The Elements of the Crown: A YA Epic Fantasy with Royalty, Intrigue, and Magic (The Elements of Kamdaria Book 1)

I received an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.I wasn't really sure about this book at first, it's not usually my type. After reading other books by this author I decided to try this one, I'm so glad I did. It's not about fae, but it does have magic and many incredible qualities. Book one starts off with a bit of an emotional scene, that becomes more an more intense and exciting throughout the series. The storyline is so good, it exceeded my expectations. I thought I had many things figured out in book 1, I couldn't have been more wrong. The plot had so many surprise twists, I was left speechless. The characters are so beautifully written, I was instantly drawn to them. One of my favourite characters was the emperor himself, he can come of as a bit of a cruel monster. But he has much more to him than you see, I love how complex he is. With every page I turned I was so engrossed I almost forgot to eat or sleep, good job my husband is around to reprimand me. This is a series that is both intriguing and filled with so much lore, it leaves you wanting more. The author did an amazing job creating a beautiful world, with memorable characters and a storyline that is both compelling and emotional.

This is a collection of 4 books which make up the Elements of the Crown series. They are a young adult fantasy series with a enemies to lovers romance thrown into the mix as the books progress. The author does an amazing job of bringing all the magical aspects to life and really making it all believable. The characters are well written and it's nice to see their progression through the series.My favourite character has got to be Talise. She has come from a background of the lowest of the low but because of her gift for manipulating the elements she is given a chance at a special academy which will improve her life. However she has to give up a lot for this opportunity. Mainly her mother. It's heartbreaking to read her story and her struggle without her mum but then to see how much her character grows and blooms through the series makes them really enjoyable.This is a great series for anyone who like magic, magical contests and a bit of romance thrown in.

The kingdom is split into three rings - separating the rich (inner ring) and the middle class (middle ring) from the low class exiles (outer ring). But Talise has a powerful gift that could save her and get her out of the outer ring.Her only chance is to audition for training at an elite academy, and hope to become Master Shaper.After ten years of training at the academy, and having incredible control over the elements of water, air, earth and fire, Talise’s dream of becoming Master Shaper is only a breath away. But when Aaden, a handsome student from the inner ring, also appears intent on the title of Master Shaper, the real challenge beings.But on top of everything, an old enemy of the kingdom is back, and secrets are drawn out from the shadows.This was a very enjoyable YA read! We see Talise and Aaden go head-to-head in trials presented by the emperor, and watch as their relationship blooms. I do wish there was a bit more flare to the trails they were presented with, and I did find the second half of the book much more exciting than the first, but overall, this was such an exciting read with so many twists and great world building!

Talise is only a child living in the empire of Kamdaria, but she is also one of the lowest caste of people who live there, she lives in the third ring known as Storm, it is a brutal place where the only people who survive there are criminals and there is no way out, once you are sent there, every generation which follows remains. Talise however, has something which the others around her don’t and because of this, the only other member of her family takes her to the middle ring of the empire, known as the Gate, it has taken years to get her there, but now they have arrived, they will not take no for an answer to their demands.The reason Talise has come to the Gate region is so that she can be tested to see whether she can earn a place at the Academy where those with a talent for shaping the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water are tutored and taught all they need to become Shapers. Nobody from Storm has ever been a Shaper and so when they turn up at the end of the day, they are automatically dismissed as vermin and treated like scum, however, when her family is about to be assaulted, Talise shows exactly what she can do and earns herself a place in the Academy.After she says goodbye and promises to become a Master Shaper, Talise spends the next ten years preparing to do just that, she is determined and works harder than anyone else there and surpassing them at every stage, that is until a young man in the same year proves that he is a worthy adversary. As the day of the final testing and competition arrives, Talise is struggling to concentrate and makes a decision which has consequences she never dreamed of and because of this, she has to share the title of Master Shaper with the one person she couldn’t stand and now thanks to a daring scheme, they have to work together, however, hating each other is harder than expected. As they face numerous trials, an unexpected attraction builds between them, however fate is not on their side as dark secrets emerge all around them, but will they be able to work together in order to survive, or will the future be as bleak as if they were still in the Storm?This is a fast paced rollercoaster of action, magic, secrets and emotional turmoil as decisions are made and consequences are rendered in this world where elements are used to the advantage of some and disadvantage of others, all the while asking the hard questions of how war and prejudice can affect the society around it.