Welcome! If you’re curious about this website, this is part of the Most Interesting Questions series on my blog. I answer the most interesting questions I can find or think of about bestselling franchises, and today I’m going to be covering Elise Kova’s Air Awakens series.
You can buy the full box set from Amazon by clicking here.
Air Awakens is an amazing series of magic books. The protagonist of the series is Vhalla Yarl, a Windwalker which means she can control one of the four elements: air. Air Awakens is also a romantic fantasy series, and Vhalla’s love interest is Aldrik. His full name is Aldrik Ci’Dan Solaris. He’s a Firebearer, which means he can control the element of fire. There are also Waterrunners and Groundbreakers.
Air Awakens is an indie fantasy series. For an Air Awakens age rating, I’d say it’s probably a great book for young adults, like teens. Younger kids might be able to enjoy aspects of it, but the last book in particular gets a bit gruesome at times. I also think that some of the things that the series deals with are best appreciated by those who are at least teenagers. I do think that adults could also enjoy the story. Anyone who loves magic books, fantasy books, young adult fantasy, indie fantasy, they’ll love it! The book is not very original with its magic system, but it is very well written.
By the way, if you’re wondering about who I am, I’m an author from Portland, OR. I write fantasy also, and if you liked Elise Kova’s books and are looking for another good read, I’d encourage you to check out Sand and Smoke, the first book in my Dragon Destiny trilogy, by clicking here.
Now, I’ll dive into the most interesting questions.
Q #1) Who are the Air Awakens characters?
The main character is Vhalla Yarl. She’s from the east, where Windwalkers originate from, though at the start of the first book there hasn’t been a Windwalker in over 200 years. Historically they’ve been hunted and exterminated. Vhalla’s going to change that.
By her side is Aldrik Ci’Dan Solaris. He’s the crown prince of the empire, and his father is the king, while his mother was the youngest princess of the west, before the west got conquered by the south and became part of the empire where this all takes place. His mother is also deceased, having passed away right after Aldrik was born.
Air Awakens‘ Laurel is Aldrik’s childhood friend. Like Aldrik, she’s a firebearer. Fritz is a waterrunner, who is close with Laurel and becomes a good friend to Vhalla too.
Air Awakens’ Baldair is the younger brother to Aldrik. They are half brothers, sharing the same father but they have different mothers. Baldair’s mother is not mentioned much in the books, though she is seen briefly in book 4. Baldair does not use magic.
Air Awakens’ Jax is part of Baldair’s golden guard. The golden guard is kinda like an elite group of soldiers whose charge it is to defend Baldair. He also gives them other missions frequently. The golden guard is filled with some really cool folks, in addition to Jax the guard includes Daniel, Erion, Craig, and others. Jax is a firebearer, most of the rest don’t use magic.
There are a lot of other great characters in Air Awakens, too many for me to name!
Q #2) Do Vhalla and Aldrik end up together?
Massive spoilers here. Stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Yes, they do end up together. It’s not easy, though. There are sacrifices they have to make…I won’t spoil those sacrifices here.
Q #3) Air Awakens series review, or how good are the books?
Okay, so everyone has their own opinion. But honestly, I feel that the first book is the best of the lot. It’s basically a romance, and there’s a love triangle, with magic thrown in. As the series continues on, it gets more into the action bit of things.
Book two is great as well. There is a huge, huge cliffhanger at the end of book two. So be warned. You’ll probably need to pick up book three immediately afterward. And book three is pretty darn good. Vhalla and Aldrik take their relationship to another level in this book. It’s really satisfying, and though there’s five books to the series in total, it does feel like their relationship reaches a climax in this book.
I thought book four was a bit of a mixed bag. The first half of the book is slow. The action isn’t as prevalent as it was in books two and three, and the romance disappears for a while also. Vhalla does learn a lot about her magic, and the way that magic works in her world. This is necessary for the conclusion of the series, so it’s something to be prepared for and you just have to get through it if you want to finish the series.
The latter half of book four picks up in an incredible way. There are a lot of surprising things that happen, I won’t spoil them.
Book five has its moments, but honestly I feel like it’s the weakest of the whole series. It’s definitely a different kind of book, because in the first four books Vhalla and Aldrik are constantly dealing with the struggle to be together, and there’s a tension: will they or won’t they end up together? First they’re exploring their relationship, then they’re fighting to be together. In book five, there’s none of that tension anymore. They’re together. There are other issues that crop up, big issues. But they’re not things that threaten Aldrik and Vhalla’s relationship, so this was a different kind of read for me.
Q #4) Can you list the Air Awakens series in order?
The first book in the series is obviously Air Awakens.
After that, it goes:
2. Fire Falling
3. Earth’s End
4. Water’s Wrath
5. Crystal Crowned
You can get those five books in a box set by clicking here.
That wraps up the Air Awakens series, which follows Vhalla and Aldrik. However, there are also more series that Elise Kova has written, set in the same world. Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles is about Vhalla and Aldrik’s daughter, Vi Solaris. It goes:
- Vortex Visions
- Chosen Champion
- Failed Future
- Sovereign Sacrifice
- Crystal Caged
You can get the sequel series in a box set by clicking here.
Finally, there’s the Golden Guard Trilogy. This series is perfect to read after the first five books, the original Air Awakens series, for fans of Baldair’s golden guard. It goes:
- The Crown’s Dog
- The Prince’s Rogue
- The Farmer’s War
You can get the Golden Guard Trilogy by clicking here.
As of writing this, this is all Elise Kova has released in the Air Awakens universe. However, there is also a new series slated for release. The first book is called A Trial of Sorcerors and it’s due to come out March 4, 2021.
So as you can see, there are a lot of books in the Air Awakens universe. If you happen to have read them all already, or if you’re just looking for something new and different to entertain you, I invite you again to discover my Dragon Destiny trilogy. Book one is Sand and Smoke, click here.
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