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knmaskitten's review against another edition
2.0
It has some major pacing problems, to be frank it gets good in the half of the book and it really doesn’t surpass air awakens or water’s wrath. 2 stars because after the first chapters it does get good.
hopeful125's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 Stars
I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The culmination of the Air Awakens series is here people and I was so not prepared for the end of this journey. Crystal Crowned picks up right where Elise Kova left are beloved characters at the end of Water's Wrath taking them on one heck of a ride within these pages. Vhalla, Aldrik, and the rest face an insurmountable threat and the bonds of love and friendship may not be enough.
I'm so not ready to leave these characters behind. Vhalla has gone through a massive transformation throughout this series. She's learned to trust herself and make the hard choices but she can still rely on others. Actually all of them changed dramatically. Whether it be Aldrik or Jax, Fritz or Elecia. The complexity of these individuals made it so easy to connect and I will miss them terribly.
Elise created such a lush, nuanced world that came alive in my mind, all the while giving us new insights and detail as the story progressed. In Crystal Crowned, our characters traverse most of the Main Continent and we finally get to explore Cyven (The East) for the first time. I love how Kova expanded the setting gradually, it kept these books fresh and exciting. I still want to discover more.
This isn't the end, right? I have become so attached to this series, reading all five books in less than a year. I'm so grateful to have found Elise's writing through the blogging community. She just captured my imagination and emotion with her words, pulling me into the pages. Finishing out her first series, Crystal Crowned shows just how far Elise has come as an author and the bright future that lays on the horizon.
Overall, Crystal Crowned was the perfect end to Elise Kova's Air Awakens series. Vhalla, Aldrik, and their friends have become some of my most favorite characters and Kova totally delivered a satisfying conclusion for them as well as the readers. I will be waiting with bated breath for any other stories she tells in this world and I'm looking forward to The Alchemists of Loom too.
Originally posted on Hopeful Reads
I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The culmination of the Air Awakens series is here people and I was so not prepared for the end of this journey. Crystal Crowned picks up right where Elise Kova left are beloved characters at the end of Water's Wrath taking them on one heck of a ride within these pages. Vhalla, Aldrik, and the rest face an insurmountable threat and the bonds of love and friendship may not be enough.
I'm so not ready to leave these characters behind. Vhalla has gone through a massive transformation throughout this series. She's learned to trust herself and make the hard choices but she can still rely on others. Actually all of them changed dramatically. Whether it be Aldrik or Jax, Fritz or Elecia. The complexity of these individuals made it so easy to connect and I will miss them terribly.
Elise created such a lush, nuanced world that came alive in my mind, all the while giving us new insights and detail as the story progressed. In Crystal Crowned, our characters traverse most of the Main Continent and we finally get to explore Cyven (The East) for the first time. I love how Kova expanded the setting gradually, it kept these books fresh and exciting. I still want to discover more.
This isn't the end, right? I have become so attached to this series, reading all five books in less than a year. I'm so grateful to have found Elise's writing through the blogging community. She just captured my imagination and emotion with her words, pulling me into the pages. Finishing out her first series, Crystal Crowned shows just how far Elise has come as an author and the bright future that lays on the horizon.
Overall, Crystal Crowned was the perfect end to Elise Kova's Air Awakens series. Vhalla, Aldrik, and their friends have become some of my most favorite characters and Kova totally delivered a satisfying conclusion for them as well as the readers. I will be waiting with bated breath for any other stories she tells in this world and I'm looking forward to The Alchemists of Loom too.
Originally posted on Hopeful Reads
brittybuhh's review against another edition
5.0
I would have given this book 5 stars if it had actually wrapped up all ties at the end. It feels like there should be another book because there’s still questions. Overall I was obsessed with this series but am so disappointed that I don’t get to have all of the details because there’s no more story :(
theresa2505's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
yazthebookish's review against another edition
4.0
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Golden wings and suns were emblazoned upon nearly every breast. They looked to her for strength; they believed her wings would never be still, that she really had risen from the dead. It was a mantle she never wanted but had no choice in wearing. There was precious little hope, and, as the giant crystal wall closing the border of South and West came into view, Vhalla knew they needed all the hope they could get."
