Earth God (World Aflame #4) by Jon Messenger Review

Hello readers and a very happy Friday evening to you all! I have a very special review to share with you all tonight. One that really is a bittersweet experience for me to share, as it was the series finale to one of the best series I've picked up in a very long time. What am I raving about tonight? Earth God, the thrilling conclusion to Jon Messenger's World Aflame series! Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and out author:

THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,
THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,
THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,
THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.

The Fire Elemental has risen and its followers, the Fire Caste, have destroyed the planet. Humanity hangs on the cusp of extinction; their only hope now lies with the troubled Wind Warrior, Xander Sirocco.

Xander has absorbed the power of the Wind and Water Elementals but at great personal cost. Finding Sammy has been his anchor through the chaos around him, but now he finds himself wondering if saving her is enough.

Sammy remains a prisoner of the Fire Elemental, her mind trapped, as the dragon possesses her body. Her love for Xander keeps her going, but will her passion be enough to stop the Elemental from killing Xander once and for all?

Humanity's last hope rests in Xander finding the Earth Elemental. Claiming the power of the Earth is the last step before he can confront the dragon holding Sammy hostage. Unfortunately, he's not the only one who knows the location of the Earth Elemental.
It's a race against time between Xander and the dragon to claim the last of the Elemental power and bring an end to a war that's spanned millennia.

Earth God is the exciting conclusion to the bestselling and award-winning World Aflame series.

Jon Messenger 

Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Major in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through multiple combat and humanitarian deployments. Jon wrote the "Brink of Distinction" trilogy, of which "Burden of Sisyphus" is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.

Find Jon Messenger

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads *

*****

My Thoughts:

Anyone who has read my reviews of the other three novels in this series will tell you that it seems as though I've really had a love-hate relationship with these novels. I just went back and read those reviews from all those months ago in preparation of crafting this one. I found myself really having trouble with many of the elements in the other three novels and really hoped Messenger would rectify every concern I had before he rounded out this series. I may have found some huge faults with this series, but it's still among my favorite in the genre. I can say without a moment of hesitation that Earth God was exactly what I have been waiting for, and so much more!

The entire World Aflame series has been building up to this heart-stopping climax. With the powers of the Wind and Water Elementals merged inside him, Xander almost has what it takes to stop the Fire Elemental and his Fire Cast from burning the world of man down to the ground, wiping away all traces of humanity in an effort for the next stage in evolution to take hold. Only by locating and obtaining the powers of the final (and arguably most powerful) Elemental, Earth, can Xander finally have what he needs to take down Fire and, hopefully, save Sammy in the process. Confused? It's an important book. Basically the entire thing is a near-300 page action sequence. Battle after battle, trial after trial. Things always look darkest before the dawn and it's time for the sun to rise for Xander Sirocco as it sets on an incredible series. 

The plot to Earth God was amazing. It wrapped up nearly every loose end the story had and left me so satisfied. It's like Messenger took the best parts of each of his works and compiled them into this and then multiplied it by a hundred. Earth God is Messenger's best work to date!

While the plot to Earth God was incredible, it was really the characters who really helped to make this story shine. In the beginning, as evident by my Wind Warrior review, I hated Xander Sirocco. I found him to be lazy, boring, immature, and pretty much everything that causes me to roll my eyes at a story. Over the course of these three stories, Xander has grown exponentially. He's not just more mature, Xander is a hero. He has truly come into his own with this series. Sean and Jessica took some huge strides in this final story and really shaped their own destiny. They played a huge role in Xander's final battles and their involvement was so much greater than I expected it to be! I was not a fan of Jessica in the beginning and by the time the story ended, she was one of my favorites! The Fire Elemental, General Abraxas, and Lord Balor played huge roles in this novel. I think one of my favorite things about Messenger's writing is that we get to see everyone's side of the story. It isn't all about the good guys, it's about every character, their struggles, their triumphs, and their demises. Everyone gets a share of the spotlight and Messenger writes them to perfection. But what of my favorite character, Sammy? Unfortunately we really don't get to see much of 'Sammy' in the finale. Having been possessed by the Fire Elemental, she's been reduced to a mere 'inside voice'. While Sammy does still play a huge role in the story (one of the biggest), I was a little bummed to see she wasn't able to get more of a time to shine. I would have liked to see her weird her incredible powers one last time! She's still my favorite and I'm so glad Messenger say her story to such amazing completion.

This is the first novel in the series that the 'New Adult' aspect was really evident in my eyes. The language was harsher, the situations more dire. There were a few adult scenes and a whole lot more adult level thinking. I applaud Messenger for pushing the limits to make this novel really reflect its' New Adult classification. This was probably one of my biggest complains about the previous installments in the series, but Messenger really stepped it up in this final novel. 

Like the other novels in this series, the setting for Earth God turns out to be a globe-encompassing adventure. Europe, Honduras, the Pacific Islands, and Los Angeles all play huge roles in the story and Messenger writes each setting to perfection. The post-apocalyptic world, scorched beyond recognition: dark, scary, and unforgiving. Messenger creates a landscape full of fear and still finds a way to supply us with a beacon of hope, a silver lining in a tunnel of darkness. 

Of all the themes that Messenger emulates in this series, I believe the most important one is to embrace your destiny and control your fate. It is only through our characters learning to accept their ultimate responsibilities and places within the world that they are able to fully succeed. Friendship, love, forgiveness, and revenge are all also thoroughly explained. Messenger really dives into the mental and emotional tolls of war, death, and violence on the human psyche in this series, his military background shining through in a beautiful light. It's written with such raw honesty that it is sure to open the eyes of reflection for all readers. 

As a whole, this series was a roller coaster for me. In the beginning I really didn't care too much for it. My problems with Wind Warrior almost caused me to not go any farther. A full series later, Messenger really came into his own and delivered a finale that really displays his talent. This is, by far, my favorite work of Messenger's to-date. Each installment of the series got better with time and I am so glad I was able to finish the final novel feeling whole and satisfied. 

After having finished the story, I still have lots of questions. What happened after the climax? What becomes of humanity. Are the residents of White Halls still alive? What does the future hold for the Elements? I was really anxious to hear what would become of the elemental castes after the conclusion of Xander's story, but alas, we really don't see much about it. Thankfully Messenger did write a short Epilogue that left me rearing for more! It seems as though one day a spin-off series may not be out of the question! If that day does come, I'll be one-clicking, that's for sure!

It is an extremely bittersweet experience to read the final book in a series you loved. This year has been hard on me and I've not seen the finales of FIVE of my favorite series. 2015 has not been good on my 'feels' level. I keep catching them everywhere I turn. I am so grateful for authors like Jon Messenger. Authors who can write honestly without fluff. It's such an honor to read from a male author like Messenger who gives me hope for male authors writing in the genre. With so few on the market, I am blessed that I've found an author like Messenger to add to my shelves.

It is with great honor that I am granting Earth God by Jon Messenger a well-earned near-perfect, 5-star review! Seriously folks, this novel blew me out of the water. From cover to cover, I was completely captivated and couldn't put it down. I know this isn't the end of the amazingness we will be seeing from Jon Messenger. I can't wait to see what journey he takes us on next! Be sure to add this one to your TBRs people, you will not be disappointed!

*****

Check out my reviews of

Wind Warrior (World Aflame #1),

Flame Caller (World Aflame #2), and

Water Shaper (World Aflame #3)

by clicking the covers below!

          

Alright readers, sadly, for now, that is all I have for you on the topic of Jon Messenger's World Aflame series. This series has meant so much to me over the past year. It is through my discovery of this series that I found my place among the great folks at Clean Teen/Crimson Tree Publishing who have sense opened my eyes to a whole new world of reading. I owe Messenger and this series so much. I have considered it a great honor to review them here on the blog. Thank you all so much for stopping by. Hopefully one day we'll see more of these characters, and I'll be right here raving about them as well! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Waiting on Wednesday {31}

Hey everyone and welcome to my weekly Waiting on Wednesday meme post! This is just a once a week deal where each Wednesday I post about one book I am looking forward to reading and then link it up to the host blog, Breaking the Spine, where I can be connected to over 200 other readers and bloggers who are looking for a new read! My friend Kim from kimberlyfayereads participates in this meme each week and it has always looked like a great time. Below you will find the book cover, synopsis, Goodreads link and my reasons for waiting on this read! Enjoy!

This week's WOW is... Earth God by Jon Messenger!

Title: Earth God (World Aflame #4)

Author: Jon Messenger

Genre: New Adult/Adventure/Fantasy
Release Date: May 25, 2015

THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,

THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,

THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,

THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.

