The Book of Peril (The Last Oracle #2)

Cozy mystery meets urban fantasy in this follow up tale about a clever magical bookshop.

The book nerd in me connects emphatically with Helena, the realistic shy nerd heroine.

But oh the ending broke my heart. I am definitely going to need more books in this series.

I enjoyed this book. It's quirky, fun and an easy read. I enjoyed the unusual storyline. Can't wait to read the next one. #TheBookOfPeril #NetGalley

This story is full of danger, intrigue, and mystery. Not only is this world complex but the characters are too, Helena is growing into her new life,  just when she might lose it but she has plenty of help from her friends.

Can Helena survive long enough to solve the mystery?

The Book of Peril (The Last Oracle #2) is a fantastical twisty sequel to The Book of Secrets! Helena’s stuck in a steep learning curve as she struggles her way through the custodian’s instruction manual, but she’s winging it, learning more about how the oracle works as she goes. Now Helena must contend with the oracle giving out duplicate and unasked-for auguries, origami-wielding bad guys, a stalker ex-boyfriend, an attractive ex-Navy SEAL, a potentially traitorous frenemy, and yet more fashion advice from her BFF, Viv. While Helena can see through the most complex illusion, can she see through to the truth? Who is trying to fool the Oracle and why? Can she survive long enough to solve the mystery?

In The Book of Peril we learn more about the Neutralities, the magical world as a whole, and Helena visits the spiritual successor to the Library of Alexandria, the Athenaeum, searching for clues in past custodian’s reports of strange behavior on the part of the oracle and on the magic required to cast such powerful illusions. Helena must fight to protect the oracle and to clear Judy, who is jailed as the prime suspect.

Overall, this is an action-laced book with plenty to enjoy, from complex magical systems, strong female characters, believable world-building, and a mesmerizing story. One caveat: There’s a potentially triggering scene involving physical violence against a woman; so if you are triggered by that, you’ll want to skip over that particular confrontation, but you should see it coming when you get there.

This is a great addition to The Last Oracle storyline, and I’m only sorry that I have to wait for the next book. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed the first book in the series, though I felt it could have had more of a sense of urgency. In this one, I didn't feel that lack; not that it was a sky-high-stakes, high-octane thrill ride, but it didn't seem excessively relaxed either.

The main character is a principled, courageous, determined, and competent young woman, which is my favourite kind of protagonist. There's a mystery and a potential romance, which means plenty of plot. All in all, a strong, enjoyable urban fantasy.

I had both books from Netgalley for review, which means I see them before they're published, and I always hesitate to mention editing in my reviews in those cases. I am going to mention a thing, though, which I passed on to the publisher directly about Book 1, but is still there in Book 2.

The bookstore that the main character works in is called Abernathy's. That means that when she refers to something that belongs to the bookstore - its door, for example, or its custodian, which is her - there's a problem. Since you can't very well say "Abernathy's' door," I personally would work around it by saying "the door of Abernathy's", but she doesn't, and every time I struck a phrase like "Abernathy's door" it brought me up short, because the door doesn't belong to Abernathy, but to Abernathy's. A minor annoyance, but one that could easily be removed with a bit of rephrasing, and I'm going to deny the book the "well-edited" tag solely because of it.

I have no complaints about any of the rest of the editing (apart from one vocabulary confusion which I will again pass on to the publisher privately); Melissa McShane has an excellent grasp of the mechanics, as well as the craft, of writing, and her prose is very clean. The story is involving, the characters are frequently admirable, and all in all it's a good time.

I was excited when I got approved to read the next book in The Last Oracle series because I enjoyed the first one considerably. It’s funny, I like to go back and read my previous reviews of a series before writing a review of a next book, and in doing that for this series I found that it kept that uniqueness of the series as a whole and really delivered on a lot of the things I was hoping for.

One of the things this book delivered on was the development of the characters, by the end of this book I was wholly invested in each of them and am enjoying their journeys together. Malcolm especially has developed as a favorite for me, his modern day chivalry and the cool, confidence he has every time he’s on the page is just amazingly charming. I would love for a short novella about his backstory, or something from his POV, that would be amazing! Helena really shone in this book to, becoming more protective and confident as a custodian. I like that as a heroine she’s not perfect and while she has her own strengths she can still be vulnerable and rely on others.

