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ishikawa_sachi's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been a while since I’ve read YA!
And I really enjoyed this first installment in this series :) The premise isn’t new: a mix of the supernatural in the real world, elemental powers, telepathy, and a romantic interest… And yet it was refreshing and I couldn’t put the book down.
The plot is engaging, not overly complicated so that newer readers to the world (all of us who’ve just started) won’t be confused, yet organized enough that we know this had all been thought through. There are few characters, but all of them memorable – maybe I would’ve liked to see the father a bit more (and Andre!) but I felt all characters got the attention they deserved and yet we still have room to learn about them in future books.
What surprised me the most (in a very good way) was Aileen. She’s smart, quick, and honest – and thank god she’s not a high school student. Aileen’s an academic, she’s disciplined, and this works in her favor. Personally, FMCs (especially written in 1st POV) make me squint in suspicion, but Aileen’s stable and strong, and engaging enough to make readers want to follow her without getting exasperated (except with Colin, lol). What I liked the most was how she recognized her own vulnerabilities, breaking with the Mary Sue trope of 1) damsel in distress or 2) super powerful woman who isn’t human because women are people thank-you-very-much. She’s a healthy middle, stubborn to see things through like an adult, and young enough to let the pros handle things when she’s having a breakdown.
Ah, but I must admit whom I liked most were the male characters. Colin is sweet, a bit Gary Stu, but with faults of his own. Keenan, though, whoa. He’s so impressive, contemplative, but still human enough to fret when things go south. And I must admit I have a crush on Andre, and I’m looking forward to reading more about him (please tell me he’ll be baaack!).
All in all, it’s a great ride and I can’t wait to keep reading!!
And I really enjoyed this first installment in this series :) The premise isn’t new: a mix of the supernatural in the real world, elemental powers, telepathy, and a romantic interest… And yet it was refreshing and I couldn’t put the book down.
The plot is engaging, not overly complicated so that newer readers to the world (all of us who’ve just started) won’t be confused, yet organized enough that we know this had all been thought through. There are few characters, but all of them memorable – maybe I would’ve liked to see the father a bit more (and Andre!) but I felt all characters got the attention they deserved and yet we still have room to learn about them in future books.
What surprised me the most (in a very good way) was Aileen. She’s smart, quick, and honest – and thank god she’s not a high school student. Aileen’s an academic, she’s disciplined, and this works in her favor. Personally, FMCs (especially written in 1st POV) make me squint in suspicion, but Aileen’s stable and strong, and engaging enough to make readers want to follow her without getting exasperated (except with Colin, lol). What I liked the most was how she recognized her own vulnerabilities, breaking with the Mary Sue trope of 1) damsel in distress or 2) super powerful woman who isn’t human because women are people thank-you-very-much. She’s a healthy middle, stubborn to see things through like an adult, and young enough to let the pros handle things when she’s having a breakdown.
Ah, but I must admit whom I liked most were the male characters. Colin is sweet, a bit Gary Stu, but with faults of his own. Keenan, though, whoa. He’s so impressive, contemplative, but still human enough to fret when things go south. And I must admit I have a crush on Andre, and I’m looking forward to reading more about him (please tell me he’ll be baaack!).
All in all, it’s a great ride and I can’t wait to keep reading!!
setaian's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
Aileen is a water elemental whose job is to protect the oceans. After a ship mysteriously sinks taking with it the entire crew and the cargo, mysterious things start happening in her small coastal community. When people come into contact with a strange coral like substance found on the body of one of the sailors, they seem to go insane.
Adding to her troubles, an evil alchemist is determined to get the cargo for himself and he's decided that she is in the way.
Together with Colin, a sailor with the Coast Guard, she needs to find the cargo and stop it from falling into the wrong hands.
Elemental Magic is like those old fashioned adventure novels I used to read as a child. It reminded me a little of an Alistair Maclean novel. No sex, no bad language, just a good straightforward good versus evil adventure.
Moderate violence.
No bad language
No Sex
Aileen is a water elemental whose job is to protect the oceans. After a ship mysteriously sinks taking with it the entire crew and the cargo, mysterious things start happening in her small coastal community. When people come into contact with a strange coral like substance found on the body of one of the sailors, they seem to go insane.
Adding to her troubles, an evil alchemist is determined to get the cargo for himself and he's decided that she is in the way.
Together with Colin, a sailor with the Coast Guard, she needs to find the cargo and stop it from falling into the wrong hands.
Elemental Magic is like those old fashioned adventure novels I used to read as a child. It reminded me a little of an Alistair Maclean novel. No sex, no bad language, just a good straightforward good versus evil adventure.
Moderate violence.
No bad language
No Sex
cathepsut's review against another edition
2.0
The heroin was a little too naive for my liking and for me the story lacked suspense. The big, bad villain was a little flat and not very scary -- I would have wished for more of a backstory of the supernatural powers and politics of this world. I found the combination of Greek mythology and Christian faith a little strange. The romance was lukewarm.
Considering that this is a self-published novel that I got for free through the Kindle Lending Library, it is still a solid story with likeable characters.
Considering that this is a self-published novel that I got for free through the Kindle Lending Library, it is still a solid story with likeable characters.
delphinbella's review
4.0
I loved the blending mythologies in this book. Cetus, the Nereids, Elementals and Alchemists mixed all together with a few other magical elements to create a fun, fast-paced ride on the coast! Aileen is a very real character who often lets her own feelings and desires get the best of her, and the relationships between the cast of characters is great.
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