What do you think?
Rate this book
Elemental Mysteries #3
The Force of Wind
How far would you go to protect the ones you love?
What would you sacrifice to kill the one you hate?
Join Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo as they travel to a hidden island on the far edge of China and seek the help of an ancient immortal court. Can they weave their way through the tangled web of centuries-old alliances and ruthless feuds to find what they’ve been looking for? Friends will be revealed, enemies will find them, and a dangerous secret will come to light.
The Force of Wind is the third book in the four-part Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.
What would you sacrifice to kill the one you hate?
Join Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo as they travel to a hidden island on the far edge of China and seek the help of an ancient immortal court. Can they weave their way through the tangled web of centuries-old alliances and ruthless feuds to find what they’ve been looking for? Friends will be revealed, enemies will find them, and a dangerous secret will come to light.
The Force of Wind is the third book in the four-part Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.
262 pages, Nook
First published March 2, 2012
763 people are currently reading
3000 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hunter
83 books6,266 followersELIZABETH HUNTER is an eleven-time USA Today bestselling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California and Addis Ababa, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family.
She has published over fifty works of fiction and sold over two million books world-wide. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
She has published over fifty works of fiction and sold over two million books world-wide. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 595 reviews
March 7, 2015
This series continues to amaze me. It just keeps getting better and better.
The tension, the mystery that surrounds the world of Gio and B is incredible.
The settings are fantastic…I particularly loved their trip to China in the quest to finding the answers to a lot of things that have come to light.
Gio is a truly fabulous character….a truly beautiful and good soul….
“We are not only creatures of the elements. Though these elements preserve our bodies, they are not the eternal energy of our souls. We are more. All of us. We are more than creatures of the physical world. We are creatures of the heart and the spirit. Of energy and things unseen. If we seek to preserve our bodies without accepting our need for humanity and what they offer us, we will be lost.”
A lot happens in this story…too much for me to write down.... there were some unforgettable moments that pulled at my heart.....what happens to Gio near the end just did me in….
“They don’t understand. They don’t know. I can feel your blood in me. It hasn’t cried out, so I know you’re still there. You just need to come back to me. They don’t know. But you do. Ubi amo; ibi patria. Hundreds of years. Thousands of miles. Pain. Loss. It’s so clear to me now. You are my home. You just need to come back to me, Jacopo.”
There are however, some funny moments……check out Tenzin…
“I’ve been alive for over five thousand years. If there’s one thing predictable about the male of the species, it’s their sex drive and their fascination with fire. Most advances in technology occur because they’re either trying to impress women or blow things up. It’s as predictable as the sunrise.” Tenzin
The way the author writes these characters – it’s like I know them so well and have come to like them so much.
Let’s just say that I loved this book and I can’t stop reading more....and can’t wait to start book 4.
February 21, 2012
I should start by saying I purchased the first 2 books in this series A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth with no real expectations other than it looked mildly interesting. I could not have been more shocked to find myself pulled into a continuing story of which The Force of Wind is the 3rd installment of what is to be 4 books (One for each element Fire, Earth, Air and Water for book 4). So what I write here can be applied to the story as a whole because it is difficult to separate the parts from the whole. It is rare that a self published author writes a novel that can pull me into an emotional bond with the story and its characters. Starting with A Hidden Fire and through This Same Earth and now The Force of Wind I have been captured by the story of Gio and B. The simple romance with a bit of mystery thrown in that was the start of this journey has now come to a point where you are pulled though the characters growth and tragedy. Along with a cast of characters that is so memorable that you don’t need a listing to keep up with them, you learn in pieces the history of these people and you start to be emotionally bonded to them (as any great book should do). The Force of Wind has the most character growth, the most action and the most heartbreak and tragedy which is a step up from the usually PNR type books. I can truly say I have not gotten this involved in a story of this type in years and possibly the last time was Nora Roberts Circle Trilogy (which was an exceptional trilogy and 1 of only 2 of hers I ever read). I can’t really impart too much of the story because since each book builds on the last I could ruin it for people starting the books. Let me say that if you enjoy an evolving romance, characters that actually make mistakes and learn from them, secondary characters that are more than cutouts filling a page, this is a series for dedicated readers who may have tired of the typical “MINE” that comes with many PNR/UF novels. This 3rd installment takes us from the romance in book 1 to the complex background of many characters in book 2 and starts to become an epic story and I think the author grew along with her characters since each sequel has been better than its predecessor. This is a MUST READ for those with a desire to enjoy an excellent story well written, I can hardly contain myself waiting for the last book (A Fall of Water) in what I assume will be a satisfying end to what has become an epic struggle for revenge, love, family and peace. Ms Hunter, a job well done and I cannot wait to read the finale.
November 20, 2014
Before I blurt out my frustrations, I just want it clear that I am not a very patient person when the most hated villain is constantly getting away... That for whatever reason, nobody can touch him… Unless, of course, said villain is just that illusive and powerful! I just don’t feel like this was the case here. :(
If the last book concentrated more on Giovanni and Beatrice’s relationship going in circle… this time, it’s more about Beatrice training to become a strong fighter... it’s about building Beatrice character more. And of course, let’s not forget the vampire politics. As once again, this tackles more of that. Cause now, Beatrice and Giovanni have to deal with an ancient immortal court ruled by eight powerful immortals in a hidden island on the far edge of China.
Like the book before this, I liked but not love it. I am feeling a trend of a sluggish pace here as I wished the story would concentrate more on the bigger issue rather than concentrating more on Beatrice’s training and maybe a little less politics and history. It just feels like those overwhelms the main issue.
If you don’t want any spoiler, please stop reading here. Cause below would be short of a ranting and contains some spoilers.
I find it pathetic that Lorenzo, the most hated enemy, is always outsmarting everyone. He doesn’t even hide from them! Might be cause they're too busy admiring Beatrice and tiptoeing on politics, while Lorenzo, is always one step ahead, laughing at them all. Hell, even I was expecting it.
I also really couldn’t grasp the idea that Beatrice would become at par if not stronger than the older vamps, cause it’s obviously heading this way… I mean, just, come on!
And what's with Beatrice reaction with Baojia? Just nooooo!!! Then ditching her bodyguard cause she’s having a temper tantrum? I wish those was left out of the story. It was unnecessary and it just making me dislike Beatrice.
But the good news, one mystery was solved as they finally found her father!!! I also liked the element of surprise that involves Tenzin and I definitely loved Beatrice and Giovanni’s revelation. I totally did not see that coming. And at least now we know what that book Lorenzo was after all about.
As for the rest, specially when it comes to Lorenzo, was getting quite predictable at this point. I feel like this series was made to drive me insane in a good and bad way. Bad cause I feel like I want to hurl something in annoyance… Good since I badly need to see this series through to quench that frustration!
If the last book concentrated more on Giovanni and Beatrice’s relationship going in circle… this time, it’s more about Beatrice training to become a strong fighter... it’s about building Beatrice character more. And of course, let’s not forget the vampire politics. As once again, this tackles more of that. Cause now, Beatrice and Giovanni have to deal with an ancient immortal court ruled by eight powerful immortals in a hidden island on the far edge of China.
Like the book before this, I liked but not love it. I am feeling a trend of a sluggish pace here as I wished the story would concentrate more on the bigger issue rather than concentrating more on Beatrice’s training and maybe a little less politics and history. It just feels like those overwhelms the main issue.
If you don’t want any spoiler, please stop reading here. Cause below would be short of a ranting and contains some spoilers.
I find it pathetic that Lorenzo, the most hated enemy, is always outsmarting everyone. He doesn’t even hide from them! Might be cause they're too busy admiring Beatrice and tiptoeing on politics, while Lorenzo, is always one step ahead, laughing at them all. Hell, even I was expecting it.
I also really couldn’t grasp the idea that Beatrice would become at par if not stronger than the older vamps, cause it’s obviously heading this way… I mean, just, come on!
And what's with Beatrice reaction with Baojia? Just nooooo!!! Then ditching her bodyguard cause she’s having a temper tantrum? I wish those was left out of the story. It was unnecessary and it just making me dislike Beatrice.
But the good news, one mystery was solved as they finally found her father!!! I also liked the element of surprise that involves Tenzin and I definitely loved Beatrice and Giovanni’s revelation. I totally did not see that coming. And at least now we know what that book Lorenzo was after all about.
As for the rest, specially when it comes to Lorenzo, was getting quite predictable at this point. I feel like this series was made to drive me insane in a good and bad way. Bad cause I feel like I want to hurl something in annoyance… Good since I badly need to see this series through to quench that frustration!
October 21, 2012
Not as great as the first two but still a good installment in this series. I did find Giovanni's tendency to lose all rational sense where Beatrice was concerned to be a bit tedious. He wasn't very much like that in the first two books & this time around it all centered on Beatrice taking steps to become more independent in her abilities to learn to protect herself. Paranoia, whiny & over-bearing doesn't translate very well as strength of love to me, so it put me off just a bit. I was glad that Beatrice didn't suffer him and went ahead with whatever she was going to do anyway & told him he was being a dolt. I did tire a bit of her bravado when she clearly had no ability to win or even a plan. Her mouth ran ahead of her brain & physical capability more than it did in the last book. And then there's the relationship between Giovanni & Beatrice. Their couplehood is solid so there's really nothing that I read as a real threat. Not even Baojia. I didn't see the point of the pseudo-flirtation with a triangle. There seemed to be more romance & one on one bonding in this book and honestly, it started to get a little formulaic. After the third declaration of eternal love & "balance in this life & any life" in a vampire story, I've kinda had enough with the trope. I'm starting to want one of them to die in book 4, just to have the perverse thrill of the opposite or at least a very bittersweet, short union. I did like that there weren't just easy wins & smooth sailing when it came to vampire showdowns.
I missed Carwyn's presence a lot and hope he's featured a lot in the final book. Stephen was great to finally meet & get to know (& sad to see depart). Everything about Tenzin is interesting, as always. They mystery of the book & the alchemist's immortality formula is still running & as before, I wanted more of that in this book. It was interesting to spend so much time in the court at Penglai & I liked all the political intrigue. I'm hoping Rome is the big deal in the last book, because Livia... I think there's a story there.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It took me a little longer to get through than the others but that's probably because I know what I'm looking for in the resolution department and I want to get there already.
I missed Carwyn's presence a lot and hope he's featured a lot in the final book. Stephen was great to finally meet & get to know (& sad to see depart). Everything about Tenzin is interesting, as always. They mystery of the book & the alchemist's immortality formula is still running & as before, I wanted more of that in this book. It was interesting to spend so much time in the court at Penglai & I liked all the political intrigue. I'm hoping Rome is the big deal in the last book, because Livia... I think there's a story there.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It took me a little longer to get through than the others but that's probably because I know what I'm looking for in the resolution department and I want to get there already.
July 27, 2014
Oh my God. I am still pulling myself together after finishing this book!
Gio and Beatrice are now in China, having travelled to the seat of vampire politics to see the legendary Eight Immortals. They are joined by Baojia, Tenzin, and other new allies as their search for the mysterious book and the evil bad guy continues.
I’m not going to go into too much detail here, because you need to have read the first books in this series to understand everything that is happening, but OH HOLY GOD!!! This book has a number of massive shocks, some huge story development, and a climax that had me on the edge of my seat, frantically flipping pages, before shattering my heart into a million tiny pieces. Talk about your shockers, I didn’t see that one coming at all! Well played Elizabeth Hunter! I like that she’s not afraid to pull out the unexpected!
The story is up and down. I thought it lagged a little bit in the middle, with lots of time spent with Beatrice training, and not a whole lot of action, but all of the events towards the end of the book make up for that, and looking back at it now, it sets the scene really well for everything to come.
I enjoyed getting to see more of the politics and intricacies of the vampire world. And I loved getting to know Tenzin more. Her story is tragic, but I absolutely love her attitude, and the way she deals with everything that happens in the story is gold. She is a smartass with a massive heart, and her love for her friends and family is beautiful.
Gio and Beatrice continue to be sensational together! With their relationship issues resolved in the previous book, they are now together, strong, more in love than ever (with lots of (fairly tame) sexy time happening), and it’s fantastic! And the gorgeous Gio is just as swoon-tastic as ever.
“She was worth it. Worth every worry, every pain. Her safety and security was everything to him. After five hundred years of existence, she had become the singular desire that animated his immortal life.”
I loved this book! The writing is absolutely sensational - my emotions are still all over the place from all that happened, and the way it was all put onto the page… just superb! I am so excited, and just a wee bit scared for the final instalment in the series, but I can’t wait to get into it. Starting now.
4.5 stars.
Gio and Beatrice are now in China, having travelled to the seat of vampire politics to see the legendary Eight Immortals. They are joined by Baojia, Tenzin, and other new allies as their search for the mysterious book and the evil bad guy continues.
I’m not going to go into too much detail here, because you need to have read the first books in this series to understand everything that is happening, but OH HOLY GOD!!! This book has a number of massive shocks, some huge story development, and a climax that had me on the edge of my seat, frantically flipping pages, before shattering my heart into a million tiny pieces. Talk about your shockers, I didn’t see that one coming at all! Well played Elizabeth Hunter! I like that she’s not afraid to pull out the unexpected!
The story is up and down. I thought it lagged a little bit in the middle, with lots of time spent with Beatrice training, and not a whole lot of action, but all of the events towards the end of the book make up for that, and looking back at it now, it sets the scene really well for everything to come.
I enjoyed getting to see more of the politics and intricacies of the vampire world. And I loved getting to know Tenzin more. Her story is tragic, but I absolutely love her attitude, and the way she deals with everything that happens in the story is gold. She is a smartass with a massive heart, and her love for her friends and family is beautiful.
Gio and Beatrice continue to be sensational together! With their relationship issues resolved in the previous book, they are now together, strong, more in love than ever (with lots of (fairly tame) sexy time happening), and it’s fantastic! And the gorgeous Gio is just as swoon-tastic as ever.
“She was worth it. Worth every worry, every pain. Her safety and security was everything to him. After five hundred years of existence, she had become the singular desire that animated his immortal life.”
I loved this book! The writing is absolutely sensational - my emotions are still all over the place from all that happened, and the way it was all put onto the page… just superb! I am so excited, and just a wee bit scared for the final instalment in the series, but I can’t wait to get into it. Starting now.
4.5 stars.
October 5, 2017
3.5 Stars
A lot of big things happened in this third installment of the Elemental Mysteries series. Prominent new characters were introduced, life-altering changes were made and tragic losses were endured.
The majority of the story takes place on a secret island in China, where Gio and B, along with Tenzin, Steven (B's father) and Baojia (B's new bodyguard/trainer), spend time under the protection of the ancient immortals who preside over the island.
Everyone is fighting to gain possession of an ancient book which might hold some powerful information about the key to immortality without vampirism.
Lorenzo is once again a dangerous and crazy thorn in everyone's side - seriously, this dude needs to get his, and soon!!
Gio and B are as crazy in love as ever, but they are struggling through some major disagreements, because B wants to become a vampire and soon, but Gio is adamantly against the change. Everyone's arguments and intentions are understandable but some sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.
I'll admit that I'm not as fond of Beatrice as I once was. A lot of her behaviour in this book didn't sit right with me; she'd say one thing, but her actions would say another. For a character that once came across as fiercely dependent and wildly intelligent, she now seems stubborn and whiny more often than not, and she continually made TSTL decisions here, decisions that affected those around her in major ways.
Thankfully, I still adore me some Giovanni Vecchio. What a vamp-stud! His unwavering adoration for B is always a joy to read and it makes me all gooey inside every time he calls her Tesoro. I also really like his long-time bestie, Tenzin, although her famous ability to tell the future was seriously (and conveniently) lacking in this story. What's the point in having an all-seeing vamp present all the time if she can't forewarn about the horrible shit that's about to happen?!
Overall, I enjoyed this second sequel and look forward to reading the final story.
A lot of big things happened in this third installment of the Elemental Mysteries series. Prominent new characters were introduced, life-altering changes were made and tragic losses were endured.
The majority of the story takes place on a secret island in China, where Gio and B, along with Tenzin, Steven (B's father) and Baojia (B's new bodyguard/trainer), spend time under the protection of the ancient immortals who preside over the island.
Everyone is fighting to gain possession of an ancient book which might hold some powerful information about the key to immortality without vampirism.
Lorenzo is once again a dangerous and crazy thorn in everyone's side - seriously, this dude needs to get his, and soon!!
Gio and B are as crazy in love as ever, but they are struggling through some major disagreements, because B wants to become a vampire and soon, but Gio is adamantly against the change. Everyone's arguments and intentions are understandable but some sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.
I'll admit that I'm not as fond of Beatrice as I once was. A lot of her behaviour in this book didn't sit right with me; she'd say one thing, but her actions would say another. For a character that once came across as fiercely dependent and wildly intelligent, she now seems stubborn and whiny more often than not, and she continually made TSTL decisions here, decisions that affected those around her in major ways.
Thankfully, I still adore me some Giovanni Vecchio. What a vamp-stud! His unwavering adoration for B is always a joy to read and it makes me all gooey inside every time he calls her Tesoro. I also really like his long-time bestie, Tenzin, although her famous ability to tell the future was seriously (and conveniently) lacking in this story. What's the point in having an all-seeing vamp present all the time if she can't forewarn about the horrible shit that's about to happen?!
Overall, I enjoyed this second sequel and look forward to reading the final story.
November 4, 2013
This book was better that the previous one but I still think that it needs a good editing, reducing it by a few hundred pages, mainly losing all the training and excersise sessions. That way the story will keep the pace and momentum of a mystery book.
I must admit though that Elizabeth Hunter is the mistress of exciting and enthralling prologues and epilogues!
just my humble opinion
Off to starting the last book.
I must admit though that Elizabeth Hunter is the mistress of exciting and enthralling prologues and epilogues!
just my humble opinion
Off to starting the last book.
March 8, 2012
Those of you who've been reading this blog since last year know that Elizabeth's first book A Hidden Fire made it into my list of best reads of 2011.
It's hard to explain why her writing pushes so many right buttons for me.
Elizabeth created a smart and intoxicating paranormal mystery with romantic elements which takes you all over the world in search of ancient manuscripts containing the secrets of the immortality elixir. It introduces a classic villain, a complicated vampire hierarchy full of intrigues, favours and a strange elemental magic. It brings you gorgeous martial art teachings and strong battle sequences. At last, it gives us an enigmatic pairing of Gio and Beatrice, whose relationship has a long, complicated and stormy past, but who're undeniably deeply in love with each other.
Maybe this is why I love this series so much.
The Force of Wind is a bittersweet, tumultuous and heartbreaking read. things we expect come to pass and things we don't expect at all come to pass.
Beatrice came a long way from being a snarky girl librarian to becoming a formidable opponent and warrior.
Book #3 takes her and Gio to a secret island in China where the Council of Eight Immortals lives ruling vampires of this world. The war with Lorenzo ended with a Mexican stand off, and the Council wants to make a peaceful decision concerning the manuscript which both Gio and Lorenzo consider theirs.
B feels that the clock is ticking and she is running out of time. She trains like mad with Baojia and Tenzin, preparing her body and mind to being turned because she feels that her humanity is a constant weakness in their battle with Lorenzo and she wants to eliminate it.
“I have to say, you do smell delicious. I kind of understand why he wants to keep you.”
Beatrice frowned. “Tenzin, please don’t make me feel any more like dinner than I already do.”
Her friend laughed long and hard. Finally, Beatrice did too. Then Tenzin reached over and stroked Beatrice’s hair back from her face, and the soft look she occasionally allowed herself peeked through.
“It will be all right. Relax.” Beatrice could feel the amnis start to creep across her skin as she stared at Tenzin. (taken out as a spoiler) held her hand and she allowed the soft
brush of her friend’s influence in her mind. She closed her eyes and listened to the hypnotic voice.
“Meditate. Just like we practiced. Calm. Let yourself relax.”
She drifted, focusing on a picture of Giovanni she held in her mind. It was the single minded look he gave her sometimes. When he was angry. When he made
love to her. When he killed for her. It was the look that told her she was the center of his world.
“I am your balance in this life,” she whispered to him, even though he was not there. “In every life.”
Her eyes flew open when she felt Tenzin’s fangs strike.
The finale is truly brutal and shocking. In each book of this series there are losses and sacrifices making a huge impact on every character, and this book is no exception. I also love how both the main and secondary characters have many facets and are constantly growing in each book. You don't see it often these days. We finally find out about Tenzin's past and why she is so estranged from her vampire's father. We also see more of an enigmatic Baojia, a Chinese assassin training and looking after B.
This is a gorgeous book in a fantastic series and a must read for fans of Anne Rice, Elizabeth Kostova and Dan Brown.
It's hard to explain why her writing pushes so many right buttons for me.
Elizabeth created a smart and intoxicating paranormal mystery with romantic elements which takes you all over the world in search of ancient manuscripts containing the secrets of the immortality elixir. It introduces a classic villain, a complicated vampire hierarchy full of intrigues, favours and a strange elemental magic. It brings you gorgeous martial art teachings and strong battle sequences. At last, it gives us an enigmatic pairing of Gio and Beatrice, whose relationship has a long, complicated and stormy past, but who're undeniably deeply in love with each other.
Maybe this is why I love this series so much.
The Force of Wind is a bittersweet, tumultuous and heartbreaking read. things we expect come to pass and things we don't expect at all come to pass.
Beatrice came a long way from being a snarky girl librarian to becoming a formidable opponent and warrior.
Book #3 takes her and Gio to a secret island in China where the Council of Eight Immortals lives ruling vampires of this world. The war with Lorenzo ended with a Mexican stand off, and the Council wants to make a peaceful decision concerning the manuscript which both Gio and Lorenzo consider theirs.
B feels that the clock is ticking and she is running out of time. She trains like mad with Baojia and Tenzin, preparing her body and mind to being turned because she feels that her humanity is a constant weakness in their battle with Lorenzo and she wants to eliminate it.
“I have to say, you do smell delicious. I kind of understand why he wants to keep you.”
Beatrice frowned. “Tenzin, please don’t make me feel any more like dinner than I already do.”
Her friend laughed long and hard. Finally, Beatrice did too. Then Tenzin reached over and stroked Beatrice’s hair back from her face, and the soft look she occasionally allowed herself peeked through.
“It will be all right. Relax.” Beatrice could feel the amnis start to creep across her skin as she stared at Tenzin. (taken out as a spoiler) held her hand and she allowed the soft
brush of her friend’s influence in her mind. She closed her eyes and listened to the hypnotic voice.
“Meditate. Just like we practiced. Calm. Let yourself relax.”
She drifted, focusing on a picture of Giovanni she held in her mind. It was the single minded look he gave her sometimes. When he was angry. When he made
love to her. When he killed for her. It was the look that told her she was the center of his world.
“I am your balance in this life,” she whispered to him, even though he was not there. “In every life.”
Her eyes flew open when she felt Tenzin’s fangs strike.
The finale is truly brutal and shocking. In each book of this series there are losses and sacrifices making a huge impact on every character, and this book is no exception. I also love how both the main and secondary characters have many facets and are constantly growing in each book. You don't see it often these days. We finally find out about Tenzin's past and why she is so estranged from her vampire's father. We also see more of an enigmatic Baojia, a Chinese assassin training and looking after B.
This is a gorgeous book in a fantastic series and a must read for fans of Anne Rice, Elizabeth Kostova and Dan Brown.
February 20, 2015
There are triumphs and tears both in this excellent third installment of Elizabeth's Hunter's Elemental Mysteries. The hunt for Beatrice's father and the coveted 'book' leads library researcher B further into Gio's vampire world - this time to the island of the Eight Great Immortals in the China homeland of ancient wind vampire Tensin – and to some of the answers that they seek.
Over the course of the series we've witnessed the slowly growing relationship between B and Gio. So after all that they've gone through it is nice that, even though they don't exactly see eye to eye on the role that B wants to take in Gio's world, B's and Gio's relationship is finally solid. And for those who have been waiting, there is a fair amount of very subtly done steamy stuff - though Hunter definitely subscribes to 'less is more' in that department which worked just fine for me.
As much as I love B and Gio together, I also really like B's other relationships and this time we get more of her friendship with Tensin and as a result get to learn quite a bit more of Tensin's background. Also a lot of fun was B's sparring with Baoji - one of B's “grandfather's” “children” and a character that I hope to see more of - and there are a some amusing verbal ripostes to go with the literal ones during weapons training as B continues build her battle skills with an eye to the future. And another standout was one exceedingly cagey vamp whose brilliant maneuver was one of the high points of the book. If I had one nit with B this time around, it would be that for such a smart character B places herself in danger several times, both wittingly and unwittingly, and it never ends well.
I normally don't accept ARCs directly from an author, but The Force of the Wind was on my must buy list for March, so I just couldn't resist getting an early peek. And wow, there is so much that I liked about this book and, drat, so little that I can share without being spoilerish. So even though I tried to keep to vague hints so as not to ruin the emotional journey, I can say that everything that has been building in the first two books comes together here and if you're like me you'll cheer, rage and grieve as the story unfolds and be counting the days until B and Gio's story and the mystery of the book wrap up in The Fall of Water which is slated for release in June of 2012.
If you are new to Hunter's Hidden Mysteries you are really going to want to start at the beginning and read A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth before reading The Force of the Wind, because there isn't a lot of backtracking to bring new readers up to speed and there is a fair amount of character development and world building that was done in the previous books. Also, if you are like me, you are going to want to read the two stories back to back - after finishing the first book I had to immediately buy the second book to see how thing played out between B and Gio - there is no HEA after the first book and B and Gio's relationship is still evolving even in this third book.
ARC provided by the author.
Over the course of the series we've witnessed the slowly growing relationship between B and Gio. So after all that they've gone through it is nice that, even though they don't exactly see eye to eye on the role that B wants to take in Gio's world, B's and Gio's relationship is finally solid. And for those who have been waiting, there is a fair amount of very subtly done steamy stuff - though Hunter definitely subscribes to 'less is more' in that department which worked just fine for me.
As much as I love B and Gio together, I also really like B's other relationships and this time we get more of her friendship with Tensin and as a result get to learn quite a bit more of Tensin's background. Also a lot of fun was B's sparring with Baoji - one of B's “grandfather's” “children” and a character that I hope to see more of - and there are a some amusing verbal ripostes to go with the literal ones during weapons training as B continues build her battle skills with an eye to the future. And another standout was one exceedingly cagey vamp whose brilliant maneuver was one of the high points of the book. If I had one nit with B this time around, it would be that for such a smart character B places herself in danger several times, both wittingly and unwittingly, and it never ends well.
I normally don't accept ARCs directly from an author, but The Force of the Wind was on my must buy list for March, so I just couldn't resist getting an early peek. And wow, there is so much that I liked about this book and, drat, so little that I can share without being spoilerish. So even though I tried to keep to vague hints so as not to ruin the emotional journey, I can say that everything that has been building in the first two books comes together here and if you're like me you'll cheer, rage and grieve as the story unfolds and be counting the days until B and Gio's story and the mystery of the book wrap up in The Fall of Water which is slated for release in June of 2012.
If you are new to Hunter's Hidden Mysteries you are really going to want to start at the beginning and read A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth before reading The Force of the Wind, because there isn't a lot of backtracking to bring new readers up to speed and there is a fair amount of character development and world building that was done in the previous books. Also, if you are like me, you are going to want to read the two stories back to back - after finishing the first book I had to immediately buy the second book to see how thing played out between B and Gio - there is no HEA after the first book and B and Gio's relationship is still evolving even in this third book.
ARC provided by the author.
November 21, 2015
The Force of Wind is the third volume in Elizabeth Hunter's Elemental Mysteries series and so far, the weakest out of the bunch. This book was not as tight and interesting as the previous two and I felt that a lot of the characterization of the two leads was all over the place.
The book had an incredibly slow start and I really did not like the weird dynamic that Gio and B had in this book. It got better after B got turned but the first 30% were just bizarre. Gio was weirdly over-attached and possessive and it just didn't feel right, not in the way I was used to reading about them. I also didn't buy the weird love triangle or whatever that thing with Baojia or whatever that was supposed to be - it pretty much felt like this was inserted to heighten the tension between Gio and B to make her situation as a weak human among ancient vampires even more dramatic (and to have her storm off in order to trigger the event that ultimately leads to her decision to get turned then and there). I enjoyed Baojia as a martial arts teacher but his interest in B just felt somewhat forced at that point. At least Tenzin was awesome as always.. but ungh at Lorenzo still being out and about as the big bad.
I actually looked forward to Beatrice finally getting turned, her reasoning was sound and she was well prepared. However, she was almost TOO well prepared and damn, she almost drifted into special snowflake territory afterwards. Super gifted vampire, immediately very strong, excellent control, blah blah gag me. Yes, there was a build-up with a lot of explanation why she turned out to be the vampire she was turned into - haha pun jar - (started training in previous books, Stephen's blood was immensely strong due to him being mated with Tenzin, mooooooore training etc) but still, it was a bit too much.
In the end, this book felt super short and due to 99% of the plot taking place at the immortal court, it felt even more restricted. The book basically consists of Gio and B travelling to China -> meeting Tenzin and Stephen -> nothing happened for ages -> B training montage -> research montage -> Lorenzo shows up -> B gets turned -> court dealings -> grande finale showdown etc -> regroup in epilogue.
That's it. There were a few good moments but it is a rather awkward book. The writing and editing was still good and I appreciated that the author fully committed to the OMG moment in the finale but overall, the characters were a bit too much all over the place for me to enjoy the book as much as the previous two. Regardless of that I am still looking forward to finishing the series with A Fall of Water.
The book had an incredibly slow start and I really did not like the weird dynamic that Gio and B had in this book. It got better after B got turned but the first 30% were just bizarre. Gio was weirdly over-attached and possessive and it just didn't feel right, not in the way I was used to reading about them. I also didn't buy the weird love triangle or whatever that thing with Baojia or whatever that was supposed to be - it pretty much felt like this was inserted to heighten the tension between Gio and B to make her situation as a weak human among ancient vampires even more dramatic (and to have her storm off in order to trigger the event that ultimately leads to her decision to get turned then and there). I enjoyed Baojia as a martial arts teacher but his interest in B just felt somewhat forced at that point. At least Tenzin was awesome as always.. but ungh at Lorenzo still being out and about as the big bad.
I actually looked forward to Beatrice finally getting turned, her reasoning was sound and she was well prepared. However, she was almost TOO well prepared and damn, she almost drifted into special snowflake territory afterwards. Super gifted vampire, immediately very strong, excellent control, blah blah gag me. Yes, there was a build-up with a lot of explanation why she turned out to be the vampire she was turned into - haha pun jar - (started training in previous books, Stephen's blood was immensely strong due to him being mated with Tenzin, mooooooore training etc) but still, it was a bit too much.
In the end, this book felt super short and due to 99% of the plot taking place at the immortal court, it felt even more restricted. The book basically consists of Gio and B travelling to China -> meeting Tenzin and Stephen -> nothing happened for ages -> B training montage -> research montage -> Lorenzo shows up -> B gets turned -> court dealings -> grande finale showdown etc -> regroup in epilogue.
That's it. There were a few good moments but it is a rather awkward book. The writing and editing was still good and I appreciated that the author fully committed to the OMG moment in the finale but overall, the characters were a bit too much all over the place for me to enjoy the book as much as the previous two. Regardless of that I am still looking forward to finishing the series with A Fall of Water.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2017
4.5 stars
I have to say this is the strongest book in the Elemental Mysteries book so far. So much happens here. So much that we have been building toward! This feels like the culmination of a giant build that basically explodes off the page. That being said, don’t jump in the series with this installment. You definitely want to start at the beginning.
For sure, all of my residual angst from the events of the last book is gone. As the story begins, Gio and Beatrice are going strong. In fact, she is working her butt off to get even stronger. She wants to be ready if Lorenzo’s thugs come after her again, and she is contemplating the giant step of becoming an immortal like the man she loves.
There is so much action –especially in the second half– piled on top of mountains of intrigue. There are all of these vampire politics at play. Everyone has their own agenda. And it’s hard to know who to trust. There are sword fights and gunfire, torture and massacres. The pace only grows faster and there is no slowing down. I didn’t want to stop reading.
But the big draw here is what’s happening with our main characters. The relationship between Beatrice and Gio, of course, is huge. They are perfect together here. They make some major strides and finally gave me some of the sexy times we haven’t really seen in previous books. Beyond them, though, I loved watching the dynamics of B’s relationships with others –from the enigmatic Tanzin, to her father, to her new bodyguard. It was all captivating. The best stuff, I think, actually came from just B by herself. She has grown so much. She learns so much about herself. She makes serious choices. She endures trials. And when all is said and done, she is stronger for it all in the end.
I did miss most of the supporting characters like Carwyn, Caspar, and others. There were plenty of new characters, however, that were just as fascinating. And I want to know more about them all. Especially Baojia. There has got to be more going on there than we know about.
