The Elements of Kamdaria
Kay L. Moody
Fantasy, Christian Fiction, Young Adult
{GoodReads}
Talise has a gift that could save her life.
In an empire divided into three rings, seventeen-year-old Talise is from the outer ring. This dangerous and crime-laden land has one constant… death.
Her only chance for escape is to become Master Shaper—an honored position in the palace court and military. Each year, the emperor chooses one student to receive the title.
After ten years of training at an elite academy, Talise clearly has a gift for manipulating the elements of water, air, earth, and fire. But Aaden, a handsome student from the privileged inner ring, is poised to steal the title away from her.
When they come before the emperor, he is impressed with the great skill both Talise and Aaden possess. He presents them with a set of trials, and she knows this is the chance she needs to prove herself. As long as Aaden doesn’t ruin everything.
But secrets hide in every corner of the palace, masking a conflict far more dangerous than her previous home in the outer ring. Now, she must play along with the emperor’s lies and games, or else she will lose her life to an enemy she never expected.
This book includes novellas 1-4 of The Elements of Kamdaria:
Ice Crown, Wind Crown, Dust Crown, and Flame Crown.
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I was provided an e-copy of this book thanks to BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
WARNING: Possible Spoilers!
I was provided an e-copy of this book thanks to BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
WARNING: Possible Spoilers!
{The Basics}
When I dove into this book, I wasn't really sure what to expect. The story world, while similar to other more dystopian-like (though this story reads more like fantasy), was quite original in that the kingdom is divided into three rings: the furthest---outer ring---is known as the Storm, and is where all criminals & their families are banished to. The inner ring is called the Gate, and the center is known as the Crown.
Our main character hails from the Storm, and has the ability to "shape" all four elements---water, earth, fire, & air. (I was totally comparing it to the "bending" in Avatar: The Last Airbender series xD) Being able to shape all elements is something unheard of from someone in the Storm. But Talise can.
Once in the Storm, the ONLY way someone is allowed to leave it, is by training at an academy & becoming a Master Shaper---master of all four elements, who lives, trains, & serve in the Crown. Needless to say, that's never happened to anyone who comes from the Storm.
Enter Talise. :]
Our main character hails from the Storm, and has the ability to "shape" all four elements---water, earth, fire, & air. (I was totally comparing it to the "bending" in Avatar: The Last Airbender series xD) Being able to shape all elements is something unheard of from someone in the Storm. But Talise can.
Once in the Storm, the ONLY way someone is allowed to leave it, is by training at an academy & becoming a Master Shaper---master of all four elements, who lives, trains, & serve in the Crown. Needless to say, that's never happened to anyone who comes from the Storm.
Enter Talise. :]
{Violence}
When Talise & Marmie travel to the testing facility from the Storm to the Gate for her to be tested for entry into an academy, they witness a family being judged in the town square & sentenced as guilty---banishing them to the outer ring with nothing but the clothes on their backs. A newborn baby is present, and the grandmother begs the officials to spare the child, but it's implied no mercy is shown & the family is shipped off.
[SPOILER] Marmie dies from malnutrition & sickness in the Storm, with no one but Talise to leave a mark on her grave (a markless grave is seen as a disgrace).
A skirmish in the castle leaves two guards supposedly unconscious ([SPOILER] we later learn they were actually dead...). A character threatens a man with a dagger to the neck, but doesn't intend to follow through.
A battle takes place on palace grounds. Soldiers die being impaled by spears and/or arrows. Characters shape rocks & dirt and send them towards the enemies' heads, shoulders, & torsos in an effort to stop them from besieging the castle. Some are knocked out cold by the force of the rocks.
A massacre of enemy soldiers at one point. Honestly, I thought this was a pointless battle... If the enemy leaders had half a brain, they would've retreated, sparing the loss of their soldiers & found a better strategy. For some reason, it seems that's just how the enemies' fight.
In one instance, Talise throws out a plan of strategy waaaaaaaay out of character for her by suggesting they send out a few soldiers as a distraction and "while they are being killed" she & her friends would make for the castle to help those inside. She's scolded by those present (not to mention the soldiers themselves...), but for a girl who's mortified by taking the lives of enemy soldiers & death in particular, it was way out of character and did not fit. Talise seems especially cruel at times (out of character), in other instances throughout.
A soldier is mortally injured, blood pouring from a gash at the back of his head. Our characters realize his skull is cracked, so they do their best to make him comfortable. He begins having seizures before gurgling blood and dying.
A young man takes a sword slice to the face, leaving a scar across his eye. Later, that same young man sports bruises (implied that he was abused for disrespecting an elder...).
Another skirmish during a masquerade ball. Blood, burns & blisters from fires, and at least one guy has a dagger in his shoulder. A character is knocked unconscious at one point. That same person is barefoot in dungeons later in an escape attempt, stepping on broken glass and sharp rocks---very painful.
A girl gets frostbite in her fingertips from trying to shape with ice (something unheard of---at least successfully). To help heal, healers slice the tips off with sharp blade & wrap with gauze.
A character is imprisoned in dungeons for at least three weeks---nasty, filthy, matted hair, etc. Eventually the guards are ordered to starve her.
A battle at the enemy base brings about more sword fights, bows & arrows, & shaping. A man is stabbed in shoulder. Others are taken down by swords to the chest or arrows, etc.
[SPOILER] Marmie dies from malnutrition & sickness in the Storm, with no one but Talise to leave a mark on her grave (a markless grave is seen as a disgrace).
A skirmish in the castle leaves two guards supposedly unconscious ([SPOILER] we later learn they were actually dead...). A character threatens a man with a dagger to the neck, but doesn't intend to follow through.
A battle takes place on palace grounds. Soldiers die being impaled by spears and/or arrows. Characters shape rocks & dirt and send them towards the enemies' heads, shoulders, & torsos in an effort to stop them from besieging the castle. Some are knocked out cold by the force of the rocks.
A massacre of enemy soldiers at one point. Honestly, I thought this was a pointless battle... If the enemy leaders had half a brain, they would've retreated, sparing the loss of their soldiers & found a better strategy. For some reason, it seems that's just how the enemies' fight.
In one instance, Talise throws out a plan of strategy waaaaaaaay out of character for her by suggesting they send out a few soldiers as a distraction and "while they are being killed" she & her friends would make for the castle to help those inside. She's scolded by those present (not to mention the soldiers themselves...), but for a girl who's mortified by taking the lives of enemy soldiers & death in particular, it was way out of character and did not fit. Talise seems especially cruel at times (out of character), in other instances throughout.
A soldier is mortally injured, blood pouring from a gash at the back of his head. Our characters realize his skull is cracked, so they do their best to make him comfortable. He begins having seizures before gurgling blood and dying.
A young man takes a sword slice to the face, leaving a scar across his eye. Later, that same young man sports bruises (implied that he was abused for disrespecting an elder...).
Another skirmish during a masquerade ball. Blood, burns & blisters from fires, and at least one guy has a dagger in his shoulder. A character is knocked unconscious at one point. That same person is barefoot in dungeons later in an escape attempt, stepping on broken glass and sharp rocks---very painful.
A girl gets frostbite in her fingertips from trying to shape with ice (something unheard of---at least successfully). To help heal, healers slice the tips off with sharp blade & wrap with gauze.
A character is imprisoned in dungeons for at least three weeks---nasty, filthy, matted hair, etc. Eventually the guards are ordered to starve her.
A battle at the enemy base brings about more sword fights, bows & arrows, & shaping. A man is stabbed in shoulder. Others are taken down by swords to the chest or arrows, etc.
{Spiritual Content}
None really, in regards to God or gods.
We learn that the magic system (which was so intriguing!) centers from the shaper's body. Shaping the elements takes much training (especially if the shaper means to use more than one element at a time), and concentration. And each elements comes from different parts of the body: fire---heart, water---eyes/skin, air---lungs, etc.
We learn that the magic system (which was so intriguing!) centers from the shaper's body. Shaping the elements takes much training (especially if the shaper means to use more than one element at a time), and concentration. And each elements comes from different parts of the body: fire---heart, water---eyes/skin, air---lungs, etc.
{Language // Alcohol & Drugs}
None.
{Romantic Content}
Talise feels attraction for her former rival, Aaden. She's always blushing, always feeling butterflies, etc. etc. (It was a constant every time they were present together. Almost got annoying, in my opinion...) At least one very passionate kiss is shared, and longing for more. But no further than that.
{Conclusion}
All in all, this was an easy read. Originally published as four novellas, they were combined into one book with four parts. This made it a good read, because the different parts would often end in a cliff hanger. I enjoyed the story, the world, and especially the magic system---but I found myself not connecting well to the characters & simply wishing to finish the book & move on.
That said, it was a clean, fantasy tale, with no language, sensuality, or too much graphic detail (though quite a bit of violence). An easy read for fantasy lovers!
That said, it was a clean, fantasy tale, with no language, sensuality, or too much graphic detail (though quite a bit of violence). An easy read for fantasy lovers!
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More like 3.5 stars out of five.
Ages: 14+
More like 3.5 stars out of five.
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To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, and a book of rules,
And each must make, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
-Anonymous-