Elemental Origins: The Complete Series Bundle: Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Aether, Ensemble Novel (The Elemental Origins Series)

I am currently on the fourth book in this six-book series—and loving it. I read Bones of the Witch before starting the Elemental Earth series so I had already met Georgjie, the protagonist in the third episode of this series, and had already decided she was my favorite—young, female, strong, and fascinating—so I was really looking forward to getting to volume three. However, reading volume one and two, I came to the conclusion that Ms. Knoor could create and develop characters brilliantly. Targa, Born of Water, and Saxony, Born of Fire are both exceptional characters. But after reading volume three, I am happy to report that Georgjie is still my favorite. Update: Is it just me or do the books get better as we breathlessly make our way through the series. Akiko, book four, turns out to have the power of the Aether; she’s not an elementalist. Doesn’t matter. Her story is amazing. Not giving away any secrets but she has a ton of them. Book five introduces a new character to the group: Petra. Petra is not one of the original four friends and doesn’t meet them until book six. Turns out she is the most powerful, and potentially the most dangerous supernatural. While her elemental power is Air, her powers go way beyond. What a nail-biter. Book six brings all five girls together in a mind-blowing story. To be honest, when the plot was first introduced I felt it was a bit too cheesy, but Ms. Knorr quickly sucks you in. The conclusion is particularly unexpected, especially for Akiko. The plots and the worlds are, to be honest, off-the-wall, but Knorr makes them totally believable, creating wonderful images and scenarios is my head as I read. And talk about tension! Fast moving, no wasted words, (as I often find in my favorite fantasy author: Brandon Sanderson) Had me on the edge of my seat many times. So far, I have devoured the books—can’t put them down—and am truly looking forward to finishing all six. Update: Is it just me or do the books get better as we breathlessly make our way through the series. Akiko, book four, turns out to have the power of the Aether; she’s not an elementalist. Doesn’t matter. Her story is amazing. Not giving away any secrets but she has a ton of them. Book five introduces a new character to the group: Petra. Petra is not one of the original four friends and doesn’t meet them until book six. Turns out she is the most powerful, and potentially the most dangerous supernatural. While her elemental power is Air, her powers go way beyond. What a nail-biter. Book six brings all five girls together in a mind-blowing story. To be honest, when the plot was first introduced I felt it was a bit too cheesy, but Ms. Knorr quickly sucks you in. The conclusion is particularly unexpected, especially for Akiko. Clean—no on-page sex—and no cussing, so perfectly safe for YA, and even tweens. Highly recommend this series; I love love love it.

The Elemental Origins Series (Boxed Set) by A.L. Knorr ~~ Targa pulled me right in—quiet, thoughtful, and more at home in the water than on land. She thinks she’s just a girl from Greenland, but once her summer takes her to Italy, the truth about her heritage crashes over her like a wave: she’s half-mermaid. Watching her struggle with the pull of the sea, the secrets her mother has kept, and the fear of losing control made her journey so much more than just another “discovering powers” story. I loved how A.L. Knorr weaves the bond between Targa and her three best friends. Each girl sets off in a different direction—Saxony with fire magic, Georjayna with fae entanglements, and Akiko carrying the weight of a samurai spirit—but Targa’s mermaid legacy feels like the heart of the group. She’s the one who has to learn not only to swim in deeper waters (literally) but also to rise above the isolation that comes with being different. What really hooked me were the stakes. The girls think their biggest challenge will be adjusting to their powers, but when an ancient evil shows up immune to their combined strength, the suspense skyrockets. I won’t spoil the identity of the mysterious fifth elemental, but I will say that the reveal was both surprising and satisfying. The boxed set format is the best way to read this series—you can dive (pun intended) straight from one girl’s story into the next, and by the time they all come together, you’re fully invested in their friendship and fate. If you love elemental magic, mermaid lore with a fresh twist, and teen heroines who have to earn their victories through loyalty, sacrifice, and grit, this series will grip you from the first page. Targa’s journey especially stood out for me, and by the end, she felt like a real friend I didn’t want to say goodbye to.

Which is saying something..because I start a lot of YA series but never finish them. Usually because the Heroines are whiney, selfish, impulsive...you get the idea. TSTL. The Authors use that immaturity to propel the plotlines. Surprisingly, I actually liked the different Heroines in this series. Each main book is about one of the friends who spends the summer apart from the group, and then develops a different elemental power. And each main book is a good length, unlike some writers who write short 'Episodes' instead of books--usually with cliffhangers. I was interested enough to buy the first 4 books individually, and then finished off the rest of the series with this boxed set. The final book brings the best friends back together, and includes a final action scene that is quite good, letting each girl perform in an heroic manner. And it has a good conclusion, although it appears that one of the girls may get her own spinoff series. Which is likely why the Author offered this boxed set at a reduced price. Overall, it was a decent series with interesting characters. The writing flowed well, but the books could use a little editing polish. As an adult, I'd consider it around a 3-1/2 Star series. But I'm sure that a YA would rate it higher. Clean--no strong language, light romance.

Really great series! And I got the whole series only for Rs. 68 on kindle! Yay! :D Thanx amazon :*

Loved the entire series written on the prequel. Not read the main series but will do after reading all these introduction to the girls and their abilities. Well written and paced and a really nice mix of current reality with supernatural probability in todays world. Loved Targa and georgjie the most so far as characters and their storyline. Well worth a read!!

Absolutely loved this series! Having the chance to buy it as a boxset was a dream come true because it meant i could just keep reading, i didn't have to wait for each new release to come out, just clear my schedule and binge the whole lot at once! That is exactly what I did too - unintentionally of course. I sat down to just read a few chapters and see what i thought, I hadn't read anything by AL Knorr before so i wasn't sure what to expect, but i just couldn't put it down. From the magical world of mermaids, to the intriguing tale of fire mages... I mean it was almost like i was a kid again watching captain planet and deciding which cool planeteer i wanted to be! My favorite story of all though was Saxony, Born of Fire. Can't wait to read more of her story, when her story ended i could just see it continuing as she went off to school and i absolutely need to know what happens there and what happens with the brothers! Highly recommend this series to anyone looking for an immersive fantasy series that they do not want to end!

I am 51 years old. Several months ago, Born of Water was advertised as free over BookBub. I haven’t read a Young Adult book in decades, but I love water, and the novel was free, so I thought “Why not?”. I was blown away by that novel. The writing was spectacular: the creation of an intriguing mermaid culture, fascinating characters, a stellar plot… Naturally I wanted to find out if the rest of the series was as phenomenal, so I purchased it over Kindle. It did not disappoint at all. Each novel totally pulled me in. The characters and their storylines were addictive. The writing style was excellent. This is the best series that I have ever read.

The variety of the the myths are their embedded culture is really exceptional. Very colourful. I discovered only a handful of errors. It is an easy read and keeps you addicted.