Air Awakens by Elise Kova is the first book in the Air Awakens Series. In this world, the continent is split into four parts: Lyndum (South), Cyven (East), Mhashan (West), and Shaldan (North). Lyndum has conquered Cyven and Mhasha and is currently at war with Shaldan. Each of the regions has particular magic affinities associated with them: wind for the East, fire for the West, water for the South, and earth for the North. Magic is highly taboo in the South, so those with magic have to either join the Tower of Sorcerers or eradicate their magic. The crown prince, Alderik, is a powerful military leader and sorcerer. Vhalla is an apprentice at the imperial library, and she accidentally bonded to Alderik.
The novel starts with Vhalla, as she helps save Alderik, which accidentally magically bonds them together. Valhalla, unaware that she has magic, gets help fully awakening her affinity with wind and is forced to make a life-altering choice. She can either leave her peaceful life behind to join the Tower and become a sorcerer or eradicate her powers but keep enjoying her life as it is. Making this decision more complicated is that she’s the first Windwalker in 150 years, she would be instrumental in the war, her growing friendship with Alderik and the other sorcerers of the Tower, and the uncertainty of how the bond would affect things.
Now, onto things I enjoyed and felt were positives. The short book has good pacing, sets up the world, and fleshes out characters. I also enjoyed the writing and storytelling; they were captivating and engrossing. The characters that have so far been introduced are great and add a lot, especially Laurel, Aldrik, and Vhalla. Elise Kova did a fantastic job setting up and showing how Vhalla’s flaws and actions impact the story. It has a good balance between being plot and character-driven. I liked the romance that is being set up, but I have some concerns with how quickly it’s moving. They’re not together yet, but it’s still moving pretty fast. I’m worried about the possibility of the miscommunication trope popping up. I’m afraid but optimistic. I’ve always been a fan of the elemental magic systems.
I didn’t like it and felt the following were negatives, and others might not enjoy them. There were a few minor inconsistencies that weren’t relevant and could easily be missed. At times, it can be too focused on romance and less on fantasy. I enjoy romance, so this wasn’t a massive deal for me, but be aware of that going into it. However, I do take a more significant issue with Vhalla acknowledging Alderik’s red flags but ignoring them because they’re “hot” or have some “connection.” He isn’t hot, and he pushed her off a roof. It was shown as an oversight and a part of their flaws, but it hasn’t even been a year since he made her off the roof in the book. Returning to the bond, it needs to be explained more because almost nothing was explained.
I give this 4.5 stars; it’s definitely a good YA fantasy romance. This series has four other main books: Fire Falling, Earth’s End, Water’s Wrath, and Crystal Crowned. There is also a short story between books two and three called Tales from the Front. There are three spin-off series: Golden Guard Trilogy, Vortex Chronicles, and A Trial of Sorcerers.
