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Elemental: The First (Primord #1)

by Alexandra May (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 447 ratings · 123 reviews

Just who is Halíka Dacomé?

To Rose Frost, moving house every six months is normal. Another new town here, another new school there, her ability to adapt is as easy as breathing. But everything changes when her parents go overseas and Rose moves in with her grandmother. She enjoys meeting new friends and catching up with old ones from her childhood holidays — except now she...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 280 pages

Published July 22nd 2011 by Pauma Publishing (first published July 9th 2011)

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Oct 20, 2011 Midu Hadi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, aliens

I received this book to read and review from Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! First off, the things I liked about it:
It was an adequate length.
The character of Aidan was like a real living breathing person. He had his faults but he could be kind too.
The concept this story's based on is definitely something unique.
What I didn't like about it is a lot more. I floundered for at least the first half, trying very hard to keep reading.
Rose seemed too gullible for a person who's suppo...more

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2013 Karla(Book Addict) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Karla(Book Addict) by: R2R

deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile

3 likes · like · see review

May 29, 2012 Tt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-read-to-review, warrior-goddesses, kick-ass-reads

Well....I came into this book with high hopes! The synopsis sounded interesting and different than any other books that I've read.

Pros: I thought the characters were great especially Rose! I loved her character because of the fact that she was smart,mysterious,witty,strong-minded,and a ninja at times LOL! I love loved the love triangle that took place between Rose,Aiden and Morgan. And of course the conflict of choice between the good guy Morgan or Aiden the town's bad boy. The author was very...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Charlotte Black rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Charlotte by: Krizsta Oneg

My book of the year for 2011.

This is original and different and for all intents starts as a good book about a gifted girl. But nothing is as it seems!

Rose is taught from an early age not to trust anyone and also not draw any attention to her mysterious gift. With the help of her family she goes through childhood believing she's ordinary but with something extra. Her father has a dangerous job so secrecy is paramount. They often have to move home quickly, to new locations, because bad people ar...more My book of the year for 2011.

This is original and different and for all intents starts as a good book about a gifted girl. But nothing is as it seems!

Rose is taught from an early age not to trust anyone and also not draw any attention to her mysterious gift. With the help of her family she goes through childhood believing she's ordinary but with something extra. Her father has a dangerous job so secrecy is paramount. They often have to move home quickly, to new locations, because bad people are after him. This time her parents are moving abroad but Rose must live in the safety of her grandmothers home. A home she knows well from childhood holidays.

When Rose moves back to Warminster she meets up with two old friends and starts to fit into a new normal life. They accept her as she is and quickly she's pulled into helping out another friend who's father has gone missing. Rose starts to have feelings for Morgan, and he's perfect and clearly likes her in return but someone else occipies her thoughts. She's drawn to Aiden in a different way, almost like her gift wants to reach out to him. He's mysterious, dangerous and gorgeous but she knows that something isn't right about him. If anything he's more like her than anyone she's ever met.

But Rose must focus on the main issue and that is finding her friends father but little does she know that the mystery surrounding the missing townspeople has more to do with her, her past and the strange woman that occupies her dreams.

As the threads start to pull together there are twists and turns at every moment. Just when you think you have an idea about who is the culprit, another clue crops in and sends you into another direction.

This book is a mystery, suspense, romance with an alternative take on the conspiracies and myths surrounding Wiltshire, England. The suspense is nicely paced and the ending is a show stopper. This is the kind of book I like. For one thing while it might annoy some people, it's isn't fast and pacey to get through lots of pointless filler. In fact, the story doesn't stop from the beginning to the end. The other characters are great including Daisy (Rose's grandmother). The beautiful descriptions shouldn't be missed as you realise that clues are given to you from the beginning, you find your sense of being in the book and by the end you know your way around and don't want to leave. The area of Wiltshire sounds fascinating and May does a great job of including local myths and folklore.

I loved the romance part of it! It kicks in half way through and you are torn between Morgan and Aiden (Team Aiden). This isn't a love triangle as I originally thought. Something much deeper is going on with these two and when you find out the truth it stuns you.

This is an absolutely unique and original story and I recommend EVERYONE of all ages to read it!!

For a first novel the author's done a fantastic job. Looking forward to the second one now.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Nicole by: Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, paranormal-romance, r2r, sci-fi

Again thanks to my favorite group Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! on Goodreads, Read to Review, and to Kay with all the hard work that goes into this program!

This is a tough book for me to review I have very mixed up feelings about it but I am giving it 3.5 stars because if I feel this strongly about it I must have really liked it.

First of all this is not my typical genre, this is more sci-fi than paranormal in my opinion. And second of all this is my constructive opinion... I d...more Again thanks to my favorite group Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! on Goodreads, Read to Review, and to Kay with all the hard work that goes into this program!

This is a tough book for me to review I have very mixed up feelings about it but I am giving it 3.5 stars because if I feel this strongly about it I must have really liked it.

First of all this is not my typical genre, this is more sci-fi than paranormal in my opinion. And second of all this is my constructive opinion... I don't like to say criticism because in the end a book and writing is an art form and who am I say what's right or wrong. I can only give my opinion as to what I believe and experienced as a reader.

With all that said here goes...

First the negative because I like leaving on a positive note if at all possible.
I had a tough time reading this it may have been just a language barrier, meaning the conversation didn't flow for me. I have read British writing before but this felt a bit off for me. Second I felt like Rose was a bit quick to feel things or naive. Without revealing any spoilers, maybe her family is the cause of that but her encounters with her new friends and Morgan moved a bit quick, meaning as a reader it wasn't quite "believable".

Here is the positive stuff.
The story was imaginative and original. As a paranormal reader for me to enjoy the story of what I felt was a sci-fi book, it was a good story. There is some really interesting things going on in this small town! The book also feels like a half story to me and ends so abruptly I was left like ... WHAT?????? Now you say how can that be positive? Because the author did her job and got me extremely curious and ready for the next one. This is also a great book for teens, very clean and fun. For parents that like to read a book with their teens and discuss this is a great choice.

All in all, you have to read it and I will be interested to see all my friends opinions.

Thank you to Alexandra May for offering up her work to the group for our honest opinions it certainly takes guts and I enjoyed the journey.
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Oct 24, 2011 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) by: R2R

Shelves: reviewed

I received this book as a part of R2R.

This book was really interesting. It took a little too long for me to get into I think. Had I not had this to review, I might have stopped reading and missed a really good story. Additionally, at the beginning I think the author had a tendency to over describe things that weren’t really necessary to the story which made it drag on. But once we into the meat of the story, I couldn’t stop reading. I didn’t like Rose very much in the beginning or understand why...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Lolita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-released, books-that-i-own, e-books, got-a-copy-for-review-reviewed

I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book but didn't love it. It is about a pretty normal girl, called Rose Frost, with a special gift. Altough the prologue already gives you the idea there may be much more to her. Then the story starts with the fact that Rose has to move to live with her grandmother, while her parents do some special research in the middle east. Rose lives a pretty normal live and the story starts out a bit slow. She makes new friends, adapts to...more

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May 21, 2013 Hilary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-f, ya-teen, netgalley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted to like this. I thought I would, but it was both too generic and too different. For instance, there was the now-requisite potential love triangle; both male interests were "beautifully sculpted", "enticing" or "any model's envy". (Yes, the wording edged towards bad romance at times.) One was dark-haired, one was blond; one was the town bad boy, another the golden boy. Both are strangely enthralling to Rose but obviously she can only have one.

The whole idea of Elementals was interesting,...more I wanted to like this. I thought I would, but it was both too generic and too different. For instance, there was the now-requisite potential love triangle; both male interests were "beautifully sculpted", "enticing" or "any model's envy". (Yes, the wording edged towards bad romance at times.) One was dark-haired, one was blond; one was the town bad boy, another the golden boy. Both are strangely enthralling to Rose but obviously she can only have one.

