The Bright and Breaking Sea (Kit Brightling, #1)

by Chloe Neill

Chloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery.
 
Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles’ Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet. Her ship is small, but she's fast—in part because of Kit’s magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for.
 
Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn’t know him or his motives—and she’s dealt with one too many members of the Beau Monde. But Kit has her orders, and the queen has commanded they journey to a dangerous pirate quay and rescue a spy who's been gathering intelligence on the exiled emperor of Gallia.
 
Kit can lead her ship and clever crew on her own, but with the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall....

• ISBN10: 1984806688
• ISBN13: 9781984806680
• Publish Date: 17 November 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Pamela Dorman Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781984806680

Reviews

[Angie]

I was super excited for The Bright and Breaking Sea because there just aren't enough swashbuckling adventure books with lady captains. Captain Kit Brightling is an orphan turned captain in the Queen's Navy, and when we meet her she's tasked with rescuing a man from pirates! Sounds exciting! Sadly, it wasn't. Kit's next mission is to locate the traitor who's been leaking secrets to the enemy. Also sounds exciting! Sadly, I didn't care. Which is what it all comes down to. I had no reason to care about Kit or her mission. I was just reading to be reading, not because I particularly cared what happened.

The Bright and Breaking Sea has magic which actually was pretty interesting. It's set in 1812, in an alternate version of our world (Europe, of course) where magical is openly practiced, if not wholly accepted. Kit is Aligned to the ocean, which makes perfect sense since she's a ship captain. Basically she can use the magic of the water to make her ship go extra fast, among other things. There's also a minor romance of the blink-and-you'll-miss-it variety. I didn't sense any chemistry between Kit and Grant. They're suppose to be an annoyed-to-love romance, but...whatever.

Everything was just blah. I am disappointed.

[MurderByDeath]

I'm wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars.  This first in a new series reads like it could almost be a middle grade story, except for one romantic scene which I know my niece, at least, would wrinkle her nose at.  It's still a great story, just rather more bright and optimistic than is usually offered to us jaded adults.  It also lacks the snark Neill is generally known for, but then again, her Devil's Isle series wasn't snarky either.  

Chloe Neill walks a fine line between imagining a world where women are common in historically male roles, and acknowledging the gender bias that exists in this one.  I'm not convinced she pulled it off; I'd have rather she stick to one truth or the other, but it wasn't problematic and didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

Mostly, it's a new concept, and a new series, so I'd imagine there some growing pains and adjustments ahead, but it was a nice escape and I'm interested in seeing where future books take me and the characters.

[tweetybugshouse]

Pirates, magic, and some steamy romance oh my. I was delighted by this story i throughly enjoyed it. We have a stowaway child, a sea captain that is disdained by not only the men in this profession cause she female but also cause she aligned (has use of magic).. I was wrapped up in the missions that were assigned by the queen in what ended up being a chase to discover how magic is being used against others in an underhanded way. I love the steamy romance that is brewing. I also adored the stowaway child and am eager to see what happens next.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Kit Brightling was rescued and raised as a foundling at Brightling House; a home for talented girls. Kit has a magical affinity to the sea that allows her to connect and manipulate the waters. She moved her way up the ranks of the Isles’ Crown Command and now is a captain in Queen Charlotte’s fleet.

We learn about the history of the Isles, destruction wrought by magic and the exile of the former King. It flabbergasts her when the Queen demands that she and Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe; a veteran of the Continental war work together to rescue one of the Queen’s men.

This world is an alternate version of 1815’s Europe during the Napoleonic war. The setting is an intriguing one. Neill gives readers only a glimpse of the magic, its history, and of things to come. We know some people magical and aligned to the elements. However, some are against magic and a female ruler. This created some tensions.

The lighter touch of world-building and learn as you go, allowed for a fast-paced adventure as her focus was on our hero, heroine and the crew of the Diana.

I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and while Kit and Rian aren’t enemies, there is a power-play. The back-and-forth banter and denied chemistry was great fun. While I think romance readers will want more focus on the romantic elements, I loved this side dish and am content for things to slowly unfold.

I adored Kit. She is loyal, fearless, and stands up to the men who surround her and dismiss her. Rian is desperately trying to restore his homestead, is loyal to the Queen and protective of his family seat. He is a leader, but acknowledges Kit’s skills and knowledge. I love that he was man enough to support her. Their barbs occurred when they were alone as both are too duty bound to do so in front of the crew, their equals and their Queen. Their inner dialogue made me laugh aloud more than once.

Adventures on the high seas from rescues to outrunning pirates was delightful. The author delivered danger, near-death escapades, and chases that kept me reading into the wee hours.

The audiobook was equally delightful, and I quickly became slipped into the narrative. I even picked up a few things that slipped my mind during the first round.

Secondary characters such as Jin, Hetta, Jane, Tamlin, and Louisa all added to the tale. I found myself vested and felt like I was a part of the crew and household. I love the foundling house and Kit’s sisters. Jane is delightful, brilliant, and someone I hope we spend more time with.

Danielle Cohen narrates the audiobook. Her lyrical accent and wide-range of voices brought another layer of enjoyment to this high-seas adventure. The banter and budding relationship between Kit and Rian shone through her narration. I intend to continue on audio. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Bright and Breaking Sea in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Chloe Neill's newest series is here, and I couldn't be more excited about it! The Bright and Breaking Sea is the first novel in the Captain Kit Brightling series, and I hope it lasts a good long while.

Kit Brightling is a woman of extraordinary skill and confidence. That is how she became a captain of her own ship in Queen Charlotte's fleet. Kit is more than a Captain, however. She's a spy, a soldier, and a loyal woman through and through.

So when she is tasked with the job of acting against a known tyrant – one who wants more war for her country – Kit doesn't hesitate. Okay, perhaps she hesitates a little as Rian Grant is thrown into her life, and onto her ship.

“Secrets, Kit thought ruefully, were the currency of both war and peace.”

From the moment I saw the cover to The Bright and Breaking Sea, I just knew that I had to read it. Once I read the description? I was utterly sold. Everything about this novel sounded appealing, and let me tell you; it was worth all of that mental hype I went through.

Kit's adventure was daring and not in the least bit short of sass and determination. This may be a world of fantasy, but there were plenty of real-world elements to make it feel real. Such as all the persistence Kit encountered as a female captain (with powers).

Kit was but one of many highlights in this novel. Rain is a character that will grow on you, with time (naturally). The secondary characters are a delight as well, from Kit's many sisters to the members of her crew.

“Principle of Self-Sufficiency No. 1: Never take for granted the generosity of others.”

The world itself is a fascinating one, with a complex system of magic and politics. All of which left me hoping to see more. Which means that I'm here looking forward to the next novel already, but I'm okay with that.

The Bright and Breaking Sea essentially dove right into the plot, but given Kit's nature, this actually was a brilliant decision. It spoke of the story and her character all in one, just in many subtle and compelling ways.

“Principle of Self-Sufficiency No. 4: Learn from the past; don't dwell on it.”

Truthfully, this is a series and world that I could see myself enjoying for years to come. I don't know how long the series intends to be, but I for one am hoping for a trilogy – if not even more than that. Though frankly, I'll take whatever I can get. Here's to the next novel!

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks