Eleventh Elementum

Primortus Chronicles #1

by J.L. Bond

It has begun! Fourteen years after a catastrophic disaster, the world has regained its balance with the help of the Primortus. They have secretly walked amongst us since the beginning of time, protecting the earth with the power of the elements. When a fourteen-year-old girl is given two mysterious gifts from a father she never knew, she is drawn into their dangerous world of magic. She must learn to wield the power of the Eleventh Elementum to survive. With the help of Will (her best friend), his cousin and her new stepsister, she seeks out the evil that threatens New Zealand. But a black-eyed stranger is watching their every move. Now, two powerful beings will battle one another and the outcome will determine our way of life.

Genres: Fantasy

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2012

About the author

J.L. Bond is an author, blogger, wife and mother of two daughters. Contrary to popular belief, she is not related to that other J. Bond, nor is she an international woman of intrigue. J.L. grew up in a military family and developed her love for travel early in life. She’s lived in five states, Germany and Hong Kong. She began blogging in 2005 while on a seven-month long “around the world” trip. She has visited thirty-nine countries and counting. Currently, she finds inspiration for her adventure stories from the tropical setting of her home in Florida.

Reviews

[Kandy Scaramuzzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review and I must honestly say, this is a pretty good little book. I am the mother of a daughter so I went through more than my share of sloppily written love stories involving supernatural elements. More than a few of those books involved things that young adults did not need to even think about, just to get readers. This book the eleventh Elementum is a nice book for a young adult. It still addresses attractions between the players but does not go into gory detail or become a how to manual on how to catch a guy. As a parent I must say, this is a nice surprise.
The book opens with a very gripping and surprising event from the past. It then fast forwards to the present day. It was very clever how the authors wove the two time frames together. In order to understand the rest of the book, the reader must have a grasp of the first event, but this is not apparent at first. The authors take their time and do not rush the connection. They let it slowly unfold through the pages of the book.
The young adult characters are believable. The guys are pretty typical teenage boys and the girls pretty much follow suit. The one girl, the fashionista, you would like to strangle at times, so she is one you can definitely buy into as real. I was a little distressed about the parents being so absent, but the extended family seemed to make up for them being gone. The details and appearance of the androgynous person was a little different, but was handled nicely.
The story flowed nicely. The clues were slowly unfolded so the reader had time to connect most of them and make sense of their appearance in the story. There were a few that I never did understand, but I am guessing the answers to those actually lie in the sequels to come.
The authors did a nice descriptive job on most of the encounters. The last scene to me seemed a bit rushed and was ended on an emotional plateau. We all know how it ended, but it seemed to be an apparent hook to get the readers to buy the next book in the series to see how it worked out. All in all, it was a good book and an entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it to any of my friends with children in the appropriate age range. I thank the authors for sharing it with us.

[Jagoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for the honest review....





....And i can't be more grateful for that as i loved Eleventh Elementum.
So, i end up giving it 5 stars.

Eleventh Elementum is paranormal/fantasy/Science Fiction book that has elements in the plot of all those genres. It's written by J.L. Bond and Val Richards and it's the first book of the series called The Primortus Chronicles.
To my way of thinking it was amazing, action packed lecture that ought to be more well known than it currently is. I also enjoyed the fact that it contains some post apocalyptic elements in the plot such as apocalypse that happend on day when the main character - Skylee was born. After it, people called this Apocalypse The Day. It destroyed famous places around the world, for instance London, L.A and much more.
What is more i admire that the main Characters were about my age. Due to this fact i could imagine me being Primortus and being capable of all those stuff, have powers to protect Earth like Skylee had.
Moreover it is worth mentioning that I learnt a lot about New Zealand's culture and traditions, some fun fact about LOTR and some Aussie sland that i find extremely attractive and awesome.
Generally i enjoye this lecture and plot especially New Zealand's journeys. I am convinced that everyone should read it. Besides this, I LOVED Airon.... He's just handsome Aussie and has this lovely sense of humor... He's definately my favourite character. But on the other hand it took me a while to read it... But i think It wasn't a big deal so... I still loved that book.
And when it comes to plot i don't want to spoil anything, but it's mostly about 14 years old girl named Skylee who discovers who she truly is , and who her dad was. It's about dealing with your destination with some elements of first love, true friendships and much more.
To know more you need to read it.
Taking everything into considaration, It was worth reading it especially for Science fiction/Fantasy/Young Adult fans.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy in eformat for an honest review.