The Fire Elemental has risen and its followers, the Fire Caste, have destroyed the planet. Humanity hangs on the cusp of extinction; their only hope now lies with the troubled Wind Warrior, Xander Sirocco.
Xander has absorbed the power of the Wind and Water Elementals but at great personal cost. Finding Sammy has been his anchor through the chaos around him, but now he finds himself wondering if saving her is enough.
Sammy remains a prisoner of the Fire Elemental, her mind trapped, as the dragon possesses her body. Her love for Xander keeps her going, but will her passion be enough to stop the Elemental from killing Xander once and for all?
Humanity's last hope rests in Xander finding the Earth Elemental. Claiming the power of the Earth is the last step before he can confront the dragon holding Sammy hostage. Unfortunately, he's not the only one who knows the location of the Earth Elemental.
It's a race against time between Xander and the dragon to claim the last of the Elemental power and bring an end to a war that's spanned millennia.

Earth God is the exciting conclusion to the bestselling and award-winning World Aflame series.

*********************************************************************************
Why am I waiting?

Some of you may remember last summer when I was introduced to a new author with a big story to tell. After downloading Wind Warrior, I was hooked. I devoured the first three novels in the series in no time and I've been patiently waiting for this final installment every since. Jon Messenger very quickly became one of my new favorite authors. As any of you who read my blog regularly know, as a male reader, I like seeking out male authors. I haven't found many that have written book I've cared for, but Messenger is near the top of my list. His character development is amazing, his action is spot on, and the feels? Oh yeah. He can bring those too. Any fans of paranormal, elemental, or coming of age stories will absolutely love this series. It's an extremely bittersweet feeling to see this series come to a close! It's been a wild wide and I cannot wait to see how Messenger wraps this one up! What are you waiting for people? Add this one to your TBR ASAP! I'll be reviewing this one in the coming weeks so be on the lookout!
*********************************************************************************

What are YOU waiting on this week?

Check out this week's host post at Breaking the Spine by clicking here!

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Reading! 

-Ethan

Hey friends! In case you missed my big announcement last week, I have some absolutely incredible news! I am honored to announce that One Guy's Guide to Good Reads was nominated for Best Blog of the Year at UtopYA! The UtopYA Awards honor the best of the best within the literary world and I am beyond blessed to be up for consideration. Nobody is quite sure how my name got thrown up in there, so.... I encourage everyone to go vote before they realize the error ;)

Also, while you are there, cast your votes for some of my all-time favorite authors! If you have questions, please don't hesitate to shoot me a message! Voting is open until Thursday 5/21! Don't forget to vote! Share with your friends and get the word out! There are some incredible nominees this year and I cannot wait to see who walks home with an award!

I cannot thank you all enough for your constant support over the past year! God Bless and Happy Reading (and Voting)!

**Follow the link below to cast your vote**

http://bit.ly/voteutopyaawards2015

Water Shaper (World Aflame #3) by Jon Messenger Review

Hello readers! Today I have another review for you guys. A "new" to me Paranormal series that is promising and sure to be up come of your alleys! This book is part of a series, however I will not be covering this as a series review. I posted my review last week of book one. You can find that review by clicking here. The the other day I did my review of book two. You can find that review by clicking here. I had a feeling that my thoughts on the series would drastically change after book one, and I was correct, so in this instance I wanted each book reviewed separately. Also, I just found out that the series isn't complete and there will be at least one more book (I hope to have more info on that topic soon). Today on the chopping block is Water Shaper, book three in the World Aflame series by Jon Messenger. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a little bit about the book and our author.


                                  THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,

                                  THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,

                                  THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,

                                  THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.

Xander Sirocco now has the power of the Wind Elemental at his disposal, but it may be too little too late. 


The Fire Caste has begun its conquest of the planet, and many of the largest cities already burn. Xander, Sean, and Jessica know what needs to be done—they must find the Water and Earth Elementals to have any chance of defeating the Fire Elemental. The first to be located is the Water Elemental. With her power, they could at least slow the advance of the Fire Warriors. If she would only believe in their mission as much as they do… 


While Xander struggles to convince the Water Elemental that their mission is just, Sammy fights an unexpected battle of her own. With her body now possessed by the Fire Elemental, she’s little more than an observer as it uses her to destroy Los Angeles. Sammy can still exert her will on occasion, but it’s exhausting. When the Elemental sends the deadly General Abraxas after Xander, she wonders if she’ll be able to influence her body’s actions enough to save the life of the man she loves.

 

Can I just add before we go on that the covers for this entire series are absolutely phenomenal. Seriously. Kudos to the cover author because they are fantastic. Wow! 

 
Jon Messenger

Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Major in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through multiple combat and humanitarian deployments. Jon wrote the "Brink of Distinction" trilogy, of which "Burden of Sisyphus" is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.

