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The Living Oracle #1
Hidden Realm
Ten years after joining with the oracular bookstore Abernathy’s to become an oracle herself, Helena Campbell has a perfect a loving husband, three wonderful children who share her gift, and a calling she loves. But a chance encounter reveals a secret conflict between adepts who wield magic unlike anything she has ever seen and a powerful cabal that wants to rule the world.
For a thousand years, the adepts have guarded the way to the realm of Faerie, preventing elves from entering and destroying our world. But the barrier is weakening. As the evil cabal works to bring it crashing down, the conflict requires Helena to use her gift against them—but will the power of the oracle be enough to stop an invasion?
For a thousand years, the adepts have guarded the way to the realm of Faerie, preventing elves from entering and destroying our world. But the barrier is weakening. As the evil cabal works to bring it crashing down, the conflict requires Helena to use her gift against them—but will the power of the oracle be enough to stop an invasion?
- GenresFantasy
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2023
58 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
96 books862 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 5, 2023
While this is the first of a new series, it's also a follow-on from The Last Oracle and I'd recommend reading that series first. You don't have to, but a lot of the relationships will have a ton more depth if you do.
I'll start, as I often do with Melissa's books, with a non-standard standard disclaimer. Feel free to disregard any of this as biased because I owe her literally everything I am or will become. I strive for honesty in all my reviews, even these, but there's plenty of room for unconscious biases even if I were super-humanly honest (which I'm definitely not).
Anyway, I've always loved Helena and seeing her being a young mother is a treat. And not less so for having pieces of our parenting experiences crop in liberally. Many of the kids' behaviors are recognizable from raising our own four children, the meltdowns as much as the high points. And yes, we were as surprised as Helena to discover that other people's children weren't content to sit down quietly to a 75 minute movie...
Ours didn't have an oracular gift/burden. As far as you know. So there are differences. Probably.
Where was I? Oh yeah, there's plot and scary elves and scarier magic people that nobody knew anything about because secret societies are sometimes successful at keeping themselves secret from each other. I kind of love the vision of two magical traditions co-existing unknowingly for centuries, not seeing each other because they don't have any idea what to look for. And then they find each other along with an existential threat as the gates of Faery threaten to open once again.
And oh, the grudge the elves will bring with them when those gates open! The plot was more gripping than I remembered from reading it in draft and I found myself tense while barreling along that last third even though I know how it would end (more or less, my memory is awful).
So this is a great five-star read with a fast pace, a heroine I've loved since The Book of Secrets, and a story I can't wait to get more of. I hope you like it as much as I do.
A note about Chaste: Helena and Malcolm are together and in love and it's clear that sex happens. But there are no details so I consider this very chaste.
I'll start, as I often do with Melissa's books, with a non-standard standard disclaimer. Feel free to disregard any of this as biased because I owe her literally everything I am or will become. I strive for honesty in all my reviews, even these, but there's plenty of room for unconscious biases even if I were super-humanly honest (which I'm definitely not).
Anyway, I've always loved Helena and seeing her being a young mother is a treat. And not less so for having pieces of our parenting experiences crop in liberally. Many of the kids' behaviors are recognizable from raising our own four children, the meltdowns as much as the high points. And yes, we were as surprised as Helena to discover that other people's children weren't content to sit down quietly to a 75 minute movie...
Ours didn't have an oracular gift/burden. As far as you know. So there are differences. Probably.
Where was I? Oh yeah, there's plot and scary elves and scarier magic people that nobody knew anything about because secret societies are sometimes successful at keeping themselves secret from each other. I kind of love the vision of two magical traditions co-existing unknowingly for centuries, not seeing each other because they don't have any idea what to look for. And then they find each other along with an existential threat as the gates of Faery threaten to open once again.
And oh, the grudge the elves will bring with them when those gates open! The plot was more gripping than I remembered from reading it in draft and I found myself tense while barreling along that last third even though I know how it would end (more or less, my memory is awful).
So this is a great five-star read with a fast pace, a heroine I've loved since The Book of Secrets, and a story I can't wait to get more of. I hope you like it as much as I do.
A note about Chaste: Helena and Malcolm are together and in love and it's clear that sex happens. But there are no details so I consider this very chaste.
