The Magian Series | Book 2

The Secret Library

When a surly pirate and a treasure-hunting nun fall into a cursed jungle with the Order captain tasked with their capture—what else could possibly go wrong?

Seraphina Davalos left her seminary and inserted herself into Captain Mari Adlam’s pirate crew to gain passage to a mysterious isle said to hide a secret library. In this library is the knowledge her twin sister—the one chosen by the gods to wield Macario’s Scepter—needs to defeat the awakening monsters and stop the end of the world.

No big deal, right? Unfortunately, Captain Luis Fozo is much less concerned with taboo myths and impending doom. He’s determined to exact revenge on the pirates responsible for his brother’s death. 

His plan goes sideways, however, when he falls through an ancient portal and is forced to work together with Seraphina and Mari to survive sirens, harpies, diabolical traps, and whatever else the cursed jungle conjures on their path to the library—and escape. 

Their alliance is only temporary, though. He doesn’t believe their conspiracy theories about the world ending in the slightest. And he certainly, most definitely—without question—is not falling for a brave, naive nun who’s as intelligent as she is beautiful. 

It’s only a few days, a few monsters, and a few curses. How bad could it be? 

A funny, page-turning adventure great for fans of Indiana Jones with a dash of Pirates of The Caribbean. 

Available now in ebook and print!

Characters

Seraphina has reluctantly joined Mari Adlam’s pirate crew, trading her veils for sails. That’s what it will take to find the Secret Library, and the book her sister needs to save the world. Shouldn’t be that hard, right?

Coming to this library was supposed to be like all the other times she stepped into Ancient Order locations. A book she could pick up that would cause another to appear out of the floor. The Prayer Circle in Lucia, where the order of the serpent’s attack was painted on the stones. Or she’d touch a picture and a scroll that would unlock magic would appear. She made her way to the table, resting her head in her hands. 

This was not how it was supposed to go at all.

The Secret Library, Book Two of the Magian Series

Navigator turned pirate captain Mari Adlam is not one to mince words or waste a dagger on a person who didn’t deserve it. The pirate life saved her, the seas hardened her spirit, and she’s exactly what the world needs to save itself from dark forces. Just don’t tell her that, though.

The Secret Library, Book Two of the Magian Series

Mari turned over the table in the middle of the room, the dusty scrolls on top of it tumbling to the floor. Three rooms. Three bloody rooms she’d gone through so far and not a speck of gold. Not a sliver of a jewel. Not even a fancy compass to replace the one she’d stolen from Fozo. She’d found nothing that would justify everything she’d put up with since she fell into this miserable place.

Baz Blackwater was an idiot. He should’ve never made her captain.

The Secret Library, Book Two of the Magian Series

Ever since the death of this Order Navel captain’s beloved brother on the shores of Bluegate, he has had one mission – find the pirates who killed them and bring them to justice. Now he has them in his custody. What he wasn’t counting on was those pirates challenging every long-held belief he’s had.

He rose to his feet, sheathing his sword as he strode to the staircase. For now, he would entertain the notion that this library held answers to unworldly questions—like a serpent and a girl wielding magic. As he walked up those dusty steps, he would imagine that in one of those very rooms, he would find all the answers to the questions causing him grief.

Or discover something new about the world he thought he knew so well.

He would believe, just for now, that this was the magical place Seraphina believed it to be.

The Secret Library, Book Two of the Magian Series

 

Reviews

Part of the crew that already saved the day is back together again. This time we follow the nun, Seraphina, on her journey to find another missing piece to save the world. Teamed up with pirates, captured by soldiers, and dropped in a magical forest, Seraphina takes us on an intriguing, yet sassy, adventure to a secret library that hopefully holds the clues to help save the day… again. McGriff has dived deeper into the characters and brought us more adventure, higher stakes, and greater character development. It is impossible to not fall in love with Seraphina and her friends as they struggle with their pasts and presents to make it out alive. The next part of their story and adventure is in high anticipation.

The Adventurous Reader

Extremely well-written and exciting story! A devout nun, a hardened pirate, and the captain who wants to imprison them must work together to stay alive and find the information they need to save the world from a powerful evil. Fast-paced but full of moral quandary, I felt myself racing through the jungle with them. Each character had strengths, struggles, and flaws I could identify with, and I enjoyed following them on their journey to discover the truth about their history and themselves. Magic and religion mesh in a believable story of treachery and epic struggle–struggle that ultimately takes place in the heart.

Amber G.

The Secret Library picks up after the explosive end to Macario’s Scepter. Seraphina is determined to locate the library, to retrieve the knowledge her sister needs, no matter how much of a non-adventurer she is. When she, together with pirate Captain Mari and Captain Fozo (who is there to arrest them), fall through a strange portal through to an island teeming with monsters, finding that library seems more out of reach than ever.

These books are so much fun! The monsters M.J. McGriff comes up with are always so terrifying and unique. Seraphina really grew as a character in this one, as did Mari. The tension between Seraphina and Captain Fozo was woven into the story really well and I loved the way it was an important part of the plot, but didn’t take over the cutthroat piratey adventure.

I flew through this one because I just needed to know what was going to happen. There were some real heart stopping moments. I couldn’t breathe at all through a certain bridge scene. 😅

If you love pirate stories and haven’t picked up this series by MJ McGriff yet, I’d recommend getting your hands on book 1, Macario’s Scepter!

Jenny at the BookBookOwl

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Macario’s Scepter, but I love this story even more. Mari and Seraphina were my favorite characters in Book One, and they are a true delight in their own adventure. I’m so happy they were given starring roles this time around. Mari’s story in particular resonated with me. Learning her tragic backstory was heartbreaking, but also a great example of the power of overcoming the traumas of the past. She went from being uncertain of her worthiness of the title of captain, to confident that she can be in charge of her crew, and SHOULD be the one to lead them. Luis is a great character as well, and the three of them together makes for some entertaining hijinks. As always with McGriff, the world building is exceptional and immersive. All the monsters and traps in the cursed jungle were intense and sometimes downright terrifying. The plot doesn’t have any lag, setting up the third book in the series nicely while still feeling like it’s own self-contained story. If you’re looking for a high-stakes adventure with lots of humor and a dash of romance, check this one out! A great summer read!

Haylie H.