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_kit_kat_'s review against another edition
4.0
Through no fault of its own, this book caught me in a bit of a reading slump so I had some trouble getting through it even though I had a great time every time I did pick it up. I enjoyed the very tongue in cheek writing style and the loveable and diverse cast, even though there are a little too many people introduced in the first third or so. Also great to see a female protagonist in a sci-fi adventure who is a little older (although the life expectancy is also longer so relatively she's still young).
Full review to follow!
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Full review to follow!
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
writetoexpress's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If I were to describe this novel in a single word, it would be “vengeance”.
It has been eight years since the death of Ellinor’s husband. Not a day goes by without her thinking about him and the man who committed the crime. Bent on revenge and rage, Ellinor vows to seek vengeance on her old boss. However, things get a little complicated when her old boss captures her and forces her to run a fool's errand without using her magical abilities. To make matters worse, Ellinor discovers that her old crew would be tagging along on the mission. Betrayal and deceit lurk around every corner. Ellinor must tread carefully if she wants to live, better yet, get her revenge.
Resistor is one of the most action-packed novels I have ever read. It started a little slow. But by 30%, you are thrown into nonstop action, where the stakes only seemed to get higher and higher. I was fascinated with the word and learning more about their technology and magical abilities.
I fell in love with Kai and Jelani almost immediately! Although their intentions were unknown at that point, I was with them until the end. As for Ellinor’s character, I thought she was quite complex. There are many layers to her, and she is very aware of which one she pulls back. There is so much to unpack about her character! However, her thoughts about vengeance kind of got a little old after a while. I would have liked to have been able to see Ellinor with her powers a little bit more at the beginning to understand how much of a disadvantage she is at throughout the book.
I was presently surprised by how fast I read this book. Clayton does a great job of keeping the readers hooked. If you like action and adventure, then this book is perfect!
One thing I was not anticipating while reading this book was the graphic detail of gore. While I did not have that big of an issue with it, it is something for others to keep in mind before picking up this book.
If I were to describe this novel in a single word, it would be “vengeance”.
It has been eight years since the death of Ellinor’s husband. Not a day goes by without her thinking about him and the man who committed the crime. Bent on revenge and rage, Ellinor vows to seek vengeance on her old boss. However, things get a little complicated when her old boss captures her and forces her to run a fool's errand without using her magical abilities. To make matters worse, Ellinor discovers that her old crew would be tagging along on the mission. Betrayal and deceit lurk around every corner. Ellinor must tread carefully if she wants to live, better yet, get her revenge.
Resistor is one of the most action-packed novels I have ever read. It started a little slow. But by 30%, you are thrown into nonstop action, where the stakes only seemed to get higher and higher. I was fascinated with the word and learning more about their technology and magical abilities.
I fell in love with Kai and Jelani almost immediately! Although their intentions were unknown at that point, I was with them until the end. As for Ellinor’s character, I thought she was quite complex. There are many layers to her, and she is very aware of which one she pulls back. There is so much to unpack about her character! However, her thoughts about vengeance kind of got a little old after a while. I would have liked to have been able to see Ellinor with her powers a little bit more at the beginning to understand how much of a disadvantage she is at throughout the book.
I was presently surprised by how fast I read this book. Clayton does a great job of keeping the readers hooked. If you like action and adventure, then this book is perfect!
One thing I was not anticipating while reading this book was the graphic detail of gore. While I did not have that big of an issue with it, it is something for others to keep in mind before picking up this book.
library_of_alexandra_'s review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Book Sirens and C.E. Clayton for an eARC of this book!
Ellinor Olyesha Rask is pronounced exactly how you would expect. Okay, now that is out of the way. Ellinor Olyesha Rask is a great main character, and I want more and that’s that. The scifi world building is so fun and cool. The science is so good it feels like magic, but there are also casters who are actually magical, so the line between science fiction and fantasy is blurry and I love it.
