D.J. Williams’ Secret of the Highlands, the second book in the Guardian Novels series, delivers an exhilarating blend of high-stakes adventure, supernatural intrigue, and emotional depth. This pulse-pounding sequel builds on the epic journey of Jack and his crew, taking readers deeper into a richly imagined world where ancient artifacts hold unimaginable power and trust is both a weapon and a risk.

At the story’s core is Jack, a protagonist burdened by the immense responsibility of wielding Eden’s Star. His internal struggle to control its power, which threatens to destroy him, adds layers of complexity to his character and heightens the tension as he leads his crew through perilous quests. Emma, grappling with heartbreak and her own moral dilemmas, emerges as an equally compelling counterpart. Her determination to protect the innocent Cherub and prevent the Merikh’s sinister rise adds emotional stakes that resonate throughout the story.

Williams masterfully intertwines personal struggles with a fast-paced plot, balancing explosive action with quieter, introspective moments. From international cities to hidden realms, the story’s settings are vividly brought to life, immersing readers in a world of mystery and danger. The intricate mythology surrounding the Cherub artifacts and the prophecy adds depth to the narrative, creating a sense of destiny and urgency that drives the characters forward.

The novel’s pacing is relentless, with every chapter raising the stakes. New enemies emerge, loyalties are tested, and an unexpected betrayal sends shockwaves through the group. Williams keeps readers guessing with clever twists and revelations, ensuring the story remains unpredictable and engaging.

Themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the thin line between good and evil are woven throughout, adding depth to the action-packed plot. Jack and Emma’s journey is not just a fight against external forces but also a battle to protect their humanity in the face of overwhelming odds.

Secret of the Highlands will appeal to fans of fantasy-adventure series like Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus or Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. With its gripping plot, richly developed characters, and a world teeming with danger and wonder, this novel is an unforgettable installment in a series that promises even more to come.

Urban fantasy, fast-paced, different locations to the style of action-adventure thrillers. A lot happens and makes each page exciting. It also has a large cast of relevant characters to the plot. Christian lore inspiration gives a lot of supernatural and chosen lore. The female character focus at the start was a great choice. Jack has grown a lot, his confidence, too, and we get deeper into the understanding of the different factions and their goals. My 4 stars are personal taste, I prefer a fantasy set that is full of world-building, rather than alternate earth or urban fantasy, but this trilogy will be worth 5 to a lot of thrilling action-adventure readers and Neil Gaiman fans.

(Book tour for 3rd, posted to my usual all)

Book one was easier for me to read because everything was new and fresh as seen through the main character Jack's eyes. The group takes extra care to explain things to Jack. In this novel, Jack is part of a group of boarding school buddies who discover and learn how to use their special gifts. Jack possesses the Eden Star but is unsure how to operate or control it.

I felt that Jack and the others kept doing the same thing over and over: they visit an unfamiliar spot, meet strangers, and learn from these people something new that will get them closer to the Valley of Grace. On each adventure, the group narrowly escapes Merkh's (the bad guys) clutches.

This is the second book in the Beacon Hill series. Book one is The Hunt for Eden's Star. I feel readers would benefit from reading it first. This way they'd get a better grasp of what is going on in this novel; I found book two tough to navigate (and I read book one). But then again, I'm not a fantasy story enthusiast. If you love fantasies, this could be the series for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN: Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I am not a fantasy buff. The analogous aspect of a fantasy novel has to be clear to me or I get lost. And I got lost in this novel. I know the Merikh are the really bad guys. The Cherubs are sort of the good guys but not totally. One character says, “There is freedom in a relationship with Elyon, but I have found that the Cherub often create too many rules and regulations. And I am not blind to the sin that exists in the Cherub either.” (1675/4779) So are the Cherub supposed to represent Christians in church style Christianity with rules and hidden sin? But there is Asiklua, identified as an angel, expelled from Charis a thousand years ago because he led a fallen legion of Cherub. (2266/4479) So are Cherub angels? There is an ancient book, Eternal. Jack is told if he wants a deeper relationship with Elyon he must find truth within the pages of that book. So we have something like the Bible. There are definitely allusions to Christian faith and truths but they are murky for me.

The setting is this earth. Jack notes that they were in this world but spiritual forces were fighting for souls in this world and the others. (1887/4779) So we have helicopters, Land Rovers and Starbucks but then also a supernatural sword and other spiritual powers.

The plot seemed quite repetitive to me. Go to a new place, meet some new people, get some new information on how to get to the Valley of Grace, go to a new place, barely escape the Merikh. Repeat. Because the plot is repetitive, I felt the book is way too long. Some adventures could have been cut without losing the basics of the adventure. It is definitely a novel for people who like to get lost in an adventure for a long time. It is the second in the series and does not read well on its own. The first novel needs to be read to fully understand what is going on here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Book: Secrets of the Highlands
Author:D.J. Williams
Series: Beacon Hill. #2
Length: 496 Pages
Publisher: Wander
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 4/5 Saltire Flag

Jack Reynolds is the only person who can use the power of Eden’ star but can he maintain it or will it crush him? He is now being tracked from all kinds of secrets realms and all over the world. So Jack is running out of time as he and his boarding school friend have to find the fossils of the innocent seven Cherubs tribes before he has run out of time!

Emma Bennets powers have grown and she has not control in trying to stop the evil forces from grabbing the cherubs and stealing all their power. Plus Jack and Emma have decisions to make and decide if the voice of Eden's Star is trustworthy for all they might lose?

Another fabulous paranormal read that I absolutely loved so much! A book paranormal readers will absolutely love and cherish

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Wander for this complimentary arc.

Book one in the series was incredible, and somehow Williams has managed to raise the bar with this new installment! Tension, intrigue, excitement, and unforgettable characters and locales fill the pages of this book. You get drawn right in and dropped in the midst of everything. I was very interested to see where everyone landed after the end of book one - and where the magical war they'd all been roped into would take them next. It really feels you're right alongside each character as they share their POV. It adds a lot of depth to the story, seeing how unique each one's take is. The action scenes will definitely get your heart racing, but there's plenty of tension from cover-to-cover to keep you reading. If you enjoy fast-paced, multi-layered, YA paranormal suspense and mysteries, then you'll want to grab this!

Brace yourselves for a long, dragging read with an endless search for adventures and answers. The book can be read as a standalone despite being a sequel. However, there are so many subplots upon subplots, it slowly becomes tiring. The storyline felt like it could have ended so many times.

Characters come and go and then suddenly return. There is little character development, which is a negative in a story with lots of protagonists and antagonists.

If you are a fan of fiction and adventures, I say give it a try, but have patience, because there are a lot of unresolved questions; even the characters themselves must wonder throughout the story where this plot will go.

Twists and turns are expected, but all the introductions of new villains and settings lack impact.

If you are an avid reader, I still recommend it, as it tried its hardest to be exciting, unique and readable. But I guess it came up a little short for my taste.

Secrets of the Highlands is book two in the Beacon Hill series. The book picks up where book one left off with Jack’s life in danger from carrying Eden’s Star in his body, and Emma’s powers restored and growing. As Jack and Emma travel with their friends to distant locations and other realms, they discover that there are ancient artifacts of the seven Cherub tribes they have to find before those in the Merikh do first.

This book packed in as much action and adventure as the first book. Travelling to exotic locations and other realms was exciting, and the world building and magical powers became more defined as the story progressed. The treasure hunt to find the rest of the artifacts has me excited to read the next book in the series.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and Tyndale House & Wander in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An adventurous and mysterious quest to find the truth. Young friends must decide who they can trust and forage for the ancient artifacts, This is part of a series so it would be helpful to read book one first, but not required, you can catch up pretty quickly. Good world building.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided NetGalley

A new author for me. While D.J. Williams’ speculative novel SECRETS OF THE HIGHLANDS (book 2 in the Beacon Hill series), is outside my usual genre, I wanted to read for my teenaged grandson. Even though I jumped into the fray—having not read book one—I was caught up in the fast-paced story.

Readers of supernatural, faith-based mystery and thrilling suspense will enjoy this book. The author’s familiarity with exotic locales sometimes lost me and I wish I had a map, however there was enough action and intense “what will happen next” to keep me reading.

While I give this book a strong four stars, I suspect my grandson would give it a five. Looking forward to the final book in the series. And yes, I want to read it!

An ARC was provided by the publisher for my honest review.

ARC Review

Secrets of the Highlands by D.J. Williams is a supernatural new adult novel. It's the second book from the Beacon Hill series.

It's a great book filled with mystery, action and suspense. A well-written story with very detailed descriptions of the scenery
and everything that happens. Which makes it easier for those who are not familiar with the series to understand what's going on.
It has a slow and steady build-up with a few surprises along the way. I like how the author mixes the modern world with the
fantastic one. This book is perfect for teenagers and older readers.

If you like fantasy novels then you'll enjoy this one as well. I will rate it with 4 stars.

Action and adventure, supernatural, mystery. To be continued... A better option for teens than a lot of what's out there, in my opinion. Not really theologically correct, but not sure that the author is really going for that. I read it as a "made up" story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

These are not your usual Scottish Highlands - they are invisible to all but a few! This is the second book in a series - Hunt for Eden's Star introduces the characters - Jack, Emma, Eliska, Tim,Vince and their friends are fighting a war against evil forces with supernatural powers who do not care who they kill or what they destroy in their search for hidden artifacts.
Jack and his friends instantly travel through deserts, the Highlands and other countries in search of weapons to defeat the Merickh, the forces of evil led by Jack's father, Addison, and Jack's former roommate, Will. They inject the blood of Cherubs who have magical healing and defensive abilities into their own bloodstream to take these gifts for themselves.
Who will win?