Air Awakens (2016)
Written By: Elise Kova
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 364 pages (Kindle)
Series: Air Awakens Book One
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Why I Chose It: I decided since I’m self-publishing young adult fantasy that I should probably read more self-published young adult fantasy, and this one was at the top of the list.
The premise:
A library girl with a secret. A dark and fiery prince. When he awakens her magic, there’s no going back.
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.
Spoiler Free!
Discussion: So this one left me with some mixed feelings, but I will readily admit that I couldn’t stop reading it. In the end I really loved the story and the characters but I just wasn’t a fan of the writing.
In a lot of ways this felt like a first novel. There wasn’t anything that was outright incorrect, just things that I felt like could have been done better. I noticed a lot of passive voice, telling instead of showing, and some weird word choices that just didn’t quite work. And the thing is, this probably wouldn’t bother most people. I’m just particularly sensitive to that sort of thing right now, and I’m self-aware enough to know it. So, I tried to read the book with that grain of salt, glossing over things that would normally bug me.
Which meant I was free to enjoy the characters and the story, which really sucked me in and drew me along. I felt like Kova managed to take familiar tropes like an apprentice awakening to new magic and a mysterious society of sorcerers, and blended them without making them feel overdone or bland. Vhalla and Aldrik’s relationship felt particularly complex and compelling, and I think it was the tension warring with trust between them that really drove the book.
And I’ll admit I’m a sucker for broody heroes and unassuming heroines.
I did end the book with some unanswered questions. I felt like there was a fairly big reveal that just got glossed over, maybe even ignored. I’m going to reserve judgement until the next book and see if it’s addressed later. But it still made me feel a little like Vhalla was being dense since she didn’t seem to pick up on this very blatant hint. Or maybe I misunderstood. I don’t know, we’ll see, I guess.
In Conclusion: While I did have to slog past some of clunky prose, I ended the book fully on board with continuing the series with book two, Fire Falling. I’m really excited to see Vhalla, who started Air Awakens meek and modest, become a badass battle mage (at least I hope that’s where this is going). I also think there’s a good chance the writing will smooth out a bit as Kova has gotten a few more books under her belt.
On a completely unrelated note, I love the covers for this series. Merilliza Chan’s artwork is as gorgeous as it is surreal.
I never made it through the book. There was a scene with the hero and heroine fairly early in the book that was NOT okay with me and completely took me out of it. I dont want to give any spoilers but to me it wasn’t just a “brooding asshole who actually has a heart of gold who’s misunderstood”. It was just plain, “this personal is a terrible and abusive human being”. If that’s the set-up for introducing a love story, I just wasnt okay with when there’s so much better options out there. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing, but usually I can get over it if the story is really compelling. *shrugs*. Anyways, this was a hard DNF for me and i’m glad I got it super cheap on Amazon!
I think I know the scene you mean, and yes, I probably would have stopped reading too if I hadn’t known I was going to try to review it. There is a fairly satisfying (if slightly cliche) explanation only a chapter or two later. And that next scene with Vhalla and Aldrik was well-done and really developed their relationship enough to keep me reading.