Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer

Elemental #5

Synopsis

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure. 

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way. 

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice. 

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war. 

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…

I received this book from Netgalley to review. 

Let me start by saying, that I love this cover.

This book was amazing. I loved all of it, start to finish. It was thrilling, engaging, and just wonderful Mrs.Kemmerer did not disappoint with this book. Micheal takes center stage with this book. And I loved seeing things through his eyes. Before he always seemed stoic and unmovable, stable and sturdy, much like his element. This time we get to see the other side of him, the side that isn't all put together, and stable. In this book he was more like a pile of wet sand than a mountain.

Showing his weak side, really humanized him, and made me just want to hug him 10 pages into the book. I kept forgetting how young his character was, and the weight of responsibility on his shoulders is more than most people could have handled, but he did it alone at 18 for almost 6 years.

I was a little bummed that the other Merrick brothers were barely in this book, but with the kind of story that was being told for this (possible) final book, the other main characters would have crowded the story and possibly taken away from all the guide story. That is another thing I am really glad for, this book takes us right back into the focus of the guides and what kind of mess they bring with them.

The sacrifice that was given in this book was highly unexpected and I am still reeling from it. This has become my new favorite out of the series, (Storm is still real close to number one though, Chris and Becca introduced us to this world) I think everybody should give this series a chance, it was a surprising gem of a series with characters that sound and feel like real people and each Merrick has a distinct and unique personality, and they all hold special places in my book heart.