They almost had him… Aaliyah’s heart breaks as she realizes that Owen Matthew Black is in the wind again and the search is on once more. Searching… It seems that is all Aaliyah Fairchild-Black has been doing for the better part of her Fae/Vampyre existence. Searching for her role within her family. Searching for the cure for her mother. Searching for her birth father, who it seems doesn’t want to be found. She is caught on a wheel, forever circling her back to the beginning. Time is against her. There are too many life-altering issues left circulating… A prophecy that could be her destiny. The awakening of her unknown, untrained, powers. Life… Death… Love…? And of course the Library… Who knows what she’s up to? Not to mention events that an Earthbound Angel, The Angel of Death, The Angel of Justice, or even the Devil himself are not prepared for … Welcome back to the third installment of the Library of Forbidden Knowledge Series, Circulation. Buckle up Darlin’s it's gonna be one hell of a ride.
Attachments is the second book in the series of The Library of Forbidden Knowledge co-written by Elizabeth Doll and Jan Lindie. The Library of Forbidden Knowledge is an urban fantasy series that creates a world of magic and paranormal creatures living amongst humans in the modern world. Following the first book, Attachments brings the cast of characters back together with more tensions, problems, and danger than ever before! Following a bigger cast of characters, friendships are formed and rivalries forged.
After having been rescued from her evil stepfather in the first book, Aaliyah Fairchild-Black is still searching for her father to save her mother, only this time she is looking for Balthazaar as well. As Aaliyah continues to bond with the angels, she learns more about herself, her powers, and her parentage. Balthazaar has abandoned Aaliyah and moved in with the Library in an effort to protect her. Tensions are rising between Balthazaar and Libby as more of the Library’s secrets are revealed leaving him to question Libby’s true motives and just how toxic their friendship has become. Meanwhile, Libby continues to feel more and more resentful and jealous as the days pass due to feeling unappreciated and neglected by Balthazaar. Being separated from the woman he loves has made Balthazaar realize the full scope of his feelings and what is truly important to him. Balthazaar wants more than anything to reunite with Aaliyah and salvage their relationship - but with all of the past hurts and pain, is it too late?
Although it broke my heart, I enjoyed reading about the deterioration of the friendship between Libby and Balthazaar because they were making each other miserable and becoming codependent. I believe that time apart will be beneficial for both of them and allow them the much-needed space and time to heal. Libby has often relied heavily on Balthazaar and I believe that this fissure is necessary for her to grow and become her own person independent of the people she surrounds herself with. I look forward to seeing who she becomes in the next book without Balthazaar for the first time in the series.
While the first book focused on saving the people you love, Attachments asks how much you would sacrifice to protect your loved ones, and at what point is it no longer worth it? Is it best to distance yourself from someone if you attract nothing but danger, even if that means you will no longer be there to protect them? Is leaving someone for their safety worth it if separation causes them nothing but pain? If someone wants you to stay by their side regardless of the risk, is it best to honor their wishes or do what you deem best to keep them alive? Attachments includes themes of love and friendship and how reconciliation and forgiveness is possible even if you have hurt someone in the past. Something I treasure while reading these books is an underlying sense of optimism, there is hope that these characters can be happy and together and both simultaneously despite everything they’ve endured and survived.