A Trial of Sorcerers

Wow! This one consumed me, totally sucked me right in. If you’re a fan of Sorcery of Thorns or the Witchlands series, and love yourself a magical competition, this one is right up your alley.Set in the Air Awakens world, this book absolutely delivered. There’s a bit of everything in this, too. Epic fantasy world building, an action packed tournament, forbidden romance, a mystery to solve, court politics, meaningful and complex friendships, as well as downright hilarious moments and witty banter.Eira is a sorcerer apprentice, but she’s been shunned by the others in the Tower of Sorcerers after a tragic accident years before, when she lost control of her power. She’s handled with kid gloves, and has her training stifled by those who think they know better. She dreams of visiting Meru, the Crescent Continent, and discovering more of the world beyond the Tower. Seeing it as an opportunity to visit Meru, and show that she isn’t weak or unpredictable, she enters the Trial of Sorcerers, for a chance to compete in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms.But, not everything may be as it seems.What ensues is a tournament that kept me on the edge of my seat. I love these storylines, but many of them tend to be repetitive or blend together. Not this one. You can see the care and thought Elise took in planning and writing the trials. This book is a nonstop page turner.One of the plot twists in this was a bit predictable, but I actually didn’t mind it at all, because I liked having information before Eira did, it had me invested and made the way that storyline played out even more interesting.If you’ve read Air Awakens or Vortex Visions, you’ll get cameos of those characters, but I don’t feel it’s necessary to read either before reading this—though there would, obviously, be some spoilers.Nonetheless: a million times, yes! on this one … can’t wait to see what happens next!

I am a self professed lover of YA fantasy romance and Elise Kova is one of the queens of the genre. Last year, I read her Air Awakens series and was swept up in the story. This series, A Trial of Sorcerers, takes place in the same world. While you would get more out of the story by reading Air Awakens first, it is not technically necessary. I have not read her Vortex Chronicles which takes place in the same world and did not find, having not read that, I was unable to understand or fully enjoy this book. Everything is able to be understood on its own although there are callbacks to Air Awakens. However, if you didn’t know to look for them it would not detract from the story.Eira is everything I would expect out of an older teenaged character. She is learning about the wider world, who she can and cannot trust, and being a bit of an emotional wreck about the whole thing. She is also a passionate and very book smart character although her common sense is pretty much in the toilet which, again, is right on par for a late teen.Her family dynamics are also very complicated and, at times, down right mentally and emotionally abusive. While I enjoyed the beginning of Eira’s journey as a character, the family aspects annoyed me to no end. Her family claimed to love her but at every turn they crushed her hopes and dreams claiming it was for the best. While love can sometimes be painful, those who claim to love you should lift you up, even in the hard times. Especially in the hard times. Not try to grind your joy and passion into dust.Of course there is a love interest, a misunderstood bad boy, and a magical conundrum to overcome. Overall, the book was entertaining. It is an easy read that you can just sink into and it will sweep you away for a little while. I’m not looking for big, engrossing stories that you have to take notes to keep the details straight, I just want some escapism that lets my mind shut down for a little while. If that is something you like in fantasy, then I would recommend this book and this author with my whole heart.

A Trial of Sorcerers is a fantastic YA Fantasy story, set in the same world as the Air Awakens and Vortex Visions series by Elise. It's a very well paced book, and pulled me in from the very beginning. While many YA Fantasy books can be a bit predictable, A Trial of Sorcerers managed to have multiple major plot twists that I genuinely didn't see coming. This book isn't too heavy on the romance, though it is building throughout the story. I like that the budding romance didn't overpower or control Eira's growth as she comes into her powers. I also appreciated that Eira was the nerdy/strange girl in the class, and that she didn't suddenly become this amazing warrior. Instead, her academic sensibilities are embraced as setting her apart rather than her physical prowess, which I feel is often not the case in YA books.Elise Kova is ridiculously good at developing multiple dynamic characters who feel real and flawed and interesting in all of her stories. A Trial of Sorcerers was no different, and I found myself very invested in multiple characters as the story went on. Though this book was a bit more focused on Eira's development, there is still enough world development that someone who hasn't read Elise Kova's other series in this world would be able to understand what is going on, the major conflicts and tensions of the world, and the two different magic systems. With that being said, someone who has read the other series (Air Awakens and Vortex Visions) will have more understand of the relationships between minor characters and characters mentioned throughout, as they were major characters in the past series. I really enjoyed getting to see some of my favorite characters all grown up and in a different light from their own series.TL;DRRead this book! It has TWO great magic systems, one of which is elemental, a brainy heroine discovering who she is, and a series of jaw-dropping twists and turns that will keep you thoroughly engrossed from beginning to end.

The media could not be loaded. Ele veio impecável, eu comprei usado e mais barato, ele tá literalmente novo, como se ninguém tivesse lido ele, chegou muito rápido, estou ansiosa para ler

Captivating and a great adventure. written very well. Would make an excellent movie! I think Elise Kova is my new favourite author.

I loved this book. I really liked Eira as a character, and I think her story is amazing and worth reading. Regarding the plot twist, the truth is that I didn't see it coming. I guess I was blindsided by how the other two series developed. So, in case you are wondering, yes, Elise Kova can surprise you even when you had read most of her books.Another thing I really liked is how all the series in the Air Awakens' world are connected. You don't need to read the Air Awakens series and the Vortex Chronicles to understand the story, but I think it enriches the whole story to read them first so that you'd be able to appreciate the characters more.

5 StarsI was a little nervous starting this as I ADORED Elise's original series in this world "Air Awakens" and then also loved her second series in the same world "Vortex Visions". There is always that worry that it won't be as good as previous books, but by my rating you can see I definitely did NOT need to worry!Firstly you can read this without reading the previous series but there is a lot of worldbuilding and background that you will miss out on and so I highly recommend reading them first as they are just also incredible fantasy books with amazing imagination and a lovely side of romance.This book is based around Eira who is Waterrunner. She has magic to control water and is an apprentice in the Tower where sorcerers learn their magic. The story involves a competition which was really well thought out. I won't say much more as I don't want to give anything away but I LOVED the story and although I guessed one twist, (it wasn't an obvious one) I was still shocked by so many other twists! Elise Kova certainly knows how to pack an emotional punch!These new characters are brilliant. Our lead Eira is fierce and brave, if a little naive and too controlled by her emotions. She is definitely going to be an interesting one to watch and I can't wait to see her character progress. The side characters were also fantastic and each added a lot to the book, especially Eira's best friend, a certain elfin ambassador and the prince of the tower.This world is so rich and filled to the brim with background and magic and that is down to Elise's incredible imagination and vision. I fall in love with her writing in every single book and this one did not fail. It is an effortless read because it just sweeps me and my imagination along. I did not want it to stop and am so glad I have the second book ready to read straight away!I highly recommend this series! But if you haven't, please read the other series first, you will thank me for it!!

Very nice story with a interesting type of magic. A little predictable but still fun nevertheless. Except.... You know. Why did you do this to me? 😭