Storm (Elemental, #1)

by Brigid Kemmerer

[nitzan_schwarz]

May 19, 2019 Re-Read
The Elemental series is one of the five series I have vowed to myself to finish this year, 2019. As part of that promise, I am doing a re-read. I got to admit, I 100% agree with past me's thoughts. Maybe I wouldn't call this a straight-up "disappointment", but all my points of the unbalanced pov, the chemistry between Becca and Hunter and everything else totally stands. I also feel like this world is a bit messier than I remembered it being - not as well put together. That being said, I actually really enjoyed this re-read and am excited to re-read book 2 and continue with this series again! :D


Originally posted on my blog Jan 14, 2014. 

I've got to admit; I expected more out of Storm. It was enough to make me interested in the rest of the series, but I wasn't head-over-heels in love with it, four hot brothers or not. In fact, the only word I can think to describe it is... "disappointment". 

Storm is an interesting introduction to this peculiar world, one which is similar to our own, except that people have connections to the elements... some more than others. The best part about the book was definitely the description of that connection - of how the rain and the water talked to Chris, one of our main characters. It's a really unique and intimate description of the elements, which I totally adored. 

The general plot was also really interesting; Pure Elementals who are hunted for their strong connection to the elements, the need to hide what they are, a community within the "normal" one, etc. 

But... aside for that, I have some major complaints. First, the unbalanced POV. We had about 80% from Becca's POV, and just a meager 20% from Chris's. As such, I didn't get to know - or fall for - Chris as much as I'd like to. In fact, seeing as casual interactions between Chris and Becca were almost none existent, we never saw much of 'him' when we were at her point of view (Either he saved her from something, or she saved him, or he got into a fight, or she turned him away, or stuff like that. There is maybe just one, calm conversation between them). It was really hard to swallow them as a couple. I never even grew to feeling they were in love.

In my eyes, Hunter and Becca had so much more chemistry than Chris and Becca. But the entire time I was reading, I also knew the end game would be Chris and Becca, because lets face it - he's the other POV in the book. So I was waiting for something to change, for a turning point in which suddenly Becca and Chris made more sense over Becca and Hunter, a second where I'd think "They'll be perfect for one another". There was no such moment, for me.

Not to mention that the romance pretty much ends in the beginning of the relationship. Scratch that, the book ends before the relationship officially starts between our MCs- and you've got a very unsatisfied me when it comes to the whole thing (it would've been so much better without the love triangle). As the romance is a major topic in this book, my general enjoyment of it was not what it couldv'e been. 

Just a side question: what are the odds four different Pure Elementals would be born into one family, when the parents aren't even pures themselves? Convenient much?... 

However, at the time of writing this review I've also already read book 2 in the series, Spark, which I absolutely adored. So, my final verdict would be - read the series. The second installment is worth the mediocrity of this one (in my opinion). 

Originally posted on my blog Jan 14, 2014.