It was a pleasure to return to the magical world of Lake Kingdom Lubov Leonova has created in her books. Despite it not being a perfect place, where everyone lives peacefully and happily, there is a cosy feeling about reading this series.
Set a few years after the events of book one, “Forbidden Manuscript” follows the lives of the four Guardian academy graduates pursuing their careers and trying to find a work-life (and love) balance.
Jackie and Elisa are together. It isn’t easy to live, hiding their relationship from everyone and knowing they are putting their careers at risk. And probably because of the constant pressure, they easily fall into a trap a dishonest person sets up for them to make them break up. I really appreciated the sly literary agent character that appears to shake the already fragile routine of Jackie and Elisa’s lives.
Four friends now work in different fields, but they come together to solve a particularly shocking series of murders. Young women get killed, and there seemingly isn’t any connection between these cases. But eventually, threads lead to a cult, and finding out who this cult’s leader is will bring trauma and shock.
“Forbidden Manuscript” is a story that keeps the reader guessing what will happen next. It is packed with magic and mystery along with questions and situations that people in the nowadays real world also face. Is it worth it to fight against the existing prejudices? Can one person make a change? Does some special trait one possesses make one better than those less lucky? Is it worth it to sacrifice one’s peace of mind for love?
The ending of the book, although heartbreaking, suggests new fascinating adventures for the characters in the future. The author opens up a curtain hiding other magical kingdoms beyond Lake Kingdom and leaves readers wanting to learn more about them.
Eve's Book Diary 
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