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Perils of Sea and Sky
" Perils of Sea and Sky is a riveting story that will keep readers glued to their seats until its satisfying conclusion." - Booklist
In the early 1700s, the discovery of anti-gravity technology led to the development of the aeroship trade. But there is one area that no sky captain dares to venture, and that is the Grey an inhospitable fog threatening the lives and sanity of all who enter.
With the Veil under a strict travel-ban, most level-headed pilots circumvent this treacherous place. Captain Rosanne Drackenheart, on the other hand, makes a pretty penny conducting her smuggling operation through the very edge of the mysterious fog.
When she is blackmailed into searching for a lost warship, she is forced to venture into the untraversed bowels of the Veil. Rosanne must protect her crew from mystical creatures, defend against pirates gunning for her ship, and save herself from the creature known as the Forest Devil.
Featuring Scandinavian myths and steampunk elements, Perils of Sea and Sky is a thrilling high fantasy adventure.
“A rollicking adventure with innovative technology and characters you’d trust with your life—or your imagination!” —Shelley Adina, bestselling author of the Magnificent Devices steampunk series
In the early 1700s, the discovery of anti-gravity technology led to the development of the aeroship trade. But there is one area that no sky captain dares to venture, and that is the Grey an inhospitable fog threatening the lives and sanity of all who enter.
With the Veil under a strict travel-ban, most level-headed pilots circumvent this treacherous place. Captain Rosanne Drackenheart, on the other hand, makes a pretty penny conducting her smuggling operation through the very edge of the mysterious fog.
When she is blackmailed into searching for a lost warship, she is forced to venture into the untraversed bowels of the Veil. Rosanne must protect her crew from mystical creatures, defend against pirates gunning for her ship, and save herself from the creature known as the Forest Devil.
Featuring Scandinavian myths and steampunk elements, Perils of Sea and Sky is a thrilling high fantasy adventure.
“A rollicking adventure with innovative technology and characters you’d trust with your life—or your imagination!” —Shelley Adina, bestselling author of the Magnificent Devices steampunk series
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2022
3 people are currently reading
2917 people want to read
About the author
Lilian Horn
4 books41 followersNorwegian born and resident fantasy author Lilian brings life to Scandinavian lore with a dash of humor and a lot of mistakes.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 30, 2022
Fantasy/Science Fiction isn't a genre I gravitate towards, but when Rising Action Pub reached out with the synopsis, I couldn't resist giving Perils Of Sea And Sky a try! I am SO glad I did! 👏
Flying ships!? Sky pirates!? MONSTERS!? This was a highly entertaining read!! I very much enjoyed all of the action. Plus the storyline was great! If there's a second book on the way I will absolutely read it. This was a fab debut!
I do feel as though there could have been more character building. I loved the quirky individuals inside these pages but wanted to know more about each of them.
Huge thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
Flying ships!? Sky pirates!? MONSTERS!? This was a highly entertaining read!! I very much enjoyed all of the action. Plus the storyline was great! If there's a second book on the way I will absolutely read it. This was a fab debut!
I do feel as though there could have been more character building. I loved the quirky individuals inside these pages but wanted to know more about each of them.
Huge thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
Read
October 14, 2022Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 out of 5 stars)
Full text review: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/...
Perils of Sea and Sky is the debut novel from the Norwegian writer Lilian Horn. Being a big fan of Stardust, and a steampunk enjoyer, picking up to host this tour was an easy decision. And I'm so happy about doing it because this book combines many elements that I enjoy, such as it is the ship theme, the naval battles, and charismatic characters enrolled in an almost suicidal mission.
Nelson's father has disappeared and as the RDA is refusing to investigate it, he will be forced into blackmailing captain Rosanne Drakenheart, who has been smuggling, to accept the task of investigating what happened with the boat he was flying. With a condition, Nelson should join the crew of her ship, and he will pay two weeks in advance. This marks the start of an adventure that will drive them into the Grey Veil, a mysterious zone that acts as the eye of a hurricane.
Despite most of the characters being kinda unidimensional, some of them are kinda easy to empathize with, especially certain members of the crew, as it can be Higgs (I still wonder if Horn is naming him as a reference to Higgs' Boson), and especially, Captain Rosanne Drakenheart. She's a brave woman, who has been sailing for years, with her hybrid ship, and who has been forced into this dangerous mission. She will do whatever is needed for her crew and her ship, and it is reflected in several acts during the journey, and the crew corresponds to her, acting as a big great family.
