but watching her grow throughout the book and coming to terms with the extent of her powers was a thrill. Iolanthe was a character who effortlessly gripped at my heart. Connecting with her was such an easy task because of how simple she was underneath all that power. She was like every other girl, which made her quite relatable. Then, on the other side, we had Titus, another powerful mage, who helped Iolanthe accept and fully bring to surface her powers. Prince Titus was as engaging a character as Iolanthe was. Titus was such an intriguing character. When I first came across him, he was serious, but as the plot progressed, I got to see a teasing and flirtatious side to him that made him quite the charming hero. Both these characters were multidimensional, so you really get to know them on an emotional level throughout the book. The main villain in the series was only briefly introduced, but there was this darkness surrounding him that foreshadowed the degree of evilness that's bound to appear in future books and I cannot wait! We also had a secondary villain whose very presence in a scene gave me chills.

While a little hard to comprehend at first, the world building in The Burning Sky was alluring once I was finally invested in it. Mages, elixirs, wands, prophecies and vaulting! This book had everything. It even had a storybook into which Iolanthe and Titus could magically transit to! Sherry Thomas made sure that every aspect her book was perfected. I loved getting to know the world in which Iolanthe and Titus resided in and the author made it so easy for me to understanding the workings of it through her beautiful descriptions. One of the best parts of The Burning Sky was the romance. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a romance that will grapple at your reader's heart. Iolanthe and Titus were initially attracted to each and this attraction soon developed into an easy-going friendship with plenty of banter and chemistry between the two. This friendship slowly matured into a romance that had my heart racing in anticipation for their first kiss. My favorite part of the plot was when Iolanthe and Titus hide at Titus' school Eton. It's rare in a fantasy book for the characters to do normal tasks like going to school, so I loved its addition in The Burning Sky. Iolanthe had to pretend to be a boy at the all boys school and what ensued was an entertaining story with budding friendships within a world filled with magic. Sherry Thomas is an excellent story teller and her prose was vivid and absolutely stunning. I can't tell you how excited I am to read more about these wonderful characters, the enthralling world-building and the beautiful romance.

Sherry Thomas' YA debut was unquestionably breath-taking in every sense of the word. While the plot seems like it's the same old story that all YA fantasies seem to have, Thomas' brilliant execution of her content makes The Burning Sky stand out in the genre. If you are already a fan of YA fantasy, then I highly recommend this book. You definitely fall in love with it like I did.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 4/5

**Overall Rating : 4.5/5** 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for the e-ARC of The Burning Sky.