A strong collection covering a whole lot of ground and this isn't even the full story! See the full review and more at MyBookJoy.com!

Recommended: yes
For a fantasy that covers a lot of elements, for a story that progresses through different interesting stages and plot lines, for an MC who feels real

Thoughts:
I'm really glad I got the collection of the first four novels, because if I had to stop at the end of any of the different books I would have been mad. And that is always a good sign! I was delighted to learn there's even another after this set, which I will be picking up soon. I'm not sure if that one is the end of the series or not, and I'm also not sure if I want it to be.

The magic of twisting elements is cleverly done, though I feel there were some obvious possibilities that were overlooked. It's still fun to see all the ways the element manipulation is used and how it shapes - pun? - the culture of Kamdaria. Elemental magic is nothing totally new and crazy, but it was done well with some really gorgeous creations and descriptions (like the fire blossom tree!!!).

Some of the main plot points were predictable, but partly just because I've read so much of a similar genre. The journey and moments in between were fantastic, though. I really appreciated how the characters would point out moments that would usually be conveniently glossed over and leave the reader struggling to suspend disbelief. There were none of those here, as the characters themselves acknowledged when something was totally ridiculous. Running over broken glass barefoot? Yes, that will be a problem. No supernatural heroes here!

This was an enjoyable collection, but it didn't blow me away. I think there's potential for it to do so, though, and each section of the story got better in terms of writing style and plot complexity. We'll see where [b:River Gate|52048828|River Gate (The Elements of Kamdaria 5)|Kay L Moody|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583341351l/52048828._SY75_.jpg|76788222] goes next!

Thanks to the author and Booksirens for a free copy in exchange for an honest review! ( )

I was given this ARC for my honest review of the book.

I do not review books on grammar, spelling, or syntax unless it is so obviously horrendous, I must say a few words.

My reviews are on the plot, characters, worldbuilding, POV, and general storytelling.

I am going to start with the characters. One of the things I loved was that Talise was bipolar; one moment, I loved her, and the next, she was utterly unlikeable. She was self-centered, ego-centric, and at times appeared uncaring, and the next, she was the heroine I wanted her to be. But Talise's best friends Wendy and Claye are great side characters. However, I wish the secondary characters would have been a little more fleshed out. I wanted to know more about Wendy and her elemental abilities.

I must say I could see where Moody borrowed some ideas from The Hunger Games, The Tithe, and The Goblet of Fire, to mention a few stories with tests of skills of youth. I could not keep making references to other books as I kept reading, but I had to keep in mind that the target audience for this book was YA and not me. I am a woman in my late 40’s. This book wasn’t written for my age group in mind, so I kept that in mind when I read the book.

The plot has enough twists and turns to keep me wanting more. And easy to understand for the target audience.

I gave this book a four-star because I placed myself in the shoes of a fourteen-year-old, and I think I would have loved to have known how Talise and her friends met and became friends. I thought the book missed an opportunity to connect young adults in those friendship relationships.

I loved the book. And I think is great for the target audience.
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Talise and Aaden are pretty amazing children. Thrown together at the Academy, they are competitors in the Emperor's contest. War breaks out, all goes to hell and they are becoming friends; attracted to each other. This book was truly fascinating. The detail and how everything just came together. Reading how Talise came from the Storm, one of the many caste groups people are seperated into, made me think of The Hunger Games. That said, being a fan of that series, I wholeheartedly add this one up along with it. So much going on in the undertones with a rich, detailed story, makes for a strong book. Talise kept coming up against twists and turns; she just ran with it and kept going. She was trying very hard to win for her family and that kept her motivated. Great book! Adventure for the youth. I think the adults will enjoy this too. Give it a read, I know you'll enjoy it. ( )

Who doesn’t love an adventurous tale of magic and action? I like how the use of magic is so commonplace, but also not everyone is insanely strong – and even the main characters have their limits. I really enjoyed seeing the character development from multiple characters throughout the story as well. We also see a lot of different elements in the book and I loved how it was built into the society in a way that explained some of their world and reasons for certain things. If you’re looking for an interesting, clean-romance, magical tale: this book is for you! ( )