Elements: Tear of God, Book 1

by Raymond Henri

At age 16, Mink Jolle still hasn't discovered his Elemental affinity, which is an identity crisis unheard of on the planet Georra. He has endured constant bullying while being held back in school, and his parents have come to employ drastic measures to help him mature. Their current ruse is a camping trip on Rift Ridge, where they test Mink to the breaking point, to no avail.

Meanwhile, Mink and his parents run across a machinist scout searching out a mother lode of ore, who finds more than he bargains for. An immense geode buried deep in the ground is fabled to be the Tear of God, and the first nation to claim it will hold power and protection unrivaled on Georra.

The race is on as Mink's parents stand guard at the Tear of God, sending Mink back to his homeland for help. Defying the odds and surprising himself, Mink succeeds in delivering the news to his people, and is chosen to assist a team in returning to the site to relieve his parents and acquire the Tear of God for Octernal. Along the way, Mink is forced to rely on his strengths without an Element in order to win respect and ultimately discover his true identity.

Audible Audio

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Alexandra Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a journey totally unexpected, and utterly worth taking. The world, characters, and story are all well-developed and authentic to the sci-fi fantasy genre. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue, the scenery, and the humor, finding myself transported to fascinating places with people I still think about. The author does a great job of pacing the story, creating tension, fleshing out relationships, and setting up the start of a very exciting and unique series that I really look forward to continuing with. Highly recommend!

[Ben Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I ended up picking up a hardcover as this will make a great "beach read" and will be nice to have on hand. Raymond has built a interesting new world to explore and I look forward to the further adventures of Mink.

[Corey Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author Raymond Henri, is an excellent writer. The way he writes brings you to know the characters like you've known them all of your life and best friends with them. The writing full of descriptors to paint a vivid image in your imagine, however there are some parts of it that I wish were more descriptive with more colorful language. The book however did provide enough action to make it almost on the edge of your seat type of a book. The book did end on a semi-cliffhanger which I will be sure to get the next book to figure out what happens next. Overall I would recommend this book a 4.5 stars if I could.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be a little undiscovered gem in that it has been out since 2016 but doesn't many reviews. But this is very good scifi with an interesting plot, good characters and scenery, plus good pacing and suspense. It may be best for YA, but I suspect will appeal to a wide age range. Recommended for scifi fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. The characters and story were well developed and it made it a joy to read. I look forward to reading more in this series.

*I received a copy of this book for free. The review is my own, honest and unsolicited.

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I won this book in the goodreads giveaway.I have just been able to get around to reading it. It had a very interesting storyline. The end surprised me though and cant wait for the second book.

[Raymond Henri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed By Bil Howard for Readers’ Favorite

You'll have an affinity for the Elements Series of Raymond Henri after reading Tear of God. This action packed sci-fi adventure starts off with a camping trip in which Mink's parents, Jure and Nyam, are trying to help their 16-year-old son find his element affinity. Finding one's affinity typically takes place around the age of five, and because Mink has never discovered his, he is the butt of jokes and the kid that is picked on. Meaning well, his parents put him through a series of tests that are meant to discover his affinity. In the process, they discover that there is a Tear of God in a cavern nearby. The Tear of God is a giant geode that is said to have come from the eye of God and holds significant power if it can be retrieved and placed in Octernal. Due to circumstances, Mink is forced to take a trip, making use of one of his mother's elemental powers in order to return to the capital and report to the counsel concerning the Tear of God. From that point forward, the mundane and meaningless life of the only boy who doesn't have an element begins to change. Taking on a huge amount of responsibility, Mink leads a group of Elementalists back to the cavern where the Tear of God is located, but things don't turn out to be so simple for the team. In the process, however, Mink begins to come of age and discover that there is more to him than being the boy without an element.

I was pleasantly surprised by Tear of God; in fact, I was thrilled to have a chance to read this installment in Raymond Henri's Elements Series. Though I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi fantasy, the author drew me in instantly and held me in his grip with a compelling story and well developed characters. I felt every minute of Mink's struggle and was cheering for him all the way to the end. Sci-fi enthusiasts ought to be truly pleased with Tear of God and those who are already familiar with the series will be ecstatic. Excellent read! I'm very impressed. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. It was a roller coaster ride with the high points being heart-pounding, jaw-dropping action, especially the ending! My biggest issue with the book was that it felt like it was written for a younger audience (12-14 years old), so there were some parts of the book that did not hold my interest. However, the book reminds me of the Harry Potter series in that it is written for young children, but it can also be enjoyed by adults. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter. As a matter of fact, I am going to recommend this to my 9 year old daughter; I think she will enjoy it.

I won this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.