Son of Secrets

This is the second book in The Indigo Chronicles trilogy and, having read and loved book one, The Path Keeper, I was keen to get my hands on this one. I wasn't disappointed.

The story opens three years after the events of The Path Keeper and we initially switch perspectives between two of the main characters as we discover how they've rebuilt (or not) following the shocking climax of book one. Further perspectives are then established as Son of Secrets reintroduces the reader to a number of existing characters - both ones we love and ones we love to hate - and also brings us some new characters, new past life timelines and new information which provides the reader with a better understanding of the relationship we saw between Zac and Ella in book one and of the world which Simmonds has built for her characters.

New character Luci is one for readers to watch out for. She plays an important part in Son of Secrets and, although she acts in some questionable ways, she is a character you just can't help but like. Her fingerprints are all over the events in this novel and, judging on what happens at the end of the narrative, she is going to be important in the final instalment, too. A returning character also found my loyalties torn but I won't say too much about that for fear of spoilers!

There are some major hints dropped for how characters might plan to move forward in the next book and I for one will be on tenterhooks waiting to see how it all pans out. If Son of Secrets is anything to go by, book three will be an absolute cracker.

I feel so lucky to have gotten an ARC to read. I loved The Path Keeper, and Son of Secrets definitely follows its footsteps well.

Luci has absolutely stolen the show in this entry. I both heavily relate to her, and cannot understand her at all. She encompasses duality in a way that I am absolutely blown away by.

My only small, minor complaint about this book is that, compared to The Path Keeper's very deliberate pace, Son of Secrets feels like it's hurtling from plot point to plot point faster than Luci on a motorcycle.

Either way, I did enjoy this book a lot, and look forward to the next entry!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Sons of secrets is the second book of the Indigo Chronicles and starts with Ella, who has been waiting for Zac for three years, hoping he will come back to her, while distracting herself with one night stands and her job. But then Josh came back in her life and Luci decided to look for Zack too, Ella finds herself involved into a big plot.

I liked reading this book. The story is interesting and full of plot twists and revelations. Ella's, Zac's, Luci's and Sebastian's lives are strongly connected to each others. I liked a lot the first book, so I was excited for this sequel and it didn't disappoint me. I liked the writing style and the characters, I found Luci really cool and engaging. 4 stars

<I>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i>

<b> 3.75 stars - rounded up </b>

Can we change our fate? Ella is struggling to choose whether to follow her pre-destined path, picking up where The Path Keeper left off, Son of Secrets was quite an enjoyable read, concerning an epic romance spanning millenia!

The character development was rather intriguing, especially Ella's coming to terms with her past and Zac's facing his moral dilemmas. I also enjoyed the rather unusual, gender-vent, evil-but-not-evil take on Lucifer!

Enjoyed this more than The Path Keeper, there was more world-building (although still not nearly enough), and it was a little less juvenile.

However, I feel like the whole narrative wasn't really fair on poor Josh!

Waiting for the next book in a series can be a killer and this was no exception. But this was totally worth the wait!!

It has been 3 years since Ella last saw Zac but still holds on to the hope that he will once again return to her. But when Josh suddenly reappears in her life, she starts to question if waiting for Zac is still the right thing to do.

Just like the first book, I was hooked! I really enjoyed learning more about Zac and his past. We also meet Luci who I thought was a great character. I liked her instantly and loved her personality.

This series is so addictive and I am desperate to read the next!!

Oh my goodness what a brilliant, exciting read! Not my usual genre, yet it still managed to absolutely capture my imagination from the very first page. I had adored reading the first book in the series,The Path Keeper, Zac became a bit of an obsession for me , the strong connection between him and Ella was so intense and emotional that I was desperate to find out their fates in this book.
Luci is such a wonderful character, so strong and intimidating and yet so captivating and compelling, all at the same time! I was drawn to her straight away and am now pondering what she has planned in the next book.
It was fascinating going back in time to experience Zac and Ella’s previous encounters and to learn more about the back story of his creation and family history.
I found this story so addictive to read, I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, whenever I was dragged away from reading it.
This series would make an amazing film, it’s so entertaining and I can easily visualise the characters from the book in my mind. It would be a spectacular epic movie 🍿
Just one problem , I need book three now! 😳

This is the second book in the series called The Indigo Chronicles.

I fell in love with this series in the first book and have patiently waited to read the second installment to find out where the story of Ella and Zac takes us and boy did she take us in an amazing ride!

Simmonds creativity in this story line are brilliant and her beautiful writing style and detail that she uses makes you feel like you are watching a film in your head while devouring this novel.

The storyline of Ella and Zac is captivating from the first paragraph and the twists and turns this books takes while Simmonds weaves this tale are perfection.

Just wow! This is an amazing book. The imagery and creativeness in this book is amazing. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Zac and Arabella have known each other many times in the last 2000 years. They are soul mates, but not destined to be together. Its is amazing how their lives have crossed paths in t past lives. This book is simply a must read.

This book was really amazing. I was wondering what would happen after the wonderful ending of the first book Author wrote an amazing story .I really enjoyed reading new characters. Especially Luci was the star of this book. When i first read the synopsis i thought Luci's story was going to be different but i loved her fierce character. I loved reading flashback scenes and couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to read final book. Thank you for this early copy.

If your looking for an excellent writer that can make you feel what the characters are feeling - this is that book. This is a perfect follow up to book 1.
Reading this it felt poetic at times, devastating, hilarious and moving for everyone. I can't wait to see where they all go in the next book.

Long awaited sequel to The Path Keeper didn't disappoint and was definitely worth the wait. There is something about this story or authors writing style that sucks me right in as it isn't my usual choice of genre. Now to wait for another and wonder where will their life take them again.

Son of Secrets is the second instalment it the Indigo Chronicles and I was really excited to get back to the story and see what was in store for Ella and Zac after ‘that’ ending in The Path Keeper.
Son of Secrets does not disappoint. The series has been re-branded as adult instead of YA and I see, and appreciate, why this was perhaps necessary, not just because our characters have gotten older, but because it deals with some pretty heavy themes and while you sometimes get sex and violence in YA, this does not hold back. Some may feel it’s not necessary, but it’s all relevant to the story and where it takes us, and where its leading us.
When we left Ella at the end of The Path Keeper, Zac had taken his own wings, essentially killing himself, as far as we knew, on some hope that he would come back.
3 years later, Ella is drinking and sleeping her way through a series of one night stands in an attempt to numb the pain of his loss, when who should walk into her hotel but Josh de Silva, her destiny.
She finally decides that she should see what her path holds for her. Zac is gone, Josh is here, and when she is with him, she doesn’t hurt quite so much.
I am trying very hard to figure out what to say and not give too much away, which is hard. But what I can say is that obviously things are not straight forward.
I really loved Josh in this instalment, and I have to say that I actually really feel for him in this book. I feel that he is finally being honest, and genuine, for the first time and I am genuinely worried that he is going to end up hurt…I am hoping that just maybe he and Ella get some happiness before we jump forward a little in book three.
My feeling was a little bit mixed with Luci. She’s not an amazing being…she’s actually a bit of an asshole. But I fully appreciated all that she went through, and that millennia of being overlooked, used, abused, and portrayed as the bad guy would make her the way she is. She had a singular goal and she is not above doing what is necessary to achieve it. She, Zac, Ella, and Sebastian were so intricately linked that they needed to all be present. Shit had to go down the way it went down and I am not mad that a certain someone ended up the way they did, it was almost too good for them.
I really, really love the twists on religion and mythology in these books, which is explored a lot more in this one, with our story jumping between past and present, and I am looking forward to seeing where it’s all going in number 3.
A definite recommendation, it’s destiny 😊

In my opinion, I loved the path keeper more, which I gave 5/5 stars. For me this is a 4/5 stars read. it wasn't bad or anything like that. I loved it a lot too, but it wasn't the same level of good as the path keeper. I read every second I got, every second I could I was reading this. ignoring everything and everyone around me so I could read on and on and on.

Fantastic second book in the series. We catch up with favourite characters from the first book along with some new ones.
It was good to learn a bit about Zac’s past and to see how Ella was coping without him.
A must read for anyone who enjoyed the first book.

Continuing on from The Path Keeper, I did enjoy Son of Secrets more than the first book in the series. I really enjoyed the flashback scenes where you see all the main characters previous incarnations. And I really enjoyed the introduction of Luci and the spin on a well known character. But I still didn’t gel with Ella - I also found her on again and off again romance with Josh and Zac a bit tedious. Simmonds has done a great job developing the Indigo Chronicles world.

The second book, and it did not did appoint! So much drama, I loved the new characters and their stories. A great book and I cannot wait for the third book.

I dread even writing this review because I know I can’t do the book justice, especially without spoilers....but here we go! This book gives a return to the life of Ella after some big changes have happened in her life. We have the introduction of a new character and the return of some from the first book that play a bigger role. Ella is still the same damaged, emotional wreck of a girl but she is growing up and getting stronger. I love that the author can make her characters strong and vulnerable at the same time.

Just like the first, The Path Keeper, this book is an emotional rollercoaster for the reader. I still wanted to throw my book across the room, but I didn’t dare let it leave my hands because I couldn’t put it down. The author’s ability to weave the story through time is incredibly beautiful, and the connections from one time period to another were spot on. The relationships! Can we just talk about the relationships in this story? Not really, because there would be spoilers....but guys! I literally had to stop reading so I could tell my mom what was happening over and over. I think I used the phrase gut wrenching in my review of the first book and it’s just as true in the second. Again, mentions of sexual assault, so here’s a trigger warning if that is a concern for you, but it’s gut wrenching in good ways, too. Go read this series right now. You won’t regret it! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review and thank you NJ Simmonds for creating such an imaginative world!

When I read The Path Keeper (the first book in this series) I was quickly taken with the idea of Angels & Nephilim, soulmates and reincarnation. It involved three things that I was very much interested in that I had yet to read in a book. I easily fell in love with Zac and Ella and how they’d spent centuries trying to achieve their happily ever but after the cliffhanger of the first book, going into the second, I was ready for Ella to find her happily ever after even if it wasn’t with Zac. Because.. hear me out but in this moment I believed that fate & destiny had to trump out soulmates if all that had led from that love story was pain and death. So when Josh a man from Ella’s past came back, I was all for it and I’m so glad the author gave us this alternative path to explore and fall head over heels for.

This second book brought back many of the characters from the first book, including evil step brother Sebastian who has to be the most hated character ever in this series. We get some flashbacks and learn some new things as to why Archangel Michael is such a jerk face.

Along with this book though came the introduction of Zac’s mom Luci... otherwise known as Lucifer, fallen angel and all around “Devil”. This character had to be the most interesting as she certainly lived up to many devilish characteristics. But what I LOVED about this character is how she shows us that women who are strong and powerful are perceived as being such threats to men that they are willing to vilify and villainize them in the most horrid of ways. Throughout history women have been persecuted/held down whether it be from slavery, arranged and forced marriages, been legit burned or hung at the stake for being “witches” all because they’ve dared to speak their mind. Luci’s story made me so angry for her and I can’t help but feel so thankful for the author for remind us that this kind of thing is still going on in the world. It’ll never be okay for a woman to have power or the ability to speak her mind because most men will always feel threatened and “less than” and feel like it is their “duty” to bring them down to a level they feel is acceptable.

I absolutely cannot wait for the last book in this trilogy and I can’t wait to see how the females in this book triumph.

Oh, my! My love of the first novel in the Indigo Chronicles, The Path Keeper, is immense. I'm lucky enough to own a physical copy of the original run and it holds a treasured spot on my forever shelf. The wait to read this second instalment has been excruciatingly long, but it was worth every second.

Fate is battling to right itself after the heart stopping conclusion of The Path Keeper and the characters are reintroduced along with new ones. Ella is as feisty as always and handles her pain in her own way. She was never going to be a weeping damsel in distress and I respect and love her for it. The sorrow she and Zac feel leaps off the page and her step-brother's hatred gave me goosebumps. It is an emotional, soul ripping read and the writing is more developed than before which I did not think was possible.

The introduction of Luci is inspired and is a character I will always remember and aspire to be for her strength and clarity. The novel blends historical events, fantasy and emotions perfectly to produce a study of the treatment of women in the past and present as well as exploring how the fear of strong women and those who refused to fit to the constraints set by stereotypes triggered the hysteria surrounding witchcraft. 

With angels galore, and passion sizzling between characters, it is definitely not a YA book. The central theme of reincarnation is captivating and with the well-developed characters and many twists and turns it kept me reading through the night. NJ Simmonds  has cast a spell on an idea to create something amazing.  I'm going to struggle to find a better book to read this year and a reading hangover is looming.

The book is so beautifully written and with some humour, lovely scenery. There are some dark bits, but mostly it is an entertaining read as it weaves the real world and fantastical characters together to create The Indigo Chronicles World.

The author has painted a good picture of realism and fantasy. There’s romance, adventure, action, great locations like Highgate and Gibraltar, there are pure angels, dark angels, trepidation, intriguing lives as well as deaths and emotion, magic powers; and all isn’t always what it first seems, which all makes a pleasurable and fun read that spans across millenia.

Meet Ella and Zac and Josh in a place where the Mediteranean and Atlantic Ocean meet. Pizza and wine, it’s a wonderful combination and yet Ella just doesn’t know quite what she is doing with Josh.

Zac is no ordinary person, readers will discover. Not anymore as he finds himself in Highgate Cemetery. His mission? To find and be with Ella with use of his powers. Powers enough to make you shudder. It’s a bit creepy when you’re a woman reading about a guy who lived 2000 years ago who can sense every part of you. In saying that, it’s fantastic for this fantasy book as I found myself wanting to find out more as this book gets more and more interesting and very quickly so. He meets up with Ylva as they reminisce about a party and discuss Ella.

