Review: Air Awakens (Air Awakens #1) by Elise Kova

Title: Air Awakens
Series: Air Awakens #1
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: August 27, 2015
Pages: 377
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Ebook
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


SYNOPSIS
A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond...

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

MY REVIEW
I have been hearing so many great things about this series. I have been wanting to read it since last fall, and I finally got my chance! I am just kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I was entranced by this book from the very first page. There is so much to love about this book. And look at the cover? Does it not give you goosebumps?

The characters were my favorite thing about this book. Vhalla is such a great character. She seems so vulnerable at first, just coming into her own. It is a great journey watching her figure things out. I like how she seems so ordinary at the beginning of the book. Not ugly by any means, but also not drop dead gorgeous. At least, not in a supermodel kind of way. I adored Aldrick! He was so frustrating at times, but I couldn't get enough of him. You can tell that he has some hidden torment that he is dealing with. He is strong and very sure of himself. Most of all I loved the way that Vhalla and Aldrick come together in the book. I liked that the romance was slow and steady, and not hot and heavy. The timing was just right.

I really loved the plot. There are so many great fantasy themes in this- magic, princes, politics, a kingdom at war...it's such a fascinating world. I enjoyed the world building. This world has so many elements to it. It was easy to picture the kingdom and the way of life. The flow of the story was perfect. The world was introduced to the reader without dragging on.

There are many tropes in this book that are typical of many other young adult books. This doesn't take anything away from the story though. The author spins such a fantastic tale.

I can't recommend this book enough! It is one of my favorite books this year. If you loved the Grisha trilogy then I think you would be thrilled by this series! Give it a try. I promise that you will not be disappointed that you did!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master's in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. She is the author of the USA Today Bestselling Air Awakens Series as well as the upcoming Loom Saga (Keymaster, 2017).

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