Whitney Hill breaks out of the gate with a debut urban fantasy set in North Carolina--a North Carolina home to vampires, witches, elves, and more. Arden is an elemental, raised with the knowledge that she must hide what she is. Not just from humans, but also from the other supernatural peoples--Otherside. Arden can't keep her head down anymore when an elf comes to retain her services as a private investigator to find his missing grandmother.

Part sleuthing mystery, part walk among fantastical creatures, and part coming of age, Elemental's heart and soul is the main character, Arden. Tough yet vulnerable, Arden has to figure out how to stand on her own, trust others, and stay alive, while the threads of the missing grandmother weave a web of intrigue that goes dark and ever more dangerous.

Absolutely recommended! ( )

I enjoyed this modern day fantasy, kind of detective novel with familiar fantasy creatures like werewolves and vampires and creatures I'm less familiar with. I really appreciated the setting and characters: modern day North Carolina, the lead character is a black woman with supernatural powers. The characters are interesting and showed development. The lead character is a private detective so there's a little mystery as she tries to solve a crime.

The end was a little weird and felt a little rushed. Overall though, this was a fun read. ( )