Summary:

(From the publisher) Stolen from her family as a child, Aspasia has clawed her way up the ranks of Cyrus’s black market empire to captain her own trading vessel–and she risks it all every time she uses her powerful magic to free as many women, children, and Elementae from slavery as she can.

But Cyrus is close to uncovering her secrets–not only that Aspasia is an air Elementa with the ability to sail her ship through the sky, but that she is also searching for her lost family. And if Aspasia can’t find her younger siblings before Cyrus does, she will never be able to break free.

Armed with her loyal crew full of Elementae and a new recruit who controls an intriguing power, Aspasia finds herself in the center of a brewing war that spans every inch of the ocean, and her power alone may not be enough to save her friends, family, and freedom.

 My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Since A.C. Gaughen’s Reign the Earth is one of my favorite fantasy books (go feminist fantasy!), I couldn’t wait to dive into the next book in the Elementae series, Imprison the Sky. Since I loved Shalia and Reign the Earth so much, I was nervous going into this book. However, I quickly fell in love with Aspasia and her story.

Much like Reign the Earth, A.C. Gaughen completed delivered with the world building in Imprison the Sky. From start to finish, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. While Shalia discovers more about her power in the first installment, Aspasia knows her ability to control wind by heart. Her crew also features Elementae with other powers, including ones that are beyond the four elements. Gaughen so nicely intertwined Reign the Earth’s storyline and ending with Imprison the Sky, while making the latter still feel like its own story. My favorite thing, or should I say person, that transferred from Reign the Earth to this sequel? (Minor spoiler) Kairos!

Kairos was one of my favorite characters from Reign the Earth, so I loved how he was a central character in this installment. I loved his relationship with Aspasia, adding much to his power and character development. The humor between the two also made me break out my page tabs to highlight all their hilarious and sarcastic tidbits.

Despite being an ocean girl, I am not the biggest fan of pirate books. However, Imprison the Sky may have changed my feelings on the setting because I loved it in this book! The idea of a following ship, thanks to the Elementae, was so original, in my opinion.My favorite part of the pirate-esque setting was the crew’s comradery. My favorite secondary characters were Anika and Arnav, and I loved the crew’s mini escapes to the island.

While Reign the Earth went to some dark places (warning for abuse), Imprison the Sky is lighter, although there is a focus on slavery, freedom, and morals. Aspasia, a slave herself, is a very complex character. Her past and present constantly makes her question her actions, and she experiences such in-depth character development throughout the course of the novel.

Overall, Imprison the Sky was a fantastic fantasy sequel and the Elementae series deserves all the love and hype. I’ve already made a list of characters who may be the main protagonist in the next book. While I’ve read some pretty good books so far in 2019, Imprison the Sky is most definitely my favorite.

Excuse me as I cry until 2020 for the third book.

Imprison the Sky comes out on January 22, 2019.

This review is based on an advance uncorrected proof in exchange for review. By no means did receiving this copy affect my thoughts or opinions.

Is Imprison the Sky on your TBR? Have you read Reign the Earth? Share in the comments!