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The Element
With school almost at an end, Alowen is ready to break free from her quiet life in the Arbor. She’s always wanted to travel the whole Element and write about her experiences. When she’s selected to attend the famous Element Party in underwater Baccha as a scribe, she wonders if she’s ready to step into her new life. Just as she begins her training, the visions come. Is she losing her mind? Or witnessing a terrible secret? What if the people they trust to lead their world are keeping the truth from them? Follow Alowen as she uncovers the chilling answer.
200 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2024
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Brougham
3 books8 followersNatalie grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she lives today with her Newfoundland Nala. She is 30 years old and does not currently have any children of her own but she hopes to someday. She used to get in trouble for reading all night under the covers as a child and reading is still something she does on a daily basis. Roald Dahl has always been her idol and stories like James and the Giant peach inspire her. Natalie recently finished several other children's books and plans to write until her health will no longer allow it.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 8, 2024
The heroine of The Element by Natalie Brougham is like many newly-minted high school graduates—yearning for adventure and excitement beyond the world in which they grew up. Alowen has only ever lived in The Arbor, the quiet, isolated expanse of farmers and hunters, one of four groups of people who live in her world, The Element, which the writer conveys in vivid, brilliant language.
The Arbor “smelled of wood and soft, damp grass. There were rumors that fairies lived here. The brick walls of shops had tiny doors built into them where children could leave their wishes. Nothing was more gratifying than sitting on a hill at night and watching the sun bow out of the sky, leaving trails of magenta and burnt orange behind, falling to the Earth. You would swear you’d never seen that shade of purples anywhere else in the Universe.”
Brougham clearly conveys Alowen’s astonishment and lack of confidence at being chosen as a Scribe for the annual Element Party, an honor bestowed on one graduate with outstanding writing skills from each of the elements: Allurus, the water people; Baccha, the fire people, Wolken, the sky people, and The Arbor, the earth people. It was the chance of a lifetime and could launch her future career.
In every one of Alowen’s experiences, the writer puts us right there with her, starting with being whisked off to the stunning crystalline sky city of Wolken by Mayor Frazyk on a giant eagle, where she has a week to prepare for the dazzling event full of The Element’s most famous and glamorous, while adjusting to her new surroundings. “Made of white marble, the entire city rose from the top of the mountain like a stalagmite of ice… The city glimmered through hundreds of small windows as if the stars in the were lighting their homes. The beauty was eerie. Alowen felt as if they had landed on another planet.”
We watch as she is Immediately thrown into a whirl of activity focusing as much on her appearance and demeanor as her ability to confidently interview elites who will be at the party. We see Alowen constantly bombarded by new sensations, experiences, and expectations. We understand how she almost misses hints of underlying disconnect between the glittering elite who proclaim The Element’s “strength in diversity” and their condescending attitudes towards the common workers and the “mixed-element people” who hide their otherness for fear of harsh treatment.
We, as Alowen, are nearly overwhelmed by the ever-changing environments, from the decent in a self-contained orb through an inactive volcano to the water world, or meeting a Fire person for the first time. “Pink flames darted up and down his face. His eyes were hazel brown with just a tinge of pink. A papier mâché raven blinked at her intelligently on his shoulder.”
Our concern rises as she becomes unsettled by disconcerting dreams and visions that hint at something unsavory in the Royal Palace. And we are stunned when she and a former classmate, Soren, are caught up in a shocking event at the Element Party that forces Alowen to call on all her courage and conviction and make a decision that will completely turn her life upside down.
Natalie Brougham has masterfully created a world where something disconcerting bubbles silently beneath the surface of a visually dazzling and inviting world of unique peoples with gifts that set them apart from each other and sometimes set them in conflict with each other. And she has created a heroine who captures our attention from the first, and then slowly captures our heart as she experiences world beyond her imagination that suddenly turns treacherous.
The Arbor “smelled of wood and soft, damp grass. There were rumors that fairies lived here. The brick walls of shops had tiny doors built into them where children could leave their wishes. Nothing was more gratifying than sitting on a hill at night and watching the sun bow out of the sky, leaving trails of magenta and burnt orange behind, falling to the Earth. You would swear you’d never seen that shade of purples anywhere else in the Universe.”
Brougham clearly conveys Alowen’s astonishment and lack of confidence at being chosen as a Scribe for the annual Element Party, an honor bestowed on one graduate with outstanding writing skills from each of the elements: Allurus, the water people; Baccha, the fire people, Wolken, the sky people, and The Arbor, the earth people. It was the chance of a lifetime and could launch her future career.
In every one of Alowen’s experiences, the writer puts us right there with her, starting with being whisked off to the stunning crystalline sky city of Wolken by Mayor Frazyk on a giant eagle, where she has a week to prepare for the dazzling event full of The Element’s most famous and glamorous, while adjusting to her new surroundings. “Made of white marble, the entire city rose from the top of the mountain like a stalagmite of ice… The city glimmered through hundreds of small windows as if the stars in the were lighting their homes. The beauty was eerie. Alowen felt as if they had landed on another planet.”
We watch as she is Immediately thrown into a whirl of activity focusing as much on her appearance and demeanor as her ability to confidently interview elites who will be at the party. We see Alowen constantly bombarded by new sensations, experiences, and expectations. We understand how she almost misses hints of underlying disconnect between the glittering elite who proclaim The Element’s “strength in diversity” and their condescending attitudes towards the common workers and the “mixed-element people” who hide their otherness for fear of harsh treatment.
We, as Alowen, are nearly overwhelmed by the ever-changing environments, from the decent in a self-contained orb through an inactive volcano to the water world, or meeting a Fire person for the first time. “Pink flames darted up and down his face. His eyes were hazel brown with just a tinge of pink. A papier mâché raven blinked at her intelligently on his shoulder.”
Our concern rises as she becomes unsettled by disconcerting dreams and visions that hint at something unsavory in the Royal Palace. And we are stunned when she and a former classmate, Soren, are caught up in a shocking event at the Element Party that forces Alowen to call on all her courage and conviction and make a decision that will completely turn her life upside down.
Natalie Brougham has masterfully created a world where something disconcerting bubbles silently beneath the surface of a visually dazzling and inviting world of unique peoples with gifts that set them apart from each other and sometimes set them in conflict with each other. And she has created a heroine who captures our attention from the first, and then slowly captures our heart as she experiences world beyond her imagination that suddenly turns treacherous.
February 24, 2024
A delightful read!
The story begins with young Alowen leaving her home in Arbor to begin training as a scribe and attend the Element Party. I enjoyed reading about Alowen's reactions to her first experiences of the world outside her home, and I felt her excitement and her apprehension as she rode an eagle for the first time, sat through tutoring for her role as a scribe, and was fitted for the lavish gowns she'd wear to the party.
However, amid the preparations for the party, Alowen begins having disturbing visions. It isn't until the last night of the celebration that she discovers what those visions mean. At this point, the plot changes from lighthearted to heart-stopping as Alowen, Soren, and Princess Ilya find themselves in fear for their lives.
The story begins with young Alowen leaving her home in Arbor to begin training as a scribe and attend the Element Party. I enjoyed reading about Alowen's reactions to her first experiences of the world outside her home, and I felt her excitement and her apprehension as she rode an eagle for the first time, sat through tutoring for her role as a scribe, and was fitted for the lavish gowns she'd wear to the party.
However, amid the preparations for the party, Alowen begins having disturbing visions. It isn't until the last night of the celebration that she discovers what those visions mean. At this point, the plot changes from lighthearted to heart-stopping as Alowen, Soren, and Princess Ilya find themselves in fear for their lives.
March 30, 2024
a hypnotic read ::
What an eloquent creation of contemporary fiction! The author has created a magical fantasy.
The action evolves in a realm not terribly unlike our own, but yet storybooklike at the same time.
The environs of that sci-fi place are revealed through stunning otherworldly images and details but the characters bear strikingly human resemblances in their actions, outlooks and persuasions. Power politics, class differentiation and inequality, sensitive social ethnicity issues, though all set with exotic attributes, all feel very familiar.
I won’t spoil it all by retelling the tale here, just read it - you’ll love it too! A top-shelf treasure.
What an eloquent creation of contemporary fiction! The author has created a magical fantasy.
The action evolves in a realm not terribly unlike our own, but yet storybooklike at the same time.
The environs of that sci-fi place are revealed through stunning otherworldly images and details but the characters bear strikingly human resemblances in their actions, outlooks and persuasions. Power politics, class differentiation and inequality, sensitive social ethnicity issues, though all set with exotic attributes, all feel very familiar.
I won’t spoil it all by retelling the tale here, just read it - you’ll love it too! A top-shelf treasure.
May 20, 2024
The world-building and lush detail are top-notch in this high-stakes fantasy novel. This world is familiar, yet spectacularly different and based on the four ancient elements of fire, air, water and earth.
Alowen is a young professional who finds herself in the middle of a secret controversy involving some of this world’s most powerful people. She is faced with a difficult choice and one that may put her in grave danger.
The Element is the first book in a series. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Alowen is a young professional who finds herself in the middle of a secret controversy involving some of this world’s most powerful people. She is faced with a difficult choice and one that may put her in grave danger.
The Element is the first book in a series. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
March 26, 2024
I loved this book! It was an otherworld page turner that I couldn't put down! (Otherworld novels are amoung my favorite reads) Eagerly awaiting book two!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews