Elemental Inferno

by A.J. Locke

Rielle is a Winter Aura who for the past hundred years has held the job of controlling winter weather in her assigned area. During the non-winter months she can live as she pleases, as long as she doesn’t do anything that would make her lose control of herself, which could unleash her power and have it snowing in July. Therefore, sex outside of winter is a big no-no, because what could make her lose control of herself more? If Rielle is unable to keep her winter magic dormant during her off seasons, she will be forced to Sleep by the Aura Elders. For Auras, it’s a fate worse than death.

When the Summer Aura for her area winds up mysteriously dead, summer weather spirals out of control until another Summer Aura arrives in the nick of time and brings things back to order. Aden is as gorgeous and alluring as they come, and before Rielle knows it, she finds herself with a roommate at the urging of the Elders, who seem uneasy about Aden, and want an eye kept on him. Rielle and Aden have a magnetic attraction to each other, and for the first time Rielle is afraid of losing control. However, Aden is much more than he seems, and when he shows Rielle a way to indulge their passions without repercussions, it seems too good to be true. But Aden’s secrets are ones the Elders fear, and can’t ignore. As they close in on him with deadly force in mind, Rielle will have to decide if Aden is in fact too dangerous, or if it’s worth going up against the Elders to save the man she’s losing her body, and heart to.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, African American Romance

134 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2013

About the author

I'm your typical over-caffeinated writer with too many ideas and not enough time to do all of them. I write poetry and urban fantasy novels, and spend my days reading, writing and doing art all day. Not really, but a girl can dream. I'm an island girl at heart, originally from Trinidad & Tobago, but now make my home in NYC with my daughter.

Reviews

[Chanel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elemental Inferno had an interesting concept that drew me right in from the start. Rielle is a winter elemental which means the weather is sort of regulated based on her magic. This also means she has to regulate her emotions so that there aren't sudden snow storms in off seasons. One particular thing she has iron control over is sex. She purposely stays celibate for 9ish months out of the year -- only indulging when her season is up.

Aden comes into town because a fire elemental has been mysteriously murdered. He is able to save the region from boiling and in the process the Elders assign Rielle to host him while he's here. Rielle didn't want to do this but relents and allows Aden to stay in her home. Even though they are strangers, sparks fly instantly and Rielle has to grapple with desperately wanting someone out of season while trying to figure out why Elementals are dying.

This was a short and very sexy read. The little bit of world building made for a very interesting story. AJ Locke is also really good at writing waking fantasies because there are a couple I completely fell for which just added to the explosive sexual tension between Rielle and Aden. A lot of the middle part of the book could be skipped because some of the sex scenes were simply over the top for me and it also suffered from the important issue that's not really important until the very end cause of lots of sex. The reveal was and the resolution was good and overall I thought the story was cute.

[Ronnie Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning was slow, the middle was nothing but smut, and the end held the plot. I tell you, if it wasn't for the ending, I would have given this book a 2. I love smut in a book, but this was ridiculous.

[Renegade ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 - 4 stars

This is a unique novella about the seasons, magic, attraction and intimacy. It also explores themes of power and responsibility and the right to determine one's own life and destiny. A unique and rather neat idea which made for an interesting read...

[April (whataprilreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4✨

Was this a perfect new favorite read? No. Was it a damn good time with super steamy sex? Absolutely! Honestly, I think for me, this suffers from what all good novellas suffer from — a case of the “I want more” !!!! More plot, more romance, more character development, more magical context and lore !!!! I want more !!! And I don’t mean this negatively. This feels like when you get a bit of someone’s else’s delicious dessert and you want to tear up the whole plate. It felt like an extended preview but I still ate it up.

Would I recommend this to just anybody?? Probably not. I think the magic is a specific interest, insta-lust is not everyone’s jam, and listen, there may or may not have been a couple of plot holes that some people would struggle to overlook. I, personally, don’t care about any of that. This was hot. 🥵

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[Jessica Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed more than I expected to

This was a book club pick and I admittedly wasn't thrilled about it since fantasy/ paranormal really isn't my jam. But I dug this. Rielle's POV was contemporary and humorous and relatable, the writing was tight, I didn't feel any 'this is ridiculous' moments, and I was honed in for the outcome. Yeah there was magic, but it didn't feel overdone. I enjoyed the connection between Rielle and Aden. There's a lot of sex (a LOT) but seeing as how they had so many limitations for so many years, it kinda made sense.
This was an extremely pleasant surprise.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another AJ Locke sexy fantasy enjoyed!
The concept was really interesting and brace yourselves there is a looot of sexy times ;)

[ysar · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise!  If you know my reading preferences, you know from the synopsis that this isn't my usual kind of read.  I much prefer stories about normal humans, since all too often the ones that delve into the paranormal or supernatural just seem way too far-fetched to me.  But something about the premise of this story piqued my interest, and I figured I'd give it a shot.  Good thinking on my part!

Auras are spread out around the earth, each one responsible for a season in a particular region.  It's when they lose control (or get a little mischievous) that dramatic weather phenomenon occur, things like blizzards and tsunamis and tornado outbreaks.  For this reason, each Aura must take great care to remain completely in control during their off-seasons.  Reille, being a Winter Aura, pretty much has her freedom during the winter months, but through the rest of the year, she has to take it easy, so as not to launch an ice storm during July.

I was surprised by how easily I believed in and fell into the world that A.J. Locke created.  I'm sure a large part of my acceptance of everything was simply that the Auras lived in the world we know.  Sure, they looked a little odd, with their too-bright eyes and oddly colored hair, but aside from unleashing seasonal events (oh, and being basically immortal), they were just  like everyone else.  Reille lived in an apartment, ordered too much take-out, and taught art classes.  And like most women out there, she lamented her lack of a sex life.  However, her reason for abstinence is tied to what she is, not whether anyone's available.

Her simple, somewhat solitary life is upset, though, when the local Summer Aura is found dead, burned to death by his own magic, and the Elders seem to be keeping secrets.  But just as the heat wave of the unmanaged summer gets way out of hand, in walks Aden, a back-up Summer Aura who just happens to be sex on legs.  Forced by the Elders  to let him room in her apartment for a little while, Rielle is finding it harder and harder to resist the primal urges that crop up every time Aden is around, knowing that if she were to give into the attraction, she'd likely bury the area under a blanket of snow and face punishment from the Elders.  However, there's something different about Aden.

Just as Reille's about to lose both her mind and control of her libido, Aden has a solution, a way they can indulge in their desires with no unexplainable weather and no issue with the Elders.  It's exactly what Reille needs.

The only thing I had trouble with wasn't anything about the story, but rather issues with editing.  (Yeah, I know you're probably starting to see a pattern here.)  While the book was surprisingly well-edited for a self-published work, there were a few places where either the editor fell asleep, or the author made changes before it went to print.  As is typical, there was a big lack of necessary commas, and in a few places, homonyms were mixed up -- like "you're" when it should have been "your."  Then again, if Facebook is any indication, only about three people on earth will know the difference, so perhaps I shouldn't even mention it.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a creative plot with some steamy lovin'.  The idea of supernatural beings controlling the elements isn't exactly new, but the way A.J. Locke incorporated it into an otherwise normal world made it easy to believe and quite a bit different from other books with that same basic premise, and she didn't go the obvious route and take the magic too far.  It's a murder mystery with a supernatural twist, and the sexual tension will have you speed-reading to get to the good stuff.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer McGill-Sadera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe all writers have something in common: we are all, first and foremost, readers. Not a particularly profound observation, I know, but a vital fact to remember when we are scouring the Internet and local bookstores for a book to "wow" us. And since I'm now highlighting the incredibly obvious, I am compelled to point out that although we seek reads that will inspire, entertain and transform us, we are also creatures of habit and generally loathe to venture out of our reading comfort zones. I speak from experience. My friends and I have spoken often of our favorite reading genres and, not surprisingly, as a whole, we tend to stick with books that are similar to others we have enjoyed in the past.

I broke from this unintentional habit a number of years ago when I joined a book club. It was only when I was forced to read books I would never have otherwise chosen that I began to understand the value of all genres. I now make a habit of reading books every now and then that I may not naturally gravitate toward. "Elemental Inferno," by A.J. Locke is such a book. A novella actually, with a unique premise: What if Mother Nature's staff included an "Aura" for each season, controlled by his or her own "Elder," or wise entity? And what if each Aura, charged with the responsibility of controlling the weather patterns of his or her own respective season, was actually a person pretty much like you and I, with all the usual foibles? Cool idea, right?

But here's what makes it hot: each Aura lives under strict rules laid down by the Elders. So life as an Aura is a study in moderation when not in season. For instance, a "Winter Aura" such as main character Rielle, can't down a dozen shots at a local bar one hot summer evening because to lose control of herself would result in a disastrous weather alteration like a snow storm in July. And here's what makes the story scorching: Aden, the new "Summer Aura," who shows up one sweltering day radiating enough masculine energy to sizzle away Rielle's all-too-tenuous resolve to not let lustful thoughts lead to an out-of-season sexual encounter (the ultimate way to lose control)that would unleash a mid-summer blizzard and force the Elders to put her in the deep freeze for good!

Okay, I'm clearly having way too much fun with the weather metaphors, but all puns aside, "Elemental Inferno" is a fun-filled, sexy romp of a tale with a creative premise that I found enticing. The writing is clear and concise and the book is quite short so it's a really enjoyable way to "get away from it all" for a few hours. Original and witty, I highly recommend it. You don't have to be Al Roker or Sam Champion to appreciate this force of nature.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

[Sabrina Olteanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Itching for Books for another great tour and A.J. Locke for giving me the chance to read your book.

I can’t even begin to describe this book. It is short, but I loved it from top to bottom. It starts right in the middle of the story and that made me to stay glued for the entire time. I couldn’t stop myself from reading! This story it’s unique, I never read anything like this, especially this type of story. Let me explain a little bit about it.

Our main character is Rielle who is a Winter Aura. Yes, you read correct. This book is about seasons that we know: spring, summer, autumn and winter. But, the author made an introduction, meaning each every character controlled the weather in different states and they are led by four Elders. If you make a mistake and let’s say you don’t control your powers, they are going to put you to Sleep. Awful thing, but it needs to be done in order to control everything and no one does a wrong thing.
Rielle it’s trying to calm herself, she has some needs that have to be satisfying but she isn’t aloud until its winter, her season. The worst part it, summer just began, and the summer Aura has lost all control. The weather it’s hot and she can’t stand it anymore. But, before she knows it, she finds out from the Elders that the summer Aura it’s dead and now no one it’s in charge with the weather. The Elders need to put someone in charge and fast!

In comes Aiden in the picture and this boy it’s trouble. Rielle needs to move in with him, because the Elders want her to keep an eye on him. But, Rielle can’t control her urges and she is afraid she is going to lose it. If she can’t control her powers, it may be a chance that it’s going to snow in the summer, so she needs to be careful. After a while, Rielle gives in and she falls in love with none other than Aiden, and he shows her that they can do whatever they want, they just need to pay attention. But, can Rielle trust Aiden? Can she give her heart to this man?

You will have to read it in order to get the answers. Believe me, this book it’s incredible and it deserves to be read! Loved it! I highly recommend this book!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you can guess this book is about the season. The elders create an immortal from a person who I guess you can say has hit rock bottom or has lead a very hard life , really giving them no choice but to say yes. Rielle who controls winter is the main character basically narrating the book mostly . Describing everything that's happening with the exception of some parts, like when summer goes wrong and she goes to the elders to find out what's going on only to find the element of summer has been killed, then a beautiful creature of a man walked in the room and saves the elders and Rielle from being destroyed by heat. This is when Aden comes in , he turns out to be much more then the element of summer. An experiment gone wrong. controlling all elements . He's put to sleep. which is the main worry of any element out of their season. they can not lose control. In any event Rielle and Aden have a very intense felling and pull towards each other from the moment they meet. Bad luck for Rielle since he has to live with her. Which actually turns out to be a blessing because he can contain the elements which make for a hot steamy sexual relationship. so while this book is good, I read it in a couple hrs, but its also short, its got a good story line, something new and fresh, classy not trashy sexual scenes, a lot of them, and its interesting.
I just think it could have been a bit of a longer read, more details on how the elders come to be maybe.
, something added. Its just abit too short when I think theirs more of a story to be told here but it is not a book I wouldn't recommend.
I do reccomend it especially if you like tasteful romance because that's mostly what this book is about with the exception of the short story line.
Its a 5 star no doubt.
great detail, classy in the sex scene department, enough of a story line to make it interesting.

I was given this book for a true review and you got it!
I recommend.

[Shannon Cahill · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I want to preface this book by saying that it did have potential--a great story idea and some intriguing characters. That being said, there was no follow through. The story had no depth. The prose was stunted and awkward. The sex scenes were just icky, and not in any way that could be considered good. Not kinky, just strange and sort of unsanitary.

I don't feel like this novella was in any way ready to be published.It could use a serious content editor. I don't mean copy editing, there were very few typos or grammatical errors, just some pretty serious plot holes, inconsistencies, and downright weirdness. Parts of it read like a 5 paragraph essay, and other parts were just plain bad.

I hate to come off as mean and judgmental, but this novella embodies what not to do with self publishing. I have read some great indie books and some that are just really unbearably bad. this was the latter, i'm sorry to say. This is the kind of self published book that makes readers shy away from self published work. My best suggestion to the author is to pull it and try to clean it up. It could be actually not bad with some work, but as is, it is just not something I can recommend.

[Cassandra Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do when you and the person you love are in opposite ends of the spectrum?

This novel explores that though and more. As auras, Aden and Rielle try to stay away from each other because they're not supposed to be together. Aden is a summer aura, while Rielle is a Winter aura. As Auras, they're not supposed to do a couple of things such as drink alcoholic drinks, and most importantly, fall in love with auras of the opposite kind, but fate seems to have another plan and so Aden and Rielle fall for each other.

This book is sexy, but it's also written in such a classy manner and it is so tastefully done, that you'd really get hooked. I'm not a big fan of fantasy-romance stuff, but this worked for me.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, insta-lust followed by a series of dry sexual descriptions—we did this and then this and then this, instead of any sort of meaningful, buildup of tension and feeling—a paper thin plot, flat,undeveloped characters and a hero who is wholly without flaws. Not much to recommend it, honestly.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when it was on Kindel Vella and it had me hooked. It's a fast-paced and sexy read with some elemental sex magic.

[Christine Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

seasonal love

This is my first book by this author and I was immediately drawn it. I enjoyed the whole magic aspect of the book and instantly felt the chemistry between Aden and Rielle. I only wish there was more shown between them other than only sex. I felt like when they were alone that that’s all they did.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

About half-way through. It is hard for me to get into fantasy books, but i love the straight-forward yet unique concept of the auroras. There was no need for lengthy world-building you just jump right in.

The erotica aspect is spicy and i like it fine, but i am hopeful for more writing about the auroras and the elders simply because it is such a cool concept.

Finished
3.5⭐ i hope this becomes a series

[bookswithgab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read I loved the authors take on magic as it was something different than what I usually see. I also enjoyed the romance between Aden and Rielle they were scorching together. And I loved seeing them fall for one another. I wish there were more books set in this world because I didn’t want this book to be over with.

[Josie Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot 🥵🔥

This is a good story. I wished that there was more about the auras and elders powers. I love the idea of seasons being magical people. I just wanted to learn more about this magical world. There is a lot of action.🔥 Ultimately, this story was good.

[Gladys Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elemental infrrno

This story was very well written. When I started reading this book I had no ideal what it was about

I thought it was well written and made me think of the srasons. The characters were believable. I would recommend this book to
Everyone.

[Kiomarys Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting novella, it had a unique magic system and the characters were interesting. I wish this was longer, had less smut and more plot. The smut was good but, if it was cut and more plot involved, it would have been AMAZING. But still, this was good.

[Noelle]

Might pick this back up later. Just wasn't feeling it right now.

[Angel Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read immensely. Great supernatural take on the Seasons.

[Chanell · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was 🥵

This book was pretty much just just what the title stated and I loved every minute of it . Will definitely read more from this author

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very steamy magical romance with a lot of titillating smuttiness and a well developed conflict. Perfect for lovers of raunchy romances and urban fantasies.

[Nana Prah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the spiciest fantasy romance I've ever read. The connection and chemistry between Rielle and Aden was magical- literally. A great romance with a touch of mystery.

[Nakia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Novella

I enjoyed this elemental erotic novella. It includes an instant love story with a creative back story. A nice quick read!

[Dom. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella had an interesting concept. I wanted to love it but the sex scenes became exhausting for me. I get that sex, or the lack thereof, is part of the conditions for the auras. But I kept waiting for more information about what happened to the summer aura and all the shady business going on with the elders. We spent so much time with Rielle and Aden and their sex scenes, it did a disservice to the unique concept of the auras. I felt like Rielle wasn't asking enough questions and was a little too trusting with Aden all because she was horny. Girl, someone is dead and you could be next, can we take things a little more seriously? Again, loved the concept but wanted a little more out of the story.

[Never Never Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elemental Inferno was provided to me free of charge by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I must say that I went into this read with really no clue to what it was about. I responded to the authors request for reviews and jumped right in. It was a fantastic read. Being a novella I found that it was a satisfying read by providing a clear ending and leaving nothing to be desired.

Rielle is the Winter Aura who has to manage her self control and keep winter in check during the other seasons of the year. That means no sex and no room for romantic adventures. We are brought into the story during a summer heat wave and Rielle is pissed off that the Summer Aura is letting the heat last this long and questioning why the Aura Elders are allowing it. She soon discovers that the Summer Aura is dead and summer is scorching on without an Aura. In comes Aden who poses as another Summer Aura able to bring summer under control. Rielle finds out rather quickly just how hot Aden is and fears that she can lose control rather easily around him.

This was a hot and steamy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Locke does magic with building suspense and mystery in her characters. I found myself needing to know more and more as there were so many questions brought on by the mysterious death, the Elder’s issues with Aden and Rielle’s magnetic pull towards Aden. Was she ever going to find a way to be with him? Was Aden really an evil character in disguise? Definitely had me biting my nails throughout the read and it was so fun!

I highly recommend this novella not only for it’s escape from the traditional paranormal characters but also for it’s lovely characters and hot romance.

Happy reading!!

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

ELEMENTAL INFERNO by A.J. Locke was provided to me in eBook format free of charge in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was my first time reading anything by A.J. Locke.

This novella had a great story idea. There are four "Auras" each of which control the weather during a specific season and are governed by Elders.

The story is set during the summer and an intense heat wave has engulfed the region. When the Elders visit the 'Summer Aura' to ask him to reign in the heat, they discover his dead body.

He is quickly replaced by Aden who says he was being trained as a replacement Aura. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to Aden then anyone suspects.

Rielle is the Winter Aura and the elders ask her to house Aden until they can find him his own accommodations.

One of the rules of being an Aura states that Auras can only have sex during their designated season. If they don't follow the rule, freak weather systems can occur. This happens whenever the Auras lose control and since it is currently summer, Rielle must practice celibacy until winter.

This book contains sex scenes which were a bit too crudely described for my taste, but if you like raunchy sex scenes, this is the book for you.

It could also use an editor who will change some of the sentence structures and eliminate the run-on sentences and over abundance of detail. It also switches from past to present tense, sometimes in the same paragraph, but again, this could be fixed by an detail oriented editor.

All in all, I thought this was a good book that could be great with some changes. As a first attempt at a novel, I think the author has done a good job.

I give this novella 3 out of 5 stars.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elemental Inferno is a fast-paced steamy novella involving elemental magic.

Rielle is an Aura. She controls the weather during the Winter in her area. During the other seasons, she can't lose control otherwise it will accidentally snow.

Staying in control is her biggest problem until the Summer Aura winds up dead. Something which has never happened before. Auras are suppsoed to be immortal.

Then Aden shows up – who she is immediately drawn to and is able to get lost in pleasure over and over again during a season other than Winter.

While growing closer to him she learns his secrets and uncovers a deadly plot while growing closer to him.

Who can really be trusted?