A Tempest of Wind and Fate (The Choosing Chronicles Book 4)

Kristin M O'Donoghue

He's the king of yearning and she is one lucky lady!

"I have enjoyed many of Elayna R. Gallea's book, especially The Choosing Chronicles. This series is an interconnected set of duologies that all take place in a fantasy realm filled with fae and fantasy creatures and each book duo following a different pairing. I was very excited to jump back into Gallea's world with her upcoming release, A Tempest of Wind and Fate, book #4 in the series, that follows the story of River Waterborn and Nikhail Galebringer. Gallea has us jumping right back in after the devastating and painful events of book #3 left us with the a torturous cliffhanger that saw the couple facing their toughest challenges yet! I will do my best to be as unspoilery in my review as possible. As always, Gallea is no stranger to knowing just how to make the tears fall as she skillfully wades through the inner storm of self-hate and years of inadequacy that River has lived with both because of actions she could not control and a mother who has neglected her emotionally in every moment that matters. Convinced that she cannot be trusted with the powerful water magic that flows in her veins, River makes a devastating choice that leaves her hollow and a shell of who she is. She is determined not to be a danger to those she loves, especially a certain powerful air fae who has captured her attention and her heart. But never fear because Nik, the epitome of steadfast devotion, is determined not to lose River or let her diminish all that she can be. Nik is the type of MMC you cannot help but love. Now that he has had River and envisioned what their future could be, he is never going to leave her. He loves the beauty of all of who she is and is determined to be her guide back to the stars. However, adding a of a wrinkle is the fact that River is his best friend's younger sister and they may or may not still be keeping things secret. If it was up to Nik, things would already be out in the open. And as we all know, secrets have a way of coming out in the light at the most inopportune time. River and Nik will be tested in many ways to protect the fragile understanding that has developed between them. Amidst all of this, Nik and the rest of the group are continuously pulled into the political conflicts as the rebels seek to challenge the power hierarchy of representatives and their families. With each passing day, the safety of their community is threatened and Nik refuses to allow anything to threaten the woman he loves. However, when the rebels attacks get too close to home, will Nik and River's future be permanently altered? You will just need to read to find out! I definitely enjoyed this book and can't wait to learn more about the next couple whose story definitely promises to bring lots of interest and tension. ["

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May 15, 2026

Kat

Grief, Healing and an MMC Who Defines Yearning

"Do you love a man who yearns? Because if so, Nikhail is your king. Throughout this story, he yearns for River so deeply that you just want to reach through the pages and physically turn River to face him and say, "Girl, he is everything!" But things aren't so simple after River's loss. Between her grief, the explosion of her power a second time, the continued abusive/dismissive treatment by her mother, and the revelation of a huge secret from the previous duology, she has a lot to sort through. Running directly into Nik's arms for a HEA isn't part of that. Instead, she tries to push him away again and again in the name of safety and because she feels she does not deserve anything good in the world. Despite her pushing, Nik is total green flag energy, refusing to abandon her through her turmoil. He does everything he can to support her healing, holding her up in support and doing his best to convince her that she is worthy of love and happiness. Nik is one of the most emotionally intelligent characters I've read in awhile, applying that to how he handles River was a beautiful thing to read. And then there's Ryker - when he finally finds out there's something between Nik and River. He, of course, is the epitome of big brother energy and has some *feelings* about the situation. This book was a beautiful story of loss, healing, and self-acceptance. I loved how both of them finally came together to find their forever. The book also showed glimpses of the characters in the next duology and hit us with the first full look in the epilogue and I'm here for it. Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 - that extra half is for Nik's filthy thoughts and mouth. ["

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May 13, 2026 Verified Purchase

Kindle Customer

Head over heels in love with best bro's lil sis, and I'm loving it

"Thank you, Elayna, for the ARC! This was a very satisfying end to River and Nik's story, the story is engaging and fun. I love seeing women being the ones to save their men, it's a nice change. I preferred Bryn and Ryker's story (who doesn't love a Shadow Mommy?), but this one was definitely cuter. Very much looking forward to what Atlas gets himself into in the next book :) ["

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May 14, 2026 Verified Purchase

Kelsey Taylor

4.5 stars, an excellent read!

"This review was written on a different platform and copy+pasted here. I rated the book 4.5 stars, rounded to 5 for this platform. I'm so glad River and Nik got their happy ending! I certainly enjoyed this book, but I think I'm feeling a bit of a disconnect from it because I read this one as a Kindle arc rather than listening to it as an audiobook as I did with the previous books in the series. I adore the characters and I'm so glad I didn't have to wait to experience the rest of their story, but it just didn't hit me quite the same way. That being said, I very much enjoyed the dystopian fantasy setting. I love the idea of fae, shifters, vampires and all the rest in a modern-earth-like society. The descriptions are, as always with this author, on the less prevalent side. Layouts of spaces, as well as descriptions of characters, are left mostly up to imagination and there were several scenes where I found myself mentally rearranging the layout of a room as I read to suit additional information. I still haven't decided if I like it or not, but I'm definitely getting used to it so it was much less jarring in this book. For most of this book, the overall series plot is much more prevalent than the book or duet level plots, but I was easily able to distinguish all three, and they were each very enjoyable. I love River and Nikhail. I still connected strongly to River, even with the overall sense of disconnect I felt with the book due to the different medium. I felt her on levels that I rarely experience. Every moment of grief, depression, and anxiety, as well as each instance of love, happiness, and contentment was deeply relatable. It would have been easy for the author to portray River's growth as being due to Nik rather than her own character evolution, but instead I got to experience just how much of a difference it can make to have someone in your life who sees and accepts every single part of you, and who supports you in everything that you do. I was a little bit disappointed that the last scene in the bunker was from Nik's POV instead of River's, even though we got to see her thoughts leading up to it (and honestly that's the reason this got 4.5 instead of 5 stars from me). River's relationships with her mom and her brother remind me so much of my own, and I'm so glad I got to see her grow enough to have hard conversations with the people closest to her. I adore how much Nik loves River. He's strong for her when she needs him to be, and soft when that's what will help her more. He's caring, kind, and so very sweet. He's capable and willing to do anything to protect her, but he's also willing to support her while she protects and stands up for herself. Their communication is excellent, and I can clearly see the strong foundation that they're building their relationship on. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I'm very grateful to have been given the opportunity to read it as an arc. I think I'll go back and listen to it once there's an audiobook version available, because I desperately want to connect to this part of the story as deeply as I did with the rest of the series. ["

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May 13, 2026