The world of Perils of Sea and Sky is probably the aspect that drew me towards the book in the initial moment, as we are talking about ships that can fly, similar to what we saw in Stardust; and this is mixed with steampunk elements, due to the book being situated on the 1700s. As we are embarked on a journey in the Red Queen, we are able to experiment with the differences of this kind of navigation, living a classical ship adventure, with really well-written naval battles (I would say this is one of the aspects where this book excels). There will be also some islands we will visit, with different creatures and monsters, being great to explore this world, which I enjoyed greatly.
Personally, I would say that the ending left me a little bit unsatisfied, with many questions that weren't answered, and craving for more time in this world, as the premise is kinda unusual. Characters could have been developed more, especially with all the time we spent aboard the Red Queen; most of them outside 3-4 felt unidimensional.
Still, I overall enjoyed Perils of Sea and Sky, and it's a book that I would like to get a physical copy, of as a sort of collection item. I think this novel is really suitable for the fans of the Tide Child series, and for those people who enjoy steampunk with a touch of futuristic science. Knowing there will be a sequel in 2024, we can just wait until them to be back at Terra.
Full text review: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/...
Perils of Sea and Sky is the debut novel from the Norwegian writer Lilian Horn. Being a big fan of Stardust, and a steampunk enjoyer, picking up to host this tour was an easy decision. And I'm so happy about doing it because this book combines many elements that I enjoy, such as it is the ship theme, the naval battles, and charismatic characters enrolled in an almost suicidal mission.
Nelson's father has disappeared and as the RDA is refusing to investigate it, he will be forced into blackmailing captain Rosanne Drakenheart, who has been smuggling, to accept the task of investigating what happened with the boat he was flying. With a condition, Nelson should join the crew of her ship, and he will pay two weeks in advance. This marks the start of an adventure that will drive them into the Grey Veil, a mysterious zone that acts as the eye of a hurricane.
Despite most of the characters being kinda unidimensional, some of them are kinda easy to empathize with, especially certain members of the crew, as it can be Higgs (I still wonder if Horn is naming him as a reference to Higgs' Boson), and especially, Captain Rosanne Drakenheart. She's a brave woman, who has been sailing for years, with her hybrid ship, and who has been forced into this dangerous mission. She will do whatever is needed for her crew and her ship, and it is reflected in several acts during the journey, and the crew corresponds to her, acting as a big great family.
The world of Perils of Sea and Sky is probably the aspect that drew me towards the book in the initial moment, as we are talking about ships that can fly, similar to what we saw in Stardust; and this is mixed with steampunk elements, due to the book being situated on the 1700s. As we are embarked on a journey in the Red Queen, we are able to experiment with the differences of this kind of navigation, living a classical ship adventure, with really well-written naval battles (I would say this is one of the aspects where this book excels). There will be also some islands we will visit, with different creatures and monsters, being great to explore this world, which I enjoyed greatly.
Personally, I would say that the ending left me a little bit unsatisfied, with many questions that weren't answered, and craving for more time in this world, as the premise is kinda unusual. Characters could have been developed more, especially with all the time we spent aboard the Red Queen; most of them outside 3-4 felt unidimensional.
Still, I overall enjoyed Perils of Sea and Sky, and it's a book that I would like to get a physical copy, of as a sort of collection item. I think this novel is really suitable for the fans of the Tide Child series, and for those people who enjoy steampunk with a touch of futuristic science. Knowing there will be a sequel in 2024, we can just wait until them to be back at Terra.
October 18, 2022
It's my stop on Escapist Book Tours, and I had the lovely fortune of reading and reviewing Perils of Sea and Sky. For the sake of transparency, I didn't need to read the blurb—I was sold on magic, airships, and "perils," so the entire book outside of that was full of potential surprises, lol
That said, Perils of Sea and Sky has airships, airship smugglers, unlikely friends, and lots of bad luck and shenanigans. If it were a DnD game, each player would roll poorly—in other words, the makings of my kind of story.
Overall, the book is quick and easy read. You have a badass female captain, a young "paper-pusher" lawyer, and a crew of angry smugglers heading off to look for a missing crew of (presumably) angry people. This requires entering the Grey Veil, from which no one ever really returns. Of course, they run into a few... well, difficulties along the way. I do like how we have non-typical MCs, like in a crew of seasoned smugglers, we follow a young lawyer named Nelson, as well as Rosanne, captain of the Red Queen. I enjoyed the bit of a steampunk feel as well.
There are some things that didn't quite click with me, which mostly boils down to personal preference. What was a little difficult for me was the telling, especially at the beginning. Information was kind of unloaded with no real direction, which made it a little hard for me to find the heart of the story. Like my mind went chasing these pieces of info, and I had no real "anchor" into the story until about a fourth into the book. Readers who like lots of description in their worldbuilding will appreciate this more, though!
This means for me, the impact of the characters was a little weaker. For example, we are told a few times (instead of shown) that Captain Drackenheart has a terrifying reputation, so by the time we spend time with her—especially since she was so easily swayed by Nelson lol—I didn't really get where the reputation came from. I think I would have liked more layers to the characters to anchor me into the story. Readers who prefer action and description may think otherwise, though!
If quick airship adventures sound right up your alley, give it a try!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Key words to help you decide: dual POVs, badass female protagonists, airships, shenanigans, missing ship
That said, Perils of Sea and Sky has airships, airship smugglers, unlikely friends, and lots of bad luck and shenanigans. If it were a DnD game, each player would roll poorly—in other words, the makings of my kind of story.
Overall, the book is quick and easy read. You have a badass female captain, a young "paper-pusher" lawyer, and a crew of angry smugglers heading off to look for a missing crew of (presumably) angry people. This requires entering the Grey Veil, from which no one ever really returns. Of course, they run into a few... well, difficulties along the way. I do like how we have non-typical MCs, like in a crew of seasoned smugglers, we follow a young lawyer named Nelson, as well as Rosanne, captain of the Red Queen. I enjoyed the bit of a steampunk feel as well.
There are some things that didn't quite click with me, which mostly boils down to personal preference. What was a little difficult for me was the telling, especially at the beginning. Information was kind of unloaded with no real direction, which made it a little hard for me to find the heart of the story. Like my mind went chasing these pieces of info, and I had no real "anchor" into the story until about a fourth into the book. Readers who like lots of description in their worldbuilding will appreciate this more, though!
This means for me, the impact of the characters was a little weaker. For example, we are told a few times (instead of shown) that Captain Drackenheart has a terrifying reputation, so by the time we spend time with her—especially since she was so easily swayed by Nelson lol—I didn't really get where the reputation came from. I think I would have liked more layers to the characters to anchor me into the story. Readers who prefer action and description may think otherwise, though!
If quick airship adventures sound right up your alley, give it a try!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Key words to help you decide: dual POVs, badass female protagonists, airships, shenanigans, missing ship
September 5, 2022
Nelson needs to know for sure what happened to his father's ship so he blackmails Captain Rosanne Drackenheart(and her crew, though they don't know that) into the mission. Everything goes fine until they are forced into the Grey Veil(a place no one goes because instrumentation doesn't work inside it) to accomplish their mission, they find his fathers ship but no survivors and then they are attacked by pirates and weather and are stranded in the center of the Grey veil, which is like the eye of a hurricane over a land mass peopled by monsters and then everything goes to pot.
This was a weird experience as it was like too much and not enough happened in this book, the atmosphere was good but the characters felt a bit grey themselves except for the Captain, everything was just a little to easy for my taste by the end of the story.
For a debut novel though this did well, you can see the authors potential whether this becomes a series or in another world altogether, I'd be curious what new shenanigans the crew of The Red Queen could get into.
I received this ARC through NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing.
This was a weird experience as it was like too much and not enough happened in this book, the atmosphere was good but the characters felt a bit grey themselves except for the Captain, everything was just a little to easy for my taste by the end of the story.
For a debut novel though this did well, you can see the authors potential whether this becomes a series or in another world altogether, I'd be curious what new shenanigans the crew of The Red Queen could get into.
I received this ARC through NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing.
October 17, 2022
(3.5/5 stars)
I’m normally one for a good story of the high seas (or, in this case, skies) but I struggled to get into this one.
The premise is excellent. In the early 1700s, anti-gravity technology is discovered and allows for the invention of airships. Trade flourishes everywhere except in a mysterious place called the Grey Veil—a fog no one dares enter.
Early on, we are introduced to adventurous Captain Rosanne Drackenheart, a dashing smuggler known for her ability to get any job done. As she settles down in port after her latest adventure, she unfortunately finds herself blackmailed into taking a job that forces her to enter the Veil—and confront unknown dangers.
There was enough adventure in this story to keep me entertained, but other than Drackenheart, many of the characters were a bit too cliché for me. The descriptions of technology were interesting and the author certainly put a lot of work into this aspect of the novel. Though this one didn’t hit home for me, I wouldn’t discount this book if you are in search of a fun read.
I’m normally one for a good story of the high seas (or, in this case, skies) but I struggled to get into this one.
The premise is excellent. In the early 1700s, anti-gravity technology is discovered and allows for the invention of airships. Trade flourishes everywhere except in a mysterious place called the Grey Veil—a fog no one dares enter.
Early on, we are introduced to adventurous Captain Rosanne Drackenheart, a dashing smuggler known for her ability to get any job done. As she settles down in port after her latest adventure, she unfortunately finds herself blackmailed into taking a job that forces her to enter the Veil—and confront unknown dangers.
There was enough adventure in this story to keep me entertained, but other than Drackenheart, many of the characters were a bit too cliché for me. The descriptions of technology were interesting and the author certainly put a lot of work into this aspect of the novel. Though this one didn’t hit home for me, I wouldn’t discount this book if you are in search of a fun read.
Read
August 9, 2022This was a fun read! I expected more steampunkiness, but other than that, I enjoyed this adventure. Fast paced, easy to digest, characters you can project yourself onto.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2022
Good books!
June 2, 2022
A sky ship, a captain, monsters, and mayhem!
Captain Drackenheart pilots a ship - a hybrid that can sail the seas or fly the skies - and is blackmailed by an enterprising young lawyer into searching for his father's missing ship. The money's good, the blackmail is dangerous, so of course she agrees.
They set sail and end up caught and lost in the grey vail - an unnavigatable area full of danger, surprise, and adventure.
The premise had all the things in a book I want - a leading lady who's a badass heroine, fantasy world that seems well-built, a foundation in mythology, and a ship! (I love a good ship book - who knows if it was Titanic, Pirates of the Carribbean, or Star Wars that impacted my childhood so deeply, but it doesn't matter if it's a sea ship, a sky ship, or a spaceship - if it's a ship, I'm in!)
Many plus points for the steampunk elements as well.
I really wanted to like this book and, to an extent, I did, but there were some major flaws that made this quite the challenging read for me.
First, the good:
- the world was well built
- the mythology was so great (I rarely see Scandinavian myths that aren't all Thor and Valhalla, so I really liked that this was something different!)
- the story did eventually pull me in
- steampunk elements!
The not so good:
- The characters - they left me wanting more. They all felt very one dimensional, even the characters we saw the most. I didn't really care what happened to them because I couldn't connect with any of them.
- The romance!
-
- The exposition! It usually takes me from 1 day - 1 week to read a book, depending on how good the book is and how busy I am. This took me nearly two weeks and most of that was spent on the first 25%. It was so fully of exposition and so dry, it truly felt like I was slogging through it at the beginning. It did pick up around 25-30% and I finished it within a few days of hitting that place, but it was nearly a DNF due to how slow the beginning was.
- I still have so many questions!
- I would have liked it to be more steampunk-ish, it was the perfect setting for it, but it didn't quite hit the steampunk mark for me
Overall, the book was a 2.5-3 starts. I don't regret the time I spent reading it, but I certainly won't re-read and I'm 50-50 on whether I'll read the next book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Captain Drackenheart pilots a ship - a hybrid that can sail the seas or fly the skies - and is blackmailed by an enterprising young lawyer into searching for his father's missing ship. The money's good, the blackmail is dangerous, so of course she agrees.
They set sail and end up caught and lost in the grey vail - an unnavigatable area full of danger, surprise, and adventure.
The premise had all the things in a book I want - a leading lady who's a badass heroine, fantasy world that seems well-built, a foundation in mythology, and a ship! (I love a good ship book - who knows if it was Titanic, Pirates of the Carribbean, or Star Wars that impacted my childhood so deeply, but it doesn't matter if it's a sea ship, a sky ship, or a spaceship - if it's a ship, I'm in!)
Many plus points for the steampunk elements as well.
I really wanted to like this book and, to an extent, I did, but there were some major flaws that made this quite the challenging read for me.
First, the good:
- the world was well built
- the mythology was so great (I rarely see Scandinavian myths that aren't all Thor and Valhalla, so I really liked that this was something different!)
- the story did eventually pull me in
- steampunk elements!
The not so good:
- The characters - they left me wanting more. They all felt very one dimensional, even the characters we saw the most. I didn't really care what happened to them because I couldn't connect with any of them.
- The romance!
-
- The exposition! It usually takes me from 1 day - 1 week to read a book, depending on how good the book is and how busy I am. This took me nearly two weeks and most of that was spent on the first 25%. It was so fully of exposition and so dry, it truly felt like I was slogging through it at the beginning. It did pick up around 25-30% and I finished it within a few days of hitting that place, but it was nearly a DNF due to how slow the beginning was.
- I still have so many questions!
- I would have liked it to be more steampunk-ish, it was the perfect setting for it, but it didn't quite hit the steampunk mark for me
Overall, the book was a 2.5-3 starts. I don't regret the time I spent reading it, but I certainly won't re-read and I'm 50-50 on whether I'll read the next book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
dnf-d
September 26, 2022I’m gutted!!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to the E-ARC of this book.
I was so eagerly anticipating this book. It sounded interesting with anti-gravity aeroships and female pirates! Featuring Scandinavian myths and steampunk elements, I mean, that sounds freaking awesome, doesn’t it?! But sadly I got about 25% through and to be honest I was pushing it at 15% because I was determined I was going to love it. But I didn’t because it confused me with some of the world building (it read as if the ships were on water not in the sky) and the atmosphere was lacking. I have been struggling with reading E-books recently so that might be another reason so I might pick this book up physically once it’s published. I really am gutted because I really was excited for it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to the E-ARC of this book.
I was so eagerly anticipating this book. It sounded interesting with anti-gravity aeroships and female pirates! Featuring Scandinavian myths and steampunk elements, I mean, that sounds freaking awesome, doesn’t it?! But sadly I got about 25% through and to be honest I was pushing it at 15% because I was determined I was going to love it. But I didn’t because it confused me with some of the world building (it read as if the ships were on water not in the sky) and the atmosphere was lacking. I have been struggling with reading E-books recently so that might be another reason so I might pick this book up physically once it’s published. I really am gutted because I really was excited for it!
October 16, 2022
3.5⭐
⚓The Perils of Sea and Sky by Lilian Horn is the first book of "Tales from the Red Queen". It is a fantasy/scifi that follows the journey of a ship, the Red Queen, & its crew into an unimaginable adventure across the Grey Veil. There are flying ships, pirates, monsters, trolls & creatures that aren't very friendly.
⚓The book has a strong female protagonist that goes by the name, Captain Drackenheart. She's a brilliant leader who doesn't waver in the face of adversity. She manages her crew & her ship incredibly. I loved her control over herself before anyone else.
⚓It's a fast paced book which is easy & fun to read. The world building isn't too complex. The adventure was really good. By the end you feel your heart beating in your head! I was kinda hooked💕.
⚓The Perils of Sea and Sky by Lilian Horn is the first book of "Tales from the Red Queen". It is a fantasy/scifi that follows the journey of a ship, the Red Queen, & its crew into an unimaginable adventure across the Grey Veil. There are flying ships, pirates, monsters, trolls & creatures that aren't very friendly.
⚓The book has a strong female protagonist that goes by the name, Captain Drackenheart. She's a brilliant leader who doesn't waver in the face of adversity. She manages her crew & her ship incredibly. I loved her control over herself before anyone else.
⚓It's a fast paced book which is easy & fun to read. The world building isn't too complex. The adventure was really good. By the end you feel your heart beating in your head! I was kinda hooked💕.
Read
February 27, 2023Maybe I was not the intended audience for this particular book or maybe my discomfort with the narrator trying to do accents and stammers for some characters was too intense. But I don't think I will be going forward with this one...
First of all, this book started with an "author's note" giving a general description of the world the story is set in. What? What happened to world building? Still, I decided to give it a chance, thinking maybe it's because thats what the story necessitated etc. But no.
After a couple of chapters nothing exciting was happening and the writing was lazy and repetitive. Also, apart from the ships that sailed the sky, nothing gave me that steampunk vibe. So I DNFed it.
First of all, this book started with an "author's note" giving a general description of the world the story is set in. What? What happened to world building? Still, I decided to give it a chance, thinking maybe it's because thats what the story necessitated etc. But no.
After a couple of chapters nothing exciting was happening and the writing was lazy and repetitive. Also, apart from the ships that sailed the sky, nothing gave me that steampunk vibe. So I DNFed it.
September 26, 2023
Lilian Horn has an exciting tale of the Perils of Sea and Sky (paper from Rising Action ) on a world that discovered an anti-gravity material used in flying ships. Rosanne Drackenheart captains a ship that does some smuggling on the side, flying into the fog of the uncharted Grey Veil. Then Nelson Blackwood, a lawyer blackmails her into finding his father’s lost warship, The Retribution of the Royal Aero Navy, that the Navy has given up as lost. But the Red Queen not only finds the missing brigantine, but also the pirates that it had been chasing. Barely surviving the ship drifts to the center fo the Gray Veil, a land where monsters dwell. Very exciting.
November 7, 2024
Stuff happens. It's not well-written stuff and amounts to nothing. Cancer-inducing amount of banter. No hint of theme, personal struggle, or interpersonal conflict. Atrocious prose. The author possesses the marvelous ability to turn flying steam punk pirates into the most boring thing in the world.
November 7, 2022
It was a good read.
April 2, 2023
Great adventure story but stalled out in a lot of spots.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews