This seemed to tick all the boxes. Transported to another realm and a lost princess with magical abilities.
I liked the descriptions of Elydor. I usually like stories with portals. However I though the story was a bit slow and I can't put my finger on it but I felt it lacked something.
I kept waiting for it to move on. I also usually like dual POV and the characters are pleasant enough but it just didn't grab my imagination.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

⭐ Book Tour ⭐

Whisper Of War and Storms by C. L. Mecca
Hosted by Rachel's Random Resources
Published by Boldwood Books

This romantasy novel is the first in a series and the debut by the author.
It's a good length and sets up the scene well. We get a lot of world building and character development, and I think this will be a really enjoyable series for fans of this genre.

This is available to purchase now.

@rachelsrandomresources @theboldbookclub

#booktour #bookpromo #bookpromotion #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramUK #bookstagrammerUK #reading #reader #readingbooks #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #books #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #bookobsessed #booknerd #bookgeek #bookishcommunity #readingcommunity #bibliophile #romantasy

While it begins at a leisurely pace, this book quickly captivates you. The world-building is exquisite, painting a vivid picture that immerses you completely. The characters are richly developed, each with their own unique layers, and the chemistry between Mev and Kael is electric. The witty banter and the charming supporting characters add an extra layer of enjoyment. Eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Enjoyable Romantasy

One moment, Mev was in a pub in England, and the next, she would go through a portal to a world of magic and creatures, strange and impossible. Mev came to England to solve a mystery about who she was, and the truth was stranger than anything she could have imagined. She would meet Kael, who should be her enemy. However, the two would fall in love. He was the son of the king that started it all. His father closed the portal between the two worlds, leaving her and her mother abandoned. Could love stand a chance?

This is a delightful romantasy, full of action, adventure, and magic. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like epic fantasy with romance. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

This enchanting enemies-to-lovers romance is filled with elemental magic, political intrigue, and undeniable chemistry. Mevlida Brennan’s life changes when she discovers she’s the lost princess of Aetheria. Thrown into a world on the brink of war, she faces the brooding prince Kael, who kidnaps her to protect his kingdom’s secrets. Their tension crackles as dark forces rise and Mev’s dormant powers awaken. The world-building is immersive, the romance deliciously tense, and the adventure gripping. While I wished for deeper character growth in some areas, the story kept me hooked. I can’t wait for the next book!

Starting with the cover. It is gorgeous. The design and colours. Definitely eye catching and one I would pick up.

This started off in the human world and I wasn’t really sure about how it would work because I’m used to being thrown in to the fantasy world but it really made a change.

This is quite a short book yet the author managed to incorporate so much world building. I felt like this could have been explored more if it was longer but I gathered a good understanding regardless.

I love the magic and thought it was good how each area is different. I would love this to have been explained more and hope it is in the second book. I also can’t wait to see how Mevs powers develop.

I like Mev and Keal and think there are also some great secondary characters. I am intrigued by Rowan. He definitely has a lot more to him! This was a nice quick and easy to read book and I will read the second book when it’s out to see where it goes.

Thank you to @rararesources @boldwoodbooks and @meccaromance for the gifted review copy.

This was a fast paced romantasy that had me hooked from the start. It was relatively short for a fantasy book at 269 pages so I was intrigued by this one.

I really liked the two main characters Mevlida and Kael. The way Mev came across the other world via the portal was done really well. All the time I was wondering is Kael going to turn Mev over to his father or do the right thing? I was eager to find out.

I really liked the magic and I’m looking forward to learning more about everything in book two.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour and the publisher for my gifted ebook.

For those who want a combination of fantasy and romance, Whisper of War and Storms delivers. C.L. Mecca brings readers along for the ride as Mevlida's search for what happened to her mother years ago has her entering a magical realm where her questions will be answered. She quickly meets Prince Kael who kidnaps her (for both his own selfish need and to keep her safe from others), but they eventually feel a strong connection.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a much quicker read compared to some in the genre. That left me with mixed feelings as I would have liked more time for world-building and character development. What I do know is I am ready for book 2 now to see what will happen next.

I'm giving it a 5 as I'd both recommend it and re-read it. However, the novel did not hook me quite the same as others. Something I did appreciate is that while the book has spicy scenes, it wasn't as jarring as others I've read with an abrupt switch from fantasy and world-building to soft porn chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and C.L. Mecca for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

More I need more!
I think for a first go at a romantasy, this was a great start. The settings and descriptions are clear and easy to imagine. I would have loved more.
I wanted to feel the magic coming off the page, and it was almost there.
Karl the Prince and Hero of our story is or would be a great leader, but it's really not what he wants, he's a warrior, a protector who wants peace.
Mev is searching to find out who she is. To possibly find the father she never thought she'd get to meet, to find the memories stolen from her mom.
Wait till you you get caught up in these two, in the magic of the elements, the attraction neither can fight forever and the war the desperately want to stop. I can't wait to read book two.
I have voluntarily left this review.

Whisper of War and Storms was a fast-paced journey with Mevlida to find her heritage and her mother’s forgotten past.

One huge boon for the book is the FMC is 28, not 18. The MMC, Kael, is a lovely book boyfriend candidate.

Semi enemies to lovers
Elemental magic
Forbidden romance
The lightest hint of spice near the end

I love the world and characters C.L. Mecca started building. We will very obviously have more books in the series.

This is compared to series by Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout. I see the similarity in the feelings the book evokes. You want to know the characters, you want more of the world, you want more of the story. It is a great opening book that really happens over maybe a week-ish period, it seems. I will definitely continue reading Mev’s journey.

'Whisper of War and Storms' is a modern take on the classic portal fantasy that follows Mevlida Brennan as she uncovers her true identity as a lost princess of Aetheria after stepping into a magical realm that she is led to by an old photograph and a ring that her mother won't tell her anything about.

I should say upfront, that as much as I loved the premise of this book, something about the writing style just didn't click with me. I had to restart the book twice as something about it wasn't grabbing me and the characters and plot wouldn't stick in my brain.

Perhaps the main challenge is that the book is a little short for the genre, so there’s less time for character development and exploring the enemies-to-lovers romance between Mev and the brooding prince Kael. The political intrigue and elemental magic add an interesting layer, but the pacing left me feeling some elements were rushed. While the romance has plenty of chemistry, some more development could have made it even more satisfying.

I will revisit this later, as I think I will enjoy it more with the correct expectations and mindset.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC at no cost and with no obligation for me to review.

4.5⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️ on Goodreads and retail sites. WHISPER OF WAR AND STORMS (Heirs of Elydor Book 1) is a new genre for historical and paranormal romance writer C.L. Mecca/Cecelia Mecca/Cissy Mecca/Bella Michaels. It is described as “A spellbinding, epic romantasy adventure of tangled secrets and dark magic for fans of Sarah J Maas, Callie Hart, Rebecca Yarros and Jennifer L Armentrout.” Mevlida Brennan headed to York, England searching for clues about her forgotten history after finding a photograph and an unusual ring pointing her there. Her mother had visited the city and left pregnant with no memory of how it had happened. After a fruitless search, they found the pub in the picture, the knowledge that her father was a King in another world, and a portal into that world. She found herself in a world of magic on the brink of war and an undeniable pull to a Prince who was her father’s enemy. This may be the author’s first foray into romantasy, but she definitely nailed it. It is a well written story that immediately grabbed me and kept me spellbound from cover to cover. I loved Mevlida and how easily she adapted to all the changes in her circumstances as the novel progressed. I also really liked Kael, who despite claiming to support his father’s prejudices demonstrated with his actions that he felt differently. The couple were reluctantly drawn to each other, despite the fact that loyalty to their fathers demanded that they be enemies. Kael was left with a choice between this beguiling woman and loyalty to a father who did not show him the same level of trust and support. I cannot wait for the next volume in this series, happy that I took a chance on an author who was new to me. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy spicy enemies to lovers fantasy romance series. It is available in the kindleunlimited program.

I would like to thank Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

I was really excited about the premise of this book, and I found it to be quite entertaining overall. While some of the dialogue felt a bit cheesy, and I’m not generally a fan of dual POVs (which is more of a personal preference), I still enjoyed the story. The pacing was a bit uneven at times, with certain scenes feeling like they ended too abruptly, and I found parts of the plot to be somewhat predictable. However, I was thoroughly impressed by the world-building and the political intrigue, which kept me hooked. The characters were easy to root for, making it an enjoyable read overall. A solid addition to the fantasy genre!

Our heroine in this romantasy goes searching for answers about her mother's past and finds much more than she bargained for.
She also finds herself changing in ways she would never have believed.
We travel to a whole new world in this story. Magic of various kinds and Clans who are not friendly to each other is what we discover.
Our hero is a warrior with many secrets.
This is the first book in a new series that I will definitely be reading more of.
A magical journey.

I'm in trouble.
There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I'd fall in love with Ms. Mecca's fantasy world!

The world-building, incredible! The visualization!

Her characters, main and supporting, are always people I'd love to have in my life, well, eventually anyway! You'll see!

Mev and Kael's banter...totally awesome!

I was drawn in, and didn't want to leave this world!

Looks like I'm adding this series to my one-click list!

Excellent!

Loved it! I always enjoy reading Cecelia Mecca’s books and this one is no exception! Looking forward to reading the next book!

A delightful beginning to an intriguing new series! This one starts a little slow, but draws you in nonetheless. The world that you are transported to is described beautifully and the characters are well written with layers of personality and the chemistry between Mev and Kael is smoldering. The banter is witty and the supporting characters are a delightful aspect in their own right. Looking forward to what comes next.

The first few chapters of this book will give you a complete backdrop of the world this author has created. A world of separate kingdoms where each have powers to one of the elements. I tried to memorize all the information given but have no worries, the author will remind you as the book rolls along.

Anyone that enjoys a bit of magic will love this book. An otherworldly adventure awaits with a perfect blend of kingdoms, powers, magic, romance, loyalty, deceit, and war.

Mev unknowingly walks into this realm by passing through a portal that had been closed to all other humans only to discover her true identity and a world she had no idea existed.

Kael is a prince from another kingdom, the one responsible for the turmoil she is about to learn about but is so handsome and open-minded that she immediately trusts him to keep her safe, even though he just kidnapped her and they're on horseback racing to escape.

So much unfolds that I dare not go into any detail, I want the reader to discover each aspect of this book as I did. What a great fantasy/romance! I was gifted with an ARC and wanted to post my thoughts and recommend this book highly to anyone loving a great adventure with a bit of magic.

In Whisper of War and Storms by C.L. Mecca, we embark on a journey following an immortal prince from a mystical realm and a resolute woman from Earth, both on a quest for answers when their fates intertwine …

The world-building hints at a rich backdrop, yet it could use more nuance and depth to fully captivate me. The narrative sometimes leans more towards telling rather than showing, which made me wish for a more vivid imagery and emotional resonance.

The characters are endearing, but their growth feels somewhat superficial. A deeper exploration of their inner thoughts and more nuanced relationship development would have enhanced their journeys. An all in all longer book might have provided Mev and Kael with more time for their relationship to grow more organically.

Overall, this book serves as an enjoyable, light diversion for fans of fantasy romance, offering a taste of magic and with an insta-love connection between our two MCs.

### only GR-link due to "only" average rating ###

Incredible Series Starter!!

I honestly don't know what “romantasy” is, but this story has me thinking it is a new favorite of mine! Oh my! So many amazing aspects to this story. It pulls you in immediately and honestly never lets you go.

A new world, only accessible to humans who have magical aptitude. Competing clans, royalty, politics, binding vows and so much more that to describe it further would give too much away.

Just know, this is something very special.