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Lock
Sarah Lockwood learned to be self-sufficient when she lost her parents. Life with her aunt on the Renaissance Fair circuit seemed exciting at first, but there was no stability.
Her uncle’s gardener, Archer, offers her a trip to another Realm and she jumps at the chance. The parallel world is filled with magic, machines, and beauty. The two are tasked with guarding an enchanted pen that records important events.
However, Archer has been keeping secrets that endanger not only himself but Sarah, too. He is a member of a rebellion against the Usurper King.
When Archer is kidnapped, Sarah must unravel Archer’s secrets, and every discovery shows Sarah no one is blameless in that magical Realm. Making life and death decisions at nineteen is not what she wants to do, but Sarah either chooses a side or her new home will be nothing except ashes.
Her uncle’s gardener, Archer, offers her a trip to another Realm and she jumps at the chance. The parallel world is filled with magic, machines, and beauty. The two are tasked with guarding an enchanted pen that records important events.
However, Archer has been keeping secrets that endanger not only himself but Sarah, too. He is a member of a rebellion against the Usurper King.
When Archer is kidnapped, Sarah must unravel Archer’s secrets, and every discovery shows Sarah no one is blameless in that magical Realm. Making life and death decisions at nineteen is not what she wants to do, but Sarah either chooses a side or her new home will be nothing except ashes.
- GenresFantasy
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2019
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 10, 2019
Imagine being offered a trip to another realm, a parallel world filled with secrets and magic. Little did Sarah know she would also find danger, intrigue and deceit or that her life would be forever changed when she uncovers one of the most vile plots imaginable. With the aid of a magic pen, she has the opportunity to rewrite history or at least set things to “write.”
LOCK by Jordan Elizabeth is an adult fantasy that sometimes feels like young adult read. Sarah is definitely out of her element, but soon learns to adapt. When she uncovers secrets that involve her long lost parents, Sarah will find an inner strength to do the right thing.
I’m not sure I always believed in Sarah as a character. Sure, she was in a strange place, but there were times she seemed too unsure and times when the violence around her seemed excessive, people too untrustworthy.
All told, this is an okay read, but not in the same league as many of Jordan Elizabeth’s other tales.
I received a complimentary copy from Jordan Elizabeth. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher: CHBB Publishing (October 27, 2019)
Publication Date: October 27, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Print Length: 315 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
LOCK by Jordan Elizabeth is an adult fantasy that sometimes feels like young adult read. Sarah is definitely out of her element, but soon learns to adapt. When she uncovers secrets that involve her long lost parents, Sarah will find an inner strength to do the right thing.
I’m not sure I always believed in Sarah as a character. Sure, she was in a strange place, but there were times she seemed too unsure and times when the violence around her seemed excessive, people too untrustworthy.
All told, this is an okay read, but not in the same league as many of Jordan Elizabeth’s other tales.
I received a complimentary copy from Jordan Elizabeth. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher: CHBB Publishing (October 27, 2019)
Publication Date: October 27, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Print Length: 315 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 30, 2019
My favourite of Jordan Elizabeth's books so far.....and I have read them all. This book takea you on a completely different and it is rather enjoyable. I love how each book has a strong female lead and in my opinion, Lock is the strongest.
November 13, 2019
good.. parts were irritating to me.. but overall it was a good story.. good plot..and characters were likable.. it was an interesting story and i liked it
December 18, 2020
Blending the classic fantasy tropes of prophecy and travelling to another realm with a more complex view of saviours, Elizabeth creates a young adult novel that offers a grittier perspective on a chosen one facing evil without reducing everything to moral relativism.
Having spent most of her moving from Renaissance Fair to Renaissance Fair, Sarah Lockwood is tired of the travelling life. So when her reclusive paternal uncle asks her to live with him on a trial basis, she jumps at the opportunity. However, his strict rules almost immediately start to grate. Archer, her uncle’s gardener, offers her an escape to an actual other realm; what he doesn’t mention is that the land is burdened with tyranny and political unrest and both sides might have especial interest in Sarah.
At its core, this novel is a tale of a person from this world travelling to a fantasy realm and being seen as a famed hero in the mould of the Chronicles of Narnia and similar books. However, Elizabeth weaves a somewhat more complex version: the “good” guys are a loose coalition of morally imperfect people rather than a noble resistance, and in addition to the traditional struggle Sarah faces with the idea she is the “chosen one” there are those in the resistance who do not believe but are happy to use her for political ends or to draw attention from the person they consider the real candidate. This both produces a more plausible political situation and maintains reader tension over whether Sarah is actually the hero of prophecy.
The hero-or-not thread is further enhanced by Archer being a member of a secret order sworn to observe but not interfere and residents of the realm who are opposed to visitors from our world interfering because history shows it can make things worse. Thus, while Elizabeth does not lean into it, there is a subtle metaphor for the “white saviour” complex of colonial theory.
Very definitely sitting in the young adult category, the fantasy heroics are paralleled by the standard YA threads: a strong belief in the unfairness of adults, the belief one is not a child paired with no real experience, intense desire for romance paired with confusion between options. However, Elizabeth does not allow them to become dominant. Thus the unique blend of utter certainty and constant uncertainty unique to the teenage mind echoes the themes of destiny and political paranoia inherent in the “mystical saviour of an oppressed land” thread, enhancing the impact without requiring the griminess of the main plot to escalate to unfeasible levels.
The increased engagement produced by this alignment is perhaps most obvious in the romance subplot: while this does draw on the classic ‘having two suitors and not knowing who to pick’ trope, the reader’s awareness that both potential love interests are less than perfectly honest and honourable makes it likely that even those readers who usual wish to bang character’s heads together will accept that Sarah is right to feel conflicted.
Apart from the mystical saviour and the magical pen possessed by the order of recorders, Elizabeth’s world is an average Western European medieval society blended with some items from our world. This lack of special creatures, unusual social structures, and such is perhaps one of the book’s greatest strengths as it leaves the reader free to focus on Sarah’s specific situation rather than also having to process myriad unfamiliar things.
Sarah is a sympathetic protagonist. While her lack of majority and her unfamiliarity with the other realm somewhat force a more reactive role on her in places, she is never passive or angst-ridden. Thus, while readers might not always agree with her choices, they are likely to see them as reasonable attempts to achieve worthwhile goals.
The supporting cast are similarly characterful, displaying the mix of weakness and strength, competence and misdirected effort, that real people display.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking a young adult chosen one narrative that offers a different perspective without deviating from the norm for the sake of it.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
Having spent most of her moving from Renaissance Fair to Renaissance Fair, Sarah Lockwood is tired of the travelling life. So when her reclusive paternal uncle asks her to live with him on a trial basis, she jumps at the opportunity. However, his strict rules almost immediately start to grate. Archer, her uncle’s gardener, offers her an escape to an actual other realm; what he doesn’t mention is that the land is burdened with tyranny and political unrest and both sides might have especial interest in Sarah.
At its core, this novel is a tale of a person from this world travelling to a fantasy realm and being seen as a famed hero in the mould of the Chronicles of Narnia and similar books. However, Elizabeth weaves a somewhat more complex version: the “good” guys are a loose coalition of morally imperfect people rather than a noble resistance, and in addition to the traditional struggle Sarah faces with the idea she is the “chosen one” there are those in the resistance who do not believe but are happy to use her for political ends or to draw attention from the person they consider the real candidate. This both produces a more plausible political situation and maintains reader tension over whether Sarah is actually the hero of prophecy.
The hero-or-not thread is further enhanced by Archer being a member of a secret order sworn to observe but not interfere and residents of the realm who are opposed to visitors from our world interfering because history shows it can make things worse. Thus, while Elizabeth does not lean into it, there is a subtle metaphor for the “white saviour” complex of colonial theory.
Very definitely sitting in the young adult category, the fantasy heroics are paralleled by the standard YA threads: a strong belief in the unfairness of adults, the belief one is not a child paired with no real experience, intense desire for romance paired with confusion between options. However, Elizabeth does not allow them to become dominant. Thus the unique blend of utter certainty and constant uncertainty unique to the teenage mind echoes the themes of destiny and political paranoia inherent in the “mystical saviour of an oppressed land” thread, enhancing the impact without requiring the griminess of the main plot to escalate to unfeasible levels.
The increased engagement produced by this alignment is perhaps most obvious in the romance subplot: while this does draw on the classic ‘having two suitors and not knowing who to pick’ trope, the reader’s awareness that both potential love interests are less than perfectly honest and honourable makes it likely that even those readers who usual wish to bang character’s heads together will accept that Sarah is right to feel conflicted.
Apart from the mystical saviour and the magical pen possessed by the order of recorders, Elizabeth’s world is an average Western European medieval society blended with some items from our world. This lack of special creatures, unusual social structures, and such is perhaps one of the book’s greatest strengths as it leaves the reader free to focus on Sarah’s specific situation rather than also having to process myriad unfamiliar things.
Sarah is a sympathetic protagonist. While her lack of majority and her unfamiliarity with the other realm somewhat force a more reactive role on her in places, she is never passive or angst-ridden. Thus, while readers might not always agree with her choices, they are likely to see them as reasonable attempts to achieve worthwhile goals.
The supporting cast are similarly characterful, displaying the mix of weakness and strength, competence and misdirected effort, that real people display.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking a young adult chosen one narrative that offers a different perspective without deviating from the norm for the sake of it.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
November 26, 2019
I received a digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
July 22, 2020
Sarah thought her life with her aunt would be exciting but was quickly disappointed by what her new life has to offer. When she’s given a glimpse into a parallel realm, she takes the opportunity without thinking twice. While the other realm is filled with beauty, mystery, and intrigue, it is also rife with danger. Will Sarah make it out alive?
Sarah was not my favorite character. I’ve read a lot of Miss Elizabeth’s work at this point, and I was a little disappointed at the choice of main character in this one. Sarah was flaky and irresponsible. She made some questionable decisions that made it difficult to want to root for her.
As usual with Jordan Elizabeth’s work though, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and worldbuilding. I’m always a sucker for parallel universe stories, and this one was thoroughly entertaining. Suspenseful and engaging, it becomes a race against the clock for Sarah to gather herself together and step up to save those around her or let her home be destroyed.
Narration was okay.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Sarah was not my favorite character. I’ve read a lot of Miss Elizabeth’s work at this point, and I was a little disappointed at the choice of main character in this one. Sarah was flaky and irresponsible. She made some questionable decisions that made it difficult to want to root for her.
As usual with Jordan Elizabeth’s work though, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and worldbuilding. I’m always a sucker for parallel universe stories, and this one was thoroughly entertaining. Suspenseful and engaging, it becomes a race against the clock for Sarah to gather herself together and step up to save those around her or let her home be destroyed.
Narration was okay.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
December 30, 2019
It was a bit hard to get into this book. There was a bit too much of unknown for too long.
The main character is kept in the dark for most of the book with people around doing nonsensical things to solve a problem without telling her that she is the key to the solution. I find that it gets a bit tiring.
I guess this is due to the story being more world based than character based. You have a very good description of the world the character evolve in and you can get a good understanding of things.
Some of the twists were a bit obvious from the "prophecy" that came at the beginning.
I was still a nice and imaginative story.
The main character is kept in the dark for most of the book with people around doing nonsensical things to solve a problem without telling her that she is the key to the solution. I find that it gets a bit tiring.
I guess this is due to the story being more world based than character based. You have a very good description of the world the character evolve in and you can get a good understanding of things.
Some of the twists were a bit obvious from the "prophecy" that came at the beginning.
I was still a nice and imaginative story.
November 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book. There were some nice twists and turns but also some predictable scenes as well. Jordan is an excellent writer and you will enjoy her books. Cogling is still my favorite. I can recommend. Gbash
November 5, 2019
Another fantastic book by this author. Her imagination continues to amaze me. Love the characters and the storyline kept me reading late into the night.
November 14, 2019
So good. Really great job with this one.
December 22, 2019
Cute story, though a little slow at times. It was tough to follow at the beginning, due to not knowing the characters yet, but I caught on after a little while and overall enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews