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My review copy was a free eARC provided by Red Queen Press through Netgalley.

I told you you’d get something different after the last two, didn’t I? Here it is. Broken Elements is a short-but-fun Urban Fantasy. I found it entertaining but forgettable.

There’s nothing really that special about Broken Elements – it follows a lot of the same trails that have been marked out by other writers. Even the writing is familiar. I’m not sure if it’s just that this is Marshall’s first novel, but she doesn’t really have a defined style that I can latch on to – it just reads like most Urban Fantasy novels that are already out there. You know, first person, sarcastic and witty, lots of one-liners and self-deprecation. Perhaps it’s a little better-written than most – there are no passages that make me cringe, and some that actually made me laugh.

I liked the concept – that’s fairly new in Urban Fantasy, as far as I know – and I liked the characterisation. One thing I really appreciated is that this avoided the usual technique of making the obsessive, needy man the love interest or ‘secretly a good guy’. No, he was a villain, and a stalker, and his actions were marked as solely his fault, not the fault of the woman who he was fixated on. This is rare in the genre. Another thing I appreciated was the way the MC has friendships with other women who are different to but just as capable as her. This is rare in most fiction. The MC isn’t the *one single woman* who is acceptable as a female.

The actual plot is perhaps a little obvious, but there’s nothing really wrong with that. Sometimes you just want a quick, mostly predictable read after a long day. If you;’e looking for great literature that will last the ages, that isn’t this book. But if you’re wanting something to read on the train or in the bath, you could do a lot, lot worse. It’s a fun book.

Book 2 in the Elements series will be released in April 2013, and I’ll probably pick it up. ( )

A brilliantly written and intriguing paranormal mystery. With no over tone of a romantic subplot. Which worked very well. I loved the use of magic, the elemental powers were fascinating, and the murder mystery was gripping. I was completely surprised when I discovered who was responsible, never even saw it coming.

The story starts with a lone woman sat on her porch, Aidan Brook has been in hiding for ten years and dragged back into a world she had run from when her former best friend turns up asking for her help. I didn't particularly like Aidan much as a main character, she came of very distant and rather cold. As the story progresses into the murder mystery, we learn why she ran away and why she is the way she is. As she gets back into the swing of things with her former friends, the character develops well throughout as the plot grows. She's smart, she's got a brain in her head and thinks before she acts.

Even though I didn't particularly like her all that much, the novel was so well written I was able to over look that and thoroughly enjoy it.

The writing is clear and very visual, and there's well placed touches of humour as well as scary stuff and magical world building throughout. Though on the world building there's a huge info dump right at the start on how all the elementals came to be and where the power comes from which I could have done without right off the bat.

All in all, a very good read with some great twists in the plot that propel the story forwards at a fast and exciting pace. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to view this title.
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I have been suffering a bit from series hangover. I have finished the completed novels of 2 series I really, REALLY loved (Mercy Thompson and Kate Daniels), and have really struggled to find another. And then I found this little gem.

I often find myself lukewarm about the first book in a new to me series. After all, the author has to introduce us to new characters and set up new situations and create the world within which we are going to immerse ourselves. This is no easy task. Ms. Marshall, however, manages this ably. She jumps us almost immediately into the action and unfolds the world and characters slowly throughout the novel. Therefore, I never really felt like any particular section is an ‘info-dump’ but, rather, everything actually made sense in the progression of the narrative.

Our heroine, Aidan, suffered a personal crisis 10 years before the start of our story. Since that time, she has locked herself away from the world, preferring to live isolated away from other people – not even allowing contact with those who loved her. As the story begins, her (former) best friend appears on her doorstep to tell them the deaths have started again: one of their dearest friends has been found murdered. This, then, is they mystery set to solved in the remainder of the tale. We discover exactly *what* happened 10 years previously when Aidan tells the rest of the gang so that they can understand exactly what they are facing.

I love the relationship between Aidan and Sera. The repartee between these two is priceless and frequently brought to mind my sister and my best friend. Which means that, even if the conversations were not precious in their own right, the memories they inspired were. And, I think, that is one of the biggest gifts in this story.

