When 21-year-old Halle’s parents die in a tragic car crash, her world shatters. In order to escape her grief she, along with her cousin and aunt, travel to the elemental realm of Olaria—a mystical land where fire, water, earth, and air wield tangible power.
In the breathtaking land of elementals, Halle begins to rebuild her life. She forms lasting friendships, and finds herself drawn to the reserved yet captivating Prince of Olaria.
But as Halle finally starts to heal, shadows from the past emerge, threatening to unravel the fragile peace she’s found. As danger rises and friends become enemies, Halle must harness her strength and confront her darkest fears to protect her new home and the people she loves.
In Altera, follow Halle’s journey through heartache, hope, love and loss, as she discovers that even in the face of darkness, having courage, love, and friendship can lead to a new light.
Altera is perfect for readers that are looking for a low stakes, will they-won't they, YA to NA low spice fantasy romance, and a main character that will do anything to protect the ones she loves.
Altera is a slow-burn, fantasy romance with talks of mental health, death, and trauma. This book contains some open door mature scenes that might not be suitable for younger readers.
Anne has always had a love for fantasy worlds. From a young age, she loved to escape the real world by writing and bringing life to characters, themes, and realms that she felt she, and others, could relate to. When she's not writing, Anne can be found spending time with her large family and her many pets. Whether she's curled up reading a good book, spending time with her husband and pets, or brainstorming her next book idea, Anne is always happiest when she's surrounded by the things she loves.
Altera is a well paced romantasy adventure with fantastic worldbuilding, a magical academy, elemental powers and a slow burn romance. There is so much intrigue with dangerous creatures lurking, secrets of the past, missing students, daring attacks, and royal drama. Halle is a strong character who really grows into her abilities and isn't afraid to run into danger to help others. Her powers are intriguing, her past is tragic, but she's brave, determined and selfless. Revan was such a sweet character, he accepts his duties and responsibilities but is passionate and caring. I liked the way his bond develops with Halle, and the way they always find trouble together. I loved the range of magical creatures, magic lessons, kingdom territories, and learning about the God's. This will give you that HP nostalgia, but in an adult world where there's still lots of drama, death threats and chaos, and a lot of will they won't they slow burn tension. Can't wait to see more of this series.
✨"You give up easily" "Not when I really want something"
✨"Scared of being alone with me in the dark?" "Maybe a little" "I won't bite...that hard"
✨"I can’t go back to living in the dark now that you've brought me into the light.”
✨"You’re far from a failure, Halle. A failure wouldn’t stay and fight when death is right around the corner, and you’ve done that twice."
I found this book an enjoyable read with a few twists and turns. The world building was great and MC's were a delight. I highly recommend and look forward to the next book
I got Altera during a SYK event and I'm so glad I did. I was sucked into Halle's life immediately. But low stakes? Psh, I was on the edge of my seat and now I am practically feral for more. Looking for a fun new twist on magic? Buy it, read it. You won't regret it!
Overall, I felt like this will be a good book for anyone who wants to delve into Fantasy or even just making a jump from YA to NA and on. It is a very good story with a clear and interesting plot. I especially enjoyed the way that the “magical/elemental” aspects were laid out. The world created was easy to imagine.
I was not prepared for the plot twist! I was expecting for an appearance to be made by the "Villain" of our story but definitely was not expecting him to have such a big role in our FMCs story (iykyk)
Halle, our FMC, is going to be a Bada$$ I feel like. I think that her fears will make her strong in other ways and maybe even help her to overcome some of her anxiety.
Revan is a very special MMC. His heart and strength show through. I felt that the Queens involvement is unique too. I like how strongly she rules and isn't just a “figure” but a member of her community remaining accessible and connected to her people.
Kept Secrets and hiding truths all lead to dangerous events. I feel like this story gave just enough away to set the stage for very big things to unfold as more secret elements of the past get uncovered.
I want to start by saying I loved reading this story, especially the prologue and epilogue; they added so much to the story's depth. The epilogue was perfect, giving us a glimpse into what will come in future instalments.
The story flowed nicely. This is Book 1 of the series, so it needs to set the story, the lore, and the plot going on. The amount of information provided was just right; I could understand the dealing of humans and elementals, why they were separated, etc.
The story felt like a lower-stakes one, which I don't mind. There were enough suspenseful moments, and there was enough foundation for everything to develop further in the second book. I feel like the sequel will be much more action-packed.
The vibe I got was one of coming of age, getting to know yourself and your abilities to form new friendships and relationships. Halle, the FMC, seemed to have grown up quite sheltered, but after learning more about her background, that might be understandable. I wish for her to become more secure and confident in herself and shine as brightly as possible.
What I liked the most was how the relationship between the MCs (Revan and Halle) progressed. They had enough time to get to know each other, decide what they truly wanted, and become each other's safe haven. Overall, I loved how various relationships, whether friends or lovers, were represented.
If you enjoy academia settings, this is the book for you. While it did have more classes than I was hoping, it had enough suspenseful moments, like the ogre attack, for example, to keep the interest afloat. And enough mystery as to who was behind the attacks to keep us readers going and guessing.
What I took most from the story was the theme of coping with the loss of loved ones, not only by Halle. This angle could be explored more, especially in the sequel, with Revan's father, John's wife, and Reid's family. Another great topic was the process of learning who you truly are and what your powers are. That is especially true of Halle, and I hope to see her become stronger and more confident in the future.
Altera was a great debut by a new author, and I can't wait to see where the story takes us next.
Altera is a delightful blend of magic, adventure and, you guessed it, elemental powers. Imagine Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings with a dash of Divergent thrown in. It starts off a bit slow, but once the story finds its rhythm, it became a little hard to put down. The world building is imaginative, and the characters feel like a slightly older, edgier version of the Hogwarts with more of an elemental twist. While the ending felt a little rushed, it still left me eager for the next installment. All in all, a cute and enjoyable read.
In a world of books that are fast and redundant, this book is a wonderful break from “fae” books but still full of mystery, fantasy and intrigue. This author writes wonderfully and I’m very happy with the amount of world building and exploration of the different concepts. Very easy to follow along and a great twist at the end that I almost forgot about tied back to the beginning of the book. Looking for a second one and will continue to read! Great time!
This book has been living rent-free in my head ever since I read it in February 2025.
It took me a while to immerse myself in Anne's world, but once I did, it completely sucked me in. And the romance? *Chef’s kiss*
I loved, loved, loved the slow burn, the constant back and forth, the will-they-won’t-they tension, I found it incredible. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book!