Fearless (Elemental, #1.5)

by Brigid Kemmerer

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

Being such a huge fan of the Elemental series, I have been super excited to read Fearless, the prequel to Storm that shows some of Hunter's story. I should say now that although Fearless is a prequel, there are spoilers for Storm in it - in other words, things you discover along with the characters in Storm are quite clear from the very beginning of Fearless. You shouldn't read this e-novella unless you've read Storm - and if you haven't. you really should stop reading this review now either. Don't ignore this warning - I will be discussing Storm. You have been warned.

Back to the story. The Hunter we see in Fearless is a very different from the Hunter we see in Storm. In Storm, Hunter seems quite confident and self-assured - though not cocky or egotistical - around girls, or rather Becca. This is not the case in Fearless. In Fearless, he hasn't even really spoken to a girl before, so when Clare, out of nowhere, suddenly wants to know him, Hunter is not only taken aback, he's a little unsure of how he should act. Despite advice from both his Dad and his uncle about how people are drawn to him because of his abilities as a fifth elemental and probably intends to use him, he refuses to believe Clare is actually after anything. What could she be after? She doesn't even know him. So begins the awkward attempts to keep her wanting to talk to him.

This story is brilliant at helping us learn what led to the version of Hunter we see in Storm. The guy who lies to Becca and keeps track of her, the guy who points a gun at Michael and Gabriel. He learns some valuable lessons from his Dad and his Uncle Jay, and from his experience with Clare. Well, I say valuable - that would be their opinion. Fearless helps us understand that Hunter in Storm is a guy who wants to do his father and his uncle proud, a guy who wants to prove himself, even if they are no longer around. It's so awesome to see his relationship with his father and his uncle, how close they are, how much he admires them. This is amazing considering future events; I have been lucky enough to read an e-ARC of Spark, and now after reading Fearless too, knowing what I now know from reading both stories... wow, I am SO looking forward to Spirit, where Hunter has his own novel. It's going to be incredible.

There is one major difference between this story and all the others in the series I've read so far - it's a single narrative. Hunter tells this story on his own, Clare doesn't get her own voice. But this story is all about understanding Hunter, the guy we meet in Storm, and what led to him being the guy we see. Also, no spoilers, but considering the story, Clare couldn't have her own point of view. You'll see why when you read.

I have to say, with Storm and Spark, I wasn't Hunter's biggest fan, but with this novella, now I understand him, he's grown on me. A fantastic, insightful novella, and one that shows yet again just how awesome this series is! Brigid Kemmerer is definitely right up there with my favourites! I am so excited to continue reading the books and novellas in this series!