The Elements of the Crown (The Elements of Kamdaria Book 1) by Kay L. Moody – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

The Elements of the Crown by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Elements of the Crown is the first book in Kay L Moody’s magical The Elements of Kamdaria series, collecting what were originally four shorter novellas. It’s an enchanting fantasy story that follows young Talise as she uses her magic powers to escape from the poverty and danger she was born into.
There’s some excellent world-building here. I was particularly interested in the justice system, which punishes whole families when one commits a crime. It was fascinating to explore how that would work, and how people in power would attempt to justify it.
This is a great story for fans of magic schools. Talise is a cool protagonist, and the high-stakes social mobility situation adds to the tension, with plenty of other sources of tension and intrigue. It’s aimed at teen/YA readers but will be enjoyable for older fantasy lovers as well!
This book gets five stars from me – I’d better get on to the next book! I’m glad I read the collected volume rather than the separate novellas as they would definitely all have left me wanting more, but reading the novellas separately might be preferable for a less confident reader who would benefit from something they can get through more easily.

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