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Elemental Magicae #1
A Dance of Water and Air
Edmund is heir to the throne of Thalassa and a wielder of Water magic. Devoted to his kingdom and his duty to it, Edmund can do nothing but acquiesce to an arranged marriage with the queen of a neighboring kingdom. The marriage and the child it is required to produce will seal an alliance between Thalassa and Aither that is vital to Thalassa’s safety, and far more important than Edmund’s personal misgivings.
Arden is the younger brother of Aither’s queen and a wielder of Air magic. Raised in the politics of the court to support his sister’s rule, he understands the alliance is important to Aither, even as he worries about his sister marrying someone she’s never met. When Edmund arrives in Aither to prepare for the wedding, Arden is tasked with helping him settle in at court. As they spend more time together, Edmund and Arden develop a close friendship, then stronger feelings, but with Edmund’s wedding approaching, they must hide their feelings, even from themselves.
When someone tries to assassinate the queen, Edmund is blamed, and Arden rescues him before he can be executed for a crime he didn’t commit. To prevent a war between their kingdoms and protect them from a dangerous enemy, Edmund and Arden will have to discover who wants to pit Aither and Thalassa against each other and mend relations between the two kingdoms as they evade those searching for them—all while finding a way to be together.
Arden is the younger brother of Aither’s queen and a wielder of Air magic. Raised in the politics of the court to support his sister’s rule, he understands the alliance is important to Aither, even as he worries about his sister marrying someone she’s never met. When Edmund arrives in Aither to prepare for the wedding, Arden is tasked with helping him settle in at court. As they spend more time together, Edmund and Arden develop a close friendship, then stronger feelings, but with Edmund’s wedding approaching, they must hide their feelings, even from themselves.
When someone tries to assassinate the queen, Edmund is blamed, and Arden rescues him before he can be executed for a crime he didn’t commit. To prevent a war between their kingdoms and protect them from a dangerous enemy, Edmund and Arden will have to discover who wants to pit Aither and Thalassa against each other and mend relations between the two kingdoms as they evade those searching for them—all while finding a way to be together.
319 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2018
10 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Antonia Aquilante
13 books87 followersAntonia Aquilante has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours, she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years, but one thing has remained consistent - they all end in happily ever after.
She has a fondness for travel (and a long list of places she wants to visit and revisit), taking photos, family history, fabulous shoes, baking treats which she shares with friends and family, and of course reading. She usually has at least two books started at once and never goes anywhere without her Kindle. Though she is a convert to ebooks, she still loves paper books the best, and there are a couple thousand of them residing in her home with her.
Born and raised in New Jersey, she is living there again after years in Washington, DC, and North Carolina for school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.
She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the New Jersey Romance Writers.
She has a fondness for travel (and a long list of places she wants to visit and revisit), taking photos, family history, fabulous shoes, baking treats which she shares with friends and family, and of course reading. She usually has at least two books started at once and never goes anywhere without her Kindle. Though she is a convert to ebooks, she still loves paper books the best, and there are a couple thousand of them residing in her home with her.
Born and raised in New Jersey, she is living there again after years in Washington, DC, and North Carolina for school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.
She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the New Jersey Romance Writers.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 2, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
The best part of this book is the part that’s supposed to be the twist, but it’s not much of a twist and I think it’s both important enough, and well-done enough, that it doesn’t need a super-secret reveal to give it more of an impact. Indeed, the very lack of drama about the situation is part of what makes it both admirable and … normal. Arden is a transgender man living in a time when there are no hormones, no surgery; just chest binding, wearing men’s clothing, and both behaving and being treated like a prince of his kingdom, not a princess. The very lack of interest anyone shows about it is refreshing. Arden is treated, from start to finish, like a man. He is always described as, treated as, and behaves as a man. Even when his sister is yelling at Arden, she’s yelling at her brother. It’s so… ordinary. If it weren’t for the few mentions of Arden’s chest binding, or the love scene between he and Edmund, you’d never know because Arden’s sex (while it does play a role, later on) has nothing to do with his gender or his personality.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
The best part of this book is the part that’s supposed to be the twist, but it’s not much of a twist and I think it’s both important enough, and well-done enough, that it doesn’t need a super-secret reveal to give it more of an impact. Indeed, the very lack of drama about the situation is part of what makes it both admirable and … normal. Arden is a transgender man living in a time when there are no hormones, no surgery; just chest binding, wearing men’s clothing, and both behaving and being treated like a prince of his kingdom, not a princess. The very lack of interest anyone shows about it is refreshing. Arden is treated, from start to finish, like a man. He is always described as, treated as, and behaves as a man. Even when his sister is yelling at Arden, she’s yelling at her brother. It’s so… ordinary. If it weren’t for the few mentions of Arden’s chest binding, or the love scene between he and Edmund, you’d never know because Arden’s sex (while it does play a role, later on) has nothing to do with his gender or his personality.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
September 30, 2018
I have always been a strong proponent of the LGBTQIA+ movement and more diverse characters throughout the publishing business, so when I discovered 'A Dance of Water and Air', I was instantly drawn to the premise and the promise of such characters featuring heavily here. That was one of the features that Aquilante completely delivered on and not only that but the characters are relatable, believable and have a great dynamic between them.
The story is one that is a fun, lighthearted and entertaining read that holds your interest for the duration, but it is chock-a-block with tropes and as a result, lacks originality. It is the perfect choice for beach or holiday reading or for passing time on a rainy afternoon, however, if you're looking for a unique story, you'd be wise to look elsewhere. The narrative flows well from page-to-page and is straightforward enough to allow the reader to relax. Everything is so vividly imagined, from the characters to the worldbuilding - this is a decent fantasy novel with elemental magic at its core. Essentially, it explores the bonds of love we make in order to make this earthly existence a little more pleasurable for each of us.
We need more diversity in our fiction, and although it is becoming more prominent, we still require the momentum to make these characters from minority backgrounds, different sexual persuasions and the disabled a normality. They are as entitled to feature in books as any other, we just need to turn that into action.
Many thanks to NineStar Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
The story is one that is a fun, lighthearted and entertaining read that holds your interest for the duration, but it is chock-a-block with tropes and as a result, lacks originality. It is the perfect choice for beach or holiday reading or for passing time on a rainy afternoon, however, if you're looking for a unique story, you'd be wise to look elsewhere. The narrative flows well from page-to-page and is straightforward enough to allow the reader to relax. Everything is so vividly imagined, from the characters to the worldbuilding - this is a decent fantasy novel with elemental magic at its core. Essentially, it explores the bonds of love we make in order to make this earthly existence a little more pleasurable for each of us.
We need more diversity in our fiction, and although it is becoming more prominent, we still require the momentum to make these characters from minority backgrounds, different sexual persuasions and the disabled a normality. They are as entitled to feature in books as any other, we just need to turn that into action.
Many thanks to NineStar Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
February 20, 2020
When I first stumbled upon this book I knew I had to read it. Elemental magic, politics and a MM romance sounded like the perfect blend. I just knew I would enjoy this book, with that premise how I could I not. Sadly that wasn't the case and the premise was actually one of the few things I did like about this book.
The premise and set-up is great. prince Edmund has to marry the queen of the Air kingdom Aither. With only his secretary and one guard he goes to live at the palace in Aither. Instead of falling for the queen he falls for her brother prince Arden. The blurb does a good job of summing up about 50% of the plot if you're interested in knowing more. I like the set-up and was eager to see how this would play out, but the whole story just fell flat to me.
