The Elementalist: Rise of Hara

Elemental Spies #1

by T.M. White

A disgraced pilot saved by elemental magic. A jaded spy haunted by his past. Occult forces threatening to ruin them both.

All Voi wants is to fly her plane and live a decent life, but something stands in her way: emelesia, a rare condition likely to land her in a mental asylum. Forever. Then comes Mr. Callahan, the mysterious agent who convinces Voi to spy for a cure. The catch? She has untapped elemental powers, and the enemy is psychic.

Desperate for a remedy, the aviatrix trains for a dangerous mission, wary of the person she's being molded into. The threat of coercion hovers constantly: become an elemental agent, or face the asylum. Meanwhile, Voi struggles with unusual side effects—from overwhelming urges to unintentional manifestations of her powers, due to unchecked emotions.

Between learning how to control her abilities, Mr. Callahan's growing reluctance towards her potential, and dealing with psychic revolutionaries... becoming an elementalist seems less and less appealing. Can Voi and her handler learn to trust one another, or will the machinations of paranormal politics lead to their undoing?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

560 pages, ebook

First published November 19, 2019

About the author

T. M. (Tiyana Marie) White is a fantasy novelist spinning tales about supernaturally souped-up spies who are fed up with “the system,” thank you very much! Currently, she lives in Arizona, where the mystical Sonoran Desert sparks the far-out interests fueling her stories—from pseudoscience and conspiracy theories to elemental magic and ESP.

The Elementalist: Rise of Hara is her debut novel and the beginning of the Elemental Spies series.

To learn more about what she's working on, subscribe for updates on her website and check out her content on social media:

Instagram - @tmwhite.books
Pinterest - @TiyanaMW
Twitter - @TiyanaMW

Reviews

[Zainab · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Giveaway closed****

For all my dudes who enjoy fantasy, this is going to be your next favorite book.

If you like psychics, spies, pilots, airships, political intrigue, or elemental magic...then this story is for you.

The book brought out a whole different side of fantasy books and honestly, I was not ready. You have a brave pilot (Voi) for the main character, a very charming yet a bit clumsy spy, Callahan, as the second main. But the story-the book- is not bound to these characters. There are many with their own story (although obviously related to the main one)

This is the author's first published book but it definitely doesn't feel like it. I mean everything about this book is so good


Now for the Giveaway part which I know is the sole reason y'all are here for.
You don't have to do much. Just like this review and/or this review on my my blog
(and then I'll select the random lucky winner)

Good luck!

[T.M. White]

I won't be the author who gives her book five stars 'cause honestly, that's just tacky. All I want to say here is...

Thank you.

Thank you for taking a chance on an unknown author.

Thank you for expressing how much you love/hate/otherwise feel about this book.

Thank you for spending time in a world with characters who've come to mean so much to me. I hope you love (or love to hate) them as much as I do!

If you like psychics, spies, pilots, airships, political intrigue, or elemental magic...then this story may be for you. (If you don't like complex plots, longer books, or minor elements of romance, then it may not be!)

Fly high, reach for the stars, and never forget who you are.

Yours truly,

Tiyana "T. M." White

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sci-fi fantasy eARC from #Netgalley! Thank you so much to the publisher and author T. M. White for the early copy.

Whilst I've realised recently that sci-fi really isn't my thing, I really liked the premise of the fantasy/sci-fi combo, and a strong female protagonist is always welcome 😊

Occult science and 'elemental' magic work get all the thumbs up and I love a good thriller, but The Elementalist: Rise of Hara didn't completely gel for me, probably because I didn't totally engage with Voi and Callahan. It was also really long and I found myself skimming over some of the slower paced sections.

That said, its well written and hugely original, I just don't think it's 'my thing'.

2.5-3 ✨✨✨

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get a Arc of The Elementalist: Rise of Hara early through netgalley.