Plus, the friendships are such a cute and sweet part of this book. It was nice to get a glimpse at the other relationships people in this world have, plus the new ones that have started within the story. Like I enjoyed getting to see and know more about the friendship between Viv and Helena since they’re mostly opposites and their moments were some of the funnier and lighter ones in the book. Seeing Helena and Judy bond together was a great addition that I hadn’t really considered after the last book but liked a lot, her character was surprisingly enjoyable all around and I’m hoping to see more of her in the next book.

As far as romance goes I was overly thrilled with the direction this book went in. It was still such a mature and slow burn for the two of them, yet so cute at the same time. I think that the best part of the romance between Malcolm and Helena is that he respects her and knows she can stand on her own but at the same time still comes to her defense and protects her when needed while she lets down her guard and trusts him completely with the things that matter most to her. I’m so excited to see where they’re headed in the next book because their last moments together were just so emotional.

It was nice too that this book gave a lot more information on the custodians and Neutralities, with everything happening at Abernathy’s it was nice to see Helena be so attached to it and how she went about trying to discover what was wrong. Getting a bigger glimpse at all the fantastical elements that make up this series was great and I hope there’s going to be more included in the next one because it’s in the descriptions of the magical elements that McShane seems to really shine. I’ll admit to having a hard time putting down these books, the pacing is excellent with just enough action in-between the day-to-day things to keep the story moving.

I only had a couple gripes with this book. I did think the whole problem surrounding Chet needed to resolve differently, it kind of made Malcolm look bad in the end and I’m afraid that’s going to come back and bite the characters in the next book. The other was that I felt the overall conflict with Abernathy’s was built up so well but then ended so abruptly. I was excited to see some sort of confrontation or battle but the ending just sort of fizzled out. Plus I could’ve done without that very last part with Helena and Viv, I felt like that was out of character for Helena to do. Even feeling the way she did, that just didn’t seem right. Hopefully it’ll all work out for the better though.

Overall this book was a marvelous follow-up to the first book. The writing really just pulls you in until you feel like you’re experiencing the journey right alongside the characters. There’s still so many things I want to know, about the characters, the fantasy elements, everything! I’m looking forward to the next book, here’s to hoping it comes soon.

As usual, I enjoy looking at the cover of a novel before discussing the story’s content. This is what catches our eye first after all. I noticed that the red curtains from the top of the first novel are present in this book as well. The woman, I assume Helena, looks very different in this image. Her hair is shorter and a different color. She looks more comfortable though, which would be true now that she has settled into her position. I love that books still surround the image.

Now, I reviewed the first book in this series, The Book of Secrets, a while ago. I was browsing NetGalley-because you know my TBR pile is huge but I always want more-and saw that there was a sequel. I knew that I had to give the second book a chance. I needed to know what happened next. So, here we are.

I want to begin by saying although the first book lacked a sense of urgency at points, this one does not. This novel is not cram-packed with action but it does not bore you either. I think much of this is because we do not need time in the second novel to get to know characters and the world of magic.

“I can’t be fooled, and neither will you if you see through my eyes.”

Once again, Melissa has pulled me into this wonderful magical world. I really love that we see so many more interactions between some of the characters here. We see the relationships between Helena and her friends continue to grow and transform. Though, not all are pleasant. Someone wants to harm Helena and the Oracle. I really liked the friendship between Judy and Helena. I began despising Chet until I learned what really was occurring. Then I felt pity for him.

The story was paced well, leaving me turning page after page craving more. I really enjoyed how the reader only knew as much as Helena. This pulls us in deeper, making us more invested in the story. The plot was compelling, evenly displacing intense action scenes with more calm dialogue. This was nice, I did not feel as I was always reading at a high adrenaline level, it allowed me to come to rest before once again having danger erupt.

“I had more coffee than I usually did, hoping it would make up for my deficiencies, and stumbled downstairs wishing it was Sunday and I could go back to sleep.”

I did drink more coffee than usual staying up to finish this book, but I did not wish to go to sleep. I was enthralled by this magical tale. I did enjoy that the action scenes were not as anticlimactic as the first book. The ending leaves it open for yet another novel which makes me really excited. I was impressed by Helena’s decision in the end. It was a tough one, but the right one. She has grown a lot as a person since the first novel. I am officially invested in Helena and her story. I need to know if she will be alright, how will she continue to grow and learn about the Oracle?

If you enjoy a mysterious fantasy novel that is filled with magic and danger, this might be a good choice for you.

The Book of Peril is a magical mystery. I love that a non-magical user has been put in charge of something so magical. Twists and turns, highlight McShane's 2nd edition in The Last Oracle series.

I received this ARC copy of THE BOOK OF PERIL from Curiosity Quills Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. THE BOOK OF PERIL is set for publication July 3, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Melissa McShane
Series: The Last Oracle
Sequence in Series: 2
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy

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I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t read anything like this before. It’s about a girl who works in the best way I can describe is she works in a “bookstore” people come in and ask a question and the magic of the store answers their question as long as they pay for the book that answers the question. She also has an ex boyfriend who won’t leave her alone and a crush on an employee. I really want to read the first book in the series. Very happy I had the chance to read this. Thank you. NetGalley!

The Book of Peril is the second instalment in Melissa McShane’s Last Oracle series. This book is part of a series and should be read in order.

In this book we follow Helena as she continues to adjust to her new role as custodian of Abernathy’s bookstore, a living oracle. When the bookstore begins giving out false prophecies, Helena comes up against her greatest challenge yet, fixing something she knows nothing about.

The relationships and characters we met in the first instalment are further developed and the ending is so bittersweet that the reader is left desperate for the next in the series.

I loved the first in the series and had high expectations for this book and I have to admit the author surpassed herself. Once again, she draws us into an incredibly well-crafted, complex and powerful story that gripped me from first page to last. I am eagerly anticipating the next in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more reviews please visit my blog:
http://www.wonderfullyweird88.com/

After reading The Book of secrets, I looked forward to the sequel and I had the opportunity to read the ARC of The Book of Peril via NetGalley. If you haven't read The Book of Secrets yet, check out my review and the book. There might be minor spoilers ahead.

Helena Davies had been the custodian of Abernathy's for months now, with Judy Rasmussen as her assistant. Helena is getting used to her duties when the oracle makes a mistake. The oracle has shown its personality before, but this was weird. She has no idea what's causing it and it worries her. Then her ex-boyfriend tries everything in his power to convince her to come back.

I loved the first book in The Last Oracle series, but this one is just as good. It's fast-paced and McShane doesn't waste words. It might be on the short side, but I don't really mind. It's the perfect size for this story. There is absolutely no need to add more.

All the returning characters continue to build on their relationship with each other. Some relationships change, but it's clear that the characters are getting to know each other better and the impressions change since most of them were based on prejudges. There is no direct conflict (except between Helena and Chet), but the events help the characters to see another side of the others.

I give The Book of Peril 4,5 stars. There are some cheesy lines in there that don't add much to the story and only contribute to breaking my suspension of disbelief. Without these, it would be a solid 5-star rating. If you don't mind such lines, see this as a 5-star rating. Read this if you have read and liked the first one. You won't regret it. For the readers who didn't, go read it.

I did read the first book in this series, and I was excited to read this second installment. And, I was in no way disappointed. While I really did enjoy this first book, this second book really hit its stride. The characters were developed so much more, we learned a lot more about this world, and the plot was more detailed. I love where Malcolm and Helena’s complicated relationship might be headed. The end just made me a little sad even though I know the author will probably pull some of her own magic and find some way they can overcome their obstacles. Viv did annoy me a little in the last book, but in this one, I think she’s not quite as annoying, and I enjoyed their interactions. And, I loved how much Helena has grown in her role as a caretaker of the store. With the little details being filled in where the world is concerned, the reader can sit back and enjoy the plot, the characters, and the world so much better. Don’t get me wrong; I suspect we haven’t learned all the world’s secrets. All in all, I am looking forward to more books in this world. If you love urban fantasy, give this one a try as I highly recommend it! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

THE BOOK OF PERIL was an entertaining cozy paranormal mystery with quirky characters, intrigue, and danger. I was most interested in how the bookstore works as an oracle of sorts. It's a unique take on the concept of the oracle though there were some world building issues I had. I couldn't really understanding just how customers get the answers to their questions. Do they have to read the whole books for the answers? Granted this might have been answered in the first book which I didn't read. Also, the reason for the divide between the two magical factions was hard to figure out annoyingly so since it kept coming up.