The story felt quite slow paced and not in a good way, there just wasn't a lot of things happening, very few big events and while I usually am fine with a slower pace there wasn't anything that kept my attention in the breaks between bigger events. And when things happened it felt like it happened to the characters with only a few places where they actively influenced what happened or where they took action.
I am not even sure why or what caused it, but the further I got the more I struggled through it. I really liked a twist about 50% into the book and I wanted to know who was behind it, so I kept reading. I started skimming passages about 75% as I was bored, the characters were sitting around doing nothing and I wanted the story and excitement to continue. Then at the end we finally do get the reveal and information I was hoping for, but it still lacked something. It was kinda weird how they figured things out and it lacked the impact I hoped for. I did like the whole politics situation, it was my favorite part of the book. I just would've liked to see more of it and feel more the emotional impact these events had.
This book is told from dual point of views from Edmund and Arden. Edmund has to go to the air kingdom and marry the queen, he doesn't want to, but he knows his duty and must do what he has to. Then he falls in love with Arden. This set-up had so much potential for emotions and difficult decisions, but instead there was none of that and I didn't care about the characters and didn't feel the romance. And I am just so sad as I wanted to love this book, but couldn't.
The characters didn't come alive. I feel like I hardly knew Edmund and Arden and the rest of the characters even less so. We learn some basics, like Edmund likes to swim, Arden likes horse riding. We know their magic affinity, we know they like to read and that's it. There just wasn't enough to really form an imagine of them. I didn't feel any of their emotions or what they're going through. I wanted to feel Edmund's struggle to adjust to life in this new kingdom, his struggle to connect with the women he had to marry and his conflict when falling for the prince instead.
Then there is the romance. Which I think was supposed to feel like a slow burn with them spending time together and becoming friends before falling in love. But due to the way the story was told it didn't feel this way at all. It's a lot of telling instead of showing. We know they spend time together we know they discuss books, but we are only told of these encounters, we don't get to see those scenes play out and experience them slowly growing closer. I know they know each other well and like each other, but I didn't feel or experience any of that. Then things progress to more and it just felt off somehow and like it progressed with these weird jumps and leaps. Their whole romance just fell flat for me.
Late in the book you find out one of the characters is actually trans and it was just so weird to have this key piece of information only dropped so late and even then it's just glossed over. I think the author attempted to make this so accepted or normal that there were no words necessary, but it just left me confused as I had no idea how any of the characters felt about this. Was the character okay with how he looked, did he struggle with this? It probably also doesn't help that I've read a fantasy romance book with a trans/ non-binary character where the whole concept is handled so well even in a medieval setting where physically changing your body is impossible. I understand how this character being trans was supposed to be easy and accepted, but to me it just felt off and I still wanted to know how the characters thought about this. I think it would've been possible to address the topic more closely and still show how accepting everyone was and how normal it was.
The world building was another thing I struggled with. I loved the idea of these four kingdoms were each of the kingdoms mostly has magic users of one type and I was excited and curious to see how this would shape the different societies. There is a bit of that, but there isn't enough to my taste. There are a few descriptions of the countries and habits, but it didn't come to life. I didn't feel and experience how different these countries were, how that magic affinity shaped the lives of the people, how it was difficult for Edmund to get used to aither and miss the water as this country was so different. I hardly had a feel for the water kingdom and now he lives in a new kingdom and I couldn't even imagine what was different. It had such a cool concept and I was just disappointed the book didn't bring do more with this. There are some small things like how the wind people use sayings about the wind and the water people about water, which was cool, but it was only such a small thing. I wanted more. I wanted these four kingdoms to feel real and to see and experience how different it was. I wanted to see how magic users used the magic in everyday life, what they could do with it and how everywhere you go there was magic.What the limits are of the magic and what the price is of using it. What kind of things they can do with it. There hardly was any magic. The magic mostly functioned as the concept and maybe some discrimination/ differences between groups of people, but it didn't shape everyday life as much as I had hoped. There really are only 2 or 3 scenes with magic in it, in the whole book.
To summarize: I loved the concept and the premise of this book, but I sadly did not enjoy the book. The premise was exciting and I liked the bit of the political main storyline. Sadly that's one of the few things I liked about the book. The pace felt very slow, with not many interesting things happening. There is a lot of telling, not showing, where the events are told to the reader, but I never felt like I was seeing the story unfold or could feel what the characters were going through. I didn't feel like I got a good feel for the characters personalities and the romance fell flat to me. I wanted to feel the characters their emotions and see them fall in love. Instead the author sort of skips over/ narrates the bonding scenes instead of havign them play out. It didn't work for me. There also is a twist about a character being trans and the way it was handled felt off to me, I wanted to know what the characters thought about this and how it impacted their lives. There was so much potential for world building and I wanted to see more about the differences between the kingdoms and more magic, but the world building felt lacking to me with not enough to make the world come alive and there actually are only a few scenes with magic in them. Sadly this book just did not work for me, although the concept was great.
The premise and set-up is great. prince Edmund has to marry the queen of the Air kingdom Aither. With only his secretary and one guard he goes to live at the palace in Aither. Instead of falling for the queen he falls for her brother prince Arden. The blurb does a good job of summing up about 50% of the plot if you're interested in knowing more. I like the set-up and was eager to see how this would play out, but the whole story just fell flat to me.
The story felt quite slow paced and not in a good way, there just wasn't a lot of things happening, very few big events and while I usually am fine with a slower pace there wasn't anything that kept my attention in the breaks between bigger events. And when things happened it felt like it happened to the characters with only a few places where they actively influenced what happened or where they took action.
I am not even sure why or what caused it, but the further I got the more I struggled through it. I really liked a twist about 50% into the book and I wanted to know who was behind it, so I kept reading. I started skimming passages about 75% as I was bored, the characters were sitting around doing nothing and I wanted the story and excitement to continue. Then at the end we finally do get the reveal and information I was hoping for, but it still lacked something. It was kinda weird how they figured things out and it lacked the impact I hoped for. I did like the whole politics situation, it was my favorite part of the book. I just would've liked to see more of it and feel more the emotional impact these events had.
This book is told from dual point of views from Edmund and Arden. Edmund has to go to the air kingdom and marry the queen, he doesn't want to, but he knows his duty and must do what he has to. Then he falls in love with Arden. This set-up had so much potential for emotions and difficult decisions, but instead there was none of that and I didn't care about the characters and didn't feel the romance. And I am just so sad as I wanted to love this book, but couldn't.
The characters didn't come alive. I feel like I hardly knew Edmund and Arden and the rest of the characters even less so. We learn some basics, like Edmund likes to swim, Arden likes horse riding. We know their magic affinity, we know they like to read and that's it. There just wasn't enough to really form an imagine of them. I didn't feel any of their emotions or what they're going through. I wanted to feel Edmund's struggle to adjust to life in this new kingdom, his struggle to connect with the women he had to marry and his conflict when falling for the prince instead.
Then there is the romance. Which I think was supposed to feel like a slow burn with them spending time together and becoming friends before falling in love. But due to the way the story was told it didn't feel this way at all. It's a lot of telling instead of showing. We know they spend time together we know they discuss books, but we are only told of these encounters, we don't get to see those scenes play out and experience them slowly growing closer. I know they know each other well and like each other, but I didn't feel or experience any of that. Then things progress to more and it just felt off somehow and like it progressed with these weird jumps and leaps. Their whole romance just fell flat for me.
