Author Spotlight and Book Review: Christina Mobley

Kindle Edition, 252 pages Published July 11th 2012 by Amazon

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

Goodreads Summary: There are people born in this world with a powerful connection to the earth itself... They have an unbreakable and extraordinary bond. Every seven years, five people are born on the same day, at the exact same time. The elements bind them; earth, fire, wind, water, and spirit. They call them, Elementris. Ava Vangeretta is seventeen years old and different. Unlike most born of the element, she was born alone. She has the power of all five elements. Ava is the first True Elementris to be born in many years. As her eighteenth birthday approaches she is faced with a choice. Give up this rare gift and live the normal life she has always craved or accept it and challenge the current True Elementris in a battle to the death! Ava's past haunts her as she struggles to decide. In her present, the seasons are colliding together, storms are destroying lives, and love is a dangerous curse. The current True Elementris is behind it all and she will do whatever necessary to keep Ava from making it to her eighteenth birthday. Ava's decision threatens the lives of the two people she cares about most. Can you choose between love and friendship? Get ready for the storm...

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My Review:

First of all, I would like to say thank you to Christina Mobley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

 

In the expanding market of Fantasy and Paranormal fiction, it’s becoming more difficult to find fresh, original stories that stand out from the others. I believe that Christina Mobley has etched out a place for herself in this genre of writing and her first book Elementris is a pleasure to read.

 

At seventeen-years-old, Ava Vangeretta blames her gift for everything that’s wrong in her life. In fact, it’s the very reason why her own mother abandoned her. Once submerged into her world of magic and mystery, the reader is allowed a glimpse at both the good and bad that comes with the gifts of the element. The good: Ava’s able to perform magic that can help others and conjure up a rain cloud when she needs one. The bad: Learning her magic and accepting her role as True Elementris is a deadly undertaking. I would have to say that Ava’s character is more true to real-life teenagers than most fictional heroines we come across in YA fiction. Though not your cliché, self-sacrificing heroine, she’s very brave in the face of tremendous pressure and danger.

 

I love strong female characters like the ones in this book. Ava and her Aunt Avalene are both forces to be reckoned with; forces of nature, that is! The dynamic between Ava and her aunt was fun and add a lot to the story. There are some interesting sub-plots going on with Ava’s best friend Brea, as well. This book packs major “girl power”, as even the primary antagonist is a female! I thought this was a fresh approach to this time of book and enjoyed that aspect very much,.

 

Through the unfolding of Ava’s magic and new knowledge of her role in it, she finds herself falling fast for a mysterious guy named Alec. The relationship between Alec and Ava felt a little forced in the beginning but started to make sense toward the end of the book. I wished that they could have spent more time together in the story so their romance would have more time to develop. Don’t get me wrong, there was definite heat between the two characters! I’m hoping for even more of that in the next book.

 

I give Elementris 6 out of 10 on the Page-turner Scale. Though it takes a while for the action to build, the last part of the book is full of mystery, excitement, and romance!

 

About the Author:

 

 

 

(Adapted from Bio on Goodreads with Author’s Permission)

Christina Mobley is a married, mother of four, who spends her days caring for her children and their family home. She grew up in Florida, living on the banks of the St. Mary's river, and as a child always had a fascination for storms and the power they wield. The Vangeretta Curse series was inspired by that fascination.

 

Mobley started writing soon after she made the decision to stay home with her son who has Autism. Out of boredom, she began writing about her son’s disability and her experiences being a teen mom. However, she found it difficult to share the things she wrote about her personal life, so she turned to writing fiction. She’s found it a useful form of expression and an escape ever since.

 

Her second novel Exposure is the second installment in The Vangeretta Curse series and is due out March 20th, 2013!

 

Synapsis of Exposure:

Hidden behind a continuous storm, in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle, there is a secret and powerful place. Element Island’s mysteries are as great as its beauty. Ava Vangeretta’s life changed forever after she arrived on the island; she became the True Elementris. Now Ava is faced with a new challenge. The powerful gifts protected by those born of the element could be revealed. Temptation gives new life to an old curse, danger draws near, and the lines between friend and enemy are blurred as secrets are revealed. Ava will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, but can she prevent exposure?