What do you think?
Rate this book
Royals of Kingwood Academy #1
The Lost Elemental
It was supposed to be simple. Graduate, get a job to keep my mom from drowning in mountains of medical debt, and maybe score a scholarship to a decent college.
All of that changed in a single breath. Because it turns out I’m not human. And I just knocked out the power on an entire city block.
In a split second, all of my carefully-laid plans go up in smoke. There’s no chance for college because I’m being hauled off to Kingwood Academy. They say it’s for my own protection and those around me. But I know one thing for sure…
I’m not welcome here.
The mean girls don’t stop at insults and tripping you in the halls. They’re wielding magic that could cost me my life. And the rest of the school sees me as either a halfling that should be cast out or a powerhouse to be brought down.
Everyone except them.
The charmer. The gentle giant. The psychopath. And maybe even the cruel prince.
The royals of Kingwood Academy have taken me under their wing and I can’t help but notice how my skin hums when they touch me. I shouldn’t be dreaming about a single one of them, let alone all four. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
Only someone doesn’t like the attention the royals are showing me. And when the attacks start, the princes will do anything to protect me. But they don’t know the true evil we face. The kind who will do whatever it takes to seize our power, even if that means stealing the very last breath from our lungs…
*Book one in a continuing three-book reverse harem series. Think fated mates, crazy powerful elementals, a heroine with no idea what she is, protective royals, and an evil who wants all their power...
All of that changed in a single breath. Because it turns out I’m not human. And I just knocked out the power on an entire city block.
In a split second, all of my carefully-laid plans go up in smoke. There’s no chance for college because I’m being hauled off to Kingwood Academy. They say it’s for my own protection and those around me. But I know one thing for sure…
I’m not welcome here.
The mean girls don’t stop at insults and tripping you in the halls. They’re wielding magic that could cost me my life. And the rest of the school sees me as either a halfling that should be cast out or a powerhouse to be brought down.
Everyone except them.
The charmer. The gentle giant. The psychopath. And maybe even the cruel prince.
The royals of Kingwood Academy have taken me under their wing and I can’t help but notice how my skin hums when they touch me. I shouldn’t be dreaming about a single one of them, let alone all four. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
Only someone doesn’t like the attention the royals are showing me. And when the attacks start, the princes will do anything to protect me. But they don’t know the true evil we face. The kind who will do whatever it takes to seize our power, even if that means stealing the very last breath from our lungs…
*Book one in a continuing three-book reverse harem series. Think fated mates, crazy powerful elementals, a heroine with no idea what she is, protective royals, and an evil who wants all their power...
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
3709 people are currently reading
10919 people want to read
About the author
Tessa Hale
21 books2,761 followersAuthor of love stories with magic, usually with more than one love interest. Constant daydreamer.
What a FREE novella from me? You can download one via BookFunnel: https://BookHip.com/NWRWMZA
What a FREE novella from me? You can download one via BookFunnel: https://BookHip.com/NWRWMZA
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 997 reviews
October 1, 2024
4.5 stars
This was so fun! I really need to read more paranormal and this as a why choose romance the really did it well! The heroine thinks she's normal and has no elemental powers, but when the testing day comes, she discovers she actually is much more powerful than she thinks and she has to attend Kingwood Academy. It was fun watching her discover her powers and how each of the heroes ended up helping her. I really enjoyed each of the heroes and their individual personalities and relationships with the heroine. They were definitely very protective and I'm excited to see how each relationship continues to develop in book two!
This was so fun! I really need to read more paranormal and this as a why choose romance the really did it well! The heroine thinks she's normal and has no elemental powers, but when the testing day comes, she discovers she actually is much more powerful than she thinks and she has to attend Kingwood Academy. It was fun watching her discover her powers and how each of the heroes ended up helping her. I really enjoyed each of the heroes and their individual personalities and relationships with the heroine. They were definitely very protective and I'm excited to see how each relationship continues to develop in book two!
July 6, 2023
I think this is the best Tessa Hale book I've read so far, probably because this is the first FMC that's not a total dingbat. I like her.
July 6, 2023
I've disliked reverse harem since I mistakenly picked up a book in the genre without the author mentioning anywhere that it was in fact a reverse harem. It's been a few years since that and it's gotten to the point where I don't actively dislike them but they are EVERYWHERE. I hate it when a great storyline then ends with "it's a why choose series". I've given them a shot in the last few years here and there and none of them ever grew on me. Until this one.
I think this one did it for me because there was a very prominent storyline running through everything. There was character development going on in between all that was happening. The one thing I can't say about this story is that everything can be reduced to smut. I liked the world-building very much. I liked that harems were just a thing that happens/happened in this world. This one heroine isn't unique in that sense. I guess that helped me understand and rationalize the story in a way that I could enjoy it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book after that cliffhanger!
I think this one did it for me because there was a very prominent storyline running through everything. There was character development going on in between all that was happening. The one thing I can't say about this story is that everything can be reduced to smut. I liked the world-building very much. I liked that harems were just a thing that happens/happened in this world. This one heroine isn't unique in that sense. I guess that helped me understand and rationalize the story in a way that I could enjoy it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book after that cliffhanger!
July 27, 2022
This is my first time reading a Tessa Hale novel and I have to say I really liked what I read, the cliffhanger has me itching for the next book which doesn't come out for a few more months but I am excited to see what happens next for Aura, Atlas, Riven, Kai, and Phoenix.
Riven, Kai, Phoenix, and Atlas are the four Royals at Kingwood Academy they each come from a family with a different elemental power. Every year high school graduates are tested to see the strength of their powers or even if they have powers and are sent to different academies based on their findings. Well, it's Aura's turn to be tested for she is in for the first of many shocks of her life.
This story was fun to read, I totally lost myself in this mystical world and I can't wait to go back. If you enjoy Steamy Paranormal Romances, Reverse Harem Romances, New Adult Romances, or Friends to Lovers/Enemies to Lovers Romances I would recommend this book to you.
Happy Reading!!!
Read an #excerpt and find out more here ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewTLE
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books
You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
Riven, Kai, Phoenix, and Atlas are the four Royals at Kingwood Academy they each come from a family with a different elemental power. Every year high school graduates are tested to see the strength of their powers or even if they have powers and are sent to different academies based on their findings. Well, it's Aura's turn to be tested for she is in for the first of many shocks of her life.
This story was fun to read, I totally lost myself in this mystical world and I can't wait to go back. If you enjoy Steamy Paranormal Romances, Reverse Harem Romances, New Adult Romances, or Friends to Lovers/Enemies to Lovers Romances I would recommend this book to you.
Happy Reading!!!
Read an #excerpt and find out more here ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewTLE
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with BooksYou can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
January 20, 2024
REVERSE HAREM x ELEMENTAL MAGIC 😍
Honestly, this book is catnip for me!! It has everything i love in an RH and then it goes to another level because the magic system is one that is always a YES for me.
I’m def an Atlas girlie, and that’s a shock because normally Phoenix would be my go-to. I also have a soft spot for Kai (my lil water boo).
Excited to see Aura come into her powers more!
I listened to this on audio and would highly recommended you check it out!!
Honestly, this book is catnip for me!! It has everything i love in an RH and then it goes to another level because the magic system is one that is always a YES for me.
I’m def an Atlas girlie, and that’s a shock because normally Phoenix would be my go-to. I also have a soft spot for Kai (my lil water boo).
Excited to see Aura come into her powers more!
I listened to this on audio and would highly recommended you check it out!!
February 3, 2023
So I actually did complete this book which is why I’m not giving it 1 star. But it was just such a cliche, stereotypical academy RH with so much childish drama thrown in. Literally nothing sets this apart from the thousands of other books in this genre.
Also, the plot is like a bootleg Zodiac Academy.
Also, the plot is like a bootleg Zodiac Academy.
July 23, 2022
My Blog | My BookTube | My Book Club | Instagram | Twitter
Thank you to Social Butterfly PR for inviting me to read The Lost Elemental and for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A review will be up on my blog on July 22, 2021 at 10 am CST on Honey Roselea Reads for you guys to check out!
My review on The Lost Elemental will be accessible using this link from July 22, 2021 at 10 am CST and onward.
For now, here is a preview to what the review will look like:
❀❀❀❀
After discovering that she had hidden abilities, Aura Cole is sent to the elite Kingwood Academy, filled with the talented students of the four elemental kingdoms. But, Aura soon discovers that she really doesn’t fit in as the only half-human half-elemental student. And it certainly doesn’t help that she is getting a lot of attention from the four princes from each of the kingdoms, Riven, Kai, Phoenix, and Atlas.
I gave The Lost Elemental 4 stars, at first not really enjoying it but at the end, I had a fun time and am patiently waiting for book two to come out. I found the plot, originally, too… [ continue reading ]
Read
July 25, 2022The Lost Elemental is live!
Get ready for fated mates, crazy powerful elementals, a heroine with no idea what she is, protective royals, and an evil who wants all their power...
Read Free with Kindle Unlimited -> https://geni.us/LostElmntlAmzn
Get ready for fated mates, crazy powerful elementals, a heroine with no idea what she is, protective royals, and an evil who wants all their power...
Read Free with Kindle Unlimited -> https://geni.us/LostElmntlAmzn
January 31, 2025
The Lost Elemental is the first book in the Royals of Kingwood Academy series and is a fun, why choose, fated mates, fantasy/paranormal series!
“You see us. Not for our birthrights, but for who we are.”
We meet Aura and I like how we get to see this world she’s introduced to around the same time she does. The story kicks off right away with her (and others) having to take an abilities test to discover if they have elemental gifts or not. While her friend who desperately wants to be an elemental fails the test, Aura is fully expecting to not have any gifts as well (and fine with it), but surprisingly has a whole lot of elemental gifts. She’s immediately whisked away to Kingwood Academy where she quickly meets 4 princes of elemental kingdoms (earth, water, air, fire).
One thing I always love about Tessa Hale’s why choose are how different the heroes are, they are all uniquely themselves and don’t just blend as the same guy times 4. I loved seeing Aura’s interactions with each of them (Riven, Kai, Atlas, Phoenix) and how they help her/deal with her in different ways. This was a fun intro to this trilogy and seeing the way the elemental powers work, the fated mates aspect, touch her and die vibes, the protectiveness. The cliffhangers always get me with Tessa’s books, even having read multiple series from her now, I’m always shocked at the abrupt endings lol so needless to say, I can’t wait to binge the rest! All the audios are on hoopla for this series.
“You see us. Not for our birthrights, but for who we are.”
We meet Aura and I like how we get to see this world she’s introduced to around the same time she does. The story kicks off right away with her (and others) having to take an abilities test to discover if they have elemental gifts or not. While her friend who desperately wants to be an elemental fails the test, Aura is fully expecting to not have any gifts as well (and fine with it), but surprisingly has a whole lot of elemental gifts. She’s immediately whisked away to Kingwood Academy where she quickly meets 4 princes of elemental kingdoms (earth, water, air, fire).
One thing I always love about Tessa Hale’s why choose are how different the heroes are, they are all uniquely themselves and don’t just blend as the same guy times 4. I loved seeing Aura’s interactions with each of them (Riven, Kai, Atlas, Phoenix) and how they help her/deal with her in different ways. This was a fun intro to this trilogy and seeing the way the elemental powers work, the fated mates aspect, touch her and die vibes, the protectiveness. The cliffhangers always get me with Tessa’s books, even having read multiple series from her now, I’m always shocked at the abrupt endings lol so needless to say, I can’t wait to binge the rest! All the audios are on hoopla for this series.
July 20, 2025
Review to come!
August 1, 2022
DNF at 60%
It was okay… the beginning gave away waaay too much about what she was going to become. Like seriously?? Mentioning it every single chance you get?? Also I hate how much power she had, especially going from nothing to 100000000%. It was just annoying. It was also annoying how the guys wanted her from the first interaction. Like… really? Let them get to know each other a little first. Let them brush her off as a nobody and then realize how cool she is, or something.
I also didn’t like the “big dude = dumb mean and scary” trope that I keep seeing everyone do. It was just sooo stereotypical. It’s like the author read a few YA and created the exact same girl, same boring guys, same plot, same mean girl, same missing dad, same “mom didn’t tell her”, same “meets girl best friend within five minutes of getting there”, and ran with it. There was nothing unique about this book. I haven’t read an elemental RH in awhile and… yeah. Just fell flat.
It was okay… the beginning gave away waaay too much about what she was going to become. Like seriously?? Mentioning it every single chance you get?? Also I hate how much power she had, especially going from nothing to 100000000%. It was just annoying. It was also annoying how the guys wanted her from the first interaction. Like… really? Let them get to know each other a little first. Let them brush her off as a nobody and then realize how cool she is, or something.
I also didn’t like the “big dude = dumb mean and scary” trope that I keep seeing everyone do. It was just sooo stereotypical. It’s like the author read a few YA and created the exact same girl, same boring guys, same plot, same mean girl, same missing dad, same “mom didn’t tell her”, same “meets girl best friend within five minutes of getting there”, and ran with it. There was nothing unique about this book. I haven’t read an elemental RH in awhile and… yeah. Just fell flat.
November 30, 2022
I stumbled across this on Kindle and I'm glad I took a chance. This follows a similar formula to other reverse-harems I've read, girl discovers she's special, goes to a new school where she immediately makes a friend and an enemy. Then a group of guys take interest in her and things escalate. I don't mind stories being told this way, it's still fun and this had the twist of elemental powers which was cool. I'll be jumping into book two as soon as I have time!
October 8, 2024
"You see us. Not for our birthrights, but for who we are."
The Lost Elemental has been on my Tessa Hale TBR for a while now. I discovered this author through the Supernaturals of Castle Academy series and after finishing it I started reading the Dragons of Ember Hollow series, which has become my favorite work by Tessa. So, the order I'm reading her books is a mess, but it doesn't matter since I think the connections between series started to happen in the last two, if I'm not mistaken, so I didn't see any spoilers.
Regarding the story, I've already noticed that Tessa has a format that she usually adopts in all her series: a girl who doesn't know she's powerful and discovers she's much more incredible than she could ever imagine, she's thrown into a fantasy world where she has to learn to live with her powers, whatever they may be. She'll also meet the members of her circle of lovers, who are destined to be with her and they fall in love almost instantly, but with some of the relationships being a bit more "slow burn". In addition, the character will certainly have to deal with a group of jealous and disgusting girls, as well as backstabbing from those she least expects. This is the format used in the other two series I read and also in this one I started.
