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Undergrad Elementalist: An Emma Dawes Story
Emma Dawes is getting used to living on campus. She's getting to know her roommate, throwing parties, doing the things that most college freshmen do. She's also been invited into a secret club, where students learn to control and unleash their innate magical abilities. Learning about magic was great at first, but when people start dying, seemingly killed by magic users, Emma's peaceful college existence gets a whole lot more complicated... and deadly.
In this coming of age urban fantasy tale, a young woman named Emma Dawes learns that she has magical powers, and is suddenly thrust into a world of excitement and danger as she is recruited into her new school's magic club. She is simultaneously discovering herself while she discovers the art of elementalism, and she quickly realizes that neither is less complex and difficult than the other.
In this coming of age urban fantasy tale, a young woman named Emma Dawes learns that she has magical powers, and is suddenly thrust into a world of excitement and danger as she is recruited into her new school's magic club. She is simultaneously discovering herself while she discovers the art of elementalism, and she quickly realizes that neither is less complex and difficult than the other.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2017
186 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 31, 2018
ACTUAL RATING: 1,5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from its author in exchange for an honest review.
This story begins when a girl named Emma Dawes moves from her home to start college and through the book we follow her as she deals with the whole college experience plus some unexplainable phenomenons and a few horrifying crimes.
Even though I can't say I hated this book I had a lot of issues with it.
In general I think the book had all the chances to be really really great but most of the time it fell short.
First, the characters: The thing I struggled with the most while I was reading was to connect with the characters (specially with the main character, Emma). When I'm reading a book, it is essencial to me the characters feel relatable and real. It doesn't matter if I end up liking or hating the character, if they're truly human or fantastic creatures, I like to feel I get to know them as deep as I can... that I can perceive their thoughts, their fears, their emotions and hopefully relate to them at some level.
In this book, I think the character's description and development was maybe too perfunctory. For the whole time I was reading I kept longing and longing for some insight on any of the characters but it never happened. I mean, Emma was going through so much stuff during the story (some really dang scary stuff) and it felt she was like "meh... I'll go have sex now". As a reader I feel very sad I didn't have the opportunity to get to know any of the people involved in this story because they all seemed very interesting and up-to-date.
Also in the same token, the dialogues and relationships between the characters felt SUPER unreal to me... like I just couldn't imagine some of those situations really happening in real life.
Now, the plot: The concept of the plot was really unique and interesting. I really liked the fact that the story is not happening in a "typical" wizarding school like Hogwarts or Brakebills, but in a regular college. I just wish there would have been a secret underground practical magic subject in my University so I could just fulfil at some level my broken dream of going to Hogwarts...
Ok... moving on!
I also liked the concept of magic the author created. I really enjoy when authors give magic some sort of scientific explanation 'cause it makes it feel like it could be an everyday thing.
However, I would've loved if the author would've gone through this idea with much more detail because I think it is probably the best thing in the book... Again I was desperately longing to know more and more about how magic works in this "world" but the info about it was just too brief.
Bonus note: THAT CLIFFHANGER AT THE END GOT ME LIKE WHAAAAAT??? I won't be able to live in peace until I know what's next (also, I don't trust Mr. Holden like at all... he's a suspicious man!)
Conclusion: As the author's very first novel, this book was OK... but I think it was too short! I would have loved to see more depth and detail in the story. However, I would definitely read the next book in this series... can't wait to know if I am right about Mr. Holden.
I received a free copy of this book from its author in exchange for an honest review.
This story begins when a girl named Emma Dawes moves from her home to start college and through the book we follow her as she deals with the whole college experience plus some unexplainable phenomenons and a few horrifying crimes.
Even though I can't say I hated this book I had a lot of issues with it.
In general I think the book had all the chances to be really really great but most of the time it fell short.
First, the characters: The thing I struggled with the most while I was reading was to connect with the characters (specially with the main character, Emma). When I'm reading a book, it is essencial to me the characters feel relatable and real. It doesn't matter if I end up liking or hating the character, if they're truly human or fantastic creatures, I like to feel I get to know them as deep as I can... that I can perceive their thoughts, their fears, their emotions and hopefully relate to them at some level.
In this book, I think the character's description and development was maybe too perfunctory. For the whole time I was reading I kept longing and longing for some insight on any of the characters but it never happened. I mean, Emma was going through so much stuff during the story (some really dang scary stuff) and it felt she was like "meh... I'll go have sex now". As a reader I feel very sad I didn't have the opportunity to get to know any of the people involved in this story because they all seemed very interesting and up-to-date.
Also in the same token, the dialogues and relationships between the characters felt SUPER unreal to me... like I just couldn't imagine some of those situations really happening in real life.
Now, the plot: The concept of the plot was really unique and interesting. I really liked the fact that the story is not happening in a "typical" wizarding school like Hogwarts or Brakebills, but in a regular college. I just wish there would have been a secret underground practical magic subject in my University so I could just fulfil at some level my broken dream of going to Hogwarts...
Ok... moving on!
I also liked the concept of magic the author created. I really enjoy when authors give magic some sort of scientific explanation 'cause it makes it feel like it could be an everyday thing.
However, I would've loved if the author would've gone through this idea with much more detail because I think it is probably the best thing in the book... Again I was desperately longing to know more and more about how magic works in this "world" but the info about it was just too brief.
Bonus note: THAT CLIFFHANGER AT THE END GOT ME LIKE WHAAAAAT??? I won't be able to live in peace until I know what's next (also, I don't trust Mr. Holden like at all... he's a suspicious man!)
Conclusion: As the author's very first novel, this book was OK... but I think it was too short! I would have loved to see more depth and detail in the story. However, I would definitely read the next book in this series... can't wait to know if I am right about Mr. Holden.
September 3, 2017
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book.
This is a YA fantasy at least in my opinion it is. I'm not partial to them but I like some. I have to be honest and say it was difficult for me to like and relate to Emma's character. I can't say exactly...I think it was many things. I read all sorts of POVs...First and Third mainly. This seemed different though. I think for this I personally would have liked it better had it been 3rd. This was an in your face First person. I mean every thought, feeling, and every single thing she did was right there. It was written in such a way that I got irritated. It must be a personal thing with me I guess but it bothered me. I liked it by the end but I am still on the fence with Emma and the POV. I would read the second book though because I liked this by the end and honestly thats all that matters. I really liked the secondary characters too.
This is a YA fantasy at least in my opinion it is. I'm not partial to them but I like some. I have to be honest and say it was difficult for me to like and relate to Emma's character. I can't say exactly...I think it was many things. I read all sorts of POVs...First and Third mainly. This seemed different though. I think for this I personally would have liked it better had it been 3rd. This was an in your face First person. I mean every thought, feeling, and every single thing she did was right there. It was written in such a way that I got irritated. It must be a personal thing with me I guess but it bothered me. I liked it by the end but I am still on the fence with Emma and the POV. I would read the second book though because I liked this by the end and honestly thats all that matters. I really liked the secondary characters too.
January 4, 2018
I really enjoyed reading about emma
This book begins to tell us about Emma's life beginning in college, she begins to develop skills that she did not know she had, as the story unfolds, the murders begin to occur within the school.
Then she meets a mysterious boy and tells her that there is a class she could really fit in and that's where she discovers she has magic.
It is a really interesting book about magic and how it develops throughout history.
I look forward to the next book.
This book begins to tell us about Emma's life beginning in college, she begins to develop skills that she did not know she had, as the story unfolds, the murders begin to occur within the school.
Then she meets a mysterious boy and tells her that there is a class she could really fit in and that's where she discovers she has magic.
It is a really interesting book about magic and how it develops throughout history.
I look forward to the next book.
August 19, 2017
A fun introduction
This was a fun introduction to a new magical world, and I'm interested to see where it will go. If you've enjoyed Dresden, you'll probably like it, though replace the noir detective with a freshman in college.
This was a fun introduction to a new magical world, and I'm interested to see where it will go. If you've enjoyed Dresden, you'll probably like it, though replace the noir detective with a freshman in college.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews