Where The Library Hides

WHERE THE LIBRARY HIDES is a solid conclusion to the SECRETS OF THE NILE duology. The story picks up where the last left off with Inez making some difficult decisions about her future and her fate. Still dealing with the death of her cousin and the betrayal of her mother, she feels like she has few options for her future. This does not mean she is willing to take everything easily, but these difficult choices are complicated by everything going on around her.

What I loved: This book continues to deal with complicated themes around betrayal, love, and choice that I found really thought-provoking throughout. There is a lot going on in the story and a lot of difficulty for Inez. She felt like a young character who is really coming-of-age in terms of learning about the world and the people around her, as well as her options for the future. She is a very hopeful character, even when everything seems stacked against her.

The story wraps things up well, and I would recommend reading the two books close in time, as there are a lot of details and characters that it is helpful to go into this second book remembering well.

What left me wanting more: The beginning of this book seemed a bit slow, but it did get faster later on. I would have loved a bit more of the fantasy elements, but I think people who enjoy historical fiction more will like this better.

Final verdict: Overall, WHERE THE LIBRARY HIDES is an engaging historical fantasy that completes an intriguing duology.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and let me just say it lived up to the hype! Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez is the conclusion to Inez’s adventure she started in What the River Knows. Inez’s world has been flipped upside down. Her mother is alive and a criminal, her father is missing and presumed dead, her cousin is dead because of her mother, and her uncle has given her an ultimatum: marry or return to Argentina. Determined to find her mother and make her answer for her actions, Inez refuses to leave Egypt which leaves her no alternative but to accept Whit’s hasty proposal. Newly married with a fugitive to hunt, Inez is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, but she may not like the cost.

Inez has grown quite a lot since we first met her at the beginning of her story. She’s no longer the naive heiress who just lost her parents and yearns for adventure. She’s had her fill of adventure by this point. Now she wants justice. She wants to take down her mother and the illegal auction ring that sells priceless artifacts to the highest bidder. However, everything she thought she knew is now in question. Inez feels lost, unsure of who she can trust and who is playing her.

Whit plays a bigger role in this book than last. Well, maybe not a bigger role, just has more pages from his perspective, which I’m personally not complaining about. Whit has been established as a loyal, rogue of a character, yet he’s been playing a long con. He needs money to save his family, specifically his baby sister, from destitution. To do that, he needs to come into some money and do so quickly. His best option is to marry Inez, however how he goes about it all is heartbreaking to all involved. If not for his perspective chapters, I’m not sure I would’ve empathized with him at all.

The plot of this one, at least in my opinion, moves at a much faster pace than the first book. With the world already set up and the key characters already in play, we jump into the story right away, picking up exactly where book one left off with Whit’s proposal. Between a hasty marriage, hunting down her mother, and a robbery at the tomb of Cleopatra, Inez has her hands full. Again, I love how Ibañez weaves history into this story creating her own world with its own rules seamlessly. The magical artifacts add a new layer of surprise in an already tense story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Where the Library Hides. The story is full of adventure with twists and turns to keep you guessing right to the end. Inez and Whit’s banter is perfection. I seriously could not ask for better. If you enjoy historical fantasies or you are looking for a fun adventure through the ruins of Ancient Egypt, I highly recommend you check this one out.

The Library Hides has so many twists and turns throughout the series that there wasn't a moment when I was bored. Inez was just everything. I loved her stubborn attitude and how, despite being hurt, she continued to love wholeheartedly. I love how her strength comes from her intelligence and willpower. My poor girl went through it in this book, and my heart hurt for her many times. She truly deserves the world.
Witt, her husband, on the other hand, makes some choices that he could have done differently. Marrying Inez is what we expected, but why he did it for the family made his standing as a character drop very quickly. Thankfully, he gets the chance to redeem himself before the end of the book. Historical fiction is one of the genres I don't read much about, but when I find one with a good story and get hooked, I am always glad I picked the book up. You can learn about a place and time you can never go to. You get glimpses of our past, usually in a very well-thought-out story. It always makes me jump to the end of the book to find out the facts and how the author took those facts and changed them up for a delightful story.