A signed paperback of The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets by Roxy Eloise
BLURB:
After discovering Puracordis, Aurora withholds something extraordinary. She begins to harness the overwhelming power she possesses and is conflicted whether to share her secret. Young Enforcers have a strict upbringing, conditioned to obey and uphold laws. Revealing her secret is a crime punishable by death and could result in her losing everything.
Aurora is still dealing with the rejection from her betrothed, and her emotions are running high when she has to compete in a survival-of-the-fittest game with him. But Aurora’s interactions with an outsider have her distracted.
Whilst trying to navigate her complicated life, manage heartache, and figure out what being the Guidal means, Aurora is plagued with nightmares, tormenting her with the horrific death of a friend. She realises not everyone is who they seem, and her need to stay hidden has never been so crucial.
Friends, bullies, and a touch of something magical, Aurora carries a heavy load and could lose more than she envisaged.
Reviews
Oh how am I loving this story!! Aside from the dystopian Divergent and Hunger Games-style book vibes that make me a lot nostalgic, it's a really beautiful and interesting story, full of mystery, intrigue, and lies. I couldn't stop reading so much that I wanted to know more and more! And of course the classic plot twist at the end that leaves you so on edge you want to scream. Leaving such a final cliffhanger should be illegal, I NEED TO KNOW.
This second book explains more of the world building, which I loved, really strong and interesting, and we also find out more and more about these “Puracordis” and the different types of magic that exist.
I also still love the perfect balance between the dystopian world, the propaganda politics that mercilessly continues to indoctrinate the population, the romance with the love triangle (although I'm sorry but Pax I can’t stand you LEAVE), the magic and spells (the scenes where they train in the temple my favs honestly, Harry Potter who??), not to mention the metaphor that combines magic with chakras and meditation?? GIRL I'M ALL IN; in short, everything is perfectly balanced and this makes you appreciate everything even more!
And another beautiful thing is seeing 16/17 year old characters behave like such, which is not always a given, the friendships that are established warm the heart, and the funny and playful moments are the perfect moment of tranquility in such a world.
I don't know what else to say without giving too many spoilers because it's just a story to discover as you go, with all this intrigue and mystery, but I highly recommend it.
I'm a big fan already
I really enjoyed this second book, and, more importantly, i'm still completely invested in the story and have SO many questions! There's clearly a lot more going on beneath the surface, and i'm very curious to see where everything leads.
That being said, i did have a few difficulties with the pacing and the way some parts of the story were constructed. There were a few moments where things seemed to happen a little out of the blue. The lethals class was one of those moments for me. It gave us some interesting information, which i'm sure will be important later, but the way it was introduced felt a little disconnected from everything happening around it. I had this feeling for a few small moments as well like Silliah's jealousy, Seioh's kindness and Ryker helping her. But i do have a feeling these moments could make more sense later and i'm definitely curious to see if it's the case.
While i love Aurora's relationship with Pax and Tayo, i found the tension between them a bit repetitive in this book and it went ona little longer than necessary for me. At the same time i loved seeing Tayo's and Aurora's relationship develop.
Now the competition... it was so much fun. I really enjoyed this part of the book for i got some Hunger games vibes for it. The action, the challenges and competitiveness made those scenes some of my favorites.
Overall i liked book 2, but i did enjoy book 1 a little bit more. It felt more compact. There are still so many questions and new pieces of the world being introduced so i can't wait to start reading book 3!
„Unearthing secrets“ took everything I enjoyed about the first book and raised the stakes.
Aurora is no longer just questioning the world she grew up in - she is now forced to live with a secret powerful enough to get her killed. As she struggles to understand what it truly means to be the Guidal, she must also navigate heartbreak, loyalty, and a society built on obedience and fear.
What I loved most about this sequel was how much more emotional it felt. Aurora is carrying the weight of loss, grief, and uncertainty, while being haunted by nightmares that refuse to let her move on. The consequences of the first book are impossible to ignore, making the story feel darker and more personal.
The character dynamics also became far more interesting. Relationships are tested, trust becomes fragile, and not everyone is who they appear to be. I especially enjoyed watching Aurora question the rules she has been taught her entire life while trying to decide who she can truly rely on.
The survival competition added tension and kept me turning the pages, while the mystery surrounding Aurora’s powers and the Guidal continued to deepen. Every answer seemed to raise even more questions, and I found myself desperate to learn more about the world and its secrets.
• Hidden Powers
• Forbidden Magic
• Secrets & Lies
• Survival Competition
• Heartbreak
• Found Family
• Chosen One
A compelling sequel that expands the world, deepens the emotional stakes, and leaves you eager to discover what comes next.
💛
Roxy has done it again with The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets! This is book 2 in her fantasy romance dystopian series, and I think I’m officially mildly obsessed.
The Guidal follows the FMC Aurora “Roar” as she learns about Puracordis and what it is to her. Along the way, she is torn in two between Pax, her betrothed, and Tayo, a childhood trauma-bond (we’re team Pax here).
In Unearthing Secrets, we pick up immediately after the events in Discovering Puracordis, and are straight back into the training, the yearning, and the confusing life of a 16 year old being raised to be part of a machine.
The series has strong friendships (looking at Silliah), and a complicated love triangle that will have you screaming at Aurora for her decisions.
And if romance isn’t your cup of tea (or coffee), there’s plenty of action! There’s aspects that pay homage to The Hunger Games, and the entire thing feels like it’s collectively reminiscent of Divergent, and other classic dystopians such as 1984.