I can’t believe this series is almost over, but I can’t slow down now. I’m off to dive into the last installment, but not before I give this one two thumbs up –and a solid recommendation for fans of paranormal romance.
Rating: B+/A-
I have to say this is the strongest book in the Elemental Mysteries book so far. So much happens here. So much that we have been building toward! This feels like the culmination of a giant build that basically explodes off the page. That being said, don’t jump in the series with this installment. You definitely want to start at the beginning.
For sure, all of my residual angst from the events of the last book is gone. As the story begins, Gio and Beatrice are going strong. In fact, she is working her butt off to get even stronger. She wants to be ready if Lorenzo’s thugs come after her again, and she is contemplating the giant step of becoming an immortal like the man she loves.
There is so much action –especially in the second half– piled on top of mountains of intrigue. There are all of these vampire politics at play. Everyone has their own agenda. And it’s hard to know who to trust. There are sword fights and gunfire, torture and massacres. The pace only grows faster and there is no slowing down. I didn’t want to stop reading.
But the big draw here is what’s happening with our main characters. The relationship between Beatrice and Gio, of course, is huge. They are perfect together here. They make some major strides and finally gave me some of the sexy times we haven’t really seen in previous books. Beyond them, though, I loved watching the dynamics of B’s relationships with others –from the enigmatic Tanzin, to her father, to her new bodyguard. It was all captivating. The best stuff, I think, actually came from just B by herself. She has grown so much. She learns so much about herself. She makes serious choices. She endures trials. And when all is said and done, she is stronger for it all in the end.
I did miss most of the supporting characters like Carwyn, Caspar, and others. There were plenty of new characters, however, that were just as fascinating. And I want to know more about them all. Especially Baojia. There has got to be more going on there than we know about.
I can’t believe this series is almost over, but I can’t slow down now. I’m off to dive into the last installment, but not before I give this one two thumbs up –and a solid recommendation for fans of paranormal romance.
Rating: B+/A-
October 30, 2013
My Beatrice and Giovanni:
3.5 STARS
In this third instalment, more vampires will be introduced and readers will finally find out what the "book" everyone is looking for is about.
Unfortunatelly, it was not as addictive as previous books in the series. I found it a little bit annoying that author had need write another male character romantically insterested in Beatrice... It was stupid and not important for storyline at all. I was asking myself why author had to entangled Beatrice in non existent love triangle? It was abolutely unnecessary.
At least Gio was still the same amazing swoonworthy character. I just really missed Ben and Carwyn who were almost non-present in this book.
Overall, I really liked hos story developped and I'm looking forward to read final instalment!
My favourite quote:
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
3.5 STARS
In this third instalment, more vampires will be introduced and readers will finally find out what the "book" everyone is looking for is about.
Unfortunatelly, it was not as addictive as previous books in the series. I found it a little bit annoying that author had need write another male character romantically insterested in Beatrice... It was stupid and not important for storyline at all. I was asking myself why author had to entangled Beatrice in non existent love triangle? It was abolutely unnecessary.
At least Gio was still the same amazing swoonworthy character. I just really missed Ben and Carwyn who were almost non-present in this book.
Overall, I really liked hos story developped and I'm looking forward to read final instalment!
My favourite quote:
"Do you think it will take five years before he forgives me?"
"Please, you're his wife. He'll get horny. You'll fight. The two of you will make up. We won't see you for a few days. You'll be fine."
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
July 29, 2018
A slow burn and then an inferno!! Best book so far ♥
May 2, 2022
Gah! So intense! EHunter kept me riveted with this installment. I was alternately biting my nails, tearing up, and swooning. Sheesh! I can't wait for the final one!
***********
OH. MY. GOODNESS. EHunter continues to hold me captive with this series. Maybe it's just me but I feel like this series keeps getting better. I was so eager to crack open this book but I could never have prepared for all it contained. Gah! So intense! The Force of Wind kept me riveted with this installment. I was alternately biting my nails, tearing up, and swooning.
The Force of Wind puts the romance between B and Gio on the back burner in favor of lots of action. It begins with B and Gio traveling to China - yet another fantastic locale. They're meeting Tenzin there for a conference with is essentially the ruling council of vampires. The surprises that awaited them there were shocking to say the least. The things set in motion afterward? That's where all the nailbiting, tears, and swooning came in. LOL
I adored watching B mature even more, becoming the force to be reckoned with I'd been anticipating. Gio, despite his possessiveness, continued to make me swoon with his demonstration of commitment to B as well as his determination to prevent further evil-doing by Lorenzo. Tenzin, being Tenzin, was simply the badass she is and I delighted in having her play a more prominent role. Getting her backstory was as heartbreaking as it was illuminating.
There are BIG things that happen in The Force of Wind and I so totally admire EHunter for not shying away from the action and violence required of this installment. Events that furthered the over-arching plot as well as the threads woven together for this portion of the story felt organic and realistic even if they shocked me and/or broke my heart. And honestly, I was well and truly shocked...a sign of brilliant writing.
So maybe I was left feeling a little devastated at the end. Maybe even a tad defeated. EHunter did not leave me without hope. I was also attempting to put together the pieces of the puzzle she's laid out. Theories abound and I was grateful to have buddy read, once again, with Lenore so we could bounce ideas off each other. In the end, we simply decided to read the final installment ASAP. Stay tuned for that review. **hint: it was stellar!**
***********
OH. MY. GOODNESS. EHunter continues to hold me captive with this series. Maybe it's just me but I feel like this series keeps getting better. I was so eager to crack open this book but I could never have prepared for all it contained. Gah! So intense! The Force of Wind kept me riveted with this installment. I was alternately biting my nails, tearing up, and swooning.
The Force of Wind puts the romance between B and Gio on the back burner in favor of lots of action. It begins with B and Gio traveling to China - yet another fantastic locale. They're meeting Tenzin there for a conference with is essentially the ruling council of vampires. The surprises that awaited them there were shocking to say the least. The things set in motion afterward? That's where all the nailbiting, tears, and swooning came in. LOL
I adored watching B mature even more, becoming the force to be reckoned with I'd been anticipating. Gio, despite his possessiveness, continued to make me swoon with his demonstration of commitment to B as well as his determination to prevent further evil-doing by Lorenzo. Tenzin, being Tenzin, was simply the badass she is and I delighted in having her play a more prominent role. Getting her backstory was as heartbreaking as it was illuminating.
There are BIG things that happen in The Force of Wind and I so totally admire EHunter for not shying away from the action and violence required of this installment. Events that furthered the over-arching plot as well as the threads woven together for this portion of the story felt organic and realistic even if they shocked me and/or broke my heart. And honestly, I was well and truly shocked...a sign of brilliant writing.
So maybe I was left feeling a little devastated at the end. Maybe even a tad defeated. EHunter did not leave me without hope. I was also attempting to put together the pieces of the puzzle she's laid out. Theories abound and I was grateful to have buddy read, once again, with Lenore so we could bounce ideas off each other. In the end, we simply decided to read the final installment ASAP. Stay tuned for that review. **hint: it was stellar!**
July 22, 2015
Wow....Amazing 5 Stars
How to write a review without giving it away.
I won't tell you about this book but I will tell you about one scene that I feel is one of the most powerful passages I have ever read.
In this scene (how to write this without giving out clues) the heroine is not just teased with a devastating blow - only to have her hero save the day or good triumph over evil - as it usually occurs in most romance novels....she actually experiences a horrifying loss. Her inability to effect that outcome made me feel the same way I do when I first wake up from a nightmare.
You know that feeling? your heart is heavy, you are crying and you feel utterly devastated and lost? Only for B it was real and not just a nightmare....and she was not going to wake up from it. She is unable to stop or effect the event and can only watch.
I felt every tear she cried and felt the heavy blow to her heart and soul. I felt every emotion, every bit of horror and bit of hatred she felt for Lorenzo and ultimately fell into shock as deeply as Beatrice did afterwords.
The scene that follows in the brook is so unbelievable that I was stunned. The author put into words the thoughts and feelings of two people without describing what they were feeling. Her images conveyed volumes.
There were so many parts of this book which were fantastic, suspenseful, exciting, romantic...I should be yacking about that....but honestly...you should know that this is a great story because of the author's ability to transport you to the places and make you feel the emotions and thoughts that her characters have. Her ability and the great story is what makes this one of the best series I have ever read and I can not wait to read the next book in this series: A Fall of Water.
How to write a review without giving it away.
I won't tell you about this book but I will tell you about one scene that I feel is one of the most powerful passages I have ever read.
In this scene (how to write this without giving out clues) the heroine is not just teased with a devastating blow - only to have her hero save the day or good triumph over evil - as it usually occurs in most romance novels....she actually experiences a horrifying loss. Her inability to effect that outcome made me feel the same way I do when I first wake up from a nightmare.
You know that feeling? your heart is heavy, you are crying and you feel utterly devastated and lost? Only for B it was real and not just a nightmare....and she was not going to wake up from it. She is unable to stop or effect the event and can only watch.
I felt every tear she cried and felt the heavy blow to her heart and soul. I felt every emotion, every bit of horror and bit of hatred she felt for Lorenzo and ultimately fell into shock as deeply as Beatrice did afterwords.
The scene that follows in the brook is so unbelievable that I was stunned. The author put into words the thoughts and feelings of two people without describing what they were feeling. Her images conveyed volumes.
There were so many parts of this book which were fantastic, suspenseful, exciting, romantic...I should be yacking about that....but honestly...you should know that this is a great story because of the author's ability to transport you to the places and make you feel the emotions and thoughts that her characters have. Her ability and the great story is what makes this one of the best series I have ever read and I can not wait to read the next book in this series: A Fall of Water.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2012
Elizabeth Hunter has done it again! The third installment in the Elemental Mysteries is another whirlwind book of intrigue, excitement, romance and lots of emotion. I was extremely lucky to receive an ARC of this story and I was itching to start reading it! Putting it down when I needed sleep became the ultimate battle.
We pick up right where "This Same Earth" ends, but with new details and a glimpse into how things came to be. From there, things explode into activity and never stop moving. Beatrice handles surprise after surprise with amazing grace and adapts to her new surroundings rather well. We get to see a lot more of Tenzin and a glimpse into her life, both human and vampire, and my love and respect for her have grown even more. Gio is his always charming, handsome, sweep you off your feet self, and we get to see sides of him that made me love him even more than I already did. We get to know a few characters better than we did in the past, some I really loved, some made me weary at times but still proved their worth as it were.
China provides a unique and very different setting than we've seen before and offers us a very interesting bunch of new characters, of whom I adore one in particular. A lot happens while the crew is there, but I do not wish to spoil it for anyone. The end keeps me wanting more and more, but doesn't leave you hanging.
This book had my emotions on edge from start to finish. I laughed, I was nervous, I sobbed, I got angry, I loved. It is truly the mark of a talented author if they can wring such emotions from you with their words and their story. I once again applaud the amazing world that has been created and the wonderful cast of characters we get to spend time with in each of these books. "The Force of Wind" surely blew me off my feet. I think I need Carwyn to come ground me to the Earth. What do you say, E? :-)
We pick up right where "This Same Earth" ends, but with new details and a glimpse into how things came to be. From there, things explode into activity and never stop moving. Beatrice handles surprise after surprise with amazing grace and adapts to her new surroundings rather well. We get to see a lot more of Tenzin and a glimpse into her life, both human and vampire, and my love and respect for her have grown even more. Gio is his always charming, handsome, sweep you off your feet self, and we get to see sides of him that made me love him even more than I already did. We get to know a few characters better than we did in the past, some I really loved, some made me weary at times but still proved their worth as it were.
China provides a unique and very different setting than we've seen before and offers us a very interesting bunch of new characters, of whom I adore one in particular. A lot happens while the crew is there, but I do not wish to spoil it for anyone. The end keeps me wanting more and more, but doesn't leave you hanging.
This book had my emotions on edge from start to finish. I laughed, I was nervous, I sobbed, I got angry, I loved. It is truly the mark of a talented author if they can wring such emotions from you with their words and their story. I once again applaud the amazing world that has been created and the wonderful cast of characters we get to spend time with in each of these books. "The Force of Wind" surely blew me off my feet. I think I need Carwyn to come ground me to the Earth. What do you say, E? :-)
April 12, 2014
I didn't enjoy this third book in the series as much as the previous two. The first 2/3 felt like a lot of water treading as nothing much really happens. Except that Beatrice finally finds her father who hasn't actually been lost and oh yeah, one of her closest friends knew about it for a year or so and, as I asked after the last book, why couldn't he have called, emailed or written a note? Seriously, I never got that. Finally though, the big thing does happen. I do applaud the author for going ahead with it instead of dragging out the possibility as that gets old.
I did not like the dynamic between Giovanni and Beatrice in this book. I know that his possessiveness and constant interruption of whatever she is doing to insist she pay attention to him is supposed to be "romantic" but I found it completely controlling and creepy.
A new character was introduced, Baojia, sent by Beatrice's grandfather to protect her. I liked him but making him the third leg in a possible love triangle was unnecessary, totally forced and it fell completely flat. Then having him was so out of character for him that it was a total WTF moment.
This review is sounding harsh but I still like the series overall. It ends with the next book which I appreciate, and I'm hoping for a big finish but I think this entire book would have been better distilled down into 100 exciting pages as part of the final book.
I did not like the dynamic between Giovanni and Beatrice in this book. I know that his possessiveness and constant interruption of whatever she is doing to insist she pay attention to him is supposed to be "romantic" but I found it completely controlling and creepy.
A new character was introduced, Baojia, sent by Beatrice's grandfather to protect her. I liked him but making him the third leg in a possible love triangle was unnecessary, totally forced and it fell completely flat. Then having him was so out of character for him that it was a total WTF moment.
This review is sounding harsh but I still like the series overall. It ends with the next book which I appreciate, and I'm hoping for a big finish but I think this entire book would have been better distilled down into 100 exciting pages as part of the final book.
August 14, 2015
First read 19th July 2013 ★★★★★.
Reread 24.05.2015. Exceptional read ★★★★★.
"We gain more enlightenment from weakness and loss than we do from strength and victory.
Mount Penglai, China.
Gio, Baojia and Beatrice are on their way to China. Tenzin has been summoned by her father which she is not happy about. Where the meet the Immortal Eight. The council consists of two of each element. Fire, Earth, Wind and Water. I love Tenzin's Humor.
Why are they doing the bowing thing?" Tenzin barked in English. "Did you get new humans? Don't you tell them I hate the bowing thing?"
They are close to the book and the elusive Stehpan De Novo turns up and is mated to Tenzin. The book is supposed to give mortals eternal life and vampires would never have drink blood again. The book is hidden in a monastry.
Gio is still an arrogant arse. Beatrice makes her choice and grieves for what she will be giving up.
And well it wouldn't be a party without Lorenzo now, would it?
I don't like that there was apparent chemistry between Beatrice and Baojia.
Reread 24.05.2015. Exceptional read ★★★★★.
"We gain more enlightenment from weakness and loss than we do from strength and victory.
Mount Penglai, China.
Gio, Baojia and Beatrice are on their way to China. Tenzin has been summoned by her father which she is not happy about. Where the meet the Immortal Eight. The council consists of two of each element. Fire, Earth, Wind and Water. I love Tenzin's Humor.
Why are they doing the bowing thing?" Tenzin barked in English. "Did you get new humans? Don't you tell them I hate the bowing thing?"
They are close to the book and the elusive Stehpan De Novo turns up and is mated to Tenzin. The book is supposed to give mortals eternal life and vampires would never have drink blood again. The book is hidden in a monastry.
Gio is still an arrogant arse. Beatrice makes her choice and grieves for what she will be giving up.
And well it wouldn't be a party without Lorenzo now, would it?
I don't like that there was apparent chemistry between Beatrice and Baojia.
April 19, 2013
Elizabeth sure knows how to tell a great story. Just when you think you're onto the answer, well think again. What I loved most about this installment is the character development of both and Gio and especially Beatrice. I felt truly immersed in they're wonderful bond and connection that they share. Love it! This is still a winner in my books!
May 6, 2013
The third installment in this series was filled with action, love and suspense. I'm stating the fourth and final book right now!!
March 6, 2013
You might think reading a multiple-book series may get boring or redundant after awhile.
Or, maybe the characters get annoying over time.
Or, the story loses it's lustre, leaving you dissapointed.
OR, maybe...IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER! THE STAKES GETTING HIGHER, THE CHARACTERS GETTING HOTTER, THE QUESTIONS GETTING LONGER, THE ANSWERS GETTING HARDER!!! ARGHHH!
As not to dissapoint or discourage, the third in the Elemental Mysteries series is kick-ass! I loved this book and would have given it 5 stars but I'll explain why I gave it 4 later.
The story picks up pretty much where This Same Earth ended. Gio**fans self, sigh**, B and Baoija are on their way east, to China or around there, to see the highly secretive and much rumored immortal eight. Some evidence finally points to B's father being there and after some significant discoveries by Gio and B, they are led to believe answers to the book they seek might be available.
Stephen, B's father, has been on the run and has the book we have all come to covet. However, Lorenzo is also believed to know about these developments and they anticipate his arrival.
TENSE, TENSE AND MORE TENSE.
Yup, the atmosphere at the monastery of the eight immortals is TENSE. B is excited and scared to see her father, Gio is anticipating some much sought after answers and everyone has something to gain.
This book was different from the first two in terms of action for it's majority minus the last 20% which was heart-pounding to say the least! But, despite that, the story and it's characters really developed here. We learn more about Stephen and Tenzin and their strange relationship, we see dynamics develop between Gio and B and we glimpse a better view into the complicated nature of vampire politics.
I loved seeing the growth between Gio and B! Where as she was grappling with her humanity in the second book, Gio seems to be doing the same in this book. He wants her for eternity but feels grief over the potential loss of her humanity.
But as fate would have it, this is a decision B has to make on her own.
HOW DOES IT FEEL GIO WHEN A DECISION IS MADE REGARDING SOMEONE YOU LOVE WITHOUT YOUR INPUT? SUCKS HUH? WELL, KARMA IS A BITCH!
I'm not really still harboring resentment against Gio, but I saw an opportunity and took it :)
But seriously, the depth of Gio and B's love was palpable, raw even. It was beautiful and pure, I loved watching them grow and blossom even more than I could have imagined.
And B? WOW! she grew so much and became a better version of herself. Really, the book should have been called, THE TRANSFORMATION OF BEATRICE!
Beautifully written and full of emotion and sadness, this was wonderful. So why not the 5 stars I have given to the prior books? well, dear friends that would have to be because of the subtle, yet annoying inclusion of a love triangle, but not. Not really, there was never any threat but still, I question the mere sniff of one, because really, did we need any more drama? NO.
But aside from that it was amazing and highly entertaining. It kind of reminded me of Orchids For Lila, which is another favorite vampire-driven PR I love! Great series so Far! Now onto the final book, A Fall of Water...:)
Or, maybe the characters get annoying over time.
Or, the story loses it's lustre, leaving you dissapointed.
OR, maybe...IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER! THE STAKES GETTING HIGHER, THE CHARACTERS GETTING HOTTER, THE QUESTIONS GETTING LONGER, THE ANSWERS GETTING HARDER!!! ARGHHH!
As not to dissapoint or discourage, the third in the Elemental Mysteries series is kick-ass! I loved this book and would have given it 5 stars but I'll explain why I gave it 4 later.
The story picks up pretty much where This Same Earth ended. Gio**fans self, sigh**, B and Baoija are on their way east, to China or around there, to see the highly secretive and much rumored immortal eight. Some evidence finally points to B's father being there and after some significant discoveries by Gio and B, they are led to believe answers to the book they seek might be available.
Stephen, B's father, has been on the run and has the book we have all come to covet. However, Lorenzo is also believed to know about these developments and they anticipate his arrival.
TENSE, TENSE AND MORE TENSE.
Yup, the atmosphere at the monastery of the eight immortals is TENSE. B is excited and scared to see her father, Gio is anticipating some much sought after answers and everyone has something to gain.
This book was different from the first two in terms of action for it's majority minus the last 20% which was heart-pounding to say the least! But, despite that, the story and it's characters really developed here. We learn more about Stephen and Tenzin and their strange relationship, we see dynamics develop between Gio and B and we glimpse a better view into the complicated nature of vampire politics.
I loved seeing the growth between Gio and B! Where as she was grappling with her humanity in the second book, Gio seems to be doing the same in this book. He wants her for eternity but feels grief over the potential loss of her humanity.
But as fate would have it, this is a decision B has to make on her own.
HOW DOES IT FEEL GIO WHEN A DECISION IS MADE REGARDING SOMEONE YOU LOVE WITHOUT YOUR INPUT? SUCKS HUH? WELL, KARMA IS A BITCH!
I'm not really still harboring resentment against Gio, but I saw an opportunity and took it :)
But seriously, the depth of Gio and B's love was palpable, raw even. It was beautiful and pure, I loved watching them grow and blossom even more than I could have imagined.
And B? WOW! she grew so much and became a better version of herself. Really, the book should have been called, THE TRANSFORMATION OF BEATRICE!
Beautifully written and full of emotion and sadness, this was wonderful. So why not the 5 stars I have given to the prior books? well, dear friends that would have to be because of the subtle, yet annoying inclusion of a love triangle, but not. Not really, there was never any threat but still, I question the mere sniff of one, because really, did we need any more drama? NO.
But aside from that it was amazing and highly entertaining. It kind of reminded me of Orchids For Lila, which is another favorite vampire-driven PR I love! Great series so Far! Now onto the final book, A Fall of Water...:)
September 2, 2013
★★★★★★★4 Heart-Stopping Stars★★★★★★★
(You'll recognize what sad scene this is, if you've read the book)
This is the 3rd novel in the Elemental Mysteries Series. The truth is that this one made me cry! A lot.
The book starts with Giovanni and Beatrice traveling to China to find Beatrice's father and look for the book that they believe her father, Stephen, has. They may or may not find what they are looking for, but nothing is that easy for them. This is where I started to get a little bored with the book. There was a lot of sword/fight training that took up a good middle portion of the book that I felt was a little too detailed. The author would skip important discussions, yet would go into great detail about weapons. That is one of the few complaints that I had for this spectacular novel. Also, with that sword/fight training, I didn't like how they spent so much time on Baojia/Beatrice interaction. It's not a love triangle, so why introduce that story ark? I didn't get it. Especially when Beatrice found herself getting caught up in it. I mean what was the purpose? From that point on though, I was hooked!
One of the many problems that Beatrice has to face is deciding if she wants to become a vampire. She doesn't like feeling weak and unable to protect the ones she loves, but Giovanni doesn't like the idea of her rushing into it, and thinks she should wait. What will she do? What decision will they make? Will it be the right one?
I loved how brave Beatrice was in this one. She seemed so much more mature and bad-ass. Giovanni was perfect as always; possessive, loving, and protective Giovanni. One of the things I loved about Giovanni the most in this novel was how much he loved Beatrice. He doesn't want her to suffer as a vampire, so he's willing to let her die of old age instead of being with him for eternity. He was very selfless, and I love that about him. Really enjoyed how close Tenzin and Beatrice were in this one, only drawback was I missed Carwyn. Hopefully, he'll be a bigger character in the final installment.
I'm not going to say much more, cause it would be really easy to spoil things for you guys. The main thing that I want to say is that it is a story that will make you cry, and will also make you very happy that you stuck with the series!
****I would recommend this novel****
(You'll recognize what sad scene this is, if you've read the book)
“She was worth it. Worth every worry, every pain. Her safety and security was everything to him. After five hundred years of existence, she had become the singular desire that animated his immortal life.”
This is the 3rd novel in the Elemental Mysteries Series. The truth is that this one made me cry! A lot.
The book starts with Giovanni and Beatrice traveling to China to find Beatrice's father and look for the book that they believe her father, Stephen, has. They may or may not find what they are looking for, but nothing is that easy for them. This is where I started to get a little bored with the book. There was a lot of sword/fight training that took up a good middle portion of the book that I felt was a little too detailed. The author would skip important discussions, yet would go into great detail about weapons. That is one of the few complaints that I had for this spectacular novel. Also, with that sword/fight training, I didn't like how they spent so much time on Baojia/Beatrice interaction. It's not a love triangle, so why introduce that story ark? I didn't get it. Especially when Beatrice found herself getting caught up in it. I mean what was the purpose? From that point on though, I was hooked!
One of the many problems that Beatrice has to face is deciding if she wants to become a vampire. She doesn't like feeling weak and unable to protect the ones she loves, but Giovanni doesn't like the idea of her rushing into it, and thinks she should wait. What will she do? What decision will they make? Will it be the right one?
She thought she knew so much, but as mature as she was, he knew she didn’t truly understand
how much her life would change. It was impossible.
