Harmony of Lies (Alice & Owen 2) by Brian Feehan-dual review & giveaway
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023
After being forced away for seventeen years, Alice is finally home. But home isn’t what she thought it would be, and every day the secrets she holds from her parents grow with weight. But how do you tell your mother and father that you’re not normal? That the world is a far more dangerous place than they have ever known and you are anything but the small, innocent child that was torn from their arms all those years ago?
Owen can’t say goodbye, and Alice can’t hold on to him tightly enough as the pressures of danger and obligation grow stronger and stronger. With a broken heart, Owen is headed to San Francisco with his crew of musicians. But the Golden City is filled with history and secrets, and brutal deaths are just lying in wait for Owen and his people. To survive these trials and this city, Owen will need everything he has—even the broken parts he gave to Alice—to have any hope of doing the impossible one more time.
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Sandy’s Review: HARMONY OF LIES is the second instalment in Brian Feehan’s contemporary, adult, ALICE AND OWEN urban fantasy, romance series focusing on muscian/gatekeeper/Etherialist Owen Brown, and twenty-six year old, Etherialist/ hunter Alice. HARMONY OF LIES can be read as a stand alone but for backstory and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order.
SOME BACKGROUND: The We have been around since the dawn of time. With seven levels of power, the We walk among the people of Earth but a war between Heaven and H*ll forced the We to choose sides, be it angel or demon, Heaven or H*ll. Etherialists are humans born with ethereal magic, magic that can be used and abused by someone else.
Told from third person perspective HARMONY OF LIES picks up after the events of book one wherein Owen Brown and his fellow musician and Etherialists journey to San Francisco in the wake of a favor for Owen’s uncle Damon but Alice, finally free of the demon who had bonded our heroine at nine years of age, is desperate to reconnect with her family, the family who believe she is dead and gone. With Alice safely in the arms of her family, Owen and his band head to California where two pianos, one played by a ghost, the other that sucks that power and souls from the musician, find Owen on the precipice of losing everything and everyone he has ever loved. Trapped into a nightmare of pain, Owen knows that to beat the dark magic, he will need the woman with whom he has fallen in love.
HARMONY OF LIES is a story of power and control, magic, wizardry and trickery, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance. Brian Feehan pulls the reader into a dramatic story of family, friendships, relationships and love; a story of prophecy and sorcery, deception and trust. HARMONY OF LIES is a more cohesive and smooth flowing story than its’ predecessor HARMONY OF FIRE but such is the nature of the beast that was the introductory instalment. The premise is musically action packed, intriguing, magical and intense; the characters are energetic, powerful and determined but Alice and Owen spend much of the story line separated, in different parts of the country, as the main focus is on Owen and his band in San Francisco; the romance is passionate but limited and mostly implied.
Barb’s Review: Harmony of Lies by Brian Feehan is the 2nd book in his Alice & Owen series. Refresher: The We walk among us, beings who existed long before humans ever did, filled with powerful magic. Owen and Alice, who are the main characters in this story, are Etherealist, rare humans who also have magical abilities, which includes music that can change everything. Over the years of being bonded to an evil WE, Alice has learned how to use her powers, especially now that she is free.
Alice, is finally home (17 years later) with her mother and father, trying to find a way to explain to her parents that she is not normal. In the last book, Alice and Owen have fallen in love, and she has become an important member of the group (Clover, Jessie, Max, Daphne) who all have powerful musical abilities.
Owen receives a letter from Mara, to retrieve something in San Francisco, and is despondent that he has to leave with his crew, as Alice wants to stay longer with her family. He has a hard time saying goodbye, but Alice knows she will find him, when she resolves things with her parents. Owen and his team, head to San Francisco, knowing that the Golden City is filled with history, secrets, deaths and a mysterious red piano, that will put them all in danger. He soon knows that he will eventually need Alice’s help to be able to stop a ghost and for all of them to survive.
