The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill

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....

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4.5 of 5 stars

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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

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 October, 2020: Finished reading
  • 28 October, 2020: Reviewed