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alinka_spe's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Suicide attempt, War, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
ireesecups's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
So many twists and such a cliff hanger ending....literally.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death, Grief, Blood, and Bullying
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
I can't believe we got a certain death... So rude. I really like the character dynamics and I am excited to learn more about aldrik and how this whole war is going to play out
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Bullying, Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, and War
koistyfishy's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is Popcorn. Very specific movie popcorn that induces that vague haze you are in when watching a movie. No matter what happens you just keep reading eating whilst escaping the boring mundane of life... In the end you are left slightly satisfied but still often hungry.
Please note this is Book 2 in a series that cannot be read as a standalone. As a result there might be spoilers for Book 1 - so if you do not want to see those, I might advise not reading the rest of the review - especially since a lot of my following comments will almost be a superimposed juxtaposition to highlight what was WRONG in the first book and how it was done RIGHT in this book.
This book jumps right into the action where Air Awakens left off - Vhalla has been sentenced to a life of a soldier. She is thrust directly into a world of war as she has to come to terms with being the property of the crown, her complicated feelings over a broody "always angry" crown prince, and her extreme self-worth issues. That's it! That's the whole book! The book is a journey narrative story, so if you don't like those you will not like this. There is also very little plot. It does add a few things into the mix and you are given a few action scenes but nothing plot-wise to write home about...That is the first main difference between Air Awakens and Fire Falling. Book 1 was very "jump-plot" focused which wasn't always clear to understand and quite frankly was confusing at times. This one doesn't have much plot, so whilst it might seem that "lacking" plot is a bad thing, it allowed the story to move in an easy-to-understand progression...
The second main difference is we don't learn too much about who our characters are in Air Awakens - there is some character development but not much. I now believe Air Awakens is mostly setting the stage for this and future books because of what ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT we get in Fire Falling. I have realised a book can completely forgo a plot if there is good character development and OH MY GOSH does this book deliver on this! It's also not just Vhalla who we see grow, but we see more into her friends, as well as gain insight into what makes Aldrik the way he is, and are shown his personal backstory.
Vhalla is a complicated character who spends most of this book suffering from PTSD and depression. She has just killed people for the first time in her life, has been tortured and sent to war (and possibly her death sentence), and is plagued by horrid nightmares and night terrors. Her suffering and emotional journey of how she comes to terms with the events of the first book and evolves completely overshadows the aspects that annoyed me in the book. The more and more I think about it, the more this journey is ALL I can think about. It's just stuck with me and rooted in place...
The book is still a Romance Fantasy, so it still has a major focus on the Romance part of the plot and less on the Fantasy - there is more angst, longing, and glances when they think the other is not watching, so VERY TYPICAL slow burn; but the pace of the build-up to payoff was worth it! I think it was done really well. I was still annoyed at aspects of the Romance that Vhalla for the longest time couldn't see the Prince has feelings for her and the slight miscommunication on who Elecia is, but overall the Romance was enjoyable.
I am not sure what it was with the writing, or if Elise Kova fired her previous editor and a new one cleaned up this...because Book 1 feels like juvenile fan fiction written by a 12-year-old, vs this one; where the prose flows almost beautifully and comfortably across the page. The stop-start of sentences in book 1 DROVE ME MAD but now it seems almost completely eradicated. Overall this book feels highly more mature (whilst still being a "Young Adult"). It might have been due to the topics and emotional journey that this is more real and raw but I still cannot comprehend how Book 1's style compared to this feels like two separate authors wrote it!
Quite frankly I really enjoyed this and I can't get it out of my head.
I do recommend if you dropped the series due to Air Awakens being awful perhaps at least try this book and see if Fire Falling is better for you as it's basically COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - the same characters just happen to appear. I am a sucker for not being able to DNF a book or series and I am glad I did not stop after book 1, because if this is the true reflection of Elise Kova's writing then she got me hooked! Let's just hope the rest of the books don't cause me to break the line.
Please note this is Book 2 in a series that cannot be read as a standalone. As a result there might be spoilers for Book 1 - so if you do not want to see those, I might advise not reading the rest of the review - especially since a lot of my following comments will almost be a superimposed juxtaposition to highlight what was WRONG in the first book and how it was done RIGHT in this book.
This book jumps right into the action where Air Awakens left off - Vhalla has been sentenced to a life of a soldier. She is thrust directly into a world of war as she has to come to terms with being the property of the crown, her complicated feelings over a broody "always angry" crown prince, and her extreme self-worth issues. That's it! That's the whole book! The book is a journey narrative story, so if you don't like those you will not like this. There is also very little plot. It does add a few things into the mix and you are given a few action scenes but nothing plot-wise to write home about...That is the first main difference between Air Awakens and Fire Falling. Book 1 was very "jump-plot" focused which wasn't always clear to understand and quite frankly was confusing at times. This one doesn't have much plot, so whilst it might seem that "lacking" plot is a bad thing, it allowed the story to move in an easy-to-understand progression...
The second main difference is we don't learn too much about who our characters are in Air Awakens - there is some character development but not much. I now believe Air Awakens is mostly setting the stage for this and future books because of what ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT we get in Fire Falling. I have realised a book can completely forgo a plot if there is good character development and OH MY GOSH does this book deliver on this! It's also not just Vhalla who we see grow, but we see more into her friends, as well as gain insight into what makes Aldrik the way he is, and are shown his personal backstory.
Vhalla is a complicated character who spends most of this book suffering from PTSD and depression. She has just killed people for the first time in her life, has been tortured and sent to war (and possibly her death sentence), and is plagued by horrid nightmares and night terrors. Her suffering and emotional journey of how she comes to terms with the events of the first book and evolves completely overshadows the aspects that annoyed me in the book. The more and more I think about it, the more this journey is ALL I can think about. It's just stuck with me and rooted in place...
The book is still a Romance Fantasy, so it still has a major focus on the Romance part of the plot and less on the Fantasy - there is more angst, longing, and glances when they think the other is not watching, so VERY TYPICAL slow burn; but the pace of the build-up to payoff was worth it! I think it was done really well. I was still annoyed at aspects of the Romance that Vhalla for the longest time couldn't see the Prince has feelings for her and the slight miscommunication on who Elecia is, but overall the Romance was enjoyable.
I am not sure what it was with the writing, or if Elise Kova fired her previous editor and a new one cleaned up this...because Book 1 feels like juvenile fan fiction written by a 12-year-old, vs this one; where the prose flows almost beautifully and comfortably across the page. The stop-start of sentences in book 1 DROVE ME MAD but now it seems almost completely eradicated. Overall this book feels highly more mature (whilst still being a "Young Adult"). It might have been due to the topics and emotional journey that this is more real and raw but I still cannot comprehend how Book 1's style compared to this feels like two separate authors wrote it!
Quite frankly I really enjoyed this and I can't get it out of my head.
I do recommend if you dropped the series due to Air Awakens being awful perhaps at least try this book and see if Fire Falling is better for you as it's basically COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - the same characters just happen to appear. I am a sucker for not being able to DNF a book or series and I am glad I did not stop after book 1, because if this is the true reflection of Elise Kova's writing then she got me hooked! Let's just hope the rest of the books don't cause me to break the line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Physical abuse, and Death
Minor: Self harm
siennabea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Well. All I can say really is that if this book wasn't in a completed series, it would have put me in a reading slump. I am literally having a mental moment.
So.This book. When I was browsing for a nice blockbuster to just binge read, I came across this book series. Having just come from a very lovey dovey romance book ( C.J Anayas My Fair Assain) I decided, I needed a break from romance, so I started this book.Obviously I was wrong. I wasn't so much the first book, then this book. This book was a ROMANCE!! Yes there were other themes, like magic and fighting and war and stuff,but overall it. Is A. ROMANCE. But to be honest i have no complaints about that. I'm just saying, if you're like me and are going into this thinking it is a fantasy and nothing more, YOU ARE WRONG.
About the book:
Vhalla... This character. She's such a complex person. Like you know her history, but you don't really know her. I can't say she was my favourite character,or that i really liked her, at least not until like a third or so in. I felt at times she really did show her strength, even if half the time she was whining. She relies a lot on her friends, even if she, at times, doesn't like to amit it. I did really like some of the other characters( Fritz ,Larel and at times Daniel and Baldair). They were always there for her, even when she completely shut them out, especially Larel. She really was an important character in the book. Larel was always there for Vhalla, holding her through everything, practically a sister to her.
Aldraik. He was also a complex character. I really do feel sorry for him, because he is so obviously broken, but no one has really taken the time to see him, apart from Vallah and Larel. Now, because of that, he has become someone who cannot trust anyone enough to even share a joke with them.
Elise Kova really knows how to mess with you emotionally and mentally, keeping you hooked in every way possible. Overall I did enjoy this book, it was complex with a lot of twists and turns.
Thank you for reading my review 😊x
So.This book. When I was browsing for a nice blockbuster to just binge read, I came across this book series. Having just come from a very lovey dovey romance book ( C.J Anayas My Fair Assain) I decided, I needed a break from romance, so I started this book.Obviously I was wrong. I wasn't so much the first book, then this book. This book was a ROMANCE!! Yes there were other themes, like magic and fighting and war and stuff,but overall it. Is A. ROMANCE. But to be honest i have no complaints about that. I'm just saying, if you're like me and are going into this thinking it is a fantasy and nothing more, YOU ARE WRONG.
About the book:
Vhalla... This character. She's such a complex person. Like you know her history, but you don't really know her. I can't say she was my favourite character,or that i really liked her, at least not until like a third or so in. I felt at times she really did show her strength, even if half the time she was whining. She relies a lot on her friends, even if she, at times, doesn't like to amit it. I did really like some of the other characters( Fritz ,Larel and at times Daniel and Baldair). They were always there for her, even when she completely shut them out, especially Larel. She really was an important character in the book. Larel was always there for Vhalla, holding her through everything, practically a sister to her.