These were minor issues that didn't take away from the action packed main plot involving the bookstore giving out false prophecies. I liked seeing Helena's exploration into the past bookstore custodians writings and her journey into figure in out who has been messing with the bookstore. It's been awhile since I've read an urban fantasy book where the character starts as a normal human who is thrown into a magical world. I love seeing the magical world through the eyes of a non-magical person for once. It gave the story an interesting perspective and frankly made it easier to enter the world as a reader as we (Helena and the reader) happen to be both newish to this world.

The side characters were the typical quirky cast of characters you'd expect to find in a cozy mystery and were exceptionally well-rounded to the point where I was equally as concerned for them as for Helena.

With a dose magical mayhem and a courageous heroine, THE BOOK OF PERIL was a thrilling ride. While the ending was heartbreaking for Helena on a personal level I'm excited to see how she meets this challenge in the coming books.

The Book of Peril is the second installment in author Melissa McShane's The Last Oracle series, and the follow-up to The Book of Secrets. The story takes place 5 months after protagonist Helena Davies became custodian of Abernathy's. Abernathy's is a magical place where prophecies (auguries) are given out for a price. Helena, along with her assistant Judy Rasmussen, have been trying to understand not only her role, but how the Oracle actually works. But, as the story opens, it appears as though the Oracle has gone wonky giving out the wrong auguries or auguries for those who never actually requested one.

As the story progresses, Helena must contend with origami-wielding bad guys, a stalker ex-boyfriend who thinks he deserves a second chance, an attractive ex-Navy SEAL who should be her love interest, as well as the tribunal after her co-worker is charged with being the cause of the Oracle's issues. As Helena fights to protect the oracle, clear her co-worker who she was actually enemies with in the first installment, she finds time to visit the spiritual successor to the Library of Alexandria, the Athenaeum, searching for clues in past custodian’s reports of strange behavior.

Helena is a curious character who I like. Helena has the unusual ability to see through illusions which is a fantastic thing to have when someone is trying to mess with your livelihood. Although she often puts her life on the line, and ends up in dangerous situations, she has a decent heart and means well. She could have just walked away from her co-worker and let her figure out how to get out of her troubles, but she knew in her heart that she wasn't responsible for what's happening with the Oracle.

Then there is the prickly Lucia Pontarelli aka the Custodian of the Neutrality known as the Gunther Node. In this world, she is the local law enforcement when it comes to keeping the various factions in line with the accord. She and Malcolm Campbell are what's standing between normals finding out about the ongoing battle that has ensnared both the Nicolliens, and the Ambrosites. Malcolm is also said love interest who Helena should be able to be with without all the stupid restrictions placed on both of them by the accords. I dare hope that the author finds a way to work around that instead of shoving either character with someone else. Even though they can't be together, I think Malcolm would charge into a burning house to save Helena with no regrets about being hurt or injured. I dare you not to call that love.

This world is so unique and engaging, I found it incredibly hard to put this book down. Even as the second book in this story, it kept me guessing every step of the way.

If you’re new to this world, you should really start from book 1 (but could probably muddle through from here). Helena is the newly appointed custodian of a bookstore that doubles as a sort of oracle. Opposing factions of the magical world come by to get their future read or to find answers to their troubles. It’s not free, and requires a certain gift to deliver, so Helena has been trying to find her way through this exciting new occupation. As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, she’s also finding some strange irregularities to the prophecies given. Since there isn’t really a FAQ for the bookstore, she’s forced to detective answers out on her own.

To compound her drama, she’s also dealing with her forbidden feelings for Malcolm (the magical hottie), and trying to free her only qualified assistant from a nonsense charge. Oh, and there’s still a lot of bad guys that want to kill her. All of this pretty much sums up the life of Helena. Surprisingly, she manages to conquer just about every obstacle, whether by accident or not. I’m absolutely loving this world and cannot wait for more!

Loved this second book in the series. It is surprising how many friends the main character has built up. There is a lot going on, with the shop and her ex boyfriend, a perfect mix of suspence and questions needing to be answered.

E-book/NA/Urban Fantasy: I think this book is better than the first one. Granted the ending part of the mystery didn't explain everything fully as I wanted, but the book makes me jealous because I want to be Helena. The book is narrated in first person so you get to know Helena and all her faults and triumphs. This book brings back the same crew as the first book so I was familiar with everyone.

I do want to see Helena do more than work at the bookstore. If you think about it, she is in a dead end job. She needs to go to college and finish her education. I like Helena's heart because it is always in the right place, except when she's had a macchiato. She could be so much more selfish. I like that things don't always come easy for her when she's is trying to figure things out.

I want to thank the publisher for letting me have an advance copy of book 2 through NetGalley in lieu of a honest review. This is an easy read and I read it in two sittings. I contemplated procrastinating because I didn't want to leave Helena's world so soon.

The Book of Peril by Melissa McShane is the second book in The Last Oracle series. Helena Davies is the custodian of the oracular bookstore Abernathy’s. She has been busy cleaning the shop after the attack and the shop is brighter and definitely smells better. Helena’s birthday party thrown by her best friend, Viv, is interrupted by her ex-boyfriend, Chet. He has decided he still loves Helena and is determined to win her back despite Helena’s objections (oh dear). On Monday, Helena performs an augury requests and the oracle provides the wrong prophecy. She tries it again and it works perfectly. When it starts happening more frequently, Helena needs to discover what it is transpiring. Helena needs to learn more about Abernathy’s (the manual does not have an index and it puts her to sleep) and so she visits The Athenaeum (the spiritual successor to the Library of Alexandria). When Helena continues to have difficulty with auguries, a magical team sweeps the store. They discover magical origami in Helena’s kitchen. Someone is deliberately sabotaging Abernathy’s. When Judy Rasmussen, Helena’s assistant, is arrested for the crime, Helena works to prove her innocence, find the real culprit and evade Chet.

The Book of Peril is not a standalone novel. You need to read The Book of Secrets first or you will be lost. I thought the story was well-written, to have a steady pace and engaging. I like that we are learning more about the oracle and the magical community. Melissa McShane has created a special magical world (the neutralities, the various types of magic, the oracle, sanguinis sapiens, etc.) in this series. The handsome Malcolm Campbell is back, and Helena finds herself drawn to him. However, there are those pesky rules called The Accords that might thwart their budding romance (there has to be a way around them). I appreciate the strong female characters in The Last Oracle series. Helena is slowly learning her role as custodian, and I find her smart, curious and spunky. Viv adds humor to the story and is the perfect counterpart to Helena (she is growing on me). It is wonderful to see the changes in Judy since The Book of Secrets. She is helping Helena update Abernathy’s and I like that Helena trusts her. I do want to warn readers that there is a violent scene where a female is badly injured (if these type of scenes upset you, I suggest fast forwarding past it like I did). I was not thrilled with the ending. We are left with unanswered questions and we must wait for the next book to get answers. The Book of Peril is a fast-paced paranormal novel that will have you reading late into the night to get to the end (and then you will be upset that you finished it so quickly).

The Book of Peril is the second book in the Last Oracle series by Melissa McShane. Released 3rd July, 2018 by Curiosity Quills Press, it's 231 pages and available in ebook format.

This is an urban fantasy cozy mystery. In my estimation it's mostly aimed at a YA/NA audience, though I found it appealing and well written despite being neither young or new at being an adult (some of my friends and family would likely argue I'm not much of an adult, full stop). The world building is cohesive and well written with a well thought out magical system based on schools/philosophies of magic: glass, bone, stone, paper, etc. Whilst the specific magi can perform magic based on their specialty, all magi can perform some basic tasks in common.

There's a cross-world fantasy aspect of the series which will resonate with readers who like the 'mundane person thrust into a magical world hidden in the real world' trope. Helena is smart and responsible and vulnerable.

The book does contain a description of a graphic assault and a fair amount of blood and gore, if that's a deal breaker. (I'm notoriously squeamish especially about violence with injury and I didn't find it too objectionable or gratuitous).

There is an unusual amount of continuity and assumed familiarity in this second installment. I recommend reading the books in order.

My one gripe is at the very end. In order to ratchet up the tension, the literal last page of the book has a tear-jerk moment which will have readers who love romantic draaaaaamaaaaa *swooning* (but which I mostly just found annoying).

Four stars (and not just because the coda after the denouement was annoying).

Helena has got to learn fast. False prophecies, how can Helena fix Abernathy’s while she is still learning how it all works. I enjoyed this book and was carried away in the world of magic and Abernathy’s. I enjoyed it very much. "This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review."