Review: Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake

Source: Received an egalley from the publisher for an honest review.
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: Already Released!
Number of Pages: 400 (Hardcover)


Description from Goodreads:

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.

I've been super excited about this book ever since I heard about it months ago, so I jumped at the chance to read it! I actually chose THIEF OF LIES as the first book that I wanted to read for 2016, and it was an absolutely wonderful choice! I loved it so, so much, and I've been raving about it ever since! :D

When I first heard about THIEF OF LIES, I was immediately compelled! It reminded me of the movie, The Pagemaster, which I still remember fondly from my childhood. I've always loved the idea of travelling through books, and the library is one of my favourite places...add in a bit of romance, even more magic, an amazing main character, and it just gets better and better!

As soon as I started reading, I didn't want to put THIEF OF LIES down. I loved Gia for her awkwardness with boys, for her tomboy-ish nature, and for her major love of reading, books and libraries. She is most definitely a kindred spirit. :P I especially loved discovering more about the world of Sentinels and the gateway books! It was all so fascinating! I also have a serious, serious soft spot for Arik...the book description is definitely not lying about him. The boy is most assuredly a "leather clad hottie"⎯and I ship him and Gia so freaking much! haha

Along with a fantastic premise and a wonderful main character, THIEF OF LIES, is packed full of some amazing characters. I loved getting to know Gia's friends from home, and really enjoyed getting to know the other sentinels, too. The world-building was also fantastic. I loved how the different intricacies of the sentinels world were revealed, and the magical aspects were so amazing! And the battle orbs were so neat! :D I think if I had to pick some kind of "supernatural" being that I would like to be, a sentinel would be high on that list. ;)

Overall, I absolutely loved THIEF OF LIES! It was such a fantastic story, and I got completely wrapped up in Gia's world. I can't wait to read what happens next!! :D

What do you think?
Does THIEF OF LIES sound like something you'd enjoy?
And if you've read it already, what did you think?

THIEF OF LIES Character Tour: Gia! #Giveaway #ThiefOfLies #BrendaDrake

Welcome to Brenda Drake’s THIEF OF LIES Character Tour!

Each stop will feature a character profile from book one of the Library Jumpers Series! There is a tour wide giveaway so be sure to check out all the characters for chances to win. You can find a list of the tour dates here.

Today, we’re getting to know Gia!

ABOUT THIEF OF LIES (LIBRARY JUMPERS #1):

Age: Young Adult

Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Release Date: 01/05/2016

Number of Pages: 400

ASIN: B00YM6RD6M

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

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.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Thief of Lies Character Tour — Gia

Gianna “Gia” Kearns

Age: 16

Sentinel

Battle Globe: unknown

Description: Athletic bookworm with a fear of traffic and an affection for Root Beer Lipsmackers.

Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers Series Book 1) quote: “Are you afraid of me? ’Cause you should be. I'm the one Agnost foretold.”

Gia is the main character in Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers Book 1) and the voice for the story. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Marty Costa Kearns (Name in the Mystik world: Margarita Bianchi). When Gia was four, her mother was killed after a truck hit her on a busy Boston street. She now lives with her stepfather, Brian. Though she misses her mother, she feels greatly loved by her pop and nana.

She goes to private school where she excels in her education. Her activities are Fencing and kickboxing. Her two best friends are Nick D’Marco and Afton Wilson. Nick and Gia have been friends since they were babies. Their mothers were good friends. Afton joined the group when the three met during their first year in high school as freshmen. She’s fluent in Italian.

In book two, many wonderful and horrible things will happen to Gia. As the group goes into hiding, relationships are tested, some strained, and a new threat arises within the libraries.

Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers Series Book 2) teaser between Arik and Gia:

“Details,” he said, that grin morphing into a crooked smile, his dark eyes watching me intently.

“Well, if you’re going to insult someone,” I whispered. “You should get it right.” I took a few uncertain steps forward. I wanted to throw myself at him, but I kept calm. “Females are peahens and aren’t colorful at all. They’re more like me.”

“Then I shall be quite happy with my peahen.” He met my steps and looked down at me.

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I hope you enjoyed meeting Gia. Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to enter the giveaways for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card with an eBook copy of THIEF OF LIES or a signed hardcover copy of FORGET TOMORROW by Pintip Dunn below.

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).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAYS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Make sure to check out the rest of the Thief of Lies Character Tour!

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I'm ridiculously excited to be a part of the character tour for THIEF OF LIES, and I'm so glad that I got to introduce you all to Gia! She's a fabulous main character, and I hope you all love her as much as I do!

I also have to reveal that I was SUPER excited to see that my excerpt for its sequel, GUARDIAN OF SECRETS, was between Arin and Gia! I ship them so much! :D

What do you think?
Are you intrigued?
Adding THIEF OF LIES to your TBR?
Excited about the giveaways?
And if you've been following the character tour, who's your favourite so far?

Let us know what you think!

Release Day: THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake!

I'm super excited to be a part of Brenda Drake's Release