Read
July 9, 2025This came about in an unusual way. Having finished the Last Oracle series, I was looking for new stories to tell, and if I could find a contemporary fantasy story, that would be great. And it turned out there was a story I wanted to do, dealing with amnesia (specifically, having memories literally removed) and what happens when you don't remember the horrible person you used to be. In outlining the book, I built up a mythology and a series outline and everything I needed for a new series.
Except it was total crap.
The book itself was fine. It was fun to write and I think I accomplished what I intended. But the second was a slog, and it turned out to be so so boring. So I shelved the whole thing.
A while later, after getting several emails asking if I really was done with the Last Oracle and couldn't there be more to the story, I started thinking seriously about the possibility. Helena's arc was done, but I thought it would be nice to write about her life ten years on. Not a lot of moms get to be kick-ass heroes, and I'd established things about Helena's children I wanted to talk about.
So I started brainstorming. And one of the ideas that came up was similar to the discarded series. When I looked at that series more closely, with the intent of seeing what I could borrow for Helena's world, it turned out that everything I'd created was about 97% compatible with the worldbuilding and history of the Last Oracle. I figured that was a sign.
I worked out the details of the history, altered a few things, and soon I had--this book. I like how it turned out, with the continuing relationship between Helena and Judy and Viv (though Judy's part in the series is taking time to develop) and how Helena's children each cope with being oracles. The series itself is more of a struggle. With The Last Oracle, I had a strong guiding vision across all nine books. Here, I haven't yet worked out the end point, and the villains, both sets, have advantages the Wardens have to figure out how to deal with. I hope it's enjoyable to readers, and I hope even more I can keep the series going.
In re-reading the book as a final check, I was surprised at how much of my own life I'd mined for elements of Helena's. For example, Alastair's genius comes whole cloth from my own childhood, from his early self-taught reading to his occasionally being annoying with his knowledge. The strangest one was about the video game Duncan is obsessed with. The game "Legend of Kerigon", about a staff fighter's adventures, comes from a very long ago tabletop RPG I was in where the DM gave my character a telescoping quarterstaff named Kerigon. I'd forgotten this until the name I thought I'd made up finally worked its way to the surface of my memory. And my oldest daughter was just as obsessed with marine biology as a small child as Duncan is.
(I should have taken notes. There were lots more.)
Except it was total crap.
The book itself was fine. It was fun to write and I think I accomplished what I intended. But the second was a slog, and it turned out to be so so boring. So I shelved the whole thing.
A while later, after getting several emails asking if I really was done with the Last Oracle and couldn't there be more to the story, I started thinking seriously about the possibility. Helena's arc was done, but I thought it would be nice to write about her life ten years on. Not a lot of moms get to be kick-ass heroes, and I'd established things about Helena's children I wanted to talk about.
So I started brainstorming. And one of the ideas that came up was similar to the discarded series. When I looked at that series more closely, with the intent of seeing what I could borrow for Helena's world, it turned out that everything I'd created was about 97% compatible with the worldbuilding and history of the Last Oracle. I figured that was a sign.
I worked out the details of the history, altered a few things, and soon I had--this book. I like how it turned out, with the continuing relationship between Helena and Judy and Viv (though Judy's part in the series is taking time to develop) and how Helena's children each cope with being oracles. The series itself is more of a struggle. With The Last Oracle, I had a strong guiding vision across all nine books. Here, I haven't yet worked out the end point, and the villains, both sets, have advantages the Wardens have to figure out how to deal with. I hope it's enjoyable to readers, and I hope even more I can keep the series going.
In re-reading the book as a final check, I was surprised at how much of my own life I'd mined for elements of Helena's. For example, Alastair's genius comes whole cloth from my own childhood, from his early self-taught reading to his occasionally being annoying with his knowledge. The strangest one was about the video game Duncan is obsessed with. The game "Legend of Kerigon", about a staff fighter's adventures, comes from a very long ago tabletop RPG I was in where the DM gave my character a telescoping quarterstaff named Kerigon. I'd forgotten this until the name I thought I'd made up finally worked its way to the surface of my memory. And my oldest daughter was just as obsessed with marine biology as a small child as Duncan is.
(I should have taken notes. There were lots more.)
