Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I enjoyed Neill's new series starter, which combines historical fiction with delightful fantasy and a thrilling heist plot. I look forward to reading more novels in this series!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

3.5 STARS for a swashbuckling, nonstop adventure from beginning to end!

But why rounded down, you may ask? As much as I've been a fan of Neill's Chicagoland series and writing, I think I've moved on from her style. It's objectively good, and Neill writes great characters like Kit and Rian and all of Kit's crew members, has created a vast setting of open seas, and details intricate ship manuevers in an all-encompassing way. And yet, I finished the book with dissatisfaction. I just felt like Kit's adventures were one after the other, and the highlight of action without any clear resolution (or stakes, for that matter) got tiring.

I can see this series playing out like a Netflix show, where each small adventure in the book is a new episode. But even though Neill did well in sharing the backgrounds of our characters and the diverse cast of supporting characters, I wanted more from Kit. Kit's strong and steady as a ship mast, always with words of wisdom and smart moves despite other ship captains looking down at her because of her gender. I really liked her character, although I thought her too perfect at times. Which was fine! But not as, I guess, EXCITING since it doesn't feel like growth. Just her kicking *ss the whole time. Every time Kit and Rian were done with an adventure, another mission would pop back up. It was never-ending, even until the actual end of the book.

While THE BRIGHT AND BREAKING SEA delivers on its promise of a sweeping journey across seas with likable characters, it feels a bit lacking in depth. Again, not bad at all when you're looking for a light and fun adventure, but there's something missing in the equation that stopped me from fully enjoying it. Maybe because it was TOO light: light in stakes, in characterization, in the romance, in the familial bonds that Kit has, and even the surprise when the antagonist/spy was revealed felt... unimportant. Just light.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the review copy!

DNF - did not finish. I could not connect with the writing style/plot so I decided to not pick this one up. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy!

I loved seeing how Neill translated Napoleanic/Regency/naval/maritime into fantasy! It's an entertaining read with a storyline that wrapped up nicely but still has room for a sequel down the line. A sequel I would def read!

I'm a big fan of Chloe Neill. PERIOD. But even I was a little nervous about this book. I loved her Chicagoland Vampires and Heirs of Chicagoland series. I just didn't want to have high expectations and be disappointed if it didn't deliver. But, y'know. I had nothing to worry about. I was a little skeptical, but also intrigued by the premise of the book. An orphan girl works her way up the ranks to be a captain in Queen Charlotte's naval fleet. Kit Brightling is a scrappy, go-getter with a magical affinity for the sea. Yup, there's magic involved. Kit is someone I would love to be friends with. She's smart, a little sarcastic, loves to read, and down for a fistfight. Despite her age, she's a well-rounded character who knows who she is, what she's good at, and just living her best life. Kit gets a job that she can not refuse. Enter Rian Grant, a nobleman with naval experience who underestimates Kit and her abilities from the moment they met. Gradually, he and Kit come to develop an understanding and a partnership. I really appreciate the groundwork it takes for relationships to build. I especially liked the camaraderie and trust that Kit and her crew have for each other.

This book reminded me of this book I once read in middle school. The book was called The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. The two share certain elements that sparked my memory. While TTCoCD was about a young lady from the peerage traveling by ship and becoming part of the crew under a cruel captain, it was the ending that I remembered. After reuniting with her family, Charlotte runs away from home and goes back to live on the ship, minus the cruel captain. Charlotte felt more at home with the crew than with her own family. Anyway, the crews' relationship with one another reminded me of that. And of course, there's plenty of swashbuckling to be had. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how invested I became in the story, but seriously, why was I surprised? It's Chloe Neill, she's the best. Like any good author, her worldbuilding is top-notch and not too over the top. I know nothing of nautical terminology and sailing, but Chloe enough to give us a sense of the ship, but not too much to be technical. Overall, Chloe Neill hit this out of the park. I can't wait to see what the next book will be. Kudos Chloe! 4.5 stars!

Chloe Neil surprises with this one. Unexpected, yet I literally could not put it down. I love the worlds she builds.

I really liked how Neill reached outside of her comfort zone. A regency fantasy novel instead of an urban fantasy is really great. This books shows that she has range and can do other things. Side note. When i went to mark it on Goodreads I saw a lot of people were disappointed/hoping it was an LGBTQIA+ novel. This bothers me, not because I don't want them to have representation but because they feel like they can dictate to the author. Please let the author tell her story with out forming preconceived notions just because of the cover.

Utterly delightful!! Kit and her crew are a joy to cheer for, and fear for. This seafaring voyage is a (not so subtle) nod to Napoleon but with a dose of magic throw in for good measure. From stowaways, traitors, young queens, old advisors, and a budding sarcastic romance there is something for everyone who enjoys a good frolic at sea with a spunky, smart, and sassy female captain.

Plot
The Bright and Breaking Sea is a lighter fantasy novel with an easy to follow plot. I really liked how Chloe Neill has taken what is a complex world of magic and given the reader exactly what they need to follow this first book in her series. We don't need all the nitty gritty details of the magic at this point (and frankly our characters don't really understand the magic either), and the political maneuvering doesn't require us to know every nuance that happened in the past to understand the current situation. Instead Neill choose to tell us what we really need to know. It certainly helps that the book is obviously inspired by Napoleon and his imprisonment; but I didn't feel like anything was given away knowing this connection early.

Characters
Our leading lady Kit is absolutely wonderful. She is the kind of woman I wish I could be. Tough yet clever, strong yet compassionate, and full of fun sarcastic quips. Her (begrudging) partner in doing the queens bidding is a viscount whom wants to be anywhere else than on a boat from the beginning. These two have a wonderful rapport that shows how opposites can attract. Supporting characters include a young girl, a brash cook, a first mate with a family on shore, and many other diverse char
Where Robin Hobb's [book:Ship of Magic|45100] is complex and dense (but absolutely one of my fave series ever) and [book:The Edge of the World|6014190]from Kevin J. Anderson is intertwined in politics and religion (another great series); Kit's world is one that could easily be visited anytime without too much initial investment. A great introduction to fantasy, or break for those of us who read a lot of dense material, while still having all the best attributes of a good fantasy series.
I hope to see book 2 on the horizon soon as I cannot wait to enter this fast paced world and its enamouring characters again.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the premise is promising! You have a young female sea Captain in service to her queen, there’s magic, adventure....a little reluctant colleagues to lovers? Seems like a recipe for an invigorating read!

On the other hand, the execution was rather....dull. I’m not really sure how a book manages to be so quick paced, and yet drags. We get a lot of plot exposition...lots of talking but not a lot of doing. For example...Kit will be given an assignment from the Queen, the conversation will go on forever, but when Kit actually goes in to execute the plan, it just breezes by with very little to show for it!

I was hoping for a little more intrigue. Despite the fact that we’re in a magical universe, there is still somehow a debate on the validity of magic...and apparently sexism and agism are still at large, but I guess there has to be conflict SOMEWHERE.

The romance aspect also leaves much to be desired. I wouldn’t even call it a slow burn, since the characters don’t even acknowledge feelings by the end of the book. Just some sexual tension with no payoff. For a book aimed at adults, I was hoping for...more.

The book had its moments where it earns a chuckle, but honestly, I found it a bit lacking. It ends on a cliffhanger and while I’m a bit curious with how it progresses. I’m not in a hurry for the next one.

The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill, Adventurous and Bold
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....

“The Bright and Breaking Sea” is an adventurous and bold beginning to a new series featuring the character Kit Brightling, captain in Queen Charlotte’s fleet. Chloe Neill has woven a tale of the high seas that avoids the boring parts and jumps you straight into the adventure and intrigue. Both the main characters, Kit Brightling and Rian Grant, are complex and interesting with views sometimes at odds with one another even as they are ordered to work together for the good of Queen and the Isles. And each character has a purpose to the story, one that unfolds as their adventure unfolds. While the first in a new series, this novel jumps straight into the story to allow the reader to get to know the characters as they plunge directly into action.
While I’m not familiar with Chloe Neill’s other works, I did think dropping right to the action was the perfect way to introduce the characters and I liked the complexity of the various personalities introduced in the novel. While the full cast is big, you quickly can identify the cast as you go along and each becomes more interesting.
I also loved that the Isles feels like Great Britain but with a different political climate and the introduction of magic. The magic introduced is called Alignment and Kit is one, Aligned with the sea which creates some unexpected scenes and adds to the action. The magic itself has prices and the use of which is restricted. Even more interesting are the slight portrayal of magic in building machines adding a Steampunk flavor to the story without being overdone.
The plot also builds on the relationship between Kit and Rian Grant, demonstrating the power struggle that two strong and independent people will have when forced to work together but also evolving that relationship into friendship and respect. The author deftly weaves in feminism and independence as Kit view with misogynistic fellow captains. The story never lets up as Kit and her crew deal with treachery and fighting on the high seas.
If you love tales of adventure and action with a hint of romance along the way, this is one you may want to read, especially as the beginning of the series. I can’t wait to read more of Kit’s adventures and more from Chloe Neill.
5 out of 5 sails

I LOVED this book!

I wasn't sure what to expect but when I hopped into this book I fell in love almost instantly! To me, it reminded me of a mix between Fable, Daughter of the Pirate King, and (in some ways) Shadow and Bone? Also a little Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't know...but I am HERE for it!

I love Kit as a main character! She's an awesome sea captain but she also has an alignment with the ocean in a world where magic has its consequences. I loved the world building and the way magic was a part of life but not used just to get them out of hard spots.

I liked the slow going of the romance as well - I felt it was just right and a little enemies to lovers (my favorite troupe) without being over the top.

I am soooo looking forward to the second book in this series!!

My rating: 5*

—-
I received an arc of this book from the publisher awhile ago and finally got to read it. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Captain Kit Brightling has been forging a promising career as a member of the Isles’ Crown Command. Her supernatural command of the sea, combined with undaunting determination, has made her a rising young star in the field. She’s young, energetic, and determined to prove her worth in the male-dominated sphere. Nothing has come easily to Kit, raised as an orphan by her adventurous benefactor Hetta and Kit’s resentment of the “Beau Monde”, the realm’s privileged class is clear: “its members born into extraordinary wealth and primarily concerned, at least in Kit’s experience, with their own comfort and ease.” When Queen Charlotte commands Kit to team with Colonel Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, a member of the Beau Monde, resentment simmers.

The Bright and Breaking Sea is a wholly entertaining fantasy adventure, marking the start of a very special series. Kit and Rian make a remarkable team evolving from frosty colleagues to reluctant partners, to something more. Neill builds a rich fantasy realm while commenting on contemporary concerns such as gender and class equality. Her characters are rich and varied. The action, adventure, and slow-burn romance are set against building political tension sure to propel the action of this series for installments to come.

Kit is a fresh, forthright female main determined to maintain her independence: “I’ve a negative view of the requirements that women play at being helpless to attract a wealthy man, and exchange meaningful activity to become accessories, like a soft ug or charming vase once married.” She is eventually forced to confront her own judgements against Grant and his birthright when he proves to be as focussed and determined as she.

I had a legitimate book hangover after concluding The Bright and Breaking Sea. I anxiously anticipate future installments. Fans of fantasy adventure will appreciate this thoughtful, entertaining read. I look forward to the unfolding of political espionage of the Isles and beyond. I am hopeful the other girls of Brightling house, as well as their intriguing sponsor Hetta, will feature in coming installments.

Once again, what’s up with all the sea captain/naval/pirate themed fantasy books lately? I am definitely not complaining because it turns out I adore this strangely prevalent sub-genre, but it’s kind of odd! The Bright and Breaking Sea is another book I’m sad I waited so long to read because it definitely deserved release-day hype. It was so good and so charming!

Kit Brightling has become a successful ship’s captain in Her Royal Majesty’s navy, though most think she’s nothing more than a courier. Kit is in fact vitally important and does special missions on behalf of the queen, ofttimes involving espionage. When a spy must be recovered from enemy hands, Kit is paired with Rian Grant, the Viscount Queenscliffe. They don’t take an immediate liking to one another but over the course of the book they find they have a great deal of respect for one another and perhaps even a bit more. Yes, there is a well executed and delightful budding relationship in this book too! Don’t let that spook you if you’re not a romance fan – it’s not a big part of the story.

Kit Brightling is such an awesome main character!! I just loved her! She was adopted at a young age and has a number of adoptive sisters at the Brightling house, all of whom are quite different. One makes pocket sized explosives for Kit to take on missions and another has her eyes set on marrying a nobleman, while others are still but young girls. Rian Grant is an admirable (if sometimes prickly) former soldier who recently inherited his family estate and the burden of their debt. He’s handsome of course, but most importantly he actually learns to respect a female ship captain in her domain.

The setting is heavily inspired by the Napoleonic Wars and the ‘bad guy’ has been exiled to his remote island but is recruiting sympathizers to make a comeback. I love alt-historical fantasy and this was a compelling tale. Gerard Rousseau (our Napoleonic bad guy) has people manipulating the magical currents to further his own designs. Kit, Rian, and crew must stop him before he can disrupt the magic further and cause untold devastation.

The Bright and Breaking Sea was a fine adventure, with the perfect amount of romance, action, and intrigue. I will most definitely be continuing on with this series (with much enthusiasm!) and I have a new author to add to my potential favorites list.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is such an insanely fun read! It’s the story of Kit, an orphan turned ship’s captain and secret agent, as she fights pirates and enemies in the name of the Queen. Set in a historic fantasy world that almost resembles our own, the story is full of fabulous characters, thrilling action scenes, and a little bit of magic.

Kit is my new favourite leading lady. An orphan with a chip on her shoulder, Kit is formidable, competent, and highly entertaining. I love her adopted family as much as the sailors she leads and I love her tumultuous relationship with Rian.

While there is a hint of romance in this story, the focus is on the action. Kit works directly for her queen as a secret agent of sorts. I love Kit’s adventures and the exuberant battle scenes. There’s a sense of fun behind her brave escapades that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a book that completely rewrites and defies genre. It is almost fantasy, almost historic fiction, almost a romance, almost a comedy, and almost an action thriller. It is none of these things and all of these things. It will take some time for readers to fully engage with Kit’s world, though much of the history is loosely borrowed from early 19th century Europe. This feels like the start to a new series and I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book. This is a completely new side of Chloe Neil – but it is definitely a great read.


Erica – ☆☆☆
The Bright and Breaking Sea is the first in a new series by Chloe Neill.

I need to be quite frank, I struggled for months to read the beginning portion of the novel. I wasn't hooked at all. I would barely make it a page before my eyes crossed. This happened several times per week, attempting to persevere.

The reason is because it felt as if I was dropped in the middle of the second or third book in a series, amid a major event that was occurring on page, and I had no idea who these people were, what they were doing there, where they were going, or how they got there in the first place.

It was a majorly confusing beginning with zero hook for me. I wasn't eased into it, just dropped into a ship and expected to float. Battles are info-dumped as if I read them in real time during the last installment. A mass of characters are spoken about as if I know who they are and what they mean to the main character.

To be honest, time and time again, I got frustrated and just closed the book. I was unsure of what I just read needed to be retained, like I was reading a textbook and should take notes for later.

I was at a precipice where I either just gave up or gave in. Being that Chloe Neill tops my all-time favorite list, I gave in. What does that even mean, I skimmed past it, retained or not didn't matter.

In my quest to be completely honest, I struggled to stop skimming. The issues didn't abate for me. I never fully connected to the storyline because I was always inundated with too much information, unsure what I needed to retain. Chaos, because there wasn't much downtime for me to digest what was happening on the pages before Kit was yet again thrust into more action.

I like to think myself as intelligent, hoping it was my mood at the time. Being that I struggled for months, at least twenty or more attempts to finish the novel... overall, I just felt it was too complicated, no easing into the information, the setting, or the characters.

Kit was exactly my favorite type of heroine. Strong and capable and loyal, deeply emotional but doesn't let anyone in. A strong role model. Add in pirates and ships and adventuring and forbidden romance and political intrigue and magic, it should have been a page-turner for me.

I just couldn't connect with the story, and that truly upsets me. I wanted to love it. I so badly wanted a new series by Neill that I'd be just as hooked with as Chicagoland and its spin-off. Sadly, that wasn't the case. In the future, I'll attempt a reread, hoping by then my view of the story will change.

Definitely recommend readers check out The Bright and Breaking Sea, assuming responsibility that it just wasn't for me.

A jolly fun tale of high seas adventure when a young captain and a war-hardened viscount must band together to stop a traitor from leading them back into war. I look forward to book two.

Well, that was a boatload of fun! I was very excited to pick up The Bright and Breaking Sea 1) THAT COVER 2) a lady captain 3) historical fiction goodness! Plus, it came highly recommended from a close friend, so I wasn't going to resist. As expected, this book was very entertaining and a lot of that had to do with the endearing protagonist, Kit. Kit has worked up her way through the ranks and plays an important role to the Queen. Her latest orders have her teaming up with Rian Grant, an intense and quiet viscount, to rescue a captured spy and to gain intelligence on an exiled emperor. This task takes them on a perilous, swashbuckling journey across the sea on Kit's ship. We also learn of Kit's magical affinities tied to the powers of sea on this adventure. The world-building in The Bright and Breaking Sea was introduced fairly slowly which I appreciated, with the author providing just enough to keep me knowledgeable of the world. There's still much to learn about the magic-laced historical setting presented in this book and I'm quite eager to learn more, especially about the foundling house. There's also a budding romance between Kit and Rian. They don't start off on the right foot since they come from very different worlds and have misconceptions about each other. There was some good banter between them and there's just enough here to satisfy me as a romance reader. I am definitely hoping the sequel will be more romance-driven. If you like slow-burn fantasies with interesting characters, magic, and political intrigue, I highly recommend this one.

I picked up this book mainly because of the cover- the colors and artwork are absolutely stunning, but I was also very intrigued to read about pirates, magic, spies, adventure, who could ask for more?

Kit Brighling is a foundling, unaware of her own history, who was found and raised by a woman who recognized her strengths including having an affinity to water. She’s now a captain in the Queen’s navy and given a secret mission the only complication is being paired with a Vicount, one of the elite. Their adventures are fun and there is a hint of romance but it fits well with the story. I can’t wait to read more and would love to get to know Kit’s family a little better.

I love that in the end, there is a lesson of self worth, friendship, and found family- it was emotional. I really wish that the pace of this book was a tad faster, but overall I thought the world/ kingdom that Neill built was interesting and extensive. I don’t really know what to compare this book to, but if you like full fleshed fantasy worlds, this book is definitely for you!

Where to start, I loved finding Chloe Neill’s pen again, she’s going into a new register, no more vampires and no more faes. Here we are with Kit Brightling the Captain of a ship in the service of the Queen. She will have to solve mysteries, protect her crew, save a spy with the help of a viscount. There are also pirates, attacks on the sea, villains and treachery.

This first book sets up the story, we discover the characters, to which we quickly become attached.

Kit is a young girl who loves her job, she loves her crew, she knows how to lead it. She also knows how to stand up to other people who may criticize her, either because she is a woman or because she has an affinity with magic. I liked her character very much, she has a good repartee but she also knows how to recognize her wrongs.

Viscount Grant is a member of the Beau Monde, therefore Kit from the beginning doesn’t like him, she has a vision of the Beau Monde which is quite simple, they are all arrogant and contemptuous. However Grant will make her discover that there can be exceptions. He is charming, at least not at the beginning, but as they travel together, they will learn to trust and respect each other.

The secondary characters are very interesting too, whether it is Jin, Jane, Hetta or all the others. The story is interesting too and I can’t wait to read the next book to find out where Grant and Kit and the crew of the Diana will go. I can’t wait to finally meet the villain in the story and find out what the magic is going to do.

Chloe Neill’s style is always enjoyable, the romance develops slowly, the characters are endearing and the story promises to be a great adventure.

Quick Word: If you like stories that take place mainly on the seas, with pirates and adventure, this book is for you.