Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan
How can love mend a heart full of hate? Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly’s life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings. Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.
PRAISE “The novel’s take on otherworldly travel is a compelling one, and the romantic plot will likely appeal to Twilight fans.” – Kirkus Reviews
“I expected a good love story with a paranormal twist. I got so much more. I think you should take the chance and read it. Let this book take you on the adventure, fall in love.” – Young Adult and Teen Readers
“Fields of Elysium is a fabulous read. … Whelan paints her faith into the fabric of her story with deft, light brushstrokes, making her work accessible to all, no matter their spiritual beliefs or background.” – Readers Favorite
“I escaped into this fantasy world, author, A.B.Whelan, created and I didn’t want Molly to go. From detailed descriptions, to sweet romance, and to all the twist and turns in the story, it had me captivated from page one.” – Mary Ting, author of the Crossroads Saga
“Whelan’s writing is very vivid and descriptive. It’s more formal than the average YA novel, but I enjoyed the lyrical and mesmerizing quality to it. I thought the overall story read like a fairy tale–very sweet.” – Megan Thomason, author of Daynight
Author A.B. Whelan A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California. While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.
Thoughts: After moving from New Jersey to California, Molly is anything but happy. Until she stumbles upon a secret gateway that takes her to another planet called Arkana. It’s there she finds amazing and beautiful things she never could have imagined. And, to top that off a few cute boys and some romance doesn’t hurt either. Unfortunately for Molly, Arakana hates earthlings and trying to balance between two world isn’t as easy as Molly hoped it would be.
I comment Whelan for creating such a futuristic and beautiful world with Arkana. I really enjoyed those scenes and the whole concept of Arkana. Fields of Elysium is definitely a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and romance with a main character who is confident in herself and fighting for what she wants. Overall, I enjoyed it.
My favorite characters in the story were definitely Victor and Weston. First, they’re both good looking, athletic and fun guys. I also loved how they interacted and their roles in the story. When it came to Victor, I definitely liked his strength and persistence. With the romance though, I definitely liked how there wasn’t an insta-love and that it had to be worked at. That being said, I did feel like the feelings they admitted to were rushed and a lot of the things they said to each other were over the top and not completely believable.
There were a lot of different conflicts thrown into this story, with Weston, Victor, Molly’s family, Adam, and Molly’s friends but overall I think Whelan did a good job linking them. I admit, there were a lot of instances that seemed rushed and a lot of the wording was not what I would expect from a group of characters that age. Overall though, the story was fun, unique, and creative.
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