About the Book
Title: Thief of Lies
Series: Library Jumpers #1
Author: Brenda Drake
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Pages: 400
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC from publisher
My rating: 4 stars
Synopsis
Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.
Purchase Links
I received this book for free from Entangled Teen via YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Review
The world that Drake has created in Thief of Lies is very intricate and involved. I love books that have a deep setting and a story and Thief of Lies definitely fits the bill. The world created in original and full of depth. There were so many different levels and layers to this world, which makes it one of my favorite types of fantasy books to read!
What I liked
I loved all of the different characters in this book. There are so many, but not to the point that things get confusing.
I liked the supposed love triangle. I know that many people despise them, but I think that it makes things interesting. I grew to like both of the guys, and I am looking forward to seeing how things play out in the next book.
The world itself is worth mentioning again here because it really was elaborate. There are so many things going on and so much to learn about in this world.
The story had many twists and turns and kept me guessing at what was playing out. There were some in particular that I wasn't expecting at all, and I loved it!
I really loved how everything came together in the end of the book. Everything was wrapped up nicely, but still left room for the sequel.
What I didn't like
I did get a vibe of similarity between this book and others that I've read. The one that jumped out at me the most was the similarities between Thief of Lies and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. These similarities are mostly towards the beginning of the book, and wane once the story picks up more. I also noticed some similarities to the Harry Potter series. These similarities include: a girl that has no idea that she isn't human, a girl hidden in the human world by her mother to protect her from something in another mystical world, an elaborate and magical world that goes on without humans knowledge, a search for certain "keys" to stop an evil wizard, a prophecy about a special child, insta-love with a bad boy, forbidden love, a girl that gets sucked into a mystical world where she has to be a bad ass and fight evil, and more. The similarities are there, but it doesn't exactly take away from the story. The rest of the story is mapped out differently and has its own appeal. However; I can't deny that the similarities aren't there. I think that if added to or revised a little then the similarities would dissolve a bit.
There is a lot going on in the story and within the world created that things got a bit confusing at times. I think that more thorough explanations in certain areas would fix this though. I found myself rereading many passages for better clarifications. The world is gorgeous, but it really is a lot to take in.
Would I Recommend It
Yes, yes, and yes! I enjoyed this book very much. If you are a fan of fantasy in the vein of Cassandra Clare then you will love this book as well! And even if you aren't, this fantasy world is so unique that you will get lost in it and never want to leave. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
About the Author
Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment). Giveaway
My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who saw the huge similarities between City of Bones! I mean, there were some differences, but I had trouble getting through the book in general because of the similarities. I still gave it 3 stars.
ReplyDeleteKrystianna @ Downright Dystopian
The similarities to City of Bones were more at the beginning of the book. Once the story started to pick up things became much different, which I was glad of. By the end of the book I thought that the story had a life of its own. =]
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