This story read like a poorly-developed first, possibly second draft. The main character ("Val") was supposedly in her late 20's but comes across as a petulant, immature young girl. Val has some interesting aspects where she is tuned into the forest and the land, especially the 'heart tree', so what the heck was the author thinking by not designating her the Hunti prime? With such a strong narrative lead in, developments inexplicably fizzled as someone else in the family took over.

Add in a perfunctory romance: Sebastian, who was the oh-so-charming rogue and unpredictable smuggler-thief, especially with this eye-roll, cringe-worthy "I always loved you", and Val's "oh, I loved you too but didn't know" response. Such unwriterly tropes detract from any reader-engagement.

A real shock was Shinn’s loss of her usual excellent pacing: the story was into chapter 27 before anything actually happened. Finally, we see the plot take off. Except nope, over-the-top-action for a couple segments, followed by a chapter or two and the finale of Val's adventure hiding from pursuit in the Challinbar grove on her family estate was a flatlined rescue; ultimately, a boring dénouement was so trite, it was hard to believe someone else didn't ghost-write the story.

Where is the talent that is so evident in the first 4 Elemental Blessings books, not to mention the wonderful heroines like Zoe, (Troubled Waters), Rachel (Archangel, Samaria series), Senneth (Mystic & Rider, Twelve Houses series), for example? More importantly, where is her editor? Readers may be very disappointed with how Elemental Blessings was continued. ( )

Oh, how delightful to return to Welce to learn about the hunti-folk. I do secretly wish that another person ended up as Prime, but aside from that the story was a great mix of old characters and new and it was just the book I wanted to read right now. I fear this might be the end of the series. I hope the author is inspired to take us further in the future. ( )

The final addition to the Elemental Blessings series is about Darien Serlast’s younger sister, Valentina, who shares her brother’s elemental affinity for hunti -- wood and bone.

Val is in the capital city, Chialto, at her brother’s insistence when she spies Sebastian Ardelay, her roguish best friend from childhood. Sebastian has told Val he wants to avoid attracting Darien’s attention, and she begins wondering if he’s involved in the smuggling -- and worrying for his safety.

Like the others in this series, this is about a young woman working out her place in the world. It was interesting getting a different perspective on familiar worldbuilding concepts and familiar characters. After I finished this, I reread the first book Troubled Waters (because I couldn’t remember that very clearly) and then bits of the others (which I remembered better!).

Sometimes it was hard to be hunti, all precise angles and strict rules. Sometimes she had to rest all those edges against something a little more forgiving.

( )