Fantasy is a genre I can take it or leave it, but this book is good in the way the real world and fantasy elements all collide. It’s grounded in a good way. It has good, strong themes and likeable characters. There’s a bit of a will they, won’t they going on with Josh and Ella and revelations of Ella’s step-brother and the effect he has on how he hurt Ella. Josh is a film star and a bit of a flirt.

Zac is fun as he discovers tattoos because apparently his appearance hasn’t changed in 2000 years and he has now decided to alter it a bit. It’s intersting how Zac is perceived and there’s a wonderful written paragraph that is essentially the butterfly effect. He’s full of dark, creepy intrigue.

There are secrets as to how the characters are connected and who they really are, that are revealed as Arabella, the narrator of this story tells as she’s heard of demons and of the shadows before and she’s on the run over the city walls and it is intriguing to see what she is up to as she comes across Zadkiel. Later on, back home, Arabella, back home is then left by her mother, with Sabinous, a soldier, and knew she needed to follow her destiny…

The feminism notes that are there can be a bit overly strong at times, as much as the passion does come across.

The author’s note is an interesting one about the author’s one experiences and says about the book being a tribute to those who have been hunted and hurt and struggles. This does come through in the book, but written in a creative way.

I have been reading a lot more adult fantasy lately and I loved the first book in this series and Son of Secrets by N.J. Simmonds was an amazing sequel and I can't wait to read more.

As you will know, The Path Keeper is one of my favourite books, and I have been waiting for the sequel to be released for a long time! When I finally heard that it had a release date, and then saw its spectacular cover, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. That said, when it actually came to reading it, I approached it with some trepidation. This is a book that I had built up so much in my mind that I was scared that it would live up to my expectations. The good news is that I had absolutely nothing to worry about, and Son of Secrets is everything that I had dreamt it would be.

Son of Secrets takes us right back to the beginning of Ella and Zac’s story, when they were Arabella and Zadkiel, encountering each other for the first time in a sweet and tender meeting in Tuscany. The truth of their very first lives is beautiful and heartbreaking, and comes with the awful realisation of the role Sebastian has played in Ella’s past lives. As with The Path Keeper, Son of Secrets revisits Zac and Ella through history, this time seen through the eyes of Luci as she desperately tries to reunite with Zac.

On the subject of Luci, she is a truly brilliant character. Turning traditional ideas of Lucifer on their head, you come to realise that while she is not truly evil, she is most definitely fierce and refuses to let anything, or anyone, stop her from achieving what she wants. The thought of her teaming up with Sebastian was terrifying at first, but as her true motives come to light, it is incredibly satisfying to see Sebastian under someone else’s control. Everything about Luci is spectacular – I think we all need to channel our inner Luci a bit more.

Although I desperately wanted Zac to find his way back to Ella, as the book progressed, and we got to know the real Josh, I found there was an increasingly large part of me that was rooting for him and Ella too. I was full of conflicting emotions about this right through to the end of book, and honestly I am still not sure what I really wanted to happen.

Certain realisations that occurred during this book felt like a punch to the gut, and others made my heart sing. It’s a bumpy ride, but one that I know I will be revisiting, because both Son of Secrets and The Path Keeper will be demanding to be read again in preparation for the next book in the series.

I really don’t know how I am going to manage waiting until next May for book three in The Indigo Chronicles! I need to know what happens next right now!

I loved this story for its great storyline, the amazing world building and the great cast of characters.
I can't wait to read more in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I'm late to getting to this one but I truly enjoyed it! I got this book as a NetGalley ARC and wanted to read book 1 before diving into this one. I was not disappointed!
This story and writing style took me right back to when I first started to enjoy reading! I loved the relationship elements and character development between books 1 and 2. I thought the follow through and conclusion really enjoyable.

What an epic story!!!!!! What can I say about this story? The characters are amazing! Dynamic. Realistic. And relatable. The plot was absolutely amazing! My attention was held the entire time. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I love the entire story!!!! I was sad when I finished.

Author # N.J. Simmond’s new novel ‘Son of Secrets’ the second in #’The Indigo Chronicles is a six star book. Full of romance,adventure, and suspense.Throw in dark angels and you will stay up all night.
Thank you,
#netgalley, #N.J. Simmonds and #BHC Press

Yet another amazing book by the author this sequel follows on from where the last book left off and all I can say is AMAZING yet again I'm drawn in by the characters and the storyline I finished this book in just a few days and can't wait for the next one hopefully I don't need a box of kleenex next time

this was a unique read in the scifi novel, I liked that to me it felt different from other books in the genre. I really enjoyed reading this and hope there is more in the series.

Exquisite follow up to book one, with so many twists and turns. Fast pace kept me hooked all the way through, can’t wait for the final book

Great pacing and well written! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and it kept me glued to my screen. I recommend it!