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Elemental Mysteries #1-4
The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series Edition
The tantalizing paranormal romance that launched a fictional world.
A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mysterious manuscript he's hunted for over five hundred years. He never expected a young student librarian could be the key to unlock its secrets, nor could he have predicted the danger she would attract.
Now he and Beatrice De Novo follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, though the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation hundreds of years in the making.
History and the paranormal collide in the Elemental Mysteries, a paranormal mystery and romance series by USA Today bestselling author, Elizabeth Hunter.
A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mysterious manuscript he's hunted for over five hundred years. He never expected a young student librarian could be the key to unlock its secrets, nor could he have predicted the danger she would attract.
Now he and Beatrice De Novo follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, though the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation hundreds of years in the making.
History and the paranormal collide in the Elemental Mysteries, a paranormal mystery and romance series by USA Today bestselling author, Elizabeth Hunter.
1000 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2013
753 people are currently reading
880 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hunter
83 books6,288 followersELIZABETH HUNTER is an eleven-time USA Today bestselling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California and Addis Ababa, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family.
She has published over fifty works of fiction and sold over two million books world-wide. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
She has published over fifty works of fiction and sold over two million books world-wide. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 26, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
When I said that Desert Bound (Cambio Springs #2) was so good, that I had to reread Hunter's other series . . . I was not lying.
When we first meet Beatrice De Novo, she is a college student with a part time job at the library. She likes to wear black and doc martins with skirts. She goes to Tuesday night dinners with her grandmother and several of her grandmother's elderly friends.
She really rocks the whole "quirky librarian" thing.
Dr. Giovanni Vecchio thinks so too. But here's the thing . . . Dr. Giovanni Vecchio is VAMPIRE. And not just any vampire, a smokin' hot vampire . . . who hangs out at the library . . .
If you're like me, that's all you need to know, but there's MORE. And let's be honest--there needs to be, b/c every single vampire out there is smokin' hot, super rich, super powerful, etc., ad nauseam.
And there is more.
Gio walks a fine line between dominant caveman alpha and sophisticated modern male. Beyond that, Hunter has created a world in which vampires are sired to one of the four elements upon awakening from their transformation, and Gio is a (rare) fire elemental.
FIRE. One of only a handful of ways to kill a vampire.
But that's not all.
Gio is a scholar and a collector and trader of rare books. He meets Beatrice when she takes over the night shift for one of her fellow librarians, but when some valuable letters are donated to B's university . . . letters that have nothing to do with any of the university's areas of study . . . letters that belonged to Gio's personnel collection, thought to have been destroyed in the Bonfire of Vanities . . .
Let's just say he doesn't believe in coincidences.
Add to that the death of B's father, under mysterious circumstances, ten years prior in Italy . . . and Gio is wise to suspect something is afoot.
By that point, he's already recruited Beatrice as a research assistant after being forced to reveal his true nature to her---something she handled surprisingly well---and with the revelation that his priceless collection may be intact, we are thrown headlong into a mystery that spans centuries and crosses all ethnic boundaries. A mystery combining lost knowledge, alchemy, bitter rivalries, insatiable greed, and the thirst for power.
And what kind of Big Deal/Save the World mystery would it be if Beatrice and Giovanni could solve it by themselves?
I don't know, but thankfully, not this one. *grins* Throughout the series, we're introduced to delightfully complex and entertaining characters. Characters we want to have their own happy ending . . . *winks*
SO. If you didn't already notice the outrageous page count, know that this is a FOUR BOOK series. Four books, plus a novella, plus a handful of extras. For those of you who hate waiting between installments, the good news is that this is a finished series. ALSO good news is that if you are (rightfully) daunted by the nearly 1500 pages (by my calculation), the first book, A Hidden Fire , is available for FREE every-dang-where. That hyperlink will take you to Amazon, but you can get it from Barnes & Noble, Book Depo, Kobo, etc. In fact, the Kobo link at the top of the post will take you to the first book, b/c the series bundle is only available at B&N and Amazon.
I'll admit that the first time I read A Hidden Fire, I was a bit frustrated with the ending. Gio was irritatingly stalwart in his decision to not pursue Beatrice romantically despite the A. the combustible chemistry between them, B. the obvious depth of both of their feelings, and C. what we, as readers, recognize as inevitability. I also didn't get that the sole reason Gio was searching for his lost books was b/c lost books. I kept waiting for this Big Secret about the collection to be revealed, and that didn't happen. However, it's entirely possible that that's either on me, or it was intentional, b/c the first book is FREE.
An author's got to eat, right? Can't eat on the proceeds of FREE books. Gotta hook those readers.
And she did.
I read them all back-to-back, and then immediately read the first book in the spin-off PNR series, Elemental World.
What can I say? I loved it. Even more this second time, and that rarely happens. Once again, first book is FREE, so get on that. *shoos* I leave you now with my favorite quote:
When I said that Desert Bound (Cambio Springs #2) was so good, that I had to reread Hunter's other series . . . I was not lying.
When we first meet Beatrice De Novo, she is a college student with a part time job at the library. She likes to wear black and doc martins with skirts. She goes to Tuesday night dinners with her grandmother and several of her grandmother's elderly friends.
She really rocks the whole "quirky librarian" thing.
Dr. Giovanni Vecchio thinks so too. But here's the thing . . . Dr. Giovanni Vecchio is VAMPIRE. And not just any vampire, a smokin' hot vampire . . . who hangs out at the library . . .
If you're like me, that's all you need to know, but there's MORE. And let's be honest--there needs to be, b/c every single vampire out there is smokin' hot, super rich, super powerful, etc., ad nauseam.
And there is more.
Gio walks a fine line between dominant caveman alpha and sophisticated modern male. Beyond that, Hunter has created a world in which vampires are sired to one of the four elements upon awakening from their transformation, and Gio is a (rare) fire elemental.
FIRE. One of only a handful of ways to kill a vampire.
But that's not all.
Gio is a scholar and a collector and trader of rare books. He meets Beatrice when she takes over the night shift for one of her fellow librarians, but when some valuable letters are donated to B's university . . . letters that have nothing to do with any of the university's areas of study . . . letters that belonged to Gio's personnel collection, thought to have been destroyed in the Bonfire of Vanities . . .
Let's just say he doesn't believe in coincidences.
Add to that the death of B's father, under mysterious circumstances, ten years prior in Italy . . . and Gio is wise to suspect something is afoot.
By that point, he's already recruited Beatrice as a research assistant after being forced to reveal his true nature to her---something she handled surprisingly well---and with the revelation that his priceless collection may be intact, we are thrown headlong into a mystery that spans centuries and crosses all ethnic boundaries. A mystery combining lost knowledge, alchemy, bitter rivalries, insatiable greed, and the thirst for power.
And what kind of Big Deal/Save the World mystery would it be if Beatrice and Giovanni could solve it by themselves?
I don't know, but thankfully, not this one. *grins* Throughout the series, we're introduced to delightfully complex and entertaining characters. Characters we want to have their own happy ending . . . *winks*
SO. If you didn't already notice the outrageous page count, know that this is a FOUR BOOK series. Four books, plus a novella, plus a handful of extras. For those of you who hate waiting between installments, the good news is that this is a finished series. ALSO good news is that if you are (rightfully) daunted by the nearly 1500 pages (by my calculation), the first book, A Hidden Fire , is available for FREE every-dang-where. That hyperlink will take you to Amazon, but you can get it from Barnes & Noble, Book Depo, Kobo, etc. In fact, the Kobo link at the top of the post will take you to the first book, b/c the series bundle is only available at B&N and Amazon.
I'll admit that the first time I read A Hidden Fire, I was a bit frustrated with the ending. Gio was irritatingly stalwart in his decision to not pursue Beatrice romantically despite the A. the combustible chemistry between them, B. the obvious depth of both of their feelings, and C. what we, as readers, recognize as inevitability. I also didn't get that the sole reason Gio was searching for his lost books was b/c lost books. I kept waiting for this Big Secret about the collection to be revealed, and that didn't happen. However, it's entirely possible that that's either on me, or it was intentional, b/c the first book is FREE.
An author's got to eat, right? Can't eat on the proceeds of FREE books. Gotta hook those readers.
And she did.
I read them all back-to-back, and then immediately read the first book in the spin-off PNR series, Elemental World.
What can I say? I loved it. Even more this second time, and that rarely happens. Once again, first book is FREE, so get on that. *shoos* I leave you now with my favorite quote:
"Why do you love me like you do?"
. . . "I recognized you. Here." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then let his finger trail down her nose, over the slight bump and down around her lips. His fingertips danced across her bare skin until they rested lightly over her heart. "And here. I recognized you. Your mind. Your heart. We recognized each other."
"Like Aristotle said."
"One soul. Two bodies. My soul recognized its own."
March 5, 2014
Amazing series! I not only fall in love with the characters, but with the story as well. I loved that this vampire storyline was not the typical vampire storyline. If your looking for a paranormal romance novel with twist, turns, and somethings different on the vampire storyline, than I would highly recommended this book. Look forward to reading more books by Elizabeth Hunter!
April 6, 2014
I have read each and every Elemental Mysteries Novel back to back without it felt, taking a breath! Wow!! Advised and recommended by Nancy Straight, I dived into the first book (A Hidden Fire) and I can honestly say that I am annoyed with myself for not reading these novels earlier, they are AMAZING!!! I could not put them down and literally didn’t sleep for around 4 or 5 days except for a few hours here and there, they are seriously addictive!! I have not felt this way since the Kindred novels (Nicola Claire), they floored me and I was sucked right into the plot.
A brand new and unique take on the vampire front, each vampire that is made is able to control an element; Earth being the most common, Water the next, Wind and finally Fire which is the most rare of of them all. Each vampire is able to use this “affinity” for their element for good or for evil, that is what is up to them individually but under their maker’s control at first many find it hard to make that break.
The gorgeous Italian Giovanni is a vampire who is able to control the element of Fire, the rarest of the vampire affinities. He is exceptionally well educated, a D.R & scholar, a well off, aloof, but genuine man. He does everything in his power to deter the spark that builds between him and B, but the fates have other ideas. Betrice or B as she likes her family and friends to call her, works at the student library as an intern within the rare books section she is an honest, wears her heart on her sleeve, bubbly, inteligent young woman who get whipped up into the world of vampires and a mysterious rare book collection that sends them on a race against time mission all over the world. Little does she know just how important she will become not only to the whole story behind the mystery but to Gio himself.
As their love battles against everything the world and the vampire world throws against them, will their love triumph? Will the world of elemental vampires be something b can accept, will she be able to accept Gio for who he truly and what he has done, and what he is about to do??
Take a wild ride with “B”, Gio and their friends Carwyn, Casper, Isadora and Tenzin who feature heavily throughout the The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series Novels. The introduction of Lorenzo is a flooring and defining moment for all of the characters – just who he is and the role he is to play will leave you with goosebumps!
I felt the full weight of the emotions of each character, rooting for Gio and B with passion – what does their future hold?…. A definite must read!!!! I hope I haven’t given too much away as it is difficult when discussing the full series – Teasers can be your friend but without full knowledge of the first book they won’t make much sense!! You will NOT regret buying this
A brand new and unique take on the vampire front, each vampire that is made is able to control an element; Earth being the most common, Water the next, Wind and finally Fire which is the most rare of of them all. Each vampire is able to use this “affinity” for their element for good or for evil, that is what is up to them individually but under their maker’s control at first many find it hard to make that break.
The gorgeous Italian Giovanni is a vampire who is able to control the element of Fire, the rarest of the vampire affinities. He is exceptionally well educated, a D.R & scholar, a well off, aloof, but genuine man. He does everything in his power to deter the spark that builds between him and B, but the fates have other ideas. Betrice or B as she likes her family and friends to call her, works at the student library as an intern within the rare books section she is an honest, wears her heart on her sleeve, bubbly, inteligent young woman who get whipped up into the world of vampires and a mysterious rare book collection that sends them on a race against time mission all over the world. Little does she know just how important she will become not only to the whole story behind the mystery but to Gio himself.
As their love battles against everything the world and the vampire world throws against them, will their love triumph? Will the world of elemental vampires be something b can accept, will she be able to accept Gio for who he truly and what he has done, and what he is about to do??
Take a wild ride with “B”, Gio and their friends Carwyn, Casper, Isadora and Tenzin who feature heavily throughout the The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series Novels. The introduction of Lorenzo is a flooring and defining moment for all of the characters – just who he is and the role he is to play will leave you with goosebumps!
I felt the full weight of the emotions of each character, rooting for Gio and B with passion – what does their future hold?…. A definite must read!!!! I hope I haven’t given too much away as it is difficult when discussing the full series – Teasers can be your friend but without full knowledge of the first book they won’t make much sense!! You will NOT regret buying this
May 14, 2015
Love this series. I usually don't read paranormal books but I loved the Irin Chronicles series and how Elizabeth writes that I was curious about this series since it has gotten such great reviews. It was great, now going to read the spin off series Elemental World.
February 24, 2016
Fantastic!! Apparently I sucked this series down in a little over a week and I do have a day job and such so.... Pretty darn fantastic if I must say. Off to find MORE!! E Hunter is my kind of writer, easy to get pulled into this world with just enough twists to be different and difficult to escape. Definitely a very fun twist on educated vampires and what the can do with their time :)
January 20, 2016
Awesome awesome story line x from the 1st book to the last i couldn't put them down. Wonderful characters. A series i will no doubt return to again and again xxx
Awesome awesome story line x from the 1st book to the last i couldn't put them down. Wonderful characters. A series i will no doubt return to again and again xxx
Awesome awesome story line x from the 1st book to the last i couldn't put them down. Wonderful characters. A series i will no doubt return to again and again xxx
December 25, 2014
Can't stop reading
These books were very addictive, I hardly got any sleep I couldn't put them down. Love all the characters, the suspense and the humor it a must read I enjoyed every minute
These books were very addictive, I hardly got any sleep I couldn't put them down. Love all the characters, the suspense and the humor it a must read I enjoyed every minute
October 10, 2014
Book 1 = 4 stars
Book 2 = 1 stars
I'm sorry , I liked the first book but this one dragged on and on and on and Beatrice with her crying , nothing annoys me more then a grown woman crying about everything .
So with that said, I'm done with this , I don't know if I might continue reading ( highly doubt it ).
Book 2 = 1 stars
I'm sorry , I liked the first book but this one dragged on and on and on and Beatrice with her crying , nothing annoys me more then a grown woman crying about everything .
So with that said, I'm done with this , I don't know if I might continue reading ( highly doubt it ).
September 15, 2020
This is not Twiilght. It is better
No sappy teens here. Vampires here have morals and the ability to wield the elements. I enjoyed this series and will be reading more from Elizabeth Hunter.
No sappy teens here. Vampires here have morals and the ability to wield the elements. I enjoyed this series and will be reading more from Elizabeth Hunter.
March 31, 2019
Great
Awesome read for many age groups. Would definitely read again. Now to move on to the next series of elemental world.
Awesome read for many age groups. Would definitely read again. Now to move on to the next series of elemental world.
October 1, 2018
Thank you, Elizabeth Hunter, for packaging up all four of these books into a single Kindle Edition. It made it really easy for someone who had read many of your other books (all of the Cambio Springs and Irin series) to catch up on the Elemental Mysteries series. Now I have all the Elemental World books to look forward to. As always, Elizabeth delivers with solid stories, wonderful characters and great settings. And her romance writing can't be beat.
November 14, 2017
A Hidden Fire:
Houston, Texas and Cochamo, Chile.
The Same Earth :
LA, California and London, England.
The Force of Wind:
Mount Penglai, China
Fall of Water:
Rome, Italy
Houston, Texas and Cochamo, Chile.
The Same Earth :
LA, California and London, England.
The Force of Wind:
Mount Penglai, China
Fall of Water:
Rome, Italy
March 21, 2014
Great story
I downloaded the first book in this series because it was free. I really enjoyed it and when I went to check out the rest of the series I saw I could get them all bundled in one purchase for ten bucks.
This is a very well-written series. The story has it all; soft urban fantasy, excellent world building, great character development and romance of course. It's not for someone who likes a fast-paced, finish it in a day, kind of book. The story moves realistically therefore probably slow for those who don't mind a story that lacks world-building and character growth.
The characters are interesting and have great personalities and the story itself is original and really draws you in. It was a really good read.
I downloaded the first book in this series because it was free. I really enjoyed it and when I went to check out the rest of the series I saw I could get them all bundled in one purchase for ten bucks.
This is a very well-written series. The story has it all; soft urban fantasy, excellent world building, great character development and romance of course. It's not for someone who likes a fast-paced, finish it in a day, kind of book. The story moves realistically therefore probably slow for those who don't mind a story that lacks world-building and character growth.
The characters are interesting and have great personalities and the story itself is original and really draws you in. It was a really good read.
February 1, 2019
I read a lot and I keep coming back to this series. This is my comfort blanket of books, my go to reread. It is like the best movie you watch over and over multiplied by a million. The way Hunter conveys the emotional and physical intimacy between the two main characters as well as their tight knit group is masterful. I laughed, I cried, I was on edge the entire time. Hunter also intricately weaves myths, action, and profound love flawlessly. I looked forward to reading ALL of her works and recommend them to everyone. Hunter is a very gifted writer.
January 26, 2016
Enjoyed the characters. I love a bad ass female protagonist. This series had a couple well developed characters with options for several good spin offs. I am especially looking forward to reading Tenzin's story.
June 25, 2020
When I last read The Elemental Mysteries back in 2015 I rated each book separately - technically I read this omnibus edition but I didn't count this as one book back then, and for some books - like Anne of Green Gables and its numerous sequels - I think counting all the books as one is not giving them justice. This time though, as it is a re-read, I am willing to review the series as a whole and as one massive book.
As I bought the first book in the series for a grand total of nothing from Amazon, I haven't read the first book in this ombinus edition, instead I jumped straight to the second. My main thoughts when finishing that section were that Beatrice was really far too forgiving with Gio. Even if his reasons for staying away were for her benefit they weren't really - they were for his. He wanted her to mature before he claimed her, it wasn't really about letting her have her own life as otherwise he could have left her in the care of her grandfatheresque vampire. I also really dislike the stalker elements that Gio uses here... again far too Twilight for my liking, along with, you know, STALKING BEING BAD. This is actually a pretty common failure in vampire books - I'm pretty sure the Carpathians stalk the females in every one of their books, and you can argue that the ties that Jean-Claude uses to bind Anita and Richard to him also allow him to stalk her in a different way. When you think of vampires as 'other beings' then I can understand why it is used as a vampire characteristic, but there is a difference between stalking your prey, and stalking the person you want to sleep with. One is a necessity for survival, the other is creepy.
Book 3 I felt is the shortest book of all, which is a shame as I think it is far more interesting than book 2. I still feel that some elements were introduced so as to raise the tension for the reader as opposed to being necessary - Gio's protective instincts for B seem to rise and fall as the plot demands - there's no equalness in his possessiveness, or even a lessening of it as you might expect. There was still some pacing issues in a way, but I think if you read these books in a single go it actually works.
Book 4 is a bit of an epic in comparison, yet I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I did in 2015. I felt that the villains weren't utilised well at all... I said in my review of A Hidden Fire, that Lorenzo was not well rounded as a villain, and whilst by this point we do get some sort of motivation from him, he's really only there for conflicts sake. The same with Livia who has been so name-dropped in the previous books that her appearance is really rather anti-climactic. I do wish I hadn't been so cryptic in my review of it in 2015 because I STILL have no real recollection of ever reading this series, but I didn't have the same theories, I'm intrigued as to what past me thought was going to happen...
As a series as a whole this is very good. I like that it clearly has the years that the book is taking place in, it grounds it in a way and means if you were to read this once technology had moved on you knew when it was set really easily.
That said, there are some elements that felt weird to me - in book 3 there's an ancient androgynous vampire who people use both "he" and "she to refer to. Some people use the one, some the other, and some alternate - but at one point Beatrice complains about how irritating it is. As someone who is trying to educate themselves, this felt really jarring to me, and if the author were to do a re-release and was allowed to make edits I'd love for the comments on which gendered word they needed to use to be removed. It adds nothing to the plot at all, and actually made me think less of Beatrice and her 'family' for making a point of discussing it.
The visciousness of the various vampires also seems to vary with the plot - you need Gio to be a one man army right now - sure thing, but in another situation not a chance? It's very weird if I am honest. And there are some deus ex machina's that are brought into the fourth book that actually make the ending feel a little - cheated? It reminds me of Harry Potter where in the final book these things called the Deathly Hallows suddenly crop up - yet they're not mentioned anywhere in the preceding books. It's not poor writing but it is a disappointment, like the authors wrote themselves into corners. I also feel like the author missed a trick with the way Lorenzo was dealt with - I know a lot of people
All in all a really entertaining read, and certainly one with a high re-read value given I forgot it all in 5 years. I'm not in a hurry to read it again, or really other books by this author (sorry!), but who knows, maybe I will rediscover the series again in 2025!
As I bought the first book in the series for a grand total of nothing from Amazon, I haven't read the first book in this ombinus edition, instead I jumped straight to the second. My main thoughts when finishing that section were that Beatrice was really far too forgiving with Gio. Even if his reasons for staying away were for her benefit they weren't really - they were for his. He wanted her to mature before he claimed her, it wasn't really about letting her have her own life as otherwise he could have left her in the care of her grandfatheresque vampire. I also really dislike the stalker elements that Gio uses here... again far too Twilight for my liking, along with, you know, STALKING BEING BAD. This is actually a pretty common failure in vampire books - I'm pretty sure the Carpathians stalk the females in every one of their books, and you can argue that the ties that Jean-Claude uses to bind Anita and Richard to him also allow him to stalk her in a different way. When you think of vampires as 'other beings' then I can understand why it is used as a vampire characteristic, but there is a difference between stalking your prey, and stalking the person you want to sleep with. One is a necessity for survival, the other is creepy.
Book 3 I felt is the shortest book of all, which is a shame as I think it is far more interesting than book 2. I still feel that some elements were introduced so as to raise the tension for the reader as opposed to being necessary - Gio's protective instincts for B seem to rise and fall as the plot demands - there's no equalness in his possessiveness, or even a lessening of it as you might expect. There was still some pacing issues in a way, but I think if you read these books in a single go it actually works.
Book 4 is a bit of an epic in comparison, yet I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I did in 2015. I felt that the villains weren't utilised well at all... I said in my review of A Hidden Fire, that Lorenzo was not well rounded as a villain, and whilst by this point we do get some sort of motivation from him, he's really only there for conflicts sake. The same with Livia who has been so name-dropped in the previous books that her appearance is really rather anti-climactic. I do wish I hadn't been so cryptic in my review of it in 2015 because I STILL have no real recollection of ever reading this series, but I didn't have the same theories, I'm intrigued as to what past me thought was going to happen...
As a series as a whole this is very good. I like that it clearly has the years that the book is taking place in, it grounds it in a way and means if you were to read this once technology had moved on you knew when it was set really easily.
That said, there are some elements that felt weird to me - in book 3 there's an ancient androgynous vampire who people use both "he" and "she to refer to. Some people use the one, some the other, and some alternate - but at one point Beatrice complains about how irritating it is. As someone who is trying to educate themselves, this felt really jarring to me, and if the author were to do a re-release and was allowed to make edits I'd love for the comments on which gendered word they needed to use to be removed. It adds nothing to the plot at all, and actually made me think less of Beatrice and her 'family' for making a point of discussing it.
The visciousness of the various vampires also seems to vary with the plot - you need Gio to be a one man army right now - sure thing, but in another situation not a chance? It's very weird if I am honest. And there are some deus ex machina's that are brought into the fourth book that actually make the ending feel a little - cheated? It reminds me of Harry Potter where in the final book these things called the Deathly Hallows suddenly crop up - yet they're not mentioned anywhere in the preceding books. It's not poor writing but it is a disappointment, like the authors wrote themselves into corners. I also feel like the author missed a trick with the way Lorenzo was dealt with - I know a lot of people
All in all a really entertaining read, and certainly one with a high re-read value given I forgot it all in 5 years. I'm not in a hurry to read it again, or really other books by this author (sorry!), but who knows, maybe I will rediscover the series again in 2025!
June 12, 2016
**Note: Haven't read the Tenzin side story yet~*
May 18, 2016
I really enjoyed these books. I'm glad I 'found' them after all four were out. It would have been horrible to have to wait.
March 30, 2024
It’s been almost 10 years that I first read this series. Just wow.This is still my favorite book of all time. I wish I could live this fairy tale.
July 10, 2022
The Elemental Mysteries, complete, Books 1 to 4
This series of four books contains “The Hidden Fire”, “This Great Earth”, “The Force of Wind” and “The Fall of Water”. This is a unique offering in the universe of vampire stories, these vampires have control over one of the elements, fire, water, wind, and earth. Yes, they drink blood, they cannot go out in the sun, and most sleep during daylight hours. No, garlic is not an issue and getting staked doesn’t kill them! The main vampire, Giovanni Vecchio, is a fire vampire, book dealer, scholar, and former mercenary. The other main character is Beatrice, “B”, DeNovo, student of Information Studies, whose goal is to be a librarian. They meet and their relationship takes off from there. She is immersed into a new reality when she discovers what Dr. Vecchio really is. The main characters and supporting characters (Carwyn, Tenzin, Benjamin, and many others) in this series were very well developed, with excellently incorporated back stories and motivations. Flashbacks are also used for greater understanding. Of course there is a main mystery running throughout the series of four books. These are the kind of novels that are hard to put down, something always interesting happening with interesting characters. The romance in the story is not all smooth sailing, yet it is wonderful to see the characters grow as their love grows. Highly recommended. A job well done to Elizabeth Hunter. She does add more books to this universe she has expertly created, expanding on the lives of other characters in these books.
This series of four books contains “The Hidden Fire”, “This Great Earth”, “The Force of Wind” and “The Fall of Water”. This is a unique offering in the universe of vampire stories, these vampires have control over one of the elements, fire, water, wind, and earth. Yes, they drink blood, they cannot go out in the sun, and most sleep during daylight hours. No, garlic is not an issue and getting staked doesn’t kill them! The main vampire, Giovanni Vecchio, is a fire vampire, book dealer, scholar, and former mercenary. The other main character is Beatrice, “B”, DeNovo, student of Information Studies, whose goal is to be a librarian. They meet and their relationship takes off from there. She is immersed into a new reality when she discovers what Dr. Vecchio really is. The main characters and supporting characters (Carwyn, Tenzin, Benjamin, and many others) in this series were very well developed, with excellently incorporated back stories and motivations. Flashbacks are also used for greater understanding. Of course there is a main mystery running throughout the series of four books. These are the kind of novels that are hard to put down, something always interesting happening with interesting characters. The romance in the story is not all smooth sailing, yet it is wonderful to see the characters grow as their love grows. Highly recommended. A job well done to Elizabeth Hunter. She does add more books to this universe she has expertly created, expanding on the lives of other characters in these books.
April 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this series! The story was engaging and fast-paced enough to keep me turning pages, but not so rushed that I didn’t have time to sit with the characters or wonder about what might happen next. There weren’t any huge plot twists, but I appreciated the unique and thoughtful take on vampire mythology—it felt fresh without trying too hard to reinvent the wheel.
I originally picked this series up expecting a bit more spice (based on the covers and vibes), but I’d rate it around 1 to 1.5 peppers—very low on heat. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story stood on its own without relying on sex to carry the plot. The romance is there, and it’s meaningful, but it doesn’t overpower the story, which I appreciated.
Overall, it’s a solid, well-written series with a compelling world, intriguing characters, and a storyline that blends mystery, magic, and just a touch of romance. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!
I originally picked this series up expecting a bit more spice (based on the covers and vibes), but I’d rate it around 1 to 1.5 peppers—very low on heat. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story stood on its own without relying on sex to carry the plot. The romance is there, and it’s meaningful, but it doesn’t overpower the story, which I appreciated.
Overall, it’s a solid, well-written series with a compelling world, intriguing characters, and a storyline that blends mystery, magic, and just a touch of romance. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!
April 21, 2025
I really enjoyed this series, it was unexpected in a vampire series that they were more than just beings who consumed blood. The elemental part made them very unique in my opinion. Yes, they still consumed blood, but being able to use water, fire, earth and wind depending on which element they were given at the time of their transition was such a unique way to write the story. At the core we have Beatrice and Giovanni and their love affair. And as you progress with the story you are introduced to others who become a big part of this story. It's about love, murder, elixir of life, vampires who are thousands of years old. There is a lot to encompass in this series, but I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes vampire stories but this one is with a twist. It took me a while to read these first 4 books, but there is so much going on that you do have to take your time. Plus I read other books between these. Go out and get these books, they are well worth reading.
March 25, 2018
What an incredible series!!
I started out with one of Ms. Hunter’s contemporary romance novels and really enjoyed it so I went looking for more. Well, imagine my surprise and joy when I discovered she actually has TONS of paranormal and fantasy novels for me to read!! I mean, those are my very favorite genres!!! I immediately started reading and literally had to force myself to put my kindle down to sleep, or eat, or feed my kids 😄
Seriously. This is my 2nd night in a row that I am greeting 3am!! That’s rare for me nowadays because, kids!!
Now that I have devoured these 4 books I plan on reading the others novellas in this series before moving in to the Irin series. I am SO EXCITED!! New books to read!! (Not that I don’t have an extensive tbr pile waiting for me!!) by an amaaaaazing writer and storyteller. Yay!!
I started out with one of Ms. Hunter’s contemporary romance novels and really enjoyed it so I went looking for more. Well, imagine my surprise and joy when I discovered she actually has TONS of paranormal and fantasy novels for me to read!! I mean, those are my very favorite genres!!! I immediately started reading and literally had to force myself to put my kindle down to sleep, or eat, or feed my kids 😄
Seriously. This is my 2nd night in a row that I am greeting 3am!! That’s rare for me nowadays because, kids!!
Now that I have devoured these 4 books I plan on reading the others novellas in this series before moving in to the Irin series. I am SO EXCITED!! New books to read!! (Not that I don’t have an extensive tbr pile waiting for me!!) by an amaaaaazing writer and storyteller. Yay!!
October 6, 2023
Good Story, but . . .
I really, really enjoyed this series until this last book. Don’t get me wrong, the story is full of action, suspense, twists and very hard to put down. I also like all the characters. The bad guys were despicable and the good guys were likable and well developed. With this book, though, it was as if the author was working on her erotic writing skills. I’m not a prude. I like a good romantic scene but there was so much that it became distracting to the story. “Okay, let’s interrupt the suspense of this story so B and Gio can have sex again”. ! I still recommend the book, but you may find yourself like me, skipping over repetitive “situations” to find out what happens next.
I really, really enjoyed this series until this last book. Don’t get me wrong, the story is full of action, suspense, twists and very hard to put down. I also like all the characters. The bad guys were despicable and the good guys were likable and well developed. With this book, though, it was as if the author was working on her erotic writing skills. I’m not a prude. I like a good romantic scene but there was so much that it became distracting to the story. “Okay, let’s interrupt the suspense of this story so B and Gio can have sex again”. ! I still recommend the book, but you may find yourself like me, skipping over repetitive “situations” to find out what happens next.
November 4, 2020
Overall this was a very compelling read, I honestly couldn’t put it down. I could do without the overly detailed (and WAY too frequent) sex scenes - we all get it, they’re in love. This piece added nothing to the storyline and, to be, really ended up being a distraction from what could have been a 5-star read. Nonetheless, all characters were very well-developed, I felt like I knew all of them by the end. I find it rare to have supporting characters as well-developed as the leads but this is one of those few examples and it was done very well. I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone who likes the vampire genre with an intriguing twist on an interesting alchemy study.
February 24, 2021
Fantastic read!
If I could give this series 10 stars I would! It has been a long time since I have read a series about vampires with so much depth and such amazing world-building. Ms. Hunter is truly an artist, she knows how to take you to the deepest sorrows and the highest joys all within one story, in a very genuine way. And the romance was so incredible, along with some very steamy scenes of course. There was a bit of violence, but the scenes can be avoided if that is a trigger. I highly recommend this series and cannot wait to read more books from this world!
If I could give this series 10 stars I would! It has been a long time since I have read a series about vampires with so much depth and such amazing world-building. Ms. Hunter is truly an artist, she knows how to take you to the deepest sorrows and the highest joys all within one story, in a very genuine way. And the romance was so incredible, along with some very steamy scenes of course. There was a bit of violence, but the scenes can be avoided if that is a trigger. I highly recommend this series and cannot wait to read more books from this world!
February 5, 2020
Steamy romance
All of the books in this series are exceptionally well done. Full of exciting adventure it is also, at the core, an achingly romantic love story. A rich cast of characters made it wonderfully interesting. Great dialogue and plot twists kept me reading until late into the night. If you love stories that longer in your mind long after you've read them get this series.
All of the books in this series are exceptionally well done. Full of exciting adventure it is also, at the core, an achingly romantic love story. A rich cast of characters made it wonderfully interesting. Great dialogue and plot twists kept me reading until late into the night. If you love stories that longer in your mind long after you've read them get this series.
July 29, 2020
Well, somehow Goodreads and Kindle decided I'm into vampire and the paranormal. I'm not! I'm into Sci Fi and Fantasy. I'm still learning how this book machine works and I'm not good at navigating. Having said that I'm not into Vampires can I change my mind. These books were fabulous, I rarely read one book after another without a little light fluff thrown in between books. I can't wait to read more. Beatrice is my kinda girl, doesn't take sass from anyone, well except that Italian that she married, she can defend herself, her home and her friends. So I guess I have changed a little bit.
September 22, 2020
I don't like vampires. I mean the stories about them. They have no real rules, no real myth, except the connection with rabies. But Elisabeth Hunter manages to give them all of that. She writes about the basics of how the human soul 'thinks' about itself and tries to 'imagine' those ideas, and lifts those vague mysteries and their human apparitions above the bloodsuckers level.
She adds a lot of adventure to it. I am hooked.
She adds a lot of adventure to it. I am hooked.
September 23, 2020
Enraptured
I couldn't put these books down. I read the entire series in less than 2 days. It has been a very long time since I've read a book that totally had me on the edge of my seat, laughing, crying, and falling in love with the characters. I've been searching for the perfect paranormal series for a very long time, and this one may have taken the cake for me. I can see myself reading this series many times.
I couldn't put these books down. I read the entire series in less than 2 days. It has been a very long time since I've read a book that totally had me on the edge of my seat, laughing, crying, and falling in love with the characters. I've been searching for the perfect paranormal series for a very long time, and this one may have taken the cake for me. I can see myself reading this series many times.
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