Book Two in the Secret Seekers Society continues the epic adventure, following Hunter, Elly, and all their friends as they journey into the world of the supernatural and unknown. The children’s Enlightenment studies find them digging deeper into the spiritual realm of the paranormal. Learning about a magical and ancient ring known as Solomon’s Seal, the children must decide if playing with the spiritual realm to seek out their dead parents is worth the risk of putting their souls in danger.
Joe lives in Saginaw, Michigan where he has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing through Saginaw Valley State University. Joe has written and is currently self publishing his first novel entitled The Deity Chronicles: Origins.
His recent release, The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro was released 12/31/12 and had already been a huge success (at least in his eyes lol).
He also dabbles in literary short fiction, and poetry.
Review of The Secret Seeker's Society and Solomon's Seal
I can't say enough how much I love this author and his books! The Secret Seeker's Society and the Beast of Bladenboro, was one of the first books I reviewed when I started my blog.
Since then I have got to know the author well. He has funded both of the Secret Seeker books with Kickstarter campaigns. Kickstarter allows anyone worldwide to donate to a fund with a specific aim. In this authors case, it was used to produce the ebooks/physical copies of his books. I feel very proud to have been able to help with the campaign for this book.
For anyone wanting to understand totally what is going on in this book, I really suggest you download the first book. It sets up the scene and background really well, and will benefit you while reading the second book.
In this book we follow Hunter and Elly as they begin schooling at the Belmonte Estate. Being part of the Seeker programme they not only have 'normal' lessons, but also Enlightenment. The children, and their friends, begin to find out a bit more about some of the creatures they may encounter as a Seeker in later life.
As you would expect the children find themselves drawn into a mystery, and they quickly become entangled in something they don't fully understand. Along the way they encounter various paranormal creatures they believed were made up before now.
Hunter has a specific goal in mind, and he plans to achieve that goal whether his sister and friends want him to or not. Can he actually carry out his plan, or are their forces at work which will stop him in his tracks? Who is behind the problems Belmonte Estate is encountering? And how far back does the betrayal actually go?
This is a book full of twists and turns. We find out a lot more about the Professor and the man behind Aten Corp, and how much they are tied together.
For fans of Harry Potter I would really encourage you to read these books. They would appeal to older children, young adults, and adults alike.
I cannot wait to see where the author takes this series in the future.
In the second novel of the Secret Seekers Society series, children Hunter and Elly begin a six year journey of the Enlightenment, as training to become Seekers. This continuation of the Beast of Bladenboro goes more into depth of the history of the secret society, and provides an action-packed adventure filled with mythical creatures, paranormal beings and friends that as a reader, one can come to love.
As I said with the first book, Harry Potter lovers will enjoy this read, and especially the unique aspects brought such as the mythical creatures and paranormal encounters. If you haven't read the first one yet, I would highly recommend it, since it sets up the background of this story.
Readers of all ages will love this book and looking forward to the third!
Thank you to Black Rose Writing for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The second book in The Secret Seekers Society series picks up basically where the last ended. Readers are welcomed back into the lives of the Hunter and Elly when the kids are about to start their new Enlightenment classes. Some of the issues from the first book carry over, like Uncle Joe's injuries, but there are a lot more problems to ensue this time around.
I found this second installment to be even more enjoyable than the first (which I also quite liked). It felt like there was a lot more going on in this one because the children are learning new mystical things through their Enlightenment classes, there is clearly some betrayal going down in between the manor walls thanks to Aten Corp., and the kids have begun to entertain a new relic: Solomon's Seal. With everything going on, it would be easy for the novel to feel a bit cluttered, but I actually felt like Hickey did a great job of keeping the story organized and understandable. There definitely is a lot for readers to pay attention to, but not in an overwhelming way. I think this was my biggest worry when I first started the book and realized how many plot lines there were, but the author didn't disappoint whatsoever.
As for the characters, we did get quite a bit of character development in the children. I think that the books tend to focus on Hunter a lot, but there were some interesting new additions to Elly this time around. I look forward to seeing what Hickey does with it all. Thankfully, Hunter became more likable for me, though he certainly hasn't learned to stop causing trouble. Liv and Alistair are cute characters to add to the mix, but I am anxious to see how they grow throughout the series. The new addition to the friend group, Remy, was an interesting one. At first, I was sad that the children seemed to consider him their "protector", as if they didn't need him as a friend otherwise. However, as the story progressed and Remy becomes significantly more important, it is recognizable that Hunter, Elly, Liv, and Alistair do care for him.
Hickey's storytelling is, as always, phenomenal. I'm continuously flabbergasted by his research and ability to mold ancient myths and folklore into a story so entertaining. I'm so glad that readers got some background into how the Secret Seekers Society came to be in this second novel. Things that didn't always seem to be significant or related are now becoming clearly intertwined, and it makes the story all the more fun. This author has managed to take stories that I learned growing up and turn them into something exciting, new, and different. Magical realism novels like these capture my attention so well. There is just something about getting to live in a mystic reality for the duration of a novel that really calls to me.
Overall, I think this is turning out to be a great middle grade series. I'm interested to see where else the story goes from here, and what kind of trouble the children can manage to get themselves into.
If you enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series, then you'll enjoy this series. A lot of the events, characters, and events remind me of what I read in Harry Potter. Looking forward to the next one.
Solomon's Seal is a great continuation of the story started in the first of this series. It's full of the same great characters we loved, the mystery that is inherent in the Belmonte Estate and a whole new host of madness. Beginning their Enlightenment courses should be simple, but this is Hunter and Elly, and nothing is simple in their lives!
The general mythos and history of Calenstine and Aten is well developed in this book. It's layered really skillfully throughout the story and weaves in with the events occurring at that moment. Hickey writes the flashbacks with detail and in a clear way, and introduces yet more questions whilst answering some that lingered from the first book. It really gets you thinking and engaging with the wider cast of characters this time, rather than just the kids, which is a very nice touch.
The storyline in this book is really simple and easy to follow, and this makes it perfect for dipping into as an when you get a chance. You could also see it making good bedtime reading as children would be able to follow this easily and engage with enthusiasm with the trouble the kids get into. Hickey drip feeds the reader little tit-bits of information in a really enticing and interesting way, reeling you into the story and trouble the kids seem to attract all the time.
I touched on character development, but Hunter in particular deserves a mention. He is blossoming very nicely into a lead character who will, you sense, become a pivotal part of many of the tales involving these children. The reader can really empathise with his emotions and his need to locate the ring, whilst maintaining the detached smarts that it's all going to go to hell in a fast car when he tracks it down! Even though he breaks every rule going, you still root for him, and that's important to see in a character. As I've also touched on, the rest of the characters have great qualities that makes you wish you were part of the extended Belmonte family.
I'd definitely recommend this book, and I am looking forward to the next in the series. Hickey touches on some pretty intense themes like grief and loss, but he keeps them light enough for it not to overpower the story. This does at times mean that the pace drops slightly, but the action and pace picks up as the book progresses, much like a snowball down a hill, and is most worth a read!
If you liked the first book, then you will invariably like this book, too. There is even more of a sense of wonder as the universe that J.L. Hickey introduced in the first book has expanded about tenfold. This is both a good and a bad thing (But I'll get to the bad later). In the first book, a beast was unleashed on the campus grounds and two siblings and their friends had to put a stop to it. Like Harry Potter, the students were the heroes and they ultimately saved the day. I greatly liked that about the first book. The problem felt immediate and pressing, and the siblings had to deal with it. That worked. The thing is, in this book, in expanding the universe, there seems to be a bit more filler. This time around, instead of a rampaging beast, we have a more paranormal approach as a wraith has been unleashed on the school grounds and that is causing a great bit of commotion. The thing is, this wraith doesn't really come into fruition until about 60% of the way through, which means that the book seems to meander a bit until we get to the actual meat of the story.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Hickey does a pretty good job in keeping the reader invested in the characters (Especially a newcomer named Remy, who becomes a major figure toward the end). But for me, I was more interested in the actual ghost aspect than the interactions between the characters. That said, if you found the characters to be the most interesting part of the first book, then you can add one more star to my review, because they are definitely more fleshed out in this book. For me, though, the world itself is more interesting, and I feel that that world could have used a bigger push than is granted in this story (Though, I did like the back story thrown in there. It worked).
Overall, if you liked the first book, then you will enjoy this one. Though, I'm not sure if you will enjoy it as much.
This is the second book in the Secret Seekers Society series (boy that's a lot of s's). Second books are notorious for bombing compared to the first book. That is not the case with this book. Joe (the author) did a fantastic job of keeping this book out of a sophomore slump. This is fast becoming one of my favorite series.
I like the way that Joe develops a plot. There are a realistic amount of twists to his story line, but he doesn't use the to excess. Another one of the things I love about his plots are that he incorporates people and places from history. I won't say more than that because it would be sort of a spoiler. I also like the complexity of the "world building" that takes place in this book. Joe does a great job pulling you into the story with his descriptions of things. Some authors overdo this, but not so in this book.
The characters in this book are so believable. A lot of them wear their emotions on their sleeves and are very relatable (as relatable as they can be for hunting for mythical beasts and relics). You can feel the pain, joy, angst, etc in the characters as your read. The other thing I like is that Joe doesn't overdevelop the characters. Some authors fall into that trap. The only challenging thing when it comes to characters in this series is keeping them all straight. But, it takes a lot of characters to pull off a long and successful series. So it's worth the work.
The readability of this book is fantastic. You don't have to slog through any sections at all. On the other side of the coin, you don't feel rushed in any part of the book either. It's got a nice even-keeled pace that makes for a very enjoyable read.
If you are a fan of mythology, paranormal, suspense, or YA in general then I recommend that you start this series as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed that you did.
The Secret Seeker’s Society and Solomon’s Seal picks up where The Beast of Bladenboro left off. Hunter and Elly are starting not only their regular school classes but also their Enlightenment classes and they are very excited! Their friends Alistair and Liv would also be joining them.
Their first class was with Professor Pike and she showed them what a real vampyre looks like; they were all commenting on how bad it stunk. Professor Pike passed out their new Seekers Journals so that they could take notes whenever they wanted.
Hunter and Elly were being bothered by Professor Krueger’s children making comments about their parents being spies and traitors against the Seekers. Hunter especially was bothered by this and really wanted to find out the truth to put an end to their lies. He felt that the only person who could answer that question was already dead, and he didn’t know what to do. Margot had said to ignore the lies and rumors that were being spread, but today they were going to see their Uncle Joe for the first time since his fight with the Beast of Bladenboro and Hunter would question him then. Someone inside the walls of the Estate had let the Beast go and that same person was wise to Hunter and Elly’s worries over their parents. Their plan was to use this information against them! Solomon’s Seal was so much more exciting than the first book in the series! I learned so much more about what happens at the Estate and more about all the Professors and the children. I never knew kids could get into so much trouble and cause so many disturbances! With every page it was more exciting than the last! This is a must read book and I sure hope that Joe Hickey has plans for the third book; he can’t leave me hanging!!!
Both the teen that I purchased this book for and I loved Secret Seekers Society and Solomon's Seal. Her comment: "When is the next one coming out?"
While this book is intended for teens/young adults the story line is such that adults will also find it very readable and very enjoyable.
The action takes place in and around the vast Belmonte estate - home of the Seekers Society. Potential Seekers, the children attend regular school classes in addition to Enlightenment classes. In their Enlightenment classes they learn about ancient relics, cryptids, mythology and other subjects which will make them excellent Seekers when their training is complete.
Secret Seekers Society books are action packed and while there is violence implied occasionally, it is rarely explicitly detailed. Because of this they are appropriate for both younger children who have advanced reading skills and tweens/teens/young adults. Parents who are into mythology and paranormal genres will also enjoy the books.
I was looking forward to this sequel very much. I wanted to read about Hunter and Elly’s new adventure real bad. When it finally came out, I didn’t have cash to spare. Fortunately, a little bird told me that I could get it for free in mid-December (or at least I think it was the mid-December). I was so happy when it appeared on my Kindle Cloud. I expected to read it in one sitting, but it took me almost a week.
The writing was OK. The story evolved, the characters are older, still seeking exciting adventures. I don’t know what I expected (probably too much), but book #2 in the Secret Seekers Society failed to meet my expectations. I’m still looking forward to book 3 though. After all, The Secret Seekers Society was the book that changed my opinion about paranormal books.
Rating – 3 stars. It was OK.
Who would I recommend it to – paranormal fans, J.L. Hickey fans, anyone who has read The Beast of Bladenboro
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is the second novel in the fantasy/ paranormal series, The Secret Seekers Society that I have had the privilege of reading by the amazing J.L. Hickey. Now if you have read my review on book one you would know that I love this series and I compared it to Harry Potter. After this instalment I still believe that. This book was a bit slower in the beginning only because it was giving the reader a lot of backstory, which I love. Otherwise it was the perfect sequel to book one. It was a tiny bit scary because it was dealing with ghosts, spirits and wraiths, but it was a cool story haha. I also liked the tie-in to Solomon's ring. I can't wait to read book three to see how Elly will be affected by the ring. Also I want to know what kinds of trouble the kids will get into next. If you love Harry Potter you will fall in love with The Secret Seekers Society.
This is the second book in The Secret Seekers Society. I loved the first book and was not disappointing in the second one. We continue with the adventures of Hunter, Elly and their friends as they are drawn into another mystery. The author gives us action, adventure, new creatures, loyalty and betrayal. The characters are so realistic and you will love them. The book has a fun story line with nice twists and turns. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put the book down. It is well written and flows really good. I will definitely recommend this book as well as the first installment to anyone and everyone!
I enjoyed following along with Hunter and Elly's new adventure with their friends Liv and Alistair. The new addition of Remi was a treat too. As it answered some questions that I had from the first book, it has brought up a ton of new ones. I want to know if this will be a trilogy or a series like Harry Potter, where we get to follow the children as they grow and each becomes the special Seeker they are meant to be, as the professor predicted. I also want to know what horrifying/mystifying creatures we'll discover on Aten's island (guessing of course that will be the setting for the next book).
After reading the first two books in this series, I am eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it. This one is even better than the first. I loved its maany twists and turns that take you deeper into the Secret Seekers Society than ever before, answering previous questions and bringing up new ones!
Interesting Teen novel with similarities that Harry Potter readers would find it appealing. Very good but yet extensive descriptive of people and places that tended to slow down the pace of the novel and at times seemed repetitive. Enjoyed the twists and story line overall. Likable characters with interesting plot.