Berls
Burning Bright was particularly good because of the characters, though. I love Elinor! She's got some guts! I don't want to give anything away... so, all I'll say is that when she doesn't like what the two paths laid out for her offer, she CREATES a third, completely unheard of path and then commits to it, all in. I loved the way she didn't back down and the power of character... even before we get to her magical ability. She grows a lot over the course of the story which is always exciting to watch.
The Hero - Miles Ramsey - is also pretty great. He takes some warming up to, but I never disliked him. He's got all the necessary hero qualities - strong, charming, honorable, etc. He also makes you laugh.
The magic and the way these extraordinary abilities changes the landscape of sea life and battle was pretty cool and really well woven into the story. I know I will read more in this series, though the reviews for book 2 aren't nearly as good so I'm not in a huge hurry. If it was more with Elinor and Ramsey I'd probably already be reading it.
The narration was also great. Cat Gould is not a narrator I've listened to before, but I will not hesitate to listen to her again. Great voices and pacing!