Book 1 in The Last Oracle Series
Narrated by Stephanie Spicer
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
About The Book Of Secrets:
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 at least be interesting. She has no idea how interesting her life will become. 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.Source: Info in the "About The Book Of Secrets" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35968517-the-book-of-secrets on 25/06/2022.
As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena is responsible for its secrets, including the most important one: 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.
She has allies: her best friend Viv, from whom she has no secrets; Harry and Harriet Keller, elderly magi skilled at uncovering secrets; and the enigmatic Malcolm Campbell, warrior magus and one of the few who have faith in Helena’s abilities. But not everyone is thrilled that an outsider now has charge of one of the world’s most powerful magical entities. Helena must defend herself against the antagonism of Judy Rasmussen, who’d expected to be the next custodian of Abernathy’s, and her father William, powerful leader of the Wardens and someone with an agenda of his own.
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.
Buy Link(s):
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 perfroming 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
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
Books In The Last Oracle Series:
Meet The Author
Melissa 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.
The Narrator
Steph grew up in sunny Florida, where she spent a good deal of time as a wide eyed child in theme parks. While she has never been a typical fairytale princess, she did learn a lot about the power of stories. Since then, Steph has dedicated herself to telling stories as a historian, writer, and performer. Steph received her Masters in History from the University of Virginia, focusing on the history of Vaudeville and Burlesque theaters in America, while also acting, singing, and working backstage on numerous theatrical productions. Ever since a request to record telephony for an employer sparked her interest in voiceover, Steph has dedicated herself to bringing her skills as a storyteller and performer to all her voiceover work.
Steph lives in Brooklyn. In her time off, she enjoys long walks with her dogs, baking, knitting and watching British television.
FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
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