Review: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Burning Sky (#1) by Sherry Thomas (2013)

464 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Source: My blogger bestie got me this one for Christmas!!

Purchase:Barnes and Noble|The Book Depository|Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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.

MY REVIEW

The Burning Sky BLEW ME AWAY. It started off strong and ended strong. I am going to have to say that if you are a fan of books with magic in it and you haven't read this, then you really really should do that as soon as possible. I am now going to fangirl all over this book. Sorry, not sorry, but this book is so freaking awesome.

My favorite thing about this whole novel is the MAGIC. From the elemental magic to the every day spells, this novel is full of wonderful magic that just makes me wish harder than ever that I was magical. I wanted to live in this world oh so badly while reading it. I don't even want to tell you about all the awesome magical things you are going to discover when you read this because I know you will be reading this (if you haven't already), and therefore I don't want to take away from your reading experience. Aka: Read this book.

My second favorite aspect of the novel would have to be the characters. They are hands down some of the best characters I have ever encountered. Titus and Iolanthe are wise in their own ways and admit when they don't know something. I think they make a fabulous pair. It is almost comical how formal/proper they both are with each other at first, but that does change a little throughout the story at a natural pace, especially considering all they go through together. They are just so complex and you can't help but care for them. I felt EVERYTHING when it came to these characters.

My third favorite thing about The Burning Sky would have to be that there are no info dumps. Instead the author incorporates end notes into the book. I loved them. So every time the author wanted to elaborate on a spell, or a little piece of history, etc. she would use an end note. Brilliant. Unique. I loved it.

Did I dislike anything about The Burning Sky? I honestly don't think that I did. Not a single thing comes to mind. I am sure it wasn't perfect, no book is, but for whatever reason I simply just enjoyed this book to the max. I was never bored and completely immersed in the world.

Well, I feel like I have gushed enough over this book for now. I think it is time for me to start wrapping up this love fest of a review. Just in case you are still wondering (although I'm sure you are not), I would have to say, with 100%certainty, that I recommend The Burning Sky to everyone. Before I even finished this book I ordered the second one from the store. No joke. I NEED MORE. I can't wait to read it.

Review: The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Paper Magician (#1) by Charlie N. Holmberg (2014)
224 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: 47North
Source:I received a free e-book from the publisher through Netgalley. This did not affect my honest review. Thanks 47North and Netgalley!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

My Review

The Paper Magician is a magical read. Who knew that paper magic would be so spellbinding? When reading the very detailed (okay, sometimes maybe a little too detailed) picture the author paints for the reader of Ceony and Thane putting life into paper my heart fluttered. The beautiful images Holmberg was able to create left a lasting impression on me. I swear I could actually feel the magic through the pages. Holmberg does a wonderful job at slowly building this world where paper magic exits. You won't find any info dumps in this book, although I do wish there was a little more world building here and there, but it isn't necessarily necessary.

The characters are fun and rather genuine. Ceony is an interesting woman. She is 19 years old and would rather bond to any other magic than paper, it's too bad she has no choice in the matter. It was either she bond with paper or nothing at all. She chose paper, and I'm glad she did, even if she tended to complain about it a little too much at first. I had a wonderful time reading about Ceony's adventure of learning paper magic. I would love to be a paper magician. Thane is her teacher, and he is damn good at it. Thane is a rather complex character, more so than Ceony, and he is very likable and kind of bizarre. There is a romance forming between Thane and Ceony that may not sit well with some readers since there is a 10 year age gap, but for whatever reason it didn't really bother me.

My only real complaint about the novel would be that the pace of The Paper Magician was a little shaky. At times I felt like the flow was perfect, at other times it stalled, and still sometimes it flew by. It felt uneven. I do like how the story starts out with a lightness to it and ends on a more dark note.
Side note: There are a lot of weird things that happen in this book, but in this case I found the weird to be cool and refreshing and not too out there. It's a good different.

I'm not sure this book is for everyone, but I think experiencing the paper magic alone would make this book worth reading. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this trilogy. I need to see more paper magic.