Max’s arrival into Cali’s world has sparked both hope and controversy for their society as a whole. Change is inevitable. For Cali, Max’s unexpected appearance is a blessing, as she is finally free to be herself; a knight, a woman … a lover. Her easy-going, slightly cynical façade hides a scarred woman who yearns to be accepted. But when Cali meets a sexy, intriguing stranger for a single night of passion, she never could have predicted the consequences. For her mysterious stranger hides a dark secret and could be the key to solving one of society’s most shameful mysteries.
Once one of the most noble and famous members of warden society, Dex’s fall from grace decades ago has left its mark on the once proud warrior. Years of torture and self-imposed exile have left him with no friends, no family, and a menacing predator haunting his every step. One night of spontaneous desire with the woman of his dreams leads to his possible redemption … but also to his possible death. Will old loyalties and new hopes be enough to save him? Or is his soul lost forever?
Montana is a self-confessed book junkie. Although she loves reading all genres from romance to crime fiction to sci fi, her not-so-guilty pleasure is paranormal romance. Alpha men, just a little bit damaged, and Alpha women who don't seem to know they need looking after, are a favourite combination of hers. Throw in some steamy sex scenes, a touch of humour, and a little violence and she is in heaven!
Her overactive (and overindulged) imagination could only take so much before the many voices wanted out. Thus, Montana's journey into the wonderful world of writing.
She is a scientist by day, having grown up in country New South Wales, Australia. Writing about ancient knights, demons and shapeshifters is such a delicious contradiction to her day job in the laboratory, that she doesn't see the voices stopping anytime soon!
I’m gonna write one big review for the whole series, because I read the first few books very quickly :) also, since I decided to take a break after the fourth one (out of seven) I will update this review when I read next installments :) ok, so what can I tell you about it? :) well, I read the first three books one right after another within the span of three days :) the next one took me a bit longer and we shall see how fast I will inhale the rest of them in the future ;) originally I gave those stories a bit higher ratings, but after some thinking I decided to lower them to the ones you will see below… because as much as I did enjoyed them, they are just… not as good as some other books I’ve read… I also have no interest to pick them up and reread them, and that’s not a good sign… each book in this series focuses on a different couple, but there is a bigger story arch that we follow throughout all of them… also, we have a bigger core group of characters that appear in each story so even if each novel concentrates on a different duo, we still see all of our faves :) not gonna lie, I am still not sure why I read them so quickly… the writing style is not that great, each romance feels rushed and underdeveloped, there are some problematic issues and yet… here we are :) I have no real explanation for you :) I mean, I guess I do like the idea for the series and there are some definitely interesting twists in it, but all in all… not the best I read… oh well :) below you can find some of my thoughts about each of the book I read so far with the rating
Warden 3,5 stars
the beginning to the series, and so far my favourite installment, where we are introduced to our core group of characters… :) and I have to admit that I really liked Max, our heroine, ad her totally unfiltered mouth from the start :) Ryker on the other had was an ass most of it...
Paladin 2,5 stars
going into it I predicted it will be my least favourite book in the series and I am right so far ;) as much as I loved Diana, I really didn’t like how Darius treated her… and not even an addition of an absolutely cutest little puppy couldn't save this one for me…
Chade 3 stars
again, the romance between Cali and Dex was my least favourite part of the story, the only reason why it reached 3 stars was the development of the story and the informations we learned about the world and that some things may not be like we thought before…
Ranger 3 stars
Lark is my absolute favourite out of them all… I mean, a guy who loves to read, does yoga and dances??? be still my beating heart… *sighs and swoons* as much as I wanted to warm up to Ivy, it was hard… and even though I could really understood how not all of us are super warm and fluffy and open about their thoughts and emotions… trust me, I know that from personal experience… I wasn’t the fan of how she treated Lark throughout the majority of the book, before doing a total change of heart…
Custodian haven’t read yet
Revolution haven’t read yet
Reckoning haven't read yet
I am still very curious to see where the story will go, so I will come back to it at some point, but after the underdeveloped romances and some ridiculous and eyerolling writing style, I need a break ;)
I'm just so addicted to this series and it characters.. Omg 😲 I just can't seem to get enough of this on going tale about true Goddess and battle to save the world 🌎 and the people that resides here..
Dex and Cali's story is a crazy ride of unexpected happenings. I had a feeling about Dex and it turned out right but I won't spoil the surprise for everyone.
I love this crazy bunch of disfunctional characters. The banter and crazy happenings. It a rollercoaster of ride and I'm loving every minute of it. Now to move swiftly on to the next. I'm addicted what can I say... I will come back with a more in depth review after I've finished Ranger.
I love this story and the characters! I truly did not put it down. My only complaint is that I while I love all the characters I would of liked more information from Max's POV. She honestly is what makes the story so great! I look forward to the next book.
I just LOVE LOVE this series! I’m so glad that I was a little late in discovering it because that means that now I can just read all the books of the series in one go. I can’t remember the last time that I did that!
For centuries, the chades were considered the enemy of the wardens and the paladins but now with Max’s arrival everything is changing. One of those things is the thought that Chades would be bad. What if Chades were just sick?! If this is true that would mean that their society have been wrong about them for many centuries. That their society failed in helping the wardens that became Chades. And this is something that most of their society find hard to accept. Even Max’s own order is having trouble with this new way of thinking.
Cali is now part of Max’s order. After leaving her ‘old’ order, Cali never thought she would ever be part of a new one again. But Max isn’t like anyone she ever met before and their order isn’t like any order she has ever met before. Their order is more than an order, it’s family. Although Cali is a paladin and therefor a warrior, it’s only now that she’s respected for that. In her ‘old’ order she was used in other ways and that left some (invisible) scars on her. That’s why Cali doesn’t do relationships but she does have one night stands from time to time.
The last time wasn’t so long ago. Cali never expected to meet the hot and mysterious stranger again and certainly not in so strange circumstances. But she does and now she doesn’t know how to react or what to do with him.
Dex was once a proud air warden but that was many, many years ago. Now he lives hiding and ashamed from their society. After all those lonely years he never thought that he would have a chance to become part of the warden/paladin society again but that’s just what Max has planned for him. Max is a stubborn and strongminded woman and she’s determined to bring him back from his exile and to prove to everyone that she’s right. But what Max is trying to do is very dangerous because one wrong step could get them all killed. And then you have the chemistry between Cali and Dex. A chemistry that is wrong but feels so good. Can Dex and Cali really have a future together or was it never meant to be?
I find the ‘Elemental Paladins’ series very refreshing and wonderful. Each book in this series is a continue of the previous book. It’s like you’re reading one big story. Every book has also his own little surprises. In this book ‘Chade’ Dex was the big surprise and I just fell in love with him, just like all the other characters in this series. The story is told from both POV’s. Although both, Dex and Cali, are warriors that doesn’t mean that they can’t be gentle or empathic. I really liked both character.
The ‘Elemental PaIadins’ series are a fun series and I can’t wait to read more of it.
Having loved both Warden and Paladin I was super excited for Chades release, so imagine my surprise when I won an ARC on FB. Well as you can imagine as soon as it landed in my kindle, I devoured that bad boy like I devour my chocolate, greedily and lustily.
I loved Dex's character, he suffered becoming a Chade but still retained his humanity somewhat throughout. It doesn't hurt that he's also one hot guy. With the help of Max he begins the journey into becoming more like himself before the Chade took over. He also finds Cali, Paladin and part of Max's Order. Their chemistry is all consuming, not to mention steamy.
The overall storyline had me hooked from the get go, I can't really explain it further without giving away spoilers and I really don't like doing that if I can help it. You're just going to have to trust my judgement and download the book.
I am still in love with all the other characters, they are so strong and fiercely loyal to their liege. Even though they are an Order, they are first and foremost a family. They protect what's theirs, it's not just a job and I really felt that. It's a testament to an author that can make you feel and connect with the story and that is exactly what happened.
Montana has this way of making you think, of making you feel like you are a part of her stories. These are the books that stay with you long after you've read them.
The only thing now is the hardship of waiting for another book, I don't like waiting but I sure know it will be worth the wait!
