Foundation

The Librarians #2

by Amelia Spencer

After being swept up in the world of The Central Library, Emerson Blackwell has finally stepped into Foundation’s Catalogue.

The worlds she encounters inside the banned books are darker, but no less real, than the realms in The Central Library’s Catalogue. Emerson finds herself thrown headfirst into a Catalogue brimming with monsters from her worst nightmares, tests designed to call her perception of reality into question, and enemies disguised as friends.

Emerson made a split-second decision in her desperation for the truth, but curiosity soon turns to unease as she is forced to confront what awaits her inside Foundation. Where she expected to find answers, there are only more questions. Iris Blackwell may be alive and well, but the mother she remembers is a distant memory. Old feelings begin to resurface for Silas Rathbone as her time inside the banned books distorts the memories of Adrien Moon. And with every new world she discovers, the more she begins to wonder whether the books are transforming her into someone she no longer recognizes.

Only one thing becomes clear the further Emerson dives inside Foundation’s Catalogue: Villains are not born. They are made.

Genres: Fantasy, Books About Books

470 pages, ebook

First published May 1, 2024

Reviews

[Lizzie McNally · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Mrs Moa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisit Emerson and the secrets the Library contains.

Emerson finds herself following in her rebel mother’s footsteps, delving into the dark forbidden and banned books of the Library.

Dark academia with suspense and mystery. Heartbreak and deception.

Emerson grows so much more in book two, needing to pull herself together and take control. I found Emerson’s love triangle confusing and to be honest, I think she’s better off with out either of her love interests.

This book is not standalone as it literally rolls on from book one.

I received this book as an ARC

[Sydneys Bookish Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of both books in this series in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I just think the concept is so fun and I feel like I’m actually there, rather than just reading the book. Amelia really puts you in the story. The characters are cool and relatable. Its great. I loved it and I can’t wait for book 3!!

[Jesterr626 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series I'm obsessed with! I love the concept so much the characters are so well rounded the world building and the different worlds are so well realised. I cannot wait to start reading book 3

My fav read so far in 2025

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where the first book is about rainbows and butterflies, lollipops and clear skies, the second installment of The Librarians is full of lies, deception and loss.

Emerson has a lot of decisions to make. And I wonder what she will choose.

Action-packed adventure. And so many more worlds seen in this book.

I’m excited to see more.

I would like to see more of Adrien, Silas and Emerson’s relationship unfold.

[Anna Cason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is so unique! So much going on and so intense. I can’t wait to dive into book 3!

I received an ARC of this book and am making this review voluntarily.

[Ashlee Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 4.5 Stars **

Foundation takes everything that I enjoyed about Secrets of the Catalogue, and expands on it tenfold. It really feels like Spencer has found her groove and it's working really well for her. While we spent most of the first book exploring Emerson's relationship with Adrien and her indoctrination into the Central Library, in this one we focused on her renewed relationship with Silas and exploration of Foundation. We got both POV's of the Central Library vs the Foundation and the men who represent each faction, and I can only guess that we'll get some sort of final battle in the next one. As for the romance, I really hope we get a why choose 🤭

One critique I had of the first book was that we were introduced to the Librarian's power to enter the realms within books, but we only actually entered like 3 books. I'm really happy with the expansion of this concept in Foundation - not only was Foundation itself a book we spent the majority of our time in, but Emerson also jumped into at least 3 or 4 other books during her stay in Foundation and we spent a solid amount of time in each. Each book taught a valuable lesson to Emerson and drove the plot, and we weren't just there for the sake of her jumping in to a book. Spencer's world building really popped off here. I do wish we got just a little bit more descriptions of the tattoos that Emerson got as a result of all the books that she visited, we got a little bit (and I understand why we got what we did for the sake of the plot) but I love visual descriptions and just being able to have some passage after each book we visited that describes how her tattoo changes would've been 👩🏼‍🍳👌🏻

I'm really excited for the direction this book is going in! Thank you to Amelia Spencer & BookSirens for the eARC!

📚 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖎𝖇𝖗𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖘 📚
1) Secrets of the Catalogue: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second book, everything is a chaotic mess. Emerson finds out the Foundation exists and her mother is truly alive. Her heart is full and now she has to figure out who she can trust; Aiden or Silas. The travels through the different books was exciting. The author did an amazing job of making these places exist. The trials and tests Emerson has to go through are so horrifying. When she was trying to decide whom the traitor was, the villagers were downright scary when they captured Emerson. I found myself captivated as Emerson transversed through each book. I felt as though I could experience what was going on in each world. When the worst thing possible happens to Emerson, I cried right along with her. She was held hostage by her grief until she decided to get her revenge. Now I must read the third book to see what is in store for Emerson.

[Jade Redfern · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars but there is no option for this on here so unfortunately had to leave at 4.

I enjoyed the first but book this had me hooked from page one! It was much faster paced than the first book and this leans more to my reading style. The world and character building in this book is wonderful and I truly wish I could enter this book in the way the librarians can.

I absolutely love Emerson’s character and her development across this book, she’s strong however her love interests both don’t seem right for me and the triangle doesn’t seem to add anything for me to the story!

I read this book in one sitting because I genuinely could not put it down!

I received an electronic advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kirsten Van Hooland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how I feel to be completely honest. I loved this book so much, it’s such a great and unique way to continue this series. The magic-system in this book is something I have never read before. I am 100% team Silas, but for some reason I fear that this will not be the end game. Some conflicts could be avoided if the characters would just act like adults and talk to each other, but other than that I really liked this continuation of the series!
4⭐️

[Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Foundation as much as I loved Secrets of the Catalogue! Emerson is a relatable character in a magical world of books. The magical system is unique and Emersons choice of love interests gets even more complicated (I'm usually a member of "team don't pick either man" but even I'm leaning one way on this one)! This book kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat until the end

Thanks to Book Sirens for the ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Jess Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

There was a significant improvement in the writing and character work in this second book of the series. The characters start to show deminsion, however the love triangle takes center stage for the majority of this book.

The romance aspect of the plot overshadows the over arching plot line regarding the feud between the different catalogues. The first 80% reads like a romance novel, but once the action starts to unfold, the pace picks up and you will be hooked.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want to put this book down.
I love the different worlds Amelia creates. It makes it feel like multiple fantasy books wrapped up in one.

The character development is exactly what I have wanted from other fantasy books I’ve read. Plus there’s a supportive and realistic best friend 💕

The stakes in this book are much higher than in the first and I can’t wait to start the next.

I cried. I laughed. I yelled “what the fuck”. My jaw dropped multiple times.

Read this book if you know what’s good for you!! (But start with the first one, obv)

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The idea behind this series is great and fun! It was very interesting to learn more about her mom and foundation! Lots of twists and turns. There many times I felt completely shocked by what was happening and couldn’t stop reading!

[Stephanie Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in LOVE with the first book (Secrets of the Catalogue), and now I am OBSESSED with the second!! Omg Ms Spencer you outdid yourself!!! In a world where you can enter other worlds through books - literally - We continue to follow Emerson as she takes a huge plunge (trying to avoid spoilers here), but this go around, we also get multiple POV’s, which grants us even more insight from different angles. There is more action, more suspense, and even some spice! I was enthralled reading this book! One of my too fantasy series PERIOD. Highly highly recommend!!

[Marissa Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God!!! What a second book! We still follow Emerson as she becomes more comfortable with the books and also as she comes into her own and makes a decision about where her loyalties lie. I can’t wait for the next book to see what everyone will do to protect the catalogues they hold so dear!

[mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. It did way more than the first book in terms of showing & not telling about the magical concepts. The world building was immersive and amazing as well! I loved the character interactions and seeing Emerson grow individually. I’m really excited to read book 3 & see what happens! (I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

P.S. Team Silas <3

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Well I definitely didn't see that coming!" That is what I said throughout reading this book! Lol I received this as an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book had me questioning everything and trusting no one. Team Silas or Team Adrien? I love them both. I am so excited to read book 3!

[Julia Reitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so underrated I’m so shocked that I have not seen it or heard of it anywhere. I found the author on tiktok and asked if I could be an arc reader for her and she sent me the first three books in preparation for the newest book coming, which officially came out November 23. I am endured in this series. It is so well written and you feel like you are literally jumping into the books as the characters are going through the journey and understanding what each of the books entail both good and evil. There’s love there’s loss there is spice. It has everything and it’s just such a well put together and thought out story. I love the first two books so much that I ended up buying the whole series on Amazon in print so I could have it on my bookshelves. I cannot recommend this series enough.

[Méli ☀︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and booksirens!

Oof, what a ride. This was definitely much darker than the first book, and I'm not sure what to make of it. It feels like a pretty abrupt departure. I loved learning about Foundation and how it works. I loved that it quickly became clear there wasn't a good side and a bad side, because both sides are pretty terrible. I loved seeing how being in Foundation changed Emerson. I loved that she worked to repair her relationship with Maya. I loved Iris and Magnus.

But I hated Silas in this book. I hated the way he acted like he was entitled to Emerson's love and I hated that she fell for it. I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit every time he called her 'baby girl' 'good girl' 'my girl'. I know some readers eat that up and good for them but personally, each instance made me hate him more. I also wasn't a fan of the multiple sex scenes. I don't mind spice as long as it serves a purpose or is genuinely sexy. For me, the scenes in this did neither. I'm not particularly moved by a character being f*cked on sight every time she meets one of her guys. But these scenes also brought nothing to the story imo, so I would happily have done without them. Personal preference though. I know some readers will love them. Anyway, all this said you can imagine how I feel about the choice Emerson made (and how obvious it was the whole time).

Overall I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I was very entertained and always wanted to keep reading, but at the same time I didn't really feel like I returned to the story I fell in love with in Secrets of the Catalogue. It lacked the magic. It lacked the sense of adventure and exploration. Adrien was barely there. I don't know. I really liked this, but almost as a separate novel. It's a good book and I really enjoyed reading it, I'm just not sure it's the book I was hoping for? I'm confused.

[Debbie Delano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so absolutely grateful to have been an ARC reader for this book. It is action packed and filled with adventure and emotions. I got angry, happy, and ended up in a full blown sob fest in the pick up line waiting for my daughter to get out of school. The cliffhanger at the end!!! I cannot wait to have the physical copy on my bookshelf and see what Amelia has in store for the next book!

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the series and just as good as the first.

In the first Emerson is introduced to the world of Librarians - of which her mother (whom she thought had died) is considered a criminal. The beginning of the first book finds us being introduced to a very lonely, very sad Emerson who is mourning a friend (silas) who happens to be her first love - who just cut off all communication.

However, she quickly learns that being a Librarians means sometimes being lost in worlds of books for years. That time does not run parrallel and it's easy to get lost and lose time in the "real world" - sometimes days or weeks, but worse, sometimes months, years, or decades.

In this book she finds out more about the opposition to the Catalogue - the Foundation. The Foundation supports the fictional worlds of books along with the "real" worlds.

This series is a bit trippy in some ways. I mean, any good reader would argue that we read to get lost in other worlds, to escape our own or to experience people and places we otherwise would not experience. But not a sane reader in this life would argue that Wonderland is a real place or any of the other fantastical worlds of Faerie and Sci-fi that we read about. So for me sometimes I had difficulty with this in understanding how a world was considered "real" or simply fictional. But I had no issue understanding that the Catalogue seeks to keep the real worlds in circulation while trying to keep the fictional ones from flooding in (because the fictional ones are unstable).

The question in this book becomes - what will Emerson believe and what side will she take. How will the return of Silas effect her?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To our enemies. To their deaths. And above all else, the Catalogue."

Emerson Blackwell wants answers. A conversation with her mother is where she intends to start. Landing in the barren, inhospitable world of the banned book she begins to unravel the violent history between two formidable Librarians.

Foundations is gold! It is a clever exploration of truth, knowledge, power, and free-will. It is a great addition to the library novel genre that celebrates the physical book as a 'portable magic'. Amelia Spencer illustrates the lengths that powerful organisations take to manipulate information for their own ends, and highlights the latent power remaining in so called 'banned' books.

A question asked and yet to be answered (in this book, in the series, in life):

“Where does this end? Will we all be monsters by the end of it?”

I recommend it if you like library genre series with a time travel element, similar to fans of Genevieve Cogman's The Invisible Library or A.J. Hackwith Hell’s Library .

(Nb: This is not a stand-alone novel. To appreciate the darkness, the reader needs to be familiar with the scale and beauty of the world's within the Central Library’s Catalogue).

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andreea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in the Librarians series - Secrets of the Catalogue - and it ended in a huge cliffhanger so I was excited to finally get a chance to jump into this one!

The story continues, and true to its name, the second book covers Emerson's journey deeper into the Foundation's Catalogue of books that have been banned from the Central Library for being too dangerous. There is so much drama in this book, and the danger factor definitely goes up drastically. I continued to enjoy my favorite part of book 1, which was exploring the intriguing parallel universes in the books Emerson visits. These are both beautiful and deadly, from colliseums to ballrooms to nordic inspired villages.

There was always a strong dose of chosen one / destiny / legacy in this series and I liked that this volume mostly dealt with the impossible choices - Adrien or Silas, Central Library or the Foundation. However, once the choice was forced on Emerson I felt like the end was rushed, and pieces that were in her way were forced into place to make it happen. That said, it once again leaves room for a sequel, and I'd still be interested in knowing what happens next considering the interesting developments. And it also leaves me with a "what if" for the path not taken.

All in all, this is developing into a fascinating fantasy series for book lovers everywhere. While some of the story didn't click with me this time, it's a solid read of you enjoy romance, drama and the occasional magical powers.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Βίκυ Χ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foundation is the second enchanting installment of The Librarians series, a Dark Fantasy Romance and Adventure series, written by Amelia Spencer. It's a page-turner, that won't let you put it down before you've read the last word.
Emerson is trapped within the banned book of Foundation alongside Iris Blackwell, her mother, and Silas Rathbone. Mother and daughter have a lot of catching up to do, but first they have to escape from the Forbidden Wing of the Central Library and cancel Atalanthya's evil plans.
Each page is more breathtaking than the previous ones and the twists and turns find you off guard. Especially one chapter knocked the air out of my lungs, but I'll refrain from saying which to avoid any spoilers. The evolution of all the characters is a magnificent ongoing process, the world building and the plot original and utterly compelling.
All in all, I've been absolutely mesmerized by Amelia Spencer's ingenious writing from the very first page of the first installment of the series, and the second one blissfully exceeded my expectations leaving me yearning for Book 3. I highly recommend this mustread series that will hold you captive.
I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to BookSirens and Amelia Spencer for gifting me the eARC of this book. It was an absolute pleasure to read it , and I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts. Looking forward to more of her riveting series.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Book Review: "Foundation (The Librarians #2)" by Amelia Spencer**

"Foundation," the second book in Amelia Spencer's "The Librarians" series, picks up right where "Secrets of the Catalogue" left off, and it’s such a smooth transition. Emerson's journey continues, and she’s growing so much as a character. She’s strong and resilient, dealing with the fallout from all the secrets her loved ones have kept from her.

The book dives deep into the importance of memories and relationships. Emerson is determined to hold onto her memories, believing they shape who she is.Amelia introduces multiple points of view in this book, which makes the story even more engaging. You get a broader perspective on everything that’s happening.

The plot revolves around Emerson discovering the Foundation, which supports the coexistence of fictional and real worlds, unlike the Catalogue. This conflict adds a lot of intrigue and raises questions about what’s real and what’s not.

The whole idea of being able to jump into books and interact with their worlds is unique and captivating. It makes you think about identity, loyalty, and truth.

Overall, "Foundation" is an excellent continuation of the series. It's filled with adventure, plot twists, and emotional moments. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll love this one too. It’s a must-read for fantasy lovers.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc copy of this book.

Wow!!! I really enjoyed this one more than the first!! The fact that Emerson explores the Foundation Catalogue in this book was very interesting and captured my attention from the get go. I loved how all the Foundation books taught you something about yourself that you didn’t realize before. My favorite adventures that she took were the memory eaters, manor of illusions, and the mirror. I felt like those scenes were well written and gave vital information to the story. In my opinion, Emerson grew as a person and started to let go of past situations more easily than before. She especially had to evolve after a traumatic event and I’m looking forward to where her story goes in the next book. This is probably an unpopular opinion but, I’m still holding out for Emerson and Adrien to get together 😅 I really like the two of them together. Don’t get me wrong I love Silas and he’s very good to Emerson but it just seems too easy. I feel like Adrien challenges her more than Silas does. Even though I saw the second to last chapter coming, there wasn’t a lot of predictability in this book which is so refreshing. Overall, this is a good book and I’m looking forward to book 3!!!!

[Jenny Mcvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of my favorite of all time!!! Literally just the idea of jumping into books and they becoming real. Oh I wish that was a thing. I’d rather live inside of a book then in this crazy cruel world.

Anyways, I am sooo excited to see where this is going. Silas seems the better pick but both Adrien and Silas love her. They of course have their own reasons but they truly want best for her. Why wouldn’t you fall in love with a powerful librarian. She’s gorgeous and is onto being magnificent!

I got to say the books they dove into were a little crazy but a good crazy! You got some shape shifting of rearranging peoples identities and then you got crazy fight to the death of being eaten by the island. This was definitely a good one. And I can’t wait for more. Can’t wait what Magnus does to help her find her inner self that he clearly knows is already there being the heir to Iris Blackwell. Oh and Jahwala or whoever you spell it. I call her the jabberwocky!!! Haha 😂 and Silas having to rescue everyone being so selfless and putting himself in that situation of not knowing what he’s going to have to go through. Then he gets put in the worst situation and gets out without being swept away in his worst fears. LOVEEEEEE!!!

I still don’t think she’s dead…. Hoping I’m right.

[BrewedBookDragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sucked in from the first page. We delve into more worlds and adventures while learning more about the characters and the battle between the Central Library and the Foundation Library. We also get multiple POVs in this book which I love because you get more breadcrumbs.

There were some things that I predicted but there were others I didnt see coming. I honestly am not sure if the villian portrayed here is the actual villian aka one person. Taking a deeper look at this book, one could conclude that the villian is an allegory of how one's beliefs could jade their view of what is morally acceptable to reach their goals.

The love triangle continues into this book and there are a couple of scenes that I would give 2 chili peppers. You are going to know what is going on...it is a little more descriptive...but we are sill going to fade to black. It's not explicit and it is not in your face. Also, the romance is in the correct places for the story and doesn't override the plot.

There are a couple of trigger warnings at the front of the book which include explicit language (not overwhelming but there are places where curse words appear) and there are times when the characters are drinking alcohol though not excessively.

Can't wait to dive into book 3.

[Jennifer Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. The first book Secrets of the Catalogue introduces us to Emmerson, our protagonist. She believes she is just a regular girl living and trying to survive in NYC. She’s suffered so much loss already in her young life and has lost her family both to death and mental illness. She’s feels alone in this world as her family is fractured and her best friend the past 20 years, Silas has inexplicably cut her out of her life.

Just when she feels her life is hitting a dead end she wonders into an off the beat library. This library is unlike any she’s ever been too. As she wanders the isles she is pulled toward a book. When she goes to check it out she finds there are no timeframes to bring it back. She leaves and returns home. When she opens the book she thinks she fell asleep and dreamed of entering a place where she is approached by her deceased mother. Her mother speaks cryptically but puts a necklace around her neck. She thinks it was just a dream until she finds the necklace still around her neck when she’s back in her apartment.

Needing answers she returns to the bookstore to learn she is a special type of human known as a Librarian. Librarians have the ability to enter special books that are part of the Catalogue. It is here that she meets Adrien, the Central library’s head librarian and leader’s son (also her mom’s mortal enemy). Emmerson uncovers secrets and learns the Central library is not the only faction of librarians. Book 1 has world building and character development.

We see Emmerson face hard choices and her primary goal is to seek out the truth. The truth of who her mother is, what happened to her mom and what secrets the Central library is keeping. Emmerson needs to decide whether she can live with accepting what others tell her about her mom and the foundation- playing it safe with Adrien or to jump into the unknown to seek her own answers.

Book 2 begins with Emmerson’s choice to listen to her gut. She knows once she makes this choice everything will change. She grows so much as a person in book 2. She reconnects with her old friend Silas and her mother. She continues with indecision on where her loyalty lies- with the foundation or the central library. We see her relationship with Silas grow and we see that not everything is black and white.

There is adventure and plot twists and heartache. This book was even better than the first. I’m so torn between Silas and Adrien. I’m so angry for Emmerson and want to see her seek revenge for the wrongs against her. I want to continue to see her grow into the strong woman I see her becoming.

This is such a good series and I can’t wait to continue this journey with Emmerson. The idea of jumping into books and being able to interact in the worlds I read about is a dream and I absolutely love this unique magic system.
You won’t be sorry if you pick this up!

I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest review.