Aldraik. He was also a complex character. I really do feel sorry for him, because he is so obviously broken, but no one has really taken the time to see him, apart from Vallah and Larel. Now, because of that, he has become someone who cannot trust anyone enough to even share a joke with them.
Elise Kova really knows how to mess with you emotionally and mentally, keeping you hooked in every way possible. Overall I did enjoy this book, it was complex with a lot of twists and turns.
Thank you for reading my review 😊x
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
georgiaisreading's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Self harm, Violence, War, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content
instalovewithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I am unsure if Air Awakens or Fire Falling is my favourite. Both ripped me apart, and I cannot wait to read more. The last 110 pages I read made me want to cry. I absolutely loved it. And hated it. Ugh!
I will be reading Book Three maybe next month (but I also said that with Air Awakens which I read back in August and it took me till now to finish Fire Falling, so who knows?)
Great storytelling. This is the kind of book you can get fully immersed in and it is hard to pull away, but when you do, you realize it's been hours. Oops.
Aldrink and Yhalla have my heart. ❤️
I will be reading Book Three maybe next month (but I also said that with Air Awakens which I read back in August and it took me till now to finish Fire Falling, so who knows?)
Great storytelling. This is the kind of book you can get fully immersed in and it is hard to pull away, but when you do, you realize it's been hours. Oops.
Aldrink and Yhalla have my heart. ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
samanthajones's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and War
delvie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Book one was enjoyable but a little dry, and I kept reading because I heard this series gets really sad.
OH MY GOD, IT IS SO SAD.
I'm here for it. Rip my heart out. Do your worst, Elise Kova.
OH MY GOD, IT IS SO SAD.
I'm here for it. Rip my heart out. Do your worst, Elise Kova.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Gore
Minor: Trafficking and Child abuse
nadiana's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I liked this book...
... up until the second half when they killed off Larel.
I didn't really understand how much the death of a character on an off-brand epic fantasy could tick me off, but God, I absolutely HATED how Larel went. I understand that "people die when they are killed" and that you can't really ask for a dramatic and fulfilling death scene because it's "unrealistic", but gosh darn, that character deserved much MUCH better.
As soon as she died, things seemed to have gone really emo for the story and characters, not because of Larel's death (well not mainly at least), but because the story just wanted to pretend (and key-word here is "pretend) to be all sad and depressing all of a sudden. Don't get me wrong, I like me some angst in my guilty-pleasure reads especially when it involves the main character having to hide all by herself, but I wish it could've been handled a bit better and not felt so abrupt and out-of-nowhere.
And again, it all stems down to pacing. Vhalla got a cool scene half-way through the novel involving her powers that really could've benefitted from a greater build-up in the story. The death of Larel could've been handled better, the romance should've included more scenes etc etc.
Also, Vhalla was just sooooo annoying in this book. Her jealousy was toxic but honestly, Aldrik's was just equally so. And their feelings of anger and frustration was often uncalled for and plain out bad. Aldrik kept bashing out on Vhalla for the slightest things while Vhalla just started hating on other women in Aldrik's vicinity.
THEN WE GOT THE BEST PART: Vhalla and Aldrik are bonded. B O N D E D. Why? WHY!? My God, just say your mates already, and while you're at it, grow a pair of wings and fuck each other mid-air. This was just such an unnecessary plot point that could've easily been switched out for something else or just plain out deleted...
Daniel was a sweetheart. I even found myself shipping Vhalla and Daniel together because they seemed so sweet together. Just some country bumpkins saving the world. Gosh, I really hope Daniel's character doesn't get absolutely shredded in the future... (This is foreshadowing by the way as I have finished the whole main series by the time I'm writing this review)
Ending off with a good cliff-hanger, the second book in the 'Air Awakens' series left me off on a sour, but hopeful note. As the story went downhill it still promised a bright and developed future to come... I hope...
... up until the second half when they
I didn't really understand how much the death of a character on an off-brand epic fantasy could tick me off, but God, I absolutely HATED how Larel went. I understand that "people die when they are killed" and that you can't really ask for a dramatic and fulfilling death scene because it's "unrealistic", but gosh darn, that character deserved much MUCH better.
As soon as she died, things seemed to have gone really emo for the story and characters, not because of Larel's death (well not mainly at least), but because the story just wanted to pretend (and key-word here is "pretend) to be all sad and depressing all of a sudden.
And again, it all stems down to pacing. Vhalla got a cool scene half-way through the novel involving her powers that really could've benefitted from a greater build-up in the story.
Also, Vhalla was just sooooo annoying in this book. Her jealousy was toxic but honestly, Aldrik's was just equally so. And their feelings of anger and frustration was often uncalled for and plain out bad. Aldrik kept bashing out on Vhalla for the slightest things while Vhalla just started hating on other women in Aldrik's vicinity.
THEN WE GOT THE BEST PART:
Daniel was a sweetheart. I even found myself
Ending off with a good cliff-hanger, the second book in the 'Air Awakens' series left me off on a sour, but hopeful note. As the story went downhill it still promised a bright and developed future to come... I hope...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Genocide
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