Ellinor is out for revenge. Her husband was killed in a fight with her former boss, but in her eight year quest to get back at him, she is captured. Her former boss, Cosmin, decides he needs her to help him. He puts her in a collar that cuts off her access to her magic and won’t take it off unless she cooperates. She then has to go on a mission with many of her former teammates to deliver Cosmin’s package and then she is done. But then team members are getting killed or going rouge, and her plans for vengeance don’t seem so simple. She has to learn how to trust again before she has to pay the highest price.
At first I could not stand Ellinor. But just watching her growth in her character arc made me like her a lot more than I did at first. It took me a hot minute to get into it, but by the second half, I did not want to leave Ellinor. Her main focus was on the death of her husband and her desire for vengeance. She had been working alone since her husband’s death, and seeing her having to interact with others that knew him forced her out of her new angry comfort zone.
For a book with one strong main character, there are a lot of side characters. A lot of her former coworkers were introduced early on, and I was unsure which to care about. I also got some of them confused with each other. But as the team shifted around and different people left, it became clear who mattered the most. It took a little bit of a long time for my liking, but once it did, I was really excited by the characters that were left.
A bit of a spoiler here, but the ending is not a closed door. There are definitely a lot of loose ends left over for the sequel, so if that bothers you, you have been warned. However, the way it ends does not have a just stop vibe. I hope the sequel picks up right were this left off and that’s all I will say on the subject.
Overall, this is a pretty good book. I like the world, I like the main character, and I think the character arc of the main character is one of the strongest I’ve seen in awhile. I highly recommend this for science fiction and fantasy fans!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romantic Subplot Rating: ❤❤❤/5
Ellinor is obsessed with vengeance for her husband and keeping his memory alive. So it is not until the team gets smaller that the twinkle of a subplot starts creeping in. I know Ellinor would be mad if I said it, but I have high expectations for the rest of her relationship with this particular character. And that is all.
Ellinor Olyesha Rask is pronounced exactly how you would expect. Okay, now that is out of the way. Ellinor Olyesha Rask is a great main character, and I want more and that’s that. The scifi world building is so fun and cool. The science is so good it feels like magic, but there are also casters who are actually magical, so the line between science fiction and fantasy is blurry and I love it.
Ellinor is out for revenge. Her husband was killed in a fight with her former boss, but in her eight year quest to get back at him, she is captured. Her former boss, Cosmin, decides he needs her to help him. He puts her in a collar that cuts off her access to her magic and won’t take it off unless she cooperates. She then has to go on a mission with many of her former teammates to deliver Cosmin’s package and then she is done. But then team members are getting killed or going rouge, and her plans for vengeance don’t seem so simple. She has to learn how to trust again before she has to pay the highest price.
At first I could not stand Ellinor. But just watching her growth in her character arc made me like her a lot more than I did at first. It took me a hot minute to get into it, but by the second half, I did not want to leave Ellinor. Her main focus was on the death of her husband and her desire for vengeance. She had been working alone since her husband’s death, and seeing her having to interact with others that knew him forced her out of her new angry comfort zone.
For a book with one strong main character, there are a lot of side characters. A lot of her former coworkers were introduced early on, and I was unsure which to care about. I also got some of them confused with each other. But as the team shifted around and different people left, it became clear who mattered the most. It took a little bit of a long time for my liking, but once it did, I was really excited by the characters that were left.
A bit of a spoiler here, but the ending is not a closed door. There are definitely a lot of loose ends left over for the sequel, so if that bothers you, you have been warned. However, the way it ends does not have a just stop vibe. I hope the sequel picks up right were this left off and that’s all I will say on the subject.
Overall, this is a pretty good book. I like the world, I like the main character, and I think the character arc of the main character is one of the strongest I’ve seen in awhile. I highly recommend this for science fiction and fantasy fans!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romantic Subplot Rating: ❤❤❤/5
Ellinor is obsessed with vengeance for her husband and keeping his memory alive. So it is not until the team gets smaller that the twinkle of a subplot starts creeping in. I know Ellinor would be mad if I said it, but I have high expectations for the rest of her relationship with this particular character. And that is all.
hannahmarae's review against another edition
5.0
Resistor is such a vivid, colorful novel. It felt a lot like reading a movie with big, bright scenes unfolding in my mind as I quickly turned the pages. The characters are fun and flawed in the most interesting ways. The villains are flashy and so amazingly bad that you have to love them. And the world is just... wow I kind of want to live there but I know it'd chew me up and spit me out soooo fast xD
Totally recommend if you're a fan of wild escapism because this is a hell of a ride. :D
*Arc provided by NetGalley and Starfish Ink in exchange for an honest review.
taschima's review
2.0
Eeeks maybe this is just not for me. It took me forever to finish and I think that is because I was just not that into the characters or the plot.
Random musings:
-From the get go I felt the dialogue was forced at times, specially when Kai spoke.
-The world building is... interesting. I have no idea why the MC had to be 50 years old
Random musings:
-From the get go I felt the dialogue was forced at times, specially when Kai spoke.
-The world building is... interesting. I have no idea why the MC had to be 50 years old
popthebutterfly's review
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Updated Review:
Disclaimer: I received this finished book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Resistor
Author: C.E. Clayton
Book Series: Ellinor Book 1
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Queer character, Lesbian character, Black character, Deaf character
Recommended For...: science fiction, heist
Publication Date: October 1, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (Language, sexual content, Religion, Death, Grief, Sexism, Romance, Gore, Violence, PTSD, Sacrifice)
Explanation of CWs: There is cursing in this book. There is some slight sexual content and romance. There is a scene of a spouse death and grief is dealt with throughout the book. There is some religion talk in this book. There is some sexism shown in this book. There is lots of gore and violence. There is a scene of PTSD and a scene of a sacrifice shown.
Publisher: Starfish Ink
Pages: 416
Synopsis: Ellinor Rask has wanted one thing for the past eight years: vengeance. But when Ellinor is captured, she finds herself dragged back into the world she walked away from, entangled once more with friends she would rather forget.
As if that weren’t humiliating enough, Ellinor learns first hand that her magic can be stripped away by a piece of bio-tech—and her ex-boss is happy to leash her with the technology in order to get what he wants. If Ellinor behaves, the device will be removed. All she has to do is deliver a package. One containing a creature created from raw magical energy and discarded technology. Simple, right?
But when her goals start getting people murdered, Ellinor has to decide if the year’s planning, her honor, and even her own magic, are worth the lives it’s costing. Dodging ruthless gangsters, she finds herself on the run with a creature of immeasurable magical abilities alongside her one-time friends. Now, Ellinor must relearn to trust the people she once abandoned. She must put her faith in technology, and her life in the hands of independent contractors, all while racing to deliver the package before it gets taken by force, or worse, the creature decides to make an appearance itself.
As if that weren’t humiliating enough, Ellinor learns first hand that her magic can be stripped away by a piece of bio-tech—and her ex-boss is happy to leash her with the technology in order to get what he wants. If Ellinor behaves, the device will be removed. All she has to do is deliver a package. One containing a creature created from raw magical energy and discarded technology. Simple, right?
But when her goals start getting people murdered, Ellinor has to decide if the year’s planning, her honor, and even her own magic, are worth the lives it’s costing. Dodging ruthless gangsters, she finds herself on the run with a creature of immeasurable magical abilities alongside her one-time friends. Now, Ellinor must relearn to trust the people she once abandoned. She must put her faith in technology, and her life in the hands of independent contractors, all while racing to deliver the package before it gets taken by force, or worse, the creature decides to make an appearance itself.
Review: Overall, I enjoyed my reread of this book. I loved the main cast of characters and I always enjoy a great heist read. I don’t see a lot of these heist books set in space, which is where I like to read, so it’s even better when the book is a sci-fi heist like book. The book had great world building and great character development. The book also had a good plot and the story flowed well. I also really liked the magic in this book and it worked well with the technology and sci-fi aspect.
However, I did feel like there was room for improvement in the book. There are a lot of characters and the amount of different characters and things you have to remember is a bit daunting. I found it hard to remember who was who from the huge cast. The book was a bit too fast paced in my opinion and I felt like I was being bounced around from place to place. It was hard to keep up with where the book was going sometimes. I feel like if the book was slowed down and maybe some more time was spent with the characters or if they were slimmed down a bit then it would have been a bit better for me.
Verdict: It was good!
Old Review:
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Resistor
Author: C.E. Clayton
Book Series: Ellinor Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi and fantasy lovers
Publication Date: August 7, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (language, violence, gore, death, grief, slight sexual content, slut shaming)
Publisher: Starfish Ink
Pages: 436
Synopsis: Ellinor Rask has wanted one thing for the past eight years: vengeance. But when Ellinor is captured, she finds herself dragged back into the world she walked away from, entangled once more with friends she would rather forget.
As if that weren’t humiliating enough, Ellinor learns first hand that her magic can be stripped away by a piece of bio-tech—and her ex-boss is happy to leash her with the technology in order to get what he wants. If Ellinor behaves, the device will be removed. All she has to do is deliver a package. One containing a creature created from raw magical energy and discarded technology. Simple, right?
But when her goals start getting people murdered, Ellinor has to decide if the year’s planning, her honor, and even her own magic, are worth the lives it’s costing. Dodging ruthless gangsters, she finds herself on the run with a creature of immeasurable magical abilities alongside her one-time friends. Now, Ellinor must relearn to trust the people she once abandoned. She must put her faith in technology, and her life in the hands of independent contractors, all while racing to deliver the package before it gets taken by force, or worse, the creature decides to make an appearance itself.
Review: Oh my word this was an amazing book! I loved the complex world building and the character development. The characters and how they interact with each other is always C.E.’s strong writing points and I loved all of the characters in this universe. The book was also full of action and the magic system and tech was pretty well done as well.
The only issues I had with the book were that the book is pretty slow in the being and it takes some getting used to in order to get into the book. But, once I was into the book, it was a quick 5 hour read. There was also some slut shaming which put me off of the main character.
Verdict: Definitely a must read if you’re into fantasy and sci-fi!
annebonny's review
adventurous
medium-paced
5.0
I received an advanced review copy of this for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
Ellinor Rask has been captured by Cosmin, the crime lord she used to work for, and forced back into a life she tried to leave behind. Her former boss needs her to do a job, and teams her up with her old crew, many of whom were hurt by Ellinor’s sudden departure. Things quickly go awry, of course, and while trying to survive, Ellinor must reevaluate the choices she made that led her to this point.
Well this was a lot of fun! The book starts with a history of how the world of Eerden was created, and the world building throughout was really interesting. The magic is elemental and character’s powers range from dabbling to extremely powerful. There is a lot of tech as well, and I found the times where magic and tech combined to be really intriguing. There’s also a little side plot, of sorts, about AI and magic, which is a pretty exciting niche for me.
The characters were really great. Ellinor has created a reputation for herself as some sort of vigilante after leaving her crew, as she seeks revenge against her former boss. She has succeeded so well that new members of the crew are afraid of her, and other characters we meet have heard of her. I was worried that she was going to be too overpowered for a while, but I shouldn’t have worried. For one, in the very beginning she is cut off from her magical powers, and for two, she hasn’t gained her reputation easily. She fights tooth and nail every time, and things are hard for her, but she is completely unwilling to give up. She was a very compelling character, struggling with grief and guilt and anger.
Jelani is another character that I found really intriguing. He hides a lot from the crew, but as he grows to trust Ellinor he slowly unfolds his back story to her (and to us), and it’s worth the wait! The rest of the crew was less fleshed out, but there was enough there to make me care about them. Pema and Talin are fierce and fiercely in love; they would do anything for each other which also makes them each other’s weakness in battle. Big, sweet Kai is pining for a man who will never love him back and for a return to his friendship with Ellinor, who is also unwilling. I initially found Irati really interesting but unfortunately she never really developed into anyone compelling, and I was exhausted by her by the end.
I love romance and while there was none here outside of Pema and Talin, that did not stop me from reading between the lines between certain characters. And it definitely was textual at times! So I can only hope it will get further development in future books. Please C.E. Clayton if you are reading this I am begging for just a scrap of a romance between them in the future (I’m sure you know who I mean!!).
The main plot involved Ellinor taking a package from Cosmin to another gang leader, Zabel. Things hit the fan repeatedly, and there are a ton of battles that were all great to read, and quieter character and team building moments in between that I really liked. There are twists and turns and I never got bored, even when the characters are just sitting around talking.
My one quibble is rather subjective, and it’s that I don’t like when characters are referred to by their whole name in narration after being introduced. For example, the narration would frequently and randomly refer to Ellinor as “Ellinor Rask did this”. Or refer to a character by just their first name at the top of a paragraph and then in the last sentence use their whole name. Every time I would read a whole name at random points it would take me out of the story a bit.
I really enjoyed reading this. Not only was it a thrilling ride, but it also examined grief and the cost of vengeance, and really forced its characters to examine their choices, which I never expected when I got this book. I already can’t wait for the next one.
Ellinor Rask has been captured by Cosmin, the crime lord she used to work for, and forced back into a life she tried to leave behind. Her former boss needs her to do a job, and teams her up with her old crew, many of whom were hurt by Ellinor’s sudden departure. Things quickly go awry, of course, and while trying to survive, Ellinor must reevaluate the choices she made that led her to this point.
Well this was a lot of fun! The book starts with a history of how the world of Eerden was created, and the world building throughout was really interesting. The magic is elemental and character’s powers range from dabbling to extremely powerful. There is a lot of tech as well, and I found the times where magic and tech combined to be really intriguing. There’s also a little side plot, of sorts, about AI and magic, which is a pretty exciting niche for me.
The characters were really great. Ellinor has created a reputation for herself as some sort of vigilante after leaving her crew, as she seeks revenge against her former boss. She has succeeded so well that new members of the crew are afraid of her, and other characters we meet have heard of her. I was worried that she was going to be too overpowered for a while, but I shouldn’t have worried. For one, in the very beginning she is cut off from her magical powers, and for two, she hasn’t gained her reputation easily. She fights tooth and nail every time, and things are hard for her, but she is completely unwilling to give up. She was a very compelling character, struggling with grief and guilt and anger.
Jelani is another character that I found really intriguing. He hides a lot from the crew, but as he grows to trust Ellinor he slowly unfolds his back story to her (and to us), and it’s worth the wait! The rest of the crew was less fleshed out, but there was enough there to make me care about them. Pema and Talin are fierce and fiercely in love; they would do anything for each other which also makes them each other’s weakness in battle. Big, sweet Kai is pining for a man who will never love him back and for a return to his friendship with Ellinor, who is also unwilling. I initially found Irati really interesting but unfortunately she never really developed into anyone compelling, and I was exhausted by her by the end.
I love romance and while there was none here outside of Pema and Talin, that did not stop me from reading between the lines between certain characters. And it definitely was textual at times! So I can only hope it will get further development in future books. Please C.E. Clayton if you are reading this I am begging for just a scrap of a romance between them in the future (I’m sure you know who I mean!!).
The main plot involved Ellinor taking a package from Cosmin to another gang leader, Zabel. Things hit the fan repeatedly, and there are a ton of battles that were all great to read, and quieter character and team building moments in between that I really liked. There are twists and turns and I never got bored, even when the characters are just sitting around talking.
My one quibble is rather subjective, and it’s that I don’t like when characters are referred to by their whole name in narration after being introduced. For example, the narration would frequently and randomly refer to Ellinor as “Ellinor Rask did this”. Or refer to a character by just their first name at the top of a paragraph and then in the last sentence use their whole name. Every time I would read a whole name at random points it would take me out of the story a bit.
I really enjoyed reading this. Not only was it a thrilling ride, but it also examined grief and the cost of vengeance, and really forced its characters to examine their choices, which I never expected when I got this book. I already can’t wait for the next one.
michellehogmire's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thanks to BookSirens for a finished copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review (pub date Aug 7, 2020)--
Ellinor Rask is in a hell of a predicament. She's dead set on getting vengeance on her old gangster boss Cosmin, for allowing her husband to be irresponsibly killed on the job. But then Cosmin captures her, attaches a collar around her neck that takes away her magic, and forces her to go on a perilous journey escorting a dangerous prize: a dreeocht--a powerful creature formed from both magic and technology. To make matters worse, Ellinor will be taking this trip with her old crew, who she abandoned when she left her job. To say that the crew has complicated feelings about Ellinor would be an understatement.
This engaging premise starts C.E. Clayton's cyberpunk novel Resistor (the first of a series, so the ending is a cliffhanger), which takes place in a world called Eerden. Certain people in Eerden possess magical abilities that allow them to manipulate elements (for example, Ellinor can control air). Besides humani, like Ellinor, C.E. Clayton's universe also contains a race called the Seersha, sentient AI beings named Ashlings, and other monstrous critters formed when magic, technology, and organic matter collide. Ellinor must venture across this land with her wary crew and scary prize in tow, navigating mutinous plots and meeting helpful independent contractors along the way--all without the use of her magic.
C.E. Clayton's book will please readers looking for an epic science fiction/fantasy adventure, with plenty of play-by-play action scenes and tons of great characters (my favorite being Kai--Ellinor's former best friend, who's loyal to a fault, craves a good fight, and is head-over-heels in love with Cosmin). Sometimes the narrative can be a little slow moving, and there are a few moments where the exposition about some of the world's creatures happens a bit quick, but overall Clayton maintains a balance between moving the story forward and helping the reader learn more about the world and the characters. Perhaps the most moving element of the novel is an important commentary on vengeance, which Ellinor has to learn isn't everything. Sometimes your previous prejudices are upended and your plans need to change, which can be an important learning process and sign of growth--especially if your new goal involves help, care, and kindness.
Ellinor Rask is in a hell of a predicament. She's dead set on getting vengeance on her old gangster boss Cosmin, for allowing her husband to be irresponsibly killed on the job. But then Cosmin captures her, attaches a collar around her neck that takes away her magic, and forces her to go on a perilous journey escorting a dangerous prize: a dreeocht--a powerful creature formed from both magic and technology. To make matters worse, Ellinor will be taking this trip with her old crew, who she abandoned when she left her job. To say that the crew has complicated feelings about Ellinor would be an understatement.
This engaging premise starts C.E. Clayton's cyberpunk novel Resistor (the first of a series, so the ending is a cliffhanger), which takes place in a world called Eerden. Certain people in Eerden possess magical abilities that allow them to manipulate elements (for example, Ellinor can control air). Besides humani, like Ellinor, C.E. Clayton's universe also contains a race called the Seersha, sentient AI beings named Ashlings, and other monstrous critters formed when magic, technology, and organic matter collide. Ellinor must venture across this land with her wary crew and scary prize in tow, navigating mutinous plots and meeting helpful independent contractors along the way--all without the use of her magic.
C.E. Clayton's book will please readers looking for an epic science fiction/fantasy adventure, with plenty of play-by-play action scenes and tons of great characters (my favorite being Kai--Ellinor's former best friend, who's loyal to a fault, craves a good fight, and is head-over-heels in love with Cosmin). Sometimes the narrative can be a little slow moving, and there are a few moments where the exposition about some of the world's creatures happens a bit quick, but overall Clayton maintains a balance between moving the story forward and helping the reader learn more about the world and the characters. Perhaps the most moving element of the novel is an important commentary on vengeance, which Ellinor has to learn isn't everything. Sometimes your previous prejudices are upended and your plans need to change, which can be an important learning process and sign of growth--especially if your new goal involves help, care, and kindness.
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