Yes, I return with another book review! I know I’ve been reviewing a lot of them lately. Book reviews should slow down soon, but there have just been way too many delicious releases!

Today’s review is a sequel to one I read and reviewed last year, and I’ve been so anxious for this second book!

Book #1, The Book of Secrets, told the story of four siblings who discover an enchanted book and embark on a dangerous journey that expands realms. It was part Series of Unfortunate Events, part Harry Potter, and part Narnia, all while still being one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Seriously, these books, guys. It’s hard to review them because they’re just something you have to experience.

BUT WE’RE GONNA TRY. And there shouldn’t be any spoilers for book #1 in this review, so I do believe you are safe to proceed even if you’ve read neither of these.

Synopsis

It’s been three months since the June battle against Bellica, and nothing has changed…or has it? Unrest grows on the streets as deceit divides Elowyn’s family and the Stone of the Seven Realms has gone missing. Worse still, she is betrayed by one she considered a friend, and the enemy comes after her.

Halfway across the country, Gabriel struggles with the weight of the enormous secret he and Elowyn share. There is no known way to kill the monster-king of Bellica…but if Gabriel can do it, it will erase his deepest guilt. As their threads intertwine, the enemy makes its way across the sea once more, and this time, Gabriel and Elowyn may find themselves powerless to stop it.

Bold and surprising, seeped through with the humor of its predecessor, this sequel to The Book of Secrets reveals the deeper story below the surface.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | AUTHOR’S WEBSITE

I have been so anticipating this sequel, guys! The last book left us with so much to still explore and resolve. I was flailing when I heard this one released!

I would definitely recommend you read book #1 before diving into this one. Nooot much will make sense if you don’t. But they’re both 100% worth the read.

• My review for The Book of Secrets (Seventh Realm #1)

THE PLOT

This one dumps us right back into the thick of things 3 months after the first book ends. The Stone of the Seven Realms has been stolen and war brews heavy against Bellica. While yet another group rises up to stir trouble as well. Days of peace are soon to be no more.

Elowyn, niece of the King of West March, is not only dealing with the grief of loss, but struggling to make her foolish uncle see that his passive ways are bringing his land and people to ruin. Elowyn realizes it is up to her to rise up before they fall into outright war, but when she is betrayed by her dearest friend, she is forced to flee her own home.

All the while, Gabriel and his siblings are trying to go back to their normal lives, but the unrest has reached their quiet backcountry home as well.

Soon, war breaks out completely, and it is up to this ragtag group to stand up and fight.

THE CHARACTERS

My biggest anticipation for this sequel was returning to the characters. Not only is a big focus siblings (one of my favorite things!), these books also excel at truly complex, utterly human people. Sometimes it’s hard to even describe these character because they’re so complex, as real people are. And I love them.

We got to return to the Draven siblings, and it was a true delight seeing Gabriel, Ren, Hollis, and Patch again. We also got a bit more of their older, married brother Dale, and their father, which was a treat!

Gabriel is dealing with a lot of doubt and sorrow after the events of the first book. You really just can’t help but ache for quiet, enigmatic, over-thinking little Gabriel. I mean, he’s only fourteen. He shouldn’t be dealing with this much grief! *sobs*

Hollis and Patch were the delightful younger siblings they always are. Constantly playing and causing a ruckus and being such little boys, but also wise beyond their years due to the blow life has dealt them. I loved the little side quest they ended up going on. It was fun having them play a more important role in this one.

Ren was her protective older sister, recluse, melancholy self. I hope we get even more of her in the next book, because, seriously, Ren is just EPIC. She has been dealing with an immense amount of pain her whole life, and it keeps her a bit distant from the others, but at the same time she’s so protective, so loyal. Seriously, don’t mess with her siblings unless you plan on some pain. Yeah. Ren is awesome.

Then we have Elowyn, the Warden of the West March herself. We got to meet her in the first book, but didn’t get to know her intimately. Well, this time we do! Because the story focuses mostly on her.

Elowyn is such a spitfire—I loved her! She’s not afraid to speak her mind, even to her uncle the King in front of his people. I cackled so much at basically…everything that came out of her mouth. But she’s not all fire and fury, she’s got a heart too. She refuses to compromise her beliefs, no matter the risks. Her passion to do what was right and fight for her land was absolutely inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to be in her POV for much of the story. She was definitely a protagonist worth following.

With that said, I did miss all the Draven sibling goodness in this one. Since Elowyn was such a big focus, the Dravens took a slight backseat. I especially missed being so deeply in Gabriel’s head like in the first book. He’s such a complicated, interesting kid, and though he definitely had some golden moments in this one, they were few and far between. Still, I understand this one needed to tell Elowyn’s story, and that’s okay.

All in all, I had such a delightful time being with this cast again. This author knows how to create truly realistic, complicated, loveable people. Each and every one of them has a special place in my heart.

OTHER THINGS TO LOVE

Goodness, so much to love here!

What’s truly appealing is that this is not your standard medieval fantasy world. The world is actually very much like ours, but with a ton of fantasy stuff thrown in. Like castles and swords and strange fantasy creatures. It’s this mish-mash of modern and fantasy and I LOVE IT! Such a unique setting.

The writing style is also utterly captivating. The way it immerses you in the world and draws out emotion is awe-inspiring. And the DETAILS. So many details from the food, to the temperature, to just the way the characters interact and talk and move. I DON’T KNOW. Everything just feels so realistic, like you’re really there. This author’s voice is so distinct and original. She paints a scene like no other!

I also actually LOVE all the action scenes. See, sometimes action scenes in books can be boring??? I love them on the screen, but reading a play-by-play of action doesn’t always work. THESE books though—goodness me. I’m always riveted during the action scenes. This author knows how to get your heart pumping, is all I’m sayin’! But there was plenty of quiet scenes as well, making for a beautiful balance.

What I really loved about this book is how it started out with some unrest and then gradually falls into outright war. The progression of it, and the reaction of the people, felt so realistic. The stakes really rise in this one, and had me flying through the pages.

It was just a good story all the way around. From funny moments to heart-pounding ones to heartbreaking ones—I was enthralled all the way through.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

Like I said, I did miss all the precious sibling-ness of the first book. And just being with the Dravens and having an intimate look at their life. Since we’re in Elowyn’s head so much, I felt a bit distant from the Dravens. But I did LOVE Elowyn, so I guess it was a good tradeoff!

I would have loved more explanations for…pretty much everything as well. *nervous laughter* I was confused a lot of the time with the first book, and though not nearly as much with this one, there are a LOT of core plot elements that I just…still don’t understand. Though some of that might supposed to be a mystery, but a few things just felt like I was meant to read in between the lines and…I don’t know. Sometimes I’d like things to be spelled out a tad more. It tilted a bit too heavily toward the “show, don’t tell” rule. I’m really, really hoping the next book gives more explanation on the Book of Secrets and the Stone and so many things, because I still don’t really understand them at all.

I also missed the wonder of the world in this one. In the first book, we got to meet so many unique, amazing creatures (like a wolfdragon! and tiny elephant-like things!), but this book didn’t really have any of that. I do understand the core focus was the war though. But I did miss the exploration of this wondrous world.

I think the biggest problem was it was too short (in my humble opinion). There just wasn’t time for all these things, because it was a very small book. Some things went fast and there were a couple of jumps in time where I feel like we missed something. There was just so much going on and so many characters and so much to explore, I felt like it needed to be a good bit longer. Everything felt a tad rushed and left me a bit confused and wanting more. Buuut I also tend to like bigger books so this could be a “it’s me, not you” thing. *sheepish grin*

CONTENT CAUTIONS

These books are quite clean BUT I will say they’re pretty dark. I actually quite like how they manage to be wondrous and dark all at the same time. It’s a very unique flavor! But if you’re expected a lighthearted middle-grade read…well. You’ll be surprised. Heh. Though the characters are very young, the overall tone of the book is a bit depressing.

There is some violence too. I mean, they’ve fallen into war, so clearly there’s going to be some injuries and death.

Magic is also involved, and is used to thread in a Christian allegory. Brim is a Jesus-figure (I believe), and some people, not entirely understanding who he is, started referring to him as the wood-wizard. He also had some followers called Seers, some of which turned away from him. I’m not sure I completely understand what a Seer is…whoops. But just wanted to give you guys a heads-up if that’s not your thing. Again, it mostly uses the magic and people with magic as more of an allegory—sort of Narnia style. So if you’re good with Narnia, you’d probably be fine with this.

Overall, I’d say this would probably be best for ages 14+.

CONCLUSION

This was truly a worthy sequel to an epic story! I loved diving back into this wondrous world, returning to these dear characters, and having my heart ripped out many more times.

If you’re wanting an utterly unique fantasy read with endearing characters and plenty of action and humor alike, I highly recommend these books!

. . . 4 out of 5 Stars . . .

LET’S TALK!

Have you read these? Who absolutely loves modern things tossed in with fantasy things? *flails hand in the air* And what’s your FAVORITE sibling book?

NOTE: A huge thanks to the author for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.