Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this audiobook. I’ll be honest. I didn’t really understand what this book was about. Otherwise mostly enjoyable.

I really wanted to enjoy this book and I think if I had read it I would have. However this is the third time I’ve tried to listen to the audiobook. I’ve gotten farther than ever before, 3 1/2 hours in, but here I am the next day and I can’t tell you what happened in that 3 1/2 hours. There’s a captain who’s young, does water magic, and she’s very good at her job. But since were in historical fantastic environment women don’t normally do jobs like that, and that’s a problem. There are other characters mentioned like a girl walking around town and it’s pretty sad that in 3 1/2 hours that’s all I can remember. It’s not the book, I fully believe it’s me and the audiobook. I think if I was reading this book I would better understand and get everything that’s going on. I didn’t think the reader was soothing and maybe that’s why I didn’t pay attention who knows. I still think this book is worth checking out even though the audiobook didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

This book seemed to ramble on and on at the beginning into unnecessary detail. Ended up being a DNF (did not finish) book for me. I just couldn't get invested in the storyline because I spent too much time being confused at what was going on. I also didn't love the narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

DNF @ 52%

I feel bad about putting this audiobook down. There was nothing wrong with this book. My issue was solely a personal preference. I didn't like narrator's "male" voice and I don't mean it as a criticism. I truly believe that very few people will find it bothersome. Unfortunately, I did and it made me not care about the story because every time I'd start to listen to the audiobook, I'd find myself too focused on my annoyance with the voice imitation rather than the actual story.

Thank you to Tantor Audio & RB Media for an audiobook galley!

I was mostly engaged but ultimately gave up listening, I just could not keep up with the narration. I do blame the upswing of the pandemic and my mental state, as it seems like the right kind of read, just the wrong time for me.

We’re going to go with 3.5 stars for this one... I listened to it on audio. The first 3/4 of the book were slow and barely kept my interest. I would find myself zoning out way too often. The characters were confusing in the beginning and I didn’t know what was going on. However once I got 3/4 the way through the last 1/4 was SO GOOD! It was a cute romance (probably why I started paying attention) and it just picked up and kept me interested. If you are a fantasy fan/ action fan you would probably really like this one ... but it fell a little flat for me.

I adored this audiobook! I have had an itch for naval fantasy lately and this was exactly what I needed.

Our captain, Kip, is magical and fierce. Definitely one of my new favorite female characters. I can’t wait to read more of her adventures.

This audiobook unfortunately became background noise at about 20% in for me ; and no matter how much I tried to get into it I ended up failing.

My biggest problems were that I was not much a fan of the writing and the characters weren't interesting enough to capture my attention ; also in some parts it felt extremely slow.

Don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad book per se it had its moments. Unfortunately for me those moments weren't enough to get me invested or to get me to enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this first in a new fantasy series. Pirates, magic, spies, adventure, who could ask for more? I listened the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator a lot. 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 have thoroughly enjoyed Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series (in fact this is one of those series that I want to make the time to re-read and completely catch up on!), so I always keep my eye out for her work. When I read the description of this one - more of a High Fantasy series set on the high seas, I was even more excited! Captain Kit Brightling makes for an interesting heroine - orphaned, aligned to the sea (meaning that she has some innate magical abilities) and trusted by the queen - this first installment is full of adventure while also laying a solid foundation of world-building.

Battles are brewing when an exiled leader starts making moves to regain power at any cost possible. The magical abilities here - and the way that magic as a whole works - feels unique and serves as a sort of easy parallel to environmentalist too. The relationships are solidly built as well - with great dialogue and banter that really adds to the fun of listening to it. The main romance may be a bit predictable - but in the best sort of familiar way. And if the romance follows expected lines, the plot does not and holds some real surprises! The audio is well-performed and I am looking forward to seeing where the series will go next!

The Bright and Breaking Sea is the first book in the Kit Brightling series, written by Chloe Neill and narrated by Danielle Cohen. 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 a well written start to a series I look forward to continuing. Kit is a foundling that has worked hard and become a ship captain and trusted asset to the Queen. Her touch of magic and strong moral compass keep her on task and working hard but she is often underestimated for the very things that make her so successful. Grant is tired of war, and fighting, but would rather be thought of as Coronal than Viscount. When they are thrown together on a tough mission they discover that they might have more in common than they think. I found the information about the history, aspect of magic, and the major players to be well delivered through the entire story. While there are things I certainly want to know more about, I think that is more because of how interesting what we do know is, and my on internal curiosity, rather than missing pieces in the story. While their developing friendship, and the building of characters and setting, are a major part of this book the understanding of the dynamics of magic and the growing danger in the world around them is just as important. This book is more than the sum of its parts, and while there is a great deal going on it all fits together and builds to the promising start of what could be an epic series. Additionally, the inflections from Cohen as narrator really matched the story and helped me get lost in the world.

The Bright and Breaking Sea is a wonderful start to a fantasy series with significant world and character building, as well as surprises, intrigue, and heart.

Hello,

I am sorry for any inconvenience, but I did not get a chance to listen to this audiobook before it was archived. I didn't know audiobooks had archive dates. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this one.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.”

I loved her other books so much. I couldn’t wait to see what she could do with a cast of historical characters.
The story was okay. I liked Kit and Grant. However, the story weaved all over the place. It felt a bit scattered in places.

Author Chloe Neill ("Chicagoland Vampires") has shifted gears into a historical fantasy and adventure novel with Regency-era underpinnings. Set in the Saxon Isles, the novel largely takes place three years after Gerard Rousseau, Emperor of Gallia (a character that is clearly to be Napoleon Bonaparte) has been exiled on Montgraf. Captain Kit Brightling, a foundling raised in a school for talented girls, operates outside the Beau Monde (the not so beautiful aristocratic society) but has risen to her rank helming her fast ship, the Diana. Deftly using water magic (a gift termed 'alignment'), Kit and her small ship can maneuver and outrun larger ships in the fleet. She is, secretly, a special agent for Queen Charlotte, and is rather dismayed when her Queen sends her on a rescue mission with Colonel Rian Grant, one of Lord Sutherland's (Wellington's) officers and also Viscount Queenscliffe. The honorable Viscount doesn't think much of those who are aligned or of sailing off with a woman captain to rescue a former colleague. With both vying to be in charge, they are forced to reevaluate their prejudices in order to sally forth. As they sail to rescue Marcus Dunwood, Kit is dismayed to find that not only does she like Grant more than she would wish, the magic that flows in the ocean has been disturbed and is even absent in some areas, portending great danger.

This was a really enjoyable read and as someone who had read one or two of Neill's Chicagoland books and found them rather forgettable, is a really admirable (as opposed to admiral) departure. The novel flies along and for anyone looking for a Regency-era fantasy, I have to say it's one of the better ones I've read in recent years. I'm looking forward to the next Kit Brightling novel. I'm also looking forward to finding out more about Louisa, Kit's own foundling child.

The audiobook was divertingly narrated by Danielle Cohen.

I received a digital audio review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely an engaging story and quite a departure from much of Neill's other works. Captain Kit is by far the most memorable character. Great sense of mystery, adventure and just a touch of romantic potential. The narrator performed well; however, there could be more differentiation between characters. Overall, listenable and engaging.

Unfortunately, I had to get a new phone when my old one broke and when I downloaded the Netgalley app again, I didn't have this audiobook who was already archived and I couldn't download it a second time to listen to it. I'm disappointed not to be able to read and review this ARC.

A very fun translation of the Regency/Napoleonic naval genre into a more magical universe. The magic system has some interesting aspects nd I can see a climate fiction / industrial revolution / global warming angle coming down the line. The gender politics is less successful; the author chooses to keep strong elements of misogyny present in the culture even when women have been able to rise to major roles in very socially conservative organizations (like the home office or the Navy!). And there's a bit of plot railroading here too; our main characters are sent on every important mission even when they are clearly not suited for it. That said, I LOVE Napoleonic naval fiction, the characters were bright and interesting and fun to root for, and the universe is interesting enough to suspend my disbelief. An enjoyable read.

***3.5 stars rounded up***

Kit Brightling is the captain of the Diana, a small but quick ship that is known for being a courier vessel rather than her actual role as part of the queen's navy. Kit is "aligned" with the sea, touching the magic of the water to help speed her ship's journeys. While out on a mission, Kit and her crew come across an encoded message from an exile which throws the Diana and her crew into a rescue mission with the aid of aristocrat Colonel Grant. The plot to overthrow the monarchy is discovered and Kit and Grant must work together to stop the enemy.

This story is engaging and the characters very likable. Kit is a strong, smart and competent female protagonist and a pleasure to read about. Grant is honorable, attractive, and smart, which makes the slight romance between them obvious from the beginning but that does not detract from the book. It took me some time to actually get invested in the characters and story and by the time it was finished, it was the characters that kept me listening, not the actual plot. It was an enjoyable listen that was light on both violence and romance. A bit of magic, some historical fantasy, and a tinge of romance makes it fun but with enough meat to keep the reader engaged.

Overall, not a must read, but for sure an enjoyable escape.

I've got quite a number of books from Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series but haven't had an opportunity to read any of them yet and didn't have time to catch up on all titles . So I was super excited to get an advanced audiobook copy of The Bright and Breaking Sea, the first book in Ms. Neill's new Captain Kit Brightling series. What a terrific start to the series with great narration by Danielle Cohen! It was an excellent way to be introduced to this author's work.

Kit Brightling, once a foundling, has risen to the ranks as one of the few female captains of the Isles' Crown Command. Not only is she a talented captain, but she also has a magical affinity with the sea - she can do things such as manipulate the seas to make her ship travel extremely fast. Summoned by Queen Charlotte, Kit is given orders to go on a rescue mission at a pirate's enclave. However, she and her crew aren't going alone - Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, a veteran of the Continental War, is also being sent on the mission. Kit is decidedly unhappy with a member of the Beau Monde tagging along, but what the Queen demands... Kit and Grant must overcome their distrust of each other and work together to protect the Isles from a threatened war.

This was a fun, exciting, swashbuckling story! Listening to the audiobook, I could really picture it as a movie in my mind. It was like a re-imagining of England's war against Napolean, with a magical twist. Kit was simply an amazing heroine. Though she was young and female at a time when women didn't have many leadership positions, she was an extremely strong leader and her crew would follow her to the ends of the earth. Grant was also a great hero. Though he was a member of the Beau Monde, he was a fighter in the most brutal battle of the Continental War. He grew to really respect Kit and acknowledged what a fine leader she was. Of course, there was a little bit of romance that I wouldn't mind seeing more of! The supporting cast really enlivened the story. Danielle Cohen, the narrator, did an excellent job with both female and male voices. I found some of the lilting accents absolutely beautiful. I am eagerly awaiting the next volume in this series, and here's hoping the narrator remains the same. I had a blast listening to this adventure!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.