Sacrifice is an accurate portrayal of the saying: when it rains, it pours. Everything that could go wrong for the Merrick family takes place at the same time. Kemmerer is not afraid to put her characters through the most.

Michael's character development throughout the series has been amazing. He started off seeming like a jerk in the beginning of Storm, but with each book in the series, he proved that he's a decent person who's trying to do the right thing and protect his family from separation and danger. His PoV is heartrending, because he had to grow up fast and take on a lot of responsibilities, and his fears, emotions, doubt and insecurities are interesting to read about, especially because he's one of the most logical characters in the series.

I never had strong feelings towards Hannah, but I thought she was a cool character and expected to like her in Sacrifice. Unfortunately, her PoV didn't do much for me. Her story and issues don't have much of a role to play in terms of the overall plot, her personality is all over the place and there's something lacking, but I can't put my finger on what it is.

While romance isn't the focus of Sacrifice, I didn't care about Michael and Hannah's relationship and the chemistry between them is barely there. I'm also not a fan of the weird hints at a possible love triangle that ended up dissolving into nothing.

I'm sad that the Merrick brothers don't have a lot of page time in the finale, but the scenes they're in are so powerful. Then there's Hunter, Adam and Tyler who really step up and come through. Adam is a great guy, Tyler becomes almost fully redeemable and Hunter literally does the most. The title fits the story because all the characters sacrifice something in some way or another, but Hunter is the true sacrifice. His death is so abrupt though. He deserves better.

I love elemental powers and while the Elemental series is light on the paranormal aspect, it's well-written and seamlessly interwoven into the plot. It's extremely interesting to read about how Michael's element manifests.

The plot is action-packed and the Merrick's are in constant danger. They literally don't have a chance to breathe. Unfortunately, the plot feels rushed and the world seems to have become too much for the author. The ending is also a little unrealistic, but I'm saying this about a series that deals with real-world issues extremely well.

I have mixed feelings about the open-ending of this series. There are two plot threads that are followed through until the end. I'm sort-of satisfied with one of them, Michael getting custody of his siblings. While Michael doesn't yet have custody, there is hope that it will happen. He also still gets to see his brothers, who are living together and have a comfortable roof over their heads. I'm not happy about the other because it's still unresolved, which is the threat of the Guides. Just because the Guides were killed doesn't mean that more Guides aren't going to come looking for the Merrick's again. Irish mentioned that there is change coming with the Guides way of thinking, but who knows when that might happen. Being a full elemental still means being in danger and the finale didn't deal with this issue. I hope that Kemmerer comes back to this series at some point to tie up the loose ends mostly because I want more content from this series.

Sacrifice is a solid finale, but I'm a little disappointed because it wasn't what I was expecting. I'd still highly recommend the Elemental series though. It has realistic and flawed characters, awesome family relationships, elemental powers and it deals with paranormal and contemporary issues. I'll probably read every single bit of content that Kemmerer writes for this series and I hope she comes back to it in the future.

"Things happen, and we deal with them."

jnikkir

Written on Sep 15, 2014

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved...

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I love the Elemental series. Love. It. I will hold it up as a shining example of genuinely good contemporary YA paranormal for all time. It follows the stories of four brothers, who have powers over the elements, as they fight to stay together - and stay alive - while being targeted by people who hunt down strong Elementals like themselves.

It's also really hard to explain without it sounding like it might be "just another YA paranormal series", but I assure you, it is not. Brigid Kemmerer is a master of building realistic characters, writing amazingly emotional storylines, and keeping you constantly glued to each book as you read it.

That being said... my thoughts about Sacrifice, the final book in this series, are super complicated.

While I was reading it, it was incredible. I loved everything about it. Kemmerer is an absolute genius when it comes to balancing genuine character insight and development with non-stop (and I mean non-stop) action -- and the result is a book (entire series, rather) with non-stop feels and continuous flailing on the part of the reader.

This book, Sacrifice, is Michael's story, which I've been looking forward to since before I read book 1, really - Michael is the main character in the prequel novella, Elemental. He's one of my favorite characters in this series, and this book did not disappoint when it came to his story and character arc. Michael goes through a lot in trying to take care of his brothers and be their guardian and parental figure. I loved getting some insight into his life, what he deals with, and seeing the depth of his love for his brothers, and the responsibility he feels toward them. My heart ached for Michael and his situation, and just... gah. He's an amazing character.

After finishing the book, though, I have to be honest and say: I do feel like there was a lot of stuff that I was expecting, that was left out of this final story. It might be the fact that I didn't realize it was actually ending when it ended... I was looking at the percentage, and not the page numbers, when I read my eARC, and to my immense surprise, I hit the end of the book with 35% to go (which is because the last 35% is taken up by the three novellas).

