Author: Sherry Thomas
Goodreads Description:
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.
THIS IS GENIUS.
It's several days after I finished this book and I am still marveling over Sherry Thomas' ability to weave a tale. I feel like this is the story I've been craving for years.
I'm giving you a direct link to both Amazon and Barnes and Noble because this book deserves to be on your bookshelf.
*dusts off hands*
There.
Now, if that wasn't enough of a review ;) …
Romance:
Slow burn. Definitely integral to the story. There's a touch of unrequitedness.
World:
Set in both our world and the "mage world" that is full of magic--both good and bad. When they are not in the mage world, they are in a historical London, England.
I don't remember a lot of setting descriptions, but my mind has every single setting fully furnished and clearly pictured. To me, this is a sign of an author's deft skill at world building. Sherry Thomas has it!
Adventure:
The overarching goal of the story is to defeat the nefarious Inquisitor and the even more evil Bane. In the process, Iolanthe (our female protagonist) must convince the world that she is a boy, come into her long-suppressed powers, put up with an arrogant prince, and adventure into worlds only ever told in fairy tales. Titus (our male protagonist) must convince the world that he is an arrogant and immature boy, come to grips with the reality of his prophesied death, and convince Iolanthe to destroy the Bane.
The book is written in dual POV and it also contains footnotes. Yes, you read that correctly. Footnotes. This jarred me at first. It wasn't until I was about a third of the way into the book that I started to view the footnotes as genius instead of obnoxious. The footnotes allow you to sink into the world to a far greater degree than would otherwise be possible. And if footnotes do not appeal to you in a novel, then ignore them and read without interruption. It's worth it.
Do I recommend? If the rest of this review didn't tell you, YES.
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