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The Last Oracle #1
The Book of Secrets: The Last Oracle, Book 1
Helena Davies just wants a job that will get her out of her parents’ basement. Abernathy’s Bookstore is disorganized, out of the way, and smells funny, but it pays well and promises to be interesting. She has no idea how interesting. By the end of the first day, Helena has a dead boss in the basement, an unexpected promotion, and the news that she is now a part of an endless war against creatures from another reality.
As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena is responsible for its secrets, including the most important Abernathy’s isn’t just a bookstore. It’s the world’s only living oracle, producing prophecies to help fight the war against alien invaders bent on draining this world of its magic. Helena’s job is to find books to answer questions put to the oracle by the Wardens, fighters in the Long War. It seems simple enough, but Helena’s new job is anything but.
Without training, without any knowledge of the magical world, and facing the hostility of those who’d wanted someone else to be Abernathy’s custodian, Helena must navigate the treacherous waters of her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there’s still a murderer on the loose, someone who intended to control Abernathy’s by killing its custodian - and Helena might be next on his list.
As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena is responsible for its secrets, including the most important Abernathy’s isn’t just a bookstore. It’s the world’s only living oracle, producing prophecies to help fight the war against alien invaders bent on draining this world of its magic. Helena’s job is to find books to answer questions put to the oracle by the Wardens, fighters in the Long War. It seems simple enough, but Helena’s new job is anything but.
Without training, without any knowledge of the magical world, and facing the hostility of those who’d wanted someone else to be Abernathy’s custodian, Helena must navigate the treacherous waters of her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there’s still a murderer on the loose, someone who intended to control Abernathy’s by killing its custodian - and Helena might be next on his list.
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First published February 20, 2018
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About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books861 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 - 30 of 206 reviews
July 26, 2018
3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Helena Davies, a twenty-one year old who’s been living in her parents’ basement since dropping out of community college for lack of funds, is at loose ends and clueless about her future. She needs a job ― any job ― while she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Surprisingly, the proprietor of Abernathy’s Bookstore immediately hires her, despite her sparse resume. But her new boss barely has time to have her sign an employment agreement (“I … swear to uphold the standards of Abernathy’s without fear or favor, and to seal its secrets in my heart”) when he’s murdered in the basement on Helena’s very first day.
As the sole surviving employee of Abernathy’s, Helena unexpectedly finds herself in charge of the bookstore … which is far more than an ordinary bookstore. Helena gets swept into a society of hidden mages within our world that she never knew existed, and a ceaseless war (it’s called the “Long War” for good reason) with Lovecraftian creatures from another dimension, intent on draining the magic from people in our world, leaving them dead. Abernathy’s Bookstore itself, together with its proprietor ― who is now Helena by default, though some want to change that ― functions as a powerful oracle, answering questions and providing prophecies for those willing to pay its price.
With minimal knowledge about Abernathy’s and its oracular powers, and about the magical society she’s now a part of, Helena has to rely on a few new acquaintances to help her find her footing. Malcolm Campbell, a handsome magus fighting on the frontlines of the Long War, just might be one of the people who will help Helena. But there are factions that oppose her elevation to the custodianship of Abernathy’s, not to mention an unidentified murderer who might decide Helena, too, is in the way of his plans.
The Book of Secrets is the first book in a new contemporary fantasy series, THE LAST ORACLE, by Melissa McShane. McShane has commented that the series will likely include ten books, so we’re playing a long game here. That’s evidenced in the plot of The Book of Secrets, in which the murder mystery plays second fiddle to the set-up and world-building, as Helena, and the reader, gradually orient themselves in a new world. The pace bogs down somewhat in the process. At the same time, while we’re introduced to concepts like stone, steel, wood and paper magi, not enough really happens with them (at least in this first book) to cement the different types of magic practitioners in the reader’s mind.
However, Helena and her friends are appealing characters, and Helena’s primary antagonist ― a young woman who is convinced that she was supposed to be the next custodian of Abernathy’s ― turns out to be a more complex character than I would have guessed. And it’s extremely hard not to love a magical bookstore with a definite mind of its own! I’ve got the second book, The Book of Peril, in hand and am definitely on board for seeing what happens next with Helena and Abernathy’s.
BTW, the author, Melissa McShane, has some really insightful commentary in her Goodreads review - take the time to read it! I received a free copy of this ebook for review from the author.
Helena Davies, a twenty-one year old who’s been living in her parents’ basement since dropping out of community college for lack of funds, is at loose ends and clueless about her future. She needs a job ― any job ― while she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Surprisingly, the proprietor of Abernathy’s Bookstore immediately hires her, despite her sparse resume. But her new boss barely has time to have her sign an employment agreement (“I … swear to uphold the standards of Abernathy’s without fear or favor, and to seal its secrets in my heart”) when he’s murdered in the basement on Helena’s very first day.
As the sole surviving employee of Abernathy’s, Helena unexpectedly finds herself in charge of the bookstore … which is far more than an ordinary bookstore. Helena gets swept into a society of hidden mages within our world that she never knew existed, and a ceaseless war (it’s called the “Long War” for good reason) with Lovecraftian creatures from another dimension, intent on draining the magic from people in our world, leaving them dead. Abernathy’s Bookstore itself, together with its proprietor ― who is now Helena by default, though some want to change that ― functions as a powerful oracle, answering questions and providing prophecies for those willing to pay its price.
With minimal knowledge about Abernathy’s and its oracular powers, and about the magical society she’s now a part of, Helena has to rely on a few new acquaintances to help her find her footing. Malcolm Campbell, a handsome magus fighting on the frontlines of the Long War, just might be one of the people who will help Helena. But there are factions that oppose her elevation to the custodianship of Abernathy’s, not to mention an unidentified murderer who might decide Helena, too, is in the way of his plans.
The Book of Secrets is the first book in a new contemporary fantasy series, THE LAST ORACLE, by Melissa McShane. McShane has commented that the series will likely include ten books, so we’re playing a long game here. That’s evidenced in the plot of The Book of Secrets, in which the murder mystery plays second fiddle to the set-up and world-building, as Helena, and the reader, gradually orient themselves in a new world. The pace bogs down somewhat in the process. At the same time, while we’re introduced to concepts like stone, steel, wood and paper magi, not enough really happens with them (at least in this first book) to cement the different types of magic practitioners in the reader’s mind.
However, Helena and her friends are appealing characters, and Helena’s primary antagonist ― a young woman who is convinced that she was supposed to be the next custodian of Abernathy’s ― turns out to be a more complex character than I would have guessed. And it’s extremely hard not to love a magical bookstore with a definite mind of its own! I’ve got the second book, The Book of Peril, in hand and am definitely on board for seeing what happens next with Helena and Abernathy’s.
BTW, the author, Melissa McShane, has some really insightful commentary in her Goodreads review - take the time to read it! I received a free copy of this ebook for review from the author.
February 16, 2022
ETA: The audiobook is out, now, and I got to be a part of the process. Plans are in place to audio up the rest of the series, too, but it'll take time. Selecting a narrator was a fascinating process and I really like Stephanie Spicer's narration so I'm thrilled we got her for the project. She'll remain the narrator for the other books if we have anything to say about it (tentative plans already discussed, but stuff happens). If you were waiting for an audio option, now's your chance...
My not yet and probably never will be standard disclaimer applies as I am still married to the author. Yes, I really am just that lucky. As always, I do my best to keep my reviews honest, but apply whatever windage you deem necessary to cover my (potential/probable) bias.
This book is a big departure for Melissa in that it has a modern-day setting and probably qualifies as Urban Fantasy (so a new genre). There's no romance, though there are hints of potential if it's a really slow burn. The alien "invaders" are right scary and have a Lovecraftian façade, though if anything the story itself is anti-Lovecraft (). Not that it's all sunshine and puppies. The conflict is real and it is deadly and those fighting the war are correspondingly no-nonsense and even severe.
As happens frequently with Melissa's stories, I really love the main character. She's young (just 21) and starts off directionless as she pretty much falls into the situation at the bookstore. Behind that, though, is a courage and determination to do what's right that grows real steel as Helena learns what is involved and what the hidden world contains. I particularly liked how she explicitly doesn't want to be that girl who continues to deny that magic is real for a hundred pages after more than sufficient proof is provided. There's a whirlwind of change and she's suddenly in a position of import with a lot of people desiring to influence her choices, so none of this is easy for her. Still, she's determined to do what's best for all, even if that means personal sacrifice.
And I like the mystery plot, too. My memory is such that I can never remember whodunit for very long and I have to admit that happened here, as well. So despite having read this a couple times in draft, I really enjoyed the investigations and theorizing and groping to understand, even as Helena finds herself trying to digest all this new stuff. Yeah, I wasn't surprised (because knew roughly what had to happen and I knew at least some of the people it wasn't) but I still enjoyed the pace of discovery and getting to know all these wonderful characters.
So anyway, my rating can't be a surprise so I'll end with a spoiler-free list of favorite characters:
* Harry and Harriett for their kind hearts and warm welcome
* Viv (I don't at all get the sinister vibe other reviews have mentioned, but then, I live very close with the template she is derived from)
* Malcolm (okay, this is more of a crush)
* The rest of Helena's family (for being so outstandingly normal)
* And last, but hardly least (okay, one spoiler, tagged appropriately) .
My not yet and probably never will be standard disclaimer applies as I am still married to the author. Yes, I really am just that lucky. As always, I do my best to keep my reviews honest, but apply whatever windage you deem necessary to cover my (potential/probable) bias.
This book is a big departure for Melissa in that it has a modern-day setting and probably qualifies as Urban Fantasy (so a new genre). There's no romance, though there are hints of potential if it's a really slow burn. The alien "invaders" are right scary and have a Lovecraftian façade, though if anything the story itself is anti-Lovecraft (). Not that it's all sunshine and puppies. The conflict is real and it is deadly and those fighting the war are correspondingly no-nonsense and even severe.
As happens frequently with Melissa's stories, I really love the main character. She's young (just 21) and starts off directionless as she pretty much falls into the situation at the bookstore. Behind that, though, is a courage and determination to do what's right that grows real steel as Helena learns what is involved and what the hidden world contains. I particularly liked how she explicitly doesn't want to be that girl who continues to deny that magic is real for a hundred pages after more than sufficient proof is provided. There's a whirlwind of change and she's suddenly in a position of import with a lot of people desiring to influence her choices, so none of this is easy for her. Still, she's determined to do what's best for all, even if that means personal sacrifice.
And I like the mystery plot, too. My memory is such that I can never remember whodunit for very long and I have to admit that happened here, as well. So despite having read this a couple times in draft, I really enjoyed the investigations and theorizing and groping to understand, even as Helena finds herself trying to digest all this new stuff. Yeah, I wasn't surprised (because knew roughly what had to happen and I knew at least some of the people it wasn't) but I still enjoyed the pace of discovery and getting to know all these wonderful characters.
So anyway, my rating can't be a surprise so I'll end with a spoiler-free list of favorite characters:
* Harry and Harriett for their kind hearts and warm welcome
* Viv (I don't at all get the sinister vibe other reviews have mentioned, but then, I live very close with the template she is derived from)
* Malcolm (okay, this is more of a crush)
* The rest of Helena's family (for being so outstandingly normal)
* And last, but hardly least (okay, one spoiler, tagged appropriately) .
Read
February 19, 2018Like many urban fantasies, this one gets pretty dark there in the middle. At one point I thought it was going to be too dark for me.
Helena Davies answers an ad for a bookstore job--and ends up solely responsible for the bookstore when the owner turns up dead on her first day.
Furthermore, this bookstore has some very weird aspects to it, and some even weirder regular customers. While Helena has to deal with them and their expectations, she becomes the primary suspect in the owner's murder, and has to try to figure out why she's being targeted. All while she tries to figure out if she ought to stay, or just quit.
Helping her is her best friend Viv, and a really good-looking demon fighter named Campbell. Or is he helping her?
I really liked the way McShane balanced Helena's total ignorance of magic, the bookstore, etc, against how she began to master what she needed to, while events around her kept accelerating, nearly past her. Some complex secondary characters added to the interest. (I especially liked the arc with Judy Rasmussen, who had thought she was going to have the job.)
The middle was a bump for me.
It turned out I was totally wrong in my assumption, and once I got past that hump, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest, which accelerated to a terrific climax and an equally terrific coda, leaving me with high anticipation for the next volume in the series.
The magic in this book is different from that in other urban fantasies I've read, and the bookstore with magic is a huge plus for me. Lively characters and hints of an interesting setting were also draws.
Altogether, I'm in for more of Helena's adventures!
Copy courtesy of author.
Helena Davies answers an ad for a bookstore job--and ends up solely responsible for the bookstore when the owner turns up dead on her first day.
Furthermore, this bookstore has some very weird aspects to it, and some even weirder regular customers. While Helena has to deal with them and their expectations, she becomes the primary suspect in the owner's murder, and has to try to figure out why she's being targeted. All while she tries to figure out if she ought to stay, or just quit.
Helping her is her best friend Viv, and a really good-looking demon fighter named Campbell. Or is he helping her?
I really liked the way McShane balanced Helena's total ignorance of magic, the bookstore, etc, against how she began to master what she needed to, while events around her kept accelerating, nearly past her. Some complex secondary characters added to the interest. (I especially liked the arc with Judy Rasmussen, who had thought she was going to have the job.)
The middle was a bump for me.
It turned out I was totally wrong in my assumption, and once I got past that hump, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest, which accelerated to a terrific climax and an equally terrific coda, leaving me with high anticipation for the next volume in the series.
The magic in this book is different from that in other urban fantasies I've read, and the bookstore with magic is a huge plus for me. Lively characters and hints of an interesting setting were also draws.
Altogether, I'm in for more of Helena's adventures!
Copy courtesy of author.
Currently reading
April 16, 2020Yes, authors: you can pretty much sell me any book by throwing an unusual bookshop or library into the blurb.
So far (40 pages) this seems like a pretty middle-of-the-road Urban Fantasy. Not bad, but not surprising. Also not quite what I'm in the mood for, although I'll probably come back to it if I live long enough.
So far (40 pages) this seems like a pretty middle-of-the-road Urban Fantasy. Not bad, but not surprising. Also not quite what I'm in the mood for, although I'll probably come back to it if I live long enough.
October 15, 2025
McShane wrote a whimsical, magical tale about a magical bookstore and the normal, every day human that inherits it. Helena Davies needed a job. She never thought when she walked through the door of Abernathy’s Bookstore she would be swept into a world that she never knew existed. Finding your feet in a world where learning the magic around you means your survival, Helena must decide who she can trust, because there is a murder in their midst and a diabolical plan unfolding.
Fun, fast paced and filled with intriguing characters, The Book of Secrets captivates, entertains and keeps you guessing till the end.
I received this copy of The Book of Secrets from Curiosity Quills Press. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Fun, fast paced and filled with intriguing characters, The Book of Secrets captivates, entertains and keeps you guessing till the end.
I received this copy of The Book of Secrets from Curiosity Quills Press. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Read
February 3, 2024Re-read 1/3/24: I was recovering from surgery and tired and on a whim picked this up again. In truth, I was curious about whether I still liked it. It was as fun as I remember.
Read 2/19/18: This book started as a depth exercise, practice in evocative description, and the first chapter turned into discovery writing. There were actually two of these exercises, both set in our world, and I liked them both well enough to consider turning them into novels. (The other one I eventually discarded on the grounds that its setting would require too much research. I'm allergic to research.) For this one, tentatively titled Abernathy's, I sat down and wrote the first chapter as, again, pure discovery writing, trying to figure out who Helena was and what was the bookstore's secret.
Fast-forward a couple of weeks, on the way back from eastern Washington, when I brought up the story with my family. At that point, I had the first three chapters and a more solid idea of how the oracle worked and who the major players were, but no sense of what Neutralities were, or Wardens, or how the magic worked. All of that was pure spitballing. I don't remember who suggested that the magic might be connected to a shard of something embedded in a magus's heart, but I think we all cringed, said "Ew," and then set about making it work. So on that trip we worked out the details of the magic system. The fracture within the Wardens had come earlier, so by the time we were home, I had enough to be going on with.
The title of the book is a puzzle. There is no "book of secrets" in the story; the title refers to the actual book you're reading, i.e. you are reading a book in which there are many secrets. All the titles are like this--book two, The Book of Peril, is a book in which there is great peril. I thought it was clever, but now I wonder if it's just confusing.
I have a love-hate relationship with H. P. Lovecraft's fiction. It's possibly the bleakest and most discouraging fiction I've ever read. But my early roleplaying days were heavily influenced by the game Call of Cthulhu, which (at least the way we played it) downplayed the utter helplessness of human agents against the Great Old Ones and gave a more redemptive arc to the Cthulhu Mythos. So the monsters in this series are Lovecraftian; the horror is not. When Malcolm Campbell suggests to Helena that she might want to read Lovecraft, it would be to give her a sense of the monstrosities the Wardens face, not because Lovecraft is inherently worth reading.
Viv is heavily based on my second daughter, who has the most random sense of humor I've ever encountered and a well-defined taste in music. I'm fond of all my characters, but I have a special love for Judy Rasmussen, who about halfway through turned out differently than I'd expected. In later books, she develops even more interestingly.
Speaking of later books, there are seven books written to date and I anticipate the series being ten books long. So I hope people love Helena's adventures, because they're only just beginning.
Read 2/19/18: This book started as a depth exercise, practice in evocative description, and the first chapter turned into discovery writing. There were actually two of these exercises, both set in our world, and I liked them both well enough to consider turning them into novels. (The other one I eventually discarded on the grounds that its setting would require too much research. I'm allergic to research.) For this one, tentatively titled Abernathy's, I sat down and wrote the first chapter as, again, pure discovery writing, trying to figure out who Helena was and what was the bookstore's secret.
Fast-forward a couple of weeks, on the way back from eastern Washington, when I brought up the story with my family. At that point, I had the first three chapters and a more solid idea of how the oracle worked and who the major players were, but no sense of what Neutralities were, or Wardens, or how the magic worked. All of that was pure spitballing. I don't remember who suggested that the magic might be connected to a shard of something embedded in a magus's heart, but I think we all cringed, said "Ew," and then set about making it work. So on that trip we worked out the details of the magic system. The fracture within the Wardens had come earlier, so by the time we were home, I had enough to be going on with.
The title of the book is a puzzle. There is no "book of secrets" in the story; the title refers to the actual book you're reading, i.e. you are reading a book in which there are many secrets. All the titles are like this--book two, The Book of Peril, is a book in which there is great peril. I thought it was clever, but now I wonder if it's just confusing.
I have a love-hate relationship with H. P. Lovecraft's fiction. It's possibly the bleakest and most discouraging fiction I've ever read. But my early roleplaying days were heavily influenced by the game Call of Cthulhu, which (at least the way we played it) downplayed the utter helplessness of human agents against the Great Old Ones and gave a more redemptive arc to the Cthulhu Mythos. So the monsters in this series are Lovecraftian; the horror is not. When Malcolm Campbell suggests to Helena that she might want to read Lovecraft, it would be to give her a sense of the monstrosities the Wardens face, not because Lovecraft is inherently worth reading.
Viv is heavily based on my second daughter, who has the most random sense of humor I've ever encountered and a well-defined taste in music. I'm fond of all my characters, but I have a special love for Judy Rasmussen, who about halfway through turned out differently than I'd expected. In later books, she develops even more interestingly.
Speaking of later books, there are seven books written to date and I anticipate the series being ten books long. So I hope people love Helena's adventures, because they're only just beginning.
June 8, 2022
3.5 Pizza book, yummy!
If you need a book/series to take a break from a previous read, try this one.
It's a fast read, so no time to get bored -or to fall in love with the characters, but eh, pizza isn't memorable, it's just yummy and there for you when you need it.
The characters are ok; the plot is, well typical, but nice; the writing is ok.
A book worth reading if you're 'hungry'.
If you need a book/series to take a break from a previous read, try this one.
It's a fast read, so no time to get bored -or to fall in love with the characters, but eh, pizza isn't memorable, it's just yummy and there for you when you need it.
The characters are ok; the plot is, well typical, but nice; the writing is ok.
A book worth reading if you're 'hungry'.
February 21, 2021
$0.99 Kindle and Kobo sale, Feb. 21, 2021
March 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Helena Davies has no idea what she is getting into when she takes a job at a local bookstore. Who knew bookstores could be Oracles? What a exciting book. I loved all the great new characters! As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena has to learn how to do run this amazing bookstore and dodge aliens invaders along the way. I am so sucked into this world this author has created and I loved it. I can't wait to read book 2! This is a new author for me as well and I'm so glad I found someone else to get excited about reading and waiting for their books to come out for me to read. *This book was given to me for free at my request from Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
May 17, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
There are many ways to tackle a conflict, some more ethical than others. THE BOOK OF SECRETS presents a war against creatures from another dimension, two factions with their own ideas on how to win the war, and a young woman stuck in the middle, quite suddenly. It’s tons of fun, but it left me with lots of questions.
I love heroines who are willing to take a few days to freak the hell out. Finding your new boss dead is not normal, and neither is being a neutral party between two factions of demon hunters. I appreciate that the author didn’t turn Helena into a superwoman overnight, but also gave her some back bone.
The inter-dimensional beings that eat people are obviously evil, but the two factions fighting them were fascinating. One group fights with their wit and magic, putting down the beasts before they can kill us. The other group captures and harnesses them, using them to fight against the invaders. Both camps seem to have their good and bad points, but THE BOOK OF SECRETS doesn’t make it easy for the reader to pick a side. Helena, as custodian of the magical bookshop, isn’t allowed to choose a side. When her life is at risk, she truly has to scramble to find allies on both sides of the conflict.
There are so many unanswered questions about the magic system, the shop, and the world of THE BOOK OF SECRETS in general, that it is almost frustrating. But it’s frustrating in a delicious way, like peeking into the window of an antique bookshop that opens in a few minutes. I cannot wait for the next book.
There are many ways to tackle a conflict, some more ethical than others. THE BOOK OF SECRETS presents a war against creatures from another dimension, two factions with their own ideas on how to win the war, and a young woman stuck in the middle, quite suddenly. It’s tons of fun, but it left me with lots of questions.
I love heroines who are willing to take a few days to freak the hell out. Finding your new boss dead is not normal, and neither is being a neutral party between two factions of demon hunters. I appreciate that the author didn’t turn Helena into a superwoman overnight, but also gave her some back bone.
The inter-dimensional beings that eat people are obviously evil, but the two factions fighting them were fascinating. One group fights with their wit and magic, putting down the beasts before they can kill us. The other group captures and harnesses them, using them to fight against the invaders. Both camps seem to have their good and bad points, but THE BOOK OF SECRETS doesn’t make it easy for the reader to pick a side. Helena, as custodian of the magical bookshop, isn’t allowed to choose a side. When her life is at risk, she truly has to scramble to find allies on both sides of the conflict.
There are so many unanswered questions about the magic system, the shop, and the world of THE BOOK OF SECRETS in general, that it is almost frustrating. But it’s frustrating in a delicious way, like peeking into the window of an antique bookshop that opens in a few minutes. I cannot wait for the next book.
October 14, 2021
Very good series about a woman who's hired to work for an unusual bookstore and learns she's now part of a magical world she had no idea existed.
August 11, 2020
Melissa McShane constantly surprises me with the depth of her magical world building. Theyre always so unique! A bookstore fortune teller!? INSPIRED you can tell she spends a lot of time in little book stores. And the mystery was so well written! I continually had new theories and ideas. And it was really important to me how well the protagonist rolled with the new information presented to her. I even liked Judy, as unpleasant as she started out as.
My favorite character was the best friend, Viv. She was so funny and cute and I hope she gets a magical boyfriend in the next book
My favorite character was the best friend, Viv. She was so funny and cute and I hope she gets a magical boyfriend in the next book
June 27, 2022
What a lovely premise to a book, well, maybe not the murder part, but the dusty old bookshop that turns out to be something more is brilliant! This does however turn out to be a decent mystery and an exciting adventure which is all kicked off by the murder, so maybe that part is necessary.
February 26, 2018
The Book of Secrets by Melissa McShane is the first novel in The Last Oracle series. Helena Davies is interviewing for a job at Abernathy’s, a local disorganized bookstore. She is shocked when Nathaniel Briggs hires her and asks for her to start immediately after signing a handwritten contract. Helena is typing (on a typewriter) labels to mail out catalogues when a customer enters the store looking for Mr. Briggs. Malcolm Campbell is astonished that Helena was hired to work in the store. Helena goes searching for Mr. Briggs and discovers him dead from a stab wound in the basement. Who would want to harm Mr. Briggs? Malcolm must explain to Helena that Abernathy’s is no mere bookstore. It is a living oracle that provides prophecies. Helena, as the new custodian (she signed the contract) is tasked with finding the right book to answer the question put to the oracle by Wardens. Abernathy’s is an important tool in helping them fight the invaders in the Long War (information overload for Helena). Magic is real, and creatures invade from outside their reality to obtain it. Unfortunately, Mr. Briggs died before training Helena and the instruction book to assist her is missing. Malcolm is not the only person surprised by Helena’s appointment. Judy Rasmussen has been training for twelve years and wants Helena to abdicate (and she is quite pushy about it). Helena needs to learn her new position while fulfilling her customer’s needs, deal with Judy’s hostile attitude, discover who murdered Mr. Brigg’s before the police arrest her for the crime, and evade the deadly creatures who seem intent on attacking her (that’s not good). Despite everything that is happening, Helena believes she might have finally found her place.
The Books of Secrets is well-written and engaging. It has fast pace that will keep readers on their toes. I liked the author’s unique take on magic. I would say more but I do not want to spoil it for you. I did appreciate that the author did not dump out all the details at once. It develops throughout the story, but readers are not given everything in this first installment (we are left wanting to know more). The creature’s descriptions are enough to give a person nightmares (it did not stop me from reading though). Abernathy’s is a fascinating place. The author’s concept for the store was creative and multi-layered. Melissa McShane did a remarkable job at creating a one-of-a-kind world for her characters (and for us). I did feel that the characters needed more development and backstory. I wanted to know more about Helena’s upbringing and Malcolm’s background. I was also not a fan of Viv, Helena’s best friend. I found her annoying, overbearing, and immature. As Helena’s best friend, she is the logical choice for a sidekick. I just wish the author had tweaked her personality a bit. I am glad that The Book of Secrets is just the first book in The Last Oracle series. For a delightful story containing magic, murder, mayhem and mystery grab a copy of The Book of Secrets.
The Books of Secrets is well-written and engaging. It has fast pace that will keep readers on their toes. I liked the author’s unique take on magic. I would say more but I do not want to spoil it for you. I did appreciate that the author did not dump out all the details at once. It develops throughout the story, but readers are not given everything in this first installment (we are left wanting to know more). The creature’s descriptions are enough to give a person nightmares (it did not stop me from reading though). Abernathy’s is a fascinating place. The author’s concept for the store was creative and multi-layered. Melissa McShane did a remarkable job at creating a one-of-a-kind world for her characters (and for us). I did feel that the characters needed more development and backstory. I wanted to know more about Helena’s upbringing and Malcolm’s background. I was also not a fan of Viv, Helena’s best friend. I found her annoying, overbearing, and immature. As Helena’s best friend, she is the logical choice for a sidekick. I just wish the author had tweaked her personality a bit. I am glad that The Book of Secrets is just the first book in The Last Oracle series. For a delightful story containing magic, murder, mayhem and mystery grab a copy of The Book of Secrets.
February 19, 2018
*Source* Publisher via NetGalley
*Genre* Fantasy, Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
The Book of Secrets is the first installment in author Melissa McShane's The Last Oracle series. This is a brand new series from the author. I first became aware of the authors work through her series called The Extraordinaries which I am looking forward to continuing. McShane's new world is a curious one. It is a world in which our protagonist, Helena Davies, walks in for an interview at Abernathy's, and gets hired by the mysterious Nathaniel Briggs on the spot. Abernathy's does business via phone calls, order forms, catalog trade, and in person.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Fantasy, Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
The Book of Secrets is the first installment in author Melissa McShane's The Last Oracle series. This is a brand new series from the author. I first became aware of the authors work through her series called The Extraordinaries which I am looking forward to continuing. McShane's new world is a curious one. It is a world in which our protagonist, Helena Davies, walks in for an interview at Abernathy's, and gets hired by the mysterious Nathaniel Briggs on the spot. Abernathy's does business via phone calls, order forms, catalog trade, and in person.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
March 7, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!😍 This is a book that any book lover who loves magic would enjoy! This book was filled with great characters, fantastic word building, a fast paced plot and magic! I loved Helena's character and how even though she was new to the magic world she was open minded and strong. The reason why I am not giving this book 5 stars is because the ending wasn't the best. Overall, this is a story that I really enjoyed and recommend.
I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.I appreciate this opportunity and all views expressed are my own.
I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.I appreciate this opportunity and all views expressed are my own.
July 15, 2018
Full review to come!
July 17, 2019
How do I tell you how much I loved this book without spoiling anything for you but give you enough information to convince you that you’ll love it too… Oh, I know!
Magic.
Bookstore.
MAGIC BOOKSTORE!!!
Review endeth here.
Just kidding! Seriously though, those two words would be enough for me to pick up this book! Without giving away anything spoilerish, Helena answers a newspaper advertisement for a job at Abernathy’s Bookstore. Her first day on the job could easily be a contender for the Worst First Day at Work award 🏆 when her boss is murdered before giving her a handover or at least letting her know what her tasks will involve besides using a typewriter (!) to address labels to post the bookstore’s catalogue to customers.
Without having the foggiest idea what signing her employment contract actually means Helena’s life quickly becomes much more interesting, dangerous and bizarre than she could have imagined possible. Thankfully she has her best friend Viv to help with fashion choices, the blind date from hell, and some much needed “No, you’re not crazy. I believe you, girl!” chats.
During Helena’s first week at Abernathy’s she meets a plethora of customers, who range from gossipy curiosity to full blown rage at her appointment as Abernathy’s new custodian. It turns out Helena has stumbled into the middle of a war of the worlds (of sorts) that she knows nothing about.
It’s up to her to try to fast forward her training in a previously unknown magical world, all while dealing with the fallout of the unsolved murder of her boss and a murderer whose identity is a mystery. Some of the people Helena meets at Abernathy’s seem to be trying to help her learn the ropes, others are just waiting for her to fail and Helena doesn’t know who she can trust and whether she’s even the right person for the job.
There are so many characters, magical elements, reasons why Abernathy’s is the coolest bookstore in the history of the universe, plot points and hopes for future books in the series that I’d love to go into detail about but I can’t wreck your experience of this book with spoilers. 🤐 Please trust me when I tell you that there’s so much more to this book than I’ve told you.
I just have to say that I loved the writing, the characters, the mythology and of course, the bookstore, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. My favourite characters so far are Viv and Judy; Viv because she’s such a fun character and Judy because I can’t wait to see how her character unfolds throughout the series. Even though this is only the first book I can see this series becoming one of my favourites.
Food I Need in my Life After Reading This Book: Chocopocalypse cake 🍫 🍰 🤤
Melissa McShane, pretty please with an entire Chocopocalypse cake just for you on top, I don’t want to sound desperate - but I’m desperate! I need The Book of Peril in my life urgently. Hmm, what can I do to convince you?! Threaten to go to Abernathy’s and both categorise and alphabetise all of the books? Tell you my augury foretold it magically appearing on my Kindle overnight? Tell the familiars how lovely they look today? 😊
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the opportunity to read this book.
Magic.
Bookstore.
MAGIC BOOKSTORE!!!
Review endeth here.
Just kidding! Seriously though, those two words would be enough for me to pick up this book! Without giving away anything spoilerish, Helena answers a newspaper advertisement for a job at Abernathy’s Bookstore. Her first day on the job could easily be a contender for the Worst First Day at Work award 🏆 when her boss is murdered before giving her a handover or at least letting her know what her tasks will involve besides using a typewriter (!) to address labels to post the bookstore’s catalogue to customers.
Without having the foggiest idea what signing her employment contract actually means Helena’s life quickly becomes much more interesting, dangerous and bizarre than she could have imagined possible. Thankfully she has her best friend Viv to help with fashion choices, the blind date from hell, and some much needed “No, you’re not crazy. I believe you, girl!” chats.
During Helena’s first week at Abernathy’s she meets a plethora of customers, who range from gossipy curiosity to full blown rage at her appointment as Abernathy’s new custodian. It turns out Helena has stumbled into the middle of a war of the worlds (of sorts) that she knows nothing about.
It’s up to her to try to fast forward her training in a previously unknown magical world, all while dealing with the fallout of the unsolved murder of her boss and a murderer whose identity is a mystery. Some of the people Helena meets at Abernathy’s seem to be trying to help her learn the ropes, others are just waiting for her to fail and Helena doesn’t know who she can trust and whether she’s even the right person for the job.
There are so many characters, magical elements, reasons why Abernathy’s is the coolest bookstore in the history of the universe, plot points and hopes for future books in the series that I’d love to go into detail about but I can’t wreck your experience of this book with spoilers. 🤐 Please trust me when I tell you that there’s so much more to this book than I’ve told you.
I just have to say that I loved the writing, the characters, the mythology and of course, the bookstore, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. My favourite characters so far are Viv and Judy; Viv because she’s such a fun character and Judy because I can’t wait to see how her character unfolds throughout the series. Even though this is only the first book I can see this series becoming one of my favourites.
Food I Need in my Life After Reading This Book: Chocopocalypse cake 🍫 🍰 🤤
Melissa McShane, pretty please with an entire Chocopocalypse cake just for you on top, I don’t want to sound desperate - but I’m desperate! I need The Book of Peril in my life urgently. Hmm, what can I do to convince you?! Threaten to go to Abernathy’s and both categorise and alphabetise all of the books? Tell you my augury foretold it magically appearing on my Kindle overnight? Tell the familiars how lovely they look today? 😊
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the opportunity to read this book.
September 1, 2020
Anyone who follows my reviews will not be surprised that I enjoyed this book. I am a confirmed fan of Melissa McShane's writing, and have the pleasure of beta reading for her. In particular, I appreciate her ability to write strong women who face danger in their own ways.
In the Book of Secrets we meet another of these wonderful young ladies in the form of Helena. At first Helena just wants a job that means eventually moving out of her parent's house and having extra money of her own, hopefully without working at the local fast food joint. I love this introduction because we've all either been there or will be. Helena is very relatable to. There are places where she deals with the introduction of the supernatural elements a little more clearly than I think I might have, but never in a way where it threw me out of the story.
Anyway, Helena ends up getting a job in a strange bookstore, and then her boss is murdered...and that's only day two.
I also love the introduction of Viv, the fashion forward, musician and dating queen. She's a little surface in this volume, but I see a lot of depth that we have yet to explore. Speaking of amazing secondary characters I love Harriet and Harry and the very yummy and secretive Malcom...
If you are looking for Urban Fantasy focused on magic and monster this is a great new series. It's solidly UF, and while there are relationships it's certainly not paranormal romance. (Not that PNR is bad, just that people like both for many reasons).
May 9, 2018
I just can't get enough of the enchanted library/bookstore trope.
More, please!
More, please!
September 4, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book :) this is the first book in a new paranormal series by Melissa McShane :) I am definitely a fan of her writing style and she did not disappoint with this new story :) but don't be fooled by this innocently looking cover... the actualy story is much darker than I expected... don't get me wrong, I loved it, but I figured it would be wise to warn you a little bit ;) so let's jump into some more details about the actual plot and our heroine :)
Helena is in her early twenties, and we meet her during her job interview in a peculiar little book shop... what she doesn't know is that said book shop is a big deal within the paranormal community and sort of in the neutral middle of a magical conflict... not to mention the oracle... yeah... :) she gets the job, but unfortunately for her, her boss is murdered during that first day... she sort of inherits the shop with all its magical abilities and has to deal with a lot of consequences following that one event... I am sitting here right now and thinking really hard what more to tell you... I don't want to say too much, cause I really liked how we learned more and more details about the magic and paranormal aspects of this story right alongside Helena, so I think I will leave you with those few vague details... what I will say is that I am definitely intrigued and can't wait to know more about the world :) now when it comes to Helena... she definitely embraces all the craziness that's happening around her with lots of courage and intelligence... :) I really liked her as the heoine of the story :) even though she's very young she acts more mature than I expected her to :) especially with everything that happens ;)
Overall I gave this story 4,5 stars :) I really liked it and am looking forward to continue on with the series, but there were things that I did not completely enjoy... one of those things was actually a person... Viv, Helena's best friend... I wasn't a fan of her, she kind of annoyed me, and I thought that her behaviour most of the times was quite immature... but who knows, maybe she'll grow on me once I see some more character development ;) fortunately the book is full of very interesting and complex secondary characters that again, I am very curious to know more about in future installments ;) like I mentioned before there is no info dumping, which means there's not like one chapter where we get the whole explanation and rules and such, so there's no way to actually remember everything... instead, we slowly learn with Helena about everything :) since this is the first book in a series, there's need for world building :) and this story does a very good job with it :) like always, Melissa's writing style is very entertaining... she keps creating these so very different from one another books, with characters that I fall in love with... once again, she made me laugh and gasp in surprise more than once... like I said before, this is a much darker story than I expected, so be prepared for some scary parts ;) personally, I loved them :) she definitely kept me at the edge of my seat, and I'm hoping we will get the sequel very soon... cause I need to know what happens now! :) so if you are looking for a unique bok that will keep you guessing, definitely give this one a try :)
XOXO
A
Helena is in her early twenties, and we meet her during her job interview in a peculiar little book shop... what she doesn't know is that said book shop is a big deal within the paranormal community and sort of in the neutral middle of a magical conflict... not to mention the oracle... yeah... :) she gets the job, but unfortunately for her, her boss is murdered during that first day... she sort of inherits the shop with all its magical abilities and has to deal with a lot of consequences following that one event... I am sitting here right now and thinking really hard what more to tell you... I don't want to say too much, cause I really liked how we learned more and more details about the magic and paranormal aspects of this story right alongside Helena, so I think I will leave you with those few vague details... what I will say is that I am definitely intrigued and can't wait to know more about the world :) now when it comes to Helena... she definitely embraces all the craziness that's happening around her with lots of courage and intelligence... :) I really liked her as the heoine of the story :) even though she's very young she acts more mature than I expected her to :) especially with everything that happens ;)
Overall I gave this story 4,5 stars :) I really liked it and am looking forward to continue on with the series, but there were things that I did not completely enjoy... one of those things was actually a person... Viv, Helena's best friend... I wasn't a fan of her, she kind of annoyed me, and I thought that her behaviour most of the times was quite immature... but who knows, maybe she'll grow on me once I see some more character development ;) fortunately the book is full of very interesting and complex secondary characters that again, I am very curious to know more about in future installments ;) like I mentioned before there is no info dumping, which means there's not like one chapter where we get the whole explanation and rules and such, so there's no way to actually remember everything... instead, we slowly learn with Helena about everything :) since this is the first book in a series, there's need for world building :) and this story does a very good job with it :) like always, Melissa's writing style is very entertaining... she keps creating these so very different from one another books, with characters that I fall in love with... once again, she made me laugh and gasp in surprise more than once... like I said before, this is a much darker story than I expected, so be prepared for some scary parts ;) personally, I loved them :) she definitely kept me at the edge of my seat, and I'm hoping we will get the sequel very soon... cause I need to know what happens now! :) so if you are looking for a unique bok that will keep you guessing, definitely give this one a try :)
XOXO
A
February 11, 2018
This book was interesting, intriguing, and slightly daunting! I am so impressed with the cover, but the summary felt slightly misleading to the actual story. I don't mind magic, it was very well written in this story, but this is what the summary revealed...."It’s the world’s only living oracle, producing prophecies to help fight the war against alien invaders bent on draining this world of its magic." However, the characters describe these prophecies as similar to "fortune telling, but stronger." I had a problem with that and that makes more sense because prophecies don't cost money and fortune telling does. There was a lot of payment transactions that happened in the text to support this. There is a tangible war happening in the story, but most of it takes place in the bookstore.
The monsters were scary and very well described, Helena handled that part much better than I would have! There isn't much violence in the story but Helena's boss does get killed and then someone else gets killed in an unexpected way. Helena reacts with heart and really wants what's best for the store even if that means she has to walk away, I think that compassion and selflessness was more important than any incompetence she showed. Most people wouldn't have bothered to help as she did.
The biggest issue I had with this story is that it was lacking innocence. I really thought it would be more like The Neverending Story where stories have power and a childlikeness being key to that power. Secrets is more of a darker read that way. The store, Abernathy's, is really a fascinating place and I enjoyed how quickly it connects to Helena. I also had a problem with her best friend, Viv, I didn't see her as a true friend until almost the end of the story. She was a cool character, but too reckless for my taste.
What impressed me most was how well Helena learns the store with no guidance, VERY little instruction and so many people who don't believe she belongs there. Harry and Harriet were wonderful characters and despite Campbell's rudeness, he turns out to be an enhancement to the story. I liked the story, but I won't be reading the rest of the series.
I was given a free ebook from the publisher via NetGalley, I voluntarily reviewed this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
The monsters were scary and very well described, Helena handled that part much better than I would have! There isn't much violence in the story but Helena's boss does get killed and then someone else gets killed in an unexpected way. Helena reacts with heart and really wants what's best for the store even if that means she has to walk away, I think that compassion and selflessness was more important than any incompetence she showed. Most people wouldn't have bothered to help as she did.
The biggest issue I had with this story is that it was lacking innocence. I really thought it would be more like The Neverending Story where stories have power and a childlikeness being key to that power. Secrets is more of a darker read that way. The store, Abernathy's, is really a fascinating place and I enjoyed how quickly it connects to Helena. I also had a problem with her best friend, Viv, I didn't see her as a true friend until almost the end of the story. She was a cool character, but too reckless for my taste.
What impressed me most was how well Helena learns the store with no guidance, VERY little instruction and so many people who don't believe she belongs there. Harry and Harriet were wonderful characters and despite Campbell's rudeness, he turns out to be an enhancement to the story. I liked the story, but I won't be reading the rest of the series.
I was given a free ebook from the publisher via NetGalley, I voluntarily reviewed this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
June 5, 2018
Twenty-one-year-old Helena needs a job. She needs to get out of her parental home for several hours each day, but has no idea what kind of direction she wants her life to take. After reading an ad in the paper she ends up in Abernathy's Bookstore accepting a job that pays well enough. Helena loves books, so she'll be working at a place that interests her. However, Helena has no idea Abernathy's isn't a regular bookshop. When the owner unexpectedly dies on her first day Helena discovers she's bound by the fine print of the contract she's just signed, she's now Abernathy's new custodian.
Abernathy's is much more than a store with books, it's an oracle where those who practice magic come for answers. There's a war going on between the Wardens and creatures from another realm. The people who use magic are divided and Abernathy's is neutral territory. That doesn't mean that being the custodian of the bookshop is without dangers. Helena has to adapt as fast as she can, she has to discover who her allies are and she has to stay one step ahead of her enemies. Will she survive the dangerous position she's landed herself in?
The Book of Secrets is a terrific enchanting story. I was immediately intrigued by Abernathy's, a magical bookshop that functions as an oracle is such a wonderful creative idea. The execution is flawless too, so I fell in love with the setting straight away. Helena is smart, strong and inventive. That helps when she needs to figure out how to run a bookshop with many special features after only working there for one day. There are plenty of challenges and she faces them all without giving into her fears. I loved how she grows into her new role and enjoyed every single page of her journey.
Melissa McShane has a fabulous descriptive writing style. She makes the magic she writes about come to life in a great way, it's dynamic, intriguing and riveting. I was captivated by The Book of Secrets from the very first sentence and really liked how the story progresses. There are plenty of surprising twists and turns and all of Helen's adventures are equally fascinating. There's action, there are creepy creatures, handsome allies and nasty adversaries. The mystery is thrilling as well. I highly recommend The Book of Secrets, it's absolutely wonderful.
Abernathy's is much more than a store with books, it's an oracle where those who practice magic come for answers. There's a war going on between the Wardens and creatures from another realm. The people who use magic are divided and Abernathy's is neutral territory. That doesn't mean that being the custodian of the bookshop is without dangers. Helena has to adapt as fast as she can, she has to discover who her allies are and she has to stay one step ahead of her enemies. Will she survive the dangerous position she's landed herself in?
The Book of Secrets is a terrific enchanting story. I was immediately intrigued by Abernathy's, a magical bookshop that functions as an oracle is such a wonderful creative idea. The execution is flawless too, so I fell in love with the setting straight away. Helena is smart, strong and inventive. That helps when she needs to figure out how to run a bookshop with many special features after only working there for one day. There are plenty of challenges and she faces them all without giving into her fears. I loved how she grows into her new role and enjoyed every single page of her journey.
Melissa McShane has a fabulous descriptive writing style. She makes the magic she writes about come to life in a great way, it's dynamic, intriguing and riveting. I was captivated by The Book of Secrets from the very first sentence and really liked how the story progresses. There are plenty of surprising twists and turns and all of Helen's adventures are equally fascinating. There's action, there are creepy creatures, handsome allies and nasty adversaries. The mystery is thrilling as well. I highly recommend The Book of Secrets, it's absolutely wonderful.
August 28, 2021
So our special snowflake - Helena - stumbles into a magical world and instantly finds herself in an extremely important role serving as custodian, a neutral party, to a bookshop that serves several warring factions of mages.
To give credit, Helena does react well to discovering magic, she requests they prove it, and she believes the results - so, yah, we don't have her in constant denial surrounded by mounting evidence.
Problem with this book though is still Helena, the main character, she is bland beyond belief, and her character acts rather like a leaf in the wind, drifting constantly, forming no opinions, meeting all these people but never really having any goals or forming judgements of her own.
And seriously, the number of times she swears that the store chose her and refuses to abdicate, only for three pages to pass and swearing that she intends to abdicate because she doesn't belong in this world - got ridiculously repetitive and old real fast. Plus, the community seemed to go out of its way to keep her in the dark, taking charge but still stuffing up time and time again.
it all seemed a bit messy - and Helena just drifts along; bodies dropping around her, the police suspecting her, discovering some not so nice things about the previous oracle - but does she form an opinion or even think bad thoughts about him for dropping her in it? of course not, she'd too bland.
All a bit YA, messily plotted and presented, and the world building was just slap dash.
To give credit, Helena does react well to discovering magic, she requests they prove it, and she believes the results - so, yah, we don't have her in constant denial surrounded by mounting evidence.
Problem with this book though is still Helena, the main character, she is bland beyond belief, and her character acts rather like a leaf in the wind, drifting constantly, forming no opinions, meeting all these people but never really having any goals or forming judgements of her own.
And seriously, the number of times she swears that the store chose her and refuses to abdicate, only for three pages to pass and swearing that she intends to abdicate because she doesn't belong in this world - got ridiculously repetitive and old real fast. Plus, the community seemed to go out of its way to keep her in the dark, taking charge but still stuffing up time and time again.
it all seemed a bit messy - and Helena just drifts along; bodies dropping around her, the police suspecting her, discovering some not so nice things about the previous oracle - but does she form an opinion or even think bad thoughts about him for dropping her in it? of course not, she'd too bland.
All a bit YA, messily plotted and presented, and the world building was just slap dash.
March 5, 2018
This book basically describes what i wish would happen anytime i encounter an old bookstore. The owner mysteriously dies and Helena a plain muggle with no magical knowledge inherits the magical book store she just got hired to work in. Wow i devoured and adored this book. I am huge fan of series like the invisible library, story thieves and the great library series. This one was the perfect answer to a reading slump very well done and eager to read more of this series.
January 10, 2021
That was dangerously close to five stars. So much better than the synopsis makes it seem.
June 26, 2022
My Thoughts:
The title does not really have anything to do with the book. Other than that it talked about a book (A Book Of Secrets) and the central location of the story is a bookstore. The book that Helena is looking for is not really a book. It is a manual titled Protocol for performing an augury. And then there wasn't much of a plot. The story was to get from A to B and that is what happened. A little mystery with the who-done-it revealed at the end. Which, I guess is better than no plot at all! There is also the fact that the story telling quality is quite good! Good enough for me to follow this series (for now). And the world building is beautiful!
This is my first Stephanie Spicer audiobook and I like the way she narrates. I will listen to her again.
At the end of it, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to urban fantasy readers!
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = (6 hrs and 48 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
The title does not really have anything to do with the book. Other than that it talked about a book (A Book Of Secrets) and the central location of the story is a bookstore. The book that Helena is looking for is not really a book. It is a manual titled Protocol for performing an augury. And then there wasn't much of a plot. The story was to get from A to B and that is what happened. A little mystery with the who-done-it revealed at the end. Which, I guess is better than no plot at all! There is also the fact that the story telling quality is quite good! Good enough for me to follow this series (for now). And the world building is beautiful!
This is my first Stephanie Spicer audiobook and I like the way she narrates. I will listen to her again.
At the end of it, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to urban fantasy readers!
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = (6 hrs and 48 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
March 1, 2018
The Book of Secrets is the first book in the Last Oracle series. Based on what I’ve read it promises to be a great ride. This is the first I’ve heard of this author and I’m happy to know her now. Great cover, right? The contents inside are just as wonderful.
As the story begins we are introduced to Helena Davies–just a normal girl trying to find a job so she can get out of her parents basement. Ha! Not for long. As she waits for her interview at Abernathy’s Bookstore the setting is described in great detail. It honestly made me want to run out the door myself. There’s no way I could stand to be in that place like that. What a mess! But Nathaniel Briggs offers her a job on the spot and she accepts-or should I say she signs her life away? Little does she know that in a matter of hours she will no longer be just a normal girl that landed a decent paying job today.
This story is packed with intense, whimsical details and a unique approach to the realm of magic. This is truly unlike any other urban fantasy I’ve read and I am grateful to have gotten the chance to experience it. I will certainly recommend The Book of Secrets to all who love magic and urban fantasy!
As the story begins we are introduced to Helena Davies–just a normal girl trying to find a job so she can get out of her parents basement. Ha! Not for long. As she waits for her interview at Abernathy’s Bookstore the setting is described in great detail. It honestly made me want to run out the door myself. There’s no way I could stand to be in that place like that. What a mess! But Nathaniel Briggs offers her a job on the spot and she accepts-or should I say she signs her life away? Little does she know that in a matter of hours she will no longer be just a normal girl that landed a decent paying job today.
This story is packed with intense, whimsical details and a unique approach to the realm of magic. This is truly unlike any other urban fantasy I’ve read and I am grateful to have gotten the chance to experience it. I will certainly recommend The Book of Secrets to all who love magic and urban fantasy!
February 25, 2018
The first day at a new job can be rough. Helena Davies’ first day at Abernathy’s is murder. Hired on the spot after answering an ad, by the afternoon she’s found her new boss’s body in the basement and has discovered that she is the new owner and custodian of a magical bookstore which provides oracles. To make matters worse, she discovers that Abernathy’s plays a key role in a conflict with monsters from another world, and that she herself has a key role to play.
Dragged unwillingly into a world of magic she doesn’t understand and never asked for, under fire from the person who was supposed to inherit the role, she needs to figure things out fast before her ignorance dooms the world or the murderer returns for her. Luckily, there is an instruction manual. Unfortunately, it’s missing…
I am a big fan of most of Melissa McShane’s books, and this latest does not disappoint. A comment from the author indicates that there will be ten books in the series, and seven of those are already written. I’m looking forward to a lot more adventures with Helena!
Dragged unwillingly into a world of magic she doesn’t understand and never asked for, under fire from the person who was supposed to inherit the role, she needs to figure things out fast before her ignorance dooms the world or the murderer returns for her. Luckily, there is an instruction manual. Unfortunately, it’s missing…
I am a big fan of most of Melissa McShane’s books, and this latest does not disappoint. A comment from the author indicates that there will be ten books in the series, and seven of those are already written. I’m looking forward to a lot more adventures with Helena!
February 11, 2018
This is the first book in a series titled The Last Oracle. I have never read this author before, and I wasn’t even aware she had written anything else until after I had read this book. That explains how well-written this book was; she isn’t a novice. Not only, though, was it was well-written, the book was fun and the world building excellent. I really enjoyed the different aspect of oracles, and I’d say what it is, but I don’t want to spoil that part of the book. One thing that struck me was the simplicity of this book. Don’t get me wrong, the book wasn’t simple, but it had an overall old-fashioned, simple feeling that really drew me in, almost, but not quite, a noir feeling. You’ll have to read the book to find out what I mean. I’m hoping that we get to learn even more about the characters. And while this did suffer a little bit from first book syndrome, this was a fun ride, and I can’t wait to see what adventures Helena will go on next! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
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