By Sun and Saltwater

Secrets of Itlantis #2

by Kate Avery Ellison

An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

Aemi has a new life beneath the sea in the world of Itlantis, but all is hardly idyllic—her assimilation into Itlantean society is fraught with accusations and rumors, those closest to her are keeping deadly secrets, and most frightening of all, someone is trying to kill her.

Desperate for answers, Aemi and her friends set off to find answers in Arctus, the Ice City, but they might uncover more than they bargained for in the process...

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Paranormal, Mermaids, Science Fiction

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2014

About the author

I've been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I'm thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I'm not writing, I'm creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.

Click here to read the first chapter of THE CURSE GIRL!

Click here to read the first chapter of FROST!

Attention Book Bloggers ~ If you are interested in interviewing me or reviewing one of my books, send me a message. I'd love to hear from you! (Please note: I am currently not able to fulfill most requests for print copies at this time, but you can always ask. However, I am ALWAYS able and happy to provide e-copies or PDFs of my books in exchange for an honest review.)

If you're wondering why I categorize books as "breathless," "cake," or "amnesia," check out this blog post!

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still enjoyed this book not as much as the first book. While this did have some intigue and twists and turns, I felt it was a bit all over. I did not care for how Aemi stepped into her new life. Nor do I care much for her family and their staff. For the most part. There are exceptions but I cannot speak of those. I just feel they are behaving oddly yet demand much of her and it makes me made. And no one wants to tell her the truth! Ugh! Poor girl. A bit predictable in overall story but the details on how the results are given are refreshing.

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kate Avery Ellison for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

By Sun and Saltwater is the second novel in Kate Avery Ellison sweeping Secrets of Itlantis series and is another beguiling installment that continues to build on the storyline from the first novel and leaves readers raring to dive into the next novel as soon as possible.

After the events of Of Sea and Stone, readers find themselves once more following Aemi, who has just discovered that she is in fact an Itlantean, born Aemiana Greywater, and heir of the Greywater family, a wealthy and prominent Itlantean family. With Celestrus having been attacked and destroyed at the end of the last book by their very own people disguised as the Dron, Aemi and a small group of survivors have sought refuge with the neighboring Itlantean land of Primus and have begun to assimilate and partake in Itlantean events. And yet, as Aemi begins to investigate her family’s history she discovers that not everything is as it seems and soon comes to realize that the attack on Celestrus, ordered by Governor Nautilus of the military city of Volcabus, is only the tip of the iceberg and much more nefarious things are happening within Itlantis and only if Aemi steps up can she and her friends prevent a war….

I’m seriously loving this series so far! The first book introduced readers to a really intriguing world, and in By Sun and Saltwater we have the chance to explore it a little bit more, whilst discovering more layers to it. Author Kate Avery Ellison takes readers on an exhilarating journey with this story that is pure entertainment and fun. Her writing was solid, and I very much enjoyed her storytelling; I’m loving following Aemi and discovering more about her and the world of Itlantis.

Itlantis is a clearly well thought out world; with positions, politics and the art of deception front and center. I thought the inclusion of the Dron was smart and I’m really interested to see what impact they with have on the continuing storyline. Itlantis is facing its own internal dangers having been betrayed by one of its own, but with the Dron believing Itlantis is attacking them, the possibility of an all-out war is one Ellison makes very clear.

Aemi is a great heroine to follow, and I love seeing the story unfold through her eyes. Though months have passed since the events of the first novel, Aemi is still very much the same resilient, young woman she has always been. It’s obvious there’s more growth to be made in her, but already she’s quite capable and willing to stand up for what she believes. I appreciate the fact she hasn’t let her newfound wealth and power go to her head. Of course she still wants answers as to how she came to live in the Village of the Rocks, and why she was taken from Itlantis, but Aemi still seems like the girl we met in the first novel, albeit a bit more confidant and independent.

The relationships and friendships Aemi has with the various characters in this series, including Merelus, Lyssia and Tob, remain quite strong. I really loved the new character of Tallyn, an “etiquette teacher” who is so much more than he seems and who keeps Aemi on her toes, and of course I still adore Nol. Nol is a love interest for Aemi, and though there is some developments to complicate their circumstances further, I have high hopes for them romantically. They’re both from different worlds, and spent their lives part of different social standings, but I think they have great chemistry and I’m certainly going to be vying for them in future books.

Rich in danger, excitement and mystery, By Sun and Seawater is a great follow up to the first book in this series and leaves me very eager to continue on with the series and join Aemi on her journey once more!

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm

Life in Itlantis has turned out differently from how Aemi first imagined it, with her discovering that she is the heir to the Graywater family and a member of Itlantis high society. However, being one of the elite is not as easy as she would have believed, with Itlantis high society being fraught with rumours and accusations, multiple assassination attempts and she discovers that her father was executed for treason. Desperate for answers Aemi and her friends set off to Arctus, the ice city, but they discover more than they expected.

By Sun and Saltwater is a really good sequel to Of Sea and Stone. It has plenty of twists and secrets, and it is fast paced and has action, mystery and romance.

I really like Aemi in this book as she has so much to deal with yet she is still strong and kind. There are lots of returning characters including Lyssia and Merclus and another character who I am glad reappears in this book. My favourite new character is Tallyn as he is not all he seems and really cared for Aemi.

This book is just as good as the last book and I am looking forward to the next book With Tide and Tempest. I would recommend By Sun and Saltwater to fans of the first book in the Secrets of Itlantis series Of Sea and Stone.

[Danica Lamphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the book in one night it was very good and once again would make a great movie and I cannot wait for the third one.

[Amanda Ebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent followup to the first book, showing the consequences of the last minute revelations at the end of that one. This feels distinctly episodic, more so than a book series usually is, like the second episode of a five episode series rather than book two of five. But this isn't entirely a bad thing. It means the story reads fast, and even slower readers are likely to breeze through it fairly quickly.

[Shannon Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

I wish these books were a bit longer. Short books like this cut the plot off and rush everything. There has been a lot of character development for our MC but it's happening too quickly and seems a bit unrealistic.

[BookishMunchkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is worse than the first. I love the setting and premise but so many of the characters are flat, you get rushed along in plot, and like other reviewers have said before: it reads more episodic rather than a sequel. I won’t be continuing the series.

[Brandy Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok.

Not quite at captivating as the first book. I hope book three is a lot more like book one. This book did not get you any closer to answers or leave you with a “got to read the next one right now” feeling.

[Brittany Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense art 2

This story see the characters growing through more adversity and intrigue. Twists abound and plans are wrecked and boo 3 promises to be epic too.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy any book written by Kate Avery Ellison! She has a knack for storytelling and it really shows in her books! And the way she describes things and sets the scene for you, it's like you're really there! When I read her Frost series, I was in Florida in the middle of summer and still felt cold whenever I read her books. This series does not disappoint either. She paints a great picture of this gorgeous underwater world and I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot.

So this book picks off with Aemi finding out that she a member of one of the richest families in Itlantis and spends the majority of the book investigating her father's death, while still grieving the loss of her friend/maybe-more-than-a-friend Nol. There is also some action because while she is trying to come to grips with her new station in life, her father's death, and missing Nol, someone tries to kill her multiple times! There are some great plot twists in this book and Ellison does a great job at giving us just enough clues to make us ask more questions! It's intriguing and frustrating at the same time. It's a very exciting book and Aemi is a very strong female character who doesn't need a man to help her with anything.

My only complaint would be it felt like she was too strong of a character sometimes...she had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders and she never confided in anyone really. There is a great cast of supporting characters that help her out, which is great, but I felt like she shouldn't have to be the strong one all the time. It felt like Aemi was isolated a lot, which is something I also noticed Ellison did with Lia Weaver in Frost. It felt very lonely... But anyways, this book is still great and the plot moved along nicely although still left us with tons of questions (which I hope get answered in the next book!).

http://teabookslover.blogspot.com/

[C.A. Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the world building in Book 1, and it ended on a cliffhanger, particularly with regards to Nol -- was he dead? Was he alive? I kept reading largely to find out.

By about 40% through, honestly, I started skimming. Up until that point, Aemi had realized she was an heiress and she was both acclimating to her new position and trying to learn the ins and outs of rivalries between the Itlantians and the Dron. But while she was surrounded by characters from the first book (Of Sea and Stone), none of those characters had been fleshed out enough for me to really care about them all that much. I was only invested in Aemi and Nol. *** Spoiler alert *** Nol finally did make an appearance around 60% through the book, but their reunion wasn't as charged or romantic as I was hoping it might be. The rest of the book continued much the way the previous 60% had done, with Aemi still unraveling mysteries and learning her place. Nol was helpful/not helpful alternately, but the sparks weren't there, the way they were in Book 1.

I think the story itself was still really creative, and still in an interesting setting. This story would have been as engaging as the first, if the characterization had been stronger. As it was, it was just a very plot-driven story. It was good, but not extraordinarily memorable.

[Michael Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Of Sea and Stone features Aemi coming to grips with her new life in Primus. She sets out on a quest to learn more about her father and why he was framed for treason, all the while dodging attempts on her life. Meanwhile, the Dron aren't taking too lightly to being attacked by Itlantis' rogue military faction.

This second book continues the story nicely. There is a lot of great action, mystery, and reveals. I really loved the parts about the Dron and I found Aemi's etiquette instructor to be a really fun character. The story is mostly set in Primus with a little bit in Arctus and some in a Dron territory. I hope we learn more about other cities in future books. The story is Aemi-centric and really driven by her exploration of her past and who is trying to kill her. The senate and politicians in the novel continue to be bumbling self-centered bureaucrats, of which Aemi can expect little help.

I really enjoyed this one and looking forward to the next.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this author in quite good at her craft. I loved this book just as much as the first one if not more. It kept me wanting to keep reading more of the book. I had this book done a about 2 days because I could not put it down. I think this book and author in one to follow. * I received this book from the author in exchange for on honest review*

[Tabi Wares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid book. I expected some of the twists, such as certain people still being alive, but there were a few that actually surprised me. Nothing feels overly contrived yet and it doesn't really remind me of any other books/series that I've read, which is rare considering how much I read the genre. I still have misgivings about the longevity of the series, but good so far!

[Elizabeth Otvos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peeling an onion. Kate Avery Ellison is an amazing writer. The story's she writes are so full of layers it's like slowly peeling and onion. I can't wait for the next book to release and be drawn into the characters life's all over again. Let the secrets be uncovered.

[Caprice Hokstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. It was not as good as the first book. Left too many loose ends. I'm sure that's because of sequels. But I kind of got lost in all the political intrigue, family mysteries, and war and missed the wonder of the undersea cities. Haven't decided if I will read the third book or not.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great second book from this series. Loved the intrigue and adventure. Many nail biting events and suspense galore. Can't wait to read the next installment!