I recently read The Ward Witch by Sarah Painter which was book one of the Unholy Island series. I enjoyed the book and was most intrigued by the second book, The Book Keeper so I was keen to read this too. This post contains affiliate links which if you use may earn me a little money at no extra cost to you, thank you for your support.
I love the cover, it’s definitely something that would attract me in a shop, but I listened to the book on Audible.
The Blurb of the Book Keeper
Mysterious, magical, and a little bit deadly… Welcome to Unholy Island.
Luke Taylor was searching for his missing twin brother when he discovered a new purpose on a magical tidal island. Living in a quirky bookshop is a dream come true – he just didn’t expect it to be so damn dangerous.
Running a business on a tiny island was always going to bring challenges, but Luke didn’t bargain on strange customers, hexed books, or a sentient shop that seems to have its own ideas about how things ought to be done.
Not to mention his deepening feelings for the island’s resident witch…
Esme Gray became the island’s Ward Witch seven years ago and has built a life of safety and quiet for herself. A balm for her abusive past.
Her feelings for the new Book Keeper have disturbed those calm waters, and when his life is threatened, she doesn’t hesitate to dive in to help. But is she strong enough to pull them both out alive?
The Book Keeper is the second book in the Unholy Island series. Drift away with this Cosy Fantasy today!
My review of The Book Keeper
It is most definitely a cosy fantasy, but I like the pace of the story and getting to know the characters. It leaves you wanting to know more about some of the characters only mentioned briefly so I’m thinking that as the series continues you will get to know them more. I’d love to know more about the three sisters, but the next book, The Island God, is the third and final of the series. I guess I’ll have to read it find out what it reveals.
In this story we see Luke settling into his new role as the book keeper, but it seems more like the books keep him! Then he is sent a book that causes him to almost die, and it’s only thanks to the three sisters that he survives. He then sets on a mission to find out who sent the book and discovers a lot more.
I found this a lot more fast paced than the original, we still have time to focus on the romantic relationship developing between Luke and Esme the Ward Witch.
There is danger, death and mystery, but nothing too taxing, it’s just a cosy read which I finished in a couple of days. I’ll most likely read the third book too.
The narrator, again, failed to deliver the book with the enthusiasm required but I did find her slightly better in this book than the first.
You can listen to Audible for just 99p a month for the first three months!
