The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After almost three weeks I have finally finished reading The Burning Sky. As it turns out a raging high fever can break even this avid reader’s capability to pick up a book and escape into a fantastically created world. I mention this ten-day break from reading to highlight the ease with which I was able to pick up the story again without so much as a backward glance to re-acquaint myself with the story. One thing that really bothered me and I should probably stop doing this from now on is reading the little quotes of praise on the back cover of the book that give general glimpses into the story and unintentionally distract from forming one’s own opinion. I kept comparing this story to Harry Potter, having been influenced by one of those little praise blurbs did and it really distracted me from fully enjoying the story.
Having said that, the characters are very complex, yet they are not hypocritical in their actions when it comes to making choices. The entirety of the story is centred around the two main characters with changing perspectives to get a more complete view of the plot and the forces that make the characters act the way they do. To be perfectly honest, neither of them really struck me as the favourite of the story, therefore my attention was equally focused on both without bias as I accompanied them through the story.
The plot was a great moving vehicle in the character development and creation of the bond between the two main characters. It was filled with mystery, suspense and sheer excitement from beginning to end. The constant tease of a romance, without fully crossing the line into that genre provides that extra special treat that keeps the reader going, pining for something that could potentially make the heart melt.
The writing was generally easy to follow and had a nice flow. At times; however, I found it slightly difficult to get reacquainted with the author’s writing style, which did only last about a paragraph or two. The writing does demand a higher level of concentration, since its syntax and structure does follow more closely with that of the classical pieces of literature.
Overall, this book was a pleasure to read. I wish I could have been able to finish it in a few days instead of dragging it out for a few weeks, since it deserves that much commitment and passion to read. I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, which I will use as a reward system for completing a task. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.