Read
July 12, 2023I read this absolutely piecemeal while traveling, which turned out not to be a good idea, as there is a large cast, and two different magic systems. I had to go back and reread A LOT because of the enforced breaks while being constantly on the move.
OTOH two different magic systems and weird world stuff is in all other respects very much a plus! Another plus is an entire family involved in the adventure. This author is always strong on characters with complexity and a balance between emotional lives and the demand of adventure. Add in kids who resonated as real, and the knife-edge of being a mom and a mage, another strong draw.
Because this is the setup for a series, almost anything I say is either a spoiler or a question, so I will just end with a terrific quote, mom to kid, when things got hairy: "Alastair, how about you ask me a question that will reassure you? Enough for you to sleep, anyway."
I can't tell you how much that said about their relationship, about them, and about the whole arc.
OTOH two different magic systems and weird world stuff is in all other respects very much a plus! Another plus is an entire family involved in the adventure. This author is always strong on characters with complexity and a balance between emotional lives and the demand of adventure. Add in kids who resonated as real, and the knife-edge of being a mom and a mage, another strong draw.
Because this is the setup for a series, almost anything I say is either a spoiler or a question, so I will just end with a terrific quote, mom to kid, when things got hairy: "Alastair, how about you ask me a question that will reassure you? Enough for you to sleep, anyway."
I can't tell you how much that said about their relationship, about them, and about the whole arc.
January 29, 2024
I love Melissa McShane's books. I've read multiple series' of hers, and very much enjoyed all of them. The Last Oracle series, which this is the predecessor of is one of my favourite paranormal stories ever! I was very sad when that ended, but I loved every book in it!
So I was super excited when I learned she had written a new book that continued Helena's story.
The new book is a real testament to what an excellent writer McShane is, because it's been a while since I finished the last book in the earlier series, but when I started this book it was like no time had passed. I knew right where we were, I got everything I needed to understand what was going on, how it related to what came before and where the story was going from the first pages. That's a great writer!
The new story is, well, new, but there are plenty of references to the earlier story without being confusing for a new reader who hadn't read the earlier books. I enjoyed the plot here, which ramps up substantially faster than the earlier series (which makes perfect sense in context) and also offers plenty of character development opportunities, especially for Helena.
There is excitement, danger, suspense and plenty of action here and the story moves along rapidly. I enjoyed the book and while there is technically a cliff-hanger ending, we do get an ending (sort of) for the current book, which I always prefer.
Suffice it to say I'm now looking forward anxiously to the release of the next book in this new series. I will definitely continue on with Helena's continuing adventures saving the world.
So I was super excited when I learned she had written a new book that continued Helena's story.
The new book is a real testament to what an excellent writer McShane is, because it's been a while since I finished the last book in the earlier series, but when I started this book it was like no time had passed. I knew right where we were, I got everything I needed to understand what was going on, how it related to what came before and where the story was going from the first pages. That's a great writer!
The new story is, well, new, but there are plenty of references to the earlier story without being confusing for a new reader who hadn't read the earlier books. I enjoyed the plot here, which ramps up substantially faster than the earlier series (which makes perfect sense in context) and also offers plenty of character development opportunities, especially for Helena.
There is excitement, danger, suspense and plenty of action here and the story moves along rapidly. I enjoyed the book and while there is technically a cliff-hanger ending, we do get an ending (sort of) for the current book, which I always prefer.
Suffice it to say I'm now looking forward anxiously to the release of the next book in this new series. I will definitely continue on with Helena's continuing adventures saving the world.
May 2, 2024
THE HIDDEN REALM is book 1 of a new series that centers on the characters introduced in the The Last Oracle series (which I do recommend reading first). I loved the first series so I was excited to read this one.
And I was not disappointed. I loved seeing Helena's life now as a wife, mother, and oracle to her magical community. And even though the monsters from th first series are gone, there's a whole new set of challenges for Helena and her friends. (No spoilers.)
It takes a little time to parse out how the magical community has changed, but it gives us the usual fast-paced action and life-threatening scenes while Helena and friends try to sort out some magical communities they never knew existed.
I loved it. I recommend it to older teens and adults who enjoy Contemporary Fantasy, and to anyone who liked the first series. 5 stars.
And I was not disappointed. I loved seeing Helena's life now as a wife, mother, and oracle to her magical community. And even though the monsters from th first series are gone, there's a whole new set of challenges for Helena and her friends. (No spoilers.)
It takes a little time to parse out how the magical community has changed, but it gives us the usual fast-paced action and life-threatening scenes while Helena and friends try to sort out some magical communities they never knew existed.
I loved it. I recommend it to older teens and adults who enjoy Contemporary Fantasy, and to anyone who liked the first series. 5 stars.
May 14, 2023
Hidden Realm is the beginning of Melissa McShane's new series, The Living Oracle. She is among my favorite fantasy authors and this book gives me another reason why. I loved getting to know the magical world of Helena Campbell. I was instantly fascinated with her story. I found her character to be a brave, admirable woman. I loved it.
I am giving Hidden Realm five stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fantasy fiction. I look forward to reading the next book from The Living Oracle series to see where Melissa McShane takes her characters to.
I received a digital copy of Hidden Realm from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive one. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Hidden Realm five stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fantasy fiction. I look forward to reading the next book from The Living Oracle series to see where Melissa McShane takes her characters to.
I received a digital copy of Hidden Realm from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive one. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
September 12, 2023
Well, I devoured this quickly. It was nice to revisit the characters from The Last Oracle. I admit I was hesitant because I had loved that series so much and I did not want to alter or taint my memories. I will admit that I still miss Abernathy's. One of my biggest reservations about this new series, and I am assuming it will be a series, is the inclusion of children as characters. That added a level of anxiety for me that I just don't want while reading. I was entertained but I am not committed to reading any future books.
July 30, 2025
This book has been hanging on on my Kindle for over a year. I started it twice and had to put it down because it put me to sleep. Third time was the charm! Helena Campbell is one bland character. She is just so freaking uninteresting. I laughed out loud when I read that the new threat/danger/whatever is ill elves and some odd earth magic yet not magic hippies with a bad attitude. And she carts her kids everywhere. If I hadn't paid for the book I would have deleted it. Sadly I now have to make my way through Book 2 because it was also purchased. Great cure for insomnia.
June 16, 2023
Book one of the living oracle series and it is awesome! We join some old friends from the previous series and Helena and Malcolm have settled down and have a wonderful family. It’s so exciting to be back in this incredible world as we dive head first into the adventure. A wonderful fantasy read with magic, fae, elves, and a storyline that draws you in and I cannot wait to read more!
June 17, 2023
Prefer the older series, maybe because it's in a bookstore.
August 25, 2023
Can't wait for next one!
Thank you for continuing with these wonderful characters. In another series, the Look forward to The next one. Great topics
Thank you for continuing with these wonderful characters. In another series, the Look forward to The next one. Great topics
September 23, 2024
a reasonable start to the new series
An interesting story but the pace was not quite right so in places it felt laboured. However a good start to a new series.
An interesting story but the pace was not quite right so in places it felt laboured. However a good start to a new series.
February 13, 2024
So excited to see the oracle back again!!!
June 7, 2023
Kudos for a great opening paragraph on this book; a great way to contrast Helena’s new situation with her old.
Ten years after Helena becomes one with the oracle, and saves the world, it’s logical to wonder if perhaps there’s another dimension that also connects with ours. This book handles it well, although I do wonder how two magical communities living side by side for a thousand years could have never noticed each other. Regardless, it was fun to catch up with old friends in this book, see how they’re getting on, and get involved in their new adventures. I enjoyed seeing how McShane has handled the often worn out subject of elves, keeping them interesting and clearly “possible”. I got to the end, and thought: oh no, already? Obviously I’m watching for the next one now!
As an ARC reader, I received this book for free, but the choice to leave a review, and all of my opinions, are wholly my own.
Ten years after Helena becomes one with the oracle, and saves the world, it’s logical to wonder if perhaps there’s another dimension that also connects with ours. This book handles it well, although I do wonder how two magical communities living side by side for a thousand years could have never noticed each other. Regardless, it was fun to catch up with old friends in this book, see how they’re getting on, and get involved in their new adventures. I enjoyed seeing how McShane has handled the often worn out subject of elves, keeping them interesting and clearly “possible”. I got to the end, and thought: oh no, already? Obviously I’m watching for the next one now!
As an ARC reader, I received this book for free, but the choice to leave a review, and all of my opinions, are wholly my own.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews