Chloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery.
Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles’ Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte’s fleet. Her ship is small, but she’s fast–in part because of Kit’s magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for.
Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn’t know him or his motives–and she’s dealt with one too many members of the Beau Monde. But Kit has her orders, and the queen has commanded they journey to a dangerous pirate quay and rescue a spy who’s been gathering intelligence on the exiled emperor of Gallia.
Kit can lead her ship and clever crew on her own, but with the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall….
-Goodreads
I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Let’s discuss the things that I personally love in a book. First of all, though I know it may sound silly, I have a weakness for blue books. I also love books set at sea, and books with a military element. Unique magic systems always tickle my fancy and I have a deep obsession with hate to love romance. Knowing all of these things, I think you can most likely look at the cover of this book, then take a peek at the synopsis, and decide pretty quickly that this book checks all of those boxes!
In addition to everything listed in my first paragraph, I love a strong female protagonist, a well developed secondary cast, and a unique magic system. The Bright and Burning Sea fortunately had all three! Kit and her crew were both likable immediately. I am pretty sure I get sea sick, but I would tough it out for a shot at being on that crew. The side characters were well fleshed out given the amount of time that the book was able to dedicate to them, and I loved them almost as much as Kit and Rian. (Almost being the key word here)
Kit was smart, strong, and comfortable in her own skin, which is something I love to see in a protagonist. Her budding relationship with Rian was a delight to read and I definitely look forward to more of their relationship in future books. Rian is absolutely a bit of a curmudgeon, and I find that I like that in a man. Though this first book in the series was a bit light on the romance and focused more on the espionage and overall mission, there is definitely the potential for more romance in future books.
There were a few tiny pacing issues and I did feel as though the plot took a slightly predictable turn. Overall, however, this book delivered on its promise of a swashbuckling adventure to love. The action picked up almost immediately, there was the hint of romance I was hoping for, and the mystery aspect of the book definitely had me interested. I look forward to the next book in the series!
As The Book Ends 