Elemental Earth

by Harmony Kent

“You turned the god of gnomes into a garden ornament?”

Sarah looked closely, but couldn’t tell if her dad was annoyed or amused—perhaps he was both …

Whilst 15 year old Sarah may be struggling to regain her feet, after being ripped from her everyday mundane life and ending up in a whole new dimension, she still knows how to have a bit of fun along the way. The Earth Elemental isn’t the only one whose feathers she manages to ruffle, and it’s only been four days. Meanwhile, her best friend is missing, and big trouble is brewing. She soon has a lot more to worry about than what happened to her phone or iPod, or even how much of an idiot Caleb obviously thinks she is.

190 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2014

About the author

Harmony Kent is an award-winning multi-genre author of non-fiction, author education, poetry, and fun fiction books that hook.

Along with being an avid reader and writer, she also offers reviews and supports her fellow authors. Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the publishing arena. Always on the look out for talent and excellence, she will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.

As well as writing, Harmony offers editing, proofreading, and book formatting services.
With her extensive knowledge, experience, and dedication, she assists fellow authors in achieving their literary goals.

Let's create books that resonate with readers and leave a lasting impact!

Harmony lives in Cornwall, England.


Find Harmony wherever she is online at: https://harmonykent.carrd.co/

Reviews

[T.J. Alexian · Rating 4 out of 5]

When 15 year old Sarah meets a mysterious new girl in school day, little does she know her life is about to be changed completely. How completely? Try being whisked away to a whole new dimension and consorting with an assortment of elementals, including the god of gnomes. That sounds like quite a holiday, eh?

This is a fun, cartoonish kind of book that's aimed squarely at the mid-teen audience. Although I'm (alas) far from mid teen these days, and I did find it enjoyable. Think Pokeman meets Harry Potter and you get the basic idea.

This was a quick and engaging read, and very well edited. I was extremely impressed with that aspect of the book.

I did, however, feel like this book could have take us farther. The biggest problem I had is I could not picture any of the characters in my head, which is an important thing to me. Aside from Imogen (that mysterious new girl) and Garl, the god of gnomes, the others are all kind of flat, with little variation in terms of speech patterns and precious little detail so they really stand out. This is especially true for the elementals, who truly need to. Garl is the best, he's described as a bit of a prankster and smiles and teases a lot, but I didn't really get a sense of the other ones at all. Do they speak differently? Do they have weird habits? What do they really look like? Since the main character, who is a bit on the Mary Sue side, gets to know several of the elementals quite intimately, you would they think would come alive more.

The same is true for the setting. Despite much of the book taking place in a strange new location most of us cannot see, this world seems one dimensional rather than fifth dimensional. It appears to be pastoral in nature and its inhabitants seem to live a communal kind of existence. That's all were told. The final section (which involves a kind of castle) was a complete blur and it was really hard to follow exactly what was going on--and, as mentioned, the ending was extremely abrupt.

Part of the problem is that large sections of the book are mostly dialogue, with little variation in terms of speaking style. People are delivering exposition, not telling a story. I think I had a much better sense of what was going on at the beginning of the book, where the author provided a lot more detail. The first few chapters in school and meeting Imogen were marvelously played out. The notes that appear and disappear, for example, were really fun and I loved Sarah's first visit with Imogen. Having read that, I was preparing myself for another Harry Potter-type wild ride.

Once we entered the fifth dimension, things started to flatten for me. Part of this may be the main character: it's really hard to make someone god-like and "just a normal kid" at the same time. Perhaps if the other kids who live in the fifth dimension were introduced a bit earlier, that would have helped to humanize her a lot (and, we had gotten to know them better).

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it four stars but it has the potential to be a whole lot more.

[Y. Correa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have got to say; in a time when it is hard to find a book that I truly enjoy, it's been a refreshing change to actually encounter one. This book was excellently executed and highly enjoyable. But, let me not get ahead of myself. Time to rewind and give a bit of insight into what the story is about.

Sarah, is an average teen girl, living an average life and trying to overcome the upset of her parents' marriage. Leanne, her best friend, wants nothing more than to help Sarah get through the trial, but more than anything she wants her "best friend back". However, Sarah's mother's declining emotional state proves to be an enormous obstacle.
During this time Sarah happens upon the new girl in school, Imogen. Imogen is, blatantly put, weird, and Sarah feels peculiar even talking to her. However, Imogen seems to have her own agenda, reaching out to Sarah in the oddest way.
Soon, Sarah is introduced into a world that she knew nothing about. The oddity is that said world knew everything about her.
Amidst magic, mayhem, new friends, the elements and the perplexities of the human condition, Sarah becomes more than she can fathom.

That is all I'm going to say about the story from fear that I might ruin it for future readers.

I would like to give kudos to the author in her obvious research in the subject matter and fantastical skill in interweaving those factors into the story in such a seamless and believable way.

This young adult fantasy is a must read for the lovers of mysticism and adventure. It is the beginning of a series and seems to pave the way for a wondrous enterprise. I'm truly looking forward to the following installments.

Very well done; 5 stars all the way!

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! I'm probably 45 years older than the intended reader but I really enjoyed being whisked away to a new fantasy world full of magic. The leading teenage girl is called Sarah and she is struggling with being a 15 year old teenager in the real world who doesn't fit in and has only one special friend. Not surprising really that she struggles in our world, as she is intended for a far more important role in the magic world, which is actually more properly described as another dimension than world.
Sarah is able to jump between dimensions and is caught up in a battle against evil, which affects both dimensions. The author surprises us with some clever plot twists and the story always moves at a good pace.
I was so wrapped up in the story that I was disappointed when I reached the end as I was keen to find out what happens next. It wasn't the cliff hanger ending that left me disappointed but the knowledge the next book in the series is not yet available. Hurry up author with the next book!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book introduces you to its protagonist, Sarah, a teenager whose life is suddenly turned upside down. She couldn’t have seen this coming, even as her mother started to become more and more distant, and her new classmate behaved strangely. Then she is invited by her best friends cousin and – her world as she knew it is a matter of the past.

I was immediately drawn into the story. Characters are sufficiently described and still leave you room for imagination. Whatever occurred throughout this story – I saw, heard, smelled, felt it with the characters. I felt that close to the story that I could have even slapped or hugged someone.

With Elemental Earth, Harmony Kent has created a fantasy fiction novel for young adults with believable characters dealing with different challenges. Elemental Earth is very entertaining and makes you want to read more. I enjoyed every minute.

This is a book to read again.

+++ I received an advanced copy for beta reading purposes. +++

[Queen Spades · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the series did feel like a trip to the Rabbit Hole, yet it was much deeper than that. It was an exploration into human interaction of the teenage kind. The very kid that Sarah thinks is super strange is the key to bringing her closer to her true identity. There was never a dull moment in this work as one discovers new information in every page.

I applaud how well researched this book is as it pertains to colors and auras. I've always been fascinated by the correlation between auras, colors, and how both connect with moods. There is also a conversation starter (or a pilot for debate) as it pertains to religion vs. spirituality.

Dialogue stayed in alignment with targeted age group and character mannerisms, which can serve as a challenge, particularly if you are used to writing more adult material and/or if it is your first attempt.

Character wise, I could identify with Sarah's yearning for belonging. She felt very realistic to me in her reaction, even those that sizzled with brattiness when coming to terms with her new life and responsibilities. I was very sympathetic to Caleb's plight as it pertained to prophecy vs. how he wanted to live his life. Different dimensions to each character kept the pages turning. I also found the different elements that were drawn to Sarah very helpful and amusing.

I felt slightly torn about the conclusion. It felt a bit abrupt, but not as jarring as other series I've read. Yet it did set up for the next installment very nicely. In the end, the latter overruled my feelings about the staccato resolution.

In my particular copy, there were some tiny editing misses but they didn't deter from my read:
~ "Maybe we we're stupid to put our trust in you." (should be "were" instead of the conjunction form for "we are")
~ "Even if you'd had your whole life to get ready for this, this amount of influence would have been near impossible to cope with and adjust to." (Although not erroneous, per se, I'm not a fan of the double "had"--in the form of you had had )
~ A few spots had weird spacing (not sure if that is on Kindle's end or not)

With Elemental Earth, this author has definitely found her stride--a glorious mix of adventure and discovery mixed with connective real struggles that a young adult can relate to: all achieved in natural symmetry. This work also speaks to the inner kid of any adult. I look forward to more in the series.


Merged review:

This first book in the series did feel like a trip to the Rabbit Hole, yet it was much deeper than that. It was an exploration into human interaction of the teenage kind. The very kid that Sarah thinks is super strange is the key to bringing her closer to her true identity. There was never a dull moment in this work as one discovers new information in every page.

I applaud how well researched this book is as it pertains to colors and auras. I've always been fascinated by the correlation between auras, colors, and how both connect with moods. There is also a conversation starter (or a pilot for debate) as it pertains to religion vs. spirituality.

Dialogue stayed in alignment with targeted age group and character mannerisms, which can serve as a challenge, particularly if you are used to writing more adult material and/or if it is your first attempt.

Character wise, I could identify with Sarah's yearning for belonging. She felt very realistic to me in her reaction, even those that sizzled with brattiness when coming to terms with her new life and responsibilities. I was very sympathetic to Caleb's plight as it pertained to prophecy vs. how he wanted to live his life. Different dimensions to each character kept the pages turning. I also found the different elements that were drawn to Sarah very helpful and amusing.

I felt slightly torn about the conclusion. It felt a bit abrupt, but not as jarring as other series I've read. Yet it did set up for the next installment very nicely. In the end, the latter overruled my feelings about the staccato resolution.

In my particular copy, there were some tiny editing misses but they didn't deter from my read:
~ "Maybe we we're stupid to put our trust in you." (should be "were" instead of the conjunction form for "we are")
~ "Even if you'd had your whole life to get ready for this, this amount of influence would have been near impossible to cope with and adjust to." (Although not erroneous, per se, I'm not a fan of the double "had"--in the form of you had had )
~ A few spots had weird spacing (not sure if that is on Kindle's end or not)

With Elemental Earth, this author has definitely found her stride--a glorious mix of adventure and discovery mixed with connective real struggles that a young adult can relate to: all achieved in natural symmetry. This work also speaks to the inner kid of any adult. I look forward to more in the series.

[Marcha Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming of age story with a twist had me engaged with the main character, Sarah, from the beginning. She's fifteen, in the usual identity crisis typical of that difficult age, and her family life is a wreck. Her father left and she doesn't know exactly why, but from the conversation between her parents she overheard she believes it has something to do with her. Her mother has been depressed, sitting incommunicado in a darkened house, ever since.

Answers begin to come when she meets Imogen, a strange girl whom she initially sees as a "freak." And then things really start to get even weirder as Sarah is led to a world in another dimension where it turns out she's an important figure in a prophecy. I don't want to get into spoiler territory so I will leave it at that and invite you to experience this intriguing story for yourself.

It's easy to relate to Sarah who lacks confidence and has so many questions about who she is. The author did an excellent job getting inside Sarah's head and making her very human. There's a subtle message there about how parents can inadvertently damage a child's confidence trying to protect him or her, which is a large part of Sarah's problem. Attempting to deny her prophetic destiny, her mother punishes her at an early age for using her amazing talents, which inhibits her ability to utilize them later when her fate asserts itself and depends on them, regardless of whether or not that's what she or her parents want.

As a professional astrologer I have a deep appreciation for the "elements" of Earth, Air, Fire and Water of which the author captures the essence nicely via the "elementals" in the story. Indeed, each of us has our own set of "elementals" in the form of talents, propensities and abilities with which we were born as well. Each of us simply needs to discover them and recognize how they can help us.

While this book is definitely in the "Fantasy" category, since it involves a girl steeped in modern times, the language is familiar and comfortable. Thus, those who may not usually be drawn to stories set in ancient eras replete with archaic speaking styles, dragons and swords can easily enjoy this story of a teenaged girl plunged into an entirely different world with a heavy future that everyone seems to know more about than she does. There are plenty of plot twists and turns and various surprises. I was impressed with the clean copy which made the read smooth and pleasant compared to so many Indie books which are loaded with typos and other distracting errors due to poor copy editing. Her knowledge and research were apparent and nicely integrated. Many kudos to the author for that.

The only thing I didn't like about this story was the abrupt, jaw-dropping ending which left me with the feeling that I'd missed something. While I knew it was a series and would probably lead into the next book, there were too many inconsistencies and questions left unanswered for the ending to be satisfying. Rather it was somewhat confusing and frustrating as "What just happened?" reverberated through my head and drove me to make sure I hadn't missed a chapter or two. IMHO, the author has a lot of explaining to do in the sequel.

[David Kimmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elemental Earth (Book One of the Mysteries Series) by Harmony Kent is a fascinating (and fun) introduction to what promises to be a powerhouse series. While Kent bills this as YA fiction, mainly because her protagonist is a 15-year-old girl named, Sarah, the YA label is far too narrow a scope, as Elemental Earth is a joyful read for all ages.

As the book begins, our aforementioned protagonist, Sarah, is in a tough situation. She lives at home with a mum who hardly speaks to her since her father up and left several weeks earlier (an action Sarah blames herself for). Her school life isn't any better as her only friend is the equally non-popular Leanne.

As you might imagine, things are about to change when the weird new girl Imogen starts taking an interest in her. It doesn't take long before Sarah is whisked off to another dimension, only to find that she's far from normal herself. In fact, she's part of a long-line of Gwydds (also known as Druids). Furthermore, most of the other Gwydds, including dear old mum and dad think she's "The One" chosen to fulfill the ancient prophecy. Heavens to Mergatroid! (or whatever it is the kids say these days!).

Well, plenty of action ensues, along with a fair amount of understandable self-doubt on Sarah's part, even as she gains friends and allies from several unexpected quarters.

All-in-all, this is quite an enjoyable read, with great characters and enormous potential for future stories. My one knock )hence four stars instead of five) is the ending. As other reviewers have noted, it seemed rushed and I would have liked something as dramatic as this ending kick off the next book, rather than end this first one. I believe this first volume might have done better to spend a bit more time exploring the relationships between Sarah and her new friends, as she tries to figure out just who she really is, rather than run headlong into such a mighty cliffhanger. At the same time, I understand what a fine line it is to walk between too much "non-action" action and not enough. For the most part, Ms. Kent does a masterful job of walking this line and delivering a wonderful story!

[Traci Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verified Purchase
This review is from: Elemental Earth (The Mysteries Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Sorcery and witchcraft are not really my thing; however, I appreciated the way this author combined the two without making the story too scary, especially for young readers (and "fraidy cats" like me). The human characters were easy for the targeted audience to relate to (typical sassy teenagers), and the "elementals" were charming and humorous. I like how the main character, Sarah, evolved and matured on her journey; almost a coming of age story wrapped inside a fantastical adventure. The book was well written and meticulously edited. The dialogue was easy to follow and entertaining. I'd say this author did a good job on providing a story that most teenage girls would identify with. Enjoyable read, Harmony! Great job!

(side note) As a parent, I'm not sure I feel completely secure with a bunch of moody, hormonal teenagers saving the planet :)

I am giving this book 5 stars because it was well written, well-edited, and the story was engaging; however, I wasn't thrilled with the ending. I don't mind a little teasing for sequels, but it felt like it ended a bit abruptly.

[C.D. Loza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in The Mystery Series, The Elemental Earth is a breezy read, which I think would be appropriate for YA readers. The plot moves along fairly quickly and the conversations are snappy like the way teenagers think and speak. When Sarah finds herself in a new dimension, adventure and danger ensue. I'm not sure if the author intentionally named the characters after some known names in religion--like Lucian (which could be a reference to Lucifer) and Serapis (Seraphim), but it's a nice way to show which side they're on. The ending is quite abrupt, but then again it sets up the next book quite nicely. A quibble I have with the book is that sometimes I find it hard to remember who was speaking, because the characters didn't own their conversations. That is, at times, it's like they all speak in one manner. But it's only a minor one.

[Brenda Cheers · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Elemental Earth” is a well-written work of fantasy fiction aimed at the young adult market.
When I first began reading this book, I noted some similarities to the first in the Harry Potter series—a young teenager, unaware of their magic powers and has been raised as a ‘normal’ child, but the time has come…
The characters are well drawn and Ms Kent takes the time to create settings that add to the story. The pacing is good. There are moments of humor that I appreciated.
I disliked the ending--just chopped off at a crucial point, mid-action. I know this is the first in a series, but believe that each in the series should stand alone as a full story. As this one is more abrupt than most, I am going to score it one less star than I would otherwise.

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

Three stars.

[Rea Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elemental Earth is a well-told YA story by Harmony Kent, who is clearly familiar with mystical realms. She expertly braids knowledge of those realms with elegant language and compelling story-telling skills. This is a book that I think young adults will truly enjoy, and I shall be passing it along to a few. I enjoyed it too! My only suggestion is that Ms. Kent slow down at the ending, expand into it, and allow that portion of the story to enfold more naturally. As it stands, the ending is a bit hurried and truncated, more of a jumping off spot for the next book in the series than a fitting resolution to the story at hand. All in all, this is definitely a book worth reading, and I look forward to the sequel.

[T.C. Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harmony Kent does an amazing job of capturing the feelings teens experience when growing up and trying to figure where they fit in. The main character, Sarah struggles with these feelings at her school. She finds herself in an unfamiliar world that makes life in high school seem much simpler. Harmony does a nice job of keeping the story true to Sarah's teenage character even though life changing developments occur in the magical world Sarah finds herself in. I'm not a huge fan stories with magic or sorcery, however I enjoyed this story. I look forward to reading book 2 of this series.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Harmony Kent's YA novel, Elemental Earth. While the book is aimed at a young audience, I feel it is a fun read for all ages.

Sarah, the book's main character, finds that her life is not what she has believed it to be throughout her young life. She is thrust into another dimension full of magic and suspense. I recommend this book for anyone. This was Book 1 and I am definitely awaiting Book 2 to learn what happens next in Sarah's life.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harmony's writing style made the read very easy to understand and that's critical when dealing with fantasy where everything is made up and you're trying to understand the terms. There is an element of surprise in some of the chapters. I got to know the main characters although I think Imogen's character needed more developing. That wasn't too much of a problem because Sarah's character was thoroughly explored. It ended too abruptly for me which leaves room for a sequel. Well done job!