What was missing? Well, I was expecting more from each of the brothers - a little more closure to all their stories. I also really really loved Hannah, and the chemistry between Hannah and Michael was really sweet, but I would've liked a little more closure to their story, as well.

I also felt like the book-plot was wrapped up, but I don't feel like the series plot as a whole was tied up perfectly. It ends with some pretty vague "this little conflict is over but there's a long way to go" sort of thing, and while that works in a lot of cases and is totally realistic, it didn't work for me here. Again, this might be partially a result of the "I didn't realize it was over when it was over", but even so, looking back, I don't feel like it's an unjustified feeling, either.

In conclusion...

When you finish a really good series, you want to feel a sense of completion; and while I think this book did a great job telling us more about Michael and his story, I'm still left feeling like there's a bit missing, for some reason.

However, I still adore this series and will push it on anyone who will listen. Like I said, Kemmerer is a genius at building believable and sympathetic characters, and balancing that real character development with non-stop action. If you don't believe me, check out my Goodreads status updates:

If you're in the mood for a YA paranormal, pick up this series. You will not regret it.

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There were books involved...

Jo

Written on Sep 3, 2014

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase

I absolutely love this series, and so was incredibly eager to read Sacrifice,and jumped on NetGalley straight away once I discovered it was available to review with such excitement! So it's with a heavy heart that I have to say, now I've finished Sacrifice, I have mixed feelings.

With the Guides are still after the Merrick brothers, they're almost sitting ducks, waiting for the next attack. Tensions are running high, and Michael Merrick is feeling the pressure to keep his family safe. When all the houses in their neighbourhood are burnt to a crisp, and Michael is suspected as having a part to play in the fires - by none other than Marshal Faulkner, the father of his girlfriend, Hannah - he knows the Guides are more than serious this time, and he could lose everything...

I'm going to start with the positives. Sacrifice has everything that makes this series; it's the perfect blend of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and contemporary. Although there is a focus in Sacrifice on the romance between Michael and Hannah, like there is a focus in the others, also like the others, the romance isn't the dominating factor. There's still a real fantasy and danger element (ha!), and set off with real contemporary topics, as in each book. It's fantasy that deals with real life issues in an honest, realistic way. It's something I've always admired about these books; sure, these are stories about guys who have abilities to control the elements, but there's always something very human and relatable in these stories, too. Not only do they make the stories feel more credible, but they also touch on really important subjects without shoving them down your throat and feeling too preachy and/or depressing. In Sacrifice, the issues covered are the responsibilities of protecting and raising a family, and the pressure that comes with it, the effect of teenage pregnancy has on you even when you're an adult, and, as always, family dynamics and the problems of miscommunication. Each of these topics is dealt with so well, you could take all the fanatasy elements out and you would still have a story. Brigid Kemmerer writes with such compassion, too, even when the characters are going through a hard or tough time, it's still beautiful.

Sacrifice is still full of the danger and excitement we have come to expect from the Elemental series. It's really amped up in Sacrifice, though, and I think it might be the most violent of the series! There are so many on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments, and ohmygosh, the tension and the excitment are just through the roof! Also, as this is Michael's book and he's 23, Sacrifice is technically a New Adult novel. Hurrah for a paranormal romance/urban fantasy New Adult novel that's not full of sex! I'd say it's cross over still; the character's age and postion in the family are the only thing that feels all that different from the other novels in the series, but it's not inappropriate for a YA audience or anything. It's what I want to see more of in New Adult! Less sex, more life.

I couldn't help getting a thrill when I read the name of a couple who are neighbours of the Merricks! Quite a while back, Kemmerer was asking for suggestions for surnames to give to people in Sacrifice, and I suggested my own surname - Stapley. She chose it! There are Stapleys in Sacrifice! Their names come up once, but it's so awesome! You would not believe my grin!

And now on to the part I'm not going to enjoy writing so much. This is one of the hardest reviews I have ever had to write. I love this series. I have been pushing the Merrick brothers on whoever would listen to me. I tried a few times to contact publishers to get the books published over here in the UK. I seriously love these books. And I'm such a huge fan of Kemmerer! I genuinely feel terrible for having to write this next part of my review, but for the sake of my blog and my integrity, I have to be honest. And I did have some problems with Sacrifice.

For the end of a series, I feel a little disappointed. I'm still left with questions. Although in some ways it's written in a way to say the story has ended, it's not all wrapped up.Not enough for me. I have questions about events in this book - about the Guide - that just weren't answered. Lots of questions that start with "how". This is an eProof, so perhaps they will be covered before the finished copies are released - at least I hope so. Otherwise... I don't understand why these questions aren't answered when there won't be another book. I really don't think I missed anything in my reading, but I do have so many questions. I can't even begin to hint at what they are without spoiling the story.

Also, there was something big that happened in Sacrifice that I would have expected to have more page time. For one thing, I didn't know it could happen, but then it does, and things move on quite quickly. It's a big deal, and involves a major character, but there's no time to fully process it. It didn't hit me until later. There's a prime opportunity for us readers to process what's happened, but it takes place off page, so we don't get that either. It's a real shock to the system and to have the book end abruptly without us really having the chance to accept what's happened - because I was half convinced it would be a twist, it would turn out everyone else got it wrong - felt really unfair. Really unfair. I really can't get past the fact that this thing happened, and feels brushed over.

Finally, I really didn't think the book was going to finish where it did. It seems to end really suddenly. I didn't realise Sacrifice comes with the three Elemental novellas, so I it looked like there was more to come, and it's what I expected. I reached 66% expecting there to still be 44% to come. I wasn't surprised by how much was left when getting close to 66% - though I now know the end was coming - because of all the questions I had. And then it ended. And really, considering it's the last book, I would have wanted more of the other Merrick brothers too. I think they may have been in this book less than the others.

This series doesn't feel finished to me. Although it's ended, and there was a conclusion of sorts, there are still too many questions, too much that wasn't explained, and it just doesn't feel like the end. If there were more books to come, I wouldn't have a problem with Sacrifice, but knowing it's the last one... I really feel it missed out a lot. Still, I'm a huge fan of Kemmerer's, and will continue to read what she writes. I'll just hope for a better ending.

Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for the review copy.

Amber

Written on Aug 22, 2014

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

Michael is my favourite of the Merrick brothers, so you can probably imagine my intense excitement when I discovered that he was getting his own book. I was flailing about all over the place, especially since his book was to be the last in the series and that is usually a bad sign because everyone dies in series finales. Unfortunately – can you see where this is going? – all of my waiting and fangirling didn’t pay off, because Sacrifice is not the book that I was expecting.

Let’s start with Michael, who was just an brilliant as I was expecting. He’s set on looking after his three younger brothers, and he will do anything to keep them safe, including working with his nemesis to hunt down a bigger threat. I loved him as much as ever, and I couldn’t get enough of his point of view. If Michael Merrick was a real person, I would marry him in a heartbeat. And to add to his flawless personality and agenda, he is also an incredibly powerful Earthbender. Uh, I mean, Earth Elemental.

So that aspect of the book was great, but the rest of it was flawed, starting with the new point of view of the new female POV, Hannah. Her story felt so uninvolved with the rest of the plot, and nothing really was happening with her, which was incredibly disappointing because all of the previous lead females have been pretty cool. I didn’t feel any connection to her at all, nor did I feel any chemistry between her and Michael when they were occasionally in the same room.

In addition to Hannah, the other female characters from previous books were only briefly mentioned. I was expecting everybody to come together and have a Battle of Hogwarts type thing where they were all involved in saving the day, but instead Kemmerer chose to focus soley on the Merricks. This seems like a weird decision to me, because the ladies had equal page-time in the previous books, and readers had grown to love them too, and I’m sure most people would have wanted to see more of them. But we didn’t. We got one or two scenes with (sometimes only just mentions of) each lady, and that was it. Then it was back to the Merricks saving the day. I wanted to see more of Becca and Layne, and I’m sad that they weren’t there. Adam, Nick’s boyfriend, was a little more prominent but even he disappeared before things really got going.

The ending was incredibly abrupt, which wasn’t helped by the fact that my copy ended at 67% and the rest of the book was dedicated to extra content. It didn’t feel like an ending in the slightest, and after the Big Tragedy happened I was expecting someone to pop out and be like HA THE THREAT IS STILL REAL but it never happened. The book just kind of faded away.

This was incredibly disappointing for me because, as a series finale, I feel like Sacrifice should have gone out with a bang. It should have punched me in the gut and have had explosions all over the place and people coming and going and dying and resurrecting, and it should have been thrilling. But it wasn’t. It felt more like a series filler than a finale, and considering the fact that Michael (aka my favourite ever) was the protagonist, I was severely underwhelmed.

I’m sad that such a great series went out this way, especially since one of my favourite characters was the main protagonist. This is often the case with series finales for me; they just don’t pack the right punch.