Audio Review: A TRIAL OF SORCERERS by Elise Kova

A TRIAL OF SORCERERS

Author: Elise Kova

Series: A Trial of Sorcerers #1
Source: Audio from Audible
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: March 4, 2021
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Summary:

Ice is in her blood.

Eighteen-year-old Waterrunner Eira Landan lives her life in the shadows — the shadow of her older brother, of her magic’s whispers, and of the person she accidentally killed. She’s the most unwanted apprentice in the Tower of Sorcerers until the day she decides to step out and compete for a spot in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms.

Pitted against the best sorcerers in the Empire, Eira fights to be one of four champions. Excelling in the trials has its rewards. She's invited to the royal court with the “Prince of the Tower,” discovers her rare talent for forbidden magic, and at midnight, Eira meets with a handsome elfin ambassador.

But, Eira soon learns, no reward is without risk. As she comes into the spotlight, so too do the skeletons of a past she hadn't even realized was haunting her.

Eira went into the trials ready for a fight. Ready to win. She wasn't ready for what it would cost her. No one expected the candidates might not make it out with their lives.

This is the first book in a young adult, epic fantasy that's a tale of competition, coming of age, distant lands, elemental magic, and romance. It's perfect for fans of the Legend of Korra, Truthwitch, and A Sorcery of Thorns.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Another foray into the Air Awakens world, A TRIAL OF SORCERERS hits it out of the park with the elemental fantasy novel genre. This plays on the trope and concept of magical trials and does it really well. I liked seeing returning characters and some new ones as well. I am glad we're starting to delve more into the other worlds that are connected. But there were some parts of that felt so rushed and I wanted more slow burn than what we got, especially around the romance.

This first book reintroduces us to the Air Awakens and the Vortex Chronicles world. So much was similar yet different but being reacquainted felt like a breeze. Partly in thanks to seeing familiar faces - especially Vhalla's! She was involved with the competition which was full of thrills. The trials were nerve-wracking to watch but fulfilling in action. You never knew who was going to end up on whose side. Also, in true Elise Kova fashion, we're kept on our toes with the romance. It's most definitely a slow burn. I pray something more will happen in the next book ;)

I really enjoyed Eira's character. She carried a heavy burden despite her young age. Her stubbornness grated on my nerves sometimes but I completely understood she had good reasons to be. I delighted in watching Eira stand up for herself. While I wasn't very surprised by the twist about her, I thought the build up to it was quite nice. The truth was already there in the little details. I was sad to see how much a betrayal affected Eira but I kind of love the hardened version of her. Can't wait to see more of it!

I found the villain in A Trial of Sorcerers to be a bit obvious. I'm not sure if Elise intended for it to be but this character's sweet words and nice acts made me very wary. It was impossible not to suspect this person. I was on high alert whenever said person was around so I was not the least bit surprised when the reveal happened. I was, however, surprised by Eira and how her singular focus achieved something incredible. Sorry for the vagueness, just know that she really is a wonderful main character.

While this is a "standalone" in the sense that it starts a new series, it DOES spoil Air Awakens AND Vortex Chronicles so if you care about that, be sure to read those first. It also made me want a "prequel" type book about Adela lol so Elise, if you're reading this, please 🥺

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was PERFECT. Highly recommend doing that if you have an extra credit somewhere!