Thief of Lies

Hello all, I'm the author, so naturally I'm biased. But this is the book of my heart. It's filled with libraries, magic, and romance and set in some of my most favorite cities. Libraries have always been a magical place for me and there are so many beautiful libraries around the world. I'm sort of jealous that Gia and friends get to visit them all. To quote Gia, “Wouldn't it be awesome if we could go see each one up close and personal?”

4.5 <br /><br />Well, starting of this is such a unique idea for a story. I really love the abundance of different magical beings.. that was so good.<br />I love the idea of these people being able to jump through books/libraries to different realms! I LOVED the idea of magical orbs, each different powers for different people and how when you through them you can control an element or power.<br /><br />GIA really grew in this story, such a great character who really came into her own. I also liked that the romance was NOT over bearing. <br /><br />I think my only issue was that there were so many characters and names that sometimes i forgot who was who ... but that was it.. they rest was EPPIIIICCCC...<br /><br />Right... time to JUMP into book two.. GET IT <br />JUMP<br />HAHA<br />I'M SO PUNNY

Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake is the first book in the Library Jumpers young adult fantasy series. The title of the series is completely accurate in describing what to expect when picking this one up, Gia Kearns is with her friends in a library when she spies a cute boy and while watching him he suddenly disappears. When Gia and her friends go looking they find a book the boy left behind of libraries from around the world and when Gia accidentally speaks a phrase she finds she and her friends are pulled through the book and find themselves in a library in Paris.<br /><br />After finding themselves halfway around the world and not sure how they got there things suddenly get worse when a demonic hound attacks. But the boy that Gia had followed comes to the rescue. Arik explains that he and his friends are Sentinals charged with protecting humans and the gateways in the libraries. After learning of the strange world from which Arik came from Gia finds that she herself has ties to that world that she never knew existed.<br /><br />Starting out reading Thief of Lies it reminded me strongly of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter books which I absolutely love so I was hoping for a great read right from the opening pages. Thankfully when done I was not disappointed in the least and found this book quickly formed an identity of it’s own and pulled me into it’s fantasy world much the same way the Shadowhunter series books tend to do.<br /><br />This series may not be for everyone as I think it does end up covering a lot of the old young adult tropes that I see other readers often complaining about but for me this one would be the example of how to add those in and do it well. We have Gia who finds that the reason she’s been awkward all her life is that she doesn’t belong in our world but in this new fantasy one. We have the oh it’s a cute boy so I must drool. We have a bit of a love triangle in play. But no matter what was thrown in I found it all blended into the story seamlessly and kept my attention and interest so in the end I found myself a fan of this series and glad that I gave it a read.<br /><br />I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.<br /><br />For more reviews please visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress.com/">https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....</a>

<p> <strong>***Updated Review After Re-Read***</strong> <br> </p><p><b>Thief of Lies was addicting and completely entertaining. </b><i>And </i>I'm so glad that I re-read this book! You see, the first time I picked this up, I struggled connecting to the characters. The story was so much fun, but I never felt as though I was fully immersed until Bastien appeared on the pages, and well I'll talk more about him later. But this time around, it all clicked into place. I was so happy because <b>Thief of Lies was an adorable story filled with adventure and magic! And I can't wait to see how this series unfolds!</b><br></p><blockquote> <b>Time crept by as I waited for Bastien, and I closed my eyes. But the nightmare of where I was and who I didn’t know I was, strangled my breath. Gia Kearns didn’t exist anymore. She’d been lost somewhere on that first day when the gateway book ripped her from her world, dumping her in a dark hole. A fog surrounded me.</b> </blockquote><br><p>But to start, can you imagine what it would be like to jump from library to beautiful library? Well Gia and her friends accidentally jumped through a book and landed in a library in Europe. Yet it's not all ahhh this library is breathtakingly gorgeous and I'm going to sit here and read some fabulous books. They become witness to the Sentinels, who protect the libraries with magic, kill a demonic hound that almost took out Gia, our heroine. Within the group of magical knights that saved them was Arik.<br></p><blockquote> <b>“Did you just check out my boobs?” I whispered. </b> <b><i>Please say yes.</i><br> “No.” He smirked. “Okay, yes. I am a guy.”<br> <i>That you are.</i></b> <b> I yanked the covers up to my chin and suppressed a smile.</b> </blockquote><br><p><b>At first, Arik was everything I adore. Sexy, secretive, protective and with a wounded past. </b> He had so much potential! Yet I had a love hate relationship with him. Luckily, this time around I got <i>why</i> he was being standoffish and cold to Gia. But at other times, he could be so sweet and charming. Yet, <b>I never felt any electricity between Gia and Arik. Their moments together didn't leave me all smiley and giddy, so I truly don't feel like he's the right guy for Gia. Especially when he said things like the quote above. So I nicely stepped off Team Arik.</b><br></p><blockquote> <b>I gulped down my fear, drew my sword from its scabbard , and kept it close to my side.</b> </blockquote><br><p>Gia had a lot on her plate, and she tried her best adapt while leaving her old life temporarily behind (I can't say why, but you learn the why early on in the book). Yet <strong>it took me a while to warm up to Gia. At times, she got caught up in being jealous and boy obsessed.</strong> It came across as immature, and I wanted her to work harder on finding herself. But as I watched her deal with her new world and a new set of people/creatures <strong>I loved her resilience. Even though she kept getting thrown into situations that were way above her head, I loved how she reacted realistically while she also jumped right in to help others. </strong> Gia is someone who showed huge possibilities for growth, and I can't wait to see how much she'll learn and improve as the series progresses.<br></p><blockquote> <b>“With time, I’ll prove to you we belong together. Go ahead and have your fun with Arik, but it’s my arms you’ll end up in one day.”He kissed my cheek and headed over to the gathering crowd. - Bastian to Gia</b> </blockquote><br><p>I have to talk about Bastien now, or I will burst. <strong> Oh Bastien. From the first moment that he appeared on the page, I was captivated. He was a wizard who was confident, sexy and strived to do great things while dealing with a broken heart. He fascinated me.</strong> And whether it was his sense of knowing himself or knowing what he wanted, he felt so much more grown up than Arik. <strong>The words and manor that Bastien spoke to Gia always left the hugest smile on my face. He was respectful, caring and I loved that he seemed in control. </strong>So I truly hope Gia sees what I see and comes around. Please oh please don't end up with Aric by the end of this series and break my heart.<br></p><blockquote> <b>“I take it you’re not used to rejection,” I said.<br> </b> <b>He lifted a smile. “I’ll admit it’s a rare occurrence.”<br> </b> <b>Arik took a step toward us. “All right, we’re finished here.”<br> </b> <b>Bastien stood and leaned over to my ear. “You not wanting nobility intrigues me. I’m curious to learn more about you, Gianna.” His whisper tickled my neck and sent a shiver down my back. I held my breath, every inch of my body at attention. He straightened, gave me a wink, and swaggered to the door with Arik on his heels.</b> </blockquote><br><p><strong>Besides Bastian, Gia and Arik, we're introduced to a lot of characters who range from witches, wizards, sentinels, fae etc. On top of that, we learn about many different places and kinds of magic. But I never once felt overwhelmed or lost. </strong>We're slowly introduced with little bits of info here and there, except for a few info dumps that were relatively quick. So it was easy to take it all in. And <strong>ironically, I thought the story was somewhat simplistic a few chapters in, but I couldn't be more wrong. It continually grew and become more elaborate and layered as each chapter went by.</strong> Especially when I started to discover clues and meet people err creatures? who were bent on not only revenge, but also ruling their world and the humans world too. It was so entertaining! So I can't wait to see how the story proceeds, and <strong>here's hoping you'll join me and be on Team Bastien!</strong><br></p><blockquote> <b>I grabbed a stapler and crouched behind the nearest cabinet. Nick and Afton ducked down beside me. I pulled the leg down on the stapler, held it up, and readied it to shoot.<br> “Yeah, that’ll work,” Nick said.</b> </blockquote><br><p>PS I have to give a shout out to her best friend Nick who could be grumpy at times, but I adored him. And Afton, her other best friend, was this lovable girl who warmed me heart! Ohhhh and Lei, she's a Sentinel that is funny, sweet and kick ass. I can't wait for you to meet all of them!<br><br></p><p><strong>PPS I finished Guardian of Secrets (the 2nd book in the series) last night and LOVED! It's 4.5 Stars and this series just gets better and better! My review will be posted on February 6th with the Blog Tour. ♥</strong><br><br><a href="http://starcrossedbookblog.com/2016/03/book-review-thief-of-lies-library-jumpers-1-by-brenda-drake/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">This review was originally posted on Star-Crossed Book Blog</a><br><br><i>For more of my reviews, please visit:</i> <br><a title="Star-Crossed Book Blog" href="http://starcrossedbookblog.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img height="200" width="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1452287496i/17673736._SX540_.jpg" alt="descriptive text here" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a> <u><b> </b></u><br><a title="Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/starcrossedbookblog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1438055977i/15660595.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a> <a title="Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/starcrossedblog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1438055639i/15660580.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a> <a title="RSS" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/starcrossedbookblog/METU" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1438055639i/15660581.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a> <a title="BLOGLOVIN" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/star-crossed-book-blog-13035961" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1438055639i/15660579.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a> <a title="Google+" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116866754719786372049/+Starcrossedbookblog/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1439651670i/15866819.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a></p>

Wish you could visit all the libraries in the world? Wouldn’t it be incredible to go from library to library, all in the drop of eye? So what better way to travel than by book? But wait; would a broody guy to accompany you who also looks good in leather I might add, sweeten the deal? How about a magical prophecy, impending doom, evil creatures at every turn but you can kick ass with your new found magical abilities? If the booknerd in you is screaming to get out then welcome to your next read, Thief of Lies is everything you want from a debut Fantasy.<br /><br /> Gia it a total bookworm, she loves being surrounded by old and new titles and can often be found nose deep in a book. The ever-inquisitive Gia observes what she thinks is just a normal guy in the library but when he disappears into a book, she can’t help but delve deeper into his mysterious disappearance. In doing so she sucks herself and her friends into the book, only to come out half way across the world in Paris and face to face with a demon. Tossed into a magical world she knows nothing about Gia must try her best to save her friends but when she’s the answer to a long forgotten prophecy, her seemingly normal life will never be the same again.<br /><br /><i> <b>“Gia, you can never be lonely in the company of books.”</b> </i><br /><br />Firstly I just need to say how I much I enjoyed Gia as an MC. She was strong, clever and witty but what I appreciated most about her was her practical, realistic nature. Time and time again in YA heroines go above and beyond to prove that they are not ‘weak’ and this usually ends in disaster. Gia is by no means weak but she is pragmatic, she’s new to this world and doesn’t have much knowledge on magic so when it comes to a situation where she could potentially do more harm than good she doesn’t whine but accepts that this isn’t her fight… well not just yet anyway.<br /><br /> The world building was slow and steady allowing you to adapt along the way, the same goes for the magic, magical creatures and politics of this new world. The romance was adorable and I found myself swooning a time or two, there’s also a possibility of another ship on the horizon and I think given enough time, I just may jump ship but this is not your ordinary good-guy, bad-guy love triangle, not by long shot. It’s the romance that slowly grows on you and before long you’ve completely change your mind, you have to love a ever-changing plot.<br /><br />Overall Thief of Lies was a spectacular debut by Drake, filled with action, adventure, magic, romance and BOOKS. This fast-paced fantasy filled debut is one you don’t want to miss in 2016. I can’t wait to see what Drake does next and I will be eagerly awaiting Book 2 in the Library Jumpers series. This is a must read for fans of The Girl at Midnight!<br /><br /><a href="http://literary-lyobsessed.blogspot.co.uk" rel="nofollow noopener">Literary-ly Obsessed</a>

<b>DNF @ 27% because it's boring AF</b><br><br>This book, I must say got one of the coolest premise ever. I mean, <i>Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries</i> is definitely every bookish people's dream, so reading about this kind of story line is a big yes - turns out, this thing is too good to be true, pun intended.<br><br>The story started when Gia and her friends visited a library for a homework or something I can't really bothered to remember why. Gia then bump into a super handsome and gorgeous looking guy with a <i>sexy accent</i> at the library, who started flirting with her by quoting a verse from her favorite book. Would have been sweet if you ask me, but for some reason I found it unbelievable, stupid and unnecessary. Anyway, she was obviously attracted to him so she stare at him like a creep and the guy suddenly disappeared which made Gia curious that she started investigating the book she last saw him touch. Turns out the book was a key or a portal that can transport people into beautiful libraries from all over the world.<br><br>Everything about this book does not make any sense to me. Like, Gia's 2 friends are suddenly in danger because apparently, humans aren't allowed to travel using the books, or a compelled something will start hunting them to death. I mean, why would you leave a book that important lying around? Fine, let say only Mystik people can activate the key, but why can it also travel humans? Also, we are talking about magic here people. If they can just delete people's memories what is the used of hunting them just because of accidentally jumping because of their own stupidity? <br><br>The book tried to make a different attack with the writing style but I think it just made things more confusing. At least for me. Information are dropped everywhere, talk about information overload. It felt like the books tried to give information about the world in one go to focus more on the sequence of the story. The characters are unlikable either. They didn't have their own personalities which made them forgettable. <br><br>I honestly can't find a single good reason to continue reading this book, not that I haven't tried, because I did. I would have wanted to read the book up to 50% before I call it quits but I just can't anymore. I find it really disappointing that the mention of library is just a big ploy to get the readers excited. Ugh. <blockquote> <i>“Gia, you can never be lonely in the company of books.”</i> </blockquote> If this is the kind of book that will accompany me I think I'll just have to pass.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1454816048ra/18017321.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you**

Personally, I prefer Bastien to Arik though...

<i>~ARC Kindly provided by Netgalley and Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review~</i><br><br>Generally, I rate a book 2 stars when it misses “that something special” to impress me. In this case, the situation is precisely the other way around, though.<br>This book starts from a cool premise that any booklover will adore (<i>“Gia, you can never be lonely in the company of books”</i>) and presents many original and interesting ideas. The problem is that <i>Thief of Lies</i> is saturated with <b>too, too many different ideas, all of them only superficially developed</b>.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1452166514ra/17654581.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>In <i>Thief of Lies</i> you can find:</b> fast action, tons of secrets, a hidden child, a Mystik world intertwined with the human world, insta-love, a prophecy, riddles, a hint of love triangle*, Sentinels descending from ancient knights, magic, betrothals, forbidden love, another hidden child, DNA manipulations, visions from the past, changelings, monsters, wizards, seers, pseudo-vampires, Faes, intricate family bonds**, magic spells in Italian (which, apparently, is Latin 2.0) ***, undercover spies, the end of the world, <s>absurd</s> <s>eye-roll worthy</s> awkward romantic scenes****.<br><br><b>The result? At the end, I felt overwhelmed and confused</b>: everything happens too fast, characters are flat, the worldbuilding is thin and inconsistent, the magical system is only sketched and not deeply explained… and what about libraries &amp; books? They’re just the marginal backdrop to the story, useful portals to jump from one part of the world to another and nothing more.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1422826434ra/13550693.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><br><b>*</b>Needless to say that both the two guys are extremely hot and super-sexy – a concept (their sexiness) repeated <i>ad nauseam</i>.<br><br><b>**</b><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1452166514ra/17654582.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>***</b>Sadly there are even some imprecisions/mistakes in the Italian formulas…<br><br><b>****</b>An example?<br><blockquote> <i>He gave me a crooked smile, his gaze dropping to my chest.<br>“Did you just check out my boobs?” I whispered. Please say yes.<br>“No.” He smirked. “Okay, yes. I am a guy.”</i> </blockquote>

DNF <br /><br />I am really and I mean really tired of posting full reviews for DNF's. So I've decided to type a mini review. <br /><br />While I was reading this I felt that it was very childish. And I know that says something because I've read quite a few MG books. But this felt very childish compared to all the MG books that I've read.<br /><br />I recommend this to fantasy fans.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/30679152-melissa" rel="nofollow noopener">Buddyread with Melissa</a><br />----<br />*****<br />DNF at 51% (Rating is just for what I've read so far... I think halfway is enough for me to do that. )<br /><br />2 stars for execution and writing, 2.5 for the idea of the library jumping and creatures/magic.<br /><br />The idea of this world intrigued me (and yes the "library jumping" part is what first hooked me) but the way everything was handled left me underwhelmed. <br /><br />Also got tired of hearing how 'hot' and other terms Arik was from Gia... and before any naysayers complain... it was because I felt like I was getting hit over the head with it... and the 'romance/almost romance' confessions felt forced to me, I couldn't sense chemistry at all between them. Forbidden love can be an exciting storyline if done right, but this one had me cringing.<br /><br />Not for me but it seems I'm in the minority here.