Threats of Sky and Sea

Elementals: The Threats of Sky and Sea #1

by Jennifer Ellision

Her father’s fate is in her hands. Her hidden powers could tip the scales of war… Bree’s hopes and dreams rest within her family’s provincial tavern. So the sixteen-year-old is stunned to discover her mild-mannered father was once an Elemental royal assassin before he turned traitor. Still shocked to learn that magic runs through her veins, she’s thunderstruck when the king calls for her death to pay for the treason…

With unexpected support from the handsome crown prince, Bree is spared in exchange for service in the realm’s unending war. Training for the day when her own talents manifest, she struggles to find noble allies as her dad rots in prison. But when the cruel monarch demands she betray her dad, she vows to take down the tyrant.

Can Bree unlock her abilities in time to save her father and the kingdom?

Threats of Sky and Sea is the gripping first novel in the Threats of Sky and Sea YA epic fantasy series. If you like strong heroines, court intrigue, and powerful magic, then you’ll love Jennifer Ellision’s coming-of-age tale.

Buy Threats of Sky and Sea to watch a young woman uncover true strength today!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, High Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2014

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Ellision writes about daring young women in magical worlds. She survives on a steady diet of books, podcasts, and her favorite magical tropes. Jennifer frequently wakes up early to work before she has to "people" and can often be found squirreled away in her office, getting some writing done--or in her local library, agonizing over revisions.

If all else fails, look under the covers. She's probably hiding out with a good young adult fantasy series.

Leave our world and escape into one of hers. Get the free novelette that introduces Jennifer's first YA fantasy trilogy when you sign up for Jennifer's newsletter at: https://www.jenniferellision.com/get-...

Reviews

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Monstrous men will turn and flee,
When faced with threats of sky and sea.”

ΥΑ Q&A (Threats of Sky and Sea edition)
Q: So, Katerina, you read tons of YA Fantasy. What made you pick this book?
A: The cover!
Q: Isn't that a little... shallow?
A: Yeah yeah, I know, don't judge a book by its cover (literally and figuratively), but have you seen it? It's so pretty!

Q: But what about the story? Was it engaging?
A: Yes, it held my attention from the very first pages! It's about Bree, a plain, common girl, that lives in a kingdom ruled by a cruel monarch, who forces the Elementals (people who use elemental magic) to serve him. Bree's world is turned upside down when her father is arrested and declared a traitor to the crown, because it is revealed that he'd been a gifted Elemental and effective assassin that left the king's side and disappeared. To spare her father's life, Bree is forced to attend court and obey the king she despises, but eventually she finds herself in the middle of the plot to control the king's greed and undermine his efforts to conquer another nation.
Q: It soulds like a story we've heard before, am I right?
A: I have to admit, it followed many cliches and it was highly predictable, I could sense what was about to come miles away, and I figured out the so called secrets and plot-twists really early, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the story!
Q: Why is that?
A: Well, the world-building was solid and the writing fluid, reading Jennifer Ellision's words was effortless! Plus, I'm a sucker for elemental magic and courts full of danger and intrigue, so naturally I had a great time following Bree's journey!
Q: What about the characters?
A: All of them were likeable! I understood Bree for feeling betrayed by her father and being cautious, and I admired her for wanting to help him nonetheless! She was stubborn, and fierce, and she did not let her fear guide her! I also liked Aleta and the way she became friends with Bree, and the boys were very alluring! Especially His Royal Highness, Prince Caden Garrett Langdon Edric Richard of the House of Capin. The Fourth.

Q: You said boys, is there a love triangle?
A: Thankfully no, and I hope it stays that way! There is enough love triangle drama in my life right now!
Q: Oh really?

A: You have no idea, my two nephews (3-years-old and 7-years-old) like the same girl (8-years-old), it's a freaking nightmare! The older one practiced his kissing skills on a teddy bear!
Q: That's... not what I expected. Do tell me, how was the romance?
A: It was great! Very subtle, no insta-love, just slowly-burning feelings they could no longer deny! And a toe-curling kiss! In fact, Bree was a heroine who chose to save her father and her friend, even when it meant giving up Caden. It's so rare, a girl's decisions not guided by her love life!
Q: Well, it sounds like a book worthy of your time, doesn't it?
A: It definitely is!

“Sorrow drains from me, replaced with a boiling conviction. They know that fire can burn. But they've forgotten how water can scald.”

*ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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[Dear Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me guys tell you something: I have complete faith in my co-bloggers. If they love a book so much, I am very much inclined to check that book out for myself and see what was in it that lit their reader pants on fire. Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision was one of them. To be honest, I have never heard of the book until Aimee reviewed it on her blog, listing so many awesome reasons why we should read the book. She didn't need to write that review to convince me; just the fact that she loved it was enough.

When the author offered generously a review copy of her book, I took the opportunity straight away. The fact that it was fantasy added to my excitement even more. My verdict?

Enjoyable, but there were a few things that didn't sit well with me. Here is my review in list form:

1. The beginning was weak. I honestly felt annoyed by how the first three chapters felt so simplistic. It was a recurring case of "I (verb here). I (verb here). I (verb here)" made worse by the fact that they were oftentimes very curt sentences. I had expected it to start with a bang, but the lack of a more natural and flowy writing made it difficult for me to appreciate it.

2. However, the writing got better after that. Impressively, after the fourth chapter, the writing got so much better that I had thought I was reading a different book altogether! The sentences started becoming smoother, making the transition from one paragraph to the next more natural. It was then at this point that I started enjoying the story about an 'ordinary' girl who later finds out she and her dad are actually more than 'ordinary'.

3. Do you like the magic system in Avatar: The Last Airbender? If so, you'd find the system here pleasant. In this world, there are people who are born with powers of fire (Torchers), earth (Shakers), water (Throwers), and air (Riders). Each region (or kingdom?) has a special affinity with a particular element, for example, the Egrian Kingdom is full of people who can control fire, and they are at odds with the people who can control water, finding it hard to invade them because they don't have the resources to combat an element that exploits the wild fire's weakness.

The moment the magic system was introduced here, I instantly thought, "Oh, damn. This sounds exactly like Avatar's." But it's such an overused magic system that it didn't really bother me that much (I mean, you have watched Cartoon Network's Captain Planet, yes?). I did like the few details the author put here to add depth to it: the fact that you can only know your power through a Reveal (which is something that happens when you reach seventeen), and the fact that one can control two elements at the same time. Other than that, I wish it was polished and made more unique, but there are still more books in the series to behold, so I'm sure we'll be getting more meat in this aspect.

4. I adored the father/daughter dynamics. My dad and I are close. I'm the only girl in the family and that's why I particularly get spoiled by my dad more than my three brothers, and there really isn't that many YA books out there that explore this kind of special relationship in depth. Most of the time, you'll find strained relationships; worst case scenario, a non-existent one due to lame-ass reasons (dead, alcoholics, on vacation, or absent for no reason at all because apparently they're not a vital presence in a teenager's life, right?! /s), that's why when I saw how close Bree and her father were here, I was overjoyed.

No, seriously. Even when her dad was thrown in jail and Bree is left to figure out what to do, we regularly get snippets and narrations that talk about the life Bree and her father had before the Elementals caught them. We see Bree thinking of her father a lot and how she wished things were different for them, how she felt betrayed by his secrets, and how she desperately looked for a way to save him. It was so refreshing and so touching to see Bree go off on her own adventures (which is absolutely normal) and still have her father frequently in her thoughts (which is absolutely awesome). I need more of this theme in my bookshelves, fo' real.

5. The heroine is feisty, intelligent, and just downright fantastic. I love Bree. She's a girl who suddenly finds herself thrown into a chaotic and tricky situation full of politics and power, and instead of whining and wallowing in self-pity or recklessly doing stupid things, she patiently bids her time in order to get the advantage and gain more information that would help her along the way. Which I definitely approve. A want more level-headed heroines, kick-ass female heroes who make mistakes and not be annoying at making them, and rise from them like an Amazonian warrior. Which is what Bree is, in a nutshell.

6. I didn't like the romance, though. The romance with Caden wasn't built up enough, in my opinion. I mean, I get that they're attracted to each other, but their "progression" was a bit contrived for me. I want a development that's more subtle and more believable, a romance that is built on a beautiful friendship, on shared experiences, and a level of "comfortable-ness" that a pair achieves when they go through trials and tribulations together. The development between Bree and Caden was a little in-your-face and felt like rather than convincing me, it was trying to make itself believe it was there.

Examples (non verbatim):

Caden kisses Bree's hand. Her heart pounds and she wonders, "Is it me or does his kiss linger a second more on my knuckles?"

or

Bree remembers Caden and another girl's marriage. She imagines the two of them standing with clasped hands before a priestess, and her stomach churns unpleasantly.

Don't get me wrong, there isn't really anything wrong with any of these two situations. It's just that, for me, these weren't enough, and before I knew it, the two were kissing already. There weren't enough believable scenes for me to take their feelings for each other seriously.

All in all, this was a pleasant surprise, and I certainly do see why Aimee loves this book. Although I wasn't able to enjoy it fully, there were still many things about it that I found fantastic. Consider me excited for the next book.

[aimee (aimeecanread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to win this book and the prequel, Sisters of Wind and Flame? Jennifer Ellision's giving away e-copies of both books on the blog!



This one caught my eye when I saw it being featured in one of my favorite blogs, so when the blog tour sign-ups were announced, I had to give it a shot. Thank you to Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours and Jennifer Ellision for the opportunity to read this book!

Do you guys remember me ranting about how Throne of Glass didn't live up to my very high expectations? Well, Threats of Sky and Sea was everything Throne of Glass was supposed to be (for me, at least). We have a heroine who I highly respect (I'll even innumerate all the reasons why), lovely relationships between characters, an interesting cast of secondary characters and an intriguing new world.

Let's start with our heroine, Breena. I think she's a character we can all respect and admire, for these reasons and others:

1. She's resourceful. Don't have a sword or dagger to protect you? You can use anything else! Breena can use a even branches for self defense if she needs to.

2. She has a conscience. There's a boy being beaten up, and even if Breena knows it'd be better to run, she can't just leave him there to possibly die!

3. She's snarky and sassy. Yup. Even when the air in her lungs are being beaten out of her.

4. She's responsible. She started work when she was only twelve!

5. She knows when it's her fault and when it isn't. You guys know those stupid heroines who think everything's their fault? Breena isn't one of them. She knows when it is and she tries to fix her mistakes, but when things aren't her fault there's no way she's taking the blame.

6. She said this: "There are times for defiance, but now is not one of them." See, she has brains, too!

I should stop. I guess you guys get the picture, anyway.

"Da and I are business partners."

Another thing I loved was the non-romantic relationships in the story. First off, Breena and her dad just work so well together and I love their father/daughter dynamics. They were equals and treated each other as such (mostly--but I won't spoil anything). Breena also had a wonderful set of friends: Tregle (my favorite character), the sweet one, and Princess Aleta, the one with the half-bitchy-but-actually-friendly attitude.

Non-romantic relationships aside, the romance was actually the part of the story I wasn't able to love. Caden's a wonderful (sweet and caring) character on his own, but I just didn't love the idea of him and Breena as a couple. I might warm up to them in the future installments.

As for the story and world-building, I would like to commend Jennifer Ellison for getting me immersed in her writing and in the world she created. I loved being in the world of elementals and I would love to know more. There were a few parts in the story I wasn't fully sold on, but for the most part, I enjoyed the twists and turns the novel had to bring.

Threats of Sky and Sea was a well-balanced novel with just the right amounts of action, politics and developing relationships. I highly recommend high fantasy fans to pick this one up!

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Power, the more the better, greed, and betrayals will mark a turning point in young Breena’s life as she goes from barmaid to Elemental in a brief span of time. Threats of Sky and Sea is a nicely paced fantasy of a young girl’s coming of age as her life is rapidly turned both upside down and inside out.

Parents don’t tell their children everything, but the secrets that Breena’s father kept from her could lead one of them to their death and the other into a lifetime of servitude in the king’s army. Her father was branded a traitor to the Egrian King a man once his best friend, to Bree’s shock, her father will share nothing of his past, but why not?

Far from a normal child, Bree learns she has Elemental powers so strong, she is to become the deadly weapon for the king in his thirst for victory over others and the spoils it will bring. Is this what her life is to become? Time is running out to save both her father and herself, and who to trust is a dangerous game. All she needs is a plan and for it not to fail…the battle of good versus evil comes alive again.

Jennifer Ellision has painted a fantasy world with the feel of a long ago tale. One brave and level-headed girl is about to take on a vile and twisted king, ill-prepared for what she is about to face. How refreshing to have a quick-thinking and resourceful heroine who manages to keep her wits about her as she plays a dangerous game of “who has the most power.” Secrets are kept, secrets are revealed and lives will be lost, in the end, will it be worth it? Beautiful scenes descriptions bring this world to life as charters of every ilk play out their roles to perfection. A great read that entertains and flies by from the beginning to that last page. Looks like another great series is off to a flying start!

I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Threats of Sky and Sea - Book 1
Publication Date: May 16, 2014
Publisher: Jennifer Ellision
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 361 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Patchwork Press for giving me this book to review.

Bree has lived a normal 16 years as a barmaid at her father’s tavern, until her father’s past catches up to them. Bree discovers that her Da was a good friend of the king but ran away after his last mission. With her father in prison, Bree is throw into a new life of politics and lies. Bree is desperate to free her father and escape but that becomes difficult when the king finds out that she is the weapon he has been waiting for. With time running out for Bree, her da and her friends, will Bree be able to unravel her past and escape from the king’s grasp before she is used to destroy a nation.

Threats of Sky and Sea is a very good if predictable fantasy book, with danger, a hint of romance and magic. It was slow to start, but as we got to know the characters it quickly picked up.

I like Bree as she stands up for herself but is also kind and handles the changes in her life reasonably well, however, because she was so headstrong it caused her problems as she did not know which battles to fight and which to not. Bree’s Da is a very mysterious person and even at the end of the book there is more to discover about him. Prince Caden is a charming character who is torn between loyalty to his father and what he believes is right. However, the characters which I was underwhelmed with are the villains, the king and lady Kat, as they are not original.

I saw the twist at the end I saw coming but I still want to see what happens next in Riot of Storm and Smoke. I would recommend Threats of Sky and Sea to fans of Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas or Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe.

[Sylvia Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, female-lead fantasy that features elemental magic in a thrilling adventure. Forbidden romance and unfolding secrets keep your turning pages as you read.

My favorite aspect of this book was the our leading lady, Bree. She is smart, brave, determined. She has one blow after another thrown at her, but she doesn't let them stop her. I loved watching her struggle against incredible odds and surmount them one after another.

And that ending . . . definitely left me with a need for book 2!!!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often in Fantasy, a humble hero or heroine will have their world turned upside down with a warning to flee some danger that is searching for them, and they get away just in time. But what happens when the warning doesn't come, and the heroine is captured? That’s what happens to Bree in Threats of Sky and Sea, and she is torn away from the humble world that is all she’s known, alienated from her father whom she realizes has lied to her, and thrown into a dangerous world at court under a cruel king. This world is so far beyond anything she’s prepared for, and how she learns to survive is the scope of this first novel. Learn she does, though, and she discovers much more than she bargained for.

Bree finds few friends at court, and most of them are spying on her or are in deeper danger than she is. It is not about political intrigue so much as Bree attempting to keep her head by not angering the capricious king too much, and trying to avoid other non-fatal physical abuse as much as possible (without much success).

I liked the magic system. It's based on the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. If someone is going to be an Elemental, the ability manifests when they turn 16. The king conscripts all who manifest, searching the realm for any who try to escape. So the dangers of court include hostile fire wielders and those who can spy on conversations carried on the wind. That's in addition to a king who is almost mad with power, who is known to send people to their deaths on the slightest whim.

There would have been too much hostility for me to be able to enjoy the book, except there is one character who is solid, honest, and a ray of light in an otherwise dark place. There’s also a tiny bit of a romance to lighten things up. It’s not the focus of the story at all, and at times I actually wished there was a little bit more build-up to it.

The ending did not surprise me, but it was suspenseful and dire, and it has me hoping for much more in the next book.

I normally don’t start new series before I know when they’re going to end. I hate waiting for sequels and have this fear of being left hanging forever in case they don’t get finished. But, I’ve been changing my mind lately and have started several this year. This one looked interesting and was available on NetGalley, so I went for it. And… I’m rewarded with a bit of a cliffhanger! Although it is a logical stopping point, now where is book two when I need it? I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, and how Bree grows into her discoveries. I have a feeling it’s all going to change.

**Received free arc for review.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the author, Jennifer Ellision for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This book had a lot of positive going for it. Feisty, but not perfect heroine, strong relationship between father and daughter, interesting plot line and curious magic system. To me, it worked that the MC had no clue about the magic and the world, so as she was learning, the reader was learning too. It came in fits and spurts though, so by 65% of the way in, I still didn't have a complete grasp of the magic system or the world. But neither did the MC, so I wasn't alone in that at least.

I don't know why, but this book just left me cold. It felt like it was missing something somehow. It was written at a decent pace. I was flying through it each time I picked it up, but I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it up again. It also felt like, despite how quickly I was moving through it, that it was taking forever. In a weird time paradox, it both flew and dragged at the same time.

I tend to read one and two star reviews of books I'm on the fence about, to see if I should bother with the book and by reading the spoilers (I LOVE spoilers, saves me from having to read something if I don't like the way it went), I realized that while I was not disliking it like some did, I also wasn't loving it like others and that the ending didn't grab me enough to want to read to the end of the trilogy. Deciding that while this wasn't a bad book, it wasn't for me at this time, I put it down at 65%, and felt relief.

This in no way will reflect how others will feel about this book, just how I feel right now about it. 3, solid writing chops, stars. If you enjoy YA fantasy with a female protag and magic, you will probably like this trilogy. It just wasn't for me unfortunately.

[Chelsies Reading Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapters were really promising but then the story slowed down quite a bit while they traveled. There was enough happening with the main character Bree and the elemental magic that the slower parts didnt feel too tedious. Theres not a tone of action but around the half way mark we started getting some entertaining political scheming. Not to mention I love elemental magic. I was able to predict most of the plot but maybe that because I was able to pick up on the authors hints.

Bree and her father own a little Tavern in a small town where they make just enough to survive. It might be a hard life but its a life she enjoys with her loving father until elemental trackers show up. Captured and sent to face the King, Bree discovers her father might not be who he says he is. After making a bargain with the King, Bree must unravel her fathers secrets before the King decides to excute them. However, Bree soon realizes that some secrets might be too dangerous to share if they give the King what he needs to wage war.

I really enjoyed the Throne of Glass vibes I got from the King and Brees relationship with him. I loved the Crown Prince and I thought he was a sweetheart. The Princess took me a bit longer to warm up to but I ended up liking her in the end. Bree was an average person; not physically strong, not exceptionally smart but that made her all the more relatable and realistic. I Iiked her resolve not to give in to the King and her loyality to her father, even though I didnt like how he lied to her and how he handle the whole situation.

I kept wondering why they couldnt just write messages on paper if they feared and air elemental listening in on them. There problem solved. I enjoyed the court setting and the pace was alright but I wish there would have been a bit more action. I saw many opportunities for things to go wrong and create some action but it rarely happened. Although I liked the threat Lady Kat provided to the story. She was a great villain. Not many books surprise me anymore but I still enjoyed the characters and how the story unfolded.

*Received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Giselle]

Request a free review copy here: [closed - other review opportunities found here]

[Marga · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I need to stop dwelling. Things are what they are. They happened as they happened. There's no changing that. No changing who we are."
"Perhaps not. But we can still change what is to come."

Introduced to a world that is certainly fascinating and characters that are easy to like, one cannot deny the great read that is Threats of Sky and Sea! This is surely a book that fans of Throne of Glass will love.

The plot:

Breena Rose (Bree) is just working at living at a tavern with her father in a simple community. They actually doesn't involve in dealings with the king. One night though, three Adepts (people who could control elements) went to their place and demanded if there's an Adept hiding there. Adepts are supposed to work solely for the king and any one who don't will be severely punished. Bree thought it absurd when he fetched her father to tell him about the visitors because no one is an Adept in their village. But when she saw the color drained from his face and proved wrong of her thoughts, she was shaken to the core. Her father is an Adept, a very known one at that.

She can't believe that all her life he lied to her and she wonders what else is still being kept from her knowledge. Bree and her father was then brought to the king, the only thing Bree thought about now is how they're going to get out alive...

I liked the world building here. It was described great. I was kind of confused at words at some terms like Rider(Wind Elemental), Torcher(Fire Elemental), Thrower(Water Elemental), Shaker(Earth Elemental) and other stuffs but as continue to read, I understood them more.

The characters:

Breena Rose. Talk about a heroine with a fierce and strong personality. She has this defiant confidence inside her like "I am not going down without a fight" spirit that I can't help but admire.

"Since when I am someone who needs to be coddled? I can take care of myself."

See? She's totally independent. As this book is being compared to Throne of Glass, she is really alike with Celaena in many ways. Celaena just cares about appearances and dresses a bit more but I think both of them are awesome.

"If they tell me one more time that I'm using the wrong fork for a part of a meal, I swear I'll show them exactly how multifunctional the utensil can be."

The characters introduced in the story were all great, friends or enemies. Each of them are defined distinctly by their words and actions and I know I'm not going to forget them anytime soon.

Yaay for no love triangles! Compared to Throne of Glass, this story was pretty clear on who the heroine's love interest is. The romance is light because the book focuses more on the battle between kingdoms and the rule of a super mean king. Another awesome point for that!

The ending:

Awww. It was so sad but I'm glad that as some things came to an end, some things are just beginning. This ends with a cliffhanger, not like those that make you throw the book across the room, but like those who makes you eager for the next installment. I am actually looking forward to the sequel. Definitely recommended.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchanged of a honest review.

[Tracie Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Threats of Sky and Sea
Series: Threats of Sky and Sea Book 1
Author: Jennifer Ellision
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: April 14, 2014
Rating:



*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this in exchange for my honest review*

The Low Down:
Breena Rose was content as a barmaid in her father’s humble tavern. They lived good if modest lives and were never bothered by a soul. That is, until one day Breena and her father are confronted by and taken by three Elementals (people who possess elemental magic) to the capital of the kingdom to face the king. Once there, Breena is forced to confront the secrets of her father, navigate the cruel and dangerous world of politics and court intrigue, and figure out her own power and strength.

What I Liked:
HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK STOLE MY HEART. IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED AND I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY MORE PEOPLE AREN’T ENJOYING THIS. This book hooked me from the first page. Was this story predictable in many ways? Definitely. I could figure a lot out about this story. But that wasn’t a bad thing. The writing was beautiful and fluid and it kept pace wonderfully. The characters were unique, and each had their own secrets and ulterior motives. Breena’s dad, the king, Katerine, and pretty much the entire court in this book lived their lives in greed, power and fear.

It was so refreshing, too, to have a book where the heroine isn’t ruled by love and where she can make the decision to save a kingdom from an evil ruler BY HERSELF and WITHOUT A BOYFRIEND. I mean I do hope they get together, but it is really empowering to see that a feisty, strong-willed and SMART girl can make the tough decisions and do things herself for once. She also knows when and how to fight her battles ask questions.

We had some well-developed side characters. Each had their own personality and none seemed like some stereotyped person or group. I enjoyed that Breena made some allies in these characters, but I like that she and they were not falling head over heels in amazing friendship over each other at first. I especially like the relationship between her and Aleta. They at first didn’t like each other, but Breena knew there was something going on and didn’t really try to press the issue. The author did a good job in giving Aleta a legitimate reason not to like Breena; and not just make her the bitchy one.

I think Ellision painted a beautiful and vivid picture of her world in the pages of this book. From religion in the world, to the political intrigue and court system with the colors, to even the Adept magic, I was thrust into this world and I didn’t want to leave.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Jennifer Ellision and NetGalley.)
16-year-old Breena lives with her father, and helps him run his Tavern – The Bridge and Duchess.
When strangers come to their small village looking for people who are able to control the elements, Breena is sure they’re in the wrong place, until suddenly they intrude on her life.
What is Breena’s father hiding from her? And who are the strangers really looking for?


This was an okay story, but it was slow in places.

Breena was an okay character, but I did expect her to work out what was going on a lot sooner than she did! Even with the clues she was given, she seemed to take forever to work out what was going on at the palace, and I just expected more of her.

The storyline in this was alright, I did like it more in places than in others, and the pace was a bit slow. I found myself putting this down a lot whilst reading, and switching to a different book.
There were a few twists, but I thought that a lot of them were quite predictable.
There was some romance, but it wasn’t developed enough for me personally, I would have liked more on the romance front.

The ending was good, and we did get a few twists revealed. I didn’t love this book though, it was just missing something for me.
Overall; okay story, but slow in places,
6.5 out of 10.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay a pure reminder of Snow Like Ashes. Besides that, this book did not much do well when it came to its characters.

Let me explain why it received 4 stars:
1. It has my love of elemental type abilities
2. The idea was entertaining
3. The writing was great, not the best I've come across though

What the book lacked:
1. Better descriptions of the characters
2. Stronger characters
All in all, the book lacked character development. The author did not quiet develop the characters fully, but we might get a taste of it in the coming books.

[Runningrabbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy story with all the key ingredients: breeches and gowns, power and magic, hidden identities and secrets, assassins and political intrigue. A good YA read complete with the beginnings of an epic tale.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4

*My Thoughts*

Threats of Sky and Sea is the first installment in author Jennifer Ellision's Threats of Sky and Sea trilogy. The series starts out with 16-year old Breena Rose Perdit living and working as a barmaid in Aberline with her father who runs The Bridge and Duchess tavern. Bree and her Da live the simple life keeping to themselves, knowing that Elementals are spirited away to join the Kings army. But, things change after Bree encounters King's Dogs searching for rogue elemental and they follow her home.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews* Link Shortly!

Published May 20th 2014

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales (http://darkfaerietales.com/)

Quick & Dirty: Fast paced high fantasy that I really enjoyed!

Opening Sentence: I am already frozen when the scream reaches me.

The Review:

Breena Perdit has spent her entire life living in a small town where her father runs an inn. Her mother passed away in child birth and Bree is oblivious to the life her father lived before she was born. Bree has a happy simple life, but soon a small group of highly trained soldiers known as Elementals show up at her door and arrest her father. It turns out Bree’s father is a traitor to the crown, and he has been keeping it a secret all these years. Together Bree and her father are taken to the capital of Egrian to await their punishment. Her father is thrown into jail and she is thrown into society.

Bree’s entire life was a lie and the only person that can give her answers is in prison. Bree is actually royalty and her father was one of the most infamous Elementals to ever live in Egrian. He was a close friend and confidant of the King until he disappeared 16 years ago, after going on an extremely important mission where he learned secrets the king would do anything for. To try and save her father’s life Bree agrees to give the king the information he seeks, but her father isn’t willing to share any of his secrets even with Bree. Things start to escalate and the King is growing impatient, Bree discovers that she might be the key to the deadly weapon the King has been searching all this time for!

Bree is an adorable character that I really enjoyed getting to know. She is spunky, smart, independent and funny. She was a really easy character to like and connect with. I felt like I could really sympathize with Bree. She has been thrown into a really crazy world that is completely alien to her, and she deals with it like a champ. Instead of breaking down like most normal girls would, she just keeps moving forward. She takes things in stride and never gives up, which I found very admirable! She was a strong heroine and I can’t wait to continue her story!

Caden is a very swoon worthy guy that I fell for instantly. He is intelligent, charming, cunning, and kind. He truly cares about the people in his kingdom and he does what he can to protect them. His relationship with Bree is very sweet. For the most part their romance is very subtle, but I thought they were perfect for each other. I loved how Kayden would tease Bree. It reminds me of my relationship with my husband because he is such a tease as well. I thought Caden was the perfect love interest and I’m excited to see how his relationship develops with Bree.

Threats of Sky and Sea is a gorgeous high fantasy book filled with great action, subtle romance, and wonderful characters! From the first chapter I was hooked and I had a hard time putting this down. I loved the entire cast of characters, especially some of the secondary characters. They all added their own personal twist to the story and I developed a connection with all of them. There was very little romance in the story, but it set things up perfectly for the future books. The pacing was spot on and the plot was very intriguing! Ellision did a wonderful job foreshadowing what was going to happen. She would drop little hints along the way to let you know what to expect but she also managed to throw in a few good twists. The world Ellision created was captivating and very interesting. I did feel like the book could have been edited a little bit better. There were just a few parts that needed to be trimmed up just so it would flow better. Personally, this didn’t actually bother me, but I’m mentioning it because I know that it will bother some people. The ending has quite a cliffhanger, but luckily I already have the second book on hand to start reading. Overall, this was a beautiful, fun story that I would highly recommend to all fantasy fans!

Notable Scene:

“Burn it,” she says.

“What? No!” Burn the Bridge and Duchess? It’s unthinkable. I catapult myself forward, running toward the open door of the tavern, but a strange arm hauls me back.

Sixteen years. I scrabble against Baunnid’s hold. Sixteen years I’ve lived there. My entire life.

Da’s stoic—a statue standing in my father’s place. Why isn’t he fighting back? He can’t be willing to just let them destroy our home.

Tregle kneels beside the doorway. Is he hesitating? I stop struggling for a moment, trying to see. I can’t tell—can’t see his eyes. Maybe he’s not the coward I thought. If he’s going to fight them on something, Makers bless, please, please let it be this.

“You don’t have to do this!”

He turns’ but I still can’t read anything in his eyes. My heart riots, torn between hope and despair. For a moment, I let myself believe that he’ll refuse to act.

FTC Advisory: Jennifer Ellision graciously provided me with a copy of Threats of Sea and Sky. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[bittertea · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 20%. And I hate to DNF so soon, but there's no way I can slog through this book any longer. It's the kind of book that takes forever to read because you keep putting it off -- and I have a TBR to get through, so I'm not wasting any more of my time.

What I disliked:

1. Almost everything about the writing. Repetitive, overwrought prose. Paragraphs are devoted to spelling out simple things that the reader can figure out on their own. Too much description is added in scenes that should be tense, making them drag when they should be quick and dynamic. Some of the descriptive bits are just cheesy and cliche. While the prose is technically good, it's bland, so I would've preferred a more action-heavy and less wordy delivery of this story.

2. Cardboard characters. Seriously. It's like this cast is made entirely of stock characters with absolutely nothing to set them apart from any others. I'm on chapter 10 and I still know nothing about the MC except that she's the stereotypical "simple country girl" who works as a barmaid. No personality to speak of. The reason for this is that, so far, she's had almost NO opportunity to take action -- she only REACTS and almost never ACTS. Taking action by making choices is how a character develops, and if they don't get to do that, they fall flat every time. This is a super common mistake amateur writers make, which brings me to my next point--

3. This just feels like a beginning writer's self-published work. And there's nothing wrong with being a beginner OR self-published, but as a reader, I shouldn't be able to tell. I shouldn't be pressing through ten chapters of exposition, thinking, "Oh, god, there's no way this book had an editor. An editor would have cut 90% of this nonsense." It's also full of tropes, and tropes are only good if you do something interesting and new with them. Which this author doesn't. At all.

4. Nothing about this book stands out. The setting is a vaguely medieval blur -- the world-building here is careless, almost nonexistent. Same for the magical system. Same for the plot (what little of it I managed to get through -- like I said, I DNF'd because the exposition was taking 10+ chapters. The main conflict hasn't even been introduced yet). It's just. It's bland. It's a colorless, lifeless mess.

5. Plot and action. I'm ten chapters into this book, and here's what's happened: strange people come to Bree's town. They reveal that her father is an Elemental (think Avatar: The Last Airbender). They force her and her father to leave their hometown and go see the king, because all Elementals are supposed to work for him. And... that's it. It took ten chapters just for them to arrive at the castle; ten chapters of talking (cue cringey, stilted dialogue) and walking through a featureless countryside. I can't.

What I liked:

-MC is hard-working and practical. She's strong, but not the typical badass you see in a lot of YA lately. I mean, I love badass heroines, but some variety is good, too, so I liked seeing a more relatable and realistic protagonist.
-Writing style is technically good. As in, no grammar errors that I noticed, decent prose, etc.
-Uh... Yeah, that's it. *shrug*

TL;DR: This book needs some serious editing. I can't continue to sit here and try to force down pages and pages of aimless prose, especially when the world-building and characters are so dull, lacking anything to set them apart from the much better books I could be spending my time on.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Danielle (Love at First Page) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

*I really enjoyed the main character and her attitude. Breena is feisty and spirited and has her priorities straight. When she’s confronted with a problem, she doesn’t wallow or wait for others to take care of it; she’s strong-willed enough to get things done on her own. When she has everything stripped away from her and she and her father are taken away from her home against their will, for the rest of the book she never stops trying to escape. Even when certain revelations come to light, about herself and her father, their freedom is always at the front of her mind. If you’re a fan of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, specifically for the strong female protagonist, you’ll find that here as well. It’s a story of a girl finding a power and strength that she never knew she possessed.
*I’m not all that interested in the fantasy realm of Elementals; those type of powers have never really grabbed my attention. While the worldbuilding is relatively simplistic in ToSaS, I did like the way each kingdom had control of one of the four elements (water, air, earth, and fire). Should be interesting later in the series when the stakes are raised and the battles are being waged.
*The supporting cast is entertaining and well-developed – from her roguish dad, to her new companion who is nothing if not an ice queen, to her love interest, I thought they were all well developed.
*There are some things I wanted more of. We get some details about how this world works and its history, but it didn’t feel particularly layered. Judging by the end, I think we’ll get more in the next book. As you all know, I’m a romance girl, and I definitely wanted more of that! There is a ship brewing, but there’s minimal kissing and feelings. I guess some of you all might actually find that refreshing. ;)
*The plot lags here and there, but there was enough tension and mystery to keep my focus.

This review can be found at Love at First Page.

[chelsea reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

(This is just a quick short review, I really can't be bothered to go into detail about every single thing I didn't like about it)

I DNF'd around 40%. There's nothing I like about this book. And that's kinda funny because I love fantasy and everything this book should've been. I tried to like it. I kept reading it even when I wanted to put it down. But eventually I gave up hope that it'd get better.

My main problems were with the main character. Brie. So she's like 17 or something, she's supposed to be like most protagonists in ya books. Except she's not. She is so annoying and unlikeable. She's a little bit too mature too, it makes it boring to read.

I also hated the lack of world building. There are these elementals but you learn nothing about them except that a torcher can make fire. Most fantasy/high fantasy are based (however so slightly or significantly) off historical places. Usually medieval, sometimes renaissance. I genuinely had (and still do) no idea when this places is. I don't know what their customs and values are, what's the technology like? I have no idea, except there's these magical people and a long history and hasn't been touched on.

And nothing happens for the most past (of what I read). Her dad and her got captured and walked for a while. Then there was a King and some church-y stuff. Then I gave up. There was no storyline. I didn't like a single character. If anything, it felt like I was reading an adult fantasy rather than a ya. I was very disappointed with this book.

[Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books

DNF at 58%

I'm so sad about this! I heard great things about Threats of Sky and Sea before I started it. It was being compared to Throne of Glass, one of my favorite series at the moment, by a friend of mine. But I didn't like it. I didn't really click with the writing, characters, story,... For me it was pretty confusing. There are terms like Torchers, Throwers, Riders, Adepts, Makers and others like that, but I didn't have a clue what it meant. There is little to no explanation for those things. Same with the world-building. When I was halfway through it, I still didn't really know what was going on and where and when this takes place. I didn't like the main character either. Breena was pretty annoying and I didn't connect with her at all. Or any other character for that matter. I can see the similarities between this book and Throne of Glass, but I didn't like this one. Again, I heard great things about it, so I guess it's just me. It is pretty rare for me to dislike a book that involves elemental powers, but there's a first for everything. Please give this a try, maybe you'll love it more than I did. I hope you do.

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I was initially drawn to this book because it was about forbidden elemental-based magic. By all accounts, Bree was a normal child brought up by her father, having been told that her mother died in childbirth, and she was kept ignorant of her father's complicated past. Bree and her father ran a pub or a inn in some backwater territory far from the palace and the king's influence. But one day people came looking for her father, and spirited them both away tot he palace to face the king and his judgement.

While the beginning was slow to start with, once the main character, Bree, reached the palace, I began to enjoy it. I quite liked Bree as a character. I found her decisions were largely sound - or if not sound, at least rationally thought through. She was courageous, insightful, and understood that even if she didn't know the game, she knew when she was being played. She was feisty, but mostly in her thoughts, being able to control her reactions to provocation. She seemed very much like a regular person. She wasn't too stupid and she definitely wasn't arrogant. As part of her character arc, she grew to understand how to manipulate others, which I really liked.

I really enjoyed the middle section of the book as Bree settled into her life at court, the manipulation from the king who seemed to enjoy toying with her, and forming meaningful relationships with both the Prince and Princess. The dynamics between characters were well-crafted, with one friendship blossoming from adversaries to close friends in a believable way, as the story gained momentum. I also found that the very chaste romance was understandable as well, even if it lacked heat.

I understand that authors - especially indie authors - write cliffhangers with nothing resolved specifically to sell future books in the series. I get that, I understand the purpose of cliffhangers. But I also recognise good and bad cliffhangers. I grew up reading Animorphs, and there is no cliffhanger that can hurt as much as having the book series you spent literally 5 years of your life  reading finish on an unresolved cliffhanger. I had read some very good cliffhangers and some cliffhangers that turned out to be complete and utter bullshit. My personal preference is for a  'breadcumb' - where all the conflicts are resolved but a new conflict is introduced before the end of the book. The ending to this book, however, was a bad cliffhanger. And it was such a bad cliffhanger because I read it, and then a couple of days later I found myself wondering if I had finished the book. The ending cuts off at a really bad place, leaving things admittedly yes in high tension but also and most importantly unresolved. It is the classic definition of a TV serial cliffhanger, where the characters are left hanging on the edge of a cliff and 'tune in next time!' to see how they get out of it. But it was such an unremarkable version of this type of cliffhanger that I simply couldn't remember it. I felt no satisfaction or any kind of closure upon finishing the book. I forgot that I had finished it. I'm pretty sure that's a bad thing. And it's such a shame, because there was room for maybe another page or two to truly wrap this section of the book up and lead into the second volume for those readers who wanted more. For me, although I liked Bree and the friends she made along the way, I won't be continuing the series.

It's 2023 and I am reviewing an ARC of this book I received from Netgalley in 2017 in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. It's been a long time coming, with other review books getting prioritised over this one, the actions of which I regret. I'm working through my old ARCs because I feel bad for never getting to them.

[Cintia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise! I was looking forward to a good fantasy novel, and this one came out from my to-read jar. At first, I hesitated, but I decided to give it a shot, and, although this book was fantastic, it wasn’t perfect. However, it has a lot of potential in the world it features, and I will for sure read the rest of the saga.

I love Elemental powers, even when they are somewhat overused in fantasy, and I’m pretty sure that, in any world I could live in where people could wield such powers, mine would definitely be water. In Egria, Torchers (fire) are the majority, although there’s some Riders (air) and Shakers (earth), but no Throwers (water), and everything around this people made me so curious! I want to know more about them, and why some things happen, like, how can anyone wield more than one, like Katerine? Is there someone able to control the four elements? Some deepening on those topics would be great, and I definitely want to know more about the Shakers, that barely appear in this book, and may be the most powerful of them all, as the Earth is at their command.

I really liked the main character, Breena Rose Perdit. Even when a sixteen-year-old barmaid from a tiny village –in a forgotten corner of the realm–, embarking on an unexpected adventure, feels kind of trait, that didn’t deter me, as she is a very witty narrator. She has this frank attitude and curt responses, and from the first moment she makes it clear that she’s not to be toyed with. She has her own will and brain, she’s smart, and knows how to act sensibly, ready to defend the innocent and do what’s right. I loved that she doesn’t need anyone to make her decisions for her, nor she seeks other people’s validation before following her head or her heart. She’s throughout a great heroine, and I want to read more about her, especially after everything there’s still to uncover about her life and her family, that was left in suspense. As for the two big reveals around her, they are somewhat guessable; if you pay attention, you can totally see them coming, e.g., as she watches de ocean:

“It crashes, roaring mightily and lashing its frothy waves against the cliffs. […] It wants me.” (Chapter 16).

This told me right away she was a Thrower, and when she was revealed to be the true princess of Nereidium, I, honestly, wasn’t entirely surprised, because it’s easy to get to that conclusion, especially with the hints about her family not being the one she thought it was, and her father’s lies. By the way, I liked her bond with him, their closeness, but their conversations, as he was imprisoned, made me lose patience, as he didn’t say anything useful. I understand that he did that in case Katerine was listening, but there was a point in which the mystery grew and grew and no one revealed anything, but kept dancing around the topic. And even with that, Bree’s father died before I could know more, and I really wanted to. I hope we get a deepening in his past, about how he managed to sneak Bree from the king’s grasp and raise her as his own daughter. It’s an interesting plot point, and I hope it gets further development.

Overall, I wish there was some more action, in the entire novel. There’s a bit too much explaining the everyday life in the castle, and Elementals, but not as much action as I would have liked. Some things take forever, like Breena and her father being taken as prisoners to the palace, as they walked for days, and spent one chapter after another on the road. In general, the characters are a bit two-dimensional, but I do hope for a deepening in their stories and motivations, especially with the bad guys. The king is a great, hateable villain, and it’s definitely well written, as he has no qualms on putting one or many lives on the line just to get what he wants. And Kat also made a great villain, but I would have loved to know more about her, and I didn’t want her dead (if she is, in fact, dead), because she had a lot of potential, and I’m really interested in her past at the Egrian king’s service. Even if she’s not around, I hope to know at least a little bit more, as she is the only one, so far, able to wield two Elements at the same time (air and fire). That raises some questions, don’t you think?

As for the other characters, I really liked Aleta. I wasn’t expecting her to be a Torcher (a Thrower, in any case), but it was a great twist. I loved her attitude, her defiance, in despite of her situation, and this was my favorite line,

“They think I am glass,” […] “But I am not. I am not delicate. I am stone. If they want to break me, they will have a hard time of it. I am unbreakable.”

She’s strong, and has the temper to be a queen. True, her legacy is a lie, but that just made me more interested in her story, because now I want to know who her parents are, if they are alive, if she’s ever going to find them, how she will react when she finds out Nereidium isn’t hers… I can’t wait to know. Honestly, I thought she and Bree would never be friends, that there would always be some rivalry between them, but I thank the author for saving us the trouble of reading a cat fight. I was glad to see how they managed to forge a bond, and be friends in despite of everything going on around them, with everyone pushing and pulling them in every possible direction, and trying to take control of their lives. It is great that they are both strong, independent women, capable of making their own decisions, and fighting their own battles, ready to take the reins of their lives no matter what. That’s a heroine for me.

Finally, we get to the love story, and once again, we face a poorly developed relationship in which the characters fall in love for absolutely no reason. I don’t deny that Prince Caden is a sweet, brave man, and overall an interesting character, but he and Bree didn’t have enough encounters and conversations for me to see their connection, their reason to fall for each other and be together. I need more to be able to root for them, to eagerly wait for that first kiss that shouldn’t happen, but will spark the fire… But it didn’t happen. Some lingering looks and brief conversations, meant to be intense, aren’t enough. I really hope to see more development between them, and find out the reason why they like each other, because, honestly, I couldn’t see why they should be together. Moreover, judging by the first part of the book, I honestly thought she would eventually fall in love with Tregle, as it makes so much more sense: he’s an Elemental like her, they are both prisoners in the castle, in one way or another they have to obey every order they receive, putting their powers at the service of the king, they are both in training around their element… It’s a lot more logical, if you ask me. But that’s just my opinion.

Oh, and I liked the names borrowed from Greek mythology, scattered here and there, mixed with regular names, it was a nice touch. I specially noticed the name Aleta for a princess from Nereidium. For those who don’t know, “aleta” is the Spanish word for “fin”, and she comes from a realm named entirely after the Greek water nymphs. Well played, Jennifer Ellision.

So, long story short, I really liked this book, even with all those things I mentioned, and I will definitely read the next books in the saga, as they seem so promising, and Bree is a very funny, engaging narrator. I love to find new authors and get to know the ideas they turned into novels, and I really hope this saga gets better with each book!


*If you like what you read, you can find me in my blog for more reviews and other articles: http://abookandateacup.blogspot.com.ar/*

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My blog: A Magical World Of Words

3.5 stars.

The writing is good, even though the dialogue isn't amazing. But the atmosphere is so strong, and the world is so interesting. It's a bit limited and I would've liked to know more, but I suppose the other books in the series will expand upon that.

I love how the author combines secrets, romance, magic, and a generous splash of historical-like royalty systems. The plot is so fast-paced, so exciting, and there are some amazing twists at the end. I was so entertained.

The characters are lovable. Aleta and Bree's friendship is terrific, Bree's relationship with her father is beautiful, and I adore the squad: Bree (the brave, passionate heroine), Caden (the noble, kind hearted Prince), Tregle (the servant boy who is oh such a cinnamon roll) and Aleta (the fierce girl whose hard exteriour hides inner pain). I can't wait to see how their friendships develop over the course of the series.

[S. Usher Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast-paced elemental epic fantasy full of twists and turns that kept me guessing what the truth was. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it's nice to have book 2 ready to go.

[Rachmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Some readers recommended this book to readers who love Throne of Glass. The blurb says it's about element possession which reminds me of Elemental series. Therefore, I didn't have high hope to this debut, though it also intrigued me and made me requested it on NetGalley.

It indeed reminds me of both Thorne of Glass and Elemental series. There are moments that made me think of them. Fortunately the similarities aren't that much. It has its own story. And surprisingly is a very good one.

For one thing I love Breena Perdit, a 16 years old girl who lives in a small town with her dad who runs a tavern.

“Got a name?” I ask. I bite at a frayed nail. Maybe he’s a wealthy merchant’s son. The fibers in his cloak are certainly finely wrought enough.
“Breena,” he repeats thoughtfully, finger to his chin.
“No,” I say slowly, drawing the word out. “You can’t have ‘Breena.’ That one’s mine. Any other ideas?”

She's smart, bold, witty, knows her priority and stick for it and doesn't care much about her appearance nor her hair and her dress.

[...]I sigh, running my fingers through my hair to shake out any excess moisture. They despair over the length of it—or, rather, the lack of length. Apparently, it’s the highest of fashion crimes for a woman to have such short hair.

A kickass heroine qualities that I love. Her life turns upside down when she eavesdrop a conversation between the three Adepts, people who possess an element power. Soon she discovers everything isn't what she thoughts before. As a character, she grows so much throughout the story. From a girl who has been known as Barmaid, Bree or as she said when I got my most shining personality on, Brat, to someone who befriend with a princess even when she's so rude to her and a girl who always tries to help her dad escape from the tyrant king. In a way she's also naive. There are times that I want her to stop waiting for things to happen and just act. But all of her action are make sense and understandable since she barely knows anything. Thus, I can accept her naivety and don't feel annoy by it.

Aside Breena, I love her dad, Ardin, and their relationship. Their father-daughter relationship feels warm and they treat each other equal.

“Oh no, please, don’t get up.” I put syrup in my voice as Da continues to sit. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you. You might lose what little hair you have left.”

“It’s off to bed with me. If you’ll do the sweep up, I’ll do the morning scrub down.”

He keeps everything to himself, even when she begs him to tell his story. It makes the story more interesting. Most of the times everything is still unclear and is revealed slowly which make me keep reading it. As for other characters, they are growing in me slowly but surely. Aleta, Princess who is betrothed to Prince Caden, the heir of Egarian, is so annoying I want to throttle her while Prince Caden is easier to like from the first time he enters the story. And then there is Tregle, an Adept who capture Breena and her dad along with his mentor, Lady Katerine. They play their role perfectly.

I also love the way the author creates the story and the world building. It's well written and is describe well. It's easy to imagine Breena's world and the elements that are possessed by the Adepts. I especially liked the way they called Adept who possessed an element. Torcher for fire Adept, Rider for air Adept, Shacker for earth Adept and Thrower for water Adept. I think it suits well with each elemental.

Although some readers say it has lack of romance, I don't mind at all because that way I can see that Breena hold her priority high. She doesn't let anything distract her, even if it's her romance. But worry not, the story is still appealing. There are romantic moments between the characters, though compare to any other YA fantasy, it indeed has less romance.

All in all, I really liked it and can't wait to read the sequel.

[Nay Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a review copy through NetGalley.

Jennifer Ellision is a fantastic writer. She has written an amazing fantasy novel surrounded around the idea of elementals. Elementals are people that control different elements such as air, fire, water and earth. In the story they are known as riders, torchers, throwers and shakers. I love the characters and the world. I just wish there was more action involved.

Breena Rose Perdit is 16 years old and lived a wonderful life with her dad in a small town as a barmaid helping run the tavern. She never imagined her life to change or become hard, but one night running into elementals have done just that. She finds out her dad is a Duke and worked for the King of Egrian. They are taken to the King and then separated; Breena joins that court and her father is thrown into the dungeon. Apparently, her father holds the treasure and they all want to know what or rather who it is.

Breena is a very strong girl. She never backed down from the elementals, she always spoke her mind and always kept true to herself. I loved how snarky she could be, but at the same time how she could immediately be obedient when need be. She never wanted to live like a royal, she just wanted her simple life back. When she had to find out exactly who she really was and who her real parents were I felt so bad for her. For sixteen, or rather seventeen years of her life she lived a lie. Finding out she was a thrower just turned her world upside down, watching Lady Kat do what she did to her dad had to be heartbreaking. I know she is going to be fierce as ever in the sequel.

Prince Caden is so awesome. I love him more so as Rick. I love how he actually seems to care for the people of Egrian and not just the power and lands he can rule. I enjoyed seeing him fall for Bree and tell her how he feels. I wonder if he knew who she truly was.

Lady Katherine was evil as evil can be. This woman not only was a rider, but was also a freaking torcher. Insane she truly is. I can't understand how she could be so downright evil. Did she love the king? Did she want to always be number one? Did she think that having two powers made her more important? I don't get it. I just hope she is dead and doesn't survive that attack.

Princess Aleta is a very intriguing person. I wonder if she will learn the truth about who she isn't and who she really is. Her power as a torcher should have been a sign to her that she isn't even the princess, but hopefully she finds out the truth and moves on. Adept Tregle is so freaking sweet! I love how he helped Bree out when he could. I love his attraction towards Aleta. I hope they get together. They are truly meant for one another.

The King of Egrian is power hungry man and like any other power hungry king, that will be his downfall. He wants to much and just expects everyone to do what he says. I wonder if he has a power that he is hiding. I don't like him at all.

I am so excited to read the sequel, Riot of Storm and Smoke, to see what happens for Bree and if she'll let the people know who she really is. Great start to an awesome YA fantasy trilogy.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Threats of Sky and Sea is a sweeping fantasy set in a kingdom at war – where the king employs Elementals to do his bidding and take down kingdoms. Bree is just a simple girl living a simple life who gets caught in the crossfire – and her life becomes more complicated than she ever would have imagined.

What Fed My Addiction:

The writing.
Ellision is a fantastic writer. There were so many little turns of phrase that caught my attention. I’m not the type of reviewer who typically makes note of many quotes (and listening to this book on audio would have made this even more difficult – I would’ve had to pull over to write them down half the time!), but if I were reading this on my Kindle, I would have been highlighting a lot!

Bree.
Bree is a strong heroine. The type who knows who she is and refuses to change for anyone – even when everyone around her is trying to mold her into someone new.
Strong family bonds. Bree absolutely refuses to give up on her da, even when she discovers that he’s been lying to her her entire life (this happens pretty early on in the book, so it’s not really a spoiler). I love that, even though she was rightfully frustrated about her situation, she never actually doubts her father – she never turns into a petulant child who lashes out because of his transgressions. Her faith in him and her love for him are unwavering.

The romance.
A slow-forming romance that had me swooning? Yes, please!

What Left Me Wanting More:

Slightly Predictable.
I had figured out most of the twists in the book before they were actually revealed (but I I hadn’t figured out the exact circumstances for the main twist, so I still really enjoyed the reveal). The fact that the book followed typical YA fantasy tropes didn’t help that any. If you’re the type of reader who’s gotten tired of the typical tropes, you might get frustrated with this one – I still enjoy the book as long as they’re done well, and they were in this case.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy, then you need to pick this series up! It has everything that you could want in the genre – complex characters, fantastical magic, dangerous plotting, and exciting conflicts!

The Narration:
I really enjoyed the narration of this book. I thought that Misty Daugherty did a great job with it and gave it an emotionally compelling reading. Her voice was light and pleasant, but still had just the right amount of snark for Bree!

I give this book 4/5 stars.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the author via Audiobook Blast! in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a start to a series. I was hooked from the very first page which is extremely rare. I was wanting to know more and more, I kept guessing at what was going to happen, something things I did manage to work out and some only half guessed, but certain parts I completely clueless, which is the perfect combination. I like to at least feel I work some of it out.

The characters were amazing, Breena's spunky attitude was great, I kept looking forward to quips. It also helped that she was learning along with the reader, made the writing smoother and flow better. Prince Caden was swoon worthy and hopefully one day make a just King (if he ever gets that far).

Princess Aleta was a mystery to me at first, I wasn't sure how things were going to with her, but as the story went on, we got to know her better and things made sense.

Lady Kat is force to be reckoned with. I didn't think anything could shock her, nice to know one thing could. She is definitely a good baddie.

Adept Tregle was another character who's loyalty's I was unsure of but by the end his side was clear, he was a good background character.

The unfolding of this story was superbly done, I read this in a day and I still want more. I want to know what happens now, and the story behind Breena's Da's disappearance. And what happened to her mum?

I love stories with magic and this was about people have abilities to do the four elements. I loved the magic in this, it was exciting but not overbearing. I hope there is plenty more in the next book.

If you haven't read this I suggest you do it soon. It's really worth it.

[Candace Wondrak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision was…not what I was expecting. Actually, I’m not sure what I was expecting. I saw the cover, fell in love with the girl in the gorgeous blue dress, and instantly requested it from Netgalley.

For once, the pretty cover doesn’t let you down.

Breena lives with her Da, working and making their livelihood at their bar/inn. That is, until Elementals swoop in, take them into custody, burn it down, and drag them to the King. (Not really spoilers, as this happens in the beginning) I won’t go into detail what happens once they reach the castle and meet the King, but I will say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought this would turn into an insta-love romance the moment Bree met the Prince, Caden. Thankfully I was wrong. There was romance, but it didn’t dominate the plot.

The plot itself reminded me of a mixture of Avatar, the last Airbender and Game of Thrones. Avatar because of the four nations and the air/water/earth/fire bending, and Game of Thrones for all the political scheming. At one point, Bree muses about her father’s hair color, which totally brought me back to GoT season one.

At first I was confused about the whole Thrower/Torcher thing, and it took a while for the names of all the side characters to click, but once they did, I found myself turning the pages quickly, wanting to know what happened next.

All in all, an enjoyable read, one I would recommend to fantasy YA fans. I look forward to reading the sequels!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.