Deadlock picks up right where Coldwire left us and honestly, I was immediately back in the chaos.We get deeper into some of the characters and their histories and I actually loved getting those little pieces of their pasts. Miz especially surprised me because there was so much more to uncover there, and I really enjoyed getting inside the heads of characters I didn't know as well before.There are twists everywhere and I was constantly trying to work out what was actually going on, who could be trusted and what NileCorp was really planning. I love when a book makes me suspicious of literally everyone.But honestly, the character relationships were probably one of my favourite things. There are some really lovely quieter moments mixed in with all the chaos, especially the friendships and the romance. Kieren and Lia?? I LOVE them. Their relationship feels so natural because there's so much trust underneath all the banter and sarcasm. It's not constantly shoved in your face, it just quietly sits there making you absolutely melt.
And then Chloe Gong decides to turn the tension ALL the way up towards the end.The last part had me sitting there like I AM TOO STRESSED FOR THIS . My heart was actually racing and I could not put it down.I also really loved the bigger political side of the story. The whole decades-long conflict, NileCorp, the virtual reality world and the question of who actually gets to control people's lives makes everything feel so much bigger than just the characters trying to survive what's happening to them.I loved getting back into the StrangeLoom world and I'm already sitting here thinking about book 3 and what the hell is going to happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.

I don't know why I'm still shocked by Chloe Gong's ability to break my brain with her insane cliffhangers, but this one might have been the most insane of them all! THE LAST LINE!!?!?!!?

Anyway, since it's book two I can't say too much without spoiling but just know that I loved every single second of it. I absolutely adore Lia and Kieren and I love that we got more moments with them in this book; Lia in particular is so relatable to me, I would do anything for her. I also really loved that we got Kieren and Miz's POVs and think it really helped keep the plot moving since we got to switch between three POVs and see more of what was going on at any one time. As well as that, this book felt a lot more unrestricted than the first book since as readers we already have a good understanding of the world so more time can be spent on action than world-building.

Like Coldwire, Deadlock holds a haunting mirror up to many of the things that are currently occurring in our own world and while the similarities are almost frightening at times I think the commentary - particularly regarding AI - could not be more important right now.

I also have to mention the demisexual/romantic rep because it's some of my favourite that I've ever read! Given the nature of who Lia is (I'm really trying not to spoil) her being demi runs the risk of taking the stereotypical route of a lot of aspec rep, but because of the wider discussion of Lia's humanity and her coming to terms with it herself, it really doesn't feel like that at all. In fact, it actually made her even more relatable to me and is one of the reasons I love her so much. Additionally, Kieren's understanding of who she is - even when she's not sure herself - makes their relationship even more beautiful :'). I reiterate: I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.

It's not exactly a secret I'm a dedicated Chloe Gong Fan at this point, but how could I not be when she writes books this good?! Deadlock was (and is) one of my most anticipated titles of 2026 after the first installment of the trilogy, Coldwire, completely blew me away lats year. As expected, so did its successor. Deadlock is so good I picked it up once and could barely put it down, walking through the busy streets of the city center with my nose buried in the book (or in this case, my phone, really), and my fellow NileCorp employees (aka the Coldwire street team <3) were being amazed by my reading speed once again. But really, it is not due to my reading skills I zoom through Chloe Books, it is because of her writing skills that there is simply no other option. Anyway, let's get to the actual content of the book, shall we?

Spoilers start here, be warned!

Deadlock picks up where Coldwire left off: our team of rebellious teens divided and undercover once again. Lia is back at NileCorp as a double agent for the Coalition trying to maintain her cover as Eirale while struggling to make peace between these two identities. Kieren is also working for the Coalition but rather publicly as Nik Grant, serving as their new promotional face. Miz is on her own, struggling to cope with Lia's betrayal while trying to save Hailey, and Blare naturally is dealing with their own growing pains. So, everything is a Mess and there are so many exiciting storylines to follow, all of which Chloe crafts beautifully.

Deadlock keeps up with the intensity of Coldwire and does not let you off your guard even though you might think everything is now out in the open going into it. But naturally, there are still more secrets to uncover. What has NileCorp been doing to Hailey? Who is this mysterious prisoner the Coalition wants Lia to free? Who is Miz's new travel companion, Verity? What exactly is love? Where does Lia end and Eirale begin or the other way around? Can Kieren be himself without letting go of Nik Grant? Some questions are bigger than others yet all are so, so intergral to Deadlock.

As well as Chloe plots her novels, the skill of hers I adore the most is how she crafts her characters, As I always say, they simply feel so real and vivid. They are relatable yet can also be frustrating as hell or so funny in all their complexities. And so, Lia/Eirale remains my favorite character Chloe has ever written! And the competition for that spot is though, trust me. In any case, I want to bring up the character of Teryn Moore here because damn, am I conflicted on this girl. The first half of the book I spent so annoyed, wishing she would just get a grip and learn to be a person of her own right. The second half... well, I can't say I do not feel for her but still, girl, get a grip and realize your worth, please.

Before concluding this review I must mention the ending, right? It feels to early to talk about in detail even with a spoiler warning but I will say, this time Chloe managed to actually catch me off guard and I' m so happy about that. Her brain power! But for real, that twist... The third book seriously cannot come too soon, I must know where all this is to lead NOW!

Spoiler warning ends!

So to summarize, Chloe Gong remains a top storyteller in my eyes and Deadlock is some of her finest work. I had such a thrill reading it and cannot wait for it to be out in the world for everyone to read. November 17th, please come quicker!

Thank you, Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape & NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

Deadlock has all the elements of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and I mean that in all of the best ways possible. This is such a sensational second act of a trilogy that, dare I say it, for me it may be up there in my favourite Book 2’s of all time. Absolutely EVERYTHING is heightened in this novel and I couldn’t find the right time to pause reading once in my whole read. Seriously, ‘one more chapter’ became three then became five.

Chloe Gong references it herself in the Acknowledgments in Deadlock, but this book could not be more applicable to the world we live in today. The blurb alone should tell you why. The way this heightened the reading experience for me is uncanny because what, at the time of Coldwire, may have felt further away, is suddenly closer than ever and it’s a testament to Chloe Gong’s ability to stay on the cusp of what’s happening globally.

With the last book ending on such a cliffhanger, there’s very little I want to give away about the plot of this novel. What I will say is that EVERY character’s story development in Deadlock is beautifully done. There’s not a single character that we love and care about who falls into the occasional book 2 trope of being an extra waiting for book 3. ALL of their journeys are rich, delectable, emotional, and claw at your heartstrings and I LOVED it so so much.

One thing I really admire about Chloe Gong’s writing is the balance between dialogue and description. Where excessive description isn’t need, she’ll have a character tell us instead and where a conversation doesn’t need to be transcribed, she’ll summarise it. It keeps the pacing at the forefront and makes Deadlock a sequel of dreams! This is a wonder of a novel to get preordered and get yourself excited for!

I think I’m a new person efter reading this book. O M G CHLOE ?!?! how am I supposed to be all nonchalant as if I didn’t just read one of the best books of this year? of ever? WOW

Deadlock picks up straight after Coldwire and from
page 1 there are suspicions and intrigue. Now what can I say about the book? not reallg anything groundbreaking cause I don’t wanna spoil. But this is a masterpiece. I’m usually not the biggest fan of book 2 in trilogys because I feel like they are usually just filler books. But Deadlock? NOPE actionpacked since page 1.

I loved getting the multiple POV’s in this book aswell and the way we get insight to other characters relationships with each other. It really added depth to them and their dynamic.

I’m not well versed in cyberpunk so the twists are always SHOCKING to me. There are so many more options to the way things can progress when you add tech and AI to the story. A truly masterfully written book 2.

I loved getting the romantic bits between both LiaKieren and EiraleNik. They have such different dynamics depending on who they can be and which persona they are inhabiting. It was also very cool reading of Lias insight in her “split personality” and her as a sentient AI.

Waitijg for book three is gonna be AWFUL after reading that last line cause W T F ?!?! GIMME NEOWWW!

quotes I loved:
”I supposed Kieren was seared into me deeper than what should have been possible. Beyond arteries, beyond bone — into the rawest segments, where my neural network made me into a thinking creature.”

”I feel like I could burst… I feel like I could pry apart my ribs and put you inside… I feel like I could survive intil the heat death of the universe. As long as I have you.”

”This doesn’t make any sense. I was Lia longer than I was Eirale. I should be able to overrule her, to shift back to the person I used to be upcountry”