Charlie Alexander

2.5 stars.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The concept was interesting, but the execution felt off and, at times, a bit awkward to read.

Although it’s marketed as New Adult and set in college, the characters often behaved more like high school students, which made it hard to take the story seriously.

The power scaling also felt unrealistic. For example, the magical fight on the very first day of school seemed way too overpowered.

The characters themselves show more came across as quite shallow, especially Jace. While there were attempts to add depth, like with Micah’s backstory (which was actually well written), it was too brief and should have been explored more fully.

The narrative style didn’t help either. It felt more like a sequence of events than an immersive story, with too much telling and not enough showing.

I’m also not a fan of love triangles. If I had to choose, I’d say I’m team Brad (at least he shows some personality) but overall, most of the characters felt really underdeveloped.

I don't think I'll read the next book, unless the writing is improved a lot. Like I said, it's an interesting concept, but the execution just isn't there.

I got this book for free by the author. show less

Bound by the Elements promises a familiar but enticing fantasy premise in the style of a first person narrative set in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, the execution never lives up to that promise. The novel is a quick read, but not a satisfying one, moving so briskly that it leaves little room for the reader’s imagination.

The prose itself often works against the narrative. Sentences sprawl into awkward, compound-heavy constructions that interrupt the flow and give the text an over-edited, show more LLM generated feel. Chapters are short and repetitive, with more space devoted to overblown teenage drama than to true character development. Worldbuilding is another weak point. While elemental magic and a multi-realm setting are introduced, they are paradoxically both overexplained and underdeveloped. Despite being set in college, the story reads much more like young adult fiction situated in a high school environment, with occasional awkward detours into romantasy.

Overall, Bound by the Elements may appeal to readers looking for light, drama-forward fantasy with minimal complexity, but those hoping for immersive worldbuilding or a more mature exploration of its themes are likely to come away disappointed. show less

I enjoyed the beginning. The comparison between the 1st set of friends and the "replacements" was well written. As individuals the characters came across quite flat/1 dimensional. The feeling of the story is what kept me reading, I wanted more immersion and less narrating of events. I really wanted to feel like I was there. However, a good storyline can make it worth a read. If you're more into plot than character development this might be a book for you.

I wanted to like this book. I really did.

The first half started out really strong. The descriptions of high school and the ebb and flow of friendship was poignant and really resonated with me.

The second half was much rockier for me. I'm not sure what the time frame of the second half of the book was. Six months? Nine months? The revelation around the elements came out of the blue and wasn't supported by the story so far. The new characters in the new school weren't as strongly developed as show more the initial four characters.

The story had potential, but the second half didn't live up to expectations. show less