Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1) in #ASeriesAMonth2018

May 30, 2015 Jamie (Books and Ladders) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-reviews, favorites, on-kobo, fantasy, series, high-fantasy

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on Books and Ladders

This was hands down my favourite fantasy book I have read so far this year -- even topping Siren's Fury which I didn't think could happen. The characters, the world building, the plot, all of it was so beautifully written and woven into each other I just enjoyed myself so much reading it.

I loved that this mixed so many aspects of fantasy together ...more

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Jul 22, 2015 Sabrina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, own, signed-copies

I think the story would have to have been my favourite part. Usually for me it's all about the characters, however this novels premise definitely sucked me in. I hadn't really ever seen or read much books where the main character actually apprentices in a library, let alone reads and gets lost in books as much as I do. I also liked the sorcery aspect to the book as well. See, because the main character Vhalla was new to sorcery, while it was being described for her benefit and she was learning,
I think the story would have to have been my favourite part. Usually for me it's all about the characters, however this novels premise definitely sucked me in. I hadn't really ever seen or read much books where the main character actually apprentices in a library, let alone reads and gets lost in books as much as I do. I also liked the sorcery aspect to the book as well. See, because the main character Vhalla was new to sorcery, while it was being described for her benefit and she was learning, it also helped the readers understand but not feel as though they were being informed. I also liked that the sorcerers magic all had element aspects to it (Firebearer, Waterrunner, Windwalker, Groundbreaker). The story was also really well put together, because it was the first book in the series there was a lot of information to take in. However never once was I ever confused or lost while reading. It was also a roller-coaster of emotions, one minute you were gushing and then the next you were frustrated. Not to mention about 3/4 of the way through the book it felt as though you randomly ran yourself into a brick wall, but overall it was so stunning.

One thing that made this book also so much better was the female protagonist. Vhalla was absolutely stunning. She was intelligent and kind, but at the same time a little vulnerable because everything was so new to her. Though I think she was strong and handled everything really well. I also felt as though that it was very easy to make a connection with her. It was also nice to see that she was a very avid reader. See she was already such a great character, but what I think made her even better was the fact that she still has so much more room to learn and grow. I can't wait to see how she handles the struggles in book 2, Fire Falling and how she develops even more with her sorcery.

Now these two characters needed a paragraph just for themselves. The Crown Prince Aldrik and Prince Baldair, these two were both quite stunning and difficult in each their own ways. I think Prince Aldrik is the prefect love interest for Vhalla. He challenges her but at the same time is soft on her. For years he had the reputation that he was cold, mean, and cruel. Yes, he may be some of those things at times, but with Vhalla he's different in a good way, and Yes, he may have some emotional issues, but again there is always room for development and growth. I think another thing that drew me to him was that he was kind of an outcast in a way. Well at least compared to the rest of his family. However, every character like Aldrik does have their flaws. There may have been a couple times when I had to take a breather because he was frustrating me a little, but he always made up for it with his actions and thoughts. Okay and yes, maybe pushing people off roofs isn't the best way to start off as friends and trust each other, but I also think he made up for that as well. Now onto Prince Baldair, I wouldn't want him as a love interest for Vhalla, but I really would like him as a good friend for her. He was charming and some may even say he was overly charming. However, I don't find anything wrong with that. He was friendly with Vhalla from day 1 and never did push her to do anything she didn't want to do. I also liked a certain scene that involved him helping and badging her up. I mean it was so sweet. The only thing that I would be cautious towards is that he maybe a little suspicious, and I am still not quite sure what kind of role he will have in the next books. That's what I am definitely curious about. Now onto talk about these Aldrik and Baldair's relationship status. I wouldn't say that they hate each other, but their relationship seems pretty broken. This I think it added a little bit extra to the story, along with some tension. It was also interesting to see how they interacted with each other. So I am also very curious to see how they act towards each other in book two. Along with seeing how the two of them develop throughout the story.

You can check out my full review on Beyond the Book Reviews ...more

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May 30, 2015 Dani (Dani Reviews Things) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-books, kindle-copy, arc, read-2015

If you would like to read my full, gushing review, complete with Loki gifs and a giveaway (until 16/08/15), head on over to my blog! http://danireviewsthings.com/2015/08/...

Air Awakens is one of my favourite books of the year! Elise Kova has managed to combine the ingredients for a Dani special: intelligent and independent female role model, strong and complex male counterpart with some awkwardness, an interesting magic system in a vivid world and a few twists and turns thrown together with clue ...more

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Aug 16, 2015 J.A Jimenez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

My first 5 out of 5 stars for so long!!!! I seriously love everything about it, from the world building, the story line, the characters, the book cover!!! I highly recommend this to everyone, I definitely assure you that this book wouldn't disappoint you!

here's my full review: https://hercoffeeinkedtales.wordpress... ...more

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Aug 08, 2015 Lizzie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, favorites, romance, fantasy, young-adult, magic, i-am-so-shallow, made-me-emotional, great-main-character, love-triangle

For this review and more, go to my blog Big Books and Grande Lattes

After seeing so many people gush about this book on Twitter, I decided I might as well order it and see what all of the excitement was all about. However, I was a bit weary since it's self-published, and I guess I have a tendency to be nervous when I hear that. It has nothing to do with thinking that it's lower quality, I just worry about how well it could be edited and such. But I am so happy I caved.

Vhalla Yarl is a library app For this review and more, go to my blog Big Books and Grande Lattes

After seeing so many people gush about this book on Twitter, I decided I might as well order it and see what all of the excitement was all about. However, I was a bit weary since it's self-published, and I guess I have a tendency to be nervous when I hear that. It has nothing to do with thinking that it's lower quality, I just worry about how well it could be edited and such. But I am so happy I caved.

Vhalla Yarl is a library apprentice who stays away from sorcerers and magic, but after saving the life of the crown prince, it's discovered that she has magic inside her. A magic she never knew she had, and one that hasn't been seen in over 100 years. After having her powers awakened, she's thrust into a world she was always told to stay away from. Even though she's wary and is unsure what to think, she finds herself drawn into this new society and feels comfortable, especially with Crown Prince Aldrik, who is powerful and aloof.

I love how when Vhalla finds out that she has magic, she doesn't completely accept it or push it away. She wants to explore it a little bit, even if she was always told that it was terrible. To me, this just seemed more natural. Sometimes in books, when a character finds out that they are the chosen one or something, they embrace it 100% and don't look back. Other times, they spend the entire book pushing it away and refusing to even look at it. While she did doubt herself and her magic along the way, she does realize that she is capable of great things.

I had some mixed feelings about Aldrik. He was usually really nice, but he did have moments when I just wanted to slap him. Do you REALLY have to be a jerk face so much? And do you REALLY need to be so bipolar without warning? I know that he cares about Vhalla, but there are times when I thought that he could have said something, like preparing her for when he was going to be a jerk. Maybe we'll see some character development in Fire Falling, especially after that ending! But I really liked his brother, Baldair. Maybe it was because they are two totally different people. Even though he isn't there too much, I can tell that he's thinking about something and we'll definitely see him again in the sequel.

I really liked the pacing of the book, and the pacing can either make or break a book for me. There were a couple more intense, actiony scenes, but it wasn't boring in between those moments. There were still important, but not overwhelmingly important, moments happening. And the ending! The ending is terrible! In a good way that is. I totally DID NOT expect any of that to happen. It will be so interesting to see how everything plays out after what happened. The wait is terrible! But fortunately Fire Falling is coming out November 19, the day after my birthday, so that's not too long.

Overall, this book was amazing and has helped me get over some of my nervousness for self-published books. And it doesn't hurt that the cover is gorgeous! I have a feeling the the sequel will be just as amazing! ...more

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