Recent Reads The Book of Secrets by A.L. Tait

The Book of Secrets by A.J. Tait  

Series: Ateban Cipher #1
Publisher:  Kane Miller Books
Publication Date:  March 2019

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought/Own

Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

What's the secret of the book, and why is it so valuable? These are the questions Gabe must answer when a dying man hands him a coded manuscript with one instruction: take it to Aidan. Gabe is hurled into a quest that takes him beyond his monastery home and into a world of danger, political intrigue and adventure. 

As he seeks to decipher the code and find a mystery man who may not even exist, Gabe learns that survival must be earned and that some of life's biggest lessons are not found in books. 

Gabe finds himself questioning everything he knows about right and wrong and wondering if he'll ever find a way back home. He also discovers that the biggest secret of all may be his own.

Review: 

The first in a middle grade duology, The Book of Secrets follows a young monk named Gabe. We are immediately thrust into turmoil as he finds another monk dying on the floor and warning Gabe to keep a prized possession hidden. He gives Gabe instructions to hide a book and fine Aiden, but Gabe has no idea who Aiden is. 

After determining that the monastery isn’t safe, Gabe runs into a band of thieves in the woods, and they are girls to his surprise. Working together they try to figure out who Aiden is and how to try to get Gabe their while also learning about political lies and scandal. Everything begins to turn awry, and the first book is a buildup.

This installment is a lot of teambuilding and character introduction and laying a framework for book 2. The overall story is forming but after the initial shock of the monk's death in the beginning, there isn't a lot of progress in the main plot line of the story. As for the characters, Gabe is a little sad and whiney and the girls are pretty non-trusting and so they can be rude and a bit snarky. The plot felt a bit rushed, likely because this was only a duology and the author was trying to keep it to two books, but it was also thorough. I would have loved a map to help with locations but that is just a personal preference.