Book of Souls (Will Piper, 2)

A book surfaces at an auction house, setting off a chain of events leading straight into the heart of Area 51. Will Piper thought he was done with the mystery behind the Library and the strange date of February 9, 2027. He's retired, happily married, and father to an infant son. Fate has something more in store for Will, however, as he is contacted by two men, Henry Spence and Alf Kenyon, who ask him to be their purchasing agent for the newly discovered book. What he discovers is a puzzle and now Will finds himself back in the midst of the largest multi-governmental conspiracy of all time. Can Will follow the clues before the government catches up with him? BOOK OF SOULS picks up almost immediately where SECRET OF THE SEVENTH SON concludes. While Glenn Cooper does weave in the back history along the way, the beginning chapters can be a bit confusing if one doesn't at least know what the Library is and what data it contains, much less why it is so important to the government. Reading SECRET OF THE SEVENTH SON first adds the necessary context to BOOK OF SOULS, making it a much more enjoyable and understandable story. Tales of governmental conspiracies can sometimes go astray in sequels but this is not the case with BOOK OF SOULS. Instead, Glenn Cooper takes us further into the mysterious origins of the Library as we see the story unfold both in the past and the present. The tale alternates between the modern day and two historical time periods- the 1300s on the Isle of Wight and the 1500s featuring the Cantwells. The transitions are seamlessly done and I would find it hard to actually pick which timeline is the most entertaining. Glenn Cooper does a phenomenal job at making each time period relevant and vibrantly alive to the core story, never wandering off course but instead proving new and exciting revelations about the Library. Part of the success of BOOK OF SOULS is the character development. For each period of history, Glenn Cooper provides the reader with well drawn, albeit flawed, characters. There are no true heroes or villains in BOOK OF SOULS, which is part of its appeal. Instead, the division is more a theological and political divide, one between the common man and those in power. Bravo to Glenn Cooper for a book that is both thought provoking and stunning in scope! COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

`Book of Souls' is the sequel to `Library of the Dead.' It follows the same ancient library, listing everyone together with their dates of birth and death, but is particularly focussed on one previously missing volume, for 1527, which has appeared at a London auction. Two groups particularly want this volume: the government who wants to keep everything to do with the library classified, and a group of former employees who want the world to know about the library, and to discover the truth behind the last date listed in the library (9 February 2027). Through these former employees, Will Piper, whom we met in `Library of the Dead', becomes involved in the hunt for the 1527 volume. There are three separate, interconnected timelines in this novel and the story moves between them. The earliest of these follows the fate of the Abbott of Vecti's priory, after the fire that he believes destroyed the library. The second follows how the 1527 volume ended up separated from the others, and the third is in the present. I enjoyed this novel as a fast page turning read - 3.5 stars rounded to 4 - although it didn't engage me quite as strongly as `Library of the Dead'. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was standing in line at the supermarket and just picked up this book on sale, and immediately became deeply engaged by the unique storyline and the way the pacing jumped from present to past to present throughout much of the book. Having not read the first book yet, I was able to follow the central theme very well. The mystery of the 'treasure hunt' as Will and Cantwell's granddaughter searched for clues related to the Book of Souls was compelling and had me flipping pages to find out what was coming next. Cooper is a very good writer and gets the story across without a lot of extraneous wording. The mysterious story of the savant ginger-haired green-eyed monks is worthy of a spinoff sequel all its own. That part of the story was intriguing and full of vast potential for other books! But alas, like the other reviewer for this book says, it appears that this book is a wrap, so to speak.

Book of Souls is one of those rare great sequels. Library of the Dead, Cooper's smart and heart-pounding thriller, is obviously a tough act to follow, but we quickly go along for the ride as Will tries to unlock the mystery and secrets of the library. I liked the references to the original, which were just enough for someone like me who had read it a year ago and needed a bit of a refresher, while giving newcomers the chance to get in on the action. Plus, in this book, we also get to ponder some fascinating alternative realities for Shakespeare and Nostradamuss! Though this seems to be Cooper's final word on the topic, I can't help wondering what we have in store for us on February 9, 2027. Once again, if you are looking for an intelligent thriller, Book of Souls brings it home. Ignore the one star rating that is only about kindle pricing and has nothing to do with the book.

I know that we are still only in the first few weeks of spring, but I've just finished my first good summer book. "Book of Souls" is the sequel to "Secret of the Seventh Son" (which I read last year, and highly recommend). If you are a fan of Dan Brown, James Rollins, and the like - you are in the right place with "Book of Souls". If you are going to be stuck on a cross-country flight this week, you can easily sing your teeth in to "Book of Souls" and dispatch the time with ease. If you are going to be stuck at a family reunion over the weekend, this book is a perfect balm for hearing about Aunt Matilda's corn surgery for the 3rd time. If you are just sitting at home, feet up, television off, kids in bed, glass of wine on the coffee table next to you - this is a good book to have in your hands. I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting take on the religious thriller genre, and raises some great questions about the nature of choice versus predestination in the world. Cooper leaves the end of the story wide open for another sequel and I hope he takes the opportunity to deliver one. I could see that book going quite a few different directions and would be anxious to see what Cooper would do next in the world that he has created. If you want to hear more of what I thought of the book, check out - thewordzombie.