Book Series Review: Vortex Chronicles by Elise Kova

Recommended Age: 14+

Content Warnings: Death, abuse, and mild sex.

Rating: 4.3/5 stars

If you have not read the prequel series: Air Awakens, then I would highly suggest reading that before looking over this review, as certain elements discussed will spoil outcomes from Air Awakens. This review is also NOT SPOILER FREE for this series. You have been warned!

Oh my gosh, it's been 3 years since the last Elise Kova series review?!

Well, time to fix that, as it's been far too long since I got to geek out like this. Plus, it feels like a wonderful way to honor my first ever Top Story on Vocal with a proper follow-up!

So, let's dive in!

Going into this new series in the Air Awakens world, I had some expectations and some theories I crafted from the previous books. Firstly, there would be another fluffy romance, and then secondly there would be some crazy plot/world-building twist. Were they correct and well-founded? Oh, yes, dear reader they were.

As soon as I read the name of the main character in the Vortex Chronicles jacket summary ( Vi Solaris, daughter of Vhalla and Aldrik Solaris ), I knew some crazy time-traveling shenanigans was going to happen. I mean, come on, it was so obvious! A character who mysteriously appears and helps out Vhalla in the previous books, whose name was Vi, who WORE SOLARIS CLOTHING is now the main character in this series. Time travel had to be a big part of the plot...right?

Well, again, I have underestimated Elise Kova. The plot I was expecting was QUITE LITERALLY ripped from existence.

Mind you the "ripping from existence" part doesn't happen till several books in, but when it happens...how would any reader predict that? HOW?

But before we dive into that bombshell, I must address the first half of the series.

A Painfully Slow Start

Vortex Visions, the first book in the series, took its sweet time setting up all the pieces needed for the payoffs later on, but it was packaged in a lot of empty sequences. There were times when certain scenes could have been cut for the sake of the reader's attention spans, and on a few occasions I got too bored to keep reading, but that curiosity of what could happen kept me coming back. I was already invested in the world Elise Kova crafted, so it only seemed fair to see this saga to its end.

Things picked up once Vi received the pocket watch from the first series ( hello old friend! ) and meets the strange and near-mythical Taavin, an elfin who lives on a larger, more magically dense continent than Vi's. Here she learns that she is Yargen's ( god of light ) chosen champion, and Taavin is Yargen's voice, there to help guide Vi onto the right path. Together they are destined to work together to stop the re-emergence of Raspian, an all-powerful dark god whose goal is to destroy all life and start a new age of darkness.

Basically, a chosen one prevents the end of the world plot; that's the stripped-down version.

Kova does an incredible job slowly introducing this existential threat through presence, consequences, and the march of time. From rumors of disease to full-blown sky-altering weather, Raspian serves as an impressive and inevitable threat that the characters can't run away from no matter how far they travel from their homes.

The Plot Twist that Changed the Series Forever

It's in the third book that the pace picks up to non-stop action. This is when the series became "un-put-downable" to the point of near obsession. Raspian's presence becomes a permanent backdrop, and the protagonist pair seem to be running out of time. It becomes a question of "Will they or won't they?" only halfway through the series. How would this go well for them and for the world?

At the climax of the novel, Taavin suddenly regains memories of his other selves in the alternate worlds where they had failed in their mission to stop Raspian. You think this would be a good thing, but something unthinkable happens. In a moment of confusion and desperation, Taavin has Vi perform a spell that, quite literally, erases their world and everyone in it from existence.

I repeat: THE MAIN CHARACTERS ERASE THE ENTIRE WORLD AND EVERYONE IN IT.

My jaw quite literally hit the floor and I had to drop the book and walk away to come to terms with the giant bombshell Kova had airdropped into my lap. The implications for the final books kept me so engrossed that I'm pretty sure I developed insomnia from being unable to put it down for bed.

And none of it felt cheap. Every little piece of lore and history and fantasy culture within these pages led seamlessly into the revelations and shocking twists. Kova even managed to get me interested in re-reading the entirety of the previous series to discover all the cameos and clues that were referenced in Vortex Chronicles.

Have I done that yet? HELL NO. Do you know how many more books I have waiting on my to-be-read list? NEVER TOO MANY!

Wrapping it All Up

The climatic ending was solid and pretty epic. A classic showdown between good and evil, protagonist and antagonist. With Raspian being built up as well as he was, and all that the protagonist had to go through just to GET to this point made the final book a very satisfying close to this sequel series.

As for the themes and ideas throughout the series, it did feel like most if not all of it was brought to a head in the final book. Unlike the previous series that focused heavily on the consequences of war and conquest, this series focused more on inheritance, generational sin, and family expectations, especially when it comes to the expectations thrust onto the children of famous or powerful parents.

The romance also took a surprising turn, as after the bombshell that was the erasure of an entire timeline, the old Taavin was gone, so Vi had to find him and hopefully kindle the love between them all over again.

And don't worry, it's very CLEARLY implied that this happens, and it's confirmed in the newest series A Trial of Sorcerers ( which I am in the process of finishing! ).

In conclusion, I highly recommend this series to any fantasy fans, particularly ones who love epic adventures, time-traveling shenanigans, massive world building, and some feel-good romance in between!

If you wish to see that review for the next series by Elise Kova, let me know by dropping a like, leaving a tip, or sharing this review with others!

If you want to know what other YA books I recommend for both epic fantasy, dark fantasy, and fantasy romance lovers, check these out below!