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A review by kimberlyfaye_reads
Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan
4.0
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Molly Bennett is a regular girl with a huge secret. One day while out on a walk with her dog, she stumbles across a portal to a magical place, a land called Arkana. There she meets a group of guys and her life will never be the same again. She sets off on a journey filled with discovery, secrets, love and personal growth.
I liked Molly. She seemed like someone I could be friends with. Her willingness to embrace this new land and the people she met there was something I could appreciate greatly. As she discovered more about Arkana and her new friends, she came to realize things about herself, too. Despite the amount of attention Weston paid to her, she was inexplicably drawn to Victor. So was I. Though his initial interactions with Molly weren't exactly friendly, I knew there was more to his behavior. There had to be a reason he was acting so hostile towards her. It reminded me a lot of the way Edward treated Bella in the first chapters of Twilight, though I was pretty sure there weren't going to be any vampires in this story. ;) The truth was far more interesting than that.
There was far more to Victor than met the eye. His parents were murdered by Terrakas (Earthlings). All his teachings on his path to becoming a Sentinel have taught him that Terrakas are dangerous to Arkana. Nothing good can come from having one visiting their land and befriending them. He becomes conflicted the more he is around Molly. He thinks he may be falling for her, but a relationship between them just isn't possible. Feelings this intense are difficult to deny or ignore, and as she begins opening herself up more to him, he does the same. I cheered them on as they began to explore their feelings for each other. Despite getting off to a rocky start, they fell hard and fast, much to the chagrin of those around them. Their relationship was anything but easy, but their connection was real.
This book sucked me in immediately. There wasn't a slow build-up to the action; the story got off the ground quickly. From the minute Molly stepped foot in Arkana, I was hooked. I had to know more about this land and those that inhabited it. The author's description of this magical place was incredible. The world-building, more than the characters, was my favorite part of this book. It felt like I was right there with Molly, experiencing every new discovery with her. Her relationship with her family, her friends in Los Angeles and those in Arkana felt real and natural. The characters were well-developed. Despite the fact that it was a little predictable at times, Fields of Elysium was a fascinating, quick and easy read filled with action and (clean) romance. This is the first book I've read by A.B. Whelan, but it won't be the last. I've already purchased the second book in this series and look forward continuing on in this saga.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
"You call it Arkana. The Greeks called it the Fields of Elysium. I call it heaven."
Molly Bennett is a regular girl with a huge secret. One day while out on a walk with her dog, she stumbles across a portal to a magical place, a land called Arkana. There she meets a group of guys and her life will never be the same again. She sets off on a journey filled with discovery, secrets, love and personal growth.
"I fully understood that I was anything but fascinating to others, but these guys didn't seem to mind my grayness. Perhaps… just maybe, there was a small chance that I wasn't as drab as I considered myself to be. And perhaps the world wasn't as cruel as I thought it to be."
I liked Molly. She seemed like someone I could be friends with. Her willingness to embrace this new land and the people she met there was something I could appreciate greatly. As she discovered more about Arkana and her new friends, she came to realize things about herself, too. Despite the amount of attention Weston paid to her, she was inexplicably drawn to Victor. So was I. Though his initial interactions with Molly weren't exactly friendly, I knew there was more to his behavior. There had to be a reason he was acting so hostile towards her. It reminded me a lot of the way Edward treated Bella in the first chapters of Twilight, though I was pretty sure there weren't going to be any vampires in this story. ;) The truth was far more interesting than that.
"I held his gaze, not because I was confident enough, but because physically I was unable to move my eyes away."
There was far more to Victor than met the eye. His parents were murdered by Terrakas (Earthlings). All his teachings on his path to becoming a Sentinel have taught him that Terrakas are dangerous to Arkana. Nothing good can come from having one visiting their land and befriending them. He becomes conflicted the more he is around Molly. He thinks he may be falling for her, but a relationship between them just isn't possible. Feelings this intense are difficult to deny or ignore, and as she begins opening herself up more to him, he does the same. I cheered them on as they began to explore their feelings for each other. Despite getting off to a rocky start, they fell hard and fast, much to the chagrin of those around them. Their relationship was anything but easy, but their connection was real.
"Molly dear, you have to learn to wait for perfect moments and take pleasures in small doses. Patience is a virtue, which most young men and women lack."
This book sucked me in immediately. There wasn't a slow build-up to the action; the story got off the ground quickly. From the minute Molly stepped foot in Arkana, I was hooked. I had to know more about this land and those that inhabited it. The author's description of this magical place was incredible. The world-building, more than the characters, was my favorite part of this book. It felt like I was right there with Molly, experiencing every new discovery with her. Her relationship with her family, her friends in Los Angeles and those in Arkana felt real and natural. The characters were well-developed. Despite the fact that it was a little predictable at times, Fields of Elysium was a fascinating, quick and easy read filled with action and (clean) romance. This is the first book I've read by A.B. Whelan, but it won't be the last. I've already purchased the second book in this series and look forward continuing on in this saga.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.