The Burning Sky

I picked up an ARC of The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas at RWA.  I love this prologue.  I will, in the future hold up this prologue as a defense that I don't hate all prologues.  But then, I felt it took a while for the story to get to the part the prologue promised.  (Not forever, a day in book time, which is for some people not long at all and for impatient readers like myself - a bit of waiting.)  But the book lived up to the promise and ultimately I really enjoyed it and look forward to the rest of the trilogy. 

Iolanthe Seabourne is an elemental mage being looked after by a guardian slipping deeper into addiction.  When he inexplicably tries to ruin a light elixir she is working on, she calls down a bolt of lightning to fix it, drawing the attention of those who have been waiting for a predicted powerful mage.  Prince Titus shows up with a plan in place to protect her - she will come with him to his non-mage school in England (Eton) and act the part of his classmate returned from convalescence. 

I'm a big fan of Sherry Thomas' historical romances, which take place in a similar time period (late 1800's as non-mages count it), so think this will appeal to fans of those.  And for those less interested in adult historical romances, but up for a historical YA fantasy (say fans of things like Graceling) this will appeal as well.  And well, that prologue I adore so much.  Let me send you here to read it.