I really enjoyed The Elementalist: Rise of Hara by T.M. White. Part high fantasy novel and part spy thriller the book dives into the world the author created right on page one. The story centers around Voi a disgraced pilot who has a rare condition called emelesia that would normally have her sent to mental asylum by the age 25 but then she meets Ronny a investigative journalist/ spy who tells her that emelesia is not what she thinks. Voi learns that people with emelesia actually have the power to control an elemental force or have physic abilities and the world's government actively suppresses their powers. Ronny works for Section One a group of people who have not had their powers suppressed and they handle problems for a coalition of all the worlds nations. Voi is dropped into a conflict involving a new country joining the coalition and a so called terrorist group trying to prevent that.
T.M. White creates a rich and vibrant world in The Elmentalist: Rise of Hara. There is a lot going on this book but I never felt that I could not remember who was trying to accomplish what. I will recommend keeping a picture of the map close by as the book just dives right in and it can take a little bit before you figure out where everything is. I loved how the elemental powers uses were described and the elemental combat scenes were awesome. The book has really good pacing with only a couple of spots were things slow down. The romance plot in the book was really interesting especially when you reach then end and learn about a connection between two of the characters. This book does contain some sexual content so you have been warned but it was nothing to graphic.

The Elementalist:Rise of Hara is a amazing debut novel from T. M. White. She has crafted an amazing world and story that I hope she continues as the ending had me very curious as to what will happen next with Voi and Ronny. I would recommend this book to fans of high fantasy novels, if you enjoy that genre I really think you will dig this book.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review in a few sentences:
Me: Do something, Voi!
Voi: does something stupid.
Me: That's not what I meant.

I wanted to like this book. People with powers being repressed by their government and trying to find out whether to fight against or work with the government as spies. But the world building made me struggle with understanding the countries. There are many different countries surrounding the main country but the names blurred together. There were no characteristics that distinguished between them.

The main character is a hotshot pilot with untrained air powers. She gets recruited on a spy mission against a psychic who wants the repression of superpower people to end. The main character is just along for the ride. There were side characters that were more interesting and strong. The main character just doesn't want people to die without having a full understanding of any situation.

And there is a not wanted or needed love triangle because the main character is that desirable.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I wasn’t keen on this, there just seemed to be too much chaotic world building, overly confusing and not clear at all. The plot, well what can I say I don’t think it knew where it was going, because I certainly didn’t. The characters were uninspiring and the side characters were more interesting than the main character, overall it just felt unfinished and unpolished. Sorry just not for me without more work editing.

[Sarah Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in return for an honest review.

This was a really amazing debut novel. T.M. White did a really amazing job at writing complex characters and a really interesting and unique plot. The Elementalist is what I would consider a fantasy-scifi mash up and it was really well done in the joining of the two genres.

This book is long. This book is descriptive. This book is packed full of different names, terms and verbiage that the author has created themselves. Amazing, yet makes for a dense read. There was a good part of the book I was confused and constantly righting to remember who was who and who was what and so on. There were a few times the book felt extremely info dumpy and I felt my reading pace decrease exponentially due to this.

The book deals with dark themes, or complex themes. Including but not limited to colonialism, race, religion, addiction, mental health and so on.

The characters were well done, even if I didn't enjoy the main character. Though I didn't enjoy Voi's character at all, I can still appreciate the complexity of her and her story. I did like Callahan and almost found his story and past to be much more interesting and almost wish he was the main character. Voi though was supposed to be roughly 26? But at many points of the book I felt like I was reading from a teen's perspective, she felt overly immature and extremely naive. If you combine these two parts of her personality with her constant "wanting" and selfishness, with a bit of vulnerably thrown in, you get a really aggravating character. She never thought of those around her and the consequences of her actions and how they would also impact the people around her.

Many of the character interactions felt off, forced almost. And though a good amount of the characters that were well done, some weren't flushed out enough. This made for really unbelievable interactions and character relationships and it made the plot feel a bit disjointed because it was hard to tell who each character was supposed to be and how each was supposed to fit into the plot.