Crystal Crowned is the epic conclusion to the Air Awakens series. It's events lead up to the Final War. The anticipated climax that will alter the fate of all. The clash of steel, magic and monsters.
Throughout the book, I could not hold myself from mentally chanting in my head Long Live Solaris!, I was dreading every chapter as I flicked through the pages because this concluding book is definitely darker than its predecessors. Blood is spilled, death hovers nearby constantly and hope is shattered to broken pieces.
The characters were amazing, all of them, although the characters already went through excellent character arcs but this book pushes them all to the limit and tests their perseverance. There are personal struggles to overcome and difficult choices to make.
Vhalla's characterization takes a darker turn as we witness her ruthlessness. From a mere library apprentice to a mighty force, Vhalla truly had one of the best character development. She is layered in great traits, reasonable flaws and insecurities and all of this creates a deeper connection between her and me.
In all honesty, I felt a strong connection to all of the characters because of how raw and powerful their emotions were displayed throughout the book. I cared about them all and I was rooting for them. It's such a relief to find that the secondary characters play a role instead of being background characters that offer nothing to the story.
The romance definitely sweeped me off my feet. It had a great balance and the fondness and respect between Vhalla and Aldrik is truly admirable. Both went through so much and overcome so much together and although disagreements happen but it makes their relationships more realistic. They're not a perfect couple, but they are a powerful couple.
There were some many emotional moments that tugged at and shredded my heartstrings. The tension and anticipation kept me on edge and I was very pleased with how this book concluded.
This series will definitely be memorable for me and although I struggled with the first two books, my heart still aches knowing now that I have to part with those wonderful characters.
"Golden wings and suns were emblazoned upon nearly every breast. They looked to her for strength; they believed her wings would never be still, that she really had risen from the dead. It was a mantle she never wanted but had no choice in wearing. There was precious little hope, and, as the giant crystal wall closing the border of South and West came into view, Vhalla knew they needed all the hope they could get."
Crystal Crowned is the epic conclusion to the Air Awakens series. It's events lead up to the Final War. The anticipated climax that will alter the fate of all. The clash of steel, magic and monsters.
Throughout the book, I could not hold myself from mentally chanting in my head Long Live Solaris!, I was dreading every chapter as I flicked through the pages because this concluding book is definitely darker than its predecessors. Blood is spilled, death hovers nearby constantly and hope is shattered to broken pieces.
The characters were amazing, all of them, although the characters already went through excellent character arcs but this book pushes them all to the limit and tests their perseverance. There are personal struggles to overcome and difficult choices to make.
Vhalla's characterization takes a darker turn as we witness her ruthlessness. From a mere library apprentice to a mighty force, Vhalla truly had one of the best character development. She is layered in great traits, reasonable flaws and insecurities and all of this creates a deeper connection between her and me.
In all honesty, I felt a strong connection to all of the characters because of how raw and powerful their emotions were displayed throughout the book. I cared about them all and I was rooting for them. It's such a relief to find that the secondary characters play a role instead of being background characters that offer nothing to the story.
The romance definitely sweeped me off my feet. It had a great balance and the fondness and respect between Vhalla and Aldrik is truly admirable. Both went through so much and overcome so much together and although disagreements happen but it makes their relationships more realistic. They're not a perfect couple, but they are a powerful couple.
There were some many emotional moments that tugged at and shredded my heartstrings. The tension and anticipation kept me on edge and I was very pleased with how this book concluded.