Max has to prove herself to the Council, and whilst doing that mentions that Chades are sick & not monsters, well at least some of them.
Dex, a Chade, has a soul, and has saved Max many times over the years, from other Chades. She considers him a friend, even though he does take vitality from her. Max is determined to cure Dex and wants to prove to the Council that it can be done.
Lots of surprises in store about Chades, relationships, a baby, secret squirrels, great white pointer, new tattoos and a possible civil war among the Wardens, Paladins & Council members.
I really, really enjoyed this one. What Dex has been through, I can't even imagine. And it's so great to see such a truly good man get a second chance at life.
And it's so great to see more of the overall plot unfold with Max and the chades. I feel like there's got to be some people on the council who know a lot more about this than they let on. And I have to wonder if great champions - people like Charlemagne - were deliberately infected to turn them into chades and get them out of the villain's way...
Oh, what a ride! So we pick up in the aftermath of book two. I really am loving the character and story development. I like how the author has balanced the story and continuing character revelations and additions. I am extremely curious where this is going to go and I am along for this ride. I really enjoyed the emotional feels this book and the breadcrumbs that leave you wanting more. You should start with book one and just enjoy.
Amazing sequel to the previous Warden and Paladin books. I loved discovering a new character in Dex as well as the relationship with Max through the year. The plot begins to get more clear but still leaves us with a huge feeling a dread and excitement. I loved Cali before and even more as she fell for Dex, saving his soul as much as Max was doing by sharing her own vitality. Can't wait for Lark's story and to see the army being formed ;)
These are fairly classic romance tales in the sense that you know it's all going to work out in the end. The good thing is that the supporting plot has enough grunt to it to make the entire novel motivating material it see it through to the end.
The characters cover a broad spectrum of personalities from likeable to indelibly nasty.
Loved the continuation of the story and the mysteries surrounding what went wrong and how the wrong is to be fixed. Also, Max, as usual, totally ROCKs!!!
Dex becomes part of the family, in more ways than one. He retains his abilities as a Chade as well as regaining his warden command of the air. He tells Max there are more Chades who still have their souls and are capable of being cured.
I loved the romance in this book too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Oh my heavens! Did I love this book! The characters are so well developed and the plots so well written that I didn't want the book to end. A really great series. Bring on Book 4!!!
I seriously can't remember another time when a book has made me laugh so hard I couldn't read it because my eyes were watering. The story line is amazing. And although I usually hate when authors change POV between characters, it still somehow worked. I would've loved to have seen the entire series thru Max's eyes, but I still loved reading this series. Can't wait for the next 2 to come out.
I didn't think it was possible for a series to continue getting exponentially better, but it does. I think this may perhaps be my favorite of the Elemental Paladins series so far. So much intrigue and a deeply involved plot and no blunt cliffhanger. Chade revolves around Cali and newcomer, 'Dex' who has a bit of a past you learn more about as the story goes on. Dex is a chade; a sort of soul-sucking, energy vampire that somehow, Max has formed a congeniality with. She thinks he can be cured. Cali has the hots for him. All in all a wild ride that's funny, amusing, entertaining and thought provoking. I LOVED it. The only flaws...yes, there's some punctuation problems and I caught a spelling error. YES there is swearing, keep in mind the author is Aussie and they do not have the same hang ups as Americans do about swearing and sex. It's simply less taboo there than here so while it's much less than Max's book, 'Warden' it's still there and people need to just accept the wonderful, creative story and get over it. Also as with punctuation and grammar errors...while someone who is good with English and such will notice it it does NOT detract from the story whatsoever. This is what you get with Indie authors because good copy-editing is INSANELY expensive. Big published writers can afford it. This is some of Ash's first work to my knowledge and she keeps getting better. I only mention it because I know people get uptight about it, and they shouldn't because this is the nature of the beast. And it's a fantastic beast indeed. <3 Can't wait for book four!!!!!
Montana ash never fails to bring suspense and fantasy in her stories. Some series deteriorate over time, but the Paladins series never strays.
The third book, "Chade", tells the story of Dex and Cali. I've love Cali from the beginning. Her character is hard core and very loyal. In "Chade" we learn some more about Cali's history before joining Ryker and the cast away Paladins. Dex was a mysterious Chade who showed Max kindness during her time alone. This story line of the third book focuses on Max's ability and drive to convince the council and everyone else that most of the chade's can be cured. There are some startling revelations in this book, some I saw coming but others not. This story has had me hooked from the beginning and I can't wait for the 4th book.
Chade had me from the first page again! As you read the story about Dex and Cali and their struggle to fit in with each other. You learn a lot more is going on than anyone has thought. Max shows more of what she can do as her Order stands by her. There are parts that had me gripping my Kindle and saying oh my goodness did that just happen while laughing or crying during the next part. So many things have been revealed about the Chades and yet so many questions left unanswered. I really need the next book now! Montana Ash amazes me with what she can create and I'm so glad I found this series! You will not regret giving it a try.
There is a warmth in this writer's work that is pure Aussie. The characters especially Max are beyond like-able plus, they are funny, sensitive, silly, loyal and a little crazy in their thinking. Above all they are a family in the midst of some paranormal action with a twist, and because of this open to possibilities despite centuries of rules. The unruly group is willing to question and come to a new understanding of what often appears the enemy. Underneath the dark layers more exists, and this is why I thoroughly enjoy this series.
It's fun, it's entertaining and it has some lovely insight to keep us on our toes.
Montana Ash does it again! I just LOVE this series and when I think it can’t get any better, it does! What I love about this series is although each book is about a different couple, we still learn about the previous characters and they all continue to grow throughout the series. Montana captivates me, drawing me in with every word so that I live and feel the story, too. This instalment is about Dex and Cali. Somehow it’s heart-breaking but uplifting, too. I love that Cali is 100% in support of Dex, even with his chade status. If you have never read this series it really is a must!!
Another great read for the Elemental Paladin series! This one was a little more serious than the last two, but we still had our fun and sarcastic Max, so not always dark and serious. Cali and Dex are a impossible couple, or so everyone would think, but our sweet little Max just loves defying the beliefs held by both Warden and Paladin alike for hundreds of years. Bad for those that can't accept change and good for those that were slowly being crushed without it! Chade is definitely a must read!! Make sure to read both Warden and Paladin first, if not you'll be a little lost :/
This series just gets better. A few more laugh out loud moments in this one.
These people feel like close friends to me. I want it to be OK, The relationships, the friendships, the family. Its a well thought out unusual tale there's some violence but its a tiny part of the story in this book, I suspect that there will be more in the next part of the adventure. I wouldn't recommend reading this until you've read books 1 & 2 as you'll be missing out on some unique, page turning stories that are more than worth the time to read.
Another great book in the series, Chade is a real gem. I loved it from start to finish and can't wait to read the next one. This book is a little darker in tone than the first two and the epilogue opens on darker events yet to come. But like the previous books, it is still filled with humour and wicked deeds and enough sarcasm to satisfy even the most difficult critic. Great job!
I just love the world of Paladins, Wardens, and yes, Chades that the author has created. Her story is unique and her writing style just pulls you right in from the very beginning. Dex and Callie's story is no different. Max is her usual snarky self with just enough Ryker and the rest of the gang as the story evolves. I can't wait for Ranger, book 4, to see what happens next.
5 STARS! After finishing Chade (the 3rd entry to Elemental Paladins series), I read all the reviews and mostly everyone agreed that this was a great book. So I will list what was wrong with this book. Dex (sigh) was perfect; Cali was perfect, seeing all the secondary characters was perfect; the surprises are amazing and the biggest wrong was that it ended too soon. Please read this excellent series in order. 1) Warden and 2) Paladin. Please keep this series going and make it right!
Book 3 of the Elemental Paladins series takes the reader deeper into the story of Max and her Paladins and their journey to face an overwhelming foe. It has passion, great humor and intense emotion and leaves the reader highly satisfied with the ending and filled with anticipation for what is to come. Highly recommend.
The originality and imagination of this author has me captivated. In this day and age of every aspiring author publishing their attempts at writing so easily, I am so excited to find an author with such a unique voice. I can't put these books down. They are fantastic and addicting.