There is a love interest. And, there are werekin. But, nary a vampire to be seen and no love triangle – at least yet. The heroines magic is in being able to control an element. While not a totally original concept, it is the first I have seen it in this setting, so that alone makes the book stand out. It is written in the first person, which I tend to enjoy for the simple reason that it puts me in the narrators head. I like playing head games. With characters in novels. Not with people in my life.

I hate giving glowing reviews of self-pubbed books as they tend to be unhelpful to the reader because so many appear to be friends/family of the author. So, please understand I do not know, in any way shape or form, the author. I absolutely loved this book. I’d probably rate it 4.5 stars, but as that is not an option, I rounded down. I may adjust this as the book picks up more reviews.
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Amazon Description:
"It's happening again, Aidan. We didn't stop it, after all." As an elemental, Aidan Brook holds the power of water at her fingertips. A descendant of the earth's oldest magic, she can cause tides to ebb and flow, put out house fires without calling 911, and give anyone who's annoying her an impromptu shower. But even her magic has its limits. After it fails her one terrible night, she hides from the world and everyone she once loved, trying to escape the memories that haunt her. Ten years later, her exile is brought to an abrupt end when her former best friend appears on her front porch. An elemental killer is once again murdering her friends, and she must return to the scene of her own crimes. Lake Tahoe proves more than she bargained for. Between a sadistic killer, some clever FBI agents, an annoyingly attractive landlord, and way too many new roommates, she has a pretty full plate. Add in a past she's desperate to escape and her own uncontrollable powers, and Aidan Brook is having a very, very bad month.

Opinions:
Broken Elements is a paranormal mystery book. Aidan is an elemental that can control water. Ten years ago while at college with her best friend Sera (who is a fire elemental), murders started to happen. And, not just any murders but one that was more than likely caused by a power elemental. The murders targeted humans that associated with elementals. Supposedly, Aidan and Sera stopped the murderer but now there are more weird deaths back in Tahoe. Sera and Aidan had a friendship fallout after they thought they caught the murderer years before. Now, Aidan has to face her past and former best friend to help solve this mystery. They are joined by other elementals and, surprisingly for Aidan, shifters. The murders now get more personal for the girls – targeting people they know and are not completely human. This is the first book of a series.

Characters:
The story is written in first person through Aidan. Aidan, a half water elemental, has some issues with her powers. When she is nice and calm (like the water), she can do amazing things; whenever she is emotional, her powers fail her. Add to that the should-have-been-dead killer, shifters that she never knew existed, and a potential love interest, and her world turns upside down. Only wanting peace and quiet, she must learn to trust herself and others again. Aidan is a likeable character. She's not a damsel in distress or a warrior. She is fairly normal – minus the water thing; she is a multi-dimensional character. I also enjoyed the banter between the characters and a few of Aidan's thoughts (how the author phrased things) made me smile.

Plot:
The plot moved along well and kept my interest throughout the book. There were a few surprises along the way. There's action and mystery as Aidan and her friends try to figure out who the killer is and how to trap him/her. They also have to be careful with the regular cops trying to solve the murders. Humans aren't supposed to know about elementals and shifters. Who is the killer(s)? You'll find out in the book. The story ends well but the next book should pick things up that are not completely settled in this one. How's the mystery part? It's the type of mystery that takes twists and turns. For a mystery veteran, you can see the direction in which things are happening, but the exact details are a little fuzzy, so you should be entertained and have some surprises.

The Bottom Line:
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I haven't read a mystery in a while, and I like paranormal books. So, this was a good choice for me. Therefore, if you like mysteries and paranormal stories, you should give this book a try. I have the second book and will read that very soon. ( )

This book was terrific! It was a tale of supernatural beings, but the author made them seem quite believable. The mystery unfolds throughout the book right until the end, so the reader is attentive at all times. I even found myself looking inward, reflecting on my own life's choices and roads chosen as the story unfolded. Yet, the entire book was sprinkled with humor & wit that just added to the characters as you got to 'know' them. I looked forward to reading it whenever I could--it just made you want to be part of the story again. This was definitely a hit for me, & I look forward to reading the sequel when it is available. Great job! ( )