The relationship in this book. Not a romance, a relationship. Unique, yet aggravating. The man Voi starts to 'see' in the book if disgusting, vial, predatory, racist and she DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE. Voi is constantly going back and forth, seems to have no idea what she feels and doesn't take the time to figure it out before she just jumps in feet first. She repeatedly talks about how she doesn't hear from one character so she deems it okay to play around with another. Makes her feel demeaning and like she's settling for attention. Given her past, I can see why, but ew. Voi's character deals with trauma and how being an elementalist has effected her life up to this point, so how she acts is justified, yet difficult to read at times.

I do like how sexuality is spoken about in this book. The author includes different sexualities that most readers wouldn't consider the 'norm', but they are spoken about in such a matter of fact way. It was refreshing to read about other sexualities and experiences without them being made into a big deal, but just a part of life.

The book was long. And by the end of the book I felt like the ending could had happened three or four times but the author kept thinking up new scenes and wanted to add them. I felt like this book has multiple ending and though it worked, I think the transition from the end fight scenes to the conclusion of the book could had been a bit smoother.

I certainly have a few grievances with this book, but it was a really well done debut. Long, yes. But complex and unique in a lot of ways. I do hope that some of what I had issues with is explored more in the later books in the series, but besides that I think it was a solid book. It's also nice to see an author trying to breach the "new adult" genre, which is where I would classify this novel.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the free book.*

Voi is a former pilot who's suffering from a condition that will drive her insane eventually. When she is convinced by a mysterious agent to become a spy and find a cure for her condition. Because Voi has elemental powers she could learn to control. So the aviatrix is caught in a web of political intricacies, espionage, and learning how to controls her powers and the desires that come with them...

I liked many things about this book, I had certain Blade Runner vibes, because Callahan was Decker in my mind and Voi Rachel style-wise, but I was mostly confused and I was really annoyed because Voi gets really horny because of her powers and of course everybody wants her. It was just so...male gaze even though it was written by a woman. Really weird and even though I enjoy novels that positively affirm female sexuality, this didn't really work for me.

All in all, the story didn't really manage to keep my attention. I found Voi annoying, I hated André, and I liked Ronny, but was annoyed the same time. I didn't really get the different countries and fractions and then I didn't really care any more. But well done for a debut novel, world-building had cool ideas, but not sure whether I'll pick up the next one...

3 Stars

[The Fiction Forest · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of its interesting cover. The story had potential but there was so much unnecessary fillers That i really struggled getting though the book. At times i found it quite boring and the main character was flat and annoying. I ended up skimming through the 2nd half of the book. There was far to much aviation jargon that i was basically lost reading the paragraphs.

[Nils Ödlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly read shorter books and novellas, and this is the longest book I've read in a very long time (not counting series). It was a bit much for me, and I struggled at times, but I think that's mainly due to me being used to short books with a faster pace.
That said, if you're a fan of big books, definitely give it a go. Much as I had issues with parts of the story, I very much enjoyed other parts, and I'm glad I read it. I can't recall having read anything quite like it.

I'm not going to go over what the story is about, as I'd rather you read it yourself, but I'll mention what I liked and didn't like, and I'll start with the negatives.

Stuff I didn't enjoy.
Most of all, the length. This is partially on me, but due to the length and the pacing (and reading it over Xmas) I didn't have the opportunity to really hunker down and get sucked into the book. I also felt like the pacing was a little uneven in the second half of the story, and it got in the way of building up the tension.
I also had issues with some of Voi's decisions/actions – most notably with respect to Captain Neverri. At times, it seemed like Voi was living another story than the one I was reading, and I found it hard to understand or relate to her actions.

Stuff I enjoyed.
The world and the setting. The books is worth reading almost for the setting alone. It's like a cross between a fantasy world and a 1920's gangster movie, and it's amazing. Everyone's wearing fedoras and leather trench coats, hold up doors for each other, and write long eloquent letters on typewriters. And then there's elemental magic on top of that.
On top of that, the settings isn't just locations and characters, but permeates the entire story. The first half of the book, getting to know and explore the world, is an absolute joy to read. The author has clearly done her research and put a lot of effort into creating an atmosphere the befits the world she's created.
The pacing. I know I complained about the pacing earlier, but I also enjoyed it. There's a relaxed and laid back feel to the story, and while it did get a bit much for me in the long run, it's also very fitting.
You often hear books described as “fast-paced” as if it's a good thing. Well, this is the opposite of fast-paced, and it's also a good thing.
The prose. The book is very well written, and I can't recall ever really stumbling over the words, which is quite refreshing, and which helps establishing a great sense of place.

Final comments.
I follow the author on Instagram, and know that a lot of time, love, and effort has gone into the creation of this story – and it shows. It's well done, well written, and interesting. You should read it.
I can't deny I had issues with the story, but nothing is perfect, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the next part.

[Cass Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very ambitious worldbuilding. Unfortunately, I spent quite a bit of time trying to relate the Elementalist world geographically to our world and I’m not sure why. It’s a very different place with some interesting rules but, somehow, the politics was too closely aligned with current events for me.

This is could have been put out as 3 novellas but instead is one novel in three sections. The Initiate deals with introduces us to Voi’s culture and builds the team. It’s very well done and the characters are well rounded enough. The Aviatrix details the first mission and was the most interesting and most enjoyable part of the story for me. It had good pacing and Voi was really rounded out. The Elementalist introduces the protagonist, resolves this story and provides a jump-off for further adventures.

I really like the ideas, especially that Voi is a proponent of diplomatic resolution as the culture moves toward conflict at the end of the story. Her powers are well described and hint at further development. The romantic element is engaging enough. Overall I’m looking forward to where she ends up. Any choppiness in storytelling could be from laying so much groundwork for further development.

I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Elementalist was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I liked the premise--the spies/fantasy blend had great potential--but the pacing badly let it down. This book was way longer than it needed to be. I kept wanting to put on my editor hat and make cuts, as there were times when the action slowed so much I started skimming. Then something interesting would happen and I would perk up, but then we'd plod again. Careful cutting to remove about a third of the word count and tighten the prose and I think this would have worked better. In conclusion, a great story idea but too much going on and issues with pacing caused problems.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It grabbed me from the beginning, but it took me a while to read (not a bad thing, but not a quick book to pass a day or two with!). The world that this story is based in is really interesting and I can't wait to read book 2 to see where it goes

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 42%. Between muddled worldbuilding, an annoying protagonist, and constant promises of action and adventure that still hadn't been fulfilled, this just wasn't for me.

There are three layers to the worldbuildng. Layer one is a fantasy secondary world, complete with continent map. The western not-quite-half of the continent has cultures with analogies to France or possibly Italy, and (judging by the names) to Ireland, but they're called something else. The eastern more-than-half has unaccountably (given its huge coastline) been enforcing a policy of isolation for years, now thawing, and (again, judging by the names) appears to have analogs of China and the Middle East. I'm never a big fan of basing fantasy cultures on real cultures, but I understand why people do it. The geography and history are, of course, not those of our world or anything close to it.

Somehow (again), the western part has had the industrial revolution and is all the way up to dieselpunk. This is where the second layer comes in.

The second layer of worldbuilding, at odds with the first, is set dressing that comes straight out of the 1920s or 1930s US, complete with fedoras, trench coats, and jazz. Early on, I noted a car stopped at a red light as challenging my suspension of disbelief (since that's a very arbitrary signal); I didn't know the half of it yet. This secondary world with a completely different history is fully furnished in a job lot of scenery and props straight out of the Jazz Age. It's like you were filming a fantasy epic and just decided to use the sound stage left over from The Great Gatsby.

On top of that is the third layer, which is the speech and attitudes of the characters. These are from contemporary USA, with no visible attempt to go for the 1920s or 30s as anything more than furniture. A nurse is more like a modern nurse practitioner, the status of women seems approximately as it is today, there are college protests against hate crimes and racism towards immigrants, and numerous small attitudes and turns of speech put us firmly in the early 21st century.

I was going to ding the book half a star for muddled worldbuilding, but it wasn't chock full of the usual sloppy mechanical errors, and there kept being promises (in the situation, and in what the protagonist was being trained for) that it would be a thrilling adventure later on, so I kept reading.

Ah, the protagonist. My personal favourite kind of protagonist is one who is strongly motivated by a personal commitment to do the right thing, and will persevere through any challenge, displaying competence and sound judgement and winning allies to her cause (because I do prefer female protagonists). Preferably, she's someone who isn't the most talented or the most gifted (and definitely not fated or prophesied as the Chosen One); she's an underdog, making up with strength of character for being ill-equipped to meet the scale of challenge she's presented with.

Voi, the protagonist of this book, is pretty much the exact opposite of all of this, except that she is a young woman. She constantly huffs, pouts, broods and sulks; she resists her training; she resists being recruited to the cause (probably quite rightly, but it makes her an unpromising protagonist); she has no self-discipline to go with her awesome powers of awesomeness that are better than anyone else in the history of talent. When she does make a decision, it's almost always an ill-judged one. I disliked her as a person and found her constantly annoying as a protagonist. Finally, when she had dangerous sex with a complete stranger because her powers were (for some reason) making her horny, I was done. Even though the many promises of action and adventure were finally (nearly halfway into the book) looking like they might start to pay off, that was just one too many negatives for me.

This book is very likely to the taste of quite a number of people, but I am not a part of that number, I'm afraid.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and T.M. White for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I gave The Elementalist: Rise of Hara 2/5 stars.

This book was up and down for me. I really, really wanted to like it. The cover is definitely what drew me in, and the description of the story was intriguing. I enjoyed most of the characters and found parts of their dialogue to be entertaining. However, the positives end there for me.

The biggest problem with this book is that there is a lack of a definitive plot. I had no idea what the actual point of the story was, or what the characters were doing. Our main character, Voi, is an elementalist who can control air and is a pilot; because of her flying skills, a group of people (I believe they are called the League?) wanted to recruit her for a mission. But I was totally lost on exactly what that mission was. Everything was super choppy and just didn't make sense to me. First Voi was training to use her element. Then she was flying some special aircraft. Then she was going on a date with a captain. Then she was flying again. Then she was captured. Then everyone wanted to rescue her. Insert a strange ending and then you reach the end of the book. I'm not even sure if the original mission was even accomplished.

Additionally, the world-building was severely lacking in this book. The magic system and mission says fantasy world, but the futuristic airships and setting says sci-fi. There's also mention of gods and goddesses and ambrosia, which I just did not get at all. There were too many names and places that I couldn't keep straight.

Another note that is more personal preference, but I really disliked the chapter titles. They were inconsistent, and many of them gave the book a more juvenile feel than it really is. This is an adult story, but with chapter titles like, "How Pirates Affect Business and Other Important Aspects of Life," "So, a Psychic and an Emelesiac Walk into a Cafe..." and How Voi Became Employed By a Very Wealthy Inventor," you can't help but feel like it's meant for a younger audience.

Overall, I was not impressed by this book. There were too many elements to this story, and pieces that just didn't fit together. I felt like I was reading a book that had multiple ideas that were half-developed, instead of one idea that was really strong. This made it super difficult to actually understand and invest myself in the book.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Spoilers*

*My thanks to T.M. White and the publisher, as I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. *

My opinion of this book changed a few different times as I read it. It took me considerably longer to read than usual, and that is not entirely due to it being longer than most. We were introduced to Callahan first, and while I had known there were other characters, that kind of thing generally makes me think the first person we see is the Main Protagonist. That assumption jarred me a bit as we switched to Voi in a series of opening chapters that I found...hard.

It took quite a while to reach any real movement and that slowed down my desire to read and my ability to connect to Voi as the main character. She did not seem to have any real desire, despite the very long lament of her circumstances. My interest returned with Callahan, and the other side characters but once they left the scene I was left bereft in a sea of indecisiveness that was Voi's mind. I'm all for the reluctant hero learning to believe in themselves, or changing for the better, or taking on a challenge that may not have been theirs to begin with—but I need the passion for it. I was also ceaselessly dissatisfied with Voi and Callahan being pushed obviously into a will they/won't they situation only for Voi to sleep with someone extremely dangerous because her powers...made...her? I'm still foggy on those details. It was jarring.

On another note: The world-building was definitely interesting. It was easy enough to grasp which countries/time frames the author gleaned her inspiration from and while some of it seemed a bit muddled at times I enjoyed the mixture simply for it not being one I'd seen before. The Mentalist/Elementalist powers had interesting dynamics and I am a bit of a sucker not just for elemental powers, but for the idea of personality traits matching those specific elements. We see this first in Milia, who is as sharp and discerning as the metal she controls. It is easy then to connect Voi's flighty nature with her own element of air.

Spy stories and government conspiracies are not usually things I lean toward when choosing a book but while I skipped around on some filler, I enjoyed the story as a whole. I believe the author will continue to grow with each addition to this series and if you love intrigue and elemental power (and don't mind a fair amount of death) this is something you might enjoy.

[Tina M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did receive an ARC from Book Sirens, in exchange for an honest review of this book.


Confusing, muddled at best. Keeping track of the characters with two in particular that had similar names to me, and \"pet\" names, titles, etc. added to the confusion. I can think of at least one character where the author gave them at least six different names she referred to throughout the situation causing me to have to stop and straighten out who I was reading about.


The next issue for me was regarding what everyone else has referred to as world building, an just added to the confusion. Jumping from one to the next, and the author trying to build momentum and mystery at the same time, doesn’t work. For me, just lay it out straight when you’re trying to build up a series, and allow me to at least become familiar with the main characters and where they’re living, visiting, working, and fighting.

I like a nice thick, juicy novel, as much as the next person. But I do admit it dragged out at times. So much so that at the end, with 97% of the book being completed, and what I thought had tied up all the loose ends, I almost gave up. I had to keep forcing myself to return and finish-only to be thoroughly upset at the end taking an unnecessary twist that seemed like an afterthought.

The blend of different genres was interesting to me in the beginning but by the end, if felt as it does when you've put too much on your plate. You want to taste it all and enjoy it, but before long, the stirring and cutting makes it one jumbled mess on your plate, and you have no idea where to pick back up, start over, or just give up entirely.

I won’t say the book/series doesn’t have potential. I think there is a good plot, good character development, and a substantial amount of ground that could be covered in future books. I just think it needs to be slowed down and really thought of from the reader’s perspective. The reader hasn’t lived with these characters, worlds, and plots in their mind for the last however many years the author has. We are not familiar with them in the same way. I see this happen a lot with first books and new authors. I wish her the best of luck, but no guarantee I’ll pick up the 2nd.

[Gemma McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Elementalist: Rise of Hara mixes fantasy with a spy thriller plot. 

In the book Vol is our leading lady, she is a disgraced pilot with a condition called emelesia. This condition is treated as a mental illness with most people ending up in an Asluym by their 25th birthday. But emelesia is a side effect of not using their Elementalist gift. But the government keep the fact it magically abilities secret unless the person becomes of use to them. 

I liked Vol as a character, her world is turned upside down and she is trying to keep to her own moral code. When she has people are telling her to do something that goes against it. 

The whole government aka the League and its treatment of emelesia make me question who is the good guys, As the book progress this questioning ho is in the right gets more confusing. This felt very true to life where everyone is the hero of their own story. 

T.M, White has created an immense world in The Elementalist: Rise of Hara. Although interesting to read it did for me slow the pace of the book. As the story has to lay down the groundwork to get to the action, and then wraps everything up and leads it to the next books. 

Another character that piqued my interest was Ron Callahan. He is Voi handler ho has psychic ability. He reminds me of the spy/ journalist you would see in old Hollywood films. I wouldn't have been surprised if he said, "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

The ending of the book has left me intrigued to see what trouble Voi and Ron will get up to next. 

My rating for The Elementalist: Rise of Hara is 3.6 out of 5. 

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 1 out of 5]

trigger warning
hospitalization
mental illness

dnf at 22%

Everything is not as it's supposed to be: Our protagonist Voi faces worsening of her health condition that might make her psychotic and reserve her a place at a local asylum while her business endeavors don't go according to plan.
Then, she's approached by a journalist, asking her what she'd be willing to do to change her future.

