The Book of Answers: The Ateban Cipher Book 2 by A.L. Tait

Title: The Book of Answers: The Ateban Cipher Book 2

Author: A.L. Tait

Genre: Fantasy, Children’s

Publisher: Lothian Children’s Books

Published: 27th March 2018

Format: Paperback

Pages: 265

Price: $14.99

Synopsis: An orphan in exile. A band of rebel girls. And a prince whose throne has been stolen. Come on a journey full of danger, intrigue, adventure and incredible secrets.

‘The Ateban Cipher,’ Lucien continued, ‘is also known as the Book of Answers.’
‘Answers to what?’ Eddie asked.
Lucien sighed. ‘Everything.

In the second gripping Ateban Cipher novel, Gabe and his companions journey to a remote mountain citadel where they learn the secret of the mysterious, encrypted book that Gabe has been tasked with protecting. But their enemies are close behind them, and new dangers lie ahead.

As Eddie seeks to regain his crown, and Merry and Gwyn race to free their father, Gabe will discover the answer to his own great mystery – his true identity.

~*~

Picking up where The Book of Secrets left off, Gabe, Gwyn, Merry and Midge are joined by Eddie, the lost prince who has been imprisoned whilst an imposter, and puppet of those who have seized control of the country and seek to take over once the King has died, sits on the throne. Now they have escaped from the clutches of Whitmore, Ronan and Sherborne, they must seek out Lucien, who lives in isolation, and take the Ateban Cipher to him, to help uncover its secrets. But what they will find there are more than answers about the book Gabe has been entrusted with – secrets and answers to the questions that Gabe has often asked but never had answered.

As they seek to uncover the secrets, Gwyn and Merry are still seeking to free their father, whilst Midge and Scarlett are following their paths, determined to make sure they find their own destinies. Whilst Eddie, with their help, seeks to find out what has made his father so ill and so near death, and regain his crown. As new dangers lurk around each corner, and Whitmore, and Ronan pursue them across the land, the group of unlikely friends forges bonds so strong that they will do anything for each other.

Much like the first book, the characters dive straight into the action, with the ever present threat of those who are trying to take over the kingdom, and who are after the book Gabe is protecting, never stopping for anything as they pursue them, which makes reading this book quick, and exciting, as I wanted to see what would happen at each turn. Aimed at middle grade readers, it can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested, boys and girls.

Much like the first book, I loved that the girls – Gwyn, Merry, and Scarlett in particular, were the heroes, and knew their own minds – they didn’t do what those around them expected them to do, they did what they wanted, especially Scarlett, looking for a way out of a marriage that would have made her unhappy.

Midge was adorable, and brave, and an absolutely fantastically surprising character. I think she was my favourite character, though they were all well written and awesome. Gabe and Eddie were wonderful too – seeing characters who break the mould of what is expected by readers and other characters in the story is always something great to see. I loved Gabe’s sensitivity and understanding, and Eddie’s willingness to help out where he could and see Gabe, Gwyn, Merry, Midge and Scarlett as equals who wanted the same things that he did – peace restored and prisoners released, with King and true prince restored to the throne.

Gabe’s discoveries were unexpected but worked well with the story – and came at just the right time, with the right pacing. Overall, the elements of The Book of Answers worked really well together, and all the elements tied together nicely at the end. A great read for children aged ten and older, and adults if they like these sorts of stories, and it is a nice quick read as well, which is all down to the well-written pacing of the story.