**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.**
Title River Gate (The Elements of Kamdaria 5)
Author Kay L. Moody
Release Date March 10, 2020
Description from Amazon
The empire is full of unrest. The aristocratic citizens of the Crown are angry at the emperor for lying about their enemy. The middle-class citizens of the Gate are angry at the state of their once great empire. And the poor, desperate citizens of the Storm are beginning to awake after years of oppression.
If Talise doesn’t gain back their loyalty soon, it might be lost forever.
Initial Thoughts
I’ve been waiting to read this installment of the Elements of Kamdaria since (what seems like forever), but is really since December. I was super excited when Kay and her publisher offered me the chance to read and review an ARC of this book.
Some Things I Liked
- Economics as a featured point. I absolutely love that the conflicts in this series are not black and white. There is no simple solution to the many issues that plague Kamdaria and I was especially excited to see an economic problem featured so prominently.
- Claye. I loved his character and I was so glad to finally see more of him. Although, I do feel terrible for him in certain parts, I really enjoyed what his character represented and I thought he was a great voice of reason to help Talise.
Series Value
I can’t wait to read the next book, Smoke Gate, when it comes out. I love this series and I, somewhat surprisingly, love that I have to wait for the installments. I’m all about binge-reading series but the fact that Kay L. Moody makes me wait between installments gives me just the right amount of time to digest the previous installment before diving into the next. Also, the waiting and shorter length of these novellas creates high re-read value in this series.
Final Thoughts
While I missed Aedan in this book, I really enjoyed the characters that we did get to see as well as the new developments in the story. Talise’s character growth is amazing and I also really enjoyed the pacing of the timeline. I can’t wait to continue with this series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
- Smoke Gate by Kay L. Moody – I haven’t read the next installment of this series, but I definitely will once it’s available.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you enjoyed the competition component, the class and economic issues, and the moral grey-ness in the conflicts, try this series by Suzanne Collins.
Books Over Everything 