It was supposed to be simple. Graduate, get a job to keep my mom from drowning in mountains of medical debt, and maybe score a scholarship to a decent college.
All of that changed in a single breath. Because it turns out I’m not human. And I just knocked out the power on an entire city block.
In a split second, all of my carefully-laid plans go up in smoke. There’s no chance for college because I’m being hauled off to Kingwood Academy. They say it’s for my own protection and those around me. But I know one thing for sure…
I’m not welcome here.
The mean girls don’t stop at insults and tripping you in the halls. They’re wielding magic that could cost me my life. And the rest of the school sees me as either a halfling that should be cast out or a powerhouse to be brought down.
Everyone except them.
The charmer. The gentle giant. The psychopath. And maybe even the cruel prince.
The royals of Kingwood Academy have taken me under their wing and I can’t help but notice how my skin hums when they touch me. I shouldn’t be dreaming about a single one of them, let alone all four. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
Only someone doesn’t like the attention the royals are showing me. And when the attacks start, the princes will do anything to protect me. But they don’t know the true evil we face. The kind who will do whatever it takes to seize our power, even if that means stealing the very last breath from our lungs…
I tried reading two books before this one. The first, I only made it to the third chapter. I probably read a third of the second, but I just couldn’t connect with it. I was feeling almost put out, so I decided to read this one, and it ended up being a one-sitting read, and I loved it. Much of the book was stereotypical to the genre; however, I enjoyed the ways it broke from those stereotypes. For example, the chosen men weren’t bullies; they weren’t driving the female away or dousing her fire.
Aura (or Aurora, as my dyslexic brain keeps calling her) is our FMC. She is, ironically, not a vulnerable maiden or young girl with a trauma-filled past. There is fear there, fear of the past and a memory she can’t get rid of, but she doesn’t fit the usual box of a downtrodden, trauma-filled life turned into defiance or vulnerability. She’s lived a happy life with her mum and younger brother. They may not have had much money, but they had each other, and Aura clearly values family above all else. It is the only thing she thinks of besides survival. With the title ‘The Lost Elemental’, I pretty much knew what I was walking into, and once a few names were revealed, I knew what her purpose would be. This knowledge often irritates me, but I think I enjoyed the male characters so much that I wasn’t really focused on what I knew. In this book, Aura felt more like I was getting to see her character rather than learning about her. I think the tests of her character, personality, and power will come in the next book, but I learned enough about her to rally beside her while I was reading.
Kai firmly confirms my theory of every book in this genre having a golden retriever man. He fits this to a T. I think it was almost impossible not to warm to his character; he is so extroverted, unabashed, and unashamed of who he is. It is easy to see why so many people revere him or seek him out because of that nature. Through the book, I saw that his golden-retriever personality was more like a shield to hide his vulnerability. Past actions had made him close himself off, at least romantically, and I started to see his behaviour as almost a spell to keep him from getting hurt. I can also understand that, for a prince, being charismatic is a useful skill. I enjoyed his comments and actions throughout the book; they brought light and laughter to the mix, and I think without him it would have fallen flat.
Phoenix is the resident bad boy, at least in appearance, but from his first meeting with Aura, it was clear there was much more to him than meets the eye. Phoenix’s trauma event weighs heavily on his heart, and I think out of the four of them, he is the most volatile in terms of emotional baggage. I think Aura is a calming balm to him, snuffing out the flames before they have a chance to grow, and that’s why he wants to hold on to her so quickly. In constant pain and anger, I can’t imagine how exhausting that must be, and finding someone who soothes your soul must feel like a reward of gold dust. There are clear problems between Phoenix and his brother Aiden; there’s a lot of resentment and hate. The book only mentions it, but I wonder if it will become a deeper problem in later books.
Atlas is a big man, huge and quiet. He’s not approached by many. They see him and are reminded of his father, who isn’t a good man at all. Aura stumbles into him, and she manages to open him up. I see Atlas as someone people judge by his appearance, and they don’t seem to want to get to know him beyond that, so they keep their distance. I think Atlas is drawn to Aura because she doesn’t see him as anything other than himself. With her, he doesn’t have to contend with his title or his image. He is also the first person she feels completely safe with, and that bond helps them both relax a little and opens the door for others to come through.
Riven is complicated. He is the last of the foursome, and though Aura believes he hates her, I think the truth is far more complicated. I think Riven, of the four, has the most responsibility on his shoulders; he understands the politics at play and what the future will look like. He clearly struggles with what is happening around him and what Aura’s presence is doing to his friends, but he’s chosen a defensive, cruel approach to dealing with Aura. His attitude clearly affects both of them, but without knowing why he feels this way, I can’t form a complete picture of his character. I think that when he does allow himself to fall for Aura, he will fall hard, with big consequences, but I’m not sure his character is entirely ready for that yet.
Cliffhanger ending, but I expected that. The book needed a high-note ending for the plot to develop further. The Kings are now in play, but it will take time to understand their roles and how their presence will affect the plot. I’m interested to see where the narrative takes me and what surprises await.
