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Primord #1
Elemental: The First
Just who is Halíka Dacomé?
To Rose Frost, moving house every six months is normal. Another town here, another school there, her ability to adapt is as easy as breathing. But everything changes when her parents go overseas and Rose moves in with her grandmother. She enjoys meeting new friends and catching up with old ones from her childhood holidays -- except now she must hide a precious secret from everyone, a gift from birth that defies modern day science.
Her dreams become riddled with a warrior woman called Halíka Dacomé, but are they visions or messages from the future? She starts her own investigation but encounters more questions than answers. Living right on the edge of Warminster in Wiltshire doesn't help with its folklore and myths about strange lights in the sky and ghost stories of the Salisbury Plain.
Not only that, her troubles really take hold one night when the mysterious Aiden Deverill with his alluring smile, his gorgeous dark looks and hypnotising blue eyes, saves her from a freak fire. Or did he?
For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that despite assurances people are not always what they seem. What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret, Aiden Deverill and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy.
To Rose Frost, moving house every six months is normal. Another town here, another school there, her ability to adapt is as easy as breathing. But everything changes when her parents go overseas and Rose moves in with her grandmother. She enjoys meeting new friends and catching up with old ones from her childhood holidays -- except now she must hide a precious secret from everyone, a gift from birth that defies modern day science.
Her dreams become riddled with a warrior woman called Halíka Dacomé, but are they visions or messages from the future? She starts her own investigation but encounters more questions than answers. Living right on the edge of Warminster in Wiltshire doesn't help with its folklore and myths about strange lights in the sky and ghost stories of the Salisbury Plain.
Not only that, her troubles really take hold one night when the mysterious Aiden Deverill with his alluring smile, his gorgeous dark looks and hypnotising blue eyes, saves her from a freak fire. Or did he?
For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that despite assurances people are not always what they seem. What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret, Aiden Deverill and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy.
147 pages, Nook
First published July 9, 2011
49 people are currently reading
2405 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra May
11 books566 followersAlexandra May was destined to be an author or a musician. She wrote her first prose at 6 and learnt to read music by the age of 8. But coming from an army-style childhood, it was travelling that became her passion in her twenties. Having lived in 5 different countries she finally settled in Portugal and never left.
Ms May is an English young adult and sci-fi author of four books, bringing together the epic saga of a mythic mitochondrial Eve, Halíka Dacomé, and her modern day equivalent, Rose Frost.
Elemental: The First, Elemental: Origin, Ethandun and The Battle for Arcanon Major draw in Alexandra's love of strong women characters, sci-fi, history, romance and a little warmongering on the side!
For information on Alexandra May please visit her on: linktr.ee/alexmayauthor
Ms May is an English young adult and sci-fi author of four books, bringing together the epic saga of a mythic mitochondrial Eve, Halíka Dacomé, and her modern day equivalent, Rose Frost.
Elemental: The First, Elemental: Origin, Ethandun and The Battle for Arcanon Major draw in Alexandra's love of strong women characters, sci-fi, history, romance and a little warmongering on the side!
For information on Alexandra May please visit her on: linktr.ee/alexmayauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
October 20, 2011
I received this book to read and review from Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! First off, the things I liked about it:
It was an adequate length.
The character of Aidan was like a real living breathing person. He had his faults but he could be kind too.
The concept this story's based on is definitely something unique.
What I didn't like about it is a lot more. I floundered for at least the first half, trying very hard to keep reading.
Rose seemed too gullible for a person who's supposed to be as smart as she was.
Her attraction to Morgan was superficial and unreal to say the least. Then the way she "bonded" with Daisy and her childhood friends..
And even though, there's supposed to be a sequel, the ending was a let down. However, I'll still try the sequel before I give this series up.
It was an adequate length.
The character of Aidan was like a real living breathing person. He had his faults but he could be kind too.
The concept this story's based on is definitely something unique.
What I didn't like about it is a lot more. I floundered for at least the first half, trying very hard to keep reading.
Rose seemed too gullible for a person who's supposed to be as smart as she was.
Her attraction to Morgan was superficial and unreal to say the least. Then the way she "bonded" with Daisy and her childhood friends..
And even though, there's supposed to be a sequel, the ending was a let down. However, I'll still try the sequel before I give this series up.
October 24, 2011
I received this book as a part of R2R.
This book was really interesting. It took a little too long for me to get into I think. Had I not had this to review, I might have stopped reading and missed a really good story. Additionally, at the beginning I think the author had a tendency to over describe things that weren’t really necessary to the story which made it drag on. But once we into the meat of the story, I couldn’t stop reading. I didn’t like Rose very much in the beginning or understand why she reacted certain ways, but I accepted that. It wasn’t so bad that I didn’t remain interested or invested in seeing the story through. Actually, I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I happen to be a big fan of Morgan, but we will see where Rose’s heart lies. I would recommend this book.
This book was really interesting. It took a little too long for me to get into I think. Had I not had this to review, I might have stopped reading and missed a really good story. Additionally, at the beginning I think the author had a tendency to over describe things that weren’t really necessary to the story which made it drag on. But once we into the meat of the story, I couldn’t stop reading. I didn’t like Rose very much in the beginning or understand why she reacted certain ways, but I accepted that. It wasn’t so bad that I didn’t remain interested or invested in seeing the story through. Actually, I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I happen to be a big fan of Morgan, but we will see where Rose’s heart lies. I would recommend this book.
March 25, 2012
My book of the year for 2011.
This is original and different and for all intents starts as a good book about a gifted girl. But nothing is as it seems!
Rose is taught from an early age not to trust anyone and also not draw any attention to her mysterious gift. With the help of her family she goes through childhood believing she's ordinary but with something extra. Her father has a dangerous job so secrecy is paramount. They often have to move home quickly, to new locations, because bad people are after him. This time her parents are moving abroad but Rose must live in the safety of her grandmothers home. A home she knows well from childhood holidays.
When Rose moves back to Warminster she meets up with two old friends and starts to fit into a new normal life. They accept her as she is and quickly she's pulled into helping out another friend who's father has gone missing. Rose starts to have feelings for Morgan, and he's perfect and clearly likes her in return but someone else occipies her thoughts. She's drawn to Aiden in a different way, almost like her gift wants to reach out to him. He's mysterious, dangerous and gorgeous but she knows that something isn't right about him. If anything he's more like her than anyone she's ever met.
But Rose must focus on the main issue and that is finding her friends father but little does she know that the mystery surrounding the missing townspeople has more to do with her, her past and the strange woman that occupies her dreams.
As the threads start to pull together there are twists and turns at every moment. Just when you think you have an idea about who is the culprit, another clue crops in and sends you into another direction.
This book is a mystery, suspense, romance with an alternative take on the conspiracies and myths surrounding Wiltshire, England. The suspense is nicely paced and the ending is a show stopper. This is the kind of book I like. For one thing while it might annoy some people, it's isn't fast and pacey to get through lots of pointless filler. In fact, the story doesn't stop from the beginning to the end. The other characters are great including Daisy (Rose's grandmother). The beautiful descriptions shouldn't be missed as you realise that clues are given to you from the beginning, you find your sense of being in the book and by the end you know your way around and don't want to leave. The area of Wiltshire sounds fascinating and May does a great job of including local myths and folklore.
I loved the romance part of it! It kicks in half way through and you are torn between Morgan and Aiden (Team Aiden). This isn't a love triangle as I originally thought. Something much deeper is going on with these two and when you find out the truth it stuns you.
This is an absolutely unique and original story and I recommend EVERYONE of all ages to read it!!
For a first novel the author's done a fantastic job. Looking forward to the second one now.
This is original and different and for all intents starts as a good book about a gifted girl. But nothing is as it seems!
Rose is taught from an early age not to trust anyone and also not draw any attention to her mysterious gift. With the help of her family she goes through childhood believing she's ordinary but with something extra. Her father has a dangerous job so secrecy is paramount. They often have to move home quickly, to new locations, because bad people are after him. This time her parents are moving abroad but Rose must live in the safety of her grandmothers home. A home she knows well from childhood holidays.
When Rose moves back to Warminster she meets up with two old friends and starts to fit into a new normal life. They accept her as she is and quickly she's pulled into helping out another friend who's father has gone missing. Rose starts to have feelings for Morgan, and he's perfect and clearly likes her in return but someone else occipies her thoughts. She's drawn to Aiden in a different way, almost like her gift wants to reach out to him. He's mysterious, dangerous and gorgeous but she knows that something isn't right about him. If anything he's more like her than anyone she's ever met.
But Rose must focus on the main issue and that is finding her friends father but little does she know that the mystery surrounding the missing townspeople has more to do with her, her past and the strange woman that occupies her dreams.
As the threads start to pull together there are twists and turns at every moment. Just when you think you have an idea about who is the culprit, another clue crops in and sends you into another direction.
This book is a mystery, suspense, romance with an alternative take on the conspiracies and myths surrounding Wiltshire, England. The suspense is nicely paced and the ending is a show stopper. This is the kind of book I like. For one thing while it might annoy some people, it's isn't fast and pacey to get through lots of pointless filler. In fact, the story doesn't stop from the beginning to the end. The other characters are great including Daisy (Rose's grandmother). The beautiful descriptions shouldn't be missed as you realise that clues are given to you from the beginning, you find your sense of being in the book and by the end you know your way around and don't want to leave. The area of Wiltshire sounds fascinating and May does a great job of including local myths and folklore.
I loved the romance part of it! It kicks in half way through and you are torn between Morgan and Aiden (Team Aiden). This isn't a love triangle as I originally thought. Something much deeper is going on with these two and when you find out the truth it stuns you.
This is an absolutely unique and original story and I recommend EVERYONE of all ages to read it!!
For a first novel the author's done a fantastic job. Looking forward to the second one now.
October 19, 2011
I received this book from an R2R. It was different than I expected. The heroine was certainly not weak. It actually reminded me of the old Caroline Keene books, the mystic Ball, or other ones like that. It begins with a prologue that explains the story basically and then the rest of the book is the girl trying to gather the clues and uncover, well, I'd like to say who she is, but she's actually looking for missing persons. She doesn't have the slightest idea that she's the super duper chick in spite of being able to heal things and kill things. The romances were very physical, as in, she kept attacking the guys who liked her, you know, knocking them out, choking them, that kind of thing. It was refreshing:) It was a little slow to read at first, lots of explanation, you know. I liked to watch her relationships develop and the end was certainly unexpected. I look forward to reading the sequel.
October 23, 2011
In theory, this book had great potential. In practice, it was incredibly frustrating. The world May set up was interesting and unusual. Rose's story was suspenseful and will probably grow to be quite impressive.
However, there were some major issues, particularly in characterization. Most of the time I can get a pretty good feel for characters, but I had no clue about Rose. Honestly, I'm not quite sure the author did either. Rose contradicted herself multiple times in the story about her feelings for Morgan and Aiden, whether or not she wanted to live with Daisy, what to do about the various situations that cropped up, etc. Normally characters' actions and emotions match up well, but Rose kept pulling these stunts out of left field and I was left flipping back in the book to try to figure out where they came from.
A story is the direct result of the actions of the characters, not the other way around. But at numerous point during the book I got the feeling that the characters were just means to an end. Yes, your story has to have something happen, but I have to believe that the people in it would actually do whatever it is that they're doing, and a lot of time, I didn't. Because of this and other factors, none of the characters felt real to me.
Even the plot itself had its weird quirks. Things like the boy Rose saw in the street and Rose and Mira's bullying episode raised their heads and then vanished, never to be seen again.
Something indefinable bothered me about the writing style, especially at the beginning of the book, but whenever I tried to put my finger on what, exactly, it was, it skittered away from me. I suppose that's the definition of the word indefinable, but I did try.
Despite all these problems, there really were parts of the book I enjoyed a great deal. Most of the scene on the hill at the alien party was entertaining. Many of the action sequences were good. But every time I started to get into the story, another glaring inconsistency popped up that distracted me from the tale itself. With a decent editor, this could have been a great book. As it is, it's an adequate draft.
Originally published on my blog at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...
However, there were some major issues, particularly in characterization. Most of the time I can get a pretty good feel for characters, but I had no clue about Rose. Honestly, I'm not quite sure the author did either. Rose contradicted herself multiple times in the story about her feelings for Morgan and Aiden, whether or not she wanted to live with Daisy, what to do about the various situations that cropped up, etc. Normally characters' actions and emotions match up well, but Rose kept pulling these stunts out of left field and I was left flipping back in the book to try to figure out where they came from.
A story is the direct result of the actions of the characters, not the other way around. But at numerous point during the book I got the feeling that the characters were just means to an end. Yes, your story has to have something happen, but I have to believe that the people in it would actually do whatever it is that they're doing, and a lot of time, I didn't. Because of this and other factors, none of the characters felt real to me.
Even the plot itself had its weird quirks. Things like the boy Rose saw in the street and Rose and Mira's bullying episode raised their heads and then vanished, never to be seen again.
Something indefinable bothered me about the writing style, especially at the beginning of the book, but whenever I tried to put my finger on what, exactly, it was, it skittered away from me. I suppose that's the definition of the word indefinable, but I did try.
Despite all these problems, there really were parts of the book I enjoyed a great deal. Most of the scene on the hill at the alien party was entertaining. Many of the action sequences were good. But every time I started to get into the story, another glaring inconsistency popped up that distracted me from the tale itself. With a decent editor, this could have been a great book. As it is, it's an adequate draft.
Originally published on my blog at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...
January 9, 2012
Again thanks to my favorite group Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! on Goodreads, Read to Review, and to Kay with all the hard work that goes into this program!
This is a tough book for me to review I have very mixed up feelings about it but I am giving it 3.5 stars because if I feel this strongly about it I must have really liked it.
First of all this is not my typical genre, this is more sci-fi than paranormal in my opinion. And second of all this is my constructive opinion... I don't like to say criticism because in the end a book and writing is an art form and who am I say what's right or wrong. I can only give my opinion as to what I believe and experienced as a reader.
With all that said here goes...
First the negative because I like leaving on a positive note if at all possible.
I had a tough time reading this it may have been just a language barrier, meaning the conversation didn't flow for me. I have read British writing before but this felt a bit off for me. Second I felt like Rose was a bit quick to feel things or naive. Without revealing any spoilers, maybe her family is the cause of that but her encounters with her new friends and Morgan moved a bit quick, meaning as a reader it wasn't quite "believable".
Here is the positive stuff.
The story was imaginative and original. As a paranormal reader for me to enjoy the story of what I felt was a sci-fi book, it was a good story. There is some really interesting things going on in this small town! The book also feels like a half story to me and ends so abruptly I was left like ... WHAT?????? Now you say how can that be positive? Because the author did her job and got me extremely curious and ready for the next one. This is also a great book for teens, very clean and fun. For parents that like to read a book with their teens and discuss this is a great choice.
All in all, you have to read it and I will be interested to see all my friends opinions.
Thank you to Alexandra May for offering up her work to the group for our honest opinions it certainly takes guts and I enjoyed the journey.
This is a tough book for me to review I have very mixed up feelings about it but I am giving it 3.5 stars because if I feel this strongly about it I must have really liked it.
First of all this is not my typical genre, this is more sci-fi than paranormal in my opinion. And second of all this is my constructive opinion... I don't like to say criticism because in the end a book and writing is an art form and who am I say what's right or wrong. I can only give my opinion as to what I believe and experienced as a reader.
With all that said here goes...
First the negative because I like leaving on a positive note if at all possible.
I had a tough time reading this it may have been just a language barrier, meaning the conversation didn't flow for me. I have read British writing before but this felt a bit off for me. Second I felt like Rose was a bit quick to feel things or naive. Without revealing any spoilers, maybe her family is the cause of that but her encounters with her new friends and Morgan moved a bit quick, meaning as a reader it wasn't quite "believable".
Here is the positive stuff.
The story was imaginative and original. As a paranormal reader for me to enjoy the story of what I felt was a sci-fi book, it was a good story. There is some really interesting things going on in this small town! The book also feels like a half story to me and ends so abruptly I was left like ... WHAT?????? Now you say how can that be positive? Because the author did her job and got me extremely curious and ready for the next one. This is also a great book for teens, very clean and fun. For parents that like to read a book with their teens and discuss this is a great choice.
All in all, you have to read it and I will be interested to see all my friends opinions.
Thank you to Alexandra May for offering up her work to the group for our honest opinions it certainly takes guts and I enjoyed the journey.
April 9, 2013
deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile
January 22, 2013
Rose Frost has had a difficult childhood moving from place to place due to the demands of her father’s job – and it has only been exacerbated by her odd gift, a gift she doesn’t understand and has scared her in the past.
Her father’s job has now lead her to live with her grandmother, Daisy, while her family move abroad. Long estranged from the family, Rose remembers little about Daisy’s home in Warminster, Wiltshire but quickly re-establishes the few old friends she has in the area
But people are going missing in mysterious ways and there are definitely secrets being kept in the town. Not least of which the mystery of Halika Dacome, goddess, saviour, perhaps even devil who is constantly referred to – and who haunts Rose’s dreams and may be the key to everything – her gift, her family’s secrets and the enemy that is hunting her.
This book is probably a decent prologue for the series. I now know who everyone is, what everyone does, I have the world building, the concepts, the relationships, the setting – I have all the information for the whole book series now.
But it’s a long prologue and I kind of wanted to read a book, not a prequel for an actual story. I think this book can be split into 3 parts. In the first, we have a brief introduction where we’re introduced to the idea that Halika Dacome is going to be reincarnated into a young girl’s body and that there’s a bad guy who wants to kill her and he has a grandson who’s not exactly on board for this plan.
Then the bulk of the plot where we follow Rose who is 16 and has an odd gift and lots of hints about someone called Halika Dacome. And there’s a boy who is attracted to her but everyone says is a wrong ‘un and he has an evil grandfather. I felt a little like I was given the answers and then was asked the question – but everyone was acting like the question should be a great mystery.
It doesn’t help that for the majority of the book she never explores this power. She uses it to find a mysterious box she doesn’t open (I’m still not sure what this box is for?) and she uses it to make herself warm when she’s cold, even when someone is found well and truly mangled and tortured she doesn’t use her ability to heal. The result of that is that for, maybe, 75% of the book we have a paranormal novel with precious little of the paranormal – it’s a mystery, it could be a famous five book.
And the mystery kind of lost me as well. People are going missing and, since one of them is the father of a boy who is the friend of Rose’s friend, the plucky teens decide to investigate in between going to coffee shops, going to picnics, meeting a bewildering array of people and getting odd shoe-horned in references to Halika Dacome inserted into the story but never really developed or revealing anything. At some point during the investigation they decide that the big bad guy is involved because… no-one likes him much? And then they’re interested in a ruined church and ley lines and gems and vacant property – and just a lot of info pushed in that is connected by vastly implausible leaps of logic. They don’t tell Daisy, Rose’s grandmother, she with all the answers because they don’t want to get her in trouble/don’t trust her/reasons?! Which ends up with both Rose and Daisy constantly telling each other “we need to talk about important things” (please god TALK ABOUT THEM!) and never actually doing so! Anything seems to take precedence to speaking with the woman who has all the answers – even when Rose is (or should be) blazingly furious with her.
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Her father’s job has now lead her to live with her grandmother, Daisy, while her family move abroad. Long estranged from the family, Rose remembers little about Daisy’s home in Warminster, Wiltshire but quickly re-establishes the few old friends she has in the area
But people are going missing in mysterious ways and there are definitely secrets being kept in the town. Not least of which the mystery of Halika Dacome, goddess, saviour, perhaps even devil who is constantly referred to – and who haunts Rose’s dreams and may be the key to everything – her gift, her family’s secrets and the enemy that is hunting her.
This book is probably a decent prologue for the series. I now know who everyone is, what everyone does, I have the world building, the concepts, the relationships, the setting – I have all the information for the whole book series now.
But it’s a long prologue and I kind of wanted to read a book, not a prequel for an actual story. I think this book can be split into 3 parts. In the first, we have a brief introduction where we’re introduced to the idea that Halika Dacome is going to be reincarnated into a young girl’s body and that there’s a bad guy who wants to kill her and he has a grandson who’s not exactly on board for this plan.
Then the bulk of the plot where we follow Rose who is 16 and has an odd gift and lots of hints about someone called Halika Dacome. And there’s a boy who is attracted to her but everyone says is a wrong ‘un and he has an evil grandfather. I felt a little like I was given the answers and then was asked the question – but everyone was acting like the question should be a great mystery.
It doesn’t help that for the majority of the book she never explores this power. She uses it to find a mysterious box she doesn’t open (I’m still not sure what this box is for?) and she uses it to make herself warm when she’s cold, even when someone is found well and truly mangled and tortured she doesn’t use her ability to heal. The result of that is that for, maybe, 75% of the book we have a paranormal novel with precious little of the paranormal – it’s a mystery, it could be a famous five book.
And the mystery kind of lost me as well. People are going missing and, since one of them is the father of a boy who is the friend of Rose’s friend, the plucky teens decide to investigate in between going to coffee shops, going to picnics, meeting a bewildering array of people and getting odd shoe-horned in references to Halika Dacome inserted into the story but never really developed or revealing anything. At some point during the investigation they decide that the big bad guy is involved because… no-one likes him much? And then they’re interested in a ruined church and ley lines and gems and vacant property – and just a lot of info pushed in that is connected by vastly implausible leaps of logic. They don’t tell Daisy, Rose’s grandmother, she with all the answers because they don’t want to get her in trouble/don’t trust her/reasons?! Which ends up with both Rose and Daisy constantly telling each other “we need to talk about important things” (please god TALK ABOUT THEM!) and never actually doing so! Anything seems to take precedence to speaking with the woman who has all the answers – even when Rose is (or should be) blazingly furious with her.
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October 24, 2011
I would like to thank the PNR&UFF group on Goodreads and the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is Alexandra May's debut and I am glad I found another new and talented author. I really didn't know what to expect from it. I was pretty much sure about one thing though - I love the cover. However I am not the type of person that judges a book by the cover, yet I must admit a good cover always seems to catch my eye.
The plot is centered around Rose Frost, who has just been told the news that she is about to spend her summer with her grandmother whom she really doesn't know well and haven't seen for years. The reason behind this is her dad's work. He is a geologist working for the government traveling around the world looking for rare metals, so they move a lot.
Rose is on her way to Wiltshire, England feeling her life would never be the same again. Though the town seems friendly and she enjoys seeing her friends again, some things are about to shatter the life she was used to. Illusions, lies, romance, mystery and action - this book has it all.
While reading the synopsis on Goodreads before actually reading this book I imagined Rose as a strong person who doesn't give her trust to people easily. However, my impressions after reading this book were contrary to this, I have the feeling Rose is a fragile girl, afraid to use her powers and gift to heal and a bit confused. Indecisive at moments, especially when speaking of Morgan and Aiden, two boys she likes and feels strongly attracted to. Morgan and Aiden are just like water and oil, can't mix 'em. They hate each other, but by the end of the book you will see the reason behind this. And I must say, there is a BIG reason.
This is the part that intrigued me the most. I liked Morgan because he was gentle and really sweet, but Aiden with that "bad boy" written on his face and bad reputation in his town was just a tiny bit more intriguing to me.But who will she trust?I didn't mind Rose's hesitation, I've seen this in many YA books and it's something I would pretty much assign to teenage years, but the end of the book surprised me and even disappointed me a bit.
Still, knowing that this book is the first one in the series to come I look forward to Alexandra's explanations and to the sequel. I really loved how she managed to create a story with so many different genre elements, paranormal, romance, mystery and yet make it so enjoyable to read.
This is Alexandra May's debut and I am glad I found another new and talented author. I really didn't know what to expect from it. I was pretty much sure about one thing though - I love the cover. However I am not the type of person that judges a book by the cover, yet I must admit a good cover always seems to catch my eye.
The plot is centered around Rose Frost, who has just been told the news that she is about to spend her summer with her grandmother whom she really doesn't know well and haven't seen for years. The reason behind this is her dad's work. He is a geologist working for the government traveling around the world looking for rare metals, so they move a lot.
Rose is on her way to Wiltshire, England feeling her life would never be the same again. Though the town seems friendly and she enjoys seeing her friends again, some things are about to shatter the life she was used to. Illusions, lies, romance, mystery and action - this book has it all.
While reading the synopsis on Goodreads before actually reading this book I imagined Rose as a strong person who doesn't give her trust to people easily. However, my impressions after reading this book were contrary to this, I have the feeling Rose is a fragile girl, afraid to use her powers and gift to heal and a bit confused. Indecisive at moments, especially when speaking of Morgan and Aiden, two boys she likes and feels strongly attracted to. Morgan and Aiden are just like water and oil, can't mix 'em. They hate each other, but by the end of the book you will see the reason behind this. And I must say, there is a BIG reason.
This is the part that intrigued me the most. I liked Morgan because he was gentle and really sweet, but Aiden with that "bad boy" written on his face and bad reputation in his town was just a tiny bit more intriguing to me.But who will she trust?I didn't mind Rose's hesitation, I've seen this in many YA books and it's something I would pretty much assign to teenage years, but the end of the book surprised me and even disappointed me a bit.
Still, knowing that this book is the first one in the series to come I look forward to Alexandra's explanations and to the sequel. I really loved how she managed to create a story with so many different genre elements, paranormal, romance, mystery and yet make it so enjoyable to read.
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Pauma Publishing for giving me this book to review.
Rose Frost is use to moving house every few months, so when she go to live with her Grandmother, it is not too bad, especially as she has childhood friends from her holidays here. With people disappearing, Rose and her friends must discover who is behind it and who she should trust. However, Rose has a gift which must be kept secret, but is it somehow linked to Halika Dacome a local legend and the person Rose has been dreaming about?
Elemental: The First is an enjoyable book which is really hard to categorise but is mostly a YA paranormal book. However, while I liked it, it was very slow and hard to get into and there was not as much excitement as there could have been.
Rose is a really likeable person, who is very mature for her age considering she has just moved and is away from her family. However, I just could not click with the secondary characters as Rose got to know and be really good friends with them too quickly seeing as they has only really known each other for a few days.
The book ended at a really odd point because it finished just as it was getting really interesting and it seemed like it ended a chapter or two to early. Elemental: The First is an enjoyable book which I would recommend to people who like paranormal YA novels.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pauma Publishing for giving me this book to review.
Rose Frost is use to moving house every few months, so when she go to live with her Grandmother, it is not too bad, especially as she has childhood friends from her holidays here. With people disappearing, Rose and her friends must discover who is behind it and who she should trust. However, Rose has a gift which must be kept secret, but is it somehow linked to Halika Dacome a local legend and the person Rose has been dreaming about?
Elemental: The First is an enjoyable book which is really hard to categorise but is mostly a YA paranormal book. However, while I liked it, it was very slow and hard to get into and there was not as much excitement as there could have been.
Rose is a really likeable person, who is very mature for her age considering she has just moved and is away from her family. However, I just could not click with the secondary characters as Rose got to know and be really good friends with them too quickly seeing as they has only really known each other for a few days.
The book ended at a really odd point because it finished just as it was getting really interesting and it seemed like it ended a chapter or two to early. Elemental: The First is an enjoyable book which I would recommend to people who like paranormal YA novels.
January 10, 2013
I think this book had great potential, the story line was original and like never i ever read before. Many times i caught myself thinking, hmm this is interesting but in overall it was just so frustrating!!!
My major issues were the characters, i couldn't connect with them at all. If i did in one particularly scene, it would appear another moment and i would be like
And i got to say, especially regarding to Rose, she contradicted herself constantly,to a point i just didn't know what her feeling were regarding Aiden and Morgan.
Regarding to the story (and one very intriguing prologue), it took to much to develop,i expected that many of the main plot would be know at least into a previous point, not less than 10% to the end.
Despite all this issues, there were several scenes that i did enjoyed it but overall, this book just isn't for me.
.*egalley kindly provided by Alexandra May via Netgalley in exchange of a honest review *
October 22, 2011
What can I say first about this book well you know when you’re reading a good book and you don't stop till you reach the end, that's what this book was for me. And then you reach the end you and you want the next book right NOW. Searching you find that it’s not released yet and you curse under your breath. Well that's what happened when I finished this book. LOL
It is written well I really liked Alexandra May writing; it flowed and was easy to read. I will read anything she writes at this point.
I enjoyed all the characters, Daisy is not your typical grandmother, and she gives Rose freedom to make her own decisions and expects Rose to give her the same back.
This story has a drama, mystery and of course romance 2 handsome young men, both who Rose has some connection with.... So who does end up with humm guess we will have to see is it Morgan or will it be Aiden?
This series is going to be good; I hope Alexandra is writing fast so we can continue on with this exciting series.
It is written well I really liked Alexandra May writing; it flowed and was easy to read. I will read anything she writes at this point.
I enjoyed all the characters, Daisy is not your typical grandmother, and she gives Rose freedom to make her own decisions and expects Rose to give her the same back.
This story has a drama, mystery and of course romance 2 handsome young men, both who Rose has some connection with.... So who does end up with humm guess we will have to see is it Morgan or will it be Aiden?
This series is going to be good; I hope Alexandra is writing fast so we can continue on with this exciting series.
April 20, 2021
Sorry, I'm done with this one. I don't like the writing, there's too much description for me, and nonsense that's not needed, statements and actions that are contradictory to each other and I feel the dialogue is stilted. So, not for me. I've spent two days trying to get to 18%
And I'm raging because I really like the sound of this series. Even the second book sounds really good.
And I'm raging because I really like the sound of this series. Even the second book sounds really good.
July 25, 2014
The story was about a girl named Rose who seemed like a normal teenager at first only she wasn’t. Rose had an ability she was not allowed to share with anybody outside her family. She could heal people. Her gift seemed great at first until she found out that her gift could also harm or even kill.
Moving in with her grandmother Daisy at Warminster had been good at first. After a while she started hearing about people disappearing. One of her friend’s father disappeared as well and that’s when they decided to do an investigation of their own. Aside from helping Jez find his father, she was also trying to research on Halika Dacome.
I liked this book. I found it very refreshing to read something with no angels, demons, vampires, werewolves and fairies. This book somehow reminded me of the Lorien Legacies (I am Number 4 and The Power of Six). The both have involvement of extraterrestrial entities.
Rose was a very strong character. I have always been a fan of girls who could take care of themselves and Rose was exactly that girl. She loves her family even though she knew they lied to her about everything. She felt betrayed yes but still her love for her family prevailed. There was a certain point in the book though that I disliked her. I didn’t like the way she pushed Morgan away. I wasn’t entirely sure why she needed to do that. I thought her excuse was lame. She didn’t act that way at all with Aiden except after she heard what Aiden did to Morgan’s sister.
At first I was so convinced that Aiden was the bad guy so imagine my surprise when he wasn’t (a little spoiler there, sorry!). That was one good thing about this book too. It was not predictable. I thought the author gave too much away during Aiden’s scene with his grandfather but I guess I was wrong again about that one. The author didn’t give anything away; she just wanted us all to think Aiden was bad news.
Morgan on the other hand was exactly how I imagined he would be: handsome, dependable and all. I wanted Rose to pick him. I just got a little turned off during the last part of the book. Turned out he was the one keeping secrets. I felt as betrayed as Rose. Bad Morgan! I still liked his character either way.
Her friends Hanna and Mira were cool but then again like with Morgan I felt betrayed too because after all that time they knew all about Rose.
I am still curious though who the spy is. We all know who ordered to ran over Miranda but who told him that Miranda has maps? That is one question I want to get answered in the next book. I also want to know who Rose if going to end up with of course. :)
For this book I give it a 4! :)
Moving in with her grandmother Daisy at Warminster had been good at first. After a while she started hearing about people disappearing. One of her friend’s father disappeared as well and that’s when they decided to do an investigation of their own. Aside from helping Jez find his father, she was also trying to research on Halika Dacome.
I liked this book. I found it very refreshing to read something with no angels, demons, vampires, werewolves and fairies. This book somehow reminded me of the Lorien Legacies (I am Number 4 and The Power of Six). The both have involvement of extraterrestrial entities.
Rose was a very strong character. I have always been a fan of girls who could take care of themselves and Rose was exactly that girl. She loves her family even though she knew they lied to her about everything. She felt betrayed yes but still her love for her family prevailed. There was a certain point in the book though that I disliked her. I didn’t like the way she pushed Morgan away. I wasn’t entirely sure why she needed to do that. I thought her excuse was lame. She didn’t act that way at all with Aiden except after she heard what Aiden did to Morgan’s sister.
At first I was so convinced that Aiden was the bad guy so imagine my surprise when he wasn’t (a little spoiler there, sorry!). That was one good thing about this book too. It was not predictable. I thought the author gave too much away during Aiden’s scene with his grandfather but I guess I was wrong again about that one. The author didn’t give anything away; she just wanted us all to think Aiden was bad news.
Morgan on the other hand was exactly how I imagined he would be: handsome, dependable and all. I wanted Rose to pick him. I just got a little turned off during the last part of the book. Turned out he was the one keeping secrets. I felt as betrayed as Rose. Bad Morgan! I still liked his character either way.
Her friends Hanna and Mira were cool but then again like with Morgan I felt betrayed too because after all that time they knew all about Rose.
I am still curious though who the spy is. We all know who ordered to ran over Miranda but who told him that Miranda has maps? That is one question I want to get answered in the next book. I also want to know who Rose if going to end up with of course. :)
For this book I give it a 4! :)
February 9, 2013
This book was kind of confusing to read and even harder to review. I liked so many elements of the book, such as the characters, the setting, the supernatural conflict, the love triangle, the romance, the secrets, etc. Basically, I loved the story. I even liked the writing and found the book to be free of errors, so that isn’t why I rated it low. I didn't like the way the story was told as a whole. I liked all the scenes, but I felt like this book was a disjointed puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle was awesome, but it doesn’t fit together quite right.
Elemental: The First seemed jumbled to me. Even though the timeline flowed in the right direction, something about the book didn’t come together the right way. It is as if there isn’t a good focus on the overall plot. Each scene and section was great, but the focus of one scene would be Rose trying to fit into her new home and making friends and having fun and it would be a great scene. And next, we’d have Rose wake up, disturbed by a terrifying dream involving the pieces of the supernatural puzzle and that would be a great scene. But together, it just felt off, like the supernatural stuff was out of sight out of mind unless Rose was directly confronted with it. It just wasn’t right, however difficult it is for me to explain. Even though the book wasn’t complex, it was kind of hard to follow.
I felt like the book could have been compressed into just a few chapters or been a short novella. The conflict at the end was something the reader knew from the very beginning, it just took the entire book for Rose to figure it out and I was hoping she’d figure out the conflict early on and then the events would be more serious and the stakes would be higher and there would be some more twists. I kind of feel cheated. It wasn’t like Rose was a complete idiot as far as being ignorant about the supernatural stuff surrounding her life, but it took her a very long time to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and I would have rather not known from the beginning what the conflict would be or I would have wanted her to be a bit quicker and sharper. I think I was given too much information and it made the book a lot less mysterious and interesting.
Overall, it was a really interesting story with wonderful characters and an intriguing and unique supernatural plot, but the execution was off. I might recommend this book to others because there were some wonderful qualities about it. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series. I really want to find out what happens next and I grew to care about the characters a lot, but I also feel sort of disappointed.
Elemental: The First seemed jumbled to me. Even though the timeline flowed in the right direction, something about the book didn’t come together the right way. It is as if there isn’t a good focus on the overall plot. Each scene and section was great, but the focus of one scene would be Rose trying to fit into her new home and making friends and having fun and it would be a great scene. And next, we’d have Rose wake up, disturbed by a terrifying dream involving the pieces of the supernatural puzzle and that would be a great scene. But together, it just felt off, like the supernatural stuff was out of sight out of mind unless Rose was directly confronted with it. It just wasn’t right, however difficult it is for me to explain. Even though the book wasn’t complex, it was kind of hard to follow.
I felt like the book could have been compressed into just a few chapters or been a short novella. The conflict at the end was something the reader knew from the very beginning, it just took the entire book for Rose to figure it out and I was hoping she’d figure out the conflict early on and then the events would be more serious and the stakes would be higher and there would be some more twists. I kind of feel cheated. It wasn’t like Rose was a complete idiot as far as being ignorant about the supernatural stuff surrounding her life, but it took her a very long time to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and I would have rather not known from the beginning what the conflict would be or I would have wanted her to be a bit quicker and sharper. I think I was given too much information and it made the book a lot less mysterious and interesting.
Overall, it was a really interesting story with wonderful characters and an intriguing and unique supernatural plot, but the execution was off. I might recommend this book to others because there were some wonderful qualities about it. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series. I really want to find out what happens next and I grew to care about the characters a lot, but I also feel sort of disappointed.
October 24, 2011
Thanks Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics for giving me the chance to read and review this book. Alexandra May has created a unique basis for a series with a different twist of paranormal. Lots of potential for interesting things to happen here. As the first book of a series though I thought it should provide a bit more backstory or foundation for the next books to build on. I liked the interwoven histories but think more would provide a stronger base.
As a girl that has been uprooted many times due to her father’s job relocating, I thought Rose did a pretty good job of dealing with this newest change to her life. Being separated from her family and left with a grandmother she hardly knows would not be easy for any young girl. Rose learns quickly that things, and people, are often not what they seem. With trouble following her everywhere it is very difficult to figure out where she truly belongs. The one real problem I had with Rose is that the author keeps portraying her as someone that is slow to trust and at the end, when the HUGE revelations start coming her way and shatter everything she has ever known, she just accepts them and moves on without even second guessing anything. At this point, after learning that everyone has been lying to her (or have they) and with no clue who is really the good guy and who is really the bad guy, she trusts that everyone will do what she says….very hard to believe.
I find myself most frustrated with Daisy throughout the story. I don’t see why all the people love her so much. As a grandparent overseeing the next in line to receive this legacy she did a crappy job. Why is it that she provided a lot of outside technical security, going so far as to call in the army to watch Rose’s every action, but could not be bothered to really talk to Rose about what is going on, why it is happening and how to handle it? She seemed more concerned about everything and everyone else then she was with helping Rose learn about who she is along with what that means to herself and apparently the rest of the world. As despicable as we learn Ben is, at least he taught Aiden about the whole situation and did not leave him out there uninformed to totally fend for himself like Daisy did with Rose.
All that being said, I did enjoy the book. It was a little slow at points but overall a good read. The cliffhanger left me wondering where things will go from here. I look forward to reading the next installment.
As a girl that has been uprooted many times due to her father’s job relocating, I thought Rose did a pretty good job of dealing with this newest change to her life. Being separated from her family and left with a grandmother she hardly knows would not be easy for any young girl. Rose learns quickly that things, and people, are often not what they seem. With trouble following her everywhere it is very difficult to figure out where she truly belongs. The one real problem I had with Rose is that the author keeps portraying her as someone that is slow to trust and at the end, when the HUGE revelations start coming her way and shatter everything she has ever known, she just accepts them and moves on without even second guessing anything. At this point, after learning that everyone has been lying to her (or have they) and with no clue who is really the good guy and who is really the bad guy, she trusts that everyone will do what she says….very hard to believe.
I find myself most frustrated with Daisy throughout the story. I don’t see why all the people love her so much. As a grandparent overseeing the next in line to receive this legacy she did a crappy job. Why is it that she provided a lot of outside technical security, going so far as to call in the army to watch Rose’s every action, but could not be bothered to really talk to Rose about what is going on, why it is happening and how to handle it? She seemed more concerned about everything and everyone else then she was with helping Rose learn about who she is along with what that means to herself and apparently the rest of the world. As despicable as we learn Ben is, at least he taught Aiden about the whole situation and did not leave him out there uninformed to totally fend for himself like Daisy did with Rose.
All that being said, I did enjoy the book. It was a little slow at points but overall a good read. The cliffhanger left me wondering where things will go from here. I look forward to reading the next installment.
October 16, 2011
Readers of Elemental: The First will quickly find themselves engrossed into the world of Rose Frost as she struggles with what many teens (and honestly, most adults) are dealing with – finding out where she belongs. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, Rose is separated from her parents and older sister when she is sent to live with her grandmother, Daisy, in the small town of Warminster in Westshire, England. From the beginning of the story, the reader is drawn into the emotions of May’s characters and connected through excellent descriptions of their actions and interactions. Readers in the US might be perplexed by some of the British references and terminology, but overall will still find it understandable enough to lose themselves in the story.
The prologue was challenging to get through as I found myself caught up by some grammatical issues and awkward phrasing, but once I allowed myself to sink into the story, I found it very enjoyable. I think some of the issues I had while reading might be related to the author’s use of British English rather than any actual issues with structure, but readers who are used to American English might have some trouble with the flow of her writing until they get deeper into the story.
Some fantasy writers that pull in historical facts overwhelm the reader with excessive details and obstruct the flow of the story. In this, May proves herself a master – the historical details and references are clear without being overwhelming and are comprehensive without burying the story in minutia. My only other slight discomfort came during the reveal of the last 25ish pages of the book. I wish May had spent more time explaining the details of the Primords and really digging into the relationship between Aidan and his grandfather. I can only hope this will be discussed in the next book in the series, but I felt more time in this book should have been devoted to these details.
Overall, lovers of fantasy and historical fiction alike will find themselves lost in the prose and descriptive narrative in May’s work. She handles her teenage characters in an honest and heartfelt way while piecing together her story in a way that draws in adults and young adults alike and will leave them wanting more.
The prologue was challenging to get through as I found myself caught up by some grammatical issues and awkward phrasing, but once I allowed myself to sink into the story, I found it very enjoyable. I think some of the issues I had while reading might be related to the author’s use of British English rather than any actual issues with structure, but readers who are used to American English might have some trouble with the flow of her writing until they get deeper into the story.
Some fantasy writers that pull in historical facts overwhelm the reader with excessive details and obstruct the flow of the story. In this, May proves herself a master – the historical details and references are clear without being overwhelming and are comprehensive without burying the story in minutia. My only other slight discomfort came during the reveal of the last 25ish pages of the book. I wish May had spent more time explaining the details of the Primords and really digging into the relationship between Aidan and his grandfather. I can only hope this will be discussed in the next book in the series, but I felt more time in this book should have been devoted to these details.
Overall, lovers of fantasy and historical fiction alike will find themselves lost in the prose and descriptive narrative in May’s work. She handles her teenage characters in an honest and heartfelt way while piecing together her story in a way that draws in adults and young adults alike and will leave them wanting more.
October 18, 2011
This story follows a 16 year old Rose as she moves to the middle of no-where England, just shy of Stonehenge area. She's a special girl with some unique gifts that she must keep secret - so secret that her life, and the lives of those she cares about depends on it. She moves in with her estranged grandmother Daisy, and this is where the story takes place.
First of all, the book was original, which is a big plus for me as everything seems to be repeating itself lately! I liked the setting, and the characters. The mythology is original and intriguing. Rose is wonderful as a girl trying to find her place in the world, juggling being a teenager and trying to find her path and independence while dealing with family, mysteries, secrets and incredible power. Her grandmother, Daisy, is also very interesting and the story makes you want to know more about the history of the family. The story has a great cliffhanger, and leaves you wanting to read the second book. A big plus are a couple of hunky, potential romantic leads!
So why did I only give it three stars? Well, the prologue almost ruined the book for me. It was long, boring, and poorly written. It should just be eliminated from the book. It isn't necessary to tell the reader all of the background. Readers aren't stupid, let us discover the wonderful world that has been created by reading what happens with our characters. In fact, there were several instances of "telling" rather than "showing"that detracted from the story for me. The author has to allow the reader to figure the background out as the story unfolds, that's half the fun. The next detractor for me was to discover so many grammatical/mechanical errors and/or awkwardness throughout (and I'm not talking about the differences between American and British English). I'm not perfect and I know editing is difficult especially after you look at it a million times, but this is basic stuff that should be cleared up.
In brief, Elemental: The First is an original story, it's interesting, intriguing and should be given a chance. If you do read it, please skip the prologue, and you should be in for a decent rainy day read!
First of all, the book was original, which is a big plus for me as everything seems to be repeating itself lately! I liked the setting, and the characters. The mythology is original and intriguing. Rose is wonderful as a girl trying to find her place in the world, juggling being a teenager and trying to find her path and independence while dealing with family, mysteries, secrets and incredible power. Her grandmother, Daisy, is also very interesting and the story makes you want to know more about the history of the family. The story has a great cliffhanger, and leaves you wanting to read the second book. A big plus are a couple of hunky, potential romantic leads!
So why did I only give it three stars? Well, the prologue almost ruined the book for me. It was long, boring, and poorly written. It should just be eliminated from the book. It isn't necessary to tell the reader all of the background. Readers aren't stupid, let us discover the wonderful world that has been created by reading what happens with our characters. In fact, there were several instances of "telling" rather than "showing"that detracted from the story for me. The author has to allow the reader to figure the background out as the story unfolds, that's half the fun. The next detractor for me was to discover so many grammatical/mechanical errors and/or awkwardness throughout (and I'm not talking about the differences between American and British English). I'm not perfect and I know editing is difficult especially after you look at it a million times, but this is basic stuff that should be cleared up.
In brief, Elemental: The First is an original story, it's interesting, intriguing and should be given a chance. If you do read it, please skip the prologue, and you should be in for a decent rainy day read!
May 21, 2013
I wanted to like this. I thought I would, but it was both too generic and too different. For instance, there was the now-requisite potential love triangle; both male interests were "beautifully sculpted", "enticing" or "any model's envy". (Yes, the wording edged towards bad romance at times.) One was dark-haired, one was blond; one was the town bad boy, another the golden boy. Both are strangely enthralling to Rose but obviously she can only have one.
The whole idea of Elementals was interesting, and the concept of Halíka Dacomé and the inherited gifts was intriguing, but the explanatory prologue read very awkwardly to me and was not particularly compelling as an introduction. Left to my own devices, I wouldn't have continued reading. I got somewhat distracted with the hunt for King Alfred's jewels, and the idea of cursed gems buried in Wiltshire unfortunately created more distance between the story and myself. Aliens, yes. Cursed gems from ancient history, yes. Both in the same story? Not so much.
The dream sequences also felt clumsy and disjointed, though they were required to tie in the prologue and overlying plot with Rose's current life, and Aiden's revelation at the end just felt unreal - Rose just accepted it all, apparently not considering that he might be tempering truth with lies. She was simultaneously a very trusting and very reserved girl, and those characteristics don't naturally go together, which probably contributed to some of the awkwardness I felt throughout. At times it felt like she was being shoehorned into certain characteristics by the author, simply because that's what the plot required, even though her emerging character didn't fit that plot point.
At some points the writing didn't feel fluid, though it was otherwise well phrased, and there were a few grammatical errors (though that could've been because it was an ARC from Netgalley). It might be that further editing would completely remove the wording and grammatical problems, in which case I'd rate this 3 stars, but as things currently stand I feel no particular compulsion to read more of the series.
The whole idea of Elementals was interesting, and the concept of Halíka Dacomé and the inherited gifts was intriguing, but the explanatory prologue read very awkwardly to me and was not particularly compelling as an introduction. Left to my own devices, I wouldn't have continued reading. I got somewhat distracted with the hunt for King Alfred's jewels, and the idea of cursed gems buried in Wiltshire unfortunately created more distance between the story and myself. Aliens, yes. Cursed gems from ancient history, yes. Both in the same story? Not so much.
The dream sequences also felt clumsy and disjointed, though they were required to tie in the prologue and overlying plot with Rose's current life, and Aiden's revelation at the end just felt unreal - Rose just accepted it all, apparently not considering that he might be tempering truth with lies. She was simultaneously a very trusting and very reserved girl, and those characteristics don't naturally go together, which probably contributed to some of the awkwardness I felt throughout. At times it felt like she was being shoehorned into certain characteristics by the author, simply because that's what the plot required, even though her emerging character didn't fit that plot point.
At some points the writing didn't feel fluid, though it was otherwise well phrased, and there were a few grammatical errors (though that could've been because it was an ARC from Netgalley). It might be that further editing would completely remove the wording and grammatical problems, in which case I'd rate this 3 stars, but as things currently stand I feel no particular compulsion to read more of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2011
This was a great book but there were a few if-y's there that brought it down to 4 stars. And there was that cliffhanger at the end that was a cliffhanger but wasn't as much as it should've been. I didn't really get the ARGH feeling when there's a really good cliffhanger that makes me cry because the next one isn't out yet (I'm exaggerating....a bit). Because we knew more than Rose, it was kind of annoying to see that she couldn't pick anything up and to see her struggles as she tries to figure everything out. Because of this, the news at the end when she is told the truth just breezes past us because we already knew somewhat of the story but that was just the history behind it all that we didn't know. The prologue I thought should have not included Rose's perspective and just stayed on Deverill in the circle with the other guys. With the inclusion of Rose in the prologue it made me think that the prologue should have been cut short to only the talk with the men about their plans.
What is it really that we know about Aiden?
What is it really that we know about Aiden?
April 24, 2013
I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book but didn't love it. It is about a pretty normal girl, called Rose Frost, with a special gift. Altough the prologue already gives you the idea there may be much more to her. Then the story starts with the fact that Rose has to move to live with her grandmother, while her parents do some special research in the middle east. Rose lives a pretty normal live and the story starts out a bit slow. She makes new friends, adapts to this new environment and goes to social gatherings. All in all this book seems like a first book in all aspects; characters are introduced, we get to know Rose, but nothing really happens and only at the end you get to know what it really is about. I would like to read the second book too, because this books makes me curious about what will happen next.
What I liked about this books was the fact that Rose has a strong personality, she likes to help people and is very comitted but waits till she is sure she can really trust them. And I really liked the descriptions of the scenery. The author doesn't go on too long about the scenery, but to me it looks like a nice place to live. And a nice background is always good.
What I didn't like about this books was the fact that again the lead character falls in love with two persons and a large part of the book is spended on her getting closer to them and then pushing them away again. I didn't really get why she was interested in any of them, because I didn't get a good view of their personalities. And I found it really anoying both kept telling her that she could trust them, but neither gave her reason to do so.
All in all I liked this book, but it was very introductionary. It introduces a nice concept and I am curious to read the next books. But this book in itself is not that great. I like it, but don't love it.
I liked this book but didn't love it. It is about a pretty normal girl, called Rose Frost, with a special gift. Altough the prologue already gives you the idea there may be much more to her. Then the story starts with the fact that Rose has to move to live with her grandmother, while her parents do some special research in the middle east. Rose lives a pretty normal live and the story starts out a bit slow. She makes new friends, adapts to this new environment and goes to social gatherings. All in all this book seems like a first book in all aspects; characters are introduced, we get to know Rose, but nothing really happens and only at the end you get to know what it really is about. I would like to read the second book too, because this books makes me curious about what will happen next.
What I liked about this books was the fact that Rose has a strong personality, she likes to help people and is very comitted but waits till she is sure she can really trust them. And I really liked the descriptions of the scenery. The author doesn't go on too long about the scenery, but to me it looks like a nice place to live. And a nice background is always good.
What I didn't like about this books was the fact that again the lead character falls in love with two persons and a large part of the book is spended on her getting closer to them and then pushing them away again. I didn't really get why she was interested in any of them, because I didn't get a good view of their personalities. And I found it really anoying both kept telling her that she could trust them, but neither gave her reason to do so.
All in all I liked this book, but it was very introductionary. It introduces a nice concept and I am curious to read the next books. But this book in itself is not that great. I like it, but don't love it.
January 24, 2013
Rose would like nothing more then to be an ordinary teenager. Even though she has had to attend a lot of schools because her family moves a lot due to her father's job, she has learned the art of making friends easily. And she likes shopping, music, and parties just like any girl her age but she does have to conceal the fact that she can heal.
This last move is different however. Her father has taken a job overseas and Rose is going to staywith her grandmother Daisy. She does have friends there as she used to visit Daisy every summer but this is the first time away from her family. And now her gift keeps wanting to pop out and join the show. And her dreams are turning into nightmares.
I really enjoyed the character of Rose. She is so much the typical teenager that she is easy to relate too. The other two characters who feature predominantly are Morgan and Aiden are also well drawn out. In fact all of the character are so well done that they seem to jump off the pages. The dialogue is such that one might hear anytime teenagers get together and the pacing is spot on.
This book is just incredible. ELEMENTAL: THE FIRST is so good that I am almost speechless. This book has to be one the best young adults that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Ms. May has spun a story with just the right mix of mystery, intrigue, danger, dreams, friendship and romance.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the young adult genre. I would run to your nearest book seller to pick up a copy. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. I rate
ELEMENTAL: THE FIRST a 4.2.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
This last move is different however. Her father has taken a job overseas and Rose is going to staywith her grandmother Daisy. She does have friends there as she used to visit Daisy every summer but this is the first time away from her family. And now her gift keeps wanting to pop out and join the show. And her dreams are turning into nightmares.
I really enjoyed the character of Rose. She is so much the typical teenager that she is easy to relate too. The other two characters who feature predominantly are Morgan and Aiden are also well drawn out. In fact all of the character are so well done that they seem to jump off the pages. The dialogue is such that one might hear anytime teenagers get together and the pacing is spot on.
This book is just incredible. ELEMENTAL: THE FIRST is so good that I am almost speechless. This book has to be one the best young adults that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Ms. May has spun a story with just the right mix of mystery, intrigue, danger, dreams, friendship and romance.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the young adult genre. I would run to your nearest book seller to pick up a copy. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. I rate
ELEMENTAL: THE FIRST a 4.2.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
June 25, 2013
Rose is a normal teenager who moves in to live with her grandmother in the hopes of staying safe. A great power exists in the hopes of killing the elemental before her power fully comes into being. Will the ancient darkness overtake the light? Or will the light prevail banishing the darkness back to its hole?
As Rose wanders through life trying to be a normal teenager while avoiding car chases, fires, murderers and finally figuring out what her gift really means and was meant to do, can she help her friends or will they be unsuccessful in their quest? Can she determine who is trustworthy and who should be left to fend for themselves?
There are a ton of minute details in this book, from clothing choices to food choices, to tea time choices, it's slightly overkill with the amount of facts. I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of alien lore and ancient legends. I like the sound of the ancient legend, but the aliens again are over the top.
I love the gift she has with plants and that the flower opens when she is with Morgan. If her grandmother was smart she would have told her straight up what in the world is going on instead of letting her piece it together and waiting forever! I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't love the fae elements of this book, but the divide between today time and past time isn't seamless, it's slightly jerky leaving you feeling like you are missing something as you read the book. Hopefully the rest of the series can fill in the gaps and show us more of the world of Halika Dancome.
As Rose wanders through life trying to be a normal teenager while avoiding car chases, fires, murderers and finally figuring out what her gift really means and was meant to do, can she help her friends or will they be unsuccessful in their quest? Can she determine who is trustworthy and who should be left to fend for themselves?
There are a ton of minute details in this book, from clothing choices to food choices, to tea time choices, it's slightly overkill with the amount of facts. I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of alien lore and ancient legends. I like the sound of the ancient legend, but the aliens again are over the top.
I love the gift she has with plants and that the flower opens when she is with Morgan. If her grandmother was smart she would have told her straight up what in the world is going on instead of letting her piece it together and waiting forever! I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't love the fae elements of this book, but the divide between today time and past time isn't seamless, it's slightly jerky leaving you feeling like you are missing something as you read the book. Hopefully the rest of the series can fill in the gaps and show us more of the world of Halika Dancome.
December 5, 2012
The premise of this book had such great promise. However, it wasn't explained well and the events in this book were so disjointed it was hard to follow. It seemed like May wrote each event separately then tried to piece them all together at the end. I never felt like I got a good explanation of the history of Halika Dacome. There were several pieces strung together throughout the book, but even put together, they lacked consistency and a whole story.
I did receive this as an ARC, which was apparently uncorrected. The sentence syntax, spelling, and grammar were not on par with a nearly finished book.
I don't understand how Rose could jump from not having much of a clue about her "inner self" to ready to take on the bad guy, knowing she was the only person who could stop him. It was pretty unbelievable considering she spent the entire novel in the dark about who she really was.
I don't know if I'll read anymore of these books. The plot is good and there could be so much done with it, but the execution left much to be desired.
I did receive this as an ARC, which was apparently uncorrected. The sentence syntax, spelling, and grammar were not on par with a nearly finished book.
I don't understand how Rose could jump from not having much of a clue about her "inner self" to ready to take on the bad guy, knowing she was the only person who could stop him. It was pretty unbelievable considering she spent the entire novel in the dark about who she really was.
I don't know if I'll read anymore of these books. The plot is good and there could be so much done with it, but the execution left much to be desired.
October 27, 2011
I was given this book as part of Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! read to review....
This book is so good!! It's a book that you just can't put down. It will keep you enthralled until the very last page and keep you up at night until you finish reading it!
Alexandra May has an easy to read and descriptive writing style. And she knows how to create suspense and romance!
Rose is an outspoken, strong and sassy girl who goes to live with her grandmother Daisy while her parents are away because of her father's 'dangerous' job. Not long after moving there she meets Aiden. Aiden is gorgeous and mysterious and Rose feels a deep connection to him. But everyone warns her to stay away from him because he is dangerous!! But Rose doesn't see that. He treats her with care and kindness...... And then there is Morgan. He tells Rose that she can trust him with anything. Rose finds herself having feelings for him. But it's different to how she feels for Aiden.
Then there is Rose's 'gift'. And how does Rose's haunting dreams and the legend of Halíka Dacomé fit into it all.
There is betrayal, lies and deception, romance and suspense. This book has it all and I can't wait to see where book 2 will take us!
This book is so good!! It's a book that you just can't put down. It will keep you enthralled until the very last page and keep you up at night until you finish reading it!
Alexandra May has an easy to read and descriptive writing style. And she knows how to create suspense and romance!
Rose is an outspoken, strong and sassy girl who goes to live with her grandmother Daisy while her parents are away because of her father's 'dangerous' job. Not long after moving there she meets Aiden. Aiden is gorgeous and mysterious and Rose feels a deep connection to him. But everyone warns her to stay away from him because he is dangerous!! But Rose doesn't see that. He treats her with care and kindness...... And then there is Morgan. He tells Rose that she can trust him with anything. Rose finds herself having feelings for him. But it's different to how she feels for Aiden.
Then there is Rose's 'gift'. And how does Rose's haunting dreams and the legend of Halíka Dacomé fit into it all.
There is betrayal, lies and deception, romance and suspense. This book has it all and I can't wait to see where book 2 will take us!
October 19, 2011
The book was an enchanting read. Being the beginning of what looks to be a must read saga, I was immediately drawn into the evolution of the story in the Prologue. I knew this would be an interesting read. I like epic narrative types of books to keep me looking forward to the next one in the series.
Elemental: The First exceeded my requirements in this regard, and for those who like reading books in series, I would definitely recommend this book.
I was perplexed at first by 16 year old Rose, an intriguing heroine, while being under informed and not enlightened of her destiny was very practical managing to maintain her confidence in the midst of her frustrations. She was recognized as the person capable of creating a plan of action.
The companions were well described and formed without truly identifying the protagonists from the antagonists.
This would be a good book for teens of all ages .
Elemental: The First exceeded my requirements in this regard, and for those who like reading books in series, I would definitely recommend this book.
I was perplexed at first by 16 year old Rose, an intriguing heroine, while being under informed and not enlightened of her destiny was very practical managing to maintain her confidence in the midst of her frustrations. She was recognized as the person capable of creating a plan of action.
The companions were well described and formed without truly identifying the protagonists from the antagonists.
This would be a good book for teens of all ages .
December 5, 2012
Thank you to NetGalley and Pauma Publishing for a copy of "Elemental: The First".
Elemental was a good first book. The idea of the story itself is rather interesting. A young girl who is destined to inherit powers and abilities that she is only now just discovering about. Even though this is a first book in a series.... It almost felt to me that the whole book was a Prologue. It was a perfect set up, for the sereies to really start. Maybe that is just me and my expectations. I felt like we spent the book meeting characters. Setting the stage, mooning over our insta-love choices, but the actual plot...... we did not get so much of a chance to see, until the end. And just as we are starting to pick up the pace.... we are left with a cliff-hanger.
I look forward to reading more of this series. Like I said, the stage is set, and the rest of the series looks rather promising.
Elemental was a good first book. The idea of the story itself is rather interesting. A young girl who is destined to inherit powers and abilities that she is only now just discovering about. Even though this is a first book in a series.... It almost felt to me that the whole book was a Prologue. It was a perfect set up, for the sereies to really start. Maybe that is just me and my expectations. I felt like we spent the book meeting characters. Setting the stage, mooning over our insta-love choices, but the actual plot...... we did not get so much of a chance to see, until the end. And just as we are starting to pick up the pace.... we are left with a cliff-hanger.
I look forward to reading more of this series. Like I said, the stage is set, and the rest of the series looks rather promising.
August 14, 2016
Rose grew up knowing she was different, taught not to trust easily and conceal a very special gift. Her family always had to move for safety, reasons she always thought had to do with her dad's top secret job. Split from her family she moves in with her grandmother. Getting reacquainted with childhood friends from summers at her grandmothers and new ones too she's never really sure who to trust. Rose doesn't realize she's at the very center of everything going on around her but isn't afraid to jump in and find out.
I really enjoyed this book it's definitely original. There is a bit of a love triangle but not really at the same time, it's deeper and not quite as it appears ... Until toward the end.
I want to know, what was the sound she heard on the roof and opening her door? Why would her family after all these years desert her and is there something more to Lucie and her sister Amy?
Left with a bit of a cliffhanger and I am definitely wanting to read the next book!
I really enjoyed this book it's definitely original. There is a bit of a love triangle but not really at the same time, it's deeper and not quite as it appears ... Until toward the end.
I want to know, what was the sound she heard on the roof and opening her door? Why would her family after all these years desert her and is there something more to Lucie and her sister Amy?
Left with a bit of a cliffhanger and I am definitely wanting to read the next book!
June 12, 2013
Rose is like any other teenage girl, except she as the power to heal herself and others. when her parents move away Rose moves in with Grandmother, this is where everything changes. She begins to learn there is much more to her unique powers than she first realised and that her Grandmother may no more than she is letting on.
soon her dreams start to become more intense and filled with a woman named Halika Dacome.
I really enjoyed reading this story, it was a fairly original story and Rose was a likeable and down to earth character.I loved the mystery and myths that surrounded Halika Dacome and the village and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery of the disappearances with Rose and her friends. I was surprised by the truth of her friends and family and look forward to the next instalment
soon her dreams start to become more intense and filled with a woman named Halika Dacome.
I really enjoyed reading this story, it was a fairly original story and Rose was a likeable and down to earth character.I loved the mystery and myths that surrounded Halika Dacome and the village and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery of the disappearances with Rose and her friends. I was surprised by the truth of her friends and family and look forward to the next instalment
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