Forbidden Library #2: the Mad Apprentice by Django Wexler

My name is Isaac, and I've been sent to capture the apprentice who murdered his Reader. I'm joined by several other apprentices including Alice, who I haven't seen since stealing The Dragon from her. I can't talk to her now, or I might let my secret slip. Together, we defeated the dragon in a prison-book, but it doesn't talk to me and hasn't given me any of its abilities. We're challenged with maneuvering through a labyrinth controlled by a giant wolf called Tempest. It can manipulate the paths we follow, and it has managed to separate our group and attack us with vicious creatures. My powers are weakening, and I'm not sure how much longer I can survive. Alice has the power to create short-cuts throughout the maze, but I don't know if it will help. Tempest is toying with us but seems to be tiring of the game. I know it said it doesn't want to harm Alice, but it won't have any problems killing the other apprentices and me. 

This book is the sequel to The Forbidden Library, and you'll need to read it first. Readers inherit the abilities of creatures they defeat inside prison-books, and they can summon them to help with challenges. Alice uses the powers of a tree-sprite, dinosaur, dragon, and swarmers. Even though she only recently discovered she's a Reader, her abilities have been more useful than other apprentices. She is the only one who experiments with the limits of her powers, and she helps the others test theirs. The new connection to the dragon is curious, since it allows Alice only partial use of its powers. This is unusual, and you're forced to wonder what is actually going on. Some of the antagonists maintain a connection across different settings, and they have no love for Readers. It feels like the Readers have their goals and objectives, but these other characters have something going on too. Alice is bringing a new attitude to Readers, since past Readers have a reputation for violence and ruthlessness. Alice displays kindness, empathy, and compassion for her fellow apprentices, and the others find this surprising. She discovers a terrible secret about her mentor that will have a huge effect their future relationship. Overall, it's a very entertaining series.