Hard Bound

The Planar Pages #2

by D. Hale Rambo

Someone has stolen from the Court of Copper, the illustrious fae page nestled within the Book. As the fabled Order of Seven, once impervious to discord, tears under the weight of distrust and strife, an innocent risks being shelved, penned as the thief. Who lies at the heart of the crime? Is it a member of the fractured counsel, or could the thief be much closer to Fiona than she realizes?

As the fate of the fae teeters on the brink of upheaval, Fiona and her alchemist ally, Gaili, must delve deep into the tangled mysteries of the page, racing against the clock to unearth the truth and restore harmony to the Court of Copper. Can they halt the rewrite of the fae page before it's too late and keep it from tearing inside out?

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2023

About the author

D. Hale Rambo is a fantasy author whose books transport readers to wondrous worlds filled with magic, mystery, and humor. With compelling and memorable characters at the heart of her stories, Rambo weaves tales to entertain and enthrall.

A lifelong storyteller, she’s been writing and creating other worlds since she was old enough to mark them on her bedroom wall. When she’s not writing, you can find her enjoying a stiff cosmopolitan while reading mysteries alongside her favorite pet companion.

Reviews

[Louise Larcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Hard Bound, nearly as much as the first book in the Planar Pages series, Between the Lines.
I love fantasy books, and I like the main character, Fiona, and her friends.
Fiona is a detective, and I think the author does well to keep you on your toes trying to figure out who the thief is. Lots of interesting things happen throughout the book, providing clues.
The book has 262 pages which is a good length for me, not too long!

I think if you like the Northern Lights series, then you should like this series.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Pressed.
I have also downloaded the prequel book Hidden Words.

Some people have mentioned that this book and the first book are a bit confusing.
I found it easy to understand after reading / referring to the glossary of the book which explains Spine, the Seven Known Pages, and the various terms. I think it would be better if this was at the front of the book.

I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.

[Laura Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic instalment from D. Hale Rambo!
Once again, Fiona has managed to find herself trying to unravel yet another mystery… this time trying to track down artefacts from the past, the crowns of the seasons. Someone has been caught and blamed for the theft, but Fiona has been brought on board to see if she can find the real culprit.
There are visits to even more worlds or pages in this book, and as in the previous book, the writing is so beautifully descriptive, I could see myself being there.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I did get a bit confused about some of the characters. But I think that was more because I hadn’t read the first one recently!
I’m looking forward to reading Pressed next!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love how creative this book is, like how the characters are anthropomorphic creatures, and how the fictional world is essentially a book of pages (domains of various points in history), which can only be traversed by what are know as “page turners.”

The mystery embedded in the book was highly gripping and carefully devised. Fiona, the main protagonist, kind of reminded me of Enola Holmes, with her exceptional ability to think outside the box and explore beyond what is visible.

I think this book was a great read, and I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading fantasy and thriller books!

I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.

[Bookish Coffee UK · Rating 5 out of 5]

My honest thoughts
I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader

First thing I wanna say is that this is the second book in this series and I wish I got more than the blurb to read as was lost in the beginning.. but still so well written that I got to understand some way through.

Next thing I have to say is that I really like the concept of this fairytale, definitely a unique and intruging fantasy tale!

I really really wish I could just open a book and jump in to it! That would be incredible..!

I really enjoyed the flow of the storyline and the world and character build

[Amy Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader. I hadn't read the previous book in the series, but I didn't feel like I needed to have read it. The characters are very likeable, especially Fiona and Gailli. The concept of the story is really interesting. I felt it took a little while to get into, but I was soon hooked! There were lots of twists and turns, and the author keeps you on your toes.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read the next book in the Planar Pages series! Investigator Fiona is getting in to a new adventure and it is a fun ride!! I absolutely love the wonderfully diverse characters and the world building is fantastic! The places and characters just come to life and you love some and hate some. If you enjoy magic and mysteries you will love this series.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super fun! I really enjoyed the characters and storyline. Loved the world building of the book and pages. I did have a bit of a learning curve at the beginning with all the terminology and needed to rely on the glossary at the back of the book to follow along better. Would definitely recommend for mystery and fantasy lovers!

I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

There's a lot to enjoy in this series. Absolutely love the world building - countries and races that are pages in a world that is a book 👌 alongside the fact they're mystery/fantasy combos and the 2 MCs are intelligent, innovative and inventive females. However something just doesn't hit the LOVE this series button.

[Wera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! The world that the author described is a very interesting concept. I loved the main characters. I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader