The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill

There was so much adventure, one thing after another, that I did sometimes wonder where it was going and how it was tied together, but the partnership between Kit and Grant was fascinating and I loved how it oscillated between the adventure and the elements more likely to be found in a Regency novel. Since I adore both, I found that this story completely worked for me. The most fascinating thing was that this book reminded me of the sea adventure I enjoyed in RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships and also made me think of Jane Austen’s novels. It was a wonderful story of two very different people learning to work together and truly become partners. There was a good dose of intrigue and a streak of romance. It turned out to be a lovely break, but by no means didn’t deliver on the story. Instead, this novel presented a fairly straightforward and more simplistic story with some slight complexities thrown in for good measure.

I expected The Bright and Breaking Sea to be more along the lines of the complex and complicated fantasies I’ve been reading lately with overladen story lines and almost too much going on, while also full of crusty old sailors. It’s just the start of their partnership, and the Queen’s never ending missions to protect the world from the King of Gallia’s return.Ī fluffy fantasy. But he’ll do anything for the man who literally saved his life, even if it means sailing with a woman he doesn’t think much of right into pirate territory. Colonel Rian Grant was present when the King of Gallia was defeated, and it wasn’t a pretty battle. Because of her unique abilities and the true nature of her job for the Queen, she’s perfectly suited for extracting a captured spy, but she must do so alongside a member of the Beau Monde.

It pits England against France, with a Guild thrown in for good measure.Ĭaptain Kit Brightling, a young woman in the Queen’s Own who is also Aligned to the sea, is more than a mere courier, but her role is closely guarded by the Crown. The Bright and Breaking Sea is a fantastical retelling of Napoleon’s escape from Elba.

It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I thought it was a pleasant surprise. As someone who easily gets seasick, this is really the only way I can enjoy a sea adventure, so I was so excited to be approved.

Since then, I haven’t seen too many, so I was quick to request it when I saw it on Netgalley. I never thought a fantasy focused on the seas could be as interesting as riding a horse across a continent until I read RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships last year. One Sentence Summary: The overthrown King of Gallia is seeking to return to power and manipulating magic to do so, so it’s up to Captain Kit Brightling of the Queen’s Own and Colonel Rian Grant to stop him.

The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill