Story Thieves #2: The Stolen Chapters by James Riley

My name is Kiel, and I can't understand why I've lost my magic. It's hard to be a hero without my powers, and I'm still accepting that I came from a book. I'm sure I must have cast a spell taking memories from Owen and myself, but I can't remember why. Doyle Holmes, a distant grandson of Sherlock Holmes, framed Owen and me for arson and told us Bethany will die in two hours. However, Owen's been arrested, and I have no idea how to find Bethany. Doyle always seems to be one step ahead of us, but I still must find some way to get Owen out of jail. Then, we'll need to find Bethany, because I suspect Doyle has a plan for her abilities.

I hadn't read the first book in a while, but I'm not sure how much that mattered. The main characters had their memories blocked, so they weren't sure what was going on. Consequently, I wasn't sure what was going on. Doyle Holmes was the antagonist, and he'd somehow made this whole mess happen. Actually, the main characters had, but that was the gist of things once the memories slowly returned. It was a little confusing that a descendant from the greatest fictional detective of all time would be evil, but that was explained as the book neared its climax. That revelation was a twist the author saved for a critical moment. James Riley included himself in the story, as the fictional characters couldn't understand if the author was real. The lines between fiction and reality became blurred, since some characters were able to move between the two. Bethany revealed this ability in book one, so this isn't a spoiler. The plot read as an adventure-mystery, as the characters tried to figure out what's going on. The two-hour countdown created suspense as the clock wound down. Overall, this is an entertaining series, and I recommend you give it a shot.