This series will definitely be memorable for me and although I struggled with the first two books, my heart still aches knowing now that I have to part with those wonderful characters.
chiazotam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
reread (2025): I enjoyed this series as a whole. it felt like I was reading it for the first time because I do not remember books.
but also, twins? so what happens? one goes north, and the other remains? both go? most likely one goes. so you’ll split twins for 14 years? what happens after they reunite? this has the capacity to be a whole new series on its own.
jax and elecia? is daniel okay? still reeling from what was done to baldair. too many questions.
indulge me elise!
but also, twins? so what happens? one goes north, and the other remains? both go? most likely one goes. so you’ll split twins for 14 years? what happens after they reunite? this has the capacity to be a whole new series on its own.
jax and elecia? is daniel okay? still reeling from what was done to baldair. too many questions.
indulge me elise!
srirachareadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
tw: miscarriage, death of a loved one, violence/blood
i have this habit of saying "i'm so sad this series is over so soon!" as if i didn't binge them all in two days.
well the air awakens series (or as i affectionately called it, the "three star series" for its painful mediocrity which i can no longer do since i gave this book four stars) ended with an epic conclusion for the ages. it took what i loved from the previous books and got rid of *most* of the issues i had with it. gaby is happy.
a series always impresses me when the characters have developed so considerably to a point where they are unrecognizable to their former selves. vhalla was this shy library girl and now she is a determined strong empress. seeing her character development was one of my favourite things about this series. all the characters, including the ones we lost along the way have nestled their way into my heart. aldrik, jax, baldair, fritz, larel, daniel, the whole gang. they have developed, they have grown, and the question of if their well-being is being compromised has lead to a few very close to crying moments. this series is full of twists and though the books generally start pretty slow, by the time you're halfway shit begins to hit the fan. (lots of emotions beware.)
the one thing i particularly disliked was how they dealt with the. the experience was treated more as a blessing in disguise, and "it's a nightmare we'll forget about". the way it was handled really bothered me, especially since something that has affected many people i know and love. it's not something you just forget about, and it should also not be used as an easy solution to a problem you've introduced to your book.
overall as negative as my reviews have been, i do genuinely enjoy this series and the emotional twists and loveable characters will stick by me. if the series have peaked your interest (or you wanna know what these books are about because you've been seeing me spam your feed with this series the past few days) i would definitely recommend you pick them up!
i have this habit of saying "i'm so sad this series is over so soon!" as if i didn't binge them all in two days.
well the air awakens series (or as i affectionately called it, the "three star series" for its painful mediocrity which i can no longer do since i gave this book four stars) ended with an epic conclusion for the ages. it took what i loved from the previous books and got rid of *most* of the issues i had with it. gaby is happy.
a series always impresses me when the characters have developed so considerably to a point where they are unrecognizable to their former selves. vhalla was this shy library girl and now she is a determined strong empress. seeing her character development was one of my favourite things about this series. all the characters, including the ones we lost along the way have nestled their way into my heart. aldrik, jax, baldair, fritz, larel, daniel, the whole gang. they have developed, they have grown, and the question of if their well-being is being compromised has lead to a few very close to crying moments. this series is full of twists and though the books generally start pretty slow, by the time you're halfway shit begins to hit the fan. (lots of emotions beware.)
the one thing i particularly disliked was how they dealt with the
Spoiler
miscarriageoverall as negative as my reviews have been, i do genuinely enjoy this series and the emotional twists and loveable characters will stick by me. if the series have peaked your interest (or you wanna know what these books are about because you've been seeing me spam your feed with this series the past few days) i would definitely recommend you pick them up!
lunelis's review against another edition
4.0
Copying over my July 2016 review from amazon
As the final book of a series five installments long, writing this review is both a relief and a satisfaction, but there is also a note of melancholy at knowing this story has concluded and that the author may not return to this literary universe for some time if ever again. Still, by the fact that I made it this far after only having started reading the series five days ago, it should be obvious that I, overall, liked this series quite a bit, and by my rating, it should be apparent I found this book to be a pleasure as well.
To get it out of the way, as with the other four books, the writing and character development and storytelling and world building are all wonderful and there is no doubt that Elise Kova is a talented author who, by some insane magic of willpower and talent, managed to write five books all between 300 and 400 pages each and have them published within a few months of each other with such amazing cover art and editing work. There is no inherent flaw to the series that ever repulsed me even if I wasn't gripped the whole time and this book follows that. I finished it off in a single setting over the course of about seven hours and overall feel content and satisfied with the turn of events.
Though, like with the last one, my rating dropped a star because I felt like the series began to drag a little bit and a lot of it was slow and dedicated to build-up with only the last 60 pages or so being dedicated to battles and what not. The rating also dropped a little because there were enough scenes where the author did wrote Vhalla as being very reckless and obdurate for the sake of trying to drive home how strong she is as a character (note: strong character =/= physically powerful) that I rolled my eyes a bit and felt my liking of the book sour a little. Like, there's one scene where she has no magic and is in no shape to fight yet she's all "Get me a sword I don't need any protection" as if accepting help when she's not at her best would make her into a helpless weakling. It was weird, but at least we have more moments where she's behaving fine than moments where she's like a child going "No! I'm independent! I do what I want! No help from anyone!" Though outside of this there was no other real point of complaint from me.
Overall, a good finale to the tale. We wrap up all the goals that we as readers identified as we went along and the ending allows the readers to look towards the future of the character's with hope. I was expecting this book to be a bit different, I think I was a little disappointed at how quickly some matters were resolved and how some things dragged on a little, but not enough for me to dissuade anyone from trying the series, though I think the kindle versions are the best option for buying. I bought physical copies in spite of the steep prices to show my support for a fledgling author who I saw had skill and good taste in artists, but if you just want to read the story without this in mind just go for the e-book version.
I'm both happy I'm finished and wrapped up with the series, but sad to see if end. I don't think I have any regrets in regards to reading this series even though some things weren't as I expected. My final thoughts are that this was a very good romantic-fantasy series for an older YA audience (16+) and definitely something that ample time, thought, talent, and effort went into.
As the final book of a series five installments long, writing this review is both a relief and a satisfaction, but there is also a note of melancholy at knowing this story has concluded and that the author may not return to this literary universe for some time if ever again. Still, by the fact that I made it this far after only having started reading the series five days ago, it should be obvious that I, overall, liked this series quite a bit, and by my rating, it should be apparent I found this book to be a pleasure as well.
To get it out of the way, as with the other four books, the writing and character development and storytelling and world building are all wonderful and there is no doubt that Elise Kova is a talented author who, by some insane magic of willpower and talent, managed to write five books all between 300 and 400 pages each and have them published within a few months of each other with such amazing cover art and editing work. There is no inherent flaw to the series that ever repulsed me even if I wasn't gripped the whole time and this book follows that. I finished it off in a single setting over the course of about seven hours and overall feel content and satisfied with the turn of events.
Though, like with the last one, my rating dropped a star because I felt like the series began to drag a little bit and a lot of it was slow and dedicated to build-up with only the last 60 pages or so being dedicated to battles and what not. The rating also dropped a little because there were enough scenes where the author did wrote Vhalla as being very reckless and obdurate for the sake of trying to drive home how strong she is as a character (note: strong character =/= physically powerful) that I rolled my eyes a bit and felt my liking of the book sour a little. Like, there's one scene where she has no magic and is in no shape to fight yet she's all "Get me a sword I don't need any protection" as if accepting help when she's not at her best would make her into a helpless weakling. It was weird, but at least we have more moments where she's behaving fine than moments where she's like a child going "No! I'm independent! I do what I want! No help from anyone!" Though outside of this there was no other real point of complaint from me.
Overall, a good finale to the tale. We wrap up all the goals that we as readers identified as we went along and the ending allows the readers to look towards the future of the character's with hope. I was expecting this book to be a bit different, I think I was a little disappointed at how quickly some matters were resolved and how some things dragged on a little, but not enough for me to dissuade anyone from trying the series, though I think the kindle versions are the best option for buying. I bought physical copies in spite of the steep prices to show my support for a fledgling author who I saw had skill and good taste in artists, but if you just want to read the story without this in mind just go for the e-book version.
I'm both happy I'm finished and wrapped up with the series, but sad to see if end. I don't think I have any regrets in regards to reading this series even though some things weren't as I expected. My final thoughts are that this was a very good romantic-fantasy series for an older YA audience (16+) and definitely something that ample time, thought, talent, and effort went into.
lunelis's review
4.0
View my original 2016 review hereon the paperback edition
I expressed a level of melancholy last time, believing it uncertain if the author would ever return to this literary universe, but, knowing what I know now, it's quite clear that the sequel series was always in the plans, as there are simply too many instances written into the foundation here for them to have been unintentional connections to the larger connecting story arc. Also, a third series set in the world of Air Awakens is soon to be released so, the concerns in 2016 were quite unwarranted.
Crystal Caged, while an overall good read and good finale, wasn't my favorite. I think it's about neck and neck with Water's Wrath, though it has a much more appealing cover. I felt like a lot of the book was repetitive and that sections of the text could have been cut free without much loss to any of the character arcs or plots.
Also, the series does get more NA in feeling as it progresses, maturing with Vhalla, which I can appreciate. I think if you were put off by here in Air Awakens you'd like her more in Crystal Crowned (though at times I was still a bit put off her with reactions to some things; like, we've done this dance before, you shouldn't be acting like this, it's nothing new).
Not much else to say. While there are lots of sweet moments with Aldrick and Vhalla, they are often so tinged with them being angst-filled or something that I wasn't as into them as I had been prior. I'm satisfied with things as they stand.
Since the sequel series revisits this story line during their daughter's life about ~17 years later, I have been a bit hesitant to start it, as I worry it will retroactively affect who Vhalla and Aldrick are. I've seen it happen before where a sequel or spin-off featuring protagonists from an earlier series does a character assassination for tension or something, so I hope this is avoided when I pick up the next books, but, seeing as I have my hands on the entire Vortex Visions series, I will take the leap.
Stay tuned.
I expressed a level of melancholy last time, believing it uncertain if the author would ever return to this literary universe, but, knowing what I know now, it's quite clear that the sequel series was always in the plans, as there are simply too many instances written into the foundation here for them to have been unintentional connections to the larger connecting story arc. Also, a third series set in the world of Air Awakens is soon to be released so, the concerns in 2016 were quite unwarranted.
Crystal Caged, while an overall good read and good finale, wasn't my favorite. I think it's about neck and neck with Water's Wrath, though it has a much more appealing cover. I felt like a lot of the book was repetitive and that sections of the text could have been cut free without much loss to any of the character arcs or plots.
Also, the series does get more NA in feeling as it progresses, maturing with Vhalla, which I can appreciate. I think if you were put off by here in Air Awakens you'd like her more in Crystal Crowned (though at times I was still a bit put off her with reactions to some things; like, we've done this dance before, you shouldn't be acting like this, it's nothing new).
Not much else to say. While there are lots of sweet moments with Aldrick and Vhalla, they are often so tinged with them being angst-filled or something that I wasn't as into them as I had been prior. I'm satisfied with things as they stand.
Since the sequel series revisits this story line during their daughter's life about ~17 years later, I have been a bit hesitant to start it, as I worry it will retroactively affect who Vhalla and Aldrick are. I've seen it happen before where a sequel or spin-off featuring protagonists from an earlier series does a character assassination for tension or something, so I hope this is avoided when I pick up the next books, but, seeing as I have my hands on the entire Vortex Visions series, I will take the leap.
Stay tuned.
maias_portable_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0