Review: On Par with the First
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 19, 2012
Air, by Terra Harmony, is the second installment in her eco-magic Akasha series.  Unlike a lot of sequels, it's as good as-if not better than-the first, and has a lot of strong positives.  I found the storyline intriguing, the plot sufficiently twisty to keep me interested, and I liked the imagination Harmony puts into the manifestations of elemental magic.  Actually, I think that was my favorite part-the magic, with its roots in various traditions, including Wicca and what I can only assume to be Terra's imagination, is sufficiently thought out as to be convincing and yet unpredictable enough to be fun.  I loved it.That said, there are just a few caveats.  The first is that the relationship between the two main characters, Micah and Kaitlyn, is quite "adult"-not in the sense that they have sex, so much as the aggression, occasional hostility, and, um, forcefulness between them. I found myself slightly uncomfortable once or twice, and unsure if Kaitlyn was in a very good relationship or not.  So if you're squeamish about that kind of thing, you may want to skip a few pages.  The second is that the novel may need a slight bit more editing-there was an issue with a few homophones, like annunciating vs. enunciating, that sort of tihng, but it was mostly minor.  Finally, readers that really enjoyed (and remember) the first book may find parts of the introduction to the second a bit "tell-y" (vs. "show-y")-I'd advise you to stick it out, as once you get past chapter three, references to the first novel peter out and you get absorbed in the story.  (At least, I was.)All in all, it was an excellent adventure, with a simple, storytelling style that flowed like water air.Overall Rating: Four Stars.  Interesting ecofantasy with an epic ending.  Waiting to see what comes next!Review received a free copy of ebook for review.