The Perilous Sea: The Elemental Trilogy, Book 2
By Karen Wirsing,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Entertaining fantasy plagued by scattered subplots.

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What's the Story?
THE PERILOUS SEA follows Iolanthe and Titus' return to Eton College after spending the summer apart. The two are eager to continue their plans of overthrowing the oppressive government, Atlantis. The journey begins with two characters stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert suffering from memory loss. While the two unidentified individuals work through discovering who they are and what their purpose for being is, viewers jump back to visit 19th-century London. Prince Titus has lived his life following the written word of the crucible, an ancient book filled with prophetic oracles. But an unexpected event arises that teaches him to question the logic and theory of what was written thousands of years ago. Will Titus learn to follow his own path in life, create his own destiny, and finally control his own future?
Is It Any Good?
Iolanthe and Prince Titus reunite in this entertaining yet overzealous sequel to The Burning Sky. While the adventurous, wyvern-taming duo takes the reader through the Sahara Desert, Morocco, and 17-century London on a magic carpet ride, the grand scheme of things gets mowed over by scattered subplots that are quickly and questionably resolved.
The Perilous Sea explores themes of identity and memory, and some readers may be enthused about the romantic progression between the two main characters, but the anticlimactic finish leaves readers disappointed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss the importance of historical accuracy. How can you tell if a written source is reliable?
Families also can talk about fantasy as a genre. Why do you think it's so popular with kids, teens, and adults?
Is violence easier to handle when it happens in a fantasy setting? Why, or why not?
Book Details
- Author: Sherry Thomas
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: September 16, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 432
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Audiobook (abridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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