Air Awakens (Air Awakens #1) by Elise Kova
Published: August 27th 2015 by Silver Wing Press
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult.
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads Summary
A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books.But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

I’ve seen this book floating around the blogosphere for a while now and I am so happy to have finally read it. This is the first of five books in the Air Awaken series. The story follows Vhalla, a library apprentice who is thrown into a world of magic, intrigue and chaos.

Vhalla was definitely the star of the book for me. Having lived a sheltered life behind the palace walls, Vhalla was content with the life she had at the beginning of the book. With good friends, a roof over her head and an apprenticeship at the library, she found no reason to complain. However, when her magic begins to manifest, she find her world turned upside down. With her magic festering at unpredictable rates, Vhalla is forced to acknowledge the abilities she possesses and learn how to control them for the safety of herself and for those around her. Vhalla is not a warrior; her place is with her books and I loved the struggle she faced in controlling and developing her abilities. I could definitely resonate with Vhalla’s confusion. While she loves her life in the library, her curiosity about magic entices her into this new world and it is here that all the stereotypes she’s knows and fears about sorcerers begins to wane. This book focuses on her journey in finding her place in this world. Her character development was beautifully crafted.

However, Vhalla is not the only focus of the book as we are treated to an array of characters; some I loved, some I hated. Prince Aldrik is one I grew to love. In the beginning he was arrogant. His methods in training are severe, to put it lightly. Naturally, this tough exterior is used as a front to keep people at arm’s length and there were a few hints to suggest that his past has not been the most pleasant. We only really scratch the surface on the complexity of his character but I feel like this will be something that will be developed as we go farther in to the series.

Now while I loved the characterization of Vhalla and Aldrik, I must admit I did feel like her friends were a bit inconsistent. They were one of the main reasons Vhalla clung to her former life. However, to me they were a bit hot and cold and I just couldn’t connect with them. Granted we don’t spend an awful lot of time with them so I never felt the connection and the bond between them.

Technically there is no love triangle in this book. However, multiple characters show an interest in Vhalla. I must say a certain person was trying a bit too hard for my liking and that irked me a bit. This is obviously a personal preference because I’m not really tolerant of these situations and so I hope that we don’t encounter a triangle as we continue with the series.

The book takes place behind palace walls and while we are treated to some knowledge of the wider world, not much is known about them beyond the war and snippets of their magical history. I am excited to get to explore these different landscapes so I can get a greater feel for the world.

Overall this is a solid installment to what promises to be a fabulous series. The book sets the foundation of things to come in the next book and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.