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The Elm Stone Saga #4
Haunted
Sometimes we escape the past.
Other times we are left haunted.
With the world watching after the tragic events in Prague, the White Elm is on damage control. A councillor lost. An apprentice scarred. Ancient alliances shaken. Power seems determined to find its level.
Amidst this escalating chaos, Aristea and Renatus struggle to reconcile their failures and the toxic secrets fostering new tensions between them. Aristea tests the boundaries of their friendship – and her position as a council apprentice – in her fixation with saving him and the others she loves. The mistakes of the past continue to unravel but for the Dark Keeper and his apprentice, who they were and who they want to be weighs heavily when each choice might be a step down the wrong path…
485 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2019
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Shayla Morgansen
9 books79 followersHi! I'm Shayla, and making stories is the basis of everything I love and do. I write lengthy books about magical happenings in ordinary places, and the supernatural crossing paths with the everyday. My favourite themes to explore in these fantasy story worlds are interdependency, found families, us-against-the-world, and a good helping of angst.
At home in Brisbane where I'm a happy little hermit, I'm married and a mum to our two adorable white cats. In my working life, I have been a schoolteacher, an editor, an assistant publisher and a lecturer. I'm too easily roped into study and am accidentally completing a PhD in Publishing Studies.
At home in Brisbane where I'm a happy little hermit, I'm married and a mum to our two adorable white cats. In my working life, I have been a schoolteacher, an editor, an assistant publisher and a lecturer. I'm too easily roped into study and am accidentally completing a PhD in Publishing Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 4, 2020
All I can say is wow. I remember when I saw “Chosen” by chance at the library in the new arrivals section and picked it up, because I liked the cover and it blew me away. Ever since then I have been buying each of the new ones in the series when they come out.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. While I can find Aristea’s erratic and self-absorbed nature kind of annoying at times, I have been absolutely fascinated with the interactions between her and Renatus and the constant twists and turns that they go through. I didn’t see the cliffhanger at the end coming leaving me impatient for the next book in the series.
It’s been a while since there was a series that I became absolutely obsessed with and this one has just thrown me for a loop. I thought it was going to be just another magic school series with loose Harry Potter references. Magic school for teenagers, villain causing issues and using dark Magic’s that aren’t acceptable for most people, a teenager with overwhelming power learning to control it while living through incredibly dangerous situations, etc.
Those ideas were completely misguided though. There is so much personality and care in developing each character and giving them wildly different personalities that nothing ever gets stale or old. There isn’t one character in the series that I can say I absolutely dislike. There are the obvious villains and the mean rivals, but they’re all so well-written that I still enjoy the moments when they appear.
I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone. Each book in the series has gotten better and better and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. While I can find Aristea’s erratic and self-absorbed nature kind of annoying at times, I have been absolutely fascinated with the interactions between her and Renatus and the constant twists and turns that they go through. I didn’t see the cliffhanger at the end coming leaving me impatient for the next book in the series.
It’s been a while since there was a series that I became absolutely obsessed with and this one has just thrown me for a loop. I thought it was going to be just another magic school series with loose Harry Potter references. Magic school for teenagers, villain causing issues and using dark Magic’s that aren’t acceptable for most people, a teenager with overwhelming power learning to control it while living through incredibly dangerous situations, etc.
Those ideas were completely misguided though. There is so much personality and care in developing each character and giving them wildly different personalities that nothing ever gets stale or old. There isn’t one character in the series that I can say I absolutely dislike. There are the obvious villains and the mean rivals, but they’re all so well-written that I still enjoy the moments when they appear.
I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone. Each book in the series has gotten better and better and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
June 10, 2021
ALL THE STARS ⭐️
Shayla - I only have one question.. how long until the next release? 😱 because I need it right now!
Update 10/06/21: just finished my reread of this freaking perfect series ready for book 5 - Fractured. I shall reread this series every year for the rest of my life and no I’m not being dramatic. ITS SOOOOO GOOD.
Shayla - I only have one question.. how long until the next release? 😱 because I need it right now!
Update 10/06/21: just finished my reread of this freaking perfect series ready for book 5 - Fractured. I shall reread this series every year for the rest of my life and no I’m not being dramatic. ITS SOOOOO GOOD.
August 29, 2021
And then there were four. Four books, four tales of trauma and tragedy. And what a tale this was. The bloodied pieces of this dark and horrible puzzle are finally starting to fall into place. And with each new piece, the picture looks more grim.
Things are getting more difficult for our young and vulnerable protagonist and her slightly less young but arguably more vulnerable mentor as old secrets are brought to light and new questions arise.
With all that has happened to her, I am starting to feel genuinely concerned about what will be left of Aristea by the time this is all over (now you have gone and made me get all attached). I look forward to what comes next with both anticipation and apprehension.
On the bright side, some of the characters that I found hard to like in previous entries are actually starting to grow on me...like a fungus.
Things are getting more difficult for our young and vulnerable protagonist and her slightly less young but arguably more vulnerable mentor as old secrets are brought to light and new questions arise.
With all that has happened to her, I am starting to feel genuinely concerned about what will be left of Aristea by the time this is all over (now you have gone and made me get all attached). I look forward to what comes next with both anticipation and apprehension.
On the bright side, some of the characters that I found hard to like in previous entries are actually starting to grow on me...like a fungus.
September 11, 2019
Shayla & the Elm Stone characters draw you in from the very first page & leave you wanting more at the very last sentence of each book.
Waiting for the next book in the series, draws you back to reading each one again & again in case you missed something as each one draws you further and further into Aristea's dangerous magical world
Waiting for the next book in the series, draws you back to reading each one again & again in case you missed something as each one draws you further and further into Aristea's dangerous magical world
September 11, 2019
Greatly enjoyed this next installment in The Elm Stone Saga. The story & characters have matured & evolved. Can’t wait for the next one . Shayla loves her cliffhangers.
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December 29, 2019Read it!! Loved it even more. Can’t wait for the next one!!
September 11, 2019
Awesome installment in the series; the plot, characters and Shayla's writing have come so far since the first pages of the elm stone saga!
Brilliant plot that kept me going 'how didn't I see that coming?!' in the best way. Haunted ends with a cliffhanger that has me desperate for the next one already. It's the perfect time to get onto it now that you've got 4 books to read before you're left wanting more ;)
Brilliant plot that kept me going 'how didn't I see that coming?!' in the best way. Haunted ends with a cliffhanger that has me desperate for the next one already. It's the perfect time to get onto it now that you've got 4 books to read before you're left wanting more ;)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews