The Four Elementals have vanquished the creatures of the Night Oak Forest; however, a new darkness lurks in the realm of Aisling. As their family moves into the manor that once belonged to their late grandmother, the Hanley sisters must adjust to life in the enchanted countryside. Between the extravagant galas, beautiful gardens, and elegant wardrobes, the new lifestyle begs for the title of perfection. It is not long before the twin sisters are greeted by the peculiar memories that dwell in the old house. A forgotten mystery beckons for attention, and the truth threatens to reveal a series of ancient secrets. The simple answers of the previous year are countered by the complicated history of the Gifted society.
Erin Forbes discovered her passion for literature at a very early age. Since the date of her first publication, her work has spread to readers across the globe, and her books have developed an international fanbase. She is known for her vivid descriptions and fantastical fiction. When she is not reading and writing, Erin enjoys art, nature, music, dance, and riding her horse. She lives on a small farm in the Hudson Valley of New York.
Follow her on social media! @erinforbesauthor and @fireandicebookseries
********Erin Forbes is a young writer who has bridged the gap between childhood fantasy and adult intrigue. Now into her second novel, I find myself wanting to reread her first to savor her character development. The characters’ quick conversation moves the book along but it is Ms. Forbes use of descriptive prose that keeps you invested until the very end and beyond. I’m eagerly awaiting a third installment into the realm.
I recently met this author at a book signing at Barnes and Noble! I had read the first book in the series and was looking forward to Fire & Ice: The Lost Dreamer's release! I was NOT disappointed. This book transports readers to what felt like the most beautiful, albeit sometimes terrifying, world! I loved so many of the characters. While reading this book, I could picture the enchanting setting of Aisling so vividly! I could not put this book down! If you enjoy Irish culture, you will likely pick up on many Irish references. I would recommend this book to all ages. It is a beautifully written novel and I can hardly wait for the next book in the Fire & Ice series!
After I finished reading Fire & Ice: The elementals, I thought I couldn’t get more amazed, I was wrong.
Again, Erin impressed me, I couldn’t get my eyes of the book. This book is so poetic and magical, there were times when I really thought I was in the book. The characters were so relatable that I wish they could be my friends.
I could read the series over and over again and I would never get tired of them, if you are searching for adventure, self-discovery journey and inspiration, read this series, you don’t know what you’re losing. The Fire & Ice book series will be forever in my heart ❤️🔥❤️✨
Once again Erin Forbes has outdone herself! Fire & Ice: The Lost Dreamer (Book Two) is not only intense but truly intriguing and engaging. Immerse yourself in a sensory journey through this fantasy! A must read for all.
This second installment to the Fire & Ice trilogy was...GAH! Wonderful!! I loved it even more than the first and that one was also a good read!! I felt more connected to the characters for sure and I loved that Emery had a bigger part in this book. It reminded me a little bit of The Chronicles of Narnia with the fantasy world and talking animals. Speaking of talking animals, I LOVED Killian's character. I don't know why, but the little fox drew me in and I loved the chapters with him! The mystery kept me hooked; it was very well made although I thought the final showdown was a bit rushed. I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the final in the trilogy! :)
YES! Erin Forbes is back and better than ever! Although this book is slightly longer than the first, it never failed to keep me engaged in the realm of Aisling. The language was so poetic, and it flowed with such beauty and ease. This is such a girl power fantasy series, and I LOVE IT! The characters are crafted with such beautiful detail, and they are so relatable. The story has such an inspiring message. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?? I was astonished to learn that the author is a TEENAGER! What?! I can't wait for the next book!
I am so honored to have already had the chance to read this. Erin Forbes paints a beautiful picture of a mystical, magical world of wonder that makes you believe you are there yourself. It is an awe inspiring story of friendship and self-discovery. A must read for all lovers of fantasy and those who have a yearning for adventure.
*This series is Middle Grade, and you will enjoy it more if you go in believing that it is MG. If you'd like to read more in-depth on why I believe this is so, head over to my blog at oliviajthewordshaker.blogspot.com. This review will focus on the critiques of the work itself, not the genre categorization of this series.*
Most of the same problems I had with The Elementals carry over into The Lost Dreamer - refer back to the original reviews with Camryn Norton, Corrie Parks, and Shelia for reference. Many of the characters are still very flat, although they do get much more development and personality distinction in The Lost Dreamer.
What does get better is the plot development and worldbuilding. Although still not great by any means, the mystery surrounding Orinthia Hanley, The Lost Dreamer himself, and the rest of the world deepens, and we get a much larger scope of what this society is like, which was much needed. Cleo Lennox provides a much needed darkness and conflict to the novel, although I wished she was written with more nuance than she was. Shoutout to my girl Cleo Lennox. She's my favorite character so far because of the sheer fact that she's the first morally gray character we've seen, and that she's got such interesting potential for a redemption arc.
The plot progresses along smoothly, although I would have liked a bit more twists and turns. The side characters like Killian and the Queen of the Bears provide nice ornaments and specific examples to the worldbuilding of Aisling. I also saw much more allusions and inspiration taken from The Chronicles of Narnia, which I appreciated.
Overall, I guess I was expecting more out of this series. It's not really the fantasy elements that I didn't enjoy. I guess I just heard so much hype for this series. Overall, it's an alright Middle Grade fantasy series, a good whimsical, clean, and uplifting read for those who are looking for that. However, I wanted a Celtic-inspired, fresh take on an old idea. But that's not really what I got.
The Lost Dreamer was a promising follow up to The Elementals, and the pay off was incredible.
Despite taking over a year to finally sit down and finish the book, The Lost Dreamer is a quite well written, lovely story, as we follow Alice and Emery as they discover the secrets of their grandmother and battle the new foes of their very own minds. This book was the one that brought me closer to main heroines, as the author delves into the new turmoil in Alice's mind after the events of The Elementals (a theme she carries on). We meet our antagonists in this novel, and might I just say, they're incredible. The battle scene was on point, and the characters were brilliant. And Killian? Read this book for him at least. He's the greatest! The only flaw I could see is the slowness of the plot and the sometimes detachment from the characters. The prose isn't for everyone, but it's beautiful and insightful once you get the hang of it. Overall, another enchanting addition to the series!
The lost dreamer is highly quotable, and artistically descriptive. The writing style is fresh and unique. For fans of the first book, expectations will be highly exceeded. The themes of the book are truly lovely, and there could be so much more to them. How I wish we could see further into the musing of individuality that the author hints at, but never delves deep into. There is a truly incredible potential in the story of the gifted Hanley sisters, and I hope very much that in up coming books that we will be able to look further into their hearts, and through that, further also into our own. Prose and description is only the surface of a story, and beneath that what is there? Beneath the prose and description there is a treasure waiting to be unlocked.
Truly whimsical! Erin Forbes has done it again! The vivid details she gives will make the reader feel that they are right along side our Gifted protagonists. Throughout the book, I laughed, I cried, I got angry at some of the characters; exactly what I want when I read a book! Readers of all ages can enjoy this magical story. I can’t wait for the third installment!
I have read it a while ago, sort of, yet haven't gotten a time to write and post a review. So this is the second book the Fire & Ice series. This is as good as the first one, so if you have time, you need to read the series, and I definitely can't wait to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended!
The continuation of The Elementals. I read the book a few times ago, but i still loving the story. To those who loves Harry Potter, you guys should read this book because I got a Harry Potter vibe when I read the book. It’s a great book. A great plot, well written descriptive language and no grammar mistake. I'm curious what happen next.
The second installation to this series was a wonderful and suspensful continuation. I had to force myself to set the book down and time its completion so that the third book would be ready by the time I finished. It is always a pleasure to read Ms Forbes' work. Absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out. -F
The second book in Fire & Ice book series by Erin Forbes. Just like the first book, i gave this book 5 stars. A very enjoyable read. The plot kept me intrigued and it was so well-written. I’m in love with the world, the places, the setting, secrets, and characters within it.
I can't get over the vivid diction Erin pieces together in this book. Although the repetitious words and phrases did carry over from her previous work, Erin made a breakthrough in her storytelling with The Lost Dreamer. She focuses more on what we see and feel rather than what the characters say. While there isn't a ton of dialogue, there was a lot more conflict and mystery leading up to the climax in this installment of the Fire and Ice series which I really loved and appreciated. Erin's writing is truly beautiful and simply impressive for her age. I'm becoming attached to the Hanley sisters (although not many of the other characters except for Ronan). I hope to see more development for the other characters in The Kindred Woods coming out May 1!
Welcome back to the land of magic, ‘Aisling’, to the Academy for Gifted Youth. Alice and Emery finished their first year at the Academy, but they won’t be back home for long. Their parents have decided to move to Aisling permanently, but there they are being haunted by the memories of their grandmother.
They move into a lovely home with a bewildered garden, which belonged to their grandmother. Ever since being there, the Twins keep having dreams about a boy. The dreams are so real to the girls, that they start investing the legends about the Lost Dreamer. It happens their deceised grandmother knew things about it as well. They find old scribbles and clues in the basemen that lead them to the truth… The Four Elements need to work together again to bring the Lost Dreamer back to reality.
Meanwhile, there is also the threat of Cleo Lennox and the Lennox family. There is something with this family that keeps trying to steal, lie and manipulate towards Alice, Emery and her friends. What is up with Cleo?
Luckily, they find the help of an unexpected new friend.
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Erin Forbes is back at it again! Her characters are stronger and with a deeper development. Her words flow like beautiful paintings of nature and flowers, your mind follows the images she discribes. It gives a warm feeling, almost Narnia-like. Perhaps it is because of the animals and the natural surroundings, but it is a joy to the mind.
The storyline is also stronger than the first book. More happens, there is deeper dialogue and the climax to the story is more exciting. Once reading, it is so hard to put the book down again.
I love how the characters don’t stay plain and each grow into an own storyline. I can’t wait to see what the next book will bring, some questions are really unanswered. What’s the deal with Cleo? Will all Four Elements stay together? Will we see more of the Lost Dreamer? And our wise new foxy friend? Answerd to be continued very soon, hopefully…
FINALLY, I read The Lost Dreamer and it was SO good!!! This book was even better than the first one, which I reread to help refresh my memory of the characters and the storyworld. I can't wait for book 3! The first thing I loved, was seeing all the characters outside of the school for the entire book. I LOVE the Hanley twins so much!! Seeing these characters in their own homes really helped develop their characters Plus, it showed us a lot of the world Erin so lovingly built. I'm absolutely obsessed with it and want to go live there. :D Also, this book is a lot longer than it looks, which made me really happy. It is a MUST READ for fantasy lovers. Fans of Forbes' previous book will not be disappointed.
Once again Erin fell into the trap of too much purple prose. And once again I was disappointed to find that we didn’t get to know the Hanley sisters quite as well as I would’ve liked. I still feel like I’ve only just met them. I also feel as if this story is entirely unrelated to the last book. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it does feel like this could’ve been where the series started and it would’ve made no difference.
Now the good things.
I did like this book considerably better than the first one. I loved the hints of a romance between a few of our characters and I feel like they have real potential. I loved getting to explore more of the world Erin has created and I thought the plot was far more interesting this time around. I thought the climax was a lot more interesting and near the end of the book I found myself on the edge of my seat! Very excited to find out what the next book holds!
This book is the second in a series but the author shared with me that you can just start with this book. That's what I did and really I wasn't confused. This is a fantasy book that follows characters who have elemental powers and live in a fantasy world. You follow twin Hanley sisters as they adjust to living in the world and searching for The Lost Dreamer- a boy who disappeared years ago. The girls are living in their grandmother's house and are finding clues that make them believe she knew where the boy had gone. The boy also has powers to talk through dreams and has been visiting the girls. It's a great story. A ton of fun. Wonderfully descriptive. It was giving me The secret of Roan Inish meets The Winx Club vibes
4 stars! My review will be up soon on my blog and on my BookTube channel, but for now I'll just say that I LOVE the author's writing style- she writes so beautifully and paints a picture in my head with every description. It's amazing!
This book was full of intrigue and beautiful writing! I enjoyed reading this, and I can tell Erin’s writing has improved a lot. This book held more conflict and interesting characters. I loved getting to explore farther into Aisling and learning about the land’s mysteries. I also loved Killian! I can’t wait to read the next book!