Blog Tour: The Hidden Library by Heather Lyons {Review, Dream Cast, +Giveaway}
Welcome to my stop on The Hidden Library blog tour hosted by InkSlingerPR!
Today I am excited to share my review, Heather's Dream Cast, and a giveaway with you all!
The Hidden Library (The Collectors' Society #2)
by: Heather Lyons
Publication Date: Feb. 26, 2015
Publisher: Cerulean Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via the author and InkSlingerPR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 255 pages
Order Links: Amazon
| B&N | iBooks | KoboMy Rating: 5/5 stars
Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected . . .
Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.
On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.
Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.
Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.
On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.
Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.
"The thing is," Finn continues quietly, "the Queen of Diamonds doesn't require me to fight her battles. She's more than capable of fighting them herself."
I am so deeply immersed in this series, it's not even funny you guys. Upon finishing The Collectors' Society, I instantly wanted the next book in my hands so I could embark on the next adventure. Now, after finishing The Hidden Library I ALSO want the next book in my hands, because this time there's a cliffhanger. And lives are hanging in the balance and I JUST CAN'T. I absolutely adore the premise behind this series and I love that we are thrown once more down the rabbit hole in this one. We have some new players, as well as new enemies that threaten The Collectors' Society and what they have worked so hard to accomplish.
I love that Lyons has made this dual-POV too. We get an even deeper connection to Finn this way and I loved getting inside his head, seeing how much he cares for Alice, his friends, his family, and how seriously he takes his job. I liked Finn well enough in the first book, but I really fell for him in this one. He is really a good match for Alice and I love that he doesn't falter at having a strong, independent girl by his side. They are partners in every sense of the word and I really appreciated seeing that dynamic between them. We also get a lot more of Finn's backstory in this one, which I enjoyed, as heartbreaking as it was. Confronting his past is not easy for him to do and yet he does so anyway, knowing the pain, anger, and regret he would feel.
Alice and Finn's romance is also a bright spot for me. I love their moments together and that Lyons weaves romance into a plot that is focused on finding answers and who is behind the deletion of timelines. I also love that they still get sexy times amidst all of this. In addition to Finn and Alice, I do love Victor and Mary too. I wish we would have gotten a bit more on the romantic spectrum with them though.
For those of you who loved going to Wonderland in the first book (*points at self*), you are in for another treat! We do get to see some of our Wonderlandian favorites and I think that particular arc was my favorite. Some of it could be rather bittersweet and I found my heart once again torn in half over the injustice of fate and destiny.
I am beyond intrigued by the events that have played out in this one. I couldn't help but be taken by surprise by seeing some of those allied together and I am eager to find out how it will all unfold. The last 1/4 of the book is a flurry of action and my eyes were wide upon reading and I couldn't make myself read fast enough to discover what in the world was going on. I am incredibly suspicious of one character in particular, as I have never fully trusted them, so I am definitely curious as to whether or not my gut instinct is correct.
Overall, I found this to be an excellent sequel. The first half of the book does not read as fast as the second half does, but Lyons' use of foreshadowing is key and I believe the details to be a necessity to understanding what is happening later on in the book, as well as in the next one. I am so anxious to get my hands on the next book because holy ending full of action, suspense, and anticipation!
"True love does not have limits or restrictions. True love allows a person to love deeply and unconditionally. True love does not ask you to let go of life. True love encourages you to love even more, Princess. True love encourages you to live."
After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.
It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?
It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?
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Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.
8 comments
I seriously need to get started on this series! I love all things Alice In Wonderland so I really have no excuse. I cannot wait to meet Finn. Great review!
ReplyDeleteYes! You so do! I really love everything Heather related though, so I'm probably biased. Haha.
DeleteI have this series on my TBR and you're making me want to read it asap! It sounds stunning and I love the sound of the characters. And the romance! Woo! It seems like there's going to be a fantastic ship for me to ship. But cliffhanger though! Those things will be the death of me one of these days.
ReplyDeleteLovely review, Jessica! :) I'm thinking it was a bad idea befriending you because OMG you make me want to read ALL the books!! ;)
Oh yay! I hope you do read these! I love the unique premise of this one! The romance is super great, but I won't lie- there is someone else that my heart secretly longs for in this book even though it cannot be. If you read these, we'll have to talk. :D And haha you make me want to read all the books too so we're even!
DeleteAs if I wasn't already in love with Finn...That's not even close to how I was picturing him but screw the vision in my brain I think I like hers even better!
ReplyDeleteHahaha. I am a big fan of this dream cast. I'm glad Heather had so much fun with it.
DeleteI don't know how I missed the tour for this one - I've been doing tours a lot less lately, but this is one I would have jumped at because I SO loved the first book! I'm so glad that the second book lived up to it!! I need to go hop over to buy it now!!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Aw bummer you missed it girl! I completely forgot you read the first one or I would have told you! I've been doing less tours too. It really takes a weight off my shoulders.
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.