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The Book of Secrets (The Last Oracle 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,629 ratings

A bookstore with a million secrets...

Helena Davies just wants a job that will get her out of her parents’ basement. Instead, by the end of her first day at Abernathy’s Bookstore, she has a dead boss in the basement and the news that she is now a part of an endless magical war.

Abernathy’s is the world’s only living oracle, and Helena is now its custodian. Without any training, she must navigate her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there’s still a murderer on the loose—and Helena might be next on his list.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MFWBPYZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Night Harbor Publishing (January 8, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 8, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4656 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,629 ratings

About the author

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Melissa McShane
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Melissa McShane is the author of the Extraordinaries series, beginning with BURNING BRIGHT, the Last Oracle series, beginning with THE BOOK OF SECRETS, and many other fantasy novels. Her love of reading has been a constant in her life and she still remembers the places she lived by the books she was reading there: the Riddle-Master trilogy in New York, the Foundation series in Colorado, Howl's Moving Castle in Texas, Crown Duel in Utah. That love of reading stayed with her after she settled with her family in Utah and grew into a love of writing, first critical essays and reviews, then fiction. She recently moved to India and enjoys the people and culture there. Her family includes her husband (a long-suffering man willing to let ideas bounce off him at speed), four adult children, and two elderly cats.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,629 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They appreciate the believable story quality and relatable characters. The plot is described as exciting and intriguing, with a great combination of mystery and fantasy. Readers describe the characters as interesting and likable. They appreciate the good pacing and fast-paced story. The magic is described as interesting and captivating. Overall, customers find the world-building creative and well-executed.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

63 customers mention "Readability"63 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They describe it as a creative, well-paced story with twists and turns. Readers appreciate the refreshing concept of an urban fantasy bookshop.

"...What does that tell you? I thoroughly enjoyed this book...." Read more

"...is well-put-together and well-described and is like enough other urban fantasy worlds that fans of the genre will settle right in, but different..." Read more

"...I'm not going to give all of the story away, but this is an absolute must-read...." Read more

"...and characters who are very distinctly their own people, making it a refreshing and diverting way to spend an evening...." Read more

54 customers mention "Story quality"54 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging with believable details and vocabulary. They appreciate the relatable characters and the premise of a magical library. The book is described as an interesting fantasy for book lovers. Readers praise the author's prolific writing style and find the first book a well-done beginning story.

"...We learn as she learns. The magic is interesting, the oracle is captivating, Helena is very likable, and the story is very entertaining...." Read more

"...The writing is clean and not distracting with errors or annoying turns of phrase, the characters are believable and likable, the world is well-put-..." Read more

"...but the story line and world building are excellent...." Read more

"...This book avoids pretty much every clichè and instead overflows with an original setting and situation and characters who are very distinctly their..." Read more

53 customers mention "Plot"50 positive3 negative

Customers enjoyed the plot. They found it exciting and interesting from beginning to end. The book was described as a great combination of mystery and fantasy with an intriguing take on magic and monsters. It was described as a cozy murder mystery with a promising magical war.

"...she does a very good job of maintaining your interest and creating dramatic tension. There is murder, but there are no gory details...." Read more

"...All of the major plot elements were wrapped up, while leaving enough unanswered questions to entice me to want to pick up the rest of the series...." Read more

"I was captivated by the characters and the story...." Read more

"...expecting this to be a urban fantasy, however it turned out to be a cozy mystery that was delightful and page turning." Read more

45 customers mention "Character development"40 positive5 negative

Customers find the characters engaging, interesting, and likable. They say the heroine is nice but clueless.

"...I like the characters, I like the Oracle bookstore setting and I am looking forward to reading more of this series." Read more

"...errors or annoying turns of phrase, the characters are believable and likable, the world is well-put-together and well-described and is like enough..." Read more

"...with an original setting and situation and characters who are very distinctly their own people, making it a refreshing and diverting way to spend an..." Read more

"I was captivated by the characters and the story...." Read more

28 customers mention "Pacing"22 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing. They find the story engaging and quick-paced. The stakes are high, but the action never gets too intense. Readers appreciate Helena's steady character in the face of danger.

"...The characters and the story are very well written. The pacing is brisk and she does a very good job of maintaining your interest and creating..." Read more

"...The plot moved quickly and dragged me in without making too many unrealistic assumptions of a "normal" world that would have thrown me out...." Read more

"...It’s fresh and new and I read a LOT of fantasy books so that’s a truly rare thing...." Read more

"Quick, simple, light reading...." Read more

20 customers mention "Magic"20 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's magic. They find it interesting and engaging, with a well-developed magic system that fits into the modern world. The book is described as a fun trip into the world of magic while staying in this reality. Readers appreciate the blend of paranormal elements and cozy mystery, with a well developed world and cast of characters.

"...We learn as she learns. The magic is interesting, the oracle is captivating, Helena is very likable, and the story is very entertaining...." Read more

"...This was a fun trip into the world of magic while staying in this reality. Creative idea and good character development...." Read more

"...The overall story line is compelling. The magic system is pretty good. The grammar and vocabulary don't have irritating flaws...." Read more

"...I love the layers of the story & the magic!" Read more

16 customers mention "World building"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's world-building. They find the concept well-executed, the imagery creative, and the characters relatable. The world-building is clever and consistent, keeping readers engaged and creating dramatic tension. Overall, customers describe the book as an interesting read.

