Scan barcode
booksoflore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
shadereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Confinement and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death
Minor: Genocide and War
sarahsbookss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Death
samanthajones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Death, War, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
tieflingreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
The story is very typical "Girl doesn't know she has magic, ends up accidentally using it and a magic-user discovers it, takes her away from her old life in order to train her, etc". One thing I did like; in the Tower of Sorcerers (I might be recalling the name wrong, anyways this is the place where Vhalla is taken to learn how to use her magic), all the different types of magic users get their own differentiating uniforms based on what element they control, similar to Shadow & Bone with the Grisha and their keftas. I just think it adds a small fun detail!
A lot of the characters felt pretty under-developed, other than the main character Vhalla, her love interest, and like one other person who I'm pretty sure is going to be an antagonist of some sort later on.
Another thing I disliked was that the love interest is described as being "no more than 10 years older" than the MC. Vhalla is 17, turns 18 on page. So "no more than 10 years older" could mean that the love interest is 26, flirting with a minor. I know this is a fantasy book and in ye olde times people married minors all the time but it still makes me uncomfortable.
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: War and Adult/minor relationship
ednam0dewannabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Minor: Colonisation, Death of parent, and Slavery
delvie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence and Police brutality
Moderate: Death and Gore
Minor: Medical content
pagebypaigereviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"The girl in her who had never amounted to anything other than an avid reader, now had something that kings killed for."
--Air Awakens
Vhalla Yarl was living her ideal life: apprenticing at the library, surrounded by her beloved books. Those employed at the library are charged with researching potential cures for a poisoned prince. Vhalla works longer and harder than anyone else, and her efforts help spare the prince from certain death. Only, she didn't save the flirtatious, charming prince she imagined she was helping, rather, it was his dark, brooding brother. And now he knows something dangerous about her that she could never be prepared to hear.
Air Awakens is the first book I've read by Elise Kova, and I must say that I am thoroughly hooked! This book kept me up reading late into the night on several occasions. The writing is so easy to read, and whenever I wasn't reading, I was longing to go back into the magic of Vhalla's world. I found Vhalla to be a highly relatable character, and I adored her dynamic with prince Aldric. There are so many lovable (and loathe-able) characters!
The only thing that bothered me was that there were several times that I found the wording a little awkward, but I was so enthralled by the story that it wasn't a huge concern for me. If this book is any indication, Kova is quickly joining my list of favorite authors! I can't wait to read the rest of the series! The best part? They are all free on Kindle Unlimited!
Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: War, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
bailey1196's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
mkmathias's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, and Hate crime
I really liked it as a start to a series. I am giving it 4 stars bc i actually enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite and the action seemed to all happen in the last 5 chapters. Some of the relationships rub me the wrong way but that's to be expected. I'm hoping the next book can bring my rating up for this series as i have high hopes!