It's that time of the month where we announce the latest pick for Queen's Selection! I went through a lot of books trying to find one that deserved some love and limelight. There are a lot of great ones out there, but this time I wanted to head back to high fantasy. So I'm happy to share makexbelieve's book Fire which is book 1 in the Elements of Power series. 

Synopsis

Two girls, two secrets, and a boy who will make them question everything they've ever believed.

Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But when Brae arrives in the Helian Realm and sets off a whirlwind of emotions, she starts to question if her life is really as perfect as she'd always believed - and if she can play her part in a plan that will send Brae back to the Arcan Realm as a pile of ash. 

Alone in the Arcan Realm, Jasmine has none of Roxy's confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she's not going to give either up willingly.

Queen's Rating: 8/10

Queen's advice to new readers: No warnings! Clean and enjoyable. 

Things I loved about the actual storytelling: 

Elemental powers?! Yesssssss. But in this story there's a twist along with a smattering of extra powers to go along with the main course. 

Split POV: The story follows two main characters, Jazz and Roxy, both with their own storyline. This is one of my favorite ways to tell stories as the reader is constantly wondering when the plot lines will converge and the characters will interact. It also offers a wider cast because you basically have two stories with separate characters doing their own thing. Two for the price of one! 

The contrast between the MC's is great. As you read this, if you're like me, you may find yourself rooting for one MC over the other. I don't know that the author intended this, but I definitely found myself loving one MC more than the other while still finding the other storyline entertaining. It's kinda like Team Edward vs. Team Jacob I suppose. But with less hostility. And less shirtless boys. 

The man with the plan needs his butt saved. Love when that happens. You can see it coming a mile away. 

Love triangle anyone?

Worldbuilding. By now, this has been a mainstay in my reviews but it's what makes or breaks a story. There is a rich history and lore in this story that is wonderful to read. I found myself loving the little excerpts from history books and loved piecing the story together as we went along. For readers this makes the read that much more interesting! If you also like the "world divided" type of storyline this is for you as both MC's come from different cultural backgrounds. 

This book reminds me of some of the best YA stories out there: Divergent, Avatar the Last Airbender (in a good way and not just because of the elemental powers), Trickster's Choice. Definitely entertaining! 

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Thank you to makexbelieve for letting us feature their book this month. It was an entertaining read!

Do you think your book deserves to be my next pick? Do you have a friend that has an awesome completed book that needs to be featured? Tag in the comments with the book title and author and you might just be the queen's next selection!