Recurve (Elemental, #1)

by Shannon Mayer

Her magic is weak. Her ruling stepmother hates her. And now she’s her people’s only hope.

Frustrated by her pathetically useless powers, Larkspur can only dream of being accepted by true elementals. And as the bastard daughter of the king, she lives under the constant wrath of his jealous wife. When she’s falsely accused of attacking the cruel woman, she must choose between military service or banishment… and both lead to certain death.

Seizing her slim chance for survival, Lark embarks on training as a soldier for the unforgiving kingdom. But though she excels in her new role, it may not be enough to stay safe from a queen out for her blood.

Will she bow under pressure, or unlock the power to vanquish the vicious tyrant?

Recurve is the thrilling first book in The Elemental urban fantasy series. If you like iron-willed heroines, forces of nature, and rooting for the underdog, then you’ll love Shannon Mayer’s enthralling tale

From the WSJ and USA Today Bestselling Rylee Adamson World, Recurve is the first book in The Elemental series and is the perfect introduction point for new fans.

• ISBN10: 1508533628
• ISBN13: 9781508533627
• Publish Date: 31 March 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

Pure fantasy at its finest. I would say this is less urban fantasy though than the Rylee Adamson series. Even though it's set in the same world, the Elementals keep to themselves making this a lot more removed from the "normal" world. I think for some readers it will be hard to move between the series - for me personally, I'm a massive "classic" fantasy fan before all else so reading this was like coming home and gave me the same warm fuzzy feelings.

Recurve isn't really anything new in the genre, the same old fantasy tropes (The Chosen One, quest through different lands, evil foe who has spread through the land and must be defeated, etc) appear throughout - but Mayer hits all the right notes with her portrayal.

Recurve begins Lark's adventure in her own home, the Rim which is where the Earth Elementals live. Lark is a half-breed, the bastard daughter of the Earth King and her mother, a daughter of the fifth element, Spirit. As a half-breed she is somewhat of an outcast in society - which is made worse by her lack of powers.

Lark is awesome. She's stubborn and determined to be a useful member of her society and keeps at it even as she's mocked, disrespected and ignored. But apart from Lark, many of the characters are completely unlikable. Belladonna, Cassava and King Basil are all horrible people. Ash is very hot and cold but redeems himself as the book explains his actions and the reasoning behind them.

The action was fast paced and I flew through the pages. I really enjoyed reading the first book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.