I loved how brave Beatrice was in this one. She seemed so much more mature and bad-ass. Giovanni was perfect as always; possessive, loving, and protective Giovanni. One of the things I loved about Giovanni the most in this novel was how much he loved Beatrice. He doesn't want her to suffer as a vampire, so he's willing to let her die of old age instead of being with him for eternity. He was very selfless, and I love that about him. Really enjoyed how close Tenzin and Beatrice were in this one, only drawback was I missed Carwyn. Hopefully, he'll be a bigger character in the final installment.
I'm not going to say much more, cause it would be really easy to spoil things for you guys. The main thing that I want to say is that it is a story that will make you cry, and will also make you very happy that you stuck with the series!
****I would recommend this novel****
March 21, 2018
3 Stars... This addition to the “Elemental Mysteries” series felt somewhat disjointed for me and there seemed to be unnecessary sub plots occurring that were irrelevant to the overall storyline... Unknown information kept being shared unexpectedly and the timeline of the story continued to shift rapidly creating confusion and a sense of whiplash for me... I struggled to connect fully with the direction and purpose of the story; I recognize that the primary focus is Beatrice’s transformation and adjustment to her new self as well as the mysteries surrounding the manuscript, but it felt lost in the structure of the writing... I did, however, enjoy learning more of Tenzin’s past and all that she has experienced, looking forward to delving more into her character... I do look forward to the finale of this series with “The Fall of Water” to see how all the pieces finallly fit together:)
May 30, 2015
28.05.2015
Great book. Yeah, good one. Yup. GOOD. Will elaborate.
Edit: 30.05.2015
Okay, so I cought a little bit of time to write a short review, for what it's worth.
This book was so much better than the previous! More dynamic, faster, more of everything. Even a little bit of sex. That's right! Okay, so maybe it was more something like more mentions of sex. Whatever. The plot was interesting enough that I didn't mind the lack of corporal pleasures.
Yeah... it seems I cought some time, but I wasn't lucky enough to catch some sense, or writing skills. Sorry. The next one will be better.
Anyway, it's a great book and I'm very very curious to see how the story ends!
P.S. I love Beatrice's character and the development of it. MUCH better now.
Great book. Yeah, good one. Yup. GOOD. Will elaborate.
Edit: 30.05.2015
Okay, so I cought a little bit of time to write a short review, for what it's worth.
This book was so much better than the previous! More dynamic, faster, more of everything. Even a little bit of sex. That's right! Okay, so maybe it was more something like more mentions of sex. Whatever. The plot was interesting enough that I didn't mind the lack of corporal pleasures.
Yeah... it seems I cought some time, but I wasn't lucky enough to catch some sense, or writing skills. Sorry. The next one will be better.
Anyway, it's a great book and I'm very very curious to see how the story ends!
P.S. I love Beatrice's character and the development of it. MUCH better now.
June 15, 2012
What can I say, what hasn't already said ? This series, written by Elizabeth Hunter , gets better with every addition. The character development of all involved, be it the main characters or only side roles, are all so well planned out and wonderful to read , that you forget , that there are other things to do besides sitting in a cuddley place and dive into the world of Giovanni and Beatrice.
I am sad that I have to start book 4 , because it is the end of the mystery , but I am looking forward to many more of Elizabeth Hunters books - she has me as her follower for sure .
Thank you , Ms Hunter !
I am sad that I have to start book 4 , because it is the end of the mystery , but I am looking forward to many more of Elizabeth Hunters books - she has me as her follower for sure .
Thank you , Ms Hunter !
February 25, 2013
An Eastern setting, a passionate conflict, an evil villain, and a heartbreaking loss...a reader just could not ask for more...5 stunning stars.
May 24, 2013
Balance: Earth Wind Fire & Water--this is the theme of the Elemental Mysteries Series--plenty of suspense and great characters---these books are so well written--on to book #4
March 12, 2022
https://celebrityreaders.com/2022/03/...
4.5 stars — This series is just solid, I’m both excited for the final book, and not willing to let it go yet.
I definitely got frustrated with Gio in a few places in this book. He was just so stubborn, holding on to her humanity for reasons that didn’t feel good enough for me. He was being very “I know better than you”, and he really should have learned that lesson from the end of the previous book. In that way I felt the parallels with Twilight a bit stronger — the heroine who wants one thing, the hero holding out for “reasons”. He wasn’t all frustrating, he had some great moments where he truly appreciated B for all that she was…but he was up and down for a bit, and I wanted a bit more from him.
I feel like I can’t talk about a lot of what happened in this book, b/c I 100% think you should go in unspoiled. But let’s just say there were some developments that absolutely delighted me.
B is still pretty strong, stubborn, and savvy. There were quite a few moments where she was able to shine. But we were also reminded of how new she is to this world, and I appreciated that.
The whole 8 immortals thing was interesting. I’m glad it wasn’t more prominent, b/c there was just enough to be interesting without becoming wrapped up in that. I loved Lan. I can’t believe that in 10 years non-binary has become so much more normalized, b/c all I could think when they were debating their gender was “uh, non-binary, duh.” But 10 years ago, it just wasn’t as prominent in the public consciousness, so I get it.
I definitely had a lot of ups and downs in this book. Moments where I laughed, moments where I cringed, and wholeheartedly moments where I cried.
Lorenzo is still creepy and effective as a villain. I can’t wait until they kill him.
I have lots of theories about people, though most are probably too far-fetched. But that doesn’t make it any less fun to speculate.
I missed the humans in this one, as well as Carwyn. But I was glad we got to learn more about Tenzin — because there was a lot to learn. And her mate as well.
I’m not sure how I feel about Baojia. I like him as a character, but not super impressed with the vaguely teased potential love triangle — I just don’t need that in this story. He’s feeling like the Jacob of this story, which is a bummer for him.
So yeah, lots of thoughts, can’t really articulate them without spoilers, so this is what you get. 😛
4.5 stars — This series is just solid, I’m both excited for the final book, and not willing to let it go yet.
I definitely got frustrated with Gio in a few places in this book. He was just so stubborn, holding on to her humanity for reasons that didn’t feel good enough for me. He was being very “I know better than you”, and he really should have learned that lesson from the end of the previous book. In that way I felt the parallels with Twilight a bit stronger — the heroine who wants one thing, the hero holding out for “reasons”. He wasn’t all frustrating, he had some great moments where he truly appreciated B for all that she was…but he was up and down for a bit, and I wanted a bit more from him.
I feel like I can’t talk about a lot of what happened in this book, b/c I 100% think you should go in unspoiled. But let’s just say there were some developments that absolutely delighted me.
B is still pretty strong, stubborn, and savvy. There were quite a few moments where she was able to shine. But we were also reminded of how new she is to this world, and I appreciated that.
The whole 8 immortals thing was interesting. I’m glad it wasn’t more prominent, b/c there was just enough to be interesting without becoming wrapped up in that. I loved Lan. I can’t believe that in 10 years non-binary has become so much more normalized, b/c all I could think when they were debating their gender was “uh, non-binary, duh.” But 10 years ago, it just wasn’t as prominent in the public consciousness, so I get it.
I definitely had a lot of ups and downs in this book. Moments where I laughed, moments where I cringed, and wholeheartedly moments where I cried.
Lorenzo is still creepy and effective as a villain. I can’t wait until they kill him.
I have lots of theories about people, though most are probably too far-fetched. But that doesn’t make it any less fun to speculate.
I missed the humans in this one, as well as Carwyn. But I was glad we got to learn more about Tenzin — because there was a lot to learn. And her mate as well.
I’m not sure how I feel about Baojia. I like him as a character, but not super impressed with the vaguely teased potential love triangle — I just don’t need that in this story. He’s feeling like the Jacob of this story, which is a bummer for him.
So yeah, lots of thoughts, can’t really articulate them without spoilers, so this is what you get. 😛
October 20, 2018
Gio and B are really perfect for each other. And they're both so stubborn I wanted to knock their heads together. And they're really the balance of each other. Don't know why B didn't want to announce that they were married. It was great to get to know Stephen. And Tenzin too, she threw me for a loop lots of times here. Baojia, interesting guy but he needs his own story I guess but waaaay after so many other people. I missed Carwyn. And near the end, my heart squeezed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Looking forward to the next book.
March 3, 2017
Elizabeth Hunter is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. There is a certain grace about her writing that I find not only refreshing but immensely appealing. If you're a fan of paranormal romance, you will love this book and the Elemental Mystery series. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to dive into the next one! :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 595 reviews