REVIEW of "Landlocked (Atlas Link, #2)" by Jessica Gunn

***(3) out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

When there are more traitors than allies, who do you trust?

Two years have passed since SeaSatellite5 was taken by the Lemurians. Trevor and Chelsea have rejoined the war on TAO’s side, exploring Link Pieces in hopes of finding the station. But so far they’ve managed to find nothing. Not even solace in their crumbling relationship.

After following a Link Piece to A.D. 3001, the botched trip leaves them telepathically connected. It’s too much for Chelsea and, retreating to a nightclub in Arizona, she interrupts an operation conducted by a paramilitary group called TruGates. They seem to know more about the Atlantean-Lemurian war than they’re letting on, and also unknowingly hunt Lemurian mercenaries. While guarding her own ties to the war, and despite Trevor’s and TAO’s misgivings, she agrees to join up if it’ll possibly lead to finding SeaSatellite5.

Back at TAO, Trevor learns that what he and Chelsea assumed happened to SeaSatellite5 barely scratches the surface. As the picture of the war expands, allies and traitors churn out of the web-work left behind. If Chelsea and Trevor can’t get past the betrayals and heal their wounded hearts, not only will the fate of SeaSat5 dangle on a precipice, but also every member of the crew they once risked everything to save.

~

Review:

I just did not enjoy this second book in the Atlas Link series nearly as much as the first.  In book one, Chelsea and Trevor were doing everything they could to move toward one another and a possible future together.  In this story, they just keep moving further and further apart, in ways that made it seem like they can possibly never be friends and coworkers, let alone anything else to one another.  Even after they became telepathically linked from a botched away mission, they still didn’t understand one another, and neither seemed to make much attempt to do so. 

There was a lot more info offered here about the parts being played by all the different participants in the war that is being waged.  But I still felt as though what we know is just the tip of the iceberg, with a huge mass of information still unknown beneath the surface. 

The author once again used a dual point of view, alternating between Chelsea and Trevor each chapter.  I still just personally do not like this type of narrative style, although I’m getting a bit more used to it as it crops up quite frequently these days.  And here it seemed like a storyline would come up at the end of one chapter, but then just be dropped in the next one and never followed-up on in subsequent sections.  The whole thing left me feeling a bit confused and unfinished.  But I guess some of that is probably intentional, given the complexity of the overarching themes and the issues in the relationship between Chelsea and Trevor.

In fact, most of the novel seemed to just be going back and forth from one thing to another, but never making any real headway toward, well, anything.  Even when they score a big win in their endeavors, it somehow feels like it is just part of someone else’s plan, and their fight isn’t even being waged at all, let alone won. 

The same was true of the concert by Phoenix and Lobster where Chelsea enacts her emergency clause to get a secret message to Trevor.  It was amazing, a brilliant piece of subplot that was uniquely crafted into the narrative; probably my very favorite part of the entire novel.  But then Trevor just tries to approach Chelsea afterwards and then tries to call her on the phone, instead of getting the hint and doing something about it.  Chelsea doesn’t do anything either though, even when given a chance.  She just keeps putting herself in harm’s way repeatedly, for no apparent reason. 

Basically, I found the entire story dismal and depressing, and pretty much just a place-keeper, like many such tomes in a series.  I do still enjoy the way in which the author can so beautifully turn a phrase, and the general storyline behind all the intrigue is interesting and entertaining.  But I’m really hoping for a lot more substance and resolution in the next volume(s)!

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Curiosity Quills, 

and have willingly provided and honest review.