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So Deep the Ocean: Volume 1
From USA Today Bestselling Author, Elle Cross, comes the continuation of the Brightling Court Series. This third book of the series will be published in two parts, after which, it will be published in one edition.
Once upon a time, I was a Brightling in the evernight world of dreams and magic known only as the Fold.
I have been reborn into the Shadow Realm, where I have claimed my power as Queen of Shadows and Flame.
I survived death and hell and now face my greatest challenge: Life, and the promise it holds.
As Karina’s gift of prophecy blooms with her power, she stumbles upon a grimdark vision of the world plunged into chaos.
Determined to keep her court safe, she seeks answers hidden in a remote, misty jungle. There she discovers new allies and new threats: A sleeping god is waking and calls upon its minions to finish the work it started thousands of years ago.
Karina faces her biggest challenge yet, and needs to draw upon every ounce of power available to her. But, she will soon discover that enemies can hide in plain sight and within those closest to her.
Shadows and flame have met their match against an ancient evil with power over dreams. Fortunately for Karina, she’s used to living with nightmares
For mature audiences, 18+ years old. This is a steamy paranormal romance reverse harem series.
Once upon a time, I was a Brightling in the evernight world of dreams and magic known only as the Fold.
I have been reborn into the Shadow Realm, where I have claimed my power as Queen of Shadows and Flame.
I survived death and hell and now face my greatest challenge: Life, and the promise it holds.
As Karina’s gift of prophecy blooms with her power, she stumbles upon a grimdark vision of the world plunged into chaos.
Determined to keep her court safe, she seeks answers hidden in a remote, misty jungle. There she discovers new allies and new threats: A sleeping god is waking and calls upon its minions to finish the work it started thousands of years ago.
Karina faces her biggest challenge yet, and needs to draw upon every ounce of power available to her. But, she will soon discover that enemies can hide in plain sight and within those closest to her.
Shadows and flame have met their match against an ancient evil with power over dreams. Fortunately for Karina, she’s used to living with nightmares
For mature audiences, 18+ years old. This is a steamy paranormal romance reverse harem series.
- GenresParanormal
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2019
36 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Elle Cross
29 books114 followersHi, I'm Elle Cross, and I write Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I live in NYC with my husband and the imaginary dog that we will one day adopt. I have a massive makeup collection and I'm grateful that, as a freelance makeup artist, I can justify buying even more.
When I'm not playing with color or my imaginary friends, I can usually be found in the nearest diner or bubble tea shop trying to take the perfect picture of my drink while my husband rolls his eyes.
(Yes, we're that couple. And, no, I don't post my food pics on my Instagram feed.)
To connect with me online, visit me here:
Website: http://ellecrossx.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ellecrossbooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ellecross_x
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elle_cross
When I'm not playing with color or my imaginary friends, I can usually be found in the nearest diner or bubble tea shop trying to take the perfect picture of my drink while my husband rolls his eyes.
(Yes, we're that couple. And, no, I don't post my food pics on my Instagram feed.)
To connect with me online, visit me here:
Website: http://ellecrossx.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ellecrossbooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ellecross_x
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elle_cross
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 4, 2019
Cliffhanger Alert!
I’ve been waiting for this book since The Brightling Court Book 2 came out. I love this series so much. I love how the Lady Brightling became the Queen of Shadows and Flame. The journey of Karina from a princess living in a realm that hurt her, to living in a realm that allowed her to flourish and grown in power as she developed her court as a queen is a fantastic one.
Karina’s court is settling as new members are absorbed and they find their place. Prince Drystan’s merge with the dragon Jindyss needs to be solidified along with their connection to the queen. Lord Ourus has been accepted as a member of the court but not into the inner circle. His role is still to become defined. These new additions to Karina’s court are well thought out and illustrative of how well the author understands character development and interaction. With a large group of people in a relationship it’s always going to be a tricky road to walk in order to decide whether to absorb new people in, or choose to exclude them because they just don’t fit. The author doesn’t use magic as a tool to make all characters fit instantly, it is used as a reason for a connection to start but it doesn’t take over every step of the process and I like this a lot.
As her court develops, Karina’s journey is still ongoing and in this book we see her exploring her powers some more. She has inherited her mother’s skills at dream walking and has a connection to prophecy that comes from her father’s lineage. The two seem to have combined in her and separating dream from reality is a skill she needs to learn. Karina seems to be getting a warning in her dreams about something deep and dangerous in the oceans. She is going to visit her father’s court, an island which sits within an ocean and the timing seems Oracle induced, even if she is going to help bond with her new found family.
This author is brilliant at getting the reader totally absorbed in the story and with the characters. I love Karina’s court, from her Primus to her Steward. The way the author describes the magical world in which Karina and her court live is phenomenal. It’s so easy to picture the wonders of an ever changing house and the magic of walking pathways between worlds. These descriptions and the fully realised characters in the book pull you into The Brightling Court and don’t let go until the last page. But be prepared to scream in frustration at the end of the book - there is a cliffhanger! At least the next book is coming out soon.
I’ve been waiting for this book since The Brightling Court Book 2 came out. I love this series so much. I love how the Lady Brightling became the Queen of Shadows and Flame. The journey of Karina from a princess living in a realm that hurt her, to living in a realm that allowed her to flourish and grown in power as she developed her court as a queen is a fantastic one.
Karina’s court is settling as new members are absorbed and they find their place. Prince Drystan’s merge with the dragon Jindyss needs to be solidified along with their connection to the queen. Lord Ourus has been accepted as a member of the court but not into the inner circle. His role is still to become defined. These new additions to Karina’s court are well thought out and illustrative of how well the author understands character development and interaction. With a large group of people in a relationship it’s always going to be a tricky road to walk in order to decide whether to absorb new people in, or choose to exclude them because they just don’t fit. The author doesn’t use magic as a tool to make all characters fit instantly, it is used as a reason for a connection to start but it doesn’t take over every step of the process and I like this a lot.
As her court develops, Karina’s journey is still ongoing and in this book we see her exploring her powers some more. She has inherited her mother’s skills at dream walking and has a connection to prophecy that comes from her father’s lineage. The two seem to have combined in her and separating dream from reality is a skill she needs to learn. Karina seems to be getting a warning in her dreams about something deep and dangerous in the oceans. She is going to visit her father’s court, an island which sits within an ocean and the timing seems Oracle induced, even if she is going to help bond with her new found family.
This author is brilliant at getting the reader totally absorbed in the story and with the characters. I love Karina’s court, from her Primus to her Steward. The way the author describes the magical world in which Karina and her court live is phenomenal. It’s so easy to picture the wonders of an ever changing house and the magic of walking pathways between worlds. These descriptions and the fully realised characters in the book pull you into The Brightling Court and don’t let go until the last page. But be prepared to scream in frustration at the end of the book - there is a cliffhanger! At least the next book is coming out soon.
August 28, 2019
So the author was definitely on a sexcapade in this adventure - there was so much sex going on that I felt the actual story was sidelining the sex. She was able to tell the story which was good, it gave us more insight into Karina's father's court. Reading some of the parts of the story came off a little weird because it was like the author couldn't get the thoughts out of her head fast enough and it showed on paper - it wasn't as cohesive as the last 2 stories - but it was still good. It did of course bring up more questions in general and I do hope the series continues more than the 4 current books.
I did wonder though why is Karina almost always with Havoc, Enver (that's obvious he's the primus) and taran. It seems that everyone else falls to the side, when West is supposed to be her second. And now her court is growing and her sexual partners are growing, so not sure how that how debacle is going to work out. That is just one of the questions in my mind but alas I don't want to give away the story so the rest will stay with me.
I would have actually given this story a 3.5 but the story in all is very captivating so I decided to go up to a 4. It's magical and fantastical so I am a sucker for that.
I did wonder though why is Karina almost always with Havoc, Enver (that's obvious he's the primus) and taran. It seems that everyone else falls to the side, when West is supposed to be her second. And now her court is growing and her sexual partners are growing, so not sure how that how debacle is going to work out. That is just one of the questions in my mind but alas I don't want to give away the story so the rest will stay with me.
I would have actually given this story a 3.5 but the story in all is very captivating so I decided to go up to a 4. It's magical and fantastical so I am a sucker for that.
June 26, 2019
So Deep
I have to admit that this is a series I truly enjoy reading and re-reading, but in this book, we get a glimpse into Karina’s life and the bonds she has created with her men. Elle Cross has taken Karina to the next level!
She is more assured, she is no longer doubting her bonds with her inner circle and she no longer feels like a piece of herself is missing.
With the addition of her father, brother and sister into her life, she feels a deeper sense of family, and that carries through to the men in her life. Along with all the good things coming into her life, Karina feels like something is stalking her from the depths. Her dreams are a little darker and she feels certain that she is the one the Oracles have chosen to defeat the darkness that is trying to cross into this world.
Join Karina and her Inner Circle as she learns that sometimes nightmares don’t only visit you in your dreams!
I have to admit that this is a series I truly enjoy reading and re-reading, but in this book, we get a glimpse into Karina’s life and the bonds she has created with her men. Elle Cross has taken Karina to the next level!
She is more assured, she is no longer doubting her bonds with her inner circle and she no longer feels like a piece of herself is missing.
With the addition of her father, brother and sister into her life, she feels a deeper sense of family, and that carries through to the men in her life. Along with all the good things coming into her life, Karina feels like something is stalking her from the depths. Her dreams are a little darker and she feels certain that she is the one the Oracles have chosen to defeat the darkness that is trying to cross into this world.
Join Karina and her Inner Circle as she learns that sometimes nightmares don’t only visit you in your dreams!
June 29, 2019
Pure genius involved
I'm struggling on where to begin. I loved this story for so many various reasons. When you hit books farther in a series you often times lose interest or feel like the story goes flat in some aspect. That's absolutely NOT the case with Karina. This book is incredibly well balanced between emotional situations like drama, anger, lust. Just to name a few. The world is extensive, yet you're not feeling like its discombobulated either. It blends seamlessly with previous mentions. The details are consistent and just enough to keep you salivating for more. The plot is well done for this part of Karinas story and we learn a few things as well. We get to watch them all continue to grow and learn and that's always a nice thing to see. When you fall in love with the world and characters you always want more, and the authors delivers quite well on this. I'm absolutely dying for volume two because, well. You have to read it to see why.
I'm struggling on where to begin. I loved this story for so many various reasons. When you hit books farther in a series you often times lose interest or feel like the story goes flat in some aspect. That's absolutely NOT the case with Karina. This book is incredibly well balanced between emotional situations like drama, anger, lust. Just to name a few. The world is extensive, yet you're not feeling like its discombobulated either. It blends seamlessly with previous mentions. The details are consistent and just enough to keep you salivating for more. The plot is well done for this part of Karinas story and we learn a few things as well. We get to watch them all continue to grow and learn and that's always a nice thing to see. When you fall in love with the world and characters you always want more, and the authors delivers quite well on this. I'm absolutely dying for volume two because, well. You have to read it to see why.
June 29, 2019
No spoilers of any kind included except for this and that is there is a wicked cliffhanger waiting at the end of this story, but then again it does say volume 1 in the book’s title! Lol
I absolutely loved So Deep the Ocean: Volume 1, but then again I absolutely love The Brightling Court series to begin with and I cannot wait until the next book is here!
Elle Cross just has this amazing way of weaving her stories that just transports you to another world where you don’t want to leave at all!
Which is why I’m always wanting and needing more of her books because they are just plain addicting as heck!
So it’s going to be a big HECK YEAH I most definitely do recommend this book but if you haven’t read any of the other books in The Brightling Court series then I highly suggest that you do that way you know who’s who and what’s happening!
I absolutely loved So Deep the Ocean: Volume 1, but then again I absolutely love The Brightling Court series to begin with and I cannot wait until the next book is here!
Elle Cross just has this amazing way of weaving her stories that just transports you to another world where you don’t want to leave at all!
Which is why I’m always wanting and needing more of her books because they are just plain addicting as heck!
So it’s going to be a big HECK YEAH I most definitely do recommend this book but if you haven’t read any of the other books in The Brightling Court series then I highly suggest that you do that way you know who’s who and what’s happening!
June 29, 2019
Karina has grown a lot in these 3 books. She is more self-assured leading her Guard and making decisions.
However, where there is light there is also darkness. Receiving messages through dreams Karina believes she is to be the champion to end the coming Darkness. Along this journey, Karina also expands her family - her true family. It was a piece missing before and there is now a unified strength surrounding her.
E.Cross paints a very vivid world under the sea. I always feel like I can visualize her world that she creates. We meet different creatures in this book, fascinating ones that become allies.
And ofcourse, E.C doesn't disappoint with the sexy scenes. Never crass, always passionate. Pure fire between Karina and her men.