Find Jon Messenger

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads *

**********************************************************************************
My Thoughts:

Okay, to anyone who read my review of Wind Warrior, you will remember that it definitely wasn't my favorite book ever, but I did highly praise Messenger's ability to craft this new paranormal world. My biggest complain was that the branding of the book was a little off. I highly criticized the fact that it's marketed as an NA when it is definitely not an NA in any aspect other than the age of the character. Unfortunately that is my biggest complaint for books two and three as well. HOWEVER I am not going to get that again here, why? Because book three was pretty freaking awesome. Seriously.

Let me start with my few negatives before I jump into what I liked about this book. I don't have anything to say that wouldn't be redundant from earlier complains so let's just act like I pasted those here. The biggest negative I had about this adventure in the World Aflame series is that I will have to say it was a little slow in parts. Compared to the past two novels where it was "action, action, action" this one was more "feelings, feelings, and a little action". Sure there is a whole lot of tension and buildup and then some stuff eventually happens, but this book was way more mental than physical. Which can be a good thing, it just didn't really appeal to me.

I really liked the story of Wilkes and his plight to save his family from London, but I really think it took away from Xander's overall story. In the end you see where it actually played a huge part, but for over 150 pages I just kept thinking "cooommmmeeee ooooonnnn" because it got to be a little boring for me. I know Xander can't use his powers for everything, but considering he is the Wind Elemental now AND (minor spoiler) an enhanced Water Warrior, you'd think he'd do a little more fighting/flying/etc and a little less hiding in department stores and trying not to raise attention. Like I said, I understand why it had to be that way, but overall I really think the story could have used a little more action.

You know what else this story could have used? More Sammy! Ahh! This isn't Messenger's fault, because Sammy is... indisposed at the moment, but I really cannot wait to read more about her story in future books. She is by far my favorite character in this series. Also, I don't exactly know what is going on with Sean and Jessica, but I think I like it. Go Sean! They did get on my nerves a little bit in this story as well. I understand wanting to keep your friends safe and whatnot, but honestly now for 3 books I have just gotten the feeling that Sean and Jessica cause more problems than they fix. If I were Xander, they would have been left on Wind Elemental island back in book two with Xander's aunts and uncles.

Onto the positives. Pretty much everything else! The story of Xander's journey to meet the Water Elemental was probably my favorite part of the story. The Water Elemental is definitely an interesting character. She really wasn't what I was expecting which was nice. Like I said in one of the other reviews, I really like Messenger's world that he has created with the Elementals and their stories. It reminds me of KA Tucker's Causal Enchantment series and her characters The Fates, which were my favorite characters! I think this could definitely lead to something really awesome in the end. I can almost envision a prequel story of the four Elementals and their creation of Earth. I'd love to read about the transition between Earth to Water and then Water to Wind  way back when! How interesting that would be!

Earlier I said that all the emotions in the novel were one of the negatives, but in a way it is also a big positive. I wrote in one of my other reviews that Xander didn't seem to be taking his mission very seriously, but in this book for the first time I can really see Xander "growing up". I'm really starting to read him as a Warrior and not a useless college kid like I did before. I wish I liked him before now!

On the topic of the Fire Elemental/Sammy's story, I loved reading it. Seriously. The Fire Elemental and General Abraxas are seriously some ruthless villains and I love reading a good villain. I am very excited to read about the final face-off between Xander and the Fire Elemental!

Unfortunately I can't think of too much else to say because anything I say about book 3 is going to be one huge series spoiler and I've done my best to stop any of that business! So. You'll just have to read it for yourself!

Authors often speak of what they call the "sophomore slump" that occurs when writing their second book in a series. Basically saying that it's their hardest and least favorite book to write, but I may be a little strange about this. More times than not in a series, the second book is my favorite. I don't know why that is, but I just looked over some stuff and it's a pretty common trait for me to like the second book the most! This series so far hasn't proven to be an exception to that rule Book 2 is still, by far my favorite of the series! While Water Shaper delivered and still has me begging for me, I still think there is much work to be done in Xander's story. I can only hope that the next books comes soon so we can continue our journey. I know I'm not the author and have no say, but I kind of hope that book four is the end of the series. I think it's gone on for long enough and, unless something huge changes in book 4, I think we could probably wrap this series up in another 300 pages. On the topic of the next book(s) in the series, I was able to contact Messenger via Twitter and here is what he had to say:

@egrgry the World Aflame series will be either 4 or 5 books. I'll start writing EARTH GOD in September.
— Jon Messenger (@JonMessenger) August 1, 2014

That really excites me! I hope he writes fast! Okay, rounding this out. All-in-all I am giving Water Shaper a 4-Star review! I am anxiously awaiting Earth God so be sure to come back and check out my review for that whenever it becomes available!
***********************************************************************************

Where can you get yours?