Although the format becomes overused, I don't mind because I usually enjoy the world and the romances that Tessa creates, it's no wonder I continue to read her series. I believe she's one of the best Reverse Harem writers we have.
In The Lost Elemental we have Aura as the main female character. I thought she was well introduced; she guides us through the world of Royals of Kingwood Academy, discovering how the power system works. Aura has a trauma in which she's still haunted by things that happened in her past and almost killed her, so we see her having to face several panic attacks. It makes us feel empathy, since on top of that, Aura is still facing an entire school of disgusting people who consider themselves superior to her for the simple reason that Aura is only half elemental. Furthermore, our girl still has to learn to awaken and control the powers she discovers she has overnight and deal with the attraction she begins to feel for the 4 princes of the kingdoms of Torrent (water), Zephyr (air), Terra (earth) and Ash (fire). The powers and trainings in the book gave me a lot of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes, haha. Which pleases me a lot since I love this animation.
Regarding the main boys, each of them has a very different personality from the other, which I think is essential in a reverse harem book. Kai, whose main power is water, is a big charmer and flirt, he seems to covet Aura since she intrigues him so much, but at the same time he likes to keep her away from his real feelings. Atlas, who mainly controls the earth, is a sweetheart right away, he treats Aura well and is extremely helpful in helping her with whatever she needs. He's an affectionate and gentle giant baby. And then there are my two favorites of the group, the rebels and psychopaths, Riven and Phoenix. The first, who mainly controls air, shows an exaggerated enmity towards Aura, even being cruel to her several times and making it clear that he doesn't want her to get close to him and his friends, besides the fact that he already has a girlfriend, Eva. Riven won me over because I love seeing a hate to love romance in which the guy will have to do a lot of groveling after being such a jerk to the main character. Phoenix, who mainly controls fire, is a loner who holds a lot of resentment, bitterness and hurt, who's seen by others as a psychopath who will kill you if you breathe the wrong way in his direction. Even with this reputation, he makes an instant connection with Aura and doesn't treat her badly; on the contrary, he feels very intrigued and eager to get to know her better.
The Lost Elemental presented a quite simple plot of discovery of powers, in which the character goes to classes that will culminate in a big event to discover which elements she can actually control. Will it be all four and is she actually an aether destined to unite the kingdoms and be the mate of the four princes? I believe this outcome is quite obvious, but it doesn't bother me. Furthermore, throughout the book we see the development of Aura's romance with 3 of the princes, since Riven is determined to keep her away from him. Aura also meets and connects deeply with Kerry, her only true friend at Kingwood Academy, apart from the boys, of course.
Regarding the romance and spice, we have good hot scenes as usual with Tessa, but I think it missed a greater connection of feelings between the characters in these moments. Which disappointed me a little. I found it a little generic, Tessa is doing much better in her most recent works. I also missed having the boys' point of view in this book. The other two series I read had all the characters' points of view, which made me connect with them more. I feel like we could've had that in this book, maybe in the next volume we will.
Overall, I enjoyed this first book and will immediately embark on reading the next volume. However, I must admit that Tessa's writing was inferior in this book, she has evolved over the years and I think it'll be hard for this series to beat Dragons of Ember Hollow in my heart.
As I usually do whenever possible, I also listened to the audiobook while reading the ebook. Aletha George portrayed Aura very well and I thought her voice suited the character well. Besides that, I love her narration, I think she's very talented and capable of keeping us intrigued and excited with her way of telling the story and portraying the other various characters well, since we don't have their point of view, therefore we do not have other narrators.
✨ RATING
- C (characters): 7/10
- A (atmosphere): 7/10
- W (writing): 7/10
- P (plot): 6/10
- I (intrigue): 7/10
- L (logic): 7/10
- E (enjoyment): 8/10
↬ TOTAL: 7.00 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐
💦 SPICE: 🌶️🌶️
🔖 TROPES:
- Why Choose/Reverse Harem
- Fantasy romance
- Fated mates
- Elemental powers
- Royals
- Hate to Love (one character)
- Touch her and die
- Academy romance
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: ptsd, trauma, panic attacks, bullying, abusive parent
I saw Riven. He wasn't dark or light, he was an endless array of gray. In every tone and shade.
June 27, 2022
I’m already addicted and can’t wait for the rest of the series. I’m a sucker for a book set at an academy but throw in a reverse harem and I’m done for.
Aura has her work cut out for her. I can already tell she’s going to go through it. She always knew of the elemental world but didn’t think she had any powers herself so now she’s trying to learn everything in a small amount of time.
Luckily, she has a few people willing to help her. Bring in the men. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how easily I fell in love with the guys. It’s like the second we meet them, I’m wanting them to be a member of the harem.
The world is easy to follow and is pretty cool. Who doesn’t love a magic academy? I’m so excited to see where this story goes but I’m nervous as I know this group will not have it easy.
Aura has her work cut out for her. I can already tell she’s going to go through it. She always knew of the elemental world but didn’t think she had any powers herself so now she’s trying to learn everything in a small amount of time.
Luckily, she has a few people willing to help her. Bring in the men. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how easily I fell in love with the guys. It’s like the second we meet them, I’m wanting them to be a member of the harem.
The world is easy to follow and is pretty cool. Who doesn’t love a magic academy? I’m so excited to see where this story goes but I’m nervous as I know this group will not have it easy.
January 7, 2024
It was good, I might have given it a better review if I hadn't read multiple similar stories, actually similar is too nice a word this goes a bit beyond just troupe grouping it into a category.
The Typical Elemental Academy Reverse Harem Plot...
The end of Book 1
The only thing missing was a "Fae" aspect but just because they aren't called the Fae in this book doesn't mean they aren't exactly that.
Now granted the storyline is fairly predictable at this point but that doesn't mean it's not still an enjoyable troupe I like to read, the character and world-building while unoriginal were still interesting and had some depth of emotion, but not unique in any way that sets this story apart and makes it special for me. The writing was average and it seemed well-edited but I noticed two major issues...
First, from what I could tell, this book should have taken place over the course of an entire school year. Somehow that school year and all the aforementioned plot points read like it lasted about a week, maybe two. Each day ran into the next, never leaving gaps of weeks to months passing while she spent time at the academy getting acclimated, learning, and snogging with Princes. Instead, it read like her first week at school and then all of a sudden, they're doing the Elemental Academy version of cap and gown graduation ceremonies.
Second, the chapters would start and stop in the middle of crucial moments or right in the middle of a conversation. It reminded me of watching TV shows when they would cut to commercials right before a crucial statement.
Update within {} {The Following nonsense has nothing to do with the book review}
For all you Generation Z's-Alphas and future Gens out there who are too young to have suffered through the inability to skip commercials while watching regular cable, on a heavy NOT flat box of a tv, it went something like this...
"In the case of 5-Year-Old Whitney You Are"--Pause for Commercial--Another Commercial--Five Commercials Later---"Not The Father"😯 Cheers from the Crowd while someone yells, "I Told You So" and someone else runs in circles around the stage until they find a conveniently placed couch backstage to fall down and cry on. The announcer convinces the crying couch flopper to come back onstage to read some more results "In the Case of 2-Year-Old Travis You Are"---Commercial---A dozen Commercials and a lifetime later you're in the kitchen making a snack because you got bored and completely forgot what you were even watching when you hear the tv announcer say---"You Are The Father"😮 and the circus starts all over again.
Thank everything good and holy for technological advancement, you Gen Zs As and beyond have no idea how good you got it. In my day we had to ride bikes 10 miles in freezing temperatures to the movie theater if we wanted to watch something.
Just kidding, that never happened.
But seriously in my day all cellphone plans had limits on minutes for talking and charged you for every text message and you couldn't send pictures or emojis! And they had no access to the Internet because there was no WIFI! You had to use a computer that was plugged into a phone jack to get online and it took ten minutes just to load one website!
I'm really curious if someone ten years from now will read this and think I lived in the current age equivalent of typewriters and wired house phones.
Sorry, this review got away from me; this is why I'm not supposed to post anything when I haven't slept for 20 hours or more.
The Typical Elemental Academy Reverse Harem Plot...
The end of Book 1
The only thing missing was a "Fae" aspect but just because they aren't called the Fae in this book doesn't mean they aren't exactly that.
Now granted the storyline is fairly predictable at this point but that doesn't mean it's not still an enjoyable troupe I like to read, the character and world-building while unoriginal were still interesting and had some depth of emotion, but not unique in any way that sets this story apart and makes it special for me. The writing was average and it seemed well-edited but I noticed two major issues...
First, from what I could tell, this book should have taken place over the course of an entire school year. Somehow that school year and all the aforementioned plot points read like it lasted about a week, maybe two. Each day ran into the next, never leaving gaps of weeks to months passing while she spent time at the academy getting acclimated, learning, and snogging with Princes. Instead, it read like her first week at school and then all of a sudden, they're doing the Elemental Academy version of cap and gown graduation ceremonies.
Second, the chapters would start and stop in the middle of crucial moments or right in the middle of a conversation. It reminded me of watching TV shows when they would cut to commercials right before a crucial statement.
Update within {} {The Following nonsense has nothing to do with the book review}
For all you Generation Z's-Alphas and future Gens out there who are too young to have suffered through the inability to skip commercials while watching regular cable, on a heavy NOT flat box of a tv, it went something like this...
"In the case of 5-Year-Old Whitney You Are"--Pause for Commercial--Another Commercial--Five Commercials Later---"Not The Father"😯 Cheers from the Crowd while someone yells, "I Told You So" and someone else runs in circles around the stage until they find a conveniently placed couch backstage to fall down and cry on. The announcer convinces the crying couch flopper to come back onstage to read some more results "In the Case of 2-Year-Old Travis You Are"---Commercial---A dozen Commercials and a lifetime later you're in the kitchen making a snack because you got bored and completely forgot what you were even watching when you hear the tv announcer say---"You Are The Father"😮 and the circus starts all over again.
Thank everything good and holy for technological advancement, you Gen Zs As and beyond have no idea how good you got it. In my day we had to ride bikes 10 miles in freezing temperatures to the movie theater if we wanted to watch something.
Just kidding, that never happened.
But seriously in my day all cellphone plans had limits on minutes for talking and charged you for every text message and you couldn't send pictures or emojis! And they had no access to the Internet because there was no WIFI! You had to use a computer that was plugged into a phone jack to get online and it took ten minutes just to load one website!
I'm really curious if someone ten years from now will read this and think I lived in the current age equivalent of typewriters and wired house phones.
Sorry, this review got away from me; this is why I'm not supposed to post anything when I haven't slept for 20 hours or more.
June 10, 2023
4.5 stars.
I have high hopes…I’m a little disappointed that it’s single POV, but otherwise I’m really liking it.
Hopefully the next book is even better.
I have high hopes…I’m a little disappointed that it’s single POV, but otherwise I’m really liking it.
Hopefully the next book is even better.
October 18, 2023
DNF @ 88%
Of what I can remember it is a pretty slow burn and kinda insta-love. I left it for 2 days, just now coming back to it and I cannot for the life of me remember any discernible plot points of the book.
I tried reading on, but Riven was getting annoying with his snappy, insensitive comments. I know you always have to have a member who is kinda reluctant to start something with the FMC, but this man is a straight up a-hole. No glimmers of becoming a non-d**khead and I can’t be asked to read more chapters of him being awful, before he is suddenly obsessed with her. Who has the time 🕰️
Of what I can remember it is a pretty slow burn and kinda insta-love. I left it for 2 days, just now coming back to it and I cannot for the life of me remember any discernible plot points of the book.
I tried reading on, but Riven was getting annoying with his snappy, insensitive comments. I know you always have to have a member who is kinda reluctant to start something with the FMC, but this man is a straight up a-hole. No glimmers of becoming a non-d**khead and I can’t be asked to read more chapters of him being awful, before he is suddenly obsessed with her. Who has the time 🕰️
April 11, 2023
Trash! Fun trash. Exactly what I was promised and exactly what I needed.
July 31, 2025
3.5/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️ 3/5🎧
——• A paranormal academy RH romance!🖤💦
This was an enjoyable easy read with the standard storyline of the FMC finding out she is half human, half elemental landing herself in the top academy and under the protection of the royals.
I like all the characters so far apart from Riv as he isn't as involved in the story just yet but we know why. The storyline itself up until this point is good even though I felt like some parts were skimmed over but it could be because it's a little more fast paced then normal including the relationship development.
The only real downside is that the series is only read from the FMC POV and it would have been so much better if we got to see the POV's from the 4 men... it can get messy with so many so I get it. Oh and the audiobook good as the narrator does a decent job with the "male voice" so that's a win!
——• A paranormal academy RH romance!🖤💦
This was an enjoyable easy read with the standard storyline of the FMC finding out she is half human, half elemental landing herself in the top academy and under the protection of the royals.
I like all the characters so far apart from Riv as he isn't as involved in the story just yet but we know why. The storyline itself up until this point is good even though I felt like some parts were skimmed over but it could be because it's a little more fast paced then normal including the relationship development.
The only real downside is that the series is only read from the FMC POV and it would have been so much better if we got to see the POV's from the 4 men... it can get messy with so many so I get it. Oh and the audiobook good as the narrator does a decent job with the "male voice" so that's a win!
May 14, 2024
4.3
You know, it’s been a bit of time since I have a good reverse harem that’s kept my entertainment and this has done just that! Is it a bit trashy? Yes but sometimes that is needed in life. I really liked how most of the guys were actually different and had unique personalities
It’s got *drum roll* :
• Alpha males
• Enemies to lovers
• Fated mates
• Academy fantasy vibes
• Elemental magic
• Royalty
• Grumpy guys
• Urban fantasy
• Tiny bit of spice
Favorite quotes:
“Let’s face it. We’d all burn down the world the world for her.”
“…Unless you want me to fuck you senseless in the stairwell, please stop moving.”
“I gaped at him. “Are you…pouting? Because I won’t let you torture and decapitate someone?”
“Maybe,” he grunted.”
You know, it’s been a bit of time since I have a good reverse harem that’s kept my entertainment and this has done just that! Is it a bit trashy? Yes but sometimes that is needed in life. I really liked how most of the guys were actually different and had unique personalities
It’s got *drum roll* :
• Alpha males
• Enemies to lovers
• Fated mates
• Academy fantasy vibes
• Elemental magic
• Royalty
• Grumpy guys
• Urban fantasy
• Tiny bit of spice
Favorite quotes:
“Let’s face it. We’d all burn down the world the world for her.”
“…Unless you want me to fuck you senseless in the stairwell, please stop moving.”
“I gaped at him. “Are you…pouting? Because I won’t let you torture and decapitate someone?”
“Maybe,” he grunted.”
September 6, 2022
I love a good academy romance! There are the usual foundations, and then each author puts in their unique elements to make their story different. Tessa Hale did an excellent job with The Lost Elemental. It was well worth losing sleep over. I was hooked from the first chapter with the FMC, Aura, waking from a nightmare to that cliffhanger of an ending.
I liked the world-building in this story – there are two parallel dimensions, the human and the elemental. There has been some crossover where elementals and humans have intermarried, so all high school seniors must be tested at graduation for elemental magic to be properly trained at specialized academies, or else they could become dangerous to everyone around them. All elementals are born with their powers blocked, but accidents still happen, and those with the strongest powers can still use their abilities around the blocks. These academies teach the elementals how to control their powers before they are allowed back into society. Most are born with control over one element and few with more than two. Centuries ago, some rare women were born who had control over all four – known as an aether.
Aura is discovered to be half-human with elemental powers, extremely powerful, but her powers are blocked. She has absolutely no control and can potentially be dangerous to those around her. She is sent to an academy to learn control. Not everyone is happy she is there, but she finds friendship in three powerful elementals and her roommate.
This was a medium burn why-choose romance. I really liked the pacing and felt it fit with the story. It allowed the characters to develop relationships outside of pure physical attraction (though that was in abundance). When things did progress, there was a good amount of heat, if not the spiciest read ever.
That cliffhanger was a doozy, and book two cannot come out soon enough! I foresee another full-day binge-read of that book, too.
I liked the world-building in this story – there are two parallel dimensions, the human and the elemental. There has been some crossover where elementals and humans have intermarried, so all high school seniors must be tested at graduation for elemental magic to be properly trained at specialized academies, or else they could become dangerous to everyone around them. All elementals are born with their powers blocked, but accidents still happen, and those with the strongest powers can still use their abilities around the blocks. These academies teach the elementals how to control their powers before they are allowed back into society. Most are born with control over one element and few with more than two. Centuries ago, some rare women were born who had control over all four – known as an aether.
Aura is discovered to be half-human with elemental powers, extremely powerful, but her powers are blocked. She has absolutely no control and can potentially be dangerous to those around her. She is sent to an academy to learn control. Not everyone is happy she is there, but she finds friendship in three powerful elementals and her roommate.
This was a medium burn why-choose romance. I really liked the pacing and felt it fit with the story. It allowed the characters to develop relationships outside of pure physical attraction (though that was in abundance). When things did progress, there was a good amount of heat, if not the spiciest read ever.
That cliffhanger was a doozy, and book two cannot come out soon enough! I foresee another full-day binge-read of that book, too.
January 28, 2023
3 ... maybe 3.5 stars. This had an interesting (albeit not original) storyline with quite distinct characters, which is something that is often lacking in reverse harems. Unfortunately, it was sooo juvenile I continually got distracted from it. I have zero interest in continuing on with the series.
March 16, 2023
Fuck no. If you can’t write a book just say that.
July 11, 2023
DNF - i could probably guess the rest of the book based on the first 30 pages. Character interactions also felt really immature & the banter made me want to bang my head against the wall
July 19, 2022
I am so thankful that I was sent an arc of this book. Unfortunately for many books, I judge books based on the covers, and I stay very far away from the covers that look like this one. They give me cringey vibes and I never even look at the descriptions of books with covers like this book.
HOWEVER, I recieved and arc and therefore committed to reading the book (which I didn't know what the cover even looked like at that point), and I am SO GLAD i did!
This book gave zodiac academy vibes, except I actually wanted to keep reading. (disclaimer, i've only ready ZA 1 and wasn't drawn in by it and therefore didn't continue the series. The hype is too much for me to turn away from, so I'll be picking that series back up. Don't come for me, ok?)
Instantly, I loved the main character and the princes. It was love at first sight for me. Though I found the plot predictable, it was only predictable because of the tropes in the book that I knew would take place. If I hadn't been aware previously, I probably wouldn't have guessed as much as I did.
The princes...where do I begin. I want them all. All of them. Especially Atlas...and Kai, Phoenix, and Riv...so yeah...all of them. They are all precious in their own way and that's perhaps why I liked this more than ZA, because they were all actually likeable instead of literal abusive bullies. The princes in The Lost Elemental are AMAZING! (Okay, Riven might need some work on his assholery, but I still love him).
I can't wait for the next book, especially seeing as there was a MASSIVE cliffhanger at the end that makes me VERY impatient!!
Thank you to Social Butterfly PR and Tessa Hale for sending me copies of this one! Y'all made me venture outside of my comfort zone and I loved it! All opinions are my own!
HOWEVER, I recieved and arc and therefore committed to reading the book (which I didn't know what the cover even looked like at that point), and I am SO GLAD i did!
This book gave zodiac academy vibes, except I actually wanted to keep reading. (disclaimer, i've only ready ZA 1 and wasn't drawn in by it and therefore didn't continue the series. The hype is too much for me to turn away from, so I'll be picking that series back up. Don't come for me, ok?)
Instantly, I loved the main character and the princes. It was love at first sight for me. Though I found the plot predictable, it was only predictable because of the tropes in the book that I knew would take place. If I hadn't been aware previously, I probably wouldn't have guessed as much as I did.
The princes...where do I begin. I want them all. All of them. Especially Atlas...and Kai, Phoenix, and Riv...so yeah...all of them. They are all precious in their own way and that's perhaps why I liked this more than ZA, because they were all actually likeable instead of literal abusive bullies. The princes in The Lost Elemental are AMAZING! (Okay, Riven might need some work on his assholery, but I still love him).
I can't wait for the next book, especially seeing as there was a MASSIVE cliffhanger at the end that makes me VERY impatient!!
Thank you to Social Butterfly PR and Tessa Hale for sending me copies of this one! Y'all made me venture outside of my comfort zone and I loved it! All opinions are my own!
May 20, 2025
3.5⭐️
This was everything I needed at the moment. Books like this are so nostalgic, it reminds me of my Wattpad era and reading till dawn at a school night.
The start is similar to Shadow Hunters and I absolutely loved that. This world in general is pretty simple to understand, which also fits the characters. They had trauma and are different in many aspects but I wish it had gone a bit deeper.
When I say Wattpad 2.0, I mean Ignorance is your key here because some conversations(and the smut) were not it. Good that I love to ignore things in this context 👀
It‘s more of a fun read so if you’re up to it I do recommend 🤍🤍
— — — — —
I‘m starting this in the hope that a light read will get me back into the mood for reading!!
This was everything I needed at the moment. Books like this are so nostalgic, it reminds me of my Wattpad era and reading till dawn at a school night.
The start is similar to Shadow Hunters and I absolutely loved that. This world in general is pretty simple to understand, which also fits the characters. They had trauma and are different in many aspects but I wish it had gone a bit deeper.
When I say Wattpad 2.0, I mean Ignorance is your key here because some conversations(and the smut) were not it. Good that I love to ignore things in this context 👀
It‘s more of a fun read so if you’re up to it I do recommend 🤍🤍
— — — — —
I‘m starting this in the hope that a light read will get me back into the mood for reading!!
August 20, 2024
I loved this one. It was so much fun to read, and I can't wait to find out all the secrets. I also need to read the next book because you can't end a book like that when you don't have wifi to download the next fucking book.
January 10, 2025
Solid 3.5 stars. I was entertained, and the cliffhanger made me want to read on. I don't own the other books, and unlike the first book, they are not included in my Prime membership. So I'll put them into my wishlist for now. This was well written even if it's very predictable. I look forward to eventually reading more!
April 25, 2025
J’ai toujours du mal à donner une note à ce genre de lecture parce que c’est le genre de livre un peu simpliste, mais quand même facile à lire rapidement. J’ai eu plusieurs irritants pendant ma lecture, mais j’ai bien aimé l’histoire originale d’une élémentaire qui contrôle les éléments. C’était quand même différent du classique, vampire, loup-garou, etc. Mais ce n’est pas de la haute voltige littéraire. 🤣
⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Correct
⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Correct
October 17, 2022
H is a hot mess train wreck fool
Loved the storyline. Loved how sweet and humble our H was. Regular run of the mill important guys fall for new girl with amazing power, except for one of them who's a total douch. Biggest issue was our H and her constant crying, running away or blacking out every few pages. The whole story seems to be this theme. And ill be the first to tell you, it got old fast. I really can't stand characters like this. I hated how she was such a mess throughout the entire book. The self doubt, the self worth, the whoa is me. Over the top. And the amount of her saying, I'll just do it to every bad guys decision about her powers? while knowing she was putting her life in jeopardy was by far the TSTL I couldn't stand.
Loved the storyline. Loved how sweet and humble our H was. Regular run of the mill important guys fall for new girl with amazing power, except for one of them who's a total douch. Biggest issue was our H and her constant crying, running away or blacking out every few pages. The whole story seems to be this theme. And ill be the first to tell you, it got old fast. I really can't stand characters like this. I hated how she was such a mess throughout the entire book. The self doubt, the self worth, the whoa is me. Over the top. And the amount of her saying, I'll just do it to every bad guys decision about her powers? while knowing she was putting her life in jeopardy was by far the TSTL I couldn't stand.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 997 reviews