Late in the book you find out one of the characters is actually trans and it was just so weird to have this key piece of information only dropped so late and even then it's just glossed over. I think the author attempted to make this so accepted or normal that there were no words necessary, but it just left me confused as I had no idea how any of the characters felt about this. Was the character okay with how he looked, did he struggle with this? It probably also doesn't help that I've read a fantasy romance book with a trans/ non-binary character where the whole concept is handled so well even in a medieval setting where physically changing your body is impossible. I understand how this character being trans was supposed to be easy and accepted, but to me it just felt off and I still wanted to know how the characters thought about this. I think it would've been possible to address the topic more closely and still show how accepting everyone was and how normal it was.
The world building was another thing I struggled with. I loved the idea of these four kingdoms were each of the kingdoms mostly has magic users of one type and I was excited and curious to see how this would shape the different societies. There is a bit of that, but there isn't enough to my taste. There are a few descriptions of the countries and habits, but it didn't come to life. I didn't feel and experience how different these countries were, how that magic affinity shaped the lives of the people, how it was difficult for Edmund to get used to aither and miss the water as this country was so different. I hardly had a feel for the water kingdom and now he lives in a new kingdom and I couldn't even imagine what was different. It had such a cool concept and I was just disappointed the book didn't bring do more with this. There are some small things like how the wind people use sayings about the wind and the water people about water, which was cool, but it was only such a small thing. I wanted more. I wanted these four kingdoms to feel real and to see and experience how different it was. I wanted to see how magic users used the magic in everyday life, what they could do with it and how everywhere you go there was magic.What the limits are of the magic and what the price is of using it. What kind of things they can do with it. There hardly was any magic. The magic mostly functioned as the concept and maybe some discrimination/ differences between groups of people, but it didn't shape everyday life as much as I had hoped. There really are only 2 or 3 scenes with magic in it, in the whole book.
To summarize: I loved the concept and the premise of this book, but I sadly did not enjoy the book. The premise was exciting and I liked the bit of the political main storyline. Sadly that's one of the few things I liked about the book. The pace felt very slow, with not many interesting things happening. There is a lot of telling, not showing, where the events are told to the reader, but I never felt like I was seeing the story unfold or could feel what the characters were going through. I didn't feel like I got a good feel for the characters personalities and the romance fell flat to me. I wanted to feel the characters their emotions and see them fall in love. Instead the author sort of skips over/ narrates the bonding scenes instead of havign them play out. It didn't work for me. There also is a twist about a character being trans and the way it was handled felt off to me, I wanted to know what the characters thought about this and how it impacted their lives. There was so much potential for world building and I wanted to see more about the differences between the kingdoms and more magic, but the world building felt lacking to me with not enough to make the world come alive and there actually are only a few scenes with magic in them. Sadly this book just did not work for me, although the concept was great.
September 18, 2020
I requested this book from NetGalley around Sept 18th of 2018; but I didn't get a chance to download it after I was accepted by the Publisher to read/review before it was archived by NetGalley. So around July of 2019 I contacted the Publisher and asked if they could still send me a read and review copy.
They did!
And they also sent Elemental Magicae Book 2 A Harmony of Fire and Earth too! But unfortunately it's a digital edition I can only access while staying at the computer for long periods, so reading had been hit or miss (I didn't say this as I was grateful to read it nonetheless) so all my thanks Raevyn McCann at Nine Star Press!
A Dance of Water and Air's rich political and magical world pulled me in time and time again, Prince Edmund of Thalassa comes to the land of Aither with only his advisor Peregrine and Seren at his side to guard him and is tossed into the court of Queen Hollis, to whom he is betrothed. Yet she's content to let him be shown around by her brother, Arden of Aither, who between books and horse riding finds common ground, and more, with Edmund.
So too does Peregrine, for Ciaran, Arden's trusted friend who's sister Larkin and brother in law Merrick make up a part of Hollis' counsel and court eyes for Arden. A mystery hangs uneasily over Aither, for the old king was assassinated and none know it but the councilors and the siblings. Edmund knows only that Tycen, who's royal family's Fire affinity for magic make them dangerous to both Aither and Thalassa can't be shown any reason to doubt a marriage alliance between the two kingdoms future monarchs.
Yet between Adren's visits Edmund finds himself lonely, longing for his affinity with Water, undines, and that attraction between them. When things are suddenly thrown into motion by a assassination attempt on Hollis, Edmund finding himself and his companions from Thalassa in the dungeons of Aither, while Ardan must work to save him from death, by risking exile, and finds betrayals behind family and friends.
This reminded me of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Master series in that undines were for Water magics and sylphs for Air and will be curious if the rest of Paracelsus' theory is followed with Earth and gnomes, Fire and salamanders?
They did!
And they also sent Elemental Magicae Book 2 A Harmony of Fire and Earth too! But unfortunately it's a digital edition I can only access while staying at the computer for long periods, so reading had been hit or miss (I didn't say this as I was grateful to read it nonetheless) so all my thanks Raevyn McCann at Nine Star Press!
A Dance of Water and Air's rich political and magical world pulled me in time and time again, Prince Edmund of Thalassa comes to the land of Aither with only his advisor Peregrine and Seren at his side to guard him and is tossed into the court of Queen Hollis, to whom he is betrothed. Yet she's content to let him be shown around by her brother, Arden of Aither, who between books and horse riding finds common ground, and more, with Edmund.
So too does Peregrine, for Ciaran, Arden's trusted friend who's sister Larkin and brother in law Merrick make up a part of Hollis' counsel and court eyes for Arden. A mystery hangs uneasily over Aither, for the old king was assassinated and none know it but the councilors and the siblings. Edmund knows only that Tycen, who's royal family's Fire affinity for magic make them dangerous to both Aither and Thalassa can't be shown any reason to doubt a marriage alliance between the two kingdoms future monarchs.
Yet between Adren's visits Edmund finds himself lonely, longing for his affinity with Water, undines, and that attraction between them. When things are suddenly thrown into motion by a assassination attempt on Hollis, Edmund finding himself and his companions from Thalassa in the dungeons of Aither, while Ardan must work to save him from death, by risking exile, and finds betrayals behind family and friends.
This reminded me of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Master series in that undines were for Water magics and sylphs for Air and will be curious if the rest of Paracelsus' theory is followed with Earth and gnomes, Fire and salamanders?
July 12, 2020
Loved the development of the romance between the characters. They're attracted right away, but resist since they believe it's not meant to be. They're very sweet together. Plus, I love the magic aspects of the story. Really well done.
October 12, 2018
At times, I feel like I write so many reviews which ought to contain the words 'I really wanted to like this book, but...' and A Dance of Water and Air is just another one of those reviews. For starters, the title itself feels awkward as the elements are just the wrong way round for it to seem natural. That is the least of this book's problems from my perspective.
The basic premise of the book is that we have two neighbouring kingdoms in a universe where people have elemental magic but tend towards having an affinity for one over the rest. You can tell it's a fantasy book because Affinity gets a capital A every time it appears. Said kingdoms are threatened by another neighbour and a plan is hatched to marry the eldest son of one kingdom (Edmund) to the queen of the other, with Edmund getting shipped off there a few months before the wedding so he can get to know his prospective bride.
Since she pretty much ignores him once he arrives, Edmund inconveniently falls for the queen's brother (Arden) and also eventually gets accused of an attempt on the queen's life. This forces Arden to make a choice and he chooses to rescue his putative boyfriend, who's been thrown into a dungeon. After fleeing back to Edmund's kingdom and the queen reluctantly agreeing the two of them can marry, Edmund and Arden are discussing the threat from their neighbours and then the book just stops - I think it's meant to be a cliffhanger (maybe?) but instead it left me wondering if there was a problem with the file.
I liked the overall world-building but sadly the characters didn't manage to be as interesting, being generally pretty two-dimensional. There's also a surprise 'oh, by the way I have breasts' moment for one of the characters that I really didn't see coming. Likewise, I found the convenience of the pairing off of Arden and Edmund's respective secretaries just a bit too much like high school and double dating to take seriously. But then all of them were very much working on 'oh, he's so handsome that I must fall in love with him' levels so I guess it's not a massive surprise.
I received this book from Netgalley on condition of giving an honest review.
The basic premise of the book is that we have two neighbouring kingdoms in a universe where people have elemental magic but tend towards having an affinity for one over the rest. You can tell it's a fantasy book because Affinity gets a capital A every time it appears. Said kingdoms are threatened by another neighbour and a plan is hatched to marry the eldest son of one kingdom (Edmund) to the queen of the other, with Edmund getting shipped off there a few months before the wedding so he can get to know his prospective bride.
Since she pretty much ignores him once he arrives, Edmund inconveniently falls for the queen's brother (Arden) and also eventually gets accused of an attempt on the queen's life. This forces Arden to make a choice and he chooses to rescue his putative boyfriend, who's been thrown into a dungeon. After fleeing back to Edmund's kingdom and the queen reluctantly agreeing the two of them can marry, Edmund and Arden are discussing the threat from their neighbours and then the book just stops - I think it's meant to be a cliffhanger (maybe?) but instead it left me wondering if there was a problem with the file.
I liked the overall world-building but sadly the characters didn't manage to be as interesting, being generally pretty two-dimensional. There's also a surprise 'oh, by the way I have breasts' moment for one of the characters that I really didn't see coming. Likewise, I found the convenience of the pairing off of Arden and Edmund's respective secretaries just a bit too much like high school and double dating to take seriously. But then all of them were very much working on 'oh, he's so handsome that I must fall in love with him' levels so I guess it's not a massive surprise.
I received this book from Netgalley on condition of giving an honest review.
September 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this first book in Elemental Magicae. Edmund is heir to the throne of the kingdom of Thalassa. He has strong water magic that is evident in the coloring of his eyes and hair. To strengthen the bonds with the neighboring kingdom of Aither, Edmund is asked to make a political marriage to its queen. Despite being what we would probably term gray sexual, Edmund agrees to do his duty.
When he arrives, the queen shows almost no interest in Edmund. Instead, she asks her brother Arden, who is proficient in air magic, to show Edmund around and entertain him. The two become good friends with much in common. From the friendship, a mutual attraction emerges, which is a rare occurrence for Edmund. They almost regret Edmund's engagement to Arden's sister, but still know they must continue for the good of both countries.
All is not as it seems and danger lurks. This book has palace intrigue, alliances and deception, spies, and action. It also has a beautiful romance. The book ends in a good place, but there are still many questions to answer. I look forward to reading the next book!
When he arrives, the queen shows almost no interest in Edmund. Instead, she asks her brother Arden, who is proficient in air magic, to show Edmund around and entertain him. The two become good friends with much in common. From the friendship, a mutual attraction emerges, which is a rare occurrence for Edmund. They almost regret Edmund's engagement to Arden's sister, but still know they must continue for the good of both countries.
All is not as it seems and danger lurks. This book has palace intrigue, alliances and deception, spies, and action. It also has a beautiful romance. The book ends in a good place, but there are still many questions to answer. I look forward to reading the next book!
October 1, 2019
The demi and trans rep in this was awesome.
September 20, 2023
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
A Dance of Water and Air : Elemental Magicae, Book 1
by Antonia Aquilante
★★★★★
319 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: kidnapping, assassination,
Themes: fantasy, LGBT, magic, royalty, arranged marriage, political intrigue, POC MC, Trans MC, demisexual and bisexual rep
A Dance of Water and Air is the first incredible book in the Elemental Magicae duology. After the stunning – and long-running – love I developed for Aquilante's Chronicles of Tournai series, I'll admit that I was tentative about starting a new series, afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations. I'm happy to say that I was completely wrong. Elemental Magicae is just as good as Tournai, with strong characters, a clever plot of political intrigue, and lots of edge-of-your-seat anticipation.
The story begins with young Prince Edmund of Thalassa being informed that – due to rising threats from neighbouring Tycen – an arranged marriage to the Queen of Aither has been arranged for him. As a child of the Water element, he's to be sent to the Aither kingdom, who belong to the Air element. Seeing it his duty, Edmund goes without argument, only to arrive and immediately face Queen Hollis' disinterest and frosty demeanour. Claiming she's too busy, she asked her brother, Prince Arden to to see that Edmund learns the kingdom.
Prince Arden once thought he and Hollis were close, but their father has recently been assassinated, throwing Hollis into the Queenship, and nothing has been the same since. She only tells him of the arranged marriage after it has been agreed, and he can't understand why she would invite Edmund to the kingdom only to ignore him. Arden certainly can't do that.
Being forced together by Hollis' disinterest, Arden and Edmund begin to grow closer...and closer...and closer.
Arden and Edmund, as characters, as so sweet and equally tempered. It was obvious how well matched they would be from the first moment we saw them. I loved how open and honest they were with each other, how their chemistry built naturally and slowly, first through friendship and common interests only to grow into something more. I utterly adore their ability to communicate, to argue and debate with each other, and to both see the bigger picture. As both were raised as Princes, it's no surprise that they were both trained to lead a situation, but they also both knew when to step back and when to fight for taking control.
The representation in the story is incredible. Arden is trans FTM and it's so natural to everyone to just accept and acknowledge that he's Prince Arden that it's never questioned. Everyone, from rival kingdoms to the guards to the Queen, call him Prince Arden. With this being a historical fantasy setting, there's no surgery or transitioning, other than binding his chest and living as the man he is.
There was also great representation for a bisexual MC – Arden – and for Edmund, who was so unfamiliar with the concept of love and attraction that I debated whether he might be Ace or Demi. In the end, it'd say he's demisexual, but the fact he accepted that and didn't try to force himself to feel differently was great. Yet, at the same time, there was the fear that he would be unable to fulfil the arranged marriage requirements of providing a child because of his feelings, which was also a great way to explore how he felt.
In terms of plot, I don't want to say too much about what happens, but the blurb is spot on. I worried that it might take a while to get to the assassination attempt, and have the story split between the two books of the duology, but that wasn't the case at all.
By 35%, we've had the full scope of Edmund and Arden being hit with the shocking news f the arranged marriage, trying to deal with what that means personally, and then meeting when Edmund arrives in Aither. The attraction is instant, but neither acts on it for quite a while, so in terms of the length of the book, it's definitely a slow burn romance. It isn't until around the 30-35% mark that either admit their feelings to themselves never mind each other. And when they do, it's hardly the time to explore those feelings, because the assassination attempt has been made and they're running for their lives, trying to find a way to prove Edmund's innocence.
I LOVE how the entire assassination attempt came about. It was sudden, completely out of left field, and yet there had been small crumbs dribbled to hint that something was happening behind the scenes. Then, once the attempt is made, everything happens quite quickly with Arden trying to reason with Hollis about Edmund's innocence, then escaping with Edmund when that proves impossible. On the run, their feelings intensify – as does the sense of danger and anticipation.
I absolutely loved the fact that, from 35% there was a constant sense of fear and tension, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to get caught. Although there were a few lighter moments, that tension never left, which made for an exciting read.
The secondary characters are just as interesting as the primary. I absolutely fell in love with Arden and Edmund from the beginning, but I also loved their “secretaries” Peregrine and Ciaran, and how their relationship developed. I love Ciaran's role as a spy and his bond with his twin sister, Larkin. I hated Hollis – Arden's sister – from the very beginning, and I don't see that changing as we go into Book 2. I'm intrigued by Edmund's siblings, and had a theory about Gareth that proved right.
~
Are there any negatives?
Yes, just a few, and not enough to make me lower my rating of the book.
I would have liked to have a hint or some knowledge that Arden was trans earlier in the story. There's a hint at 32% that he could have provided Edmund with a child if he'd been promised in place of his sister, but as the author has written mpreg before, that doesn't instantly point to a trans MC. I was only sure the MC was trans at 49% when Arden mentioned binding his chest. Knowing earlier would have clarified a few conversations that were ambiguous at best, without that knowledge.
Also, we don't find out Seren – Edmund's guard – is a woman until 40%. As there has been no mention of female guards until this point – not in Aither or Thalassus – it was unclear if female guards existed in this world. A little clarity on that would have been nice earlier on in the book.
At Chapter 2 – and in some other scene jumps – there is a confusion in the timeline. Chapter 2 was the most confusing and prominent, as it went from being told of the arranged marriage to Edmund packing to leave Thalassus. It took 6 pages into the chapter to realise that it wasn't the same day or the next day, but possibly days or weeks later. The jump is only noted by Edmund telling his mother that he should have written to tell her of the engagement, and since she only arrived the night before, it's implied that she lives far enough away to make a sent letter take days rather than just a few hours.
There were other places where time passed without mention, and I gave up trying to guess whether it had been hours or days.
~
OVERALL
Other than a few small niggles, I loved everything about this book. From the characters to the romance, to the intrigue and the anticipation, to the constant excitement of not knowing what would happen next, it was an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster from start to finish. As the percent got higher, I worried it would end in a cliffhanger and while it did in a way, the book took time to wrap up most of the issues that had been raised throughout. I can't wait to read Book 2 and conclude the story.
~
Favourite Quotes
“marry me. Or should you be asking me, since you're the one who'll be king someday?”
Laughter bubbled up from inside him. “I suppose I should, but I don't care. Yes, I'll marry you, and you'll marry me.”
“Do you think we'll live happily ever after like in the tales?”
“Absolutely. As soon as we avert a war.”
Copy received through Netgalley
~
A Dance of Water and Air : Elemental Magicae, Book 1
by Antonia Aquilante
★★★★★
319 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: kidnapping, assassination,
Themes: fantasy, LGBT, magic, royalty, arranged marriage, political intrigue, POC MC, Trans MC, demisexual and bisexual rep
A Dance of Water and Air is the first incredible book in the Elemental Magicae duology. After the stunning – and long-running – love I developed for Aquilante's Chronicles of Tournai series, I'll admit that I was tentative about starting a new series, afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations. I'm happy to say that I was completely wrong. Elemental Magicae is just as good as Tournai, with strong characters, a clever plot of political intrigue, and lots of edge-of-your-seat anticipation.
The story begins with young Prince Edmund of Thalassa being informed that – due to rising threats from neighbouring Tycen – an arranged marriage to the Queen of Aither has been arranged for him. As a child of the Water element, he's to be sent to the Aither kingdom, who belong to the Air element. Seeing it his duty, Edmund goes without argument, only to arrive and immediately face Queen Hollis' disinterest and frosty demeanour. Claiming she's too busy, she asked her brother, Prince Arden to to see that Edmund learns the kingdom.
Prince Arden once thought he and Hollis were close, but their father has recently been assassinated, throwing Hollis into the Queenship, and nothing has been the same since. She only tells him of the arranged marriage after it has been agreed, and he can't understand why she would invite Edmund to the kingdom only to ignore him. Arden certainly can't do that.
Being forced together by Hollis' disinterest, Arden and Edmund begin to grow closer...and closer...and closer.
Arden and Edmund, as characters, as so sweet and equally tempered. It was obvious how well matched they would be from the first moment we saw them. I loved how open and honest they were with each other, how their chemistry built naturally and slowly, first through friendship and common interests only to grow into something more. I utterly adore their ability to communicate, to argue and debate with each other, and to both see the bigger picture. As both were raised as Princes, it's no surprise that they were both trained to lead a situation, but they also both knew when to step back and when to fight for taking control.
The representation in the story is incredible. Arden is trans FTM and it's so natural to everyone to just accept and acknowledge that he's Prince Arden that it's never questioned. Everyone, from rival kingdoms to the guards to the Queen, call him Prince Arden. With this being a historical fantasy setting, there's no surgery or transitioning, other than binding his chest and living as the man he is.
There was also great representation for a bisexual MC – Arden – and for Edmund, who was so unfamiliar with the concept of love and attraction that I debated whether he might be Ace or Demi. In the end, it'd say he's demisexual, but the fact he accepted that and didn't try to force himself to feel differently was great. Yet, at the same time, there was the fear that he would be unable to fulfil the arranged marriage requirements of providing a child because of his feelings, which was also a great way to explore how he felt.
In terms of plot, I don't want to say too much about what happens, but the blurb is spot on. I worried that it might take a while to get to the assassination attempt, and have the story split between the two books of the duology, but that wasn't the case at all.
By 35%, we've had the full scope of Edmund and Arden being hit with the shocking news f the arranged marriage, trying to deal with what that means personally, and then meeting when Edmund arrives in Aither. The attraction is instant, but neither acts on it for quite a while, so in terms of the length of the book, it's definitely a slow burn romance. It isn't until around the 30-35% mark that either admit their feelings to themselves never mind each other. And when they do, it's hardly the time to explore those feelings, because the assassination attempt has been made and they're running for their lives, trying to find a way to prove Edmund's innocence.
I LOVE how the entire assassination attempt came about. It was sudden, completely out of left field, and yet there had been small crumbs dribbled to hint that something was happening behind the scenes. Then, once the attempt is made, everything happens quite quickly with Arden trying to reason with Hollis about Edmund's innocence, then escaping with Edmund when that proves impossible. On the run, their feelings intensify – as does the sense of danger and anticipation.
I absolutely loved the fact that, from 35% there was a constant sense of fear and tension, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to get caught. Although there were a few lighter moments, that tension never left, which made for an exciting read.
The secondary characters are just as interesting as the primary. I absolutely fell in love with Arden and Edmund from the beginning, but I also loved their “secretaries” Peregrine and Ciaran, and how their relationship developed. I love Ciaran's role as a spy and his bond with his twin sister, Larkin. I hated Hollis – Arden's sister – from the very beginning, and I don't see that changing as we go into Book 2. I'm intrigued by Edmund's siblings, and had a theory about Gareth that proved right.
~
Are there any negatives?
Yes, just a few, and not enough to make me lower my rating of the book.
I would have liked to have a hint or some knowledge that Arden was trans earlier in the story. There's a hint at 32% that he could have provided Edmund with a child if he'd been promised in place of his sister, but as the author has written mpreg before, that doesn't instantly point to a trans MC. I was only sure the MC was trans at 49% when Arden mentioned binding his chest. Knowing earlier would have clarified a few conversations that were ambiguous at best, without that knowledge.
Also, we don't find out Seren – Edmund's guard – is a woman until 40%. As there has been no mention of female guards until this point – not in Aither or Thalassus – it was unclear if female guards existed in this world. A little clarity on that would have been nice earlier on in the book.
At Chapter 2 – and in some other scene jumps – there is a confusion in the timeline. Chapter 2 was the most confusing and prominent, as it went from being told of the arranged marriage to Edmund packing to leave Thalassus. It took 6 pages into the chapter to realise that it wasn't the same day or the next day, but possibly days or weeks later. The jump is only noted by Edmund telling his mother that he should have written to tell her of the engagement, and since she only arrived the night before, it's implied that she lives far enough away to make a sent letter take days rather than just a few hours.
There were other places where time passed without mention, and I gave up trying to guess whether it had been hours or days.
~
OVERALL
Other than a few small niggles, I loved everything about this book. From the characters to the romance, to the intrigue and the anticipation, to the constant excitement of not knowing what would happen next, it was an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster from start to finish. As the percent got higher, I worried it would end in a cliffhanger and while it did in a way, the book took time to wrap up most of the issues that had been raised throughout. I can't wait to read Book 2 and conclude the story.
~
Favourite Quotes
“marry me. Or should you be asking me, since you're the one who'll be king someday?”
Laughter bubbled up from inside him. “I suppose I should, but I don't care. Yes, I'll marry you, and you'll marry me.”
“Do you think we'll live happily ever after like in the tales?”
“Absolutely. As soon as we avert a war.”
October 4, 2018
I received a review copy over NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First of all I gotta say that this is a very diverse book and that is amazing. It centers around a m/m relationship in a fantasy world and also features a trans character. Amazing is how in this world LGBT relationships seem to be quite a norm and aren't questioned, which I thought was very nice and refreshing.
The first half of this book was actually very enjoyable to me and I did like the characters and their relationships a lot, but then, after the first big plot twist, it somehow took a turn for me. I was expecting more of a slow burn, but the main romance turned out to be very insta love after all and I couldn't really connect to it anymore after the first, very out of nowhere kiss. Yes, the attraction was there, but the motivation behind that first kiss still felt weird to me.
I was very into the mystery that was introduced as the first plot twist at first, but then it didn't really seem to be important anymore and the story concentrated on the romance over everything else and somehow at that point I had lost all interest in that. Everything moved very fast and conveniently and then the story was over. The final show down was way too quick and without any real stakes.
Overall, I'd say to check this read out if you're into diverse content like this and aren't bothered by insta love. If you're just here for the romance you won't mind the side plot being so underdeveloped as well, but I think the way it was introduced it should have definitely got more attention.
Very interesting premise and a promising start, but overall this book sadly can't deliver what it set out to in the end.
First of all I gotta say that this is a very diverse book and that is amazing. It centers around a m/m relationship in a fantasy world and also features a trans character. Amazing is how in this world LGBT relationships seem to be quite a norm and aren't questioned, which I thought was very nice and refreshing.
The first half of this book was actually very enjoyable to me and I did like the characters and their relationships a lot, but then, after the first big plot twist, it somehow took a turn for me. I was expecting more of a slow burn, but the main romance turned out to be very insta love after all and I couldn't really connect to it anymore after the first, very out of nowhere kiss. Yes, the attraction was there, but the motivation behind that first kiss still felt weird to me.
I was very into the mystery that was introduced as the first plot twist at first, but then it didn't really seem to be important anymore and the story concentrated on the romance over everything else and somehow at that point I had lost all interest in that. Everything moved very fast and conveniently and then the story was over. The final show down was way too quick and without any real stakes.
Overall, I'd say to check this read out if you're into diverse content like this and aren't bothered by insta love. If you're just here for the romance you won't mind the side plot being so underdeveloped as well, but I think the way it was introduced it should have definitely got more attention.
Very interesting premise and a promising start, but overall this book sadly can't deliver what it set out to in the end.
December 29, 2018
Overall, I liked this book, but I don’t think it’s going to be quite the favourite that some NineStar reads have been recently. It tells the story of Edmund, prince of the Water realm, who is betrothed to Hollis, queen of the Air realm – but he can’t help falling for Hollis’s charming brother, Arden. Both princes knew they’d need to marry for political gain, rather than love, but how will they cope with finding their soulmates so close, but so far out of reach?
Both Edmund and Arden have point of view pieces in this book – not individual chapters, necessarily, as the viewpoint sometimes changes in between. It’s nice to get to know each of them through their own thoughts, and they are nicely defined as characters. They had really cute chemistry from the get-go, and I loved that Edmund’s demi-sexuality meant that they spent a lot of time together and really got to know each other before deciding they had feelings for each other. Arden is a fantastic character – fashionable and snarky, but loyal and sweet – and I really loved that the fact that he was trans was an enormously non-important facet of his character. The world seems to have no transphobia and no homophobia – I thought it was great that when Edmund was discussing his possible alliances at the beginning of the book, princes and princesses were all considered as equally viable.
I didn’t feel like we really got to know Hollis very well, but as she remains inscrutable to both her brother and her betrothed, this is perhaps intentional. There are very very few female characters in this book, so it would have been nice to maybe have Hollis’s POV as well – but then this book would lean more into the fantasy side of things than the romance, and I think that’s what was bothering me most. The plot felt a little too underdeveloped, as if it had been woven around the romance – don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly enjoyable, but this world was so interesting I wanted more politics, more intrigue, more characters, more everything!
I did find that the book was a little long, or perhaps just a little slow in places. There were several repetitive passages that really could have been cut, such as when Edmund or Arden were worrying about something – now, I am someone who worries a lot, but I don’t think it’s necessary to note every single time a character thinks about a specific issue, because boy, is that repetitive. This really held the narrative back in places, and led to me being very frustrated with the characterisation. When you end up thinking ‘oh my god, just get ON with it’ at multiple characters, that’s not ideal for the pace of the story. Also – and this is just personal preference – I very much preferred the first half of the book, where Edmund has to navigate the intricacies of a foreign court, to the second half, where the boys are on the run together. I just like political intrigue, okay!
That being said, I thought this was a super cute and enjoyable read. I really liked both main characters and am interested to see whether they get to have a happily ever after in the second book, so I recommend this for those who enjoy good gay and trans rep in their fantasy, and a lovely relationship between cinnamon rolls. A solid four out of five cats.
Both Edmund and Arden have point of view pieces in this book – not individual chapters, necessarily, as the viewpoint sometimes changes in between. It’s nice to get to know each of them through their own thoughts, and they are nicely defined as characters. They had really cute chemistry from the get-go, and I loved that Edmund’s demi-sexuality meant that they spent a lot of time together and really got to know each other before deciding they had feelings for each other. Arden is a fantastic character – fashionable and snarky, but loyal and sweet – and I really loved that the fact that he was trans was an enormously non-important facet of his character. The world seems to have no transphobia and no homophobia – I thought it was great that when Edmund was discussing his possible alliances at the beginning of the book, princes and princesses were all considered as equally viable.
I didn’t feel like we really got to know Hollis very well, but as she remains inscrutable to both her brother and her betrothed, this is perhaps intentional. There are very very few female characters in this book, so it would have been nice to maybe have Hollis’s POV as well – but then this book would lean more into the fantasy side of things than the romance, and I think that’s what was bothering me most. The plot felt a little too underdeveloped, as if it had been woven around the romance – don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly enjoyable, but this world was so interesting I wanted more politics, more intrigue, more characters, more everything!
I did find that the book was a little long, or perhaps just a little slow in places. There were several repetitive passages that really could have been cut, such as when Edmund or Arden were worrying about something – now, I am someone who worries a lot, but I don’t think it’s necessary to note every single time a character thinks about a specific issue, because boy, is that repetitive. This really held the narrative back in places, and led to me being very frustrated with the characterisation. When you end up thinking ‘oh my god, just get ON with it’ at multiple characters, that’s not ideal for the pace of the story. Also – and this is just personal preference – I very much preferred the first half of the book, where Edmund has to navigate the intricacies of a foreign court, to the second half, where the boys are on the run together. I just like political intrigue, okay!
That being said, I thought this was a super cute and enjoyable read. I really liked both main characters and am interested to see whether they get to have a happily ever after in the second book, so I recommend this for those who enjoy good gay and trans rep in their fantasy, and a lovely relationship between cinnamon rolls. A solid four out of five cats.
October 16, 2018
This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.
In a world in which elemental (water, air, earth, fire) magic abounds, Edmund is a prince who is proficient in water magic. As the heir, he always expected that he would marry for his kingdom. However, he never imagined that his marriage alliance would mean that he would have to move to a neighboring country. Edmund’s father has negotiated an alliance with the queen of the neighboring country where many are proficient in air magic. After Edmund’s arrival, he was alone and isolated, with few allies. The queen set her brother Arden to accompany Edmund and soon the two become close. Separately they both realize the attraction but know that it cannot be. However, when allegations are made against Edmund, Arden has no choice but to act. By doing so he changes the course of their lives.
I love fantasy stories, so I was interested to read Antonia Aquilante’s new series. While there were elements that I liked, including the elemental magic aspect of the story, and there were also significant things that I did not like. Mostly, the story was not very developed and touched on many things only shallowly. For instance, I was hoping to learn more about the court intrigue behind why the queen acted a certain way, and it was never really explained thoroughly. Also, Edmund’s background, including his family, was not very developed, either. I think the author may have done this for effect given the last chapter of the book (with a slightly cliffhanger-y ending), but I would have definitely liked more.
March 12, 2019
(Realistic rating: possibly as low as 2.5, because it really felt like a slog at times and so much of it was at least lowkey boring/disappointing -- but I'll round up because the premise is so creative, and there's so much potential! It's so unfortunate it wasn't all executed better!)
I really, really liked this premise -- I mean, gays and elemental magic? Is there better catnip for me?? -- but unfortunately, the book itself is kind of a hellacious mess. The writing is wildly subpar, the pacing is deeply off, and the actual time dedicated to things like backstory, character development, relationship building, or political machinations is extremely not what it should be. It's such a shame, because like I said, there's so much potential here! I'm giving it three stars almost entirely on potential alone! I do enjoy the shells of the characters set up here, and the chemistry between them, and the EXTREMELY casual trans rep is so good, and I love the premise of the elemental magic to begin with? It should be so interesting!! But it all barely skims past the surface of how cool it all seems, and overall it's very much not executed well at all, to the point where I'm really not sure if I'll be interested in the second book (even if the promise of more elemental gays is so tempting!!).
I really, really liked this premise -- I mean, gays and elemental magic? Is there better catnip for me?? -- but unfortunately, the book itself is kind of a hellacious mess. The writing is wildly subpar, the pacing is deeply off, and the actual time dedicated to things like backstory, character development, relationship building, or political machinations is extremely not what it should be. It's such a shame, because like I said, there's so much potential here! I'm giving it three stars almost entirely on potential alone! I do enjoy the shells of the characters set up here, and the chemistry between them, and the EXTREMELY casual trans rep is so good, and I love the premise of the elemental magic to begin with? It should be so interesting!! But it all barely skims past the surface of how cool it all seems, and overall it's very much not executed well at all, to the point where I'm really not sure if I'll be interested in the second book (even if the promise of more elemental gays is so tempting!!).
October 16, 2018
I really enjoyed A Dance of Water and Air. I adored the premise of the story, with the elemental magic, and I also fell in love with both Edmund and Arden. Their relationship was beautifully handled, their romance developing at a believable rate alongside all the other dramas taking place. Aquilante's excellent pacing, good world building, and compelling prose kept me feverishly turning the pages, and I am certainly keen to read on to book two, to see what will happen next for the two princes. Recommended for fans of LGBT fantasy romance.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
July 28, 2019
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This was a lovely story and it had as nice flow to it and the world was detailed enough that one can picture like being there. The story is sweet even in the fear of war and the two countries at at odds. I really like Edmund and Arden. It just touched me in such good way. I still have some questions but I find that happens to me a lot because my mind gets working.
October 27, 2018
I have read all of this author’s books. She just keeps getting better and better. The suspense in this novel made it a really enjoyable read. I won’t spoil anything, but I love how she connects a hint of mystery at the beginning with a big teaser at the end. Can’t wait for the second book to come out!
May 16, 2020
I had really high hopes for this one. It fell pretty flat for me. Filled with plot holes about the marriage alliance. This was really bland, a whole lot of nothing happened for most of the book; The idea was there but it was poorly executed.
October 3, 2018
3.5 stars - With excellent LGBTQ+ representation and an elemental magic system, 'A Dance of Water and Air' is an enjoyable YA fantasy.
October 7, 2018
It was quite good but at the same time lacking a little something to make it great. I can't put my finger on it but it made the story feel a little too flat.
February 27, 2024
Boring characters, slow pacing, flat romance. And why is this tagged MM romance? M stans for male. This was MF.
September 16, 2024
Både intressant och underhållande, jag rekommenderar den och kommer att läsa nästa bok i serien.
June 10, 2025
I really liked the first half - it kind of lost my interest after that - but still a lovely - perfectly fine book
April 20, 2021
We follow Edmund, heir to the throne of Thalassa as he is betrothed to the heir to the Aither kingdom, Hollis, which it is hoped will strength both kingdoms against their enemies. However, Edmund and Hollis's brother, Arden, strike up a friendship which leads to something more. Amidst this are political problems and Edmund and Arden have to flee.
One of the main points I loved about this book was the complete acceptance in this world of LGBT relationships and I adored the elemental magic (I need to read more books with elemental magic in them). I liked the relationship between the characters of Edmund and Arden as well as Peregrine and his love interest (I can't remember his name!). Overall, it was a very quick, entertaining and light hearted fantasy read with a conclusion I wanted and interesting magic elements; however it was definitely trope filled, nothing new to the genre and a little cheesy at times but if you are looking for a quick, fun read with LGBT elements in a good fantasy setting then check it out.
*via netgalley
One of the main points I loved about this book was the complete acceptance in this world of LGBT relationships and I adored the elemental magic (I need to read more books with elemental magic in them). I liked the relationship between the characters of Edmund and Arden as well as Peregrine and his love interest (I can't remember his name!). Overall, it was a very quick, entertaining and light hearted fantasy read with a conclusion I wanted and interesting magic elements; however it was definitely trope filled, nothing new to the genre and a little cheesy at times but if you are looking for a quick, fun read with LGBT elements in a good fantasy setting then check it out.
*via netgalley
November 19, 2021
A Dance of Water and Air by Antonia Aquilante is an elemental fantasy romance story following Prince Edmund and Prince Arden as they handle betrayal, threats from another kingdom and an arranged marriage. This LGBTQ+ novel has good diversity with the characters, though I felt that it wasn't handle quite as smoothly as it could have been.
The characters, while developed, seemed to fall flat for me. And the story a bit rushed in sections with shaky foreshadowing. I'd enjoyed the aspects of magic within the story, and wished there was even more of it.
My biggest complaint with the story was how some aspects of the story seemed more thrown on and wasn't ever truly established from moment one.
The characters, while developed, seemed to fall flat for me. And the story a bit rushed in sections with shaky foreshadowing. I'd enjoyed the aspects of magic within the story, and wished there was even more of it.
My biggest complaint with the story was how some aspects of the story seemed more thrown on and wasn't ever truly established from moment one.
Want to read
September 28, 2018A Dance of Water and Air (Elemental Magicae, #1) (ARC) was graciously provided to me by IndiGo Marketing & Design for an honest review. Review to follow.
September 30, 2018
With this book Antonia Aquilante proved that she has good ideas. And that’s about it.
The book premise is interesting. Edmund, a prince with affinity for water magic sees himself into an arranged marriage with a queen from a country were the affinity for air magic prevails. Although his duty, he starts to get close to Queen Hollis brother, Arden. As if that wasn’t bad enough there is an attempt against Hollis’ life and Edmund is the suspect number one. By all means this would be the foundations to a very good story full of court intrigue and possibly action.
But it is not.
On the first part of the book, as we are introduced to the characters, we spend most of time jumping from one scene to another. These cuts are abrupt and confusing and make us feel that the author didn’t want to or didn’t feel comfortable describing some scenes that would be more difficult. Further on the book there aren’t so many abrupt cuts but they still exist.
Descriptions are few and sparse and when made are sometimes out of place. They are also simple, as it is the whole vocabulary throughout the book, and do not let the reader to get inside the book. Instead I could only imagine generic places and characters.
Adding to the bad descriptions is the fact that characters are badly introduced leaving us trying to correctly place them in the story.
When it comes to the chemistry between the two main characters it follows the overused trope of attraction because of the looks and nothing more is really added after that. Well we are informed that they did spend a long time together, ridding, talking or just hanging around but we don’t see much of it since the author just jumps all the bonding.
Overall this book read like fan fiction, felling that no real though was put in it other than the poor build up for two princes romance. The plot was badly developed, the characters interactions felt badly constructed and over all failed to impress.
The book premise is interesting. Edmund, a prince with affinity for water magic sees himself into an arranged marriage with a queen from a country were the affinity for air magic prevails. Although his duty, he starts to get close to Queen Hollis brother, Arden. As if that wasn’t bad enough there is an attempt against Hollis’ life and Edmund is the suspect number one. By all means this would be the foundations to a very good story full of court intrigue and possibly action.
But it is not.
On the first part of the book, as we are introduced to the characters, we spend most of time jumping from one scene to another. These cuts are abrupt and confusing and make us feel that the author didn’t want to or didn’t feel comfortable describing some scenes that would be more difficult. Further on the book there aren’t so many abrupt cuts but they still exist.
Descriptions are few and sparse and when made are sometimes out of place. They are also simple, as it is the whole vocabulary throughout the book, and do not let the reader to get inside the book. Instead I could only imagine generic places and characters.
Adding to the bad descriptions is the fact that characters are badly introduced leaving us trying to correctly place them in the story.
When it comes to the chemistry between the two main characters it follows the overused trope of attraction because of the looks and nothing more is really added after that. Well we are informed that they did spend a long time together, ridding, talking or just hanging around but we don’t see much of it since the author just jumps all the bonding.
Overall this book read like fan fiction, felling that no real though was put in it other than the poor build up for two princes romance. The plot was badly developed, the characters interactions felt badly constructed and over all failed to impress.
October 11, 2018
This is not your typical MM romance but it should satisfy most of those that only like traditional MM books. Edmund has been sent by his father, king of the Water kingdom, to marry the queen of the Air kingdom. The main problem is the queen is not that receptive to this arranged marriage. Instead she gets her brother to entertain Edmund while she pursues her own interests. Arden, the brother, is confused by the queen's lack of interest but is so enchanted by Edmund that he forgets about the political fallout that being with Edmund could cause. When both Edmund and Arden fall for each other, they have to deal with the consequences as well as deal with the conflicts that their countries were already embroiled in.
While this is technically a high fantasy, the fantasy is rather light so I think that people that dislike more complicated fantasies will still be able to enjoy this read. The fantasy itself will certainly remind some readers of Avatar the Last Airbender, which is a great series to be compared to if you ask me.
The romance is a slow burn but it's also very unique. One of the characters is actually trans and if you're like me, then you won't even realize until you're about halfway through the book. It took a lot of hints before I realized. The trans identity of the character is treated as if it is almost irrelevant, which I feel like was on purpose. The author probably wanted to create a world where LGBTQ+ characters were treated as if they were just normal characters. The only thing I'm unsure of is how the love scenes were handled. I don't know if the portrayal is authentic to trans individuals. But it is an overall amazing book.
While this is technically a high fantasy, the fantasy is rather light so I think that people that dislike more complicated fantasies will still be able to enjoy this read. The fantasy itself will certainly remind some readers of Avatar the Last Airbender, which is a great series to be compared to if you ask me.
The romance is a slow burn but it's also very unique. One of the characters is actually trans and if you're like me, then you won't even realize until you're about halfway through the book. It took a lot of hints before I realized. The trans identity of the character is treated as if it is almost irrelevant, which I feel like was on purpose. The author probably wanted to create a world where LGBTQ+ characters were treated as if they were just normal characters. The only thing I'm unsure of is how the love scenes were handled. I don't know if the portrayal is authentic to trans individuals. But it is an overall amazing book.
November 9, 2018
*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*
This book, oh I was loving this book. The characters and storyline were interesting enough to keep me reading all night. Sadly, there was one moment that really threw me out of the book. While I don't want to go into very major spoilers there is a point where one of the male characters comments that he too can get pregnant and have children. Mpreg is not something I am comfortable reading even if this is just a comment thrown in passing. I wish I had been warned about it before I tried reading the book.
This book, oh I was loving this book. The characters and storyline were interesting enough to keep me reading all night. Sadly, there was one moment that really threw me out of the book. While I don't want to go into very major spoilers there is a point where one of the male characters comments that he too can get pregnant and have children. Mpreg is not something I am comfortable reading even if this is just a comment thrown in passing. I wish I had been warned about it before I tried reading the book.
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