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Element Preservers #1
Dangerous
Eighteen-year-old Ria, a fire elemental and privileged student at the University of Magic, thinks nothing can get in the way of her happiness. Even when she falls for Michael, a boy whose element is different from hers, she is determined to make their forbidden romance work.
But when she starts experiencing the symptoms of magic disease that could rob her of her element, turn her into a cold-blooded killer, and shatter her life, all of her beliefs are put to the test. The only one who might be able to help her is Adrian, a mysterious, charming, and dangerous magic disease carrier, who also happens to be her least favorite person in the world.
But when she starts experiencing the symptoms of magic disease that could rob her of her element, turn her into a cold-blooded killer, and shatter her life, all of her beliefs are put to the test. The only one who might be able to help her is Adrian, a mysterious, charming, and dangerous magic disease carrier, who also happens to be her least favorite person in the world.
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First published August 6, 2011
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About the author
Alycia Linwood
28 books420 followersI'm the author of the Element Preservers series, Human, the Tainted Elements series, the Deadly Destiny series, and the Elemental Earths series. I'm a big fan of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, dystopian and young adult fiction. Writing is my biggest passion, closely followed by reading and listening to music.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
February 27, 2013
Warning: This book is 'Dangerous' for your sanity*.
(*Dangers include: face-palming, swearing, consumption of large amount of chocolate and a permanent state of confusion.)
To our bad-tempered, stuffed up and dumb as dishwater main protagonist:
I could spend an entire day, standing on a stage, reciting the 101 million reasons why I hated Ria. One of them being her ability to go from wanting to murder someone to talking about ponies. What. The. Hell. She must be on something strong because no one can be that ditzy naturally. It's just not possible.
I sincerely tried to find something redeemable in this book. I swear. I considered spending an entire review yapping on about the Bold and the Beautiful worthy plotline, the badly-delivered 'witty' comments, the failed 'twist' and the fact that none of these characters has any depth. But then I realised that not only would that be emotionally exhausting, but pointless.
So I will try to mention some good stuff quickly:
1.) Her boyfriend makes her feel like a princess. Maybe too hard (a.k.a cheesy as hell) but he tries.
E.g. He gets a white horse to take her to a restaurant. They ride on horseback to a restaurant. Seriously.
2.) It teaches you that drugs are bad.
E.g. Adrian a drug addict? Had he made Paula take it too? Oh, shit. This quote very clearly lays out the protagonist's feelings on drug use.
3.) If you cheat on your boyfriend, it's okay! He'll forgive you and you can still be together. (*slaps forehead*) Oh, and note: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME...or anywhere else.
4.) Stealing is only bad if you get caught.
So...basically my feelings:
(*Dangers include: face-palming, swearing, consumption of large amount of chocolate and a permanent state of confusion.)
To our bad-tempered, stuffed up and dumb as dishwater main protagonist:
I could spend an entire day, standing on a stage, reciting the 101 million reasons why I hated Ria. One of them being her ability to go from wanting to murder someone to talking about ponies. What. The. Hell. She must be on something strong because no one can be that ditzy naturally. It's just not possible.
I sincerely tried to find something redeemable in this book. I swear. I considered spending an entire review yapping on about the Bold and the Beautiful worthy plotline, the badly-delivered 'witty' comments, the failed 'twist' and the fact that none of these characters has any depth. But then I realised that not only would that be emotionally exhausting, but pointless.
So I will try to mention some good stuff quickly:
1.) Her boyfriend makes her feel like a princess. Maybe too hard (a.k.a cheesy as hell) but he tries.
E.g. He gets a white horse to take her to a restaurant. They ride on horseback to a restaurant. Seriously.
2.) It teaches you that drugs are bad.
E.g. Adrian a drug addict? Had he made Paula take it too? Oh, shit. This quote very clearly lays out the protagonist's feelings on drug use.
3.) If you cheat on your boyfriend, it's okay! He'll forgive you and you can still be together. (*slaps forehead*) Oh, and note: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME...or anywhere else.
4.) Stealing is only bad if you get caught.
So...basically my feelings:
April 17, 2012
Dangerous follows a unique concept of people born as magic users, with a select few that are infected with magic disease who turn people into killers. This concept drew me into the book and made me want to read more, reminding me of Rogue from Xmen.
I have to admit, the book was a little difficult to get into at the start. It comes off as a very teenage book, focusing mostly on Ria's relationships with her friends and boyfriend instead of the interesting world that has been created. A few parts had me cringing, like the hostility from Adrian and teenage parties and the pillow fight, but once you get past the first 40% of the book it starts to get more enjoyable.
As it's a self-edited title, there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes which kind of detracted from the book, but once I got past that, it was actually quite an enjoyable read. A few interesting developments at the end kept things moving at a fast pace and I was drawn in. I admire how the concept of magic disease is unique but wanted to read more about that.
Thanks for the review copy Alycia, I think the story you have created is very interesting and has great potential, I feel after a bit of practice and perhaps an editor the quality of your stories will improve :)
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
I have to admit, the book was a little difficult to get into at the start. It comes off as a very teenage book, focusing mostly on Ria's relationships with her friends and boyfriend instead of the interesting world that has been created. A few parts had me cringing, like the hostility from Adrian and teenage parties and the pillow fight, but once you get past the first 40% of the book it starts to get more enjoyable.
As it's a self-edited title, there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes which kind of detracted from the book, but once I got past that, it was actually quite an enjoyable read. A few interesting developments at the end kept things moving at a fast pace and I was drawn in. I admire how the concept of magic disease is unique but wanted to read more about that.
Thanks for the review copy Alycia, I think the story you have created is very interesting and has great potential, I feel after a bit of practice and perhaps an editor the quality of your stories will improve :)
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
March 30, 2012
I had to sleep on it before I could review this book. The idea of the elements is unique and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. The character of Adrian was fun and dark. He was a great character to love and hate all at the same time. Those are always my favorite characters in a book. The problem for me is that it reads like a teenager’s diary. The words awesome, hot and dangerous were used to describe everything. “We sat on my awesomely soft carpet” comes to mind. It was a bit difficult to make myself continue reading at the beginning of the story but after a while I got used to it and was able to finish the story. I am guessing that the author is quite young (hope so anyway). If that is the case she did a tremendous job and will only improve with age and more writing. I will definitely give the second book in the story a try and look forward to seeing growth from this author.
December 4, 2013
My feelings about this book were very mixed. I enjoyed reading it, and I liked the story, but I did find that some of the technical skill that writing requires was lacking, and it significantly colored the way I thought about the book.
Let me first say that I teach college composition. I have, over the past few years, become increasingly unable to ignore grammar, usage and mechanics errors in writing. (I still make them, of course, but I am hypersensitive to them in the work of others.) I do feel like parts of my critique are colored by this, and that someone who is not as focused on how one *should write* might find the book more enjoyable. As it was, I found plenty to like in Dangerous.
PROS:
Compelling Story –
As I will tell my students, the mark of good writing is something that encourages the writer to continue reading. It needs to be compelling in a way that urges a reader's eyes to seek it out. When the reader finishes, he or she should be surprised and a little sad that the adventure is over so quick. Dangerous accomplished all of these things. It was an extremely quick read once I started it, and I found myself highly irritated at about 85% when my husband called me for a DD adventure because I wanted to know what was coming next goshdarnit! In every way, Dangerous wanted to be read; it was not a chore to get through, and this reader found herself wanting to know how things would turn out. Ms. Linwood was extremely successful in this regard.
Unique Plot –
I really love the world that the author is building. I think her ideas are fairly unique and that is very commendable. I believe she knew where the plot was going as she built it, and that, conceptually, she has big plans for the development of her world and the motivation to carry them out. It is clear that, while pieces of the plot and characters have not been fully developed, Ms. Linwood is building something. I think she is playing the long game, and I think that ending on a cliffhanger, while cruel, accomplished exactly what she wanted it to. I will be reading that new book come August. I love it when authors create histories that involve science and politics and philosophy – it provides all sorts of room for exploration. I hope that the next installment gives us a little more of the implications of the backdrop that Dangerous provided.
CONS:
GUM (grammar, usage, mechanics) - The technical aspect of Ms. Linwood's writing was a little disorienting. There were, as other reviewers have mentioned, missing words, at least in the Kindle version of the work. Additionally, I found that sometimes incorrect words were used, and also that poor decisions with internal punctuation inhibited flow and clarity. Considering how "quickly" the book read, I can only imagine how much improved the flow would have been with some proper editing. Occasionally the sentence structure was lackadaisical and repetitious, giving the experience a very unpolished feel.
Believability - Although I enjoyed the original storyline (see above) I did find that there were a few believability issues both in plot and character development. This relates to issues I had with delivery (see below) and in some ways, just the overall presentation of the plot. At times the story stretched believability – a lot. I had concerns with characters who acted in ways that there was no real reason for them to act, and did so with nigh-stupid abandon. I felt that while the characters did develop within the story, they were not developed when they began – which cheapened their growth a little. There was very little mystery to any character other than Adrian and his creepy mentor – the rest existed and acted within a single dimension for the majority of the story. I won’t say that they didn’t develop into very interesting characters, but I find it curious that there was little reasoning for the characters they already were – one assumes that various events previous to those of the year covered in the book would have impressed upon them justifications for their particularities, but little of that came out in the book. The only notable exception I can immediately bring to mind is Ria’s previous dating experiences and her obsession with finding a mate of a similar element, and even this was more a matter of being told rather than being shown.
Delivery - This was perhaps the biggest issue for me. The delivery is what stretched believability the most. It was as if the author could not decide how to reveal her story. The reveal is a very important part of the story, and it has to be done just right for a reader to feel fully satisfied. The reader should always be wondering something, reading for answers not just for story. My issue began right away, and I don’t think this constitutes a spoiler (which might be precisely the problem). The book begins with Ria setting up EVERYTHING for the reader. She just happens to be sitting in class reflecting on genetics, history, the rules of her particular altiverse and meditating on these things in a particularly explanatory way. This might be acceptable, although I lament the loss of the slow reveal. But then her thoughts turn to a particular family that suffered magic disease and the story (as she knows it) surrounding their lives and deaths. How interestingly coincidental that she is pondering this as she is asked the question (that let’s face it, should have been the jumping off point for her reverie) in the class that she just happens to be taking with the living remainder of that family, even though she doesn’t know it yet. Where is the tension in the way the story opens? Why waste all that potential drama?
And this is just one, albeit glaring, example. This happens frequently throughout the novel. Things will get interesting, and about the time they do “BAM! Exposition!” There is very little that is left untold until near the end of the book. Every time tension is introduced (with the exception of the *love* plot) it is almost immediately abandoned. I thought the elements of the story were FABULOUS, and that was why the delivery pained me so. It was almost as though the author couldn’t bear to draw things out, so every little bit the reader would get this mass regurgitation of plot followed by some action and then more *gasp! Discovery!* mass regurgitation of plot. I felt like the pacing was off, but I will admit that the end of the book got a lot better with this. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I wonder if, having established the backstory for her series, the author will know focus on teasing certain reactions out of her readers, rather than introducing a question and almost immediately delivering an answer. This is the main aspect that restricts my rating to a three.
Oh, and one more note – on that love plot:
All of this said, the book got my attention. Clearly, because I am writing this review rather than sleeping. I look forward to reading the next installment in August, and I do expect to read it as soon as it is made available. I think the book is well worth reading and that the author is clearly talented and motivated.
Let me first say that I teach college composition. I have, over the past few years, become increasingly unable to ignore grammar, usage and mechanics errors in writing. (I still make them, of course, but I am hypersensitive to them in the work of others.) I do feel like parts of my critique are colored by this, and that someone who is not as focused on how one *should write* might find the book more enjoyable. As it was, I found plenty to like in Dangerous.
PROS:
Compelling Story –
As I will tell my students, the mark of good writing is something that encourages the writer to continue reading. It needs to be compelling in a way that urges a reader's eyes to seek it out. When the reader finishes, he or she should be surprised and a little sad that the adventure is over so quick. Dangerous accomplished all of these things. It was an extremely quick read once I started it, and I found myself highly irritated at about 85% when my husband called me for a DD adventure because I wanted to know what was coming next goshdarnit! In every way, Dangerous wanted to be read; it was not a chore to get through, and this reader found herself wanting to know how things would turn out. Ms. Linwood was extremely successful in this regard.
Unique Plot –
I really love the world that the author is building. I think her ideas are fairly unique and that is very commendable. I believe she knew where the plot was going as she built it, and that, conceptually, she has big plans for the development of her world and the motivation to carry them out. It is clear that, while pieces of the plot and characters have not been fully developed, Ms. Linwood is building something. I think she is playing the long game, and I think that ending on a cliffhanger, while cruel, accomplished exactly what she wanted it to. I will be reading that new book come August. I love it when authors create histories that involve science and politics and philosophy – it provides all sorts of room for exploration. I hope that the next installment gives us a little more of the implications of the backdrop that Dangerous provided.
CONS:
GUM (grammar, usage, mechanics) - The technical aspect of Ms. Linwood's writing was a little disorienting. There were, as other reviewers have mentioned, missing words, at least in the Kindle version of the work. Additionally, I found that sometimes incorrect words were used, and also that poor decisions with internal punctuation inhibited flow and clarity. Considering how "quickly" the book read, I can only imagine how much improved the flow would have been with some proper editing. Occasionally the sentence structure was lackadaisical and repetitious, giving the experience a very unpolished feel.
Believability - Although I enjoyed the original storyline (see above) I did find that there were a few believability issues both in plot and character development. This relates to issues I had with delivery (see below) and in some ways, just the overall presentation of the plot. At times the story stretched believability – a lot. I had concerns with characters who acted in ways that there was no real reason for them to act, and did so with nigh-stupid abandon. I felt that while the characters did develop within the story, they were not developed when they began – which cheapened their growth a little. There was very little mystery to any character other than Adrian and his creepy mentor – the rest existed and acted within a single dimension for the majority of the story. I won’t say that they didn’t develop into very interesting characters, but I find it curious that there was little reasoning for the characters they already were – one assumes that various events previous to those of the year covered in the book would have impressed upon them justifications for their particularities, but little of that came out in the book. The only notable exception I can immediately bring to mind is Ria’s previous dating experiences and her obsession with finding a mate of a similar element, and even this was more a matter of being told rather than being shown.
Delivery - This was perhaps the biggest issue for me. The delivery is what stretched believability the most. It was as if the author could not decide how to reveal her story. The reveal is a very important part of the story, and it has to be done just right for a reader to feel fully satisfied. The reader should always be wondering something, reading for answers not just for story. My issue began right away, and I don’t think this constitutes a spoiler (which might be precisely the problem). The book begins with Ria setting up EVERYTHING for the reader. She just happens to be sitting in class reflecting on genetics, history, the rules of her particular altiverse and meditating on these things in a particularly explanatory way. This might be acceptable, although I lament the loss of the slow reveal. But then her thoughts turn to a particular family that suffered magic disease and the story (as she knows it) surrounding their lives and deaths. How interestingly coincidental that she is pondering this as she is asked the question (that let’s face it, should have been the jumping off point for her reverie) in the class that she just happens to be taking with the living remainder of that family, even though she doesn’t know it yet. Where is the tension in the way the story opens? Why waste all that potential drama?
And this is just one, albeit glaring, example. This happens frequently throughout the novel. Things will get interesting, and about the time they do “BAM! Exposition!” There is very little that is left untold until near the end of the book. Every time tension is introduced (with the exception of the *love* plot) it is almost immediately abandoned. I thought the elements of the story were FABULOUS, and that was why the delivery pained me so. It was almost as though the author couldn’t bear to draw things out, so every little bit the reader would get this mass regurgitation of plot followed by some action and then more *gasp! Discovery!* mass regurgitation of plot. I felt like the pacing was off, but I will admit that the end of the book got a lot better with this. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I wonder if, having established the backstory for her series, the author will know focus on teasing certain reactions out of her readers, rather than introducing a question and almost immediately delivering an answer. This is the main aspect that restricts my rating to a three.
Oh, and one more note – on that love plot:
All of this said, the book got my attention. Clearly, because I am writing this review rather than sleeping. I look forward to reading the next installment in August, and I do expect to read it as soon as it is made available. I think the book is well worth reading and that the author is clearly talented and motivated.
March 31, 2012
Ok first of all, I'd like to begin by saying that I really hope this isn't the real ending, and book two is coming out soon! Cuz then this just sucks! Now that that's said, let's go to the review:
First and foremost, Ria is a shallow, selfish, bi*chy brat who thinks that the world revolves around her! And for some very weird reason, it does!!! Michael is a pushover and a doormat, and her best friend whose name I can't remember is an idiot! The only character who is even remotely likable is Adrian, and even he is quite annoying at the best of times.
The book is in serious need of editing! I spent more than half of the book decoding the english used in it! The grammar was just crap! And apparently everyone in the story had a single hair on their head. Ria had a dark hair, her friend had a blond hair… well you get the point!
The beginning sounded a little childish, and I had to push myself to get past chapter three… luckily, I did push past it, and the story managed to rise from a one star rating to a very generously donated three star rating.
At certain points, it felt like the author was just rambling, and it got a little frustrating. I mean, who rambles in a book!? (and I'm not talking about the characters, I'm talking narration wise). At other points, I felt like I wanted to smack Ria in the face and tell her to get a clue! I mean could someone get any more vain!!!! 'My daddy is so generous he always donates to the university! And since I'm daddy's little girl they're going to bow down to me and kiss my feet!' or 'I want to take my boyfriend to hell, but of course he is going to agree! I mean it's not like he has a spine, his sole purpose in life is to bend to my will while i f*ck my best friend's boyfriend behind his back! Oh but that doesn't really matter cuz he'll forgive me once I explain that I really didn't have a choice in the matter!'
Ok those quotes weren't really there but I was making a point…. Oh and when the boyfriend got her a horse!!! OMG I laughed till tears came out!!! It was hilarious! He got her a horse and it was so romantic! *gasp*!! Totally cheesy gay moment! And what's with all the 'honey's and the 'my love's?! I mean no body uses that kind of language anymore! My love belongs in Shakespeare's plays, and Honey belongs to old married couples! We, the teens of this day and age, love speed! We don't have the patience or the time to say something like 'my love'. Ours is the age of nicknames and one letter names, so the best thing you can expect from the couples of today to call each other would be babe or baby, and even then that's a stretch! So My Love? Overkill!!!
Anyway, all in all, the story behind all the crappy characters and crappier grammar is kind of cool. It's something new and fresh, and the author gets a salute from me for coming up with something new instead of just following the flock and using one of the abused myths. The romance was developed nice and slowly, and all the right gaps were left to be filled in the upcoming book. (And I hope there's an upcoming book, because if there isn't, Ms. Linwood and I are going to be having a few words in private *cough*interrogation*cough*). And the moral we get to take home from this book is a lot better than those in other books, and one not too thoroughly expanded upon, and that would be: Do not judge others just by reputation.
This is a fast read that I would recommend to people who face a lot of frustration in their daily lives, and need something to help them unwind. One can laugh at the characters, enjoy that their lives are even crappier and more pointless than ours, and then go to bed with a relaxed mind that isn't still working on unsolved mysteries, because let's face it, any idiot can figure out the majority of the events unfolding before Ria gets a clue. Makes you wonder why she's not blond…
Cheers!
September 14, 2015
So just imagine what my face looks like when confronted with error after error after error. Almost every sentence has problems. Mistaken conjugation, poor word order, idioms/set phrases that are not quite right...over and over again.
"So, did you and Adrian have a fight or you just wanted to hear what had happened with my parents?”
"Problems in the paradise?"
"I wasn’t sure would your professor remember to tell you."
"Does name Oliver Milanez mean something to you?"
"Are you going to tell me how did you get the disease?"
"Or we might find out do I get to keep your element or not."
This is excruciating to read. I thought my head was going to explode with rage at least five times per page. I'm wondering if English is not the author's first language, to be honest. If it is, well, that amount of mistakes is just inexcusable.
The plot itself is probably worth 2.5 stars - not terribly exciting, but not absolutely dreadful, although the part where the hero hires a white horse to ride to a restaurant on so he and the heroine get to play at being prince and princess was fairly nauseating. Unfortunately, apart from the grammar, Dangerous let down by the most irritating heroine I've had the displeasure to read about in quite a while. Ria is a spoilt little rich girl who wanders around being extremely judgmental and hypocritical and pulling the old
whenever anyone challenges her. She is truly loathsome and would be enough to knock Dangerous's rating down to a two quite on her own. As it is, the grammar was so painful, I can't face giving more than one star.
September 28, 2020
i totally am in love with this book 5 stars!
January 3, 2012
I really enjoyed this book all the way till the end! The end left me hanging though! I can't wait till the next installment comes out, I hope it is pretty soon because I can't stand to think about what happened to my Adrian!
Ria lives in a world where everyone 'normal' has an element of Fire,Water,Earth, and Air. Their God has gifted every human on the planet with an element and the only thing he asked was for each element to reproduce with a person of the same element and to never mix. Well guess what, they went against his request and mixed the elements in which there were consequences.
Ria's is a regular college student and her element is Fire. Everything starts to change when she meets a guy named Micheal through her best friend Puala. Micheal's element is water and because she is forbidden by her family to marry outside of her element, Ria knows that she would never marry Micheal so she decides dating him wouldn't hurt anybody. Ria hears about a disease carrier by the name of Adrian(Love that name) that also attends the school, Ria does not feel she or anyone is safe around this guy because he is dangerous. But her best friend starts dating him and she slowly starts feeling something for him and figures out that Adrian is hiding something that can change the view of the magic disease carriers.
I couldn't put this book down! I LOVED Ria's attitude, everything that came out of her mouth was hilarious and Adrian, I had mixed feeling with him in the beginning of the book he was such a freakin JERK! I could not believe him sometimes but everything started to make since at the end of the book and I just LOVE him lol. I recommend this book to anyone because I enjoyed every surprising turn in this book, it really left me panting for more!
Pros: Original Storyline because I was a little confused about the whole gene thing but Alycia was very kind and broke down the details of it. Loved the characters, they were so real and I connected with them.
Cons: Some missing words and fragments which is so understandable. The cliff hanger lol because I want to know what happened sooooo bad!
Thanks Alycia for being so nice and letting me review your book, I am anxious about the second one :)
Ria lives in a world where everyone 'normal' has an element of Fire,Water,Earth, and Air. Their God has gifted every human on the planet with an element and the only thing he asked was for each element to reproduce with a person of the same element and to never mix. Well guess what, they went against his request and mixed the elements in which there were consequences.
Ria's is a regular college student and her element is Fire. Everything starts to change when she meets a guy named Micheal through her best friend Puala. Micheal's element is water and because she is forbidden by her family to marry outside of her element, Ria knows that she would never marry Micheal so she decides dating him wouldn't hurt anybody. Ria hears about a disease carrier by the name of Adrian(Love that name) that also attends the school, Ria does not feel she or anyone is safe around this guy because he is dangerous. But her best friend starts dating him and she slowly starts feeling something for him and figures out that Adrian is hiding something that can change the view of the magic disease carriers.
I couldn't put this book down! I LOVED Ria's attitude, everything that came out of her mouth was hilarious and Adrian, I had mixed feeling with him in the beginning of the book he was such a freakin JERK! I could not believe him sometimes but everything started to make since at the end of the book and I just LOVE him lol. I recommend this book to anyone because I enjoyed every surprising turn in this book, it really left me panting for more!
Pros: Original Storyline because I was a little confused about the whole gene thing but Alycia was very kind and broke down the details of it. Loved the characters, they were so real and I connected with them.
Cons: Some missing words and fragments which is so understandable. The cliff hanger lol because I want to know what happened sooooo bad!
Thanks Alycia for being so nice and letting me review your book, I am anxious about the second one :)
October 16, 2013
I think the first half of this book moved slowly. I felt like a car with its tires spinning in the mud...it tries hard, but it's not going anywhere, and no matter how hard you hit the gas, you don't move forward.
There's a lot of mundane college life in the beginning, and there was a little too much internalization followed by repeating the character's thoughts in dialogue. So I felt like I kept reading the same thing twice. And waaaaaay too many exclamation points; it made it seem like everyone was so uber-excited that they're shouting all the time.
I wasn't drawn to the main character at all. She seemed a little harsh to me, very narrow-minded. You can blame it on her up-bringing, but her best friend had the same up-bringing and yet was more accepting of those with the disease. I kind of understand why the author set up Ria this way, in order to show her change and grow, but over-all, the girl is selfish and not that likeable.
As to her friends, Paula and Michael, they're pretty one-dimensional. They didn't seem to have many layers.
Adrian, however, was an interesting character. Adrian saves the story, so to speak. He's a bad boy--and yes, he's a *bad* boy to the point of being an utter dick--but there's still some intriguing about him. And as the story unfolds, you understand he's the product of his environment. Society made him into a dick. His character runs hot and cold...just when you start feeling sorry for him, he pulls out the dick card and you start hating him again (and honestly, many times he pulls out the dick card because Ria's does some asinine thing to hurt him...again).
Halfway through the book, I started getting more interested...and this is the result of Ria and Adrian clashing, and the story actually starting to unfold. I liked how some of the other minor characters were in the gray area...unable to tell whose side they're on. This made the story interesting. And I was curious enough to read it all the way through to see how it ended. You have to wonder how much Ria changed after all!
While I wasn't wowed by the first book, I'm intrigued enough by Adrian's story specifically to give the next book a chance.
There's a lot of mundane college life in the beginning, and there was a little too much internalization followed by repeating the character's thoughts in dialogue. So I felt like I kept reading the same thing twice. And waaaaaay too many exclamation points; it made it seem like everyone was so uber-excited that they're shouting all the time.
I wasn't drawn to the main character at all. She seemed a little harsh to me, very narrow-minded. You can blame it on her up-bringing, but her best friend had the same up-bringing and yet was more accepting of those with the disease. I kind of understand why the author set up Ria this way, in order to show her change and grow, but over-all, the girl is selfish and not that likeable.
As to her friends, Paula and Michael, they're pretty one-dimensional. They didn't seem to have many layers.
Adrian, however, was an interesting character. Adrian saves the story, so to speak. He's a bad boy--and yes, he's a *bad* boy to the point of being an utter dick--but there's still some intriguing about him. And as the story unfolds, you understand he's the product of his environment. Society made him into a dick. His character runs hot and cold...just when you start feeling sorry for him, he pulls out the dick card and you start hating him again (and honestly, many times he pulls out the dick card because Ria's does some asinine thing to hurt him...again).
Halfway through the book, I started getting more interested...and this is the result of Ria and Adrian clashing, and the story actually starting to unfold. I liked how some of the other minor characters were in the gray area...unable to tell whose side they're on. This made the story interesting. And I was curious enough to read it all the way through to see how it ended. You have to wonder how much Ria changed after all!
While I wasn't wowed by the first book, I'm intrigued enough by Adrian's story specifically to give the next book a chance.
March 28, 2012
At first I didn't think I would like the book, but then the story finally drew me in and I am hooked. I want the next book out now!! I really want to know what the heck is going to happen next!
The Story
Magic using is a part of the world in this book and there is also a disease that is taking the magic away, kind of. This disease makes the person feel all of the other magic users and overwhelms them in a way that they want the magic very badly and the person can either control it or they end up killing the person and absorbing their magic. The world then detests the magic disease because everyone is scared that it can't be controlled and the people with the disease will murder anyone else for their power. Ria and Paula are best friends and start at Magic Academy and meet boys they feel they love, then a problem presents itself for Ria and she gets closer to figuring out the secrets behind the magic disease that the world hasn't told anyone. BTW, there isn't actually a whole lot of magic usage in this first book. Just hints of it as the story revolves around students who have not exactly been through practical study of their magic yet.
Dislikes
At first I thought Ria was a F*g bitch and couldn't connect with her narrow minded views. I thought Paula was a bit too silly about her boyfriend and Michael was just too good.
There were some problems with editing where a word was missing or misplaced and sometimes I had to read a sentence once or twice to get what was supposed to be there.
Likes
The whole storyline! I thought it was interesting and a different take on magic than what I've personally read before.
Ria sort of redeemed herself by realizing some of the things she thought were incorrect and she didn't seem a silly as Paula about some other things.
Conclusion
I absolutely enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next installment. I recommend for anyone interested in a college type setting with some romance and an different take on magic.
The Story
Magic using is a part of the world in this book and there is also a disease that is taking the magic away, kind of. This disease makes the person feel all of the other magic users and overwhelms them in a way that they want the magic very badly and the person can either control it or they end up killing the person and absorbing their magic. The world then detests the magic disease because everyone is scared that it can't be controlled and the people with the disease will murder anyone else for their power. Ria and Paula are best friends and start at Magic Academy and meet boys they feel they love, then a problem presents itself for Ria and she gets closer to figuring out the secrets behind the magic disease that the world hasn't told anyone. BTW, there isn't actually a whole lot of magic usage in this first book. Just hints of it as the story revolves around students who have not exactly been through practical study of their magic yet.
Dislikes
At first I thought Ria was a F*g bitch and couldn't connect with her narrow minded views. I thought Paula was a bit too silly about her boyfriend and Michael was just too good.
There were some problems with editing where a word was missing or misplaced and sometimes I had to read a sentence once or twice to get what was supposed to be there.
Likes
The whole storyline! I thought it was interesting and a different take on magic than what I've personally read before.
Ria sort of redeemed herself by realizing some of the things she thought were incorrect and she didn't seem a silly as Paula about some other things.
Conclusion
I absolutely enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next installment. I recommend for anyone interested in a college type setting with some romance and an different take on magic.
April 4, 2012
I recently read Alycia Linwood's young adult novel entitled Dangerous. I found the storyline different from others I've read, which was a definite plus. One thing I think Ms. Linwood could use though, is a professional editor or even proofreader. While the grammar was nearly flawless (kudos by the way on having very few typos) the dialogue was unbelievable at times and I found myself wondering if the characters were in high school instead of university simply in the way they were portrayed. They seemed to lack the maturity of university students, both in action and dialogue. I stumbled a little over the believability of Ria's parents' sudden change of heart in the scene where they explain the decree of the great-grandfather, minutes after screaming at Ria that she is 'ruining our family's reputation'. I did however admire Ria's loyalty to Paula in spite of the bad decisions her friend made. The closeness of the two girls was very touching and Michael is a gentleman, something hard to find in a lot of university age guys. All in all, I think this story has potential, but needs a lot of going over for style, believability and dialogue. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but if there is a sequel planned, this should be resolved easily. I would recommend that Ms. Linwood offer a few pages at the end of her book with a section to read from the next (if this is a series) as well as release date for the next book so the reader is not left hanging. Good luck with all your writing endeavours, Alycia.
March 27, 2012
Alycia's Element Preservers is a refreshingly unique new take on YHA paranormal fantasy. She has created interesting characters with depth and intensity. Dangerous follows the life of Ria as she enters the University for Magic with all its trials and tribulations, study, horrible teachers, boys, love and lust, best friends, people wanting to kill you. Ria lives in a world where long ago people were gifted with elemental magic, all human-kind had to do was follow a few simple rules, most importantly don't mix the elements. But people being imperfect did not follow the rules an in doing so created genetic diversity, the bad kind.
Alycia has effortlessly merged the world of today with the world of magic, creating her own unique mixture. I Loved the plot with its twists and turns, and the ending...it makes me want to get right into the next book. At times the dialog between the characters was awkward, however overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am looking forward to future books by Alycia.
October 6, 2014
Al principio me aburrí, lo admito.
Después de las 200 paginas empezó a ponerse bueno.
Apenas lo estaba empezando y ya pensaba en dejarlo por la mitad pero tenia algo que me dejaba queriendo saber y seguir leyendo. Me llamo la atención :) Me gusto, la verdad el tema de los Elementos no se menciona nada y se enfocan en otras cosas que me parecieron absurdas.
Los nombres de los personajes son tan originales, también le pongo una estrellita por eso.
Ria es tan UGHHH la odie pero como dije, en las paginas docientos y algo como que cambia y se pone intenso.
El triangulo que quiso formar la escritora fue horrible, al principio odiaba a Adrian, hacia que lo odie. Y luego cuando empezaron a verse, a acariciarse, a estar juntos... ¿WTF? Y después entendí, es como que no te das cuenta cuando pasa pero sip, te enamoras de Adrian.
Esta bueno, pero no tan bueno. Depende del lector :( en mi caso no pude darle menos de 4/5, se me hizo imposible.
Después de las 200 paginas empezó a ponerse bueno.
Apenas lo estaba empezando y ya pensaba en dejarlo por la mitad pero tenia algo que me dejaba queriendo saber y seguir leyendo. Me llamo la atención :) Me gusto, la verdad el tema de los Elementos no se menciona nada y se enfocan en otras cosas que me parecieron absurdas.
Los nombres de los personajes son tan originales, también le pongo una estrellita por eso.
Ria es tan UGHHH la odie pero como dije, en las paginas docientos y algo como que cambia y se pone intenso.
El triangulo que quiso formar la escritora fue horrible, al principio odiaba a Adrian, hacia que lo odie. Y luego cuando empezaron a verse, a acariciarse, a estar juntos... ¿WTF? Y después entendí, es como que no te das cuenta cuando pasa pero sip, te enamoras de Adrian.
Esta bueno, pero no tan bueno. Depende del lector :( en mi caso no pude darle menos de 4/5, se me hizo imposible.
December 4, 2013
Dangerous is a fantasy novel that takes place in a world of Magic where elements are a part of everyone's lives and is it forbidden for people to be with someone of a different element; nonetheless people defy this rule and the results are disastrous. The idea of the story is original but the author's writing is something like listening to a teenager's rambling anecdote. I was not really interested in the characters nor their plight. The book was not what I expected but I applaud the effort in coming up with something out of the ordinary.
April 7, 2012
This was a very unique concept. Rather than a Harry Potter'ish world of dark secrets with a very gloomy undertone, this was on a much lighter level. With more romance and less action, I found myself wanting a bit more. Much like the Twilight series...it was somewhat anti-climatic for my tastes but I do enjoy Ken Follett's and George R.R. Martin's styles of writing. However, it was a fun and enjoyable read which for me is what I am looking for. I enjoyed this book enough to want to read the next book in the series.
March 9, 2013
This book has made me so happy!! I ended up reading it in about 4-5 hours because it was well written and captured me from the first page. I'm still recovering from the Ecstasy of this book and therefore cannot form my sentences very well. SECOND BOOK< WHERE ARE YOUUUUUU!
January 3, 2020
I loved it
April 5, 2012
*Received e-book through Read It and Reap program from the Shut Up and Read! Goodreads group from author for an honest review
**also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne
Dangerous is told by the point-of-view of Ria Milanez, a privileged university student, who holds the element of fire. In this alternate world, magic has always been present, with people being gifted by the God of Magic with one element. The only caveat for this gift was that the elements remain “pure” and unmixed by not breeding with different elementals. As people broke this rule, magic disease carriers (those with no element) emerged, and they had the ability to infect others through sexual contact and kill others in order to steal their elements for themselves. Although the stolen element would fade with time, magic disease carriers could and most likely would continue killing to replenish their magic and this made them feared by the uninfected. Ria has grown up in an upper class family, one with a very pure elemental line, and with the belief that magic disease carriers should be feared and isolated from the general magic population. As she attends school, her beliefs are questioned and contested as she develops feelings for a water elemental, Michael, and when she encounters a famous magic disease carrier, Adrian.
I thought Linwood was quite successful in creating an intriguing world with a distinctive concept. It was clever of her to use a prologue-type introduction to explain the details of it as it greatly helped set up my understanding of Ria’s reactions since the plot starts quickly with the introductions of Michael and Adrian. Without that, I believe Ria would have been less likeable as she did have rather prejudicial dialogue. In addition, Linwood did a commendable job in character development. For example, she slowly flushed out the character of Adrian, whom I detested in the first half of the book, and revealed enough of his history and circumstances such that I eventually ended up sympathizing with him. Furthermore, I loved the complexities that arise as Ria’s best friend, Paula, falls for the dangerous Adrian, while his interest lay with Ria. I enjoyed Ria’s struggle to protect her friend, while resisting Adrian’s advances. This becomes truly difficult as she begins to see Adrian in a different light versus that of just a magic disease carrier, and with the shocking twist that Linwood introduces in the middle of the book.
Overall, Dangerous was an entertaining, fast read with an interesting concept with the magic disease carriers. I did become engrossed in this book (finished in two sittings) and felt that it had dynamic characters and a titillating cliffhanger ending to warrant reading the sequel, despite the grammatical errors. I would recommend this to young adult readers, who are fans of paranormal romances, such as the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent.
**also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne
Dangerous is told by the point-of-view of Ria Milanez, a privileged university student, who holds the element of fire. In this alternate world, magic has always been present, with people being gifted by the God of Magic with one element. The only caveat for this gift was that the elements remain “pure” and unmixed by not breeding with different elementals. As people broke this rule, magic disease carriers (those with no element) emerged, and they had the ability to infect others through sexual contact and kill others in order to steal their elements for themselves. Although the stolen element would fade with time, magic disease carriers could and most likely would continue killing to replenish their magic and this made them feared by the uninfected. Ria has grown up in an upper class family, one with a very pure elemental line, and with the belief that magic disease carriers should be feared and isolated from the general magic population. As she attends school, her beliefs are questioned and contested as she develops feelings for a water elemental, Michael, and when she encounters a famous magic disease carrier, Adrian.
I thought Linwood was quite successful in creating an intriguing world with a distinctive concept. It was clever of her to use a prologue-type introduction to explain the details of it as it greatly helped set up my understanding of Ria’s reactions since the plot starts quickly with the introductions of Michael and Adrian. Without that, I believe Ria would have been less likeable as she did have rather prejudicial dialogue. In addition, Linwood did a commendable job in character development. For example, she slowly flushed out the character of Adrian, whom I detested in the first half of the book, and revealed enough of his history and circumstances such that I eventually ended up sympathizing with him. Furthermore, I loved the complexities that arise as Ria’s best friend, Paula, falls for the dangerous Adrian, while his interest lay with Ria. I enjoyed Ria’s struggle to protect her friend, while resisting Adrian’s advances. This becomes truly difficult as she begins to see Adrian in a different light versus that of just a magic disease carrier, and with the shocking twist that Linwood introduces in the middle of the book.
Overall, Dangerous was an entertaining, fast read with an interesting concept with the magic disease carriers. I did become engrossed in this book (finished in two sittings) and felt that it had dynamic characters and a titillating cliffhanger ending to warrant reading the sequel, despite the grammatical errors. I would recommend this to young adult readers, who are fans of paranormal romances, such as the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent.
September 29, 2011
I guess I should start off with the reason I gave this book 4 stars out of 5. Well it is nothing major, that I can assure you.
I found there to be a few spelling mistakes, misuse of a word here and there, and also missing words in a sentence. Also, maybe I would have worded a couple of sentences here and there differently, as I struggled to make them make sense at first. But that is just a personal thing, but because of these slight flaws, I felt I couldn't award it the full 5 stars.
However, based on story content, I would more than happily award it 5 stars. I just felt I needed to be honest, as there is nothing worse for me than reading someones review that is 100% positive with no criticism because, let's face it, nothing is that perfect.
My review of the actual story itself?
Ria is an 18 year old girl who has just started attending the University of Magic, this is a place full of students who are in possession of an element, Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Ria's element is Fire.
She meets a boy whom she is attracted to, but his element is not the same as hers. This makes things difficult for her because you are only supposed to marry someone of your own element.
But marriage isn't at the forefront of her mind, after all, she's only 18. So she decides to date Michael, even though there could be consequences.
Ria feels threatened by a 'magical disease carrier' by the name of Adrian, as she feels he is dangerous. They are warned to stay away from these carriers, as they are said to become murderers, killing people to steal their element as they do not have one of their own.
So when Ria's best friend Paula starts dating Adrian, Ria is concerned for her friend, and though she doesn't want to see Paula unhappy, she would rather see her with someone who can make her happy and isn't a magical disease carrier.
However, all Ria's beliefs are soon put to the test, as she herself starts showing signs of this magical disease. She doesn't know how she got it, all she knows is she can't tell anyone about it. Anyone except Adrian that is.
I won't spoil the story for you, suffice to say, this story had me hooked from the first page right up to the last. When it ended, I was gutted. I was having withdrawal symptoms from the last word and am seriously hoping to see Alycia publish the next book VERY soon, I need my next fix.
Thank you Alycia for giving me this book to review. I eagerly await the next.
I found there to be a few spelling mistakes, misuse of a word here and there, and also missing words in a sentence. Also, maybe I would have worded a couple of sentences here and there differently, as I struggled to make them make sense at first. But that is just a personal thing, but because of these slight flaws, I felt I couldn't award it the full 5 stars.
However, based on story content, I would more than happily award it 5 stars. I just felt I needed to be honest, as there is nothing worse for me than reading someones review that is 100% positive with no criticism because, let's face it, nothing is that perfect.
My review of the actual story itself?
Ria is an 18 year old girl who has just started attending the University of Magic, this is a place full of students who are in possession of an element, Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Ria's element is Fire.
She meets a boy whom she is attracted to, but his element is not the same as hers. This makes things difficult for her because you are only supposed to marry someone of your own element.
But marriage isn't at the forefront of her mind, after all, she's only 18. So she decides to date Michael, even though there could be consequences.
Ria feels threatened by a 'magical disease carrier' by the name of Adrian, as she feels he is dangerous. They are warned to stay away from these carriers, as they are said to become murderers, killing people to steal their element as they do not have one of their own.
So when Ria's best friend Paula starts dating Adrian, Ria is concerned for her friend, and though she doesn't want to see Paula unhappy, she would rather see her with someone who can make her happy and isn't a magical disease carrier.
However, all Ria's beliefs are soon put to the test, as she herself starts showing signs of this magical disease. She doesn't know how she got it, all she knows is she can't tell anyone about it. Anyone except Adrian that is.
I won't spoil the story for you, suffice to say, this story had me hooked from the first page right up to the last. When it ended, I was gutted. I was having withdrawal symptoms from the last word and am seriously hoping to see Alycia publish the next book VERY soon, I need my next fix.
Thank you Alycia for giving me this book to review. I eagerly await the next.
March 25, 2012
For this review, I am going to talk about the sections differently
The concept
A world where everyone has an element and not having an element is a disease? That is a really cool and unique idea. It's kind of the opposite of most fantasy books with magic involved. There were a couple of plot holes within the world but I was willing to overlook them, because I was too intrigued. This MAY be due to the fact that I would really really like to have magic. Really.
characters
I just didn't find that I liked them all that much. To me they were really difficult to relate to and I just didn't get that bond with them that I normally get with characters. Paula was just frustratingly blind to everything around her, and Michael reminded me of a puppy dog, just following Ria around; They were very flat characters to me. Adrian...where do I even begin with him? I really didn't like him...he is emotionally abusive (hello dysfunctional relationship) and really doesn't have any redeeming qualities. I liked how he had a back story and was more of a 3D character, but even by the end of the book, my opinion did not change. Ria had a cool name...but other that that I was really confused by her. Her choices did not make sense to me at all. The characters are the reason I found it very difficult to get through the first half of the book.
The storyline
Okay minus the boy drama, I really thought the whole family's past thing tied in with the government conspiracy was pretty cool. I like the way it was tied in in the second half of the book. It was fairly predictable but it drew me back into the story! I don't want to give too much away, but there were definitely some intriguing moments. The writing style was not my favourite, but can see a lot of people liking it. It is just a matter of personal preference.
I would read the sequel just to find out what happens, and maybe to get some more insight into this world. I did enjoy the second half of the book, but I really like to connect with the characters in a book, which is why I would give it this rating. That being said, if the sequel has some character development in it, my opinion might change.
The concept
A world where everyone has an element and not having an element is a disease? That is a really cool and unique idea. It's kind of the opposite of most fantasy books with magic involved. There were a couple of plot holes within the world but I was willing to overlook them, because I was too intrigued. This MAY be due to the fact that I would really really like to have magic. Really.
characters
I just didn't find that I liked them all that much. To me they were really difficult to relate to and I just didn't get that bond with them that I normally get with characters. Paula was just frustratingly blind to everything around her, and Michael reminded me of a puppy dog, just following Ria around; They were very flat characters to me. Adrian...where do I even begin with him? I really didn't like him...he is emotionally abusive (hello dysfunctional relationship) and really doesn't have any redeeming qualities. I liked how he had a back story and was more of a 3D character, but even by the end of the book, my opinion did not change. Ria had a cool name...but other that that I was really confused by her. Her choices did not make sense to me at all. The characters are the reason I found it very difficult to get through the first half of the book.
The storyline
Okay minus the boy drama, I really thought the whole family's past thing tied in with the government conspiracy was pretty cool. I like the way it was tied in in the second half of the book. It was fairly predictable but it drew me back into the story! I don't want to give too much away, but there were definitely some intriguing moments. The writing style was not my favourite, but can see a lot of people liking it. It is just a matter of personal preference.
I would read the sequel just to find out what happens, and maybe to get some more insight into this world. I did enjoy the second half of the book, but I really like to connect with the characters in a book, which is why I would give it this rating. That being said, if the sequel has some character development in it, my opinion might change.
February 8, 2013
Aside from some of the grammatical errors (missing words, extra words, etc.), the story is pretty interesting...instead of making some people "special" with affinities everyone starts out that way and their choices determine if that changes. However, as is typical, some characters are very likeable whereas others are not. Ria, the main female character, is NOT likeable. She is extremely biased. In part, due to her upbringing and the fact that her parents are extremely bigoted against "magic disease carriers" -> these are individuals who have lost their magic and try to steal it from others through death. Adrian is one such person. Although he has done nothing to deserve her contempt, she treats him like a leper and thinks that all of them should be exterminated, like roaches. She does start to change that opinion once she becomes a disease carrier herself, but she still comes across as selfish and self-indulgent...a rich little girl who does not consider the world around her and is only interested in shopping. There are some redeeming qualities, but you do spend a lot of time wanting to kick her to the curb while you wait for her to grow up.
Then there is Adrian...he acts like a dick for the most part, but given how he has been treated simply because he was born with the disease, there is that part of you that is sympathetic to him. Especially as it relates to how he treats Ria. If anyone deserved to be treated like crap, it is her. However, once she shows up at his dorm room after realizing she has the disease, he doesn't turn her away and instead helps her even when she STILL treats him like crap. Eventually they will develop a relationship, as other things start to heat up. Ria learns her brother is also a carrier and also working to learn what the government is covering up about the disease.
Then there are the unfortunately casualties of Adrian and Ria...Paula and Michael are the two people who least deserve to be hurt, but are by the two people they loved. I have to admit that though I was annoyed with Ria and some of the decisions made, I could not stop reading the story. Is this for everyone? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Depends on what you like...not everyone will like this, but I have to admit, I've already picked up book 2.
Then there is Adrian...he acts like a dick for the most part, but given how he has been treated simply because he was born with the disease, there is that part of you that is sympathetic to him. Especially as it relates to how he treats Ria. If anyone deserved to be treated like crap, it is her. However, once she shows up at his dorm room after realizing she has the disease, he doesn't turn her away and instead helps her even when she STILL treats him like crap. Eventually they will develop a relationship, as other things start to heat up. Ria learns her brother is also a carrier and also working to learn what the government is covering up about the disease.
Then there are the unfortunately casualties of Adrian and Ria...Paula and Michael are the two people who least deserve to be hurt, but are by the two people they loved. I have to admit that though I was annoyed with Ria and some of the decisions made, I could not stop reading the story. Is this for everyone? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Depends on what you like...not everyone will like this, but I have to admit, I've already picked up book 2.
March 26, 2012
Preserve one’s own element, stick to it, don’t intermarry between elements: sounds a simple enough rule, doesn’t it? Maybe in an ideal world, people would have continued to heeded this small stricture of the God of Magic, who provided the elements initially. But any society is hardly ever ideal-and when people forget, or turn to science, or embrace the concept that such rules are simply legend and myth-then people forget, and intermarry, and elements mix. So offspring were born who possessed an element, but only weakly; and sometimes there simply was no element at all in a particular individual. So Magic itself began to decline, weakening and diluting. Sometimes, those without an element found they could acquire one-if only temporarily-by murder. As we all know, murder rarely satisfies a killer for very long-and elements acquired by murder don’t remain-so those under the control of “magic disease,” discovered to be contagious through intimate transmission, are almost always feared and dreaded-even to the point of becoming murder victims themselves.
At the University of Magic, our heroine Ria, who possesses Element of Fire, and her best friend Paula, of the Element of Air and a scientific research-oriented mind) are first-year students, with the goal of learning to use their elements. Paula wants also to find the cure for “magic disease” and eventually eradicate it. All four elements (fire, air, water, earth) attend the University, so naturally the odds are they will encounter individuals who hold other elements, and even feel drawn to some of them. A “magic disease” carrier, Adrian, is also a University of Magic student, perhaps because he had been orphaned and society really knows nowhere else to place him.
Going by the settings, the characterizations, and the issues, I believe this novel would appeal to readers who enjoy YA Paranormal, and perhaps YA Fantasy.
At the University of Magic, our heroine Ria, who possesses Element of Fire, and her best friend Paula, of the Element of Air and a scientific research-oriented mind) are first-year students, with the goal of learning to use their elements. Paula wants also to find the cure for “magic disease” and eventually eradicate it. All four elements (fire, air, water, earth) attend the University, so naturally the odds are they will encounter individuals who hold other elements, and even feel drawn to some of them. A “magic disease” carrier, Adrian, is also a University of Magic student, perhaps because he had been orphaned and society really knows nowhere else to place him.
Going by the settings, the characterizations, and the issues, I believe this novel would appeal to readers who enjoy YA Paranormal, and perhaps YA Fantasy.
April 9, 2012
Dangerous is an interesting new idea as it's a completely different story line than any other book I've read. The main character is Ria who has just started as a student of the University of Magic. The story takes place in a society where people have one of four elements (earth, air, fire & water) & these elements are not supposed to mix - i.e. marry & procreate. Eventually people crossed the line with regards to the no mixing of elements rule & a terrible illness was the result. Ria is of a family with a pure element & she is very judgmental towards people with the magic disease (personally I think the author could have come up with a more imaginative name for said illness but I digress...) until she herself starts showing symptoms of the disease. Then she turns to Adrian who is a magic disease carrier & also her best friend's boyfriend. The crux of the matter is that Adrian is a bad boy who Ria can't stand. A kind of "love" triangle ensues with Ria developing love / hate feelings for Adrian while also being in love with her boyfriend who seems too perfect to be realistic.
At first the book really annoyed me because I didn't like the main character (Ria) at all & I personally feel that liking & associating with a book's lead character is very important. More than half-way through the book I started warming towards Ria a bit but still not liking her as such. Also, the grammar of the book felt wrong - it didn't feel "smooth" somehow. I got the idea that the author must be quite young or perhaps not a native English speaker.
With that said, I still mostly enjoyed the story line & I'm quite curious to read the second book. I hope the author gets to iron out some of the issues that hampered the first book.
At first the book really annoyed me because I didn't like the main character (Ria) at all & I personally feel that liking & associating with a book's lead character is very important. More than half-way through the book I started warming towards Ria a bit but still not liking her as such. Also, the grammar of the book felt wrong - it didn't feel "smooth" somehow. I got the idea that the author must be quite young or perhaps not a native English speaker.
With that said, I still mostly enjoyed the story line & I'm quite curious to read the second book. I hope the author gets to iron out some of the issues that hampered the first book.
December 17, 2015
I read this book within an hour while on my break at work, now I did like the start. It just goes a bit weird. I like the book but I don't think I love it.
I think I hate feeling bad when reading a book but I do like authors that can make you feel something when reading a book. Its just because of what happens - and i won't spoil it - you just feel bad most of the time.
I do not like the love interest, got a bad vibe from him for no reason. I also didn't see the point of her being with a water element when its 'forbidden' considering what is happening. Did the author need to add that to the story? UNLESS the author is going to throw in two possible story lines in the next book. Possible Plot 1: PLOT 2: Personally my vote is possible plot one because it is SO obvious.
I like Adrian straight away, I don't care he was meant to be bad he just seemed like he was going to be more in depth than the water guy. However, I feel the author was going to go a different way with him because hes just so aggressive and then he isn't. Not really an in between and this doesn't suit his personality if this is on purpose.
The heroine is okay. Shes pretty likeable, felt like whacking myself with some of the choices she makes.. I do think shes a cool character though.
Her best friend though, just weird. Do not like her that much most of the story. Other parts she redeems herself.
Will I buy the next book? Depends on how much the next one is...
I think I hate feeling bad when reading a book but I do like authors that can make you feel something when reading a book. Its just because of what happens - and i won't spoil it - you just feel bad most of the time.
I do not like the love interest, got a bad vibe from him for no reason. I also didn't see the point of her being with a water element when its 'forbidden' considering what is happening. Did the author need to add that to the story? UNLESS the author is going to throw in two possible story lines in the next book. Possible Plot 1: PLOT 2: Personally my vote is possible plot one because it is SO obvious.
I like Adrian straight away, I don't care he was meant to be bad he just seemed like he was going to be more in depth than the water guy. However, I feel the author was going to go a different way with him because hes just so aggressive and then he isn't. Not really an in between and this doesn't suit his personality if this is on purpose.
The heroine is okay. Shes pretty likeable, felt like whacking myself with some of the choices she makes.. I do think shes a cool character though.
Her best friend though, just weird. Do not like her that much most of the story. Other parts she redeems herself.
Will I buy the next book? Depends on how much the next one is...
April 1, 2012
Dangerous
By Alycia Linwood
The God of Magic gave every human control over one of the four main elements with one condition, the elements should never mix. But as is a human nature person began to break that rule. Over the years through the mixing of all of the elements a powerful disease was create making the one with the “Magic Disease” have no element and an insatiable urge to kill someone for theirs. This book is the story of Ria, a young woman in her freshman year of college, who finds out that even though she has an element and comes from a “pure” family she actually is a carrier of the Magic Disease.
This was actually a cute book about the struggles Ria is facing. How she has to hide what she has become or risk someone torturing or killing her. Ria also falls in love but even though it sounds simple, it’s not, she must chose between Michael a boy who would do anything for her and love her unconditionally but whom she has accidently tried to kill, or Adrian who also has the magic disease but is dating her best friend. The book was a fun and easy read but if you like a lot of action this is not the book for you. It’s a great ok for snuggling on the couch with.
As always if you have any requests or recommendations email me at:
Reflections.of.a.BookWorm@gmail.com
Be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
You can even follow me on Twitter
@BookWormRflect
By Alycia Linwood
The God of Magic gave every human control over one of the four main elements with one condition, the elements should never mix. But as is a human nature person began to break that rule. Over the years through the mixing of all of the elements a powerful disease was create making the one with the “Magic Disease” have no element and an insatiable urge to kill someone for theirs. This book is the story of Ria, a young woman in her freshman year of college, who finds out that even though she has an element and comes from a “pure” family she actually is a carrier of the Magic Disease.
This was actually a cute book about the struggles Ria is facing. How she has to hide what she has become or risk someone torturing or killing her. Ria also falls in love but even though it sounds simple, it’s not, she must chose between Michael a boy who would do anything for her and love her unconditionally but whom she has accidently tried to kill, or Adrian who also has the magic disease but is dating her best friend. The book was a fun and easy read but if you like a lot of action this is not the book for you. It’s a great ok for snuggling on the couch with.
As always if you have any requests or recommendations email me at:
Reflections.of.a.BookWorm@gmail.com
Be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
You can even follow me on Twitter
@BookWormRflect
April 2, 2012
While attending an element user's school Ria and her friend Paula meet Michael, at the same moment Ria knows she wants have a relationship but know is not a good thing because she is a Fire user and he is a water user and she knows they can never have anything serious, her parents won't approve of it because they want to keep their family element pure, she has no idea about the secret her family is trying to hire from her. She knows that being involve with someone who has a different element then hers will mean that she can end up getting the Magic disease, she heard from the time she was a kid from her parents that everyone with the magic disease should die because they were a danger to the rest of them, and after she meets Adrian she starts feeling the same about him for having the disease until she gets it herself and starts getting help from him to get thru it and leard how to live with it. She starts getting involve with him not even caring that he's dating her best friend or thinking about her own boyfriend Michael...
I really enjoyed reading this book, I think maybe Ria needs to change a little so maybe we readers will like her more, Adrian is the perfect bad boy and Michael needs to dump Ria starting yesterday, Paula should consider finding a new best friend.
I'm looking forward to book number 2, Alycia, I think the ending of book one was a little rush, reminds me of an ending to the season of True Blood, to harsh for us readers.
Thanks for giving me the chance to read your book and hope to hear from you soon, and get my hands on the next book, thank you.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I think maybe Ria needs to change a little so maybe we readers will like her more, Adrian is the perfect bad boy and Michael needs to dump Ria starting yesterday, Paula should consider finding a new best friend.
I'm looking forward to book number 2, Alycia, I think the ending of book one was a little rush, reminds me of an ending to the season of True Blood, to harsh for us readers.
Thanks for giving me the chance to read your book and hope to hear from you soon, and get my hands on the next book, thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2011
Dangerous is about Ria, an 18 year old girl who has just started going to the University Of Magic, which is a special university for those who have one of the four elements (fire, water earth or air).
At the University Of Magic she meets Michael, a boy whose element is different from hers, which makes their romantic involvement seem impossible because mixing of elements can have horrible consequences. Like Magic Disease.
She also feels threatened by Adrian, a very dangerous magic disease carrier. Magic Disease, which surged as a result of bad mixing of elements, turns people into cold-hearted killers, who have a strong desire to take someone's element as they do not have their own. Ria's best friend, Paula, is fascinated by Adrian like most of the girls at the University and wants him to help her with her research about the disease. All Ria's beliefs are put to the test when she starts having the symptoms of the disease and the only person she can turn to is Adrian.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read the next book in the Element Preservers series! It was well written and well thought out. I loved the concept of elements being used as a form of magic, it reminded me a little of the House Of Night series by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast and also a little of Avatar The Last Airbender. My favourite characters were Ria, who won me over with her fiery personality and wit, and Adrian who won me over with his sarcasm and love of all things dangerous.
At the University Of Magic she meets Michael, a boy whose element is different from hers, which makes their romantic involvement seem impossible because mixing of elements can have horrible consequences. Like Magic Disease.
She also feels threatened by Adrian, a very dangerous magic disease carrier. Magic Disease, which surged as a result of bad mixing of elements, turns people into cold-hearted killers, who have a strong desire to take someone's element as they do not have their own. Ria's best friend, Paula, is fascinated by Adrian like most of the girls at the University and wants him to help her with her research about the disease. All Ria's beliefs are put to the test when she starts having the symptoms of the disease and the only person she can turn to is Adrian.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read the next book in the Element Preservers series! It was well written and well thought out. I loved the concept of elements being used as a form of magic, it reminded me a little of the House Of Night series by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast and also a little of Avatar The Last Airbender. My favourite characters were Ria, who won me over with her fiery personality and wit, and Adrian who won me over with his sarcasm and love of all things dangerous.
April 2, 2012
Ok first of all, I'd like to begin by saying great ending. I was in shock when her brother admitted to the only unforgivable crime in my mind “killing someone just because”. I did not like Ria. She was a selfish dim-witted child. I am hoping that there is an explanation for the brother killing because I was set to like him for the sole purpose that he and Ria were not close. I figured anyone smart enough to not be close to her is worth me rooting for them.
As for the other characters I felt that her boyfriend Michael is a pushover and too forgiving. I did not like the love triangle between Him, Arian and Ria mostly because of Ria’s attitude. But I guess love can be blind. I loved Arian because he seemed to be the most real. Out of everyone he said what he wanted and then he went after it. When asked why he treated girlfriend badly he replied “because she lets me”. That was refreshing because it felt honest. Paula I am still trying to decide about. She seemed naïve, especially in the way she allowed Arian to mistreat her.
This book started out slow to me but somewhere around the second half I was hooked. I was intrigued with Ria’s family. What else are they hiding? Something dealing with their grandfather perhaps? What is their role with the government? I am looking forward to reading the sequel because I want to know the answers.
As for the other characters I felt that her boyfriend Michael is a pushover and too forgiving. I did not like the love triangle between Him, Arian and Ria mostly because of Ria’s attitude. But I guess love can be blind. I loved Arian because he seemed to be the most real. Out of everyone he said what he wanted and then he went after it. When asked why he treated girlfriend badly he replied “because she lets me”. That was refreshing because it felt honest. Paula I am still trying to decide about. She seemed naïve, especially in the way she allowed Arian to mistreat her.
This book started out slow to me but somewhere around the second half I was hooked. I was intrigued with Ria’s family. What else are they hiding? Something dealing with their grandfather perhaps? What is their role with the government? I am looking forward to reading the sequel because I want to know the answers.
February 2, 2014
I was a bit skeptical at first about reading this book because I simply could not stand the photoshop edit of the title in the book cover ("don't judge a book by its cover" yeah yeah I know) but finally I decided to read it and..
I actually kind of liked it, I think? I mean, I did get to finish it up until the end. (The are some books that I seriously cannot finish because they're THAT bad) I really liked the concept about magic - how people have elements and some don't and all that shiznit.
The only thing I hated was the characters reactions and dialogues. They were very unrealistic. I mean, and just... BLARGH.
I hope the author improved the dialogues and other thingies in the next book, which I surprisingly actually want to read.
byee!!
I actually kind of liked it, I think? I mean, I did get to finish it up until the end. (The are some books that I seriously cannot finish because they're THAT bad) I really liked the concept about magic - how people have elements and some don't and all that shiznit.
The only thing I hated was the characters reactions and dialogues. They were very unrealistic. I mean, and just... BLARGH.
I hope the author improved the dialogues and other thingies in the next book, which I surprisingly actually want to read.
byee!!
June 21, 2021
one of the best books i ever read :)
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