I really loved all of Owen’s team, including his friend Abel, who lived in San Francisco and would work with them. As noted, I love the entire group, especially Clover. Of course, I adored Alice and Owen, who made such a great couple. I also liked the newcomer to this book, Jessica, who was the mayor’s daughter. When things get difficult, both Alice and Daphne join them to fight against a dark power.
Harmony of Lies was an exciting, intense story, with wonderful characters that we have come to love. Owen, Alice and the entire band group were totally loyal to each other, willing to do what was necessary to stop this evil. Early on, at times the story was a bit confusing, but very intriguing. To say too much more would be spoilers, as you really need to read this, from start to finish. Harmony of Lies was very well written by Brian Feehan, and I look forward to the next book.
“We aren’t going up there tonight.” Owen smiled, and in that smile it was easy to see he had been looking forward to this moment.
“We aren’t going up to your bed? That’s a first. Where are you taking me?”
“This way,” he said, leading beneath the loft and deeper within. They moved past a trove of shovels and tools until she spotted a door she hadn’t used before. Owen pressed hard, and hay and dust fell off the frame as another wave of the night air broke over them both.
“So what’s out here?”
“It’s a surprise. It took a little work, but Max and I finished it this morning.”
Alice’s eyesight adjusted to the low light as Owen shut the barn door behind them. She took a glance around. She had thought this side of the barn was just where the farmer parked his rusted tractor and broken-down truck. Toss in a couple of old oil barrels and some leftover parts, and there wasn’t much to look at, particularly at night. She couldn’t fathom why Owen had brought her out here.
“You know I’m not really a tractor kind of girl. If you’re thinking we are getting kinky on that old thing, you’re far better off taking me back up to the loft.”
Owen laughed, and she felt it down deep.
It was nice spending time with the others, but every time they found a chance to be alone she saw it was easier for Owen to be himself.
“Back here. I set this up for us,” Owen said.
They weaved around an old rusted oil barrel and some empty propane canisters until she spotted a large something covered up by a sheet of old gray plywood and blue tarp.
“It’s not jewelry or a gun. For the record, I like both those things. What is it?” she asked.
“Patience,” he said, letting go of her hand and moving around the side. With practiced ease, Owen spread his long arms and grabbed both the old plywood and tarp beneath. A gentle pull and lift and a large, curved wooden hot tub was uncovered.
“How in the world did you find this? We are in the middle of nowhere.”
“We found it right off. It took some heavy lifting and more than one hour of cleaning. But the real problem was the pump and heater. You like it?” he asked.
“It’s clean?” she asked.
“Of course.” Owen used his foot to flip the metal switch that started the pump. Already there was steam rising into the air.
“And bubbles. Owen, I feel you’re giving me the full treatment.”
Owen didn’t answer.
There was something about the night sky mixed with the back-glow of the barn that framed Owen. He stood there watching her but was lost under the weight of leaving, leaving her. She could see it as clearly as his deep green eyes and strong face.
Owen reached over toward an instant propane heater and clicked it on. She heard the whoosh as gas met spark.
“Owen?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I have never met someone like you.”
And I don’t want to say goodbye.
It was his thoughts that drifted in the air between them, but she thought she could hear him and understood his view. For the last couple of weeks, he had made a point of talking about the chaos of his life. How every road traveled twisted and turned, and those devoted to living as a musician changed with every trip. In short, he was saying that now that it was time to leave, this could be the end of their relationship. That he didn’t know where he going, but he was sure he couldn’t come back.
Excerpted from Harmony of Lies by Brian Feehan Copyright © 2023 by Brian Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Brian Feehan is a 2nd generation author, son to #1 New York Times Bestselling author Christine Feehan. He lives in a small coastal town in Mendocino County Ca with his son and the love of his life Michelle. He loves spending time with family, playing tennis, cooking, reading, and of course writing.
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10. Giveaway runs from February 20-25, 2023