I enjoyed the story, even if there were parts and characters that annoyed me to no end (I get easily annoyed with characters and such even in well-known series - especially Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, not to mention the last two books in the Hunger Ganes Series).

What I did not like was Skylee's name (even though I understand why she is named that way, and it's totally something a real life mother would do). Also some of it just seemed too easily written for my personal taste, but I imagine a younger audience would devour this book in one sitting and enjoy every minute of it. I longed for more resolution, or at least explanation of what everything meant for Sky (and the Earth) in the long run. If there is too much mystery and too few conclusions, it just gets frustrating. The thing that disappointed me MOST was the lack of description in the prologue. I am a dude, and I really would have loved to hear more about the destructive nature of the Event on the Day. That would have been an excellent way to hook the males (and carnage-hungry females).

I loved the teenage angst, Skylee's trust issues and the overall mystery of her dead father. I never really knew my father, so I definitely understand her questions and passion for finding the answers. I absolutely LOVED her Aussie cousin! And of course the artwork at the beginning of the chapters was well done. I am envious of the time and skill necessary to come up with those intricate designs. I am very fond of the elemental and shape-changing aspects of this story. I thought they were really well done.

Overall: I would definitely reccommend this book to tweens and teens. They will identify with the angst, the slow-building love story, the rapport with her step-sister. It is a fun romp that will surely just build as the rest of the books in this series are published. I do want to read the rest of this series to figure out what happens to them all (and the very fate of humanity on Earth as well).

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was quite the rush. It grabbed me right from the get go and had me hanging on every word until the very end, when I was wishing that there were more pages. The author combines so many unique ideas into a seamless story that you can’t help but be enthralled.

I love the style of writing that the author adopted with this novel. It is light and easy, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the storyline rather than wading through longwinded, wordy passages. The descriptions employed by the author were also beyond compare. I can’t believe how vividly I can now picture this world. It was absolutely phenomenal. I feel like I just stepped out of the museum with the characters, leaving behind true friends.

The characters in this story are completely unforgettable. They are all so well rounded and unique that you can’t help but love them and want to help them through their trials. They are also quite real. Not only do they deal with supernatural issues and post-apocalyptic trials, but also with the real life challenges of being a teenager. You fall in love with each of the characters. You feel for their trials. You also want to run out and join them.

As a whole, this novel was phenomenally unique and captivating. I loved every second of it. I can’t wait to jump back into this post-apocalyptic world with the characters.

Please note that I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a young girl receives two gifts of mysterious powers. Her friends help her learn about her new powers and what this all means for her. It was a good story, the characters were well developed in my opinion. I think the author gave a good explanation on what was happening in this book and the history of the powers of the Primortus. I have not read any books from this author before But I enjoyed this book very much! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Mandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first it took me a few pages to really get into the story; but, once I got into the story, WOW! I loved it! The plot was very well thought out and the development of the characters was superb. Once I got into the story, it kept a hold on me through the end. I can't wait until the next book is released!

*Edited to remove an error the authors have fixed.*

[Dvora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story!! I usually do not read books with such young characters but I am so glad I did with this one. It was funny, exciting, warm, and some pretty cool twists! Looking forward to the second book!

[Johnna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

A young girl receives two gifts which hold mysterious powers. With the help of her friends she struggles to understand her new powers along with learning who she really is and the destiny that awaits her.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fresh and unique story, the characters were well developed and the adventure never stopped. The writing was well done, with good explanation on what was happening and the history of the powers of the Primortus.

Great read for teen/YA or for anyone who enjoys an easy read with good pace and a lot of action. Looking forward to book 2!

[Debra Ann Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy to read for an honest review.

This is a great story for lovers of Dystopian novels. I think teens & YA readers will relate well to the Primortus World and the journey of the characters. It is a well-paced blend of story-telling and a very easy and enjoyable read.

I had trouble connecting with Sklylee at first but in the end I found myself liking her more. The other characters were well developed and I was thoroughly entertained by their exciting adventure.

I would recommend this book to YA readers & Dyytopian fans!

[Michael Albro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Eleventh Elementum and I thought it was really great. It starts out hard and fast with a world devastating event and then seems to slow down, revealing only bits and pieces at a time, but that just makes you want to keep going to see what comes next. Then, it speeds back up at the end. The confrontation was Brinfrost was explosive. You knew it was coming, but the fast pace of the writing kept it exciting. I intend to get Book 2 right when it comes out.

[Sam Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I can't wait to read the second book in the series. The descriptions are vivid and the charaters are interesting. This is a good young adult book that you can have the whole family read.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the first to read this book and I got hooked at the start. All I wanted to do was see what happened next. the Eleventh Elementum series is by far my favorite and I can't wait to finnish all of the books.

[Dwight Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, there were times it moved slowly. But I highly recommend this book.

[TeeBee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Nitty Gritty: Skylee is a girl that is given her destiny by her long dead father on the day of her mother's wedding. I would call that a great inheritance, but the young heroine struggles with the responsibility of having a destiny and the power. Not everyone can have a Uncle Ben like Peter Parker to help guide them.

So with her S-Men (shameless Big Bang Theory fan. If you are too you will get the reference) she is stepping into a world that she didn't know existed and that is a steep learning curve. Two forces go to battle for control of the world and magic and Skylee has to get in where she fits in.

Opening Line: Time had run out.

What's the 411: So this the first book that I was given for strictly for my review. And I have to say that I feel supremely special. I'm even wearing my little Minnie Mouse ears I got from Disney World just for the occasion.

Hmm wish I could say that this was going to be a good review. Well no let me rephrase that. I wish I could say that I really enjoyed this book. Mildly entertained would be a better assessment.

Usually when it takes me more than 50 pages to get into a book I put it down and that's the end of the story, but since I was given the book and asked to give a review I put on my big girl panties and finished the book. Its never a chore to read a book so all in all it was an enjoyable experience. I must say that the book teasing the authors did was borderline frustrating. Sure you don't want to give everything away on page one. What's the point of going to page 500 in that case, but at the same time even a good burlesque dancer knows when its time to remove the big feather and show us the goods.

Teasing can be fun, it can be titillating. It can pull an audience to the edge of its seats and have it panting for more, but when that 'more' just keep slipping from their fingers that audience can turn violent. While I would never get violent with a book I can certainly get peeved.

I just wish the authors would have found that perfect balance between titillation and revelation a little sooner.

The Good: I love a good elemental story. Even if it takes you a moment to realize that is what the story is about. I am a rabid Avatar: The Last Airbender fan. So much so that I've dressed up as Toph on more than one occasion. Those pictures will never see the light of day so don't bother asking.

I thought this was going to be a dystopia sort of book and though I loved Hunger Games and I tolerated Divergent I'm sort of over the dystopia genre right now. Maybe next year I will get back into but right now its not my favorite fantasy genre. So kudos to Elementum for not going down the route.

The book is a fairly easy read. Almost like the shallow end of a pool when you don't want to get your hair wet. Well maybe that's just black women, but sometimes all you want to do is paddle around in three feet of water just to cool off and not get your hair wet. Eleventh Elementum is that book. Something to cool you off on a hot summer day. Or even the perfect summer by the pool book. Nothing hot and heavy or utterly superficial.

The Bad: Well that first thing that really irked me was the main character name Skylee. First she should likes one of those annoying little girls on Toddlers and Tiaras. The reason for her name is to commemorate her father and The Event. Which is well and good, my sister was named after my dad. She ended up with Jacqueline. One of the finrest First Ladies in the history of the United States carried that moniker.

I really feel that a lot of these new YA books are doing a real disservice to the teenage population. Now I know its been awhile since I was a teen, but I still remember what it was like to go through that age and I don't really remember being that...hmmm chaotic. The only emotional default that Skylee has is mistrust. She doesn't trust anyone so she keeps secrets from everyone. Even when holding onto those secrets is destroying her life.

Every YA books highlights the worst of the teenage mindset and tries to make that out to be the redeeming quality of the character. Sure everyone has flaws and faults and thats what makes a character great. No one hates a Mary Sue more than me but there needs to be a balance struck somewhere. Hermione Granger fro all her know-it-allness still had her faults, but her faults were used to humanize her. Her intelligence and her faithfulness were the driving forces for her. In this book it seemed like Skylee's trust issues were the thing that we were supposed to identify with. Yes I have reservations about new people that I meet, but I trust people till they give me a reason to mistrust them. Not the other way around. Skylee operated under the impression that the world owed her something before she would extend her trust. That gets annoying surprisingly quickly.

The little group of heros...though not sure that is the correct word, but there it is, took a little long to gel. Still not sure if they even really did. If Skylee is supposed to be the ultimate savior, still not sure on that front, then she is going to need a good support system and I'm just not sure if she has that. Or even if she if she is going to trust them enough to allow them to be that for her.

The writing is a bit clunky. The same phrases are repeated in several places on the same page. almost like the authors created the perfect phrase that sounded so pleasing the ear that it made sense to just keep using it over and over again. Believe me I understand that elation that happens when you get the perfect sentence. Its a high that as an author we keep chasing. Sometimes that chase leads us down a dark alley and some pirate with a eyepatch beats us up and all we can remember is our name. Still as wordsmiths I think we can do better than just repetition because it sounds good.


My Final Say: Not sure if I can get into the series as this is the first book, but maybe just maybe I would read it to see if Skylee can work herself out and be the girl the authors are hailing her to be.

2 out of 5 Stars

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to thank to J.L.Bond and Val Richards for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews and info click here visit: http://mariasbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Synopsis

It has begun! Fourteen years after a catastrophic disaster, the world has regained its balance with the help of the Primortus. They have secretly walked amongst us since the beginning of time, protecting the earth with the power of the elements. When a fourteen-year-old girl is given two mysterious gifts from a father she never knew, she is drawn into their dangerous world of magic. She must learn to wield the power of the Eleventh Elementum to survive. With the help of Will (her best friend), his cousin and her new stepsister, she seeks out the evil that threatens New Zealand. But a black-eyed stranger is watching their every move.

Now, two powerful beings will battle one another and the outcome will determine our way of life. Filled with humor and fast paced action, the series takes the reader on an adventure of destiny, love and loss.

What I liked

I was excited to receive this book after reading other reviews for it. Even though it didn't catch me right from the begining, I think it was still a good first book in the series.
I also think that the cover of this book is pretty.
I was amazed by the originality of the plot. It is simple and easy to follow. However, it was something totally different that I usually go for, but this dystopian type of book was a good change from my stereotype.
I was taken by surprise that the story was actually happening in Australia and New Zealand. For me, it was a nice change of destination, from your typical setting in America or Europe.

What I didn't like

Okay, well there are several reason why I gave this book only 3 stars.
I don't know if it was caused by the age of the protagonist or something else, but I found it very difficult to connect with characters in this book. I think that younger readers would enjoy this book more than I did.
I also have to say that I lacked romance in this book. There was some, but every time I thought that their relationship might go to another level, it didn't happen.
I also think that the book was slightly confusing at some parts. Even though it was easy to read, sometimes events became so fast that I didn't cached important details.
Lastly I'd have to go back to characters, but I really thing they should have been mre developed as well as their relationships (e.g. with their parents). It would make the whole story come together better.

Overall thought

After all, I have to say that I wouldn't probably buy this book for myself, but I would recommend it to my cousin who's 13. She would most likely enjoy this book.
I was little bit disappointed by this book, but I guess it just wasn't the right book choice for me.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book which was provided for free by the author for an honest review the earth is slowly regenerating after a sudden catastrophe that's changed it politically and environmentally. Skylee who lost her father and brother in the disaster and Chrism, a spoiled and rambunctious teen are about to celebrate the marriage of their parents. As the story unfolds Skylee inherits a gift that will not only change her life but give her a strange power that's tied to her emotions; an ability she has to learn to control. The basis of the story is riveting as Skylee and Will unlock the secret of their Primortus power and Chrism, her shape-shifting ability.
I found the story slow and disappointing at times. Instead of being caught up in the mystery of an island that's suddenly disappears off the coast of Australia the teens are swept up in a sightseeing tour. Although they do face danger during their excursions, I think it would have been more exciting to have them caught up in the intrigue of their parent's assignment as well as grappling with the secrets that surround their new powers. In the next book this may change and they won't spend as much time sightseeing, discovering their newly awakened powers and falling in love.
I also found the dialogue in the story stilted, unnatural at times which made the story drag a little. And I couldn't relate to the main characters; Skylee is too perfect and takes on every challenge with a remarkably small amount of trepidation. In contrast Will seems insecure and undecided about everything, especially with his Primortus ability and his relationship with Skylee. Of all the teens I enjoyed Airon and Chrism, their humorous and romantic tug-of-war, and her frustration when her shape-shifting ability surfaces. The basis of the story is really good and I expect character development and the dialogue will improve in the next book of the series.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:

Title: Eleventh Elementum
Author: Val Richards, J L Bond
Star Rating: 4 stars
Number of Readers: 15

Readers’ Comments
‘This was a fantastic book. I liked how the characters control the elements. It took me a few chapters to get into it but by ‘The Stepsister’ chapter I was totally drawn in.’ Girl, aged 15
‘I enjoy End of World sort of books so this was right up my street. Clever start in the hospital, pulls you in. The teenage characters were interesting and the story has lots of pace. Bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I’m getting a bit bored of them. It’s just a way of trying to get me to buy the next book.’ Boy, aged 15
’This was an ok book but the characters did nothing for me. They were too whiny and selfish, particularly Will and the stepsister. She was soooo annoying. The ending was a big let down too. I read all of that book just to find I have to read the next.’ Girl, aged 15
‘What did I like? Primortus was cool and the way the new world was different yet not, was interesting. I liked the elemental powers – that was a fun twist. What did I not like? Too much travelling, sort of boring and it was often very slow. But, worst of all, was the ending. There wasn’t one. It just ended. So annoying.’ Boy, aged 14
‘Good book, fantastic cover, terrible ending. My teachers always say ‘END BIG!’ because that’s the bit the reader will remember. Well, I only finished the book yesterday and I already can’t remember the ending.’ Boy, aged 15

Stats
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
9 thought the best part of the book was the world the author created.
3 thought it was a bit slow in parts.
9 thought the ending was poor and ‘over too quickly’.

‘An enthralling adventure set in a post-apocalyptic world of elemental magic.’ The Wishing Shelf Awards

[Tywyll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleventh Elementum has a lot of potential, a great idea, but the plot gets a bit lost sightseeing and the throes of teenage first love.

I like the new take on the earth-shattering (literally) disaster and the idea behind the Primortus minus the Spiritus aspect. Having elemental or other powers is always a cool idea. I just wish they had been used more. Another thing I liked were the culture diversity of the characters and the various locales the book was set it. However, I wish there had been more description of the places. It felt like I was reading a travel brochure, not actually seeing them for myself. The other downside of going to so many places, the characters were tourist and sightseeing for most of the book rather than developing their new-found powers and preparing to face the bad guy. I never really felt a sense of urgency or danger since after an attack (the few that there were) they continued on as if nothing happened. As for the ending "battle," it was anticlimactic and over before it even began.
I agree with Chrism that it seems 'everyone they meet is something.' It did seem that almost everyone they met along the way ended up being connected to this new world Skylee was learning about. It felt a bit too convenient. Also some bits were unnecessary in my opinion and distracted from the plot, like numerous movie and TV shows references, Luck-e-Choc candy obsessions, and the twins reappearance later on. I also doubt Wikipedia would last that long.

After establishing this "first discovery, tour of the Down Under, budding young love" introductory part of the series, I'm sure the sequel will be much more engaging. Younger readers and preteens will probably enjoy it this series. I need a little more action and a little less Luck-E-Chocs. 3.5 stars.

Note: I received a free copy from the author for a fair and honest review.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was provided free by the author in exchange for an honest review. While the story was pretty interesting, I found myself getting annoyed with each character on a variety of levels. Main character (Sky) had trust issues, how many times does keeping a secret backfire before she gets the message? It would have been impressive to see this group of kids become a great team...working together. Having my share of teens, I get the "it's all about me" thing, however the stepsister's vanity was really overrated and Will needed to buck up. The main adult character (Aunt Ann) was reluctant to share her knowledge...ugh, did she even have anything worthwhile to say. I found her to be a selfish adult that put a bunch of kids in serious jeopardy. Overall, there was way too much "I'll tell you later" going on. And the climactic ending...just not an ending. That was very unsatisfying. Not sure I would be able to survive a long drawn out series but I'll be looking for the next book to see if ANY of these characters (including the aunt, mom and dad) show signs of maturity. I'm hoping they all learn some valuable lessons. If not, that will end the series for me.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skylee receives two gifts that both hold special powers, these items throw Skylee’s life off course. Nobody tells her the importance and meaning of the gifts until strange things happened on several occasions. Skylee learns to deal with her new life with the help of her friends and family.

I really enjoyed the book, I found that it started off a bit slow but as soon as the plot began to escalate I couldn’t put it down. The authors did a fantastic job of making the characters easy to relate to and you begin to feel like you know them personally.

There were a few small spelling errors (Christine instead of Chrism and Aaron instead of Airon) that threw me off when reading it but I didn’t have trouble figuring out what was going on.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a very enjoyable easy read. I can’t wait for the second book in the series!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well done first book! It was an original idea with a good story line. However, it was fairly confusing at some points and the ending was somewhat anticlimactic with the strong build up of the story line. But, this may be in anticipation of a sequel to the book. All in all in a good entrance into the literary world, looking forward to see where they take it!

[Val Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love our new cover!!!