Reviewed by Dan
This is a Series Review of Elemental Lovers Series (Books 1 & 2)
AUTHOR: Alana Ankh
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
SERIES REVIEW:
“Beyond the Rift” and “Fractured Souls” are the first two books in the series Elemental Lovers. Do not make the mistake I almost made! I paged through the glossary of terms at the front of the book, breathed a heavy sign and determined I probably wouldn’t like the books because it was going to be too hard to keep track of what was what, and who was who. Not true at all!
Once I got past that piece and started reading the first book, I fell into the story, and I really felt it got better and better as the story proceeded.
I felt the books were very well written and edited, and highly recommend both! If you are a fan of high fantasy, this would be a great series for you. There are different species, magic-users, evil monsters, blackmail, murder and deceit, wrapped in with a couple of really good romance storylines. I’m sure you’ll enjoy both books. I’m eagerly awaiting book three!
SERIES RATING: 
TITLE: Beyond the Rift (Elemental Lovers Book 1)
LENGTH: 260 Pages
BLURB:
Across the centuries, the Nikari, a race of vicious elemental mages, have built an empire, bringing an entire continent to its knees. The course of history seems set… until one innocent Andari mage changes everything and claims a greater prize—the heart of the Nikari emperor.
Behnivyr ‘Ivy’ Erethe knows his duty is to wed another Andari Pure-Blood. Craving one moment of freedom before his loveless bonding, he escapes his father’s suffocating protection and goes to a masquerade ball, only to unexpectedly meet a mysterious Nikari named Kris. Kris makes Ivy ache with a need he barely dares to acknowledge. One kiss, one dance—and Ivy’s life changes forever. Unbeknownst to Ivy, Kris is actually Kristelien Fezenda, the Nikari emperor. Forced to make a difficult choice, Ivy picks love over duty and becomes Kris’s concubine.
Poorly prepared for the whirlwind of emotion Ivy summons inside him, Kris now faces the hardest battle of his life. In a ruthless world where all weakness is exploited, where allies become enemies in the blink of an eye, where love can mean death, he will have to defeat more than his own personal demons to breach the rift between him and Ivy.
REVIEW:
Behnivyr ‘Ivy’ Erethe is a pure-blood Andari whose family has pledged him into a marriage contract with an older man, who Ivy finds distasteful and doesn’t like at all! We first meet Ivy when he sneaks out of the house and goes to a local festival with his manservant Akolo, even though his father and sire have both forbidden him to go. Ivy is your typical barely legal kid out on the town. He samples some extremely potent Nikari liquor and when he almost falls over, he is rescued by a masked stranger. And to make it more interesting, the stranger is a Nikari, somone who his two male parents would never allow him to speak to.
After a romantic chat and Ivy’s very first kiss, Ivy’s father shows up with troops looking for him. He escapes back to the family home, but can’t get the stranger out of his mind. All he knows is that the man’s name was Kris. When Ivy was escaping back to his home, Kris promised they will see each other again…but what are the chances?
Within days the Nikari Emperor, Kristelien Fezenda, has summoned Ivy’s family, and all the noble families of the empire to the capital city for a ball. We soon find out Kris from the festival is actual Kristelien, the Emperor. It seems the entire ball idea was to get Ivy to the capital. When he surprisingly names Ivy as his concubine, shock waves fly through the gathered nobles, and across the empire. It is unheard of for a Nikari and an Andari to mate, as the Nikari conquered the Andari at some point in the past, and resentments run high on the Andari side. When Ivy’s two male parents forbid the relationship, Kris reminds them he is Emperor and he doesn’t need their permission! What a way to piss off the future in-laws!
But how can a pure-blood Andari and a Nikari Emperor fit together? And what about the behind the scenes plotting going on? Who is trying to kill Ivy? And what about Kris’ brother Shuri, who wants Ivy for his own?
I really liked this book and can’t wait to begin the next one!
RATING: 4.5
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TITLE: Fractured Souls (Elemental Lovers Book 2)
LENGTH: 276 Pages
BLURB:
Centuries ago, a group of Aranken mages left their homeland and became the ancestors of the Nikari. Now a Nikari prince will return, seeking truth and finding far more than he expected.
Shuri Fezenda has one goal in mind when he departs for A’rankin—to identify the culprit behind the conspiracy targeting Ivy, his brother’s consort and a man Shuri cares for deeply. But when he meets Prince Tynare’Or’Therar, Shuri’s world is turned upside down.
Beautiful and mysterious, Tynare draws Shuri like no other. The secrets he whispers taunt and tease, but Shuri’s treacherous heart races and his body responds when Tynare shoots him a knowing smile. And then Shuri meets Tynare’s twin brother, Nari, and in Nari’s kindness and blind eyes, he finds refuge and a love beyond anything he thought he could feel.
Torn between duty and confused emotions, Shuri faces an A’rankin on the brink of civil war and a foe he didn’t count on—the neighboring land of Shyrn. At the heart of the conflict, one question remains. Who is Tynare really, and who is Nari? Shuri is almost afraid to learn the answer.
REVIEW:
I was so happy to see Shuri get his own book! Of course the characters from book one are also in this one, but the main focus moves to Shuri.
The King of A’rankin has requested a meeting several times from Shuri’s brother, the Nikari Emperor, Kristelien Fezenda. Under cover of that request, Shuri and Kris’ mother are sent to A’rankin to investigate who was behind the attack on Ivy, and who supplied the drug that Shuri’s mother gave to Kris’ and Shuri’s father’s wolf that caused it to go crazy and attack and kill the former Emperor.
When they arrive at the magical barrier surrounding A’rankin, they are met by Prince Tynare’Or’Therar, and after a battle with a sea serpent, they finally get to shore. Prince Tynare is an enigma. Shuri finds himself instantly attracted to Tynare, and Tynare finds himself instantly attracted to Shuri, but they are both hiding major things from each other. Is Tynare the source of the attack on Ivy? Does he know who supplied Shuri’s mother with the drug for the wolf?
I’ll be honest, I really figured out the whole mystery of the twin Princes way before it was revealed in the book. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great read though. The book kept me captivated right up to the last page! And with the last couple pages in the book, it is obvious we’ll be seeing at least one more book in this saga!
Will the evil that Shuri and Tynare battled in the neighboring land of Shyrn return in book three? What of Tynare’s father the King? I, for one, can’t wait for the next book!
I recommend this book highly. I would recommend reading the books in order though for continuity purposes.
RATING: 4.5
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