Threats of Sky and Sea (Threats of Sky and Sea #1) by Jennifer Ellision

Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen year-old Breena Perdit has spent her life as a barmaid, innocent to her father’s past and happily free from the Elemental gifts that would condemn her to a life in the Egrian King’s army. Until the day that three Elemental soldiers recognize her father as a traitor to the throne and Bree’s father is thrown in jail—along with the secrets from his last mission as the King’s assassin. Secrets that could help the King win a war. Secrets he refuses to share.

Desperate to escape before the King’s capricious whims prove her and her father’s downfall, Bree bargains with him: information for their lives. It’s a good trade. And she has faith she’ll get them both out of the King’s grasp with time.

But that was before the discovery that she’s the weapon the King’s been waiting for in his war.

Now, time is running out. To save her father’s life and understand her own, Bree must unravel the knot of her father’s past before the King takes his life– and uses her to bring a nation to its knees.

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"I am already frozen when the scream reaches me. The air bites my ears and numbs my hands. Seeking warmth, I burrow into the coat I'm wearing. The forest is still around me, the dead wood asleep. The distant river plays a lullaby..."

And just like that, I was sucked straight into Breena's world and experiencing it through her eyes and ears.

I can't tell you how much of a breath of fresh air she was. A heroine with a backbone is hard to find in YA these days and Breena's was made of steel. This girl was fiercely intelligent and acted rationally at all times. She knew who she was at her core and what she wanted to do and nothing and no one could sway her or force her to back down. She does go through some horrible things over the course of the story but it only serves to strengthen her resolve to overthrow the King.

Ah, the King.... an egomaniac who cares about nothing but his own power and has no qualms about destroying anyone who opposes him or gets in his way. In the hands of another author, he might have been a one-dimensional character but he's brought to life in such a way as to make his menace convincing. I can say the same about the psychopathic Lady Kat as well... she's the kind of deliciously evil antagonist you'll love to hate!

I enjoyed seeing how the friendship between Breena and the princess Aleta came about. She had a very good reason for disliking Breena at first but she's just as sassy and they made a strong team together. Prince Caden is another compelling character torn between his loyalty to his father and the moral obligation he feels to put a stop to his plans of conquest. I really liked that the development of his romance with Breena was slow, subtle, but sweet and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.

With a rich, fascinating setting and endearing protagonists, I loved every minute of this tale and I'll be first in line to read the sequel.

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