Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a great debut and the first in a new fantasy series. The world has really interesting magic and those blessed with magic typically wield one of the four elements – air, earth, wind, or fire. Annabelle is one of the rare omniwalkers that can wield all four elements. They are feared because they are often volatile, which is why Annabelle has been forced to live and train at an academy that trains young people to control their power. Annabelle has a chip on her shoulder, rightfully so, and does not care what others think of her. Although, deep down she actually does care, if even just a little. She has only a couple friends, cousins Delia and Nico, and Iris and I love the found family vibes. Delia and Nico are fierce and loyal. Iris is as well, although she’s a bit odd.

Things change when Theo, prince and heir to the throne, arrives to train Annabelle. Her training regiment changes and is less brutal than her previous teachers, and is also more effective. She and Theo have a challenging relationship. She doesn’t trust him and questions his motives for training her. Her feelings for him are all over the place. She’s attracted to him but is suspicious of him. He seems amused by her and gives little away, but the more time they spend together, it’s clear he’s attracted to her as well. Their dynamic was a lot of trust/no trust, attraction/no attraction, pity/no pity. Honestly, the romance, slight as it is, was a bit too slow burn for me.

There is plenty of political intrigue in the book, with the typical cruel, dead-eyed King. There is no love lost between the King and Theo, which is painful to read at times. The Kingdom is in turmoil as a rebellion grows throughout the land. Annabelle initially doesn’t think it has much to do with her, she’s just trying to deal with her own problems and figuring out her place in the world and her purpose. The fact that she’s surrounded by people that despise and fear her, not knowing who to trust or what the future holds, is suffocating and the author does a great job portraying it. Soon, however, she finds out she may play a big part in the rebellion, and she’s not sure if her friends will be on the same side. The book ends on a huge, and heartbreaking, cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. This is a fast-paced book with plenty of action that will keep your attention. It’s definitely one you need to check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Torch Lit Ink. All opinions are my own.