I just LOVE this series!!!!!

We start this instalment pretty much where we left off last time. Vhalla is now property of the Crown and forced to march to the front. The Senate (and the Emperor) all hope that she will die along the way or well, bring victory first and then die, but Aldrik and her friends will do all they possibly can to keep her alive.

Where the previous book mostly took place in the palace, this one took place on the road, different campsites and more road :) Still, no matter where the action took place, everything was well detailed so you could just focus on the story itself.

Character development was good. Vhalla keeps on learning, not only about her magic but now about war, about sword training and well... Aldrik.
Aldrik slowly but surely opens up more and more to Vhalla (finally) and together they make new and important discoveries that just might keep her alive.
Fritz and Larel joined the army as well, keeping an eye on Vhalla and helping where they can.
I love the characters of this series, they feel so alive! You walk alongside them througout their journeys, you learn of their hopes and fears. Let's say you get emotionally invested :)

Pacing and flow were good, a lot going on but it doesn't feel rushed. A great balance between action and conversation.

The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors.

All in all, I will need to let my poor heart calm the hell down before I can continue with book 3, I'm not sure it can take more of this... Recommended! ( )

I enjoyed this book more than the first although I still find Vhalla quite immature but I am still hopeful for some personal growth.

The ending had me groaning but I assume it is a red herring or the crystals shall come into play or something of that I'll because I am still waiting for some saucy romance man ( )

I can't get enough!

The pace was slower in this book than it was in the first but I think the author was setting us up to emotionally traumatize us all. Elise Kova is a cruel woman! That's a compliment because not all authors can mess with my emotions so easily.

I have to hurry and start the next book.



( )

I am surprised with myself that I picked a sequel book of a series in this same year. I usually take a long break from the book to the next installment. Elise Kova is a fantastic storyteller, and I love her writing. I borrowed the book from KU, and I listen to the audiobook through my Audible subscription (I have the whole series as an audiobook.)
Vhalla is so much more than a librarian who was scared of sorceries and magic in the first book. Her character in this book begins to develop from a girl into a woman, and I love every second of the strength and courage Vhalla starts to show.
Aldrik, in the second installment of the Air Awakens series, we dive deeper into who he is and some of the things he has to deal with in the past. We continue to see that he is more than just the silver tongue emotionally stunted Prince that many characters in the book like to so WRONGLY label him as.
There's an outstanding balance between moments of character growth and growth between characters and moments that push the story forward, and moments stay in the present to emphasize a moment. This book had elements that I was expecting and some that I was not, but everything had a purpose, and everything done exceptionally well. The world is positively growing more prominent in the eyes of the reader; we visit more places and learn more about the characters' pasts.
Because of the cliffhanger, I think I will read the "Earth's End," the third installment of Air Awakens, very soon so I can find out what happens to Vhalla and Aldrik. ( )

This contains spoilers.

It gets a 3.5 but I can't round up because this book begins so bland. It feels very frivolous. Two friends that she barely just met agree to go to war with Vhalla just because? At least one of them, Fritz, has another motivation because being there to make Vhalla feel good about herself and that men. Literally. and I can't even with the treatment of Larel. She literally exists to be a mother to Vhalla (which is kinda creepy because Vhalla's prince is the same age.) And then she dies. In the first book she had so much potential. I wasn't even sad that she died, I expected it, I was just sad we never got to see her be awesome. She didn't even die fighting.

You may wonder how we even get to 3 stars after that. Well, the Vhalla of the second half of the book is pretty awesome. She stops a whole sand storm by herself and she kills people like a warrior and I respect it. The romance is kinda cute too. And least there are no absolutely ridiculous sex scenes to deal with which I appreciate a lot. I am kind of bothered by her whole motivation being her man but I'm hoping she'll get some of her own in the future. (I really want the Prince to stay dead even though I know he won't. I kinda hate when first loves are supposedly amazing and forever because that is not how 99% of people experience it. So here's to hoping it won't end like that.)

All in all, this book ends up being a solid second half read as long as you can get past like the first 11 chapters. ( )