Hello everyone!
Welcome to tonight's book of choice, which landed in my lap literally forever ago and completely at random - so random, in fact, that I can't even remember how!
Although I have vague recollections of finding a post asking for ARC readers for it, and applying thinking that it was never going to happen, yet here I am.
Having read the ARC, backed the Kickstarter project, and now seeing the book release into the world.
Because yes, it's release week, bby!
The official published prints went live February 9, and it has been a WILD ride. It's only getting better too, because the second book is coming this summer, there's a novella focusing on a fan favoured side character slated for autumn ... it's a good time to be in this world, is what I'm saying.
So buckle up, get your fingers all flexed and ready, sharpen those swords, and dust off ye ole leathers from our Empyrean drought; here there be dragons!
Let's walk with them in Elemental Awakening.
Seeing as this is my first post focusing on the author, I have nothing else that connects to it and won't be linking anything at the bottom of the page the way I usually do.
Instead, we're jumping right into Bobbie Wirkmaa's world, because it is EPIC, and only going to get BETTER, but the one thing I'm honestly hoping for is OHMYGODLETTHEMJUSTSTAYTOGETHER and PLEASENOSTUPIDBREAKUPSTHERESTOOMUCHATSTAKE. There's just too many books out there that don't focus on how a couple faces challenges that COULD break them, but perseveres instead and goes from strength to strength.
ANYWAY.
Elemental Awakening is Amara's story; she lives in the realm of Lumoria, where four clans exist and rule together, and are currently fighting against an old enemy, rising again. Or, well, maybe the better choice of words would be, a new enemy trying to awake an old one? It sounds a lot like what the Forsaken were trying to do in Wheel of Time, honestly.
Amara, who's of the Earth Clan, doesn't really much care for this, up until the night when her village gets attacked by Shadow Forces, and during which attack she loses her parents ...
... and unleashes magic she never even realized she was holding.
At this point, a rip in the fabric of reality appears, and Gandalf, I mean, Valen steps through, followed by the fabled Warlord of the realm, the battle-hardened commander and leader of the Fire Clan (those who burn so others may live behind their sacrifice), Thane.
They whisk Amara and Lyra (her BFF extraordinaire who is just MWAH CHEF'S KISS) to the realm's outpost, where the army trains in preparation for literal doomsday. See, way back when, there used to also be a fifth clan - besides Fire, Earth, Air and Water, there was the Shadow Clan, and the Shadow Clan went bad-bad, started a war, then the Fire Clan destroyed them so the world could continue, locking the problem child who started everything away and also throwing away the key in the process.
Now someone's keen on setting this big ole Dark Lord loose into the realm again, and Amara might be the only one to stop that from happening.
Because she just so happens to be this thing called the Spiritborn - aka, someone who doesn't just wield ONE element, like people normally do, but she gets ALL of them, is born of ALL of them, and is the hope on which the entire realm balances.
Precariously. Seeing as she's got a long ways to go yet with her training and whatnot, which is where Valen and Thane come in, once again. One for magic, one for physical training - and of course, he being the biggest green flag MMC to ever green flag through a book, there's tension right off the bat.
Oooh, how it simmers.
But nothing actually HAPPENS until Amara gets called by her dragon, too.
Yep, like I said, here there be dragons as well - and they call to their riders when the riders are ready, after which the magic amplifies. Amara manages to fuse all the elements together, and Carlyx, her dragon, is like, aight, she ready now.
Not just for a dragon - but for Thane, too.
While everyone and their mother is placing bets on just when these two are going to go at it, however, the two in question are trying to fight this for all they've got, Amara because she thinks she doesn't deserve it, and Thane because he's convinced it'll be horrible for her if she accepts it.
If it were just the two of them, fine and dandy. But there's way more in the works than just them.
Amara's woken up something completely new and different, and it turns out that she and Thane aren't just pining for each other like love-struck Jane Austen characters. No no. They're actually BONDED. Like, THROUGH THEIR SOULS. The kind of bond that even books only whisper about, the dragons of the realm haven't seen in ages, and one that Valen doesn't know what to do with.
The bond knows, however. It throws a horrifically beautiful tantrum when Amara and Thane try to fight it, which just goes to show they're very much like you or I: magic aside, they don't want to do something that might hurt the other person whom they care about DEEPLY.
But the bond wins, in the end. And Thane reveals a shocking truth that literally no one outside his family knows:
he's descended from the last Shadow Warden, Shadow Clan overlord, if you will, through his mother's side. And something about this blood is cursed, because his mom and brother both died because of it, and he's actually legitimately terrified what this might mean for him and Amara. ESPECIALLY Amara.
Luckily for us, having made it this far in the story watching Amara fall only to rise tirelessly each time and become stronger, she's not someone who turns away from the ugly bits. She's all in, no matter what, and Valen now knows they need to reach the capital sooner rather than later.
Both to present Amara to the other clans, establish her firmly as the Spiritborn - but also for Thane's sake, to see if anything could help him.
... of course there's this side quest during which they land deep underground in a labyrinth hidden by magic where Lyra nearly dies but Amara heals her, and where they find an abundance of texts preserved from the Shadow Clan, behind enchantments only Thane can open, and only he and Amara really feel their way towards said side quest because of the fate that was woven for them so long ago, and which will possibly reveal more of what ACTUALLY happened to the Shadow Clan and during the time of that Unmaking they keep talking about.
Because, of course.
The book just wouldn't be a GREAT book if there wasn't one side quest like this!
Can I give it 10 stars? I it has it ALL.
Dragons? Check.
Magic? Check.
Mating bonds? Check.
Fiercely spirited FMC? Double check.
A green flag book husband material MMC? Triple check.
World: Lumoria feels like a realm lived in, but with secrets still to be discovered as we progress through the series, which I love. A lot of times, when authors say 'realm', you spend most of it sitting in one single village, and while it's true that this book is set in an outpost 90% of the time, we do get sightings of other locations, which will probably come back into play later on.
Magic system: is based in the elements this time around, and actually makes sense! The way the author describes each one, the powers she gives them, the logic behind the decisions that the wielders make, it all comes together to form a brilliant magical pattern that's both understandable and intensely intriguing.
Main Female Character: Amara. My beloved Amara. She goes through straight up hell in this book, and is remarkably believable for having done so. Every inch of her journey is earned, fought for, and celebrated victoriously when she finally gets it. Despite the fact she's the essential 'Chosen One', she's not automatically better than everyone else, and there's still so much more to come in her journey, I'm really looking forward to it. I guess I just wish that at least one of her "lightbulb" moments might have come from talking to her love interest, rather than her best friend, but it also makes sense in some ways because she's only just moving into this new relationship with him, I suppose.
Main Male Character: Thane. The Fire Warlord. Dragon rider, leader, bastion of strength, and the unparalleled fighter in the realm, assigned to both protect Amara and teacher her ... among other things. You'll see what I mean when you get there (IYKYK). But he's everything. He's OP, this is true, because we see other top tier fighters that are no match for him - but he equally feels REAL, and I think we haven't seen his full potential unleashed on page yet whatsoever. In contrast to all the shadow daddies out there, too, he's way more put together, knows himself and what he wants well, and understands things before the readers can even fully grasp them. I can't wait to see him in an actual battle so we get to witness the Warlord at his strongest! He's so, so good for Amara, staying no matter what, a thing that's absent in the world today.
Supporting Cast: Can we have spin-offs focusing on each of them? Because I love them so much. From the mentor "Gandalf"-like role of Valen, to the BFF Lyra who calls it like she sees is, no BS involved, to the Phoenix Ring who, HELLO EXCUSE ME, are ride or die for Thane and Amara both. Each character brings nuance and weight to the story and holds their own ground without taking from the main objective, and I'm here for it.
The Romance: is earned, fought for, and man let Lyra narrate everything PLEASE, because she's a hoot and so, so fantastic.
The Plot Itself: We actually see only the smallest portion of the over-arching plot we'll be settling into for the duration of the series, and that's okay, because characters drive this book, working into the plot rather than the plot working them in, if you know what I mean. This is, indeed, a first book, an awakening, learning about the land, the magic, the characters. From here, it's gonna be a wild and bumpy ride, baby!
Overall: This book is magic from start to finish, and while it IS hefty (ain't no skinny bish in here!), she's also worth every single page and written word. You have angst, you have trauma, you have healing, you have magic, you have love, and you have characters that breathe right off the page, feeling incredibly real. There's also a mystery hundreds of years in the making, and the Shadow Clan has yet to have its final say if you ask me. I have theories, including but not limited to that it's all lies - however, most importantly, this book keeps you thinking, keeps you connecting the puzzle pieces together.
It also gives you dragons. I mean, what's NOT to like?!?
This is it and more and delivered EVERYTHING. Hopefully you (yes, YOU!) join us in Lumoria one of these days. You won't be disappointed!
Dragons? Check.
Magic? Check.
Mating bonds? Check.
Fiercely spirited FMC? Double check.
A green flag book husband material MMC? Triple check.
World: Lumoria feels like a realm lived in, but with secrets still to be discovered as we progress through the series, which I love. A lot of times, when authors say 'realm', you spend most of it sitting in one single village, and while it's true that this book is set in an outpost 90% of the time, we do get sightings of other locations, which will probably come back into play later on.
Magic system: is based in the elements this time around, and actually makes sense! The way the author describes each one, the powers she gives them, the logic behind the decisions that the wielders make, it all comes together to form a brilliant magical pattern that's both understandable and intensely intriguing.
Main Female Character: Amara. My beloved Amara. She goes through straight up hell in this book, and is remarkably believable for having done so. Every inch of her journey is earned, fought for, and celebrated victoriously when she finally gets it. Despite the fact she's the essential 'Chosen One', she's not automatically better than everyone else, and there's still so much more to come in her journey, I'm really looking forward to it. I guess I just wish that at least one of her "lightbulb" moments might have come from talking to her love interest, rather than her best friend, but it also makes sense in some ways because she's only just moving into this new relationship with him, I suppose.
Main Male Character: Thane. The Fire Warlord. Dragon rider, leader, bastion of strength, and the unparalleled fighter in the realm, assigned to both protect Amara and teacher her ... among other things. You'll see what I mean when you get there (IYKYK). But he's everything. He's OP, this is true, because we see other top tier fighters that are no match for him - but he equally feels REAL, and I think we haven't seen his full potential unleashed on page yet whatsoever. In contrast to all the shadow daddies out there, too, he's way more put together, knows himself and what he wants well, and understands things before the readers can even fully grasp them. I can't wait to see him in an actual battle so we get to witness the Warlord at his strongest! He's so, so good for Amara, staying no matter what, a thing that's absent in the world today.
Supporting Cast: Can we have spin-offs focusing on each of them? Because I love them so much. From the mentor "Gandalf"-like role of Valen, to the BFF Lyra who calls it like she sees is, no BS involved, to the Phoenix Ring who, HELLO EXCUSE ME, are ride or die for Thane and Amara both. Each character brings nuance and weight to the story and holds their own ground without taking from the main objective, and I'm here for it.
The Romance: is earned, fought for, and man let Lyra narrate everything PLEASE, because she's a hoot and so, so fantastic.
The Plot Itself: We actually see only the smallest portion of the over-arching plot we'll be settling into for the duration of the series, and that's okay, because characters drive this book, working into the plot rather than the plot working them in, if you know what I mean. This is, indeed, a first book, an awakening, learning about the land, the magic, the characters. From here, it's gonna be a wild and bumpy ride, baby!
Overall: This book is magic from start to finish, and while it IS hefty (ain't no skinny bish in here!), she's also worth every single page and written word. You have angst, you have trauma, you have healing, you have magic, you have love, and you have characters that breathe right off the page, feeling incredibly real. There's also a mystery hundreds of years in the making, and the Shadow Clan has yet to have its final say if you ask me. I have theories, including but not limited to that it's all lies - however, most importantly, this book keeps you thinking, keeps you connecting the puzzle pieces together.
It also gives you dragons. I mean, what's NOT to like?!?
This is it and more and delivered EVERYTHING. Hopefully you (yes, YOU!) join us in Lumoria one of these days. You won't be disappointed!
xx
*image not mine
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