The whole idea of Elementals was interesting, and the concept of Halíka Dacomé and the inherited gifts was intriguing, but the explanatory prologue read very awkwardly to me and was not particularly compelling as an introduction. Left to my own devices, I wouldn't have continued reading. I got somewhat distracted with the hunt for King Alfred's jewels, and the idea of cursed gems buried in Wiltshire unfortunately created more distance between the story and myself. Aliens, yes. Cursed gems from ancient history, yes. Both in the same story? Not so much.

The dream sequences also felt clumsy and disjointed, though they were required to tie in the prologue and overlying plot with Rose's current life, and Aiden's revelation at the end just felt unreal - Rose just accepted it all, apparently not considering that he might be tempering truth with lies. She was simultaneously a very trusting and very reserved girl, and those characteristics don't naturally go together, which probably contributed to some of the awkwardness I felt throughout. At times it felt like she was being shoehorned into certain characteristics by the author, simply because that's what the plot required, even though her emerging character didn't fit that plot point.

At some points the writing didn't feel fluid, though it was otherwise well phrased, and there were a few grammatical errors (though that could've been because it was an ARC from Netgalley). It might be that further editing would completely remove the wording and grammatical problems, in which case I'd rate this 3 stars, but as things currently stand I feel no particular compulsion to read more of the series.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Shay Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult

Rose would like nothing more then to be an ordinary teenager. Even though she has had to attend a lot of schools because her family moves a lot due to her father's job, she has learned the art of making friends easily. And she likes shopping, music, and parties just like any girl her age but she does have to conceal the fact that she can heal.

This last move is different however. Her father has taken a job overseas and Rose is going to staywith her grandmother Daisy. She does have friends there...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Rose Frost has had a difficult childhood moving from place to place due to the demands of her father’s job – and it has only been exacerbated by her odd gift, a gift she doesn’t understand and has scared her in the past.

Her father’s job has now lead her to live with her grandmother, Daisy, while her family move abroad. Long estranged from the family, Rose remembers little about Daisy’s home in Warminster, Wiltshire but quickly re-establishes the few old friends she has in the area

But people are...more Rose Frost has had a difficult childhood moving from place to place due to the demands of her father’s job – and it has only been exacerbated by her odd gift, a gift she doesn’t understand and has scared her in the past.

Her father’s job has now lead her to live with her grandmother, Daisy, while her family move abroad. Long estranged from the family, Rose remembers little about Daisy’s home in Warminster, Wiltshire but quickly re-establishes the few old friends she has in the area

But people are going missing in mysterious ways and there are definitely secrets being kept in the town. Not least of which the mystery of Halika Dacome, goddess, saviour, perhaps even devil who is constantly referred to – and who haunts Rose’s dreams and may be the key to everything – her gift, her family’s secrets and the enemy that is hunting her.

This book is probably a decent prologue for the series. I now know who everyone is, what everyone does, I have the world building, the concepts, the relationships, the setting – I have all the information for the whole book series now.

But it’s a long prologue and I kind of wanted to read a book, not a prequel for an actual story. I think this book can be split into 3 parts. In the first, we have a brief introduction where we’re introduced to the idea that Halika Dacome is going to be reincarnated into a young girl’s body and that there’s a bad guy who wants to kill her and he has a grandson who’s not exactly on board for this plan.

Then the bulk of the plot where we follow Rose who is 16 and has an odd gift and lots of hints about someone called Halika Dacome. And there’s a boy who is attracted to her but everyone says is a wrong ‘un and he has an evil grandfather. I felt a little like I was given the answers and then was asked the question – but everyone was acting like the question should be a great mystery.

It doesn’t help that for the majority of the book she never explores this power. She uses it to find a mysterious box she doesn’t open (I’m still not sure what this box is for?) and she uses it to make herself warm when she’s cold, even when someone is found well and truly mangled and tortured she doesn’t use her ability to heal. The result of that is that for, maybe, 75% of the book we have a paranormal novel with precious little of the paranormal – it’s a mystery, it could be a famous five book.

And the mystery kind of lost me as well. People are going missing and, since one of them is the father of a boy who is the friend of Rose’s friend, the plucky teens decide to investigate in between going to coffee shops, going to picnics, meeting a bewildering array of people and getting odd shoe-horned in references to Halika Dacome inserted into the story but never really developed or revealing anything. At some point during the investigation they decide that the big bad guy is involved because… no-one likes him much? And then they’re interested in a ruined church and ley lines and gems and vacant property – and just a lot of info pushed in that is connected by vastly implausible leaps of logic. They don’t tell Daisy, Rose’s grandmother, she with all the answers because they don’t want to get her in trouble/don’t trust her/reasons?! Which ends up with both Rose and Daisy constantly telling each other “we need to talk about important things” (please god TALK ABOUT THEM!) and never actually doing so! Anything seems to take precedence to speaking with the woman who has all the answers – even when Rose is (or should be) blazingly furious with her.

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Dec 05, 2012 Kristy Sartain- Whispering Pretty Stories Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this book had such great promise. However, it wasn't explained well and the events in this book were so disjointed it was hard to follow. It seemed like May wrote each event separately then tried to piece them all together at the end. I never felt like I got a good explanation of the history of Halika Dacome. There were several pieces strung together throughout the book, but even put together, they lacked consistency and a whole story.
I did receive this as an ARC, which was appare...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 11, 2012 Carla-Book Monster Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Review (Book Monster Guest Reviewer)

Rose is anything but an ordinary teenager. Throughout her life her family has been constantly on the move, never staying in one place too long, as a result Rose aims to be an open and bubbly person to combat the loneliness she feels every time she leaves a set of friends. At an early age Rose discovers that she is different, she can do things that her friends can't including being able to heal herself and others. When Rose moves in with her Grandmother Dais...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Tyler-rose (The Reading Pile) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am going to be honest and say, if it wasn’t for the fact this book had to be reviewed as part of R2R, I might not have finished it. I usually love these kind of books, but this one just doesn’t stand out to me.

16 year old Rose moves to the middle of nowhere in England in order to stay safe. The present she is left with, a parting gift from her mother, is definitely something that interested me. A bracelet that stabs into the owner? Really? Well, as soon as she starts wearing the bracelet she...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Thanks Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics for giving me the chance to read and review this book. Alexandra May has created a unique basis for a series with a different twist of paranormal. Lots of potential for interesting things to happen here. As the first book of a series though I thought it should provide a bit more backstory or foundation for the next books to build on. I liked the interwoven histories but think more would provide a stronger base.
As a girl that has been uproot...more Thanks Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics for giving me the chance to read and review this book. Alexandra May has created a unique basis for a series with a different twist of paranormal. Lots of potential for interesting things to happen here. As the first book of a series though I thought it should provide a bit more backstory or foundation for the next books to build on. I liked the interwoven histories but think more would provide a stronger base.
As a girl that has been uprooted many times due to her father’s job relocating, I thought Rose did a pretty good job of dealing with this newest change to her life. Being separated from her family and left with a grandmother she hardly knows would not be easy for any young girl. Rose learns quickly that things, and people, are often not what they seem. With trouble following her everywhere it is very difficult to figure out where she truly belongs. The one real problem I had with Rose is that the author keeps portraying her as someone that is slow to trust and at the end, when the HUGE revelations start coming her way and shatter everything she has ever known, she just accepts them and moves on without even second guessing anything. At this point, after learning that everyone has been lying to her (or have they) and with no clue who is really the good guy and who is really the bad guy, she trusts that everyone will do what she says….very hard to believe.
I find myself most frustrated with Daisy throughout the story. I don’t see why all the people love her so much. As a grandparent overseeing the next in line to receive this legacy she did a crappy job. Why is it that she provided a lot of outside technical security, going so far as to call in the army to watch Rose’s every action, but could not be bothered to really talk to Rose about what is going on, why it is happening and how to handle it? She seemed more concerned about everything and everyone else then she was with helping Rose learn about who she is along with what that means to herself and apparently the rest of the world. As despicable as we learn Ben is, at least he taught Aiden about the whole situation and did not leave him out there uninformed to totally fend for himself like Daisy did with Rose.
All that being said, I did enjoy the book. It was a little slow at points but overall a good read. The cliffhanger left me wondering where things will go from here. I look forward to reading the next installment.(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r

This story follows a 16 year old Rose as she moves to the middle of no-where England, just shy of Stonehenge area. She's a special girl with some unique gifts that she must keep secret - so secret that her life, and the lives of those she cares about depends on it. She moves in with her estranged grandmother Daisy, and this is where the story takes place.

First of all, the book was original, which is a big plus for me as everything seems to be repeating itself lately! I liked the setting, and the...more This story follows a 16 year old Rose as she moves to the middle of no-where England, just shy of Stonehenge area. She's a special girl with some unique gifts that she must keep secret - so secret that her life, and the lives of those she cares about depends on it. She moves in with her estranged grandmother Daisy, and this is where the story takes place.

First of all, the book was original, which is a big plus for me as everything seems to be repeating itself lately! I liked the setting, and the characters. The mythology is original and intriguing. Rose is wonderful as a girl trying to find her place in the world, juggling being a teenager and trying to find her path and independence while dealing with family, mysteries, secrets and incredible power. Her grandmother, Daisy, is also very interesting and the story makes you want to know more about the history of the family. The story has a great cliffhanger, and leaves you wanting to read the second book. A big plus are a couple of hunky, potential romantic leads!

So why did I only give it three stars? Well, the prologue almost ruined the book for me. It was long, boring, and poorly written. It should just be eliminated from the book. It isn't necessary to tell the reader all of the background. Readers aren't stupid, let us discover the wonderful world that has been created by reading what happens with our characters. In fact, there were several instances of "telling" rather than "showing"that detracted from the story for me. The author has to allow the reader to figure the background out as the story unfolds, that's half the fun. The next detractor for me was to discover so many grammatical/mechanical errors and/or awkwardness throughout (and I'm not talking about the differences between American and British English). I'm not perfect and I know editing is difficult especially after you look at it a million times, but this is basic stuff that should be cleared up.

In brief, Elemental: The First is an original story, it's interesting, intriguing and should be given a chance. If you do read it, please skip the prologue, and you should be in for a decent rainy day read! (less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Yazzie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Yazzie by: R2R

I liked that this book was something a bit different to others I've been reading lately, especially in the YA area. In parts it reminded me of a more mature Secret Seven type of book- a group of kids looking into a possible crime, uncovering secrets as they go- but with a paranormal twist. The characters were likeable, though I think they will grow on me more as the series progresses. Rose, in particular, has the potential to be a strong and sassy heroine who prioritizes saving lives over kissin...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Becket Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Readers of Elemental: The First will quickly find themselves engrossed into the world of Rose Frost as she struggles with what many teens (and honestly, most adults) are dealing with – finding out where she belongs. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, Rose is separated from her parents and older sister when she is sent to live with her grandmother, Daisy, in the small town of Warminster in Westshire, England. From the beginning of the story, the reader is drawn into the emotions of M...more Readers of Elemental: The First will quickly find themselves engrossed into the world of Rose Frost as she struggles with what many teens (and honestly, most adults) are dealing with – finding out where she belongs. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, Rose is separated from her parents and older sister when she is sent to live with her grandmother, Daisy, in the small town of Warminster in Westshire, England. From the beginning of the story, the reader is drawn into the emotions of May’s characters and connected through excellent descriptions of their actions and interactions. Readers in the US might be perplexed by some of the British references and terminology, but overall will still find it understandable enough to lose themselves in the story.

The prologue was challenging to get through as I found myself caught up by some grammatical issues and awkward phrasing, but once I allowed myself to sink into the story, I found it very enjoyable. I think some of the issues I had while reading might be related to the author’s use of British English rather than any actual issues with structure, but readers who are used to American English might have some trouble with the flow of her writing until they get deeper into the story.

Some fantasy writers that pull in historical facts overwhelm the reader with excessive details and obstruct the flow of the story. In this, May proves herself a master – the historical details and references are clear without being overwhelming and are comprehensive without burying the story in minutia. My only other slight discomfort came during the reveal of the last 25ish pages of the book. I wish May had spent more time explaining the details of the Primords and really digging into the relationship between Aidan and his grandfather. I can only hope this will be discussed in the next book in the series, but I felt more time in this book should have been devoted to these details.

Overall, lovers of fantasy and historical fiction alike will find themselves lost in the prose and descriptive narrative in May’s work. She handles her teenage characters in an honest and heartfelt way while piecing together her story in a way that draws in adults and young adults alike and will leave them wanting more.
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Sep 11, 2011 TheReadingOwl rated it 4 of 5 stars

After practically living beside my mailbox for weeks, I finally had Elemental: The First in my hands. Excited as I was, I hurried back home, opened the book and started to read. Alexandra May had me sucked into her story already at the first few pages and I knew right away that this was a book I would enjoy. The book had some few slow parts here and there, but when I reached the middle of the book, I could not put it down.

The characters were enjoyable, especially Daisy. She really isn’t the ste...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Joana ♥Team Dex ♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young_adults, paranormal-romance, arc-or-egalley, read-2013

I think this book had great potential, the story line was original and like never i ever read before. Many times i caught myself thinking, hmm this is interesting but in overall it was just so frustrating!!!

My major issues were the characters, i couldn't connect with them at all. If i did in one particularly scene, it would appear another moment and i would be like

And i got to say, especially regarding to Rose, she contradicted herself constantly,to a point i just didn't know what her feeling w...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Tracey (YA Book Addict) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was given this book as part of Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! read to review....

This book is so good!! It's a book that you just can't put down. It will keep you enthralled until the very last page and keep you up at night until you finish reading it!

Alexandra May has an easy to read and descriptive writing style. And she knows how to create suspense and romance!

Rose is an outspoken, strong and sassy girl who goes to live with her grandmother Daisy while her parents are away...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Naj (Unputdownable Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Elemental and everything about this book was unpredictable. I was amazed at how the writing immediately drew me in. It was neither boring or blah if you know what I mean. It was written with the right amount of detail and creativity from the author. She showed confidence and determination in her writing and thats exactly the kind of feel each book needs to have. Confidence and Determination.

Our protagonist is a 16 year old gifted girl named Rose who I was glad to notice was a little bit more ma...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Breann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rose grew up knowing she was different, taught not to trust easily and conceal a very special gift. Her family always had to move for safety, reasons she always thought had to do with her dad's top secret job. Split from her family she moves in with her grandmother. Getting reacquainted with childhood friends from summers at her grandmothers and new ones too she's never really sure who to trust. Rose doesn't realize she's at the very center of everything going on around her but isn't afraid to j...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Hope rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts:

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Pauma Publishing for letting me read this book. When I first read the book description on NetGalley I was intrigued. It sounded interesting and fun read. I was surprised at how short this book was, only one hundred and fifty pages I believe.

I have to admit that I started off by liking the book, unfortunately it did not remain that way. Not even half way through I realized that the plot or characters were going nowhere, which was a bit disap...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alexandra-may, read-august-2011

Elemental: The First by Alexandra May

Synopsis

Rose Frost receives a bracelet on her sixteenth birthday, a parting gift from her mother who claims it is a family heirloom. From that night Rose starts having vivid dreams which make no sense.
Days after, her family separate and Rose moves into her grandmother’s house in Warminster, Southern England. Rose remembers happy childhood holidays with her grandmother, and is eager to rekindle her friendship with Hannah and Mira, the two girls she played with...more Elemental: The First by Alexandra May

Synopsis

Rose Frost receives a bracelet on her sixteenth birthday, a parting gift from her mother who claims it is a family heirloom. From that night Rose starts having vivid dreams which make no sense.
Days after, her family separate and Rose moves into her grandmother’s house in Warminster, Southern England. Rose remembers happy childhood holidays with her grandmother, and is eager to rekindle her friendship with Hannah and Mira, the two girls she played with as a child.
Rose’s dreams start to involve a woman called Halíka Dacomé. A legend or a figment of her imagination, she knows not, but her grandmother, Daisy, remains reluctant to talk about the subject.
One night a freak fire occurs but when the fuel tank of a car explodes Aiden Deverill pulls Rose to safety. But not before the fire burns her face. She uses her healing gift to heal the scars and to all appearances remains unscathed. But Aiden is unhurt too and Rose doesn’t know why. She is drawn to him in a way she cannot fathom but as he tries to get closer her friends warn her off claiming that he’s bad news.
Rose tries to find out more about Halika Dacomé and why Aiden is so disliked, but she soon gets drawn into helping her friends solve the mystery behind the missing Warminster townsfolk. The latest missing person is her new friend Jez’s father.
During the investigation she meets Morgan, who lives in the cottage at the bottom of Daisy’s garden but his enmity towards Aiden Deverill and his grandfather, Ben, lies rooted in a shocking event that happened years before.
For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that people are not always what they seem. What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy.

My Review

Rose is anything but an ordinary teenager. Throughout her life her family has been constantly on the move, never staying in one place too long, as a result Rose aims to be an open and bubbly person to combat the loneliness she feels every time she leaves a set of friends. At an early age Rose discovers that she is different, she can do things that her friends can't including being able to heal herself and others. When Rose moves in with her Grandmother Daisy she is given the freedom she craves she teams up with her childhood friends Hannah & Mira who introduce her around town. Rose finds herself drawn to two boys, Aiden the quitessential bad boy and Morgan the mysterious boy who lives on her Grandmothers estate. People have been disappearing from town and when someone close to Rose's new friends is next they decide to start their own investigation. As the mystery unravels Rose discovers that those closest to her have been keeping secrets and everyone has a hidden agenda.

It was refreshing to have a 16 yr old with little experience in the ways of the heart, she may be drawn to both boys but at the same time she is being cautious. I have a feeling there's more to come with her relationship with both Aiden & Morgan. Daisy is an interesting character, you just know she know's a lot more than what she is willing to admit to!

This is a tale full of mystery and intrigue, by the end I was wondering just who Rose could trust. It's heavy on the description at the start but by the end Alexandra seems to have found a nice balance between setting the scene, character interaction and plot development. The whole book has set the scene for the next one and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops and joining Rose on the next part of her journey.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5

Reviewed on behalf of Book Monster Reviews http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Candis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, read-to-review

My second review for Read to Review (R2R). Once again, many thanks to the hard working girls over there who are bringing us all the goodies.

This story follows a 16 year old Rose as she moves to the middle of no-where England, just shy of Stonehenge area. She's a special girl with some unique gifts that she must keep secret - so secret that her life, and the lives of those she cares about depends on it. She moves in with her estranged grandmother Daisy, and this is where the story takes place.

Fir...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks-read-in-2012, paranormal-read-in-2012, read-in-2012

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Rose Frost is going to live with her grandmother. Her parents are going on a job mission and they feel she would be safest there. Rose doesn't mind because she has some old childhood friends there. She soon finds her self with old friends and some new ones as well. She does keep a secret from them. She has had a few unique abilities she has to keep secret from everyone. Her grandmother knows she does and keeps...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Dianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fantasy, ya-paranormal-romance, netgalley

This book was given to me for an honest review by Netgalley and Pauma Publishing!

Young Rose Frost has always lived a nomadic life, presumably because of her parents' work. When, once again, her parents are moving, it is decided that Rose will go to live with her grandmother, whom she has not seen for many years. Fortunately, Rose is the type of person who is outgoing and renews childhood friendships with ease. Add to that, her new friends and she settles in well in a mysterious small town called...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-i-own

I was initially excited to read this book... I have been looking for another YA series to counteract some of the more adult series I've been addicted to lately. Unfortunately, this first book in the Elementals series didn't do much for me. While the general plot was fresh and enticing, the dialogue between the characters was stiff and the flow of the book (intro, climax, resolution, etc...) was all off. There were too many "WHAT?!?" moments for me also, but those are below as spoilers!
(view spoi ...more I was initially excited to read this book... I have been looking for another YA series to counteract some of the more adult series I've been addicted to lately. Unfortunately, this first book in the Elementals series didn't do much for me. While the general plot was fresh and enticing, the dialogue between the characters was stiff and the flow of the book (intro, climax, resolution, etc...) was all off. There were too many "WHAT?!?" moments for me also, but those are below as spoilers!
(view spoiler)(less)

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Oct 23, 2011 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, supernatural, scifi

In theory, this book had great potential. In practice, it was incredibly frustrating. The world May set up was interesting and unusual. Rose's story was suspenseful and will probably grow to be quite impressive.

However, there were some major issues, particularly in characterization. Most of the time I can get a pretty good feel for characters, but I had no clue about Rose. Honestly, I'm not quite sure the author did either. Rose contradicted herself multiple times in the story about her feelings...more In theory, this book had great potential. In practice, it was incredibly frustrating. The world May set up was interesting and unusual. Rose's story was suspenseful and will probably grow to be quite impressive.

However, there were some major issues, particularly in characterization. Most of the time I can get a pretty good feel for characters, but I had no clue about Rose. Honestly, I'm not quite sure the author did either. Rose contradicted herself multiple times in the story about her feelings for Morgan and Aiden, whether or not she wanted to live with Daisy, what to do about the various situations that cropped up, etc. Normally characters' actions and emotions match up well, but Rose kept pulling these stunts out of left field and I was left flipping back in the book to try to figure out where they came from.

A story is the direct result of the actions of the characters, not the other way around. But at numerous point during the book I got the feeling that the characters were just means to an end. Yes, your story has to have something happen, but I have to believe that the people in it would actually do whatever it is that they're doing, and a lot of time, I didn't. Because of this and other factors, none of the characters felt real to me.

Even the plot itself had its weird quirks. Things like the boy Rose saw in the street and Rose and Mira's bullying episode raised their heads and then vanished, never to be seen again.

Something indefinable bothered me about the writing style, especially at the beginning of the book, but whenever I tried to put my finger on what, exactly, it was, it skittered away from me. I suppose that's the definition of the word indefinable, but I did try.

Despite all these problems, there really were parts of the book I enjoyed a great deal. Most of the scene on the hill at the alien party was entertaining. Many of the action sequences were good. But every time I started to get into the story, another glaring inconsistency popped up that distracted me from the tale itself. With a decent editor, this could have been a great book. As it is, it's an adequate draft.

Originally published on my blog at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Ioana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, bad-bad-bad, fantasy, magic, my-reviews, netgalley, paranormal, romance, scifi, supernatural, young-adult

I want to be perfectly honest: this is not a review of the book as a whole. I couldn't have finished it if my life depended on it. My galley is 147 pages long and I got as far as page 57, and will be reviewing those pages - although I have a sneaking suspicion the book doesn't get better/changes drastically past that mark. It saddens me to have to rate a novel, any novel, one star but there you have it.

I had issues withElemental from the first till the last page I read. The prologue, written in...more

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About Alexandra May

The Basics – I’ve got no roots! Sound odd? Let me explain! I was born in West Germany on an RAF base. When I was 2 my family relocated back to England, to Wiltshire (south west Eng). At 8 I moved to Oxfordshire (central Eng) and at 12 I moved to Cheshire (north west Eng). At 16 I moved back to Wiltshire. At 23 I moved to Rhodes, Greece to work for a UK company. The next winter I moved to Madeira (...more

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Books by Alexandra May

The Battle for Arcanon Major (The Lost Dacomé Files #1)

Elemental: The Circle of Fire (Primord, #2)

Pyrhon's Sphere (The Lost Dacomé Files #2)

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Quotes from Elemental: The First

“He’s going to kill everyone on this planet, reduce the human race to dust. There will be no one to stop him. You are the only one who can. - Aiden Deverill” — 3 people liked it

“You could have thrown her into the fire, that’s what you could have done. Then it would save me the task of killing her myself! -Ben Deverill” — 3 people liked it

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Elemental: The First (Primord #1)

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