1st reading: Excellent conclusion. All the remaining important characters survived, thank goodness, though some of them not so intact. Daniel. Erion. Was glad to finally have Jax's story told, and what a story. I'll definitely have to read about the Golden Guard... plus I wonder if he and Elecia will end up together (though I'm not sure I think they suit each other). Was not surprised, though, by the "surprise" ending. ( )

I almost quit reading

I have loved this entire series but almost quit reading around 75% through when the author went a route that I thought could destroy the whole story. Of course, I can't give spoilers but I think it did take a good character and ruin her for me. This could have bee a five star book.


It looks like there is a spinoff series so I will probably try reading that soon. ( )

This is the fifth and final book in the Air Awakens series. I purchased this for my Kindle. This book does a good job of wrapping up the story, however I just didn’t find it as engaging as some of the previous books in the series.

In this book Vhalla and Aldrik must finally confront Viktor and take back their kingdom. There are a couple interesting twists but all in all the story is fairly predictable.

It was a decent enough story but I just didn’t find it as compelling as some of the previous books. It seemed more like a playing out of events to wrap up the series than an engaging story.

Overall this was a solid YA fantasy story. I would recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy with themes of magic, war, and romance. I plan on checking out other series by Kova in the future. ( )

4.5 Stars!

I am saddened to be writing this review for it is my review of the final book in the Air Awakens series by Elise Kova, a series that I have loved dearly. I am not ready to say goodbye to my new friends.

This being the final book in the series I had high expectations for a “good” wrap up. And those expectations were nearly met.

Let’s start with the bad: The first half of the book has Vhalla and Aldrick wandering around seeing everyone and gathering support. This part left me feeling antsy. I had hoped the book would take off with a bang where Book 4 ended. And it didn’t. I’ve read the book twice now and I understand why Elise did what she did from a plot perspective, but I think there are other ways to wrap things up that involve more action in terms of taking on Victor, right up front.

The good then: I loved how Kova allowed Vhalla and ALdrick’s relationship to deepen and grow. I particularly enjoyed the part where Vhalla comes to understand that Aldrick really wants to be married where his parents were. He asks for so few things, but this detail where we get to see one thing that really matters to him, after so much has been stripped away from him throughout his life, was a perfect conclusion for them.

I was a bit disappointed that Daniel’s character ended up the way he did, but that’s just my optimism showing through. I get that in life not everyone comes out a winner and Kova did a good job at reflecting reality with him.

The great: In a word, Jax. For all his quirks, I love this man. And we finally get to understand why he acts the way he does. Him and Elecia. The two of them were string minor characters and I love how they got to share the limelight in this final installment.

And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the epilogue. This section was just perfect. It allowed me to take a deep breath and sigh contentedly. Kinda of like the perfect champagne with strawberries and bree at the end of a long day.

I give Crystal Crowned 4.5/5.0 ( )

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I also interviewed Elise Kova about the series and what's next here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvGqKO9-At0

I'm going to keep this short, as we all know I love this series. I've reviewed each and every book right here in the last year, and if you've made it this far, you're already going to read it.

That, or you're waiting to find out if you should start it, if the end is worth it.



I'll sum up three of the best aspects of this series as a whole.

FIRST. The character development is amazing. I started out seeing myself in Vhalla, to the extent that I became known as Actually Vhalla Yarl when talking with Kova and some other bloggers. However, this changed over time. Vhalla grew enormously, and she became the kind of fierce, determined, compassionate leader that I want to be. She became my role model. Aldrik also changed a lot, starting off as a dark, brooding, distant prince and become a strong, kind and caring man that I am even more in love with.

SECOND. The world building is insane. Kova designed the entire continent, thinking about the physical landscapes, the customs and cultures, the histories, the languages... Historical events came up in conversation and affected the present. Even the future was tied in. She made this world complete, but she also left some mystery in there surrounding the world outside the empire. Here's hoping there's a reason for that!

THIRD. Kova planned these books down to the tiniest detail. These weren't just sequential substories. No, this was one big intertwining tale, with crumbs left throughout the series leading up to the big finale in Crystal Crowned. When I started Air Awakens, I had no idea where the story would go. I was not expecting the massive twists that would be thrown at me along the way.

I only have two niggles about Crystal Crowned. One, I didn't like what happened to Daniel. It kills me. Did he have to be cast aside like that? Two, the writing style seemed different from the first four books, and while it wasn't bad, the difference quirked me a little. Oh, and while this is shelved as Young Adult, I would personally put it in New Adult, as Vhalla is 18 from halfway through the first book, and Aldrik is in his 20s! Other than that, though, I loved it!

Final verdict? Should you read this series? If you love big, epic, high fantasies and elemental magic, you have to.

See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
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