THIEF OF LIES by Brenda Drake // A Library Jumpers Novel

Review by Jackie

THIEF OF LIES
Library Jumpers #1
File Size: 1567 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Teen (January 5, 2016)
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Sold by: Macmillan
Goodreads | Amazon 

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys thankiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the BostonAthenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of worldlibraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks herand her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Parislibrary, where Arik and his Sentinels-magical knights charged withprotecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gatewaybooks-rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of theworld's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, ifshe weren't busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirtobsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choosebetween her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed. 

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS.

I’ve always wanted to use that in a review, and I don’t exactly have a reason to in this one, but this is the total vibe of the book. Daring sword fights, love with a sort-of-prince, magic (and I’m talking the magic that takes you to any library in the world—Paris, anyone?), and changelings. Sorry, there’s no actual dragons. But there are quite a few things that have the HERE THERE BE DRAGONS aura about them.

THE MAPS (for which the adventure is traveled by)

It began with a book and a hot guy named Arik in a leather jacket with a crooked smile who gave her that look that totally told her that he was, in fact, a dragon slayer. Other-wise known as a knight. And the dragons are actually hellhounds.

He’s the leader of the knights and he is head over amour with Gia. And he an I have a love / get out of my face relationship. I understand there are laws and such, and that he has a reputation to uphold and all that jazz (seriously, I do) but he just kind of got on my nerves. I feel like maybe the love interest shouldn’t get on my nerves for as small of reasons as Arik did much of the time? Maybe I’m totally off base here? While his character isn’t completely loveable, it is fleshed out. And he is relatable. And I do actually like the guy.

I also want his leather jacket.

He’s need to protect Gia paired with his backing her up when she needed to go do her- whether that was being a novice or slaying- was nice. He was the leader on this journey of self discovery.

THE PLOT

This book did read very much like a book one, and I wasn’t particularly in love with that either. I found the book to move at a good pace. I wasn’t ever especially bored with the book but I did like the second half much more than the first. Once all the character development and plot devices were engraved in stone things began to really move along, Gia’s voice became more mature (something I appreciated), and more lovely characters were introduced.

There were twists and turns in the plot, but nothing too shocking.

The lack of shock factor contributed to the rating, but the end (and one character in particular) shoved that final half point onto the rating. The book itself was okay, just okay. But the characters gave it the extra oomph that it so desperately needed. It was fine, but I’m not eager to read for the plot. I want the next book because I need to know more about the characters. And magic.

FINAL WORDS

This book was okay, the cover is fantastically purple and gorgeous. I love the magic and heroics and the girl power. I really like the mystery character who you’ll juts have to read to find out more about.