The Elementalists Book 1 Takes Flight
With elements of several major beloved children’s fantasy series, the Elementalists series is sure to find itself shelved among the greats.
About the Book
When a flying creature suddenly sets fire to their home, the villagers scramble to help. But for Amber, a twelve-year-old daydreamer, it’s just the beginning. At the urging of the mischievous pixies, she decides to risk everything in search of answers. If it really was the normally-friendly phoenix who started the fire, why would it do that?
She sets out armed only with a bit of advice and her archery skills, only to find there’s far more going on than her sleepy village can handle. Evil wizards and their sinister plot begin to unfold before her the further she travels. What started out as a seemingly simple task quickly reveals a far greater challenge facing the entire kingdom. And time is running short. If she can’t figure it out soon enough, the entire coast will burn.
An epic coming-of-age fantasy adventure for young and old readers alike!
Fans who love Gregor the Overlander and Wings of Fire will love this novel, book 1 in The Elementalists series
My Thoughts
This epic fantasy journey features a trio of courageous, smart, talented kids who are doing what they must to save the people they care about while forging an unexpected bond of friendship.
This time, the initial “chosen one” is a girl, but like in most fantasy stories it would seem, she has two male friends accompanying her. There is even a third kind of circling in the background, as well as a much older mentor/teacher. If the story were more adult, I’d almost suggest it were going to devolve into a reverse harem situation. It feels like this series has the potential to grow with the kids, much like Harry Potter did. And the trio reminds me of those golden three, in good ways. They even have a game called Castles that stirs up memories of late-night games of Wizards chess.
The system of magic and magical creatures in this series is well-developed, intricate, and beautiful. I look forward to learning more about it as time goes on. I look forward to seeing how the friendships grow and what kinds of adventures the trio has as the series develops. No one was surprised to hear that Theo was my favorite character. He had the kind of nerdy sidekick vibe going, while Basil had the more handsome, fighter MMC vibe going. So, of course I was drawn to Theo.
One small rant though. I know kids’ fantasy stories are for kids, but why are they always featuring kids? Are they not encouraging the kids to do dangerous things? Like where are these kids’ parents? We do meet them, and they just let them go. Isn’t it neglectful and horrible that they’ve let their children wander off with goblins, trolls, and other dangerous creatures? This is very confusing to me, and no one ever talks about it. It was not something I thought about before I had a child. But then children don’t think of that. I just hope they don’t get ideas from these stories.
Who’s It For?
This book is a middle-grade fantasy and is marketed for 8 to 15-year-olds. It has exciting adventures and scary elements, so it seems appropriate for all of those ages, but you know your kids best. No hints of romance really, so safe in that regard. It also depicts children engaging in unsafe activities unsupervised, which is common in the genre.
Content Warnings: Scary Scenes, Violence, Death, Fire Destruction, Home Loss
Question of the Day
Do you enjoy epic, magical fantasy stories like this one?
About the Authors
Ephie (dad) has been writing his whole life. Inspired by his sixth-grade teacher to write a story every week, he enrolled in the writing program at his undergrad Middlebury College and has been writing ever since. He loves the outdoors, music, community, his family, and telling stories. He currently lives in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, where he works in software development and is active in various community groups.
Celia (daughter) is an avid book lover and packs a novel with her wherever she goes. She developed the book idea at age nine inspired by a 3rd grade writing assignment. She was born in Vancouver, Canada where her first two-syllable word was “hockey”! She, along with her brother, is being raised in the mountains of Montana, where she enjoys sewing, 4H, performance art, and visiting hot springs.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Elementalists-Ephie-Risho/dp/1734974109/ref=sr_1_1?
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phoenix-Rising-Elementalists-Book-1-ebook/dp/B089DTSWV5/ref=sr_1_1?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53758909-phoenix-rising
Author Website: https://theelementalists.net/
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.