Click the links below to get your copy of Water Shaper today!

Want to check out my reviews of the other books in this series? Click the graphic below to be taken to the Jon Messenger page of this blog!

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Jon Messenger's Water Shaper, book three of his World Aflame series! I have to admit that I am rather bummed out that I don't have book four to read! I can only hope we will have it soon! Mr. Messenger has said (see above tweet) that he's got ideas for the next couple of books, I only hope they come soon! Kudos to you Jon Messenger for giving us such an awesome series thus far! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Flame Caller (World Aflame #2) by Jon Messenger Review

Hello readers! Today I have another review for you guys. A "new" to me Paranormal series that is promising and sure to be up come of your alleys! This book is part of a series, however I will not be covering this as a series review. I posted my review yesterday of book one. You can find that review by clicking here. I had a feeling that my thoughts on the series would drastically change after book one, and I was correct, so in this instance I wanted each book reviewed separately. Also, I just found out that the series isn't complete and there will be at least one more book (I hope to have more info on that topic soon). Today on the chopping block is Flame Caller, book two in the World Aflame series by Jon Messenger. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a little bit about the book and our author.


                                  THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,

                                  THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,

                                  THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,

                                  THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.

White Halls is no longer a sleepy little town. Its houses lie smoldering on their foundations. The residents take refuge in their homes, afraid to leave. And the town’s prodigal son and newest Wind Warrior, Xander Sirocco, has fled.

Xander survived the first assault on his life by the Flame Caste, but it’s at a great personal cost. He and Sammy are left to bury his family and tend to his grandfather, who lies in a coma.

With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he can’t help but feel the fight against the Fire Caste is hopeless. It seems that way, that is, until he learns of a secret race of Elementals, embodiments of the elemental powers that the different castes wield. With the power of the Elementals comes a chance to save not just the Wind Warriors and Sammy, but the world itself.

Emboldened, he sets off to find the Wind Elemental and with it, the hope for his survival. Too bad no one has seen the Wind Elemental in generations and now thinks she’s just a myth. As he quickly learns, however, the Fire Elemental isn’t a myth. It’s real and it has a secret plan for his girlfriend.

And it won’t stop until Xander is dead.

Can I just add before we go on that the covers for this entire series are absolutely phenomenal. Seriously. Kudos to the cover author because they are fantastic. Wow! 

 
Jon Messenger

Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Major in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through multiple combat and humanitarian deployments. Jon wrote the "Brink of Distinction" trilogy, of which "Burden of Sisyphus" is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.

Find Jon Messenger

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads *

Before we get to my thoughts on Flame Caller, check out this awesome book trailer that was created for the release last summer! Book trailers are seriously one of my favorite things to watch and yet so many authors don't make them. This one is amazing. Way cool!

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My Thoughts:

Okay, to anyone who read my review of Wind Warrior, you will remember that it definitely wasn't my favorite book ever, but I did highly praise Messenger's ability to craft this new paranormal world. My biggest complain was that the branding of the book was a little off. I highly criticized the fact that it's marketed as an NA when it is definitely not an NA in any aspect other than the age of the character. Unfortunately that is my biggest complaint for book two as well. HOWEVER I am not going to get that again here, why? Because book two was AMAZING. Seriously. I don't know what changed between books one and two but book two blew my socks off.

I'll start with the few negative things I have to say about this novel. And they can both be related to the first book. The language in this book does not read like an NA. Not in any way, shape or form. I was particularly confused at one part of the novel in which something terrible (no spoilers here) happens to Xander and all he can say is "I'm just pissed". He's "pissed"? Wooowwww. Alert the masses. Xander is "pissed". Again, in an NA there should be a whole hell of a lot more anger involved than just one word. I'm still not considering this an NA, I just can't.

Secondly, some of the characters really threw me off. We really were only introduced to two new characters in this book, but they were incredible. My problems are still with Sean and Jessica. I just don't see their point. At one point in the novel Xander says that Sean is the only person who can help them. Why? Because he can use the internet and read a weather map. I'm sorry, but a much better reason would have been "hey, I have to go save my best friend, I can't let him die". Instead he had to go with them because he was the only one who knew the way to Iceland without a map. Seriously? Wind Warriors can fly and detect air pressure changes. I'm pretty sure if they headed in the right direction that they would find a huge ass hurricane tearing up the planet, just saying. Jessica was still a brat, but not as bad as book one. If anything I think she shouldn't be there, but then again, this isn't my story. Aside from those two things, that's the only negative things I have to say about Flame Caller. That's it! Let's move on to the positives!

How about EVERYTHING ELSE?! Book two was everything I wanted from book one. It was emotional, it was suspenseful, and FULL of action. Man. I even read some parts a second time, just because so much happens! It was incredible. Huge props to Mr. Messenger for taking book 2 to the next level. The relationship between Xander and Sammy (my favorite character) was awesome and we see lots of great character development.

The villains in this book, well... the two villains in this book are truly terrifying. General Abraxas is one kick ass dude. He is ruthless and doesn't care who stands in his way, but once he "becomes one" with his destiny and teams up with our even bigger villain, the Fire Elemental, we have one unstoppable force. I want to talk about the Fire Elemental for a second, so precede with caution... **MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD** The Fire Elemental is a dragon living below the Earth and controlling the Flame Warriors. How kick ass is that? He definitely has a Smaug feel about him because he talks and is seriously evil. He has been trapped in his "much to small underground prison" by the Earth Elemental millennia ago to avoid his wrath at their plan to sustain humanity, who they have grown to like. The Flame Elemental plays a HUGE role in the very last chapter of the book and has be seriously wanting to hurry up and finish this so I can go read book 3. All I can say is that if Sammy dies, I'M going to be "pissed".

The Elementals, Fire and Wind are the two new characters in this book. They add so much to our story and really make this story great. Book three is about the Water Elemental so I can only imagine there will be a fourth book about the Earth Elemental. I have tweeted Messenger and am awaiting a reply on the status of the rest of the series. I will embed any reply I get here! Seriously though, those new characters make the storyline so much deeper and exciting to read. Xander has quite the adventure in store for him and I cannot wait to check it out.

All-in-all I am giving Flame Caller a 4.5 star rating! Much higher than my review of Wind Warrior, series, it was THAT much better in my opinion! For any readers who may have been on the fence about the series, go ahead and take the chance with book 1 because this second installment in the series makes up for it in spades! I am so glad I continued reading and cannot wait to present to you guys my thoughts on book three Water Shaper ASAP!
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Where can you get yours?
 

Click the links below to get your copy of Flame Caller today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Jon Messenger's Flame Caller, book two of his World Aflame series! I had a feeling that this book was going to blow book one out of the water and I was definitely correct! I am starting book 3 as soon as I hit publish on this post and will be back real soon to give you my take on it! Until then, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Wind Warrior (World Aflame #1) by Jon Messenger Review

Hello readers! Today I have another review for you guys. A "new" to me Paranormal series that is promising and sure to be up come of your alleys! This book is part of a series, however I will not be covering this as a series review. I will cover one reason in detail later, but the other reason is because there are 3 books out in this series as of now, but I'm not sure if that is all of them. I can think of at least one more that may come out? So I'm doing at least book one solo. I may do books 2 and 3 together for you guys later this week but for now, here is book one. Today on the chopping block is Wind Warrior, book one in the World Aflame series by Jon Messenger. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a little bit about the book and our author.

                                  THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,

                                  THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,

                                  THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,

                                  THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.


The sleepy town of White Halls harbors a dangerous secret. On a picturesque street, two houses down from a lovely little park, in a quaint little home with a wraparound porch, lives a family that seems rather normal. Sure, their twenty-year-old son, Xander, still lives at home, but he’s going to college and dating the leader of the schools top sorority. It’s all very… normal.

However, when a man is miraculously saved from being hit by a bus, Xander’s life turns in to the living embodiment of the tornadoes he can suddenly create with a flick of his wrist. Whether he wants this gift or not, Xander must learn to use his new ‘super power’ quickly if he wants to survive. For his kind is a dying race, and when this sleepy town has a sudden influx of new, blonde, fire wielders, no one is safe, especially Xander. It doesn’t help that one of these blondes happens to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Xander can’t deny the instant connection he feels to her so, when she tries to kill him, it certainly makes things complicated.

Can I just add before we go on that the covers for this entire series are absolutely phenomenal. Seriously. Kudos to the cover author because they are fantastic. Wow!

Jon Messenger

Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Major in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through multiple combat and humanitarian deployments. Jon wrote the "Brink of Distinction" trilogy, of which "Burden of Sisyphus" is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.

Find Jon Messenger

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Before we get to my thoughts on Wind Warrior, check out this awesome book trailer that was created for the release last summer! Book trailers are seriously one of my favorite things to watch and yet so many authors don't make them. This one is amazing. Way cool!





                               


Before I get into my actual review I just want to say a few things pertaining to starting a paranormal series. Paranormal is my absolute favorite genre. Here in the past few years this new sub-genre has emerged in the field of paranormal: elemental fiction. Elemental fiction is amazing and I can't get enough of it. In fact, I have even toyed around with a few ideas of my own for books that could fit into this genre. On that note, it is getting really hard to distinguish between books, because, unfortunately, many of them are reading alike. There are so many original ideas and each new series has a twist on the sub genre, but as a whole I only can wonder how long it can exist before there are simply no more ideas to write on. Just my thoughts.

Secondly, and more importantly, the first book of any series is usually the most difficult to write and read. Not only do you have to create the entire plot, characters, etc. When you are a paranormal author, you have to create and entire world. It's a rather large shoe to fill and unfortunately I think it is why so many paranormal authors slip through the cracks. Above any other genre, I have so much respect for paranormal authors. Any author who can successfully create and run their own world seriously has more imagination that many of us mere readers could possibly imagine.

My series reviews are extremely popular and among my favorite to write, but I wanted to take a step back and do something a little different with this series and rather than rate it as a whole, I am going to rate each book individually. That way I can adequately review each book on an individual basis. 

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My Thoughts:

Wind Warrior was a book I picked up on a whim. It was suggested to me by a fellow blogger and, being on an elemental kick, I decided to take the bait. I picked up my copy (free) from B&N and was elated to discover that our author, Jon Messenger, is a male. Seriously this excites me more than it should. I love reading, but since starting this blog I have not had the opportunity to review the work of a male author that I enjoyed (I've only done one other one and I'd rather not rant about how bad it was again). Anyway. After reading Messenger's bio I was excited to see what he would bring to the table. This was a whole new adventure for me and also a new adventure into the world of Clean Teen Publishing (who I am still slightly confused about). An adventure that, in the end, proved worthwhile.

Let me start out with the my negative thoughts first. Primarily, I had no idea where to place this novel. Is it YA? Is it NA? Well... That's a great question. It's cast features main characters who claim to be 20 years of age and in college. So... NA. In my thoughts? No.

Xander is a 20 year old man who lives with his parents while going to the local college. He is nearing completion and has no idea what he wants to do with his life. Common 20 year old problem, right? I can definitely relate. I am 22 and just graduated and am in the same boat. Welcome to the party Xander. Well, unfortunately that's where Xander's comparison to any other 20 year old end. Xander does not have a job. In fact, Xander is a 20 year old and seems rather spoiled and lazy to me. He is super laid back and never even so much as utters a curse word in this 150 page novel. Seriously. This whole read was entirely too friendly for my liking. Xander lives at home, is a 20 year old man, and is completely coddled by his family. His mom knocks on his bedroom door and sits on his bed to comfort him ans he lies face down under the covers when Xander is having a rough day. Xander's home life is only part of the problem.

School is even more confusing. In the beginning of the story Xander asks his best friend Sean "what are you doing today after school?" I'm sorry... what? He is in college. Who says that? They consistently talk about "school". Not college, not class, "school". Maybe it is just me, but what 20 year old college kid talks about his lecture halls as though it's an 8-3 schedule? Even worse, Xander talks about how he has to "go home after school and finish his homework before dinner". Seriously guys. I had a really hard time with the beginning of this novel. Xander is a child. In my personal thoughts, this book DEFINITELY should be about a 16 year old boy. This "college" thing definitely did not do it for me. As a 22 year old, recently graduated college male, I was extremely offended by Xander. I had to work my ass off through school and definitely didn't make a joke about it. I just think college should be written about more seriously than this story took it. If Xander is going to be a 20 year old, then why is he acting like a child. Get a job dude.

On that same note, Xander's "girlfriend", Jessica. Okay. I know it sounds like I'm ripping this novel apart, but hear me out readers. Jessica is president of the most popular sorority on campus. Jessica is dating Xander. A 20 year old immature boy who has no sense of a college aged male and lives with his parents. Please someone show me where the president of a sorority would ever date this boy. EVER. They wouldn't. End of story. Jessica could be cool, except, this is a college age girl who spends the first 50 pages of the book begging Xander to accompany her to the Formal. Are you kidding me? What kind of college is this. I don't care WHO you are, if you are the president of the sorority and this is your boyfriend, you are not begging him to come to your Formal. Seriously. This is like a high school drama all over again. Can I remind you guys again that we are talking about a college? Not a freshman in college either. This is a sorority president. Definitely a senior. Who acts like the pompous head of the cheerleading squad who is gunning for homecoming queen. Sorry guys, this whole setting just REALLY rubbed me the wrong way.

The last negative aspect I need to cover is Xander's reaction to the sudden acquisition of his powers. Instead of being quiet, scared, or reserved about them like a normal person, what does Xander do? BROADCASTS THEM TO HIS FRIEND. Seriously. he drags his friend to an abandoned field "after school" and then shows him all these awesome things he can do with these powers that, wait for it, he just got YESTERDAY! *sigh* Where is that meme again:
                                                 
There we go. Seriously. I really hated the way that Xander's powers were introduced. I feel like there were definitely better ways to go about this. The Spiderman approach would have worked amazingly here. Let the boy get familiar with his powers over the course of some time. Not one night. Give me a break. He is 20 and he has homework and stuff. How ever did he find the time to perfect his new-found powers?

You are probably thinking, "damn Ethan, did you like this book at all?" To that I will go ahead and say that I actually really liked this novel in the end. Once I got passed the beginning, I realized this was something I could definitely get on board with. In fact, I already have books 2 and 3 on my Nook and ready to go. I had to force myself to stop reading so I could write down my thoughts before books 2 and 3 changed my mind, because I can already tell they are about to blow book one OUT OF THE WATER.

The elemental "element" of this story was SPOT ON. I love the thought of only one elemental caste being allowed to live on Earth at one time, that makes for an amazing story. I won't give any spoilers away to interested readers, but the battle that book one sets up is going to be amazing. I can really get on board with that. The supporting characters that Xander meets once he begins to train with his powers are awesome and really give the story some much needed depth. Xander has an awesome "family" of Wind Warriors who are going to prove to be pretty awesome in the end, even for a bunch of "old people".

The redeeming quality of book one for me was the introduction of Sammy's character. Sammy is Xander's new Fire-elemental love interest. Sammy is seriously an awesome selling point for this book. Her story is much more complex than that of Xander's, in my opinion. Her backstory is gripping and she brings some mystery and emotions to the story that were desperately needed. Her (*MINOR SPOLIER*) "betrayal" was one of the most interesting parts of the book. The feelings and emotions she shares for Xander and her father in the various scenes prove to be the most exciting in the whole novel. Sammy is definitely a character I cannot wait to read more about.

The book is told in 3rd person which is really interesting. I haven't seen that in a very long time. Most of the books I read are in 1st person POV and often dual POV these days. With the way Messenger gave a voice to this series we are able to read the story of multiple characters in a simultaneous timeline without ruining another characters story. The shifts in story were done at perfect times and I seriously applaud Messenger for that. It is very hard to write in that style.

The action in Wind Warrior is also pretty awesome. I really like the idea of reading elementals using their powers to fight, but with purpose. The Wind Warrior caste is definitely a group that is worth rooting for, especially once you hear their story. The fire elementals were written to be the perfect villains and General Abraxas was seriously an evil dude. I enjoyed that as well. From his sharpened teeth to all the sneering he did, he seems like the perfect villain... for a YA novel. *sigh*

Big picture wrap up here folks. Wind Warrior is a great read. IF you are looking for something completely safe and easy enough for most anyone to understand. The story is great, if you can see yourself through the beginning of the book. I would seriously give this book probably a 5 star review if only the setting and tone were different. I am very excited to read the next two books in the series and only hope that my fears are abated as soon as I jump back into the World Aflame. Overall I am going to give Wind Warrior a 3 star rating. It was definitely satisfying enough for me to want to continue the series, but the overarching problems I had really made it hard for me to fall in love with this read. Here's to hoping books 2 and 3 blow my socks off!
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Where can you get yours?
 

What's the best news about this novella? It's free! Yes, you did read that correctly! Follow the links below to get your copy now!

FREE on Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Alright readers, there you have it: my review of Jon Messenger's Wind Warrior! While this may not have been my absolute favorite novel of all time, I serious am giving Jon Messenger a huge round of applause because I can totally understand his vision for this series. I can only hope that I enjoy books 2 and 3 as much as I think I will! I know LOTS of people love this series so I just want to point out that mine is only one of hundred of reviews of this novel. Please read the series for yourself and don't solely make decision based off one reviewer! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan