“I love you,” he repeated, a determined fire lighting his eyes. “It is one of the worst things I could ever do,” Aldrik confessed. “I swear to the Mother, I have tried not to damn you with it. But you’re a rather persistent, beautiful presence in my life. And, for once, the silver-tongued prince is tired of pretending.”
☀️Slow-burn romance
☀️Elemental magic
☀️Found family
RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
- Air Awakens 🌪️
- Fire Falling 🔥
- Earth’s End 🌳
- Water’s Wrath 🌊
- Crystal Crown 👑
SERIES DESCRIPTION FROM THE PUBLISHER:
A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…
The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.
Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all–the Crown Prince Aldrik–she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.
MY REVIEW:
The entire Air Awakens series does not disappoint. It single-handedly revived my love for reading and escaping to fantasy worlds.
“Even something very small can cast a large shadow when it is close to the sun.”
Elise Kova has the innate ability to showcase raw human emotion within her characters. Because of the length of the series, we as readers get the opportunity to witness Vhalla Yarl’s journey from sheltered naiveness to shattering vulnerability to unwavering courage. This series with its story and characters will honestly take you on such a rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you wanting more. It’s a fantastic immersion of legends, magic, and adventure. And my favorite part of fantasy stories: world building.
The world of Air Awakens, while it does have me reminisce on worlds of Avatar: The Last Airbender or that of the Grishaverse (book series by Leigh Bardugo), it stands alone in its uniqueness. This is not the first fantasy world to use the magic and powers of the elements, but the way that Kova has presented it is fascinating and intriguing. I love that each type of sorcerer has its own affinity of the element and affinity of self (eg. Windwalkers have an affinity for air and an affinity for the mind, while Firebearers have an affinity for fire and an affinity for foresight). Its history connects itself to the legend of how the entire world was built and I love that we get to explore that within the series.
It’s important to mention that Kova’s characters are strong in their own right, but are also full of flaws/imperfections. Aldrik, for example, is known as the most powerful Firebearer in history, even nicknamed the Fire Lord (lol at the A:LTA reference), but he’s often weighed down by his own insecurities and inner darkness. It’s something that’s sprinkled throughout the series and eventually gets pieced together as you read each book. You get to see how this impacts his own character growth and the growth of his relationship with our main heroine/his love interest, Vhalla. Kova has this ability to naturally develop her characters and their journey through each major event, and I’m here for it!
But fair warning, this is the first of many series in the world of Air Awakens. It is a slow-burn and book one will leave you with some unanswered questions…and a little bit of confusion of why a character is the way they are. I promise that it’ll all make sense eventually!! You gotta work for those answers! I also highly recommend continuing on to the Vortex Chronicles that continues the story of the Solaris family.
In conclusion, the Air Awakens series is something you’re not going to want to put down. I find myself, months and months after finishing my first read through, re-reading it all the time. I absolutely loved the series and the world, and it’s a great intro to Elise Kova books!
Stay Magical,
Eri
Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon (storefront link)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Available on Kindle Unlimited
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