The Elemental is an ADULT DARK FANTASY ROMANCE - perfect for fans of T.M. Hart, Raven Kennedy, or Leigh Bardugo
After being sealed for over 7000 years, the portals on Earth are open and Raelyn, the Seelie princess, can finally escape the annoyingly charming fae assassin that's been chasing her for millennia-though she suspects she'll miss him. But she'll be reunited with her family, and that's all that matters.
Asheraht may have been sent to Earth to kill Raelyn, but now that the portals are open, he's forced to recognize the truth ... he's long since given up on his contract. In fact, he's fallen for Raelyn and is about to lose her to her old life at the palace.
But, instead of a joyous homecoming, Raelyn discovers her parents have been murdered, an extremely powerful fire fae has taken the throne, and the blood magic of the Unseelie fae threatens the survival of her people.
Now, Raelyn and Asheraht must work together to take back her throne and save the kingdom-though they both know they might die trying.
T. B. Wiese is a military spouse, dog mom, photographer, Disney nerd, and lover of spicy fantasy. She loves animals (She grew up with dogs and working with horses, including working at the Tri-Circle D Ranch at Disney World), so don’t be surprised when you find yourself reading lovable animal characters in her novels.
She has loved reading since she was little, and her tbr list is embarrassingly long, but she’s always looking to add more, so if you have a spicy fantasy recommendation, pass it along.
Stand-out tropes: -Cat and mouse -He falls first -Fae & dragon shifters -🌶🌶.5 / 5
This is a standalone book with a spin-off novella (both available on Kindle Unlimited!)
This was a really easy book to get into, however, it fell flat about halfway through. The plot kind of lost track of its trajectory and then found it again in the last 80 pages. The whole middle seemed like it was telling a different story.
I think this was a debut for the author, and wasn't terrible, just could've been more cohesive.
THE ELEMENTAL is the perfect fit for any reader looking for a well-balanced fantasy standalone with fae, dragons, engaging character dynamics and fleshed out world building. I’ve read plenty of enemies to lovers romances, but never had I come across one which had the enemies literally chasing after each other for millennia! The dynamic between Rae and Ash had me hooked from their very first interactions. Loved their sassy banter, and even though we didn’t get to see much of their “enemies” phase, which is mostly in recollections of the past, the growth and development of their relationship still shone through, and their chemistry breathed so much lightness and heat into the novel as a whole. The main duo was definitely the strongest element, but I also really enjoyed the supporting cast, especially my sweet dragon boy Kem.
I was also very impressed with the world building! The merging of mortal world and faerie world is one that always works for me, but the added touch of real history woven into Rae and Ash’s past made it all the more unique. The magical world itself was also very fleshed out with various territories tied together by interesting political power plays, which I very much love in my fantasies.
I do wish that this hadn’t been a standalone. The author did a fantastic job with showing character development and balancing it with plot, but I do feel like a longer series—even just a duology—would have helped to better unfold the political intrigue and warfare and would have added more substance to Rae’s rise to power, which instead I found a little rushed toward the end. Also, I selfishly would have loved more time with these characters!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Fae, Romance, Dragons, and sibling rivalry What more could you ask for? Unfortunately a lot.
For me personally there is several things that are lacking in this book. Do not get me wrong there are a few good parts of this book that are wonderful. I feel like towards the middle the book became very confusing, and having it told from two perspectives did not help its case. We start off being set up for the romance of this book. Which is between Rae and Ash, both characters have their strong points but I do believe both characters are rather useless in telling their own stories. There is some spice but it's not until basically the end of the book. I overall was left with the feeling of being unsatisfied. Which does make me sad because I did want to really love this book.
***spoilers**** A couple things, for one Dragons not wanting to get involved they get involved a fuck ton for really a small simple thing. That seemed to be repaid when they saved her life. Her actual origin did nothing for the plot except to try and make her feel like she was not good enough. To be fair she already was feeling that with out someone telling her some silly story.
At the end of the day I truly only remember some of these details because I made note of them. Other than that some large parts of this book is forgettable and drawn out. The world building could use some help, the characters relationships could use some love and some more thoughts into the characters motivates.
I did love Rae's development, though slow and a bit whiny she does get that arc of not wanting to take anymore bullshit. I loved her love for Ash, even though they both denied it for a millenia.
I almost wish we did know more because some things do feel like they are missing or left unfulfilled.
Side note I did try to review it on Amazon like I promised I would but it says it isn't able to be reviewed.
Another fantastic fae read! I know the market is super saturated with Fae books and it can be hard to want to continue reading books with fae, but that wasn't the case with The Elemental.
Raelyn has been locked out of her home realm of the seelie court for over 7000 years. Each moment her life is in danger by an assassin she can never seem to stop thinking about. Already the perfect start to an enemies to lovers.
I think Wiese's world building is so cool and I love hearing about the snippets we get about their history. It is cool to hear about real life events but giving it a fantasy twist. This book definitely reads a little slower, which isn't a bad thing! You just need to make sure you are paying attention to the intricate world being built.
Overall I thought this was such a fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Ok so this one was super interesting! I enjoyed the duo POV, the author did a great job creating their own personality without overlapping traits which sometimes we see in these types of multiple POV books.
I loved the MC, she was that princess that was forced to grow up and learn the ways of a world she is stuck in with no other choice. The dynamic between the characters kept me hooked! The book was a bit slow at times but nothing that kept me from enjoying the story. The growth we see not only in the characters but also in the world building was great!
Also, the dragons and the fae.. always some of my absolute favorites.. I enjoyed the magical realm as well as the interaction with the creatures in the book.
I look forward to reading more by TB! Huge thanks for sending me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to the author for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed below are a true reflection of my personal reading experience with this standalone fantasy entitled The Elemental.
If you're looking for an addictive standalone romantasy that features fae, dragons, smut, and a brilliant new take on the genre, look no further....NEW BOOK OBSESSION ALERT!!!!
I’m a sucker for spicy fae books but I’ve NEVER read one with a premise quite like this one. Raelyn and Ash have so much history as an enemies-to-lovers- pairing, like no joke. They've spent millennia battling on an unknown planet (Earth) as they traverse endless centuries of iconic human history. So freaking fascinating and heartbreaking to read about--I was so moved by the story of Camilia. The spice in this book is top notch, like truly some of the best I've read!!
I found all of the side characters--especially Alek, Kem, Ziza, Nyira, Syphe--and how each differing personality made up a super unique and diverse cast of characters. Garin is worse than Joffrey Baratheon and was such a well written villain; it's been a long time since I hated a character so much!! From Attolyn to the Realm of the Crimson Plains, I felt altogether at home in the worlds Wiese crafts throughout this story and I cannot wait to read more from this author!!
I own the physical book, but because I loved the book so much. I read it on kindle too 🤣 god I loved it and crave more. I know I'm going to devour the dragon king once I get into it too.
I loved Ash and Rae. Their story has been a great ride. I do hope for more maybe in the future
This book. THIS BOOK. Many thanks to TB Wiese for an advanced copy, which I absolutely devoured in 24 hours!
We’re immediately thrown into the story of Rae and Ash, two fae who have been trapped on Earth for over 7000 years and are trapped in their own game of cat & mouse. Everything changes when they’re attacked by a creature they never expected to see again…
I don’t want to give too much away, because one of the real pleasures of this book was the twists and turns along the way. The story is paced brilliantly, with the perfect amount of action, flashbacks and spice! And did I mention dragons?!
The joint POV works really well, giving us an insight into Ash and Rae’s journey. I’d love to read more stories about their world and discover more about some of the other characters who I fell in love with!
This will absolutely be on my ‘to re-read’ list and I hope TB gets the hype they deserve for this brilliant book.
*I received the advanced copy for free and am giving this review willingly*
Multiple Fantasy Lands in this book and the author also makes the Earth seem like a magic place through the eyes of the main characters! Love the dual POV! She writes each character in the book so well it only takes a couple pages for you to connect with them! The spice is fantastic and again, from two points of view 😍. Did I mention Dragons? Because... Dragons! =) I look forward to reading more by T.B. Wiese! I definitely recommend this book to readers who love dark fantasy with a side of spice!
"Some of the best relationships are born from the fiercest fire."
The Elemental is the debut dark fantasy romance novel of author T.B. Weise with a spin-off prequel in the same universe. The book follows the characters Seelie princess Raelyn and assassin Asheraht, who has spent the last 7000 years in the mortal world locked away from their realm and in a perpetual struggled of cat (Asheraht) and mouse (Raelyn). Yet things change when the portal, long since locked, finally opens and, with it, the realization of betrayal at the hands of someone she loved and the duty placed on Raelyn to take her rightful place and save her people. Asheraht and Raelyn must decide what they mean to each other and if the connection they built over the years is enough against the dark forces threatening their kingdom. It is during the darkest times that we realize who are the most important...yet sometimes it can be too late.
I had a lot of fun with these two characters. It wasn't as angsty as I initially thought it would be which I thoroughly enjoyed. Raelyn is a strong and fierce character who embraces her destiny. She doesn't fall to her knees at the thought of love but uses it as a motivator to succeed and live. Asheraht fulfilled that more dutiful role - this didn't make him any less fierce but he understood his love for Raelyn meant needing to support her, not rule for her. I found together they complimented each other well. I will not the romance is a little quick but this is because the plot separates them for a chunk of time so seeing it sooner makes sense.
This book does have spice and I would describe it as medium burn; not because they character get together soon but there are explicit scenes by the characters leading up to their reunion. I think it was timed well and it made the last half of the book really stick with me by seeing these characters truly be together as a couple against the forces.
I have missed him, and how sick it that? He was hired to kill me. He's been chasing me across this ever-changing planet for thousands of years...but he is the only other fae on Earth, my only connection to Attolyn, to home.
In terms of plot, I liked this whole idea of taking back the throne and embracing your name. I found the inclusion of a dragon realm to be unique and added a not more nuance to the story. I would say this was more of a character driven story with a focus of giving the two main characters time to grow into their roles. There is a chunk of the story where the two characters are separated and while the plots for each are intriguing on their own, I kept waiting for the reunion a little bit impatiently. Once they were together I ate up the book but it did slow down when they weren't together - in particular Asheraht's story didn't stick with me despite me loving his character. Overall, I feel this could have been a bigger story with more world building and time for the characters. At the same time, this was easy to consume and very smooth reading!
In the end, I feel this book it a greta option for someone wanting a short standalone fantasy experience that gives you fun characters, a bit of romance, and a helping of political upheaval. I would love to see more into this world and I do plan to read the prequel because the dragons provided some of the most interesting plot elements that kept me engage while Raelyn was on her own.
A promising start for this author, I'm eager to see what she brings us next. This is a dark adult fantasy romance, with spice, fae and dragons. It's the story of Raelyn and Asheraht, stuck on earth and unable to get back to their world, the latter on a mission to end the life of our main female character. The centuries of fighting and shared misfortune created an unescapable bound between the two. The novel starts when Raelyn, the fae princess of their world, learns that her kingdom is on the brink of destruction. She then gets help to get back to her world and to prepare a plan to save her people. The writing was engaging, kept me invested in the story and the pace was flowing and consistent. Another one of my favorite thing about this book was the dragons; I've never been as much of a fan of dragons until I read The Elemental. This book contains diversity and tropes I adore such as: panic attack/meltdown situation, hidden powers, "mine", and a kind of enemies to lovers situation. In my reading, I would have liked to have even more access to the main character, her thoughts and emotions, but this aspect is mostly related to the kind of reader I am, and doesn't mean that another reader would have the same opinion. I don't regret reading this and I am curious to see what T. B. Wiese brings us next!
Took me a little bit longer to read this book as I was reading more than 1 book at a time as well as preparing for Thanksgiving holiday. (I’m also a mood reader)
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great dark fantasy read I felt was well written. I have a physical and kindle copy I loved it so much. I love all the characters (Ash & Rae). The main FMC is fierce which I love. I love the banter back and forth. The world building and plot was awesome. I am a sucker for fae, magic, dragon shifting, cat & mouse aka enemies to lovers, this had it all and I love it. The spice for me was 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Overall the author did an awesome job taking me off into this magical realm, and that’s exactly what i enjoy about a good book. I want to feel and see where I am at. This book kept my interest peaked, I was happy, laughing, sad all in one. My only complaint is I want MORE 😂 and I’m looking forward to diving into The Dragon King
Well another book added to my top favorites. Absolutely loved this story. ☆ fae ☆ dragons shifter ☆ elemental powers ☆ mates ☆enemies to lovers ☆found family ☆ spice ☆ action storyline
Raelyn is stuck on earth for over 7000 years along with one other fae, Asheraht, an assassin ordered to kill her. During that time on earth she does her best to avoid him, but they've crossed paths a few times, but always resulting in her escape. Until one night she spots him, but he's not the only thing hunting them.
All of a sudden the life Rae has come used to on earth is flipped upside down when she hears news of her home realm. Now the assassin, Ash, becomes her allie and possibly more ? And working along side a dragon king ? Yes life is definitely flipped upside down and then some for Princess Raelyn.
This story had it all. It was perfect. I want more. 🤣 Rae and Ash are another favorite couple added to my list of favorites. Highly recommend this book.
I picked this book at a Spicy Saturday author event at B&N. It is a fantasy novel with some romance. My book club voted this in for our June meetup.
Pros: • engaging plot • unique worlds • strong FMC • MMC would die for FMC
Cons: • not enough interaction between the main characters. They split up early in the book and don't reunite until nearly the end. This is compounded by the FMC interacting with the Dragon King more than anyone- and I honestly preferred their chemistry over the MMC • would have preferred more world building
Overall, I recommend this book to any romance or fantasy lover. My only true gripe with this book is that I definitely prefer the Dragon King for Rae instead of Ash. There is a spin off book about the Dragon King though, so I'm hoping to read more about him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
3.5–4 stars. This was quite the adventure. I was hooked from the first page. However, the main characters spend over half the book separated. Ash is amazing, how committed he was to Rae after so little time of actually being with her (unless you count the 7,000 years he spent chasing her around the world). Rae is such a bad ass. We definitely get to see major character development in her. And Rem is…honorable, thats the closest word I can think of for him.
I thought a couple chapters towards the end seems to drag the story out. I did see a few typos and a couple of places where some wider word variation could have been used.
I freaking LOVED this book! The synopsis sounded so interesting that I just had to read it right away and I'm so glad that I did. It has everything I want in a fantasy romance. I loved the characters, the world, the setup and the tone of the story. Rae and Ash had such great chemistry and the history between them just made the culmination of the romance all the more satisfying to read about. Honestly I'm looking forward to reading more books by Miss Wiese.
This book hooked me right from the start. I loved Ash and Rae so very much. But I have to be honest, Kem stole my heart and I’m dying for more with him. But I seriously loved this world so very much. The magic. The romance. The 🥵🥵 everything. And so emotional. Man did you hate he shall not be named so 🤣
This book had me in a vice grip! I laughed, cried, and gasped my way through this story full of mesmerizing magical realms, heartbreaking loss and tense and steamy romance! The action was incredible, and the characters were so well conceived that I felt their emotions every step of the way! A true work of literary art!
I'm pretty sure this is one of my favorite reads this year. This book is so interesting. It has so much packed in. Rae is one of my favorite female main characters. The other characters are so interesting. It's one of those books I wish I could forget so I could reread it all over again.
3.5 for sure! I’ve never read the cat/mouse trope .. but I liked it with Asheraht and Raelyn. Then they basically had to decide was each other worth it. It wasn’t really a slow burn? It was well timed with the story and I liked that!
It was a overall a very entertaining read with alternating first person narratives from Raelyn and Ash. I enjoyed reading about fae, seelie, the unseelie, dark magic, elementals, and of course dragons! I am looking forward to book 2.
I really enjoyed this! Ash chasing Rae over centuries was such a neat use of history and I loved the dashes of modern life in there. The spice was hitting and the characters were well developed. I enjoyed the ending too! Wrapped it up nicely with a bow.
I loved everything about this book from the sibling rivalry to the cat and mouse game between Rae and Ash to the loyalty of a people to their Queen. I look forward to reading The Dragon King!
I gave this book 3 stars because the plot and characters are wonderful. The setting starts in modern day Earth then warps to a Fae realm. The main characters coming of age and relationship development kept me reading. The language bounced from modern day Earth to dabbles of old Fae, this felt awkward to me. The plot is an amazing story that felt rushed, I wanted more background and more time with the characters. I feel like this could easily be a much longer book with more world building.
The Elemental follows the story of Raelyn and Asheraht through their alternating POV’s. Raelyn is the princess of the Seelie Fae and Asheraht is an assassin who was meant to kill her. They end up trapped on Earth for over 7000 years with no way back home. And in that time their relationship evolves from trying to kill each other to an unexpected longing for each other. And then one day a dragon appears and tells them that their home of Attolyn is in chaos and it needs Raelyn to come home and take the throne. Rae finds herself with assistance from the King of the dragons to help make her stronger to help her people and become Queen.
This book had a lot I loved. Rae is a badass who is willing to do anything to get back home. The relationship between her and Ash is a great enemies to lovers. Although by the time we meet them they are already on the edge of becoming more. They spend most of the book separated but when they do get together, oh boy. However my favorite thing is the dragons. As the King describes them there are elements of the dragons that bleed into their human sides. So we end up with people with green, lavender, or pink hair. Eyes that range gold to the brightest of blues. Definitely my favorite visuals.
Overall this is a great book. I would have probably read it in one night if i didn't have a toddler at home lol. As this is the author's first book I do very much look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.
*I received an advanced reader copy from the author (thanks T.B. Wiese) in advance for my voluntary and honest review.