Taming the Elements (Elwin Escari Chronicles)

Halfway through the book and can't put it down. Not normally a fantasy reader but this book might have turned me into one!

I can't wait to finish this book and move on to the next volume. The world the author created is very interesting and I'm falling in love with the characters.

Dr. Ekrut shows how life really is for young men coming in to their own throughout the book. You are rooting for Elwin and his friends from the start and wanting to know what happens next. The magic was extremely well thought out. Some avid readers can guess some of what is to come, but the HOW is what made this book amazing! I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Really, I did, but I think it would be unjust to not leave an honest, fair critique after having met the author (who is a really wonderful guy and a pleasure to talk to). Just a note: this review is not 100% spoiler free for those who dislike spoilers.

I think my favorite thing about the book is the details of the actual setting. From the magic mechanics to the environment, the author creates a unique take on magic and paints beautiful imagery with his words. Each scene the characters move through is vivid and distinctive, from the homely village of Benedict surrounded by its lush redwood forest, to the clustered and bustling capital of Justice. The history, while briefly touched upon, is interesting, and I can't help wanting to know more about the Guardians of Life and their formation than what is described in this book.

But while the world itself is nicely developed, the characters fall a bit...flat. Of the main trio of Feffer, Elwin, and Zarah, Feffer is the only one who I actually like. And of the three, he is the only one I can believe is honestly fourteen or older from the start. I honestly had to reread the first page of Chapter Three several times because I could not picture Elwin as anything older than a 7-year-old. And Elwin is my least favorite character thus far, despite being the main character.

Zarah and her mother, Jasmine, also fall incredibly short of expectations. Jasmine flawlessly fulfills the "motherly mentor" role and serves as little else than a power up for Elwin and minor plot device, and Zarah's treatment is little better. Their powers may be spectacular, but their personalities are forgettable. Meanwhile, the only real consequence Elwin suffers for his alleged bravado doesn't come until the last ten chapters.

But, part of this can be attributed to the storytelling itself. A lot of the first third or half of the book is more involved in explaining elemental mechanics, how Feffer and Elwin are looked down on by their peers but not really, Elwin's trial and his worrying over it, and detailing various bits about Justice. I feel more invested in the city, really. Oddly, while it meanders on to the meat of the story, it's not actually boring--just long-winded.

On that same note, I feel like the prologue and first two chapters should have been condensed into a single chapter, and information should have been excluded in some parts. Introducing Bain as Elwin's father from the start killed any suspense or twist this could have brought to the story, which it certainly needed far more of. While enjoyable enough, from that point on the plot became quite predictable. The end did come as a saving grace, but even Wilton's part gave me little start--I do want to read the sequel to know what becomes of him and Feffer, however.

Back to characters, of all of them, I was surprised to feel sorry for Abbadon the most. The embodiment of evil, madness, darkness, and deception, you'd think he'd be the last one to feel sorry for. Even Bain garners little sympathy from me (but then again I have a heart of stone), and he's my second favorite character. I tried to feel a little bad for Bain, and I did at the beginning after Athina spends herself, but by the end, he felt a little more like a tool to enforce the "ultimate evil/good" rule than a sympathetic villain. Athina hid his son from him and killed herself to keep Elwin from him--that should have been played upon more than it was. Even if Bain forgave her (which seems unlikely), this is a father missing his son, but he's written like a craftsman missing an important tool. Also, I feel like more of the Death bound and black savants should have deeper motives than serving Bain's vengeance or furthering their own power like Zeth and Fasuri. I want to sympathize with Bain's cause and feel bad about doing so, not effortlessly hope he gets his comeuppance. Having more light shed on the betrayal Bain talks about from his perspective, about why he wants to hunt down the Guardians of Life, would help there.

I'll be damned if Ekrut doesn't know how to write an ending, though. What happens to Feffer and Wilton now? What about Dresnen? What kind of development and challenges will Zarah, Zaak, and Elwin face? Is there some actual meaning in Abbadon's last words to Elwin?

All in all, this is a decent foundation with great worldbuilding (almost too much), and a lot of potential for a series, but more could have been invested into the characters and plot overall.

Really fun read! Enjoyed the character development of Elwin on his journey to becoming an Elementalist. The entire system of magic was fascinating, and I appreciated the limitations. Too often magical systems allow the user to accomplish anything (which really could break the plot), but these magic rules were clearly defined, and the story held to these rules. Additionally, enjoyed the “boot camp” training of the character Feffer. Those scenes echoed some of my favorite military fiction. Overall… interesting characters, fascinating system of magic, and compelling plot!

This book was recommended by a friend, as I don’t typically seek out epic fantasy novels. My own predisposition against fantasy left me skeptical at first, but quickly found myself interested in the characters and setting. Halfway through the book, I was surprised to find I was deeply invested in the two leads and desperately wanted to know how the book would end. Beyond my recommendations of the story itself, that’s probably the highest praise I can share – this book turned this fantasy-skeptic into a fan!

Highly recommended!

I've spent most of my life not reading much, but after reading this every morning on the train I have found myself wildly curious about reading more. Davids work is full of excitement and art painted through words. I definitely recommend this to anyone.

I recently bought this book from the author at a comic-con, and I'm glad I did. It's been a truly enjoyable read, and I'm ready to pick up book 2.

Great read, love the characters, the magic and the world David Ekrut created. A+

David is descriptive so much that you feel like your there with the characters!! I went to high school with David and therefore had my assumptions when I first got the book. However David surprised me over and over again with his amazing writing skills! I swear I was in the book with the characters! Thank you for such an amazing story, I am ordering #2 right now b/c I finished this one in a day. Thank you for sharing your talent not only in creative writing but in your study's for cancer research among other things. You are a shining star that came out of our little town and so proud of you for making yourself into such an amazing person & writer again among other things. Thank you and keep writing, I cannot wait for #3 and beyond!!

History is decided by single lives, not armies. As war creeps from the darkness in the once peaceful island of Justice, two childhood friends are conscripted from innocence and forced into conflict. When Elwin Escari finds out he’s an Elementalist—persons with the power to bind nature to their essence—he is taken away from his home to enlist in the growing war effort. Now, as he and his best friend Feffer train to become soldiers, they may find out that their fates are far more darkly woven into the annuls of history and a prophecy that could mean the end of life as they know it.

David Ekrut’s first novel is brimming with a unique flare that spurs the reader forward. Watching the young characters mature and grow is like revisiting the uncertainty and triumphs of my own adolescence. Like George R. Martin crossed with J.K. Rowling, Ekrut seamlessly mixes themes of growing up, political subversion, and the joys and consequences of power (both physical, magical, and of heart) all while maintaining a unique vision of a thriving world and the mystic underpinnings that bind it together. Taming the Elements is a delightful start to a series, and I can’t wait to read more. It’s a solid bet for fans of epic fantasy and those who want a new take on classic themes.