Elemental Thief by Rachael Morgan

Read in February 2025

Summary:

Elemental Thief is the first book in Rachel Morgan's Ridley Kayne Chronicles, set in a near-future city where magic is outlawed. The story follows seventeen-year-old Ridley Kayne, a modern-day Robin Hood who uses her forbidden elemental magic to steal from the wealthy and aid those in need. After a heist, a stranger tails her home and is subsequently murdered outside her apartment, leading to her best friend's wrongful arrest. To clear her friend's name, Ridley reluctantly teams up with Archer Davenport, the heir to the city's largest fortune and the very person she recently stole from. Together, they must recover a stolen artifact containing dangerous secrets that could endanger many lives. Their journey takes them into the city's hidden depths, where they confront their differences and uncover a larger conspiracy.

 

Main Characters:

Ridley Kayne: a 17 year old girl with magic powers. She's independent, stubborn, and secretive. She pretends (partly) to loathe the rich and prominent, but she also misses her life as one of them.

Mr. Kayne: Ridley's father. A jeweler, who used to create magical jewelry for the rich and famous. He fell from grace when magic was forbidden.

Archer Davenport: A former school mate of Ridley's and older brother of her former BFF. He's the heir to one of the richest families in the city.

There are many others.

 

World-Building:

There is quite a bit of world-building here, which I found well done and fascinating. It's kind of a dystopian, yet urban kind of feel. We learn about the political intrigue, why magic was banned, and so on. So I think the world-building is pretty well done.

 

Themes/Tropes:

• Societal Oppression
• Fight for Freedom
• Forbidden Magic
• Rebellion
• Robin Hood Archetype (Ridley)
• Reluctant Allies
• Dystopian

Entertainment Value:

The book is pretty evenly paced, and the author did a good job adding the relevant information as needed. Though for me, there was a lot more telling than showing in this books, more than I personally like.

I didn't find the characters that believable and at times irritating and boring. Riley is the protagonist but I didn't connect with her at all. At first it was cool that she was kind of a Robin Hood figure, but then it seems like she's doing that out of spite for the rich, since her family fell from grace.

There are endless lies in this book. Everyone is lying and keeping secrets and most not for a believable enough reason. Ridley comes off as a spoiled, annoying brat, and her tense relationship with Archer Davenport isn't that believable either.

Overall, this book wasn't my cup of tea! I won't be continuing this series. There were some great ideas, but they were badly executed.

 

Cover Art:

I really like the cover art for the book.

 

Would I read this book again?

Nope, and I won't continue this series.

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