Narrator: Philip Battley
Title: Burning Sky
Series: The Elemental Trilogy, #1
Pages: 485
Length: 11 Hours, 40 Minutes
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Date published: September 17, 2013
Format: ebook, audio
Source: Amazon, Overdrive
Synopsis:
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.
Review
I had gotten this for review from Blogging for Books a while ago, but I was having technical issues and completely forgot about it. But I did get the ebook from Amazon when it was on sale, so I guess I'm slightly forgiven for my insolence. Another blogger reminded me of BfB about a week ago, so I checked and saw this book was on my list. To make things more amusing, I had a hold of the audio version on Overdrive and had just been approved for it. So, pretty sure it was time for me to read/review it. Now, it's not the same as whispersync, but it's close. So I did a read-a-long, because those are great.
The beginning was pretty interesting. I found myself quickly immersed into word, wondering what was going on. I definitely said a few choice words at certain bits... out loud... in public.
But, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. In many ways, I really liked it. I thought the setting was awesome, the issues the protagonists were dealing with were fascinating, and the list goes on. But I also found much of it to be dull, and this was one of the few instances in which I rolled my eyes at the romance going on in the book.
One thing I did like how I could easily just close my ebook when I'd lose interest and let Philip Battley read the story to me. It's rare that I find a male narrator who can do a female without making them sound like a drag queen.
The first half was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed it... and then there's the second half. It's not bad., but it's just not as entertaining.
I'm interested in continuing on with the series but it isn't a priority for me.