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I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
Synopsis: 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.
Oh gosh. Where do I even begin? First of all, look at that gorgeous cover! Doesn’t it immediately capture your attention? The colors, the books… It just makes me want to dive in. Second, libraries and magic! Two words that should appeal to bookworms everywhere. And I’m thrilled to say that the story itself more than lives up to its premise.
Gia is a perfect heroine to root for. She has a lot thrown at her in a relatively short amount of time yet she accepts everything with an amazing amount of equanimity. She’s also fiercely loyal to her friends and family, and will do whatever it takes to protect them. At times she’s a bit impulsive, but this never turns into foolhardiness.
There is a case of insta-love between Gia and Arik, and by the end of the book a love triangle forms when Bastien a wizard enters the picture. Normally this would have me grinding my teeth but the characters and their relationships are so well-written, that the romance didn’t bother me at all.
The world-building is just as fantastic as it sounds. There’s so much detail put into creating this new world that co-exists with our own that it easily could have taken away from the action and characters, but like everything else, it’s so skillfully done, that it’s seamless and at times even breathtaking.
There’s a lot introduced in this first book of the Library Jumpers series including: books that are portals to some of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the requisite evil villain and his minions, romance, sword-fighting, and magical powers and beings. Brenda Drake does a wonderful job juggling all these elements with likable and interesting characters while never slowing down the narrative. On Goodreads Brenda has commented that Thief of Lies “is the book of my heart”, and that love is more than apparent throughout the story. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it’s left me wanting more! It’s a perfect read for not only YA fantasy fans, but also adult bookworms and library lovers who believe in the power and magic of books.