"...The pacing is brisk and she does a very good job of maintaining your interest and creating dramatic tension...." Read more

"...of phrase, the characters are believable and likable, the world is well-put-together and well-described and is like enough other urban fantasy..." Read more

"...couldn't help getting sucked into the mystery as well as the cleverly developed world...." Read more

"Reviewing for my mother. Fantastic! Awesome! Intelligent, imaginative, utterly engaging! Read in one sitting, literally could not put it down!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Series quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find it engaging and say it improves with each book. Some readers consider it a "rebound" book after reading another series.

"...Really stellar work in this series." Read more

"This book was a rebound book, as I was getting over another book series and picked this book out after finding no other book to help my book blues...." Read more

"...pretty good - I can't say I fell in love with the book, but it was good enough that I wanted to read book two...." Read more

"Kept my interest, has promise of a good series. Characters could be more dimensional but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
    True confession: I did not take time to write a review of this book because I dove into the second book of this series. What does that tell you? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Helena answers a help wanted ad and finds herself not only instantly hired, but almost instantly in charge of a magical bookstore when her boss is murdered on her first day. The book store is an oracle (The Oracle) for the magical community. What magical community you might ask? Well, Helena had the same question. She is plunged into a world that she knows nothing about. We learn as she learns. The magic is interesting, the oracle is captivating, Helena is very likable, and the story is very entertaining. If I were to manufacture a complaint, it would be that it was over too soon. The characters and the story are very well written. The pacing is brisk and she does a very good job of maintaining your interest and creating dramatic tension. There is murder, but there are no gory details. There is romance, but it is only present in hints of attraction. Mostly the world is contemporary Portland, except there is a lot more to that world than we mundane people can see. I like the characters, I like the Oracle bookstore setting and I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
    For an urban fantasy, there wasn't anything super unique in this story, but we read stories to find something new that's like what we just finished, but different, right? This book scratches that itch.

    The writing is clean and not distracting with errors or annoying turns of phrase, the characters are believable and likable, the world is well-put-together and well-described and is like enough other urban fantasy worlds that fans of the genre will settle right in, but different enough to keep curiosity and interest up, and no obnoxious cliff-hanger to drag you into the next book whining and complaining!

    I will be picking up the rest of the series, this one was quite enjoyable.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2021
    I am a rabid fantasy fiction reader. I've also been on a bit of a kick for books that have something to do with mystical libraries or magical librarians or interdimensional...you get the idea. I assume that's why this book popped up as a recommendation when I finished the last book I'd been reading.

    I admit that there were a few points in this book that told me the author is new (I spent a good portion of the book unclear on what the protagonist looked like in any way other than that fact that she was female), but the story line and world building are excellent. The plot moved quickly and dragged me in without making too many unrealistic assumptions of a "normal" world that would have thrown me out. I truly went right into Amazon and purchased book 2 and started it the moment I finished book 1 -- which says something about how great this series is.

    In book 1, we're introduced to a world where magi live below the radar fighting a war against creatures that would basically kill humanity for the magical essence in their bodies. The protagonist, Helena, is a young woman who hasn't found her place in the world who wanders into a bookstore looking for a job after being directed there by a want ad in the newspaper (of all places). Suddenly, she's the custodian of they mystical equivalent of an oracle of Delphi and in the center of a magical society that she had no idea existed prior to her instatement.

    I'm not going to give all of the story away, but this is an absolute must-read. Book 1 is a little rough (but that's not uncommon) but, as of this posting, I am about to start book 6 and I haven't taken a break from one book to the next.

    Ms. McShane, if you're reading this, know that you have a fan and that I'll keep looking for and posting about your books. Really stellar work in this series.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2023
    I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting with this book, but it wasn't like anything I have read before. I have read a ton of books based on different kinds of magical libraries, but The Book of Secrets is unique. I found the pacing a little slow at first, but as the book went on I couldn't help getting sucked into the mystery as well as the cleverly developed world. I really liked learning about how the Oracle worked along with the main character, Helena. There is clearly a lot more to this world that it will be fun to delve into. I also really liked that the book did not end on a cliffhanger. All of the major plot elements were wrapped up, while leaving enough unanswered questions to entice me to want to pick up the rest of the series. This is the first Melissa Mcshane book that I have read, & I think I'm going to have to try out some of her other series as well. I'd recommend this book to people who like a bit of Lovecraftian sci-fi to their library tales. I'm looking forward to unraveling the remaining mysteries of this world.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • M Allan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly different
    Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2018
    Excellent story. Refreshingly different. Can't wait to read the next one.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Mark coulter
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2020
    Very enjoyable urban fantasy, another enjoyable finalist in the spfbo 6,

    So far enjoyed all of the finalists I have read so far. Tough choices for the judges.
  • TooManyBooks
    4.0 out of 5 stars Light-hearted with great world building
    Reviewed in Australia on March 30, 2018
    For people who enjoy the C.J. Archer, the light-heartedness of Helen Harper and the amazing world building of Donna Augustine. Helena is a pretty straight-laced, ordinary character, but she has a sense of honour, work ethic and reasonableness that handles the creative world McShane has created with grace and logic. The world itself is fascinating and really appeals to the book-lover in me. This book was largely about setting up the series but still had enough action to keep me entertained. I'm excited for the next book.
  • John
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting
    Reviewed in Australia on February 19, 2021
    A marvellous book that took me but surprise. I loved the premise and the promise of where this series is going to take the reader. Loved it. Listened to it twice.

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