Mark of Four

Guardian of the Vale #1

by Tamara Shoemaker

Seventeen-year-old Alayne Worth is an Elemental Water-Wielder. All she wants is to master her talent and live a normal life, but the sudden escape of a feared criminal leaves her family reeling and threatens to keep her from achieving her dreams, especially when the criminal's reach pushes too close to home.

Secret pasts, strange powers, and tense relationships weave a tangled net around her. As she leaves home to cultivate her skills at an Elemental training center, she clashes with a disturbing reality: both good and evil forces covet Alayne's unusual gifts, and each side is willing to do almost anything to obtain them.

As Alayne confronts the battle for the power she possesses, she must discover the truth of who she is.

Air-Earth-Water-Fire

Four Elements

Four Powers

Four Paths

MARK OF FOUR

Genres: Young Adult

326 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2015

About the author

Tamara Shoemaker authored the Amazon best-selling Shadows in the Nursery Christian mystery series and Soul Survivor, another Christian mystery. Her fantasy books include the Heart of a Dragon trilogy: Kindle the Flame, Embrace the Fire, and Unleash the Inferno, as well her Guardian of the Vale trilogy: Mark of Four, Shadows of Uprising, and Guardian of the Vale. In her spare time, she freelances as an editor for other works of fiction, chases three children hither and yon, and tries hard to ignore the brownie mixes that inevitably show up in her cabinets.

Follow her on social media:
Twitter: @TamaraShoemaker
Website: www.tamarashoemaker.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tshoebooks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shoemakertamara

Reviews

[Emily Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamara Shoemaker’s latest is a fresh, modern take on time-honored fantasy and scifi devices. Seething with teen angst and roiling with action, Mark of Four brings you into a post-apocalyptic world that is full of surprises and elemental magic. You won’t be disappointed by this futuristic fantasy that weaves together old and new.

Alayne Worth only wants to pursue her Elemental education and blend in, but her standout talents draw notice and attention she could do without. When dangerous criminals escape from government captivity, her whole world changes. Alayne takes a while to adjust.

Amidst brewing romances and dark threats, Alayne must discover not only who she is, but how to responsibly harness the great power that has been given to her.

Fans who enjoy fantasy world building, magic systems, and light romance will gravitate towards this series. Themes such as trust, finding identity, and how to approach power fit this futuristic, slightly urban/paranormal novel squarely in the fantasy tradition. Suitable for young adults and teens. Two more books are planned.

[Margaret Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoemaker has done it again. Looking for a great fantasy read? Mark of Four gives us Alayne, a young woman who can wield all four elements in a world where most can wield only one. The why to that forms the crux of the book, and provides a whole lot of action and plot to keep you turning the pages.

Shoemaker also gives us love interests gone awry, female friendships, the nemesis who may not be quite all he seems, on top of extremely creative thinking with her depiction of the elements and how one might "bend" them. I could totally see this book as a movie - the special effects would be brilliant!

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Last Airbender, heck, even Narnia - any sort of young adult fantasy - I think you'll love this book!

P.S. Ms. Shoemaker, may I please learn the secret to wielding water now? It sounds like fun!

[Michael Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than other more popular YA books I've read. The world building and magic system keep it interesting. The twists and surprises keep coming until the end!

[J Russ Briley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, gifted people with jobs.

Finally, after all these books featuring a gifted, talented, magical, or otherwise special group of people flooded the market, one gives them jobs. This book has elemental wielders who work for a living. What a creative breath of fresh air. Air wielders who drive limos, and water wielders who drive boats, are a nice dose of reality that many young adult fantasy books lack. On top of that noteworthy feature, the book is well written, the characters well defined, and I look forward to hearing how Alayne’s life turns out.

[Sara Overholt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark of Four is an exciting story about a couple of teenage elementals. Some people can wield one of the four elements; air, water, earth, and fire. If they can’t, they are “naturals”. The feel of Harry Potter is here in this aspect of naturals versus elementals as well as with the boarding school where the elementals attend. Elementals all work together with their own elements to make the school function.
Alayne navigates school life with a fun, talkative new friend, Marysa, and a few boyfriends that she has to choose between. There is also the ever present, mysterious Daymon who often shows up out of nowhere and seems to be protecting Alayne although their relationship isn’t great. I find myself hoping that I’m going to read more about this guarded guy in the future!
I was not able to put this story down for long between readings! The beginning moves quickly and before you know it, everyone has started school. The school life brings about plenty of drama all while everyone is learning to use their new elemental power. All except for Alayne, who has known how to wield her element well for a long time, much to her parent’s dismay. Then, a battle breaks out and it’s clear that someone isn’t who they claim to be.
I liked the pace, not too fast nor does it drag on leaving you wanting to just get to the point. This story has a love triangle (and a love interest that I’d like to see come together in future books), a few mysteries and surprises, and good friendships. It’s also fun to read how the elementals wield their elements from just playing around, to making all things function, and finally to battling it out.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alayne Worth is a young lady preparing to leave her home and enter elemental training for water powers. She is eager to escape her mother's frantic worries, but nervous for the upcoming milestone. Gifted elementals and normal humans alike fear the convicted and escaped murderer called Simeon Malachi. Malachi and his band of shadow casters aim to capture the legendary vale stone that will grant them total mastery over the elements. After Alayne is pursued by an avaricious shadow caster, and saved by a childhood enemy, her mind is bombarded with unanswered questions. She soon learns of her own extraordinary abilities, but is unable to tell even her closest friends.

My favorite character is Daymon because of his intriguing personality and behavior towards Alayne. Though he doesn't favor her like James or Kyle, or befriend her as Marysa does, Daymon's fate is intricately woven with Alayne's. Upon knowing how Daymon responds to Alayne in a dire situation, a reader can't help pondering Daymon's reasons of initiative.

I was enthralled in this book because it portrayed the vivid differences of the characters' responses to placement of power. Romance is mixed in with epic sci-fi when Marysa assists Alayne in navigating through boy troubles. Alayne must save her friends when her quadriweave identity is exposed, endangering people around her. Fans of Kindle the Flame Kindle the Flame (Heart of a Dragon Book 1) will drink in the words on these pages. Mark of Four Mark of Four (Guardian of the Vale) (Volume 1) is a well-written, rich story. (Teen review)

[Foy Iver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamara Shoemaker’s latest fantasy brought back fond memories of wandering the halls of Hogwarts, getting lost in the ability to manipulate the elements, and diving into an unfamiliar realm. While “Mark of Four” has strong and familiar tones of some of the best fantasies on the market, she gives it her own futuristic twist, showing off those world-building skills her fans have come to expect.
Older readers will have to accept the teen relationship drama (Please. Kill. Kyle.) but it’s worth it when it means enjoying the first book in her Guardian of the Vale series. I’m certain that book two will be even more engaging.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book reads like a mix of “Harry Potter,” “The Hunger Games”, and “Divergent”.

Read full review in the 2016 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.