Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake
Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake
Series: Library Jumpers #1
On Sale Date: January 5th 2016
Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Entangled Teen, 400 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.
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.
THIEF OF LIES is the first book in author Brenda Drake's young adult series, the Library Jumpers. Readers are swept into the world where libraries are used as a mean of transportation and will find themselves leaping across gorgeous libraries, joining magic knights as they fight dangerous creatures that threaten to spill over into the human realm.
Who can resist a story featuring beautiful libraries as the settings for some fun and magical happenings - I know I couldn't. There're jumps from Boston to Paris, Dublin and even as far as Portugal before all is said and done. Each with yummy details for book and library lovers to devour.
I enjoyed getting to know Gia's character. She's a likable YA heroine - curious, snarky, daring, yet also practical - she realizes when she can't solve every problem (yay, for realistic teens.) As a fellow book nerd, it was easy to connect with her. I liked that she wasn't (completely) overrun emotionally by a cute guy, as Brenda Drake sent more than one her way. A diverse cast of characters, including some great best friends, also made this a fun read, adding humor and danger when needed.
There's a touch of romance and a few swoony moments in between all those jumps to enjoy. Though, I would have liked a bit more build up (romantic tension) between Gia and her love interest. It does seem like the future may hold some romantic complications, with love-triangle possibilities, but for the most part, I liked both guys with Gia having strong feelings for just one of them.
Thief of Lies boasts a strong beginning for what seems a series with lots of fascinating possibilities. Drake did a great job with this series opener. The world building left me curious with its magic globes and magical system. I'm eager to visit the next installment of the Library Jumpers. A fun and enjoyable start to a new series!
