THE PERILOUS SEA by Sherry Thomas

Rating: A
Release Date: 9/16/14
Synopsis:
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.

My thoughts on the book:
The Perilous Sea is one of the best books I've read all year. I couldn't put it down. Thomas' writing, for the most part, is fantastic. The character growth is steady and believable. There is a sense of urgency throughout the novel. The ending resolves a lot of issues brought up in the book, but also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and Thomas actually shocked me with a twist at the end. The story is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Nothing is what it seems in this book, and I cannot recommend it, and the series, highly enough. 

Iolanthe shows her strength by battling with and accepting some things that displease her. She really grows up, and I enjoyed learning more about her past right along with her. Titus, likewise, becomes more lovable, and I found myself rooting for him the entire time. We got to learn more about Kashkari, too, and he is becoming an extremely interesting, and brave, character. A lot of the characters surprised me in this installment, and I can't wait to see what happens with them next. 

The novel starts out with Iolanthe in the Sahara with magical amnesia. I was as confused as she was because it'd been awhile since I'd read The Burning Sky. I felt like I was remembering things right along side the main character, and I enjoyed that immensely. Thomas seamlessly navigates us through the story by going back and forth between the time when Titus and Iolanthe have magical amnesia and the events leading up to that time. This method held my interest and kept me turning the pages. The world-building is superb, and I felt like I was in the various settings with the characters. Thomas also threw me for a loop at the end. I was completely blown away by one of the plot twists, but looking back, it made sense. My only complaint is the same as my complaint with the previous installment, and that's her overuse of the phrase "on (insert character name here)'s person)" when on the body or just the character's name would have sufficed. I'm not sure why Thomas loves this phrase so much, but I wish someone (like her editors) would remove it from her vocabulary permanently. 

Overall, I'd recommend this novel and series to anyone who loves high fantasy. The Elemental Trilogy definitely stands out in the YA Fantasy genre and is worth a read. 

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