Hi, everyone!
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HARMONY OF LIES (Alice & Owen Book #2) by Brian Feehan on this Berkley Mass Market blog tour.
Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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About the Book
After being forced away for seventeen years, Alice is finally home. But home isn’t what she thought it would be, and every day the secrets she holds from her parents grow with weight. But how do you tell your mother and father that you’re not normal? That the world is a far more dangerous place than they have ever known and you are anything but the small, innocent child who was torn from their arms all those years ago?
Owen can’t say goodbye, and Alice can’t hold on to him tightly enough as the pressures of danger and obligation grow stronger and stronger. With a broken heart, Owen is headed to San Francisco with his crew of musicians. But the Golden City is filled with history and secrets, and brutal deaths are just lying in wait for Owen and his people. To survive these trials and this city, Owen will need everything he has—even the broken parts he gave to Alice—to have any hope of doing the impossible one more time.
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
HARMONY OF LIES (Alice & Owen Book #2) by Brian Feehan is the second book in the paranormal/urban fantasy world centered around new types of characters; the We, the etherealists, and regular human beings. Starting right where Harmony of Fire Book #1 left off, Alice, Owen and the band have returned to Alice’s family home, but Owen and the band need to leave for San Francisco. I feel to understand this author’s world and the capabilities of the We and etherealists, you need to read this series in order.
After seventeen years of being forced to be away from her family, Alice is now a powerful etherealist hunter and she wants nothing more than to be reunited. She is afraid to reveal to her parents that she is no longer normal, but they have been keeping a secret from her, too. With family secrets revealed, Alice learns to navigate even more of her powers.
When Owen, the etherealist gatekeeper and his band get to San Francisco, they face a powerful dark magic tied to a possessed red piano and a ghost. To save his friends and beat the dark magic, Owen knows he needs Alice, the woman he loves, for everyone to survive.
This book is another powerful and intriguing trip into the musical and magical world of the We and Alice and Owen. I love all the unique characters, not only Alice and Owen, but the entire band. Their courage and love for each other makes them powerful enough to face all the trials thrown at them. My only disappointment is that Alice and Owen are separated from each other, just like in book #1, in my opinion through too much of the book. The music, the magic, the lethal danger, the intricate world-building, and the lyrical prose all pulled me in and make this a powerful paranormal series.
This is another captivating paranormal/urban fantasy book in this series.
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Excerpt
An old wooden ladder led up toward the space Owen had claimed for himself. More importantly, it was private.
“We aren’t going up there tonight.” Owen smiled, and in that smile it was easy to see he had been looking forward to this moment.
“We aren’t going up to your bed? That’s a first. Where are you taking me?”
“This way,” he said, leading beneath the loft and deeper within. They moved past a trove of shovels and tools until she spotted a door she hadn’t used before. Owen pressed hard, and hay and dust fell off the frame as another wave of the night air broke over them both.
“So what’s out here?”
“It’s a surprise. It took a little work, but Max and I finished it this morning.”
Alice’s eyesight adjusted to the low light as Owen shut the barn door behind them. She took a glance around. She had thought this side of the barn was just where the farmer parked his rusted tractor and broken-down truck. Toss in a couple of old oil barrels and some leftover parts, and there wasn’t much to look at, particularly at night. She couldn’t fathom why Owen had brought her out here.
“You know I’m not really a tractor kind of girl. If you’re thinking we are getting kinky on that old thing, you’re far better off taking me back up to the loft.”
Owen laughed, and she felt it down deep.
It was nice spending time with the others, but every time they found a chance to be alone she saw it was easier for Owen to be himself.
“Back here. I set this up for us,” Owen said.
They weaved around an old rusted oil barrel and some empty propane canisters until she spotted a large something covered up by a sheet of old gray plywood and blue tarp.
“It’s not jewelry or a gun. For the record, I like both those things. What is it?” she asked.
“Patience,” he said, letting go of her hand and moving around the side. With practiced ease, Owen spread his long arms and grabbed both the old plywood and tarp beneath. A gentle pull and lift and a large, curved wooden hot tub was uncovered.
“How in the world did you find this? We are in the middle of nowhere.”
“We found it right off. It took some heavy lifting and more than one hour of cleaning. But the real problem was the pump and heater. You like it?” he asked.
“It’s clean?” she asked.
“Of course.” Owen used his foot to flip the metal switch that started the pump. Already there was steam rising into the air.
“And bubbles. Owen, I feel you’re giving me the full treatment.”
Owen didn’t answer.
There was something about the night sky mixed with the back-glow of the barn that framed Owen. He stood there watching her but was lost under the weight of leaving, leaving her. She could see it as clearly as his deep green eyes and strong face.
Owen reached over toward an instant propane heater and clicked it on. She heard the whoosh as gas met spark.
“Owen?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I have never met someone like you.”
And I don’t want to say goodbye.
It was his thoughts that drifted in the air between them, but she thought she could hear him and understood his view. For the last couple of weeks, he had made a point of talking about the chaos of his life. How every road traveled twisted and turned, and those devoted to living as a musician changed with every trip. In short, he was saying that now that it was time to leave, this could be the end of their relationship. That he didn’t know where he going, but he was sure he couldn’t come back.
Excerpted from Harmony of Lies by Brian Feehan Copyright © 2023 by Brian Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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About the Author
Brian Feehan lives in his mind, creating vibrant characters who talk very loud and far too often. When real life comes knocking, it is likely to be the love of his life, Michelle, or their son, Dylan. The three of them live on the northern coast of California, which is far different from any other part of California.
Social Media Links
Website: https://brianfeehanauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianfeehanauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianFeehan5