The series itself is YA, which is evident in the way the main characters behave, but they’re also growing up with the story, and experiencing life as the series goes on. I personally cannot *wait* to see how Aurora develops and how everything that is currently happening affects her in books 3&4! That ending literally has me screaming!
I somehow finished this in a day because I literally couldn’t put it down. I’m fully hooked now and already desperate for the next book. I just love this world and the characters—even when they’re being frustrating and making me constantly change my mind about them.
The magic stuff is so fun to read about, especially with all the different abilities we keep learning. The world-building was really strong in this one too. It answered some questions but also gave me a bunch more, which honestly just made me more invested.
The whole Pax, Aurora, and Tayo situation had me all over the place. The relationship between tayo and aroura draws you in to those moments in the beginning when you question every little action and words - does he like me does he not. I kept switching sides and couldn’t decide who I wanted to end up together. There were so many moments when I wanted to bang their heads together! they were driving me mad in the best way.
And did I soften a bit towards seioh jennsen?? Yes! The games were so good as well. They still give off those Hunger Games vibes, which I’m really enjoying.
I also love the friendship between Silliah and Aurora. It feels really genuine, like one of those rare, deep friendships. That ending! 🥺🥺
I am so in love with this book series so far. I love the settings and characters. My favorite character has to be tayo honestly! I could not put the book down and could not stop thinking of it even when I was not reading it. I would wonder what would happen next. I wish I had more time to read it then I did this time as life got busy. I would recommend to any of my followers and am so excited to read more of this series.
Unearthing secrets follows straight on from discovering puracordis as we go through aurora's second year as a navy in the institute. This fast paced dystopian world never fails to shock and amaze me. I loved getting to know the characters more and having a stronger understanding of them and the magical system. The parkour games were so detailed and I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest more than once. The love triangle is insane #teamtayo 🫣 I hate the way the institution is and wanted to scream more than once. That ending! Well I didn't see that coming and I'm excited to dive back into Aurora's world and find out what it all means. A massive thank you to Roxy Eloise for the ebook of unearthing secrets what an amazing page turning story. The twists and turns kept me hanging off the edge of my seat wanting more.
Another 5/5 because WHAT?! 😭 This picked up right where we left off and somehow managed to leave me with yet ANOTHER cliffhanger. At this point, I don’t know if my heart can handle a third book 😂
My heart is screaming for Aurora to be with Pax, but my mind is telling me she belongs with Tayo and honestly… it is SO DAMNING. I genuinely don’t know which way I want this to go anymore because both of them have me completely torn.
And Silliah… 👀 I am watching her like a HAWK.
The tension, the twists, the relationships… I am fully invested at this point. I need the next book immediately because that ending has left me STRESSED. 😭
It’s fair to say my partner is a little worried about me after my reactions to this book. It had me crying, laughing, yelling, and using so, so many explicit words.
I spent most of yesterday reading and finally put it down at 1 a.m... only to pick it back up today and realise I’d finished it! These cliffhangers are absolutely killing me.
Overall, I LOVED IT!
I’m not usually a big fan of the love triangle trope, but the way it was written in this book is so addictive. I was completely invested and could not put it down.
Absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to see what comes next.
DID NOT disappoint! I loved the character development in this book and the little plot twists that I just was not expecting at all! And THE ENDING 🤯
I cant recommend this series enough, I have such an emotional attachment to the characters now and I just HAVE to know what happens next. The story progresses at such a lovely pace, whilst it slows down through the middle as you get to know the characters better. It really helps with how hard the ending hits.
Saying that, I definitely preferred this book to book one, and i’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings 🩶
I received an ARC for this book and I was obsessed! I haven’t read a good love triangle in ages and I really love how this one developed!
There were so many times that I genuinely couldn’t put the book down as I needed to see the characters reactions to certain things happening and just find out what was next.
The parkour games was fun and the author does a really good job of setting up the intensity, I was always worried for Aurora in these games!
I think book two might be my fav of the series so far!
Definitely recommend if you love dystopian romance books!
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.5/5
I loved this sequel! The character development and worldbuilding were even stronger than in the first book, and I really enjoyed learning more about Puracordis and its mysteries. The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me personally is because the first half focused more heavily on the romance, and I’m just not much of a romance reader. If you love romance, there’s a good chance this would easily be a 5-star read for you. Even with my personal preference, I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and Roxy Eloise left me desperately needing book three!
This book has more twists in it than almost any other book that I've read bar my own it leaves you hanging on the tips of your fingers and the end of the book you are literally dangling off a cliff edge I don't know what's coming next but all I can say is I can't wait for it. I was proud to be an arc reader for this book
Wow what a cliffhanger again!! Book 2 had me gripped again from start to finish! Finished within 2 days and that’s only because I had work!! I love Auroras story, the friend ships, love triangle and the magic!!! Held me captivated all the way through!! The way roxy writes makes it easy to read and feel part of the story!! Onto book 3!!
This book is incredible. I was captivated from the start (also from the beginning of the first one, it just keeps you pulled in which is amazing)
I usually struggle with series as I tend to find the second book harder to read, however this one pulled me in and kept me in the story!
It was really good and I highly recommend it!
This world has me OBSESSED!
Mando sleep is still the best thing eveeer
Tayo telling Aurora to choose Pax and saying he will catch her this time broke my heart💔
It was hard reading Pax pulling away from Aurora but I also totally understood why!
This book was slower compared to first one but I just love the world and the characters so much that I would keep reading through their schedules.
I love how the story progresses and we get to know more about their Magic.
I just love Pax too much
After reading book 1 I was excited to start this book.Absolutly loved the magic, adventure, secrets and romance. I loved Aurora’s character development and the twists kept me interested right till the end. My favourite read of the year so far.