You Can't Fight Destiny

"This damsel loves rescuing princes in distress."

--Sherry Thomas, The Perilous Sea

Genre: YA Fantasy and Historical Fiction

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 414

Publication Date: September 16th, 2014

Source: eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Previous Books in Series: The Burning Sky

Goodreads Description

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future

The Writing 

The Perilous Sea is not messing around people. The second book in this amazing series reconnects us to Iolanthe and Titus and their fight to bring down the Bane...or is it? What I LOVED about this book is that the element of human emotions and perception plays a major role. We are called into question almost everything we thought was true from the first book. Seriously. I can't give away too much plot so you can enjoy it with all the surprises. This book is written with a little flair and mystery as well. We get alternating chapters between present day and 7 weeks in the future. This is freaking brilliant. The events that bring these two storylines together is nothing short of amazing. There is something Titus says in The Burning Sky to Iolanthe that plays a big part in how this part of the plot plays out. I love it. I loved it so much because we see Iolanthe and Titus in a different state of mind and we get to experience certain things about their relationship all over again. No spoilers...just read the book and know I loved this.

The Characters 

Iolanthe and Titus. Where do I begin!? Seriously! I love these two so hard. Their wit. Banter. Repartee. All just amazing. The way they play off of each other and their smart sarcasm made the entire book for me. I loved their interactions and their relationship grows in a lot of ways. Destiny is called into question and it tests the limits of Iolanthe and Titus' love. The question of being a victim of fate and creating your own fortune is a theme that I loved exploring. But Iolanthe and Titus are not the only ones who are struggling. Kashakari and a few characters we didn't see being so relevant in the last book are called into question as well. The perception of visions and how to act in regards to them was something I loved reading about. The conundrum of how to act when you know what's going to happen is an extremely interesting topic of discussion and I think Sherry Thomas gives us a lot of insight into destiny and fate and choices.

The Conclusion  

The ending is so freaking amazing!!! The final lines and certain dialogue at the very end gave me chills. Legit chills. It is so inspiring and I love a good fight against an oppressive dictator. Love love LOVE how it ended and I cannot WAIT for the final book!

The Answers 

This is being nit picky but I don't know if it was because it was an ARC that a few scenes felt a little abrupt and jarring. We get some answers to some big questions and I felt it wasn't as explored as it should have been or could have been. We learn some crazy stuff and the characters seemed a little too unaffected by it. I wanted a little more depth into the revelations...but maybe they're in final book...EEP!

VIP
I love this series so hard. The writing is amazing. The plot is a gorgeous concoction of historical fiction and fantasy. The characters are brilliant and witty and smart and I love them! Start this series or pre-order The Perilous Sea...you're gonna need it.