thepolishedbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
A great continuation of Ellinor's story. With the help of friends, Ellinor continues to go on adventures to get to the bottom of the secrets that she has been told. There is lots of action throughout this story but I found the character development to be most endearing. Thank you to C.E. Clayton for a gifted copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
the_m_lor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
annebonny's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The second installment of the Eerden Novels picks up not that long after the end of the first, with Ellinor and friends on a ship to Amardeep, the best place for her to find someone who can remove the collar that’s preventing her from using her magic.
I just really have so much fun reading these books. The interaction of magic and technology is not something I see a lot in books, and there’s a lot of action to go along with it. Ellinor continues to grow as a character in a believable way, working through her need for vengeance and learning to value her own life again. I appreciate her relationships with the other characters and that they don’t let her get away with things when she messes up but also clearly care about her.
I really love Jelani as well and I thought the romance was really well done. I can’t wait to see how the next book turns out!
I just really have so much fun reading these books. The interaction of magic and technology is not something I see a lot in books, and there’s a lot of action to go along with it. Ellinor continues to grow as a character in a believable way, working through her need for vengeance and learning to value her own life again. I appreciate her relationships with the other characters and that they don’t let her get away with things when she messes up but also clearly care about her.
I really love Jelani as well and I thought the romance was really well done. I can’t wait to see how the next book turns out!
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Disclaimer: I received the finished book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Deadlock
Author: C.E. Clayton
Book Series: Ellinor Book 2
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Non-Binary Characters, Bisexual coded MC
Recommended For...: science fiction, magic, technology
Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 18+ (Language, Violence, Gore, Death, Drug and alcohol allusions, Terminal illness allusion, Romance, Sexual content, Religion, Grief)
Explanation of CWs: There is cursing in this book. There is lots of violence and some gore. There is death and the death of a spouse is mentioned, as well as grief. There are some allusions to drug and alcohol, as well as terminal illness. There is also some romance and sexual content. There is slight mentions of religion.
Publisher: Starfish Ink
Pages: 367
Synopsis: The plan was always to go to Amardeep, just not like this.
Ellinor Rask always planned to head for the Ashling’s island in order to hunt down those who had killed her husband, but now she’s going for something she didn’t expect: help. With Ellinor’s magic still beyond her reach, the only ones capable of removing her magical shackle are the sentient androids Ellinor has vowed to destroy. If only she can tolerate the Ashlings long enough to aid them in return, of course.
But getting the attention of those who could help proves difficult, and more dangerous than anticipated. Knowing whom to trust becomes a frantic dance as Ellinor and her friends traverse the toxic island in disguise, going from fight-club dance arenas to drug labs all in their search for assistance. Ellinor discovers, however, that hiding a dreeocht who is becoming more unstable by the second is increasingly deadly.
If hiding was all Ellinor had to worry about, she might have a chance at survival. But something waits beneath the glitter of Amardeep that Ellinor and her friends are not expecting . . . something they may be unprepared to face.
Review: For the most part I liked this sequel! I loved the addition of Fiss and I felt like this book was more cohesive than the first one. The plot seemed more streamlined and a little less chaotic. The book had great character development and world building. The book was also well plotted and overall I really liked it and felt it was a great continuation of the main story.
However, I did have some issues with the book. I felt like the book needed a recap in the beginning, which would help readers since the first book had quite a bit happen in it. The back to back action scenes gave me a bit of whiplash and it felt a bit daunting to have a lot of action scenes. I also felt that the book slowed down a bit midway.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Deadlock
Author: C.E. Clayton
Book Series: Ellinor Book 2
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Non-Binary Characters, Bisexual coded MC
Recommended For...: science fiction, magic, technology
Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 18+ (Language, Violence, Gore, Death, Drug and alcohol allusions, Terminal illness allusion, Romance, Sexual content, Religion, Grief)
Explanation of CWs: There is cursing in this book. There is lots of violence and some gore. There is death and the death of a spouse is mentioned, as well as grief. There are some allusions to drug and alcohol, as well as terminal illness. There is also some romance and sexual content. There is slight mentions of religion.
Publisher: Starfish Ink
Pages: 367
Synopsis: The plan was always to go to Amardeep, just not like this.
Ellinor Rask always planned to head for the Ashling’s island in order to hunt down those who had killed her husband, but now she’s going for something she didn’t expect: help. With Ellinor’s magic still beyond her reach, the only ones capable of removing her magical shackle are the sentient androids Ellinor has vowed to destroy. If only she can tolerate the Ashlings long enough to aid them in return, of course.
But getting the attention of those who could help proves difficult, and more dangerous than anticipated. Knowing whom to trust becomes a frantic dance as Ellinor and her friends traverse the toxic island in disguise, going from fight-club dance arenas to drug labs all in their search for assistance. Ellinor discovers, however, that hiding a dreeocht who is becoming more unstable by the second is increasingly deadly.
If hiding was all Ellinor had to worry about, she might have a chance at survival. But something waits beneath the glitter of Amardeep that Ellinor and her friends are not expecting . . . something they may be unprepared to face.
Review: For the most part I liked this sequel! I loved the addition of Fiss and I felt like this book was more cohesive than the first one. The plot seemed more streamlined and a little less chaotic. The book had great character development and world building. The book was also well plotted and overall I really liked it and felt it was a great continuation of the main story.
However, I did have some issues with the book. I felt like the book needed a recap in the beginning, which would help readers since the first book had quite a bit happen in it. The back to back action scenes gave me a bit of whiplash and it felt a bit daunting to have a lot of action scenes. I also felt that the book slowed down a bit midway.
Verdict: It was good!
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