Turns out, she is not ill, not really. Voi has the ability to use elemental magic, but if she doesn't use her gifts, there are hideous side effects. Normally, people with that ability are urged to take meds and are told there is nothing else that will help them, but as our protagonist has the rare training needed for a certain mission, they're willing to help her add to her skillset and show her the hidden parts of the universe, or at least some of those.

I have had quite a few problems with this.
It starts with the world building. Far too many names of places are dropped on you, some without any connotations and then a place called Windsor. The people from Windsor are snotty, have weird accents, and think themselves to be above anybody else. ...okay.
As I read quite a bit of fantasy, I don't really have problems with made up places, but in this case there are far too many introduced at once without any kind of explanation. To be honest, it kinda felt like the author was not really sure, they were only names. Same happened with the characters multiple times - they seem like the idea of a person, not a threedimensional character. One instance that particularly annoyed me was with her best friend Paul, and I'd think a best friend deserves a better treatment than that of a paper cut-out.

All in all, it felt too rough, unfinished - which might be because the copy I read was an unedited proof copy, so I really have no idea what the finished novel will be like.
The story I have here is nothing I want to read for additional over 400 pages.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[TheDigressiveApproach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This eARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed here are my own.
---
I was very much looking forward to this one as the enticing blurb combined with the beautiful cover pulled me in.

While the premise was promising, I believe it could have been executed better.

The plot seemed to wander without an exact goal in mind, making the reader feel lost. I also thought that the chapter titles seemed very childish at times. I think White attempted to put levity into the chapter titles which can be done very well in books/series aimed for adults (Chris Wooding's The Ketty Jay series comes to mind), but the titles chosen in this book came off as childish.

The world-building could have been executed a lot better. Places were named without any information given about them that could actually flesh out the setting.

Overall, this series has an interesting premise but I do hope it is improved in the coming installments.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not at all my kind of thing. To start with, it is massively long - at least 3 times the length of most books. Then there’s all the excessive death, politics, betrayal and so on. All the kind of things I hate reading about. From the cover and description, I was expecting a fun fantasy spy caper.

However, if you are into spy adventures and have no issue with lots of politics and people dying, then this may be the book for you. The world is realistic, self consistent, complex and in some ways compelling. In general, it’s very well written (there are a few sentences with words missing, or the wrong words, but as this is an ARC, hopefully those will have been corrected before publication).

In conclusion, although I really didn’t like this book, I’m giving it two stars as I can see how lots of people might love it.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review:

[Ixxati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and T.M. White for this gorgeous ARC! Look at the cover asdfghjkl I fall in love goshh

It tooks time for me to like Voi. Sometimes her character annoyed me especially when she don't want to use violence and end up causes trouble to the others.

Okay first she thought she was sick and may end up in mental asylum. Then it turns out that she has elemental powers, a rare one and she joined The League. They trained her . She went on a mission to fly special aircraft, captain flirted her, she went somewhere and got caught and the others went on a mission to save her. Too much happening and it got quite confusing.

The romance plot was interesting especially when Ronny and Voi found out bout their connection. Sweet lol I wish I got that kind of connection too kno 😂

🌟🌟🌟.5

[Michaela Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much, The writing was done really well; the world building and character building was incredible. It felt like fantasy met Alias, and I loved it. This book sucks you in, and immerses you in the story and the characters lives. All the details were amazing, but not so overdone you felt lost in them. The storyline was interesting, and had me on the edge of my seat. It was not a story I have read multiple times; it was new, and exciting, and unique. There were twists and turns, and I look forward to (impatiently) waiting for the next installments. I received a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent start for a new fantasy series.
I found it engrossing and entertaining, with a great and fleshed out cast of characters, and an amazing world building.
Can't wait to read the next instalment.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Naria. G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm soo excited for this, it sounds like the book I've never realised I needed. But I mean, it totally is the book I need. Elemental magic? Aviatrix? SPIES? OCCULT MYSTERY?? WHAT.
And that cover 😱
Give meeeee