Note, this book doesn't really end on a cliffhanger. Not a TRUE one anyways. 😜
However, where there is light there is also darkness. Receiving messages through dreams Karina believes she is to be the champion to end the coming Darkness. Along this journey, Karina also expands her family - her true family. It was a piece missing before and there is now a unified strength surrounding her.
E.Cross paints a very vivid world under the sea. I always feel like I can visualize her world that she creates. We meet different creatures in this book, fascinating ones that become allies.
And ofcourse, E.C doesn't disappoint with the sexy scenes. Never crass, always passionate. Pure fire between Karina and her men.
Note, this book doesn't really end on a cliffhanger. Not a TRUE one anyways. 😜
June 28, 2019
Another wonderful tale of Karina and her court. We begin where the last one left us, but Karina is having troublesome dreams about an Evil in the Abyss of the Ocean. So a new adventure begins, that lead us to her father’s kingdom and her new family, there she will discover more about this new enemy, about her Inner circle, her family and herself.
In between the action Karina’s bond with her men grows and Dristan finally complete his bond with her. Also Lord Ourus is more present and helping out his queens.
We do have a cliffhanger at the end, but what a promise it brings for volume two.
In between the action Karina’s bond with her men grows and Dristan finally complete his bond with her. Also Lord Ourus is more present and helping out his queens.
We do have a cliffhanger at the end, but what a promise it brings for volume two.
June 28, 2019
Brightling court is literally my fav series i have been waiting for this book for like ever I’m so glad elle finally had time to put it out. I love to see the new dynamic as karina get settled in to her court and her family. Her venture to see her father is like it opens up a whole different side to her. I like the little drops of things to come in the story and honestly the cliffhanger killed me and i was so sad that there was part two but i love more words so i will survive and hang out till part two one of my best reads this year
August 2, 2019
This Series created by Ms. Cross is highly addictive! Karina and her men will pull you into the story and hold you without blinking an eye until the end of the book.
Shadow Court is growing and getting stronger, the same goes for its ruler.
Prophecies can be tricky and dangerous. What is hidden behind them? What is going on? Will the water be safe?
Be warned the cliffhanger will make you want to jump into Vol. 2 right away.
Shadow Court is growing and getting stronger, the same goes for its ruler.
Prophecies can be tricky and dangerous. What is hidden behind them? What is going on? Will the water be safe?
Be warned the cliffhanger will make you want to jump into Vol. 2 right away.
July 13, 2019
I'm hooked
And want more. Great job creating the worlds of this story. I know another reviewer will give you description of the book and more. All I'm going to say about it is get the books of The Brightling Court series start from book one. Five stars every one.
And want more. Great job creating the worlds of this story. I know another reviewer will give you description of the book and more. All I'm going to say about it is get the books of The Brightling Court series start from book one. Five stars every one.
April 28, 2020
Loving the series
Seems this book was a bit rushed, loved the first two and this one still gave plenty to read but it did not seem to hold the same wave length as the first two. I am hooked into the series so I had to see what was happening but was disappointed hit did not hold up.
Seems this book was a bit rushed, loved the first two and this one still gave plenty to read but it did not seem to hold the same wave length as the first two. I am hooked into the series so I had to see what was happening but was disappointed hit did not hold up.
July 2, 2019
Worth the wait
This book was definitely worth the wait. The story, the sub story was/is perfect!! I have been in love with these characters since day one and I’m loving the growth and support these characters show!
This book was definitely worth the wait. The story, the sub story was/is perfect!! I have been in love with these characters since day one and I’m loving the growth and support these characters show!
September 1, 2019
Killing me!
Elle has done a phenomenal job with this installment of the shadow courts! The only thing I can say is, I loved it and look for to the newest court. Love love love
Elle has done a phenomenal job with this installment of the shadow courts! The only thing I can say is, I loved it and look for to the newest court. Love love love
November 18, 2019
This book was difficult to put down. Love the heroine who is kick, ass full of magic and still feminine. Humorous and fast paced, an enjoyable read.
July 27, 2019
Highly anticipated continuation to Karina’s story! There are new additions to Karina’s court and her bonds with the others are as strong as ever. I loved her journey throughout the books, and of course her inner circle <3 There were some nice steamy scenes in there, my favorite was the one with Ranek ;D This is part one so it does end in a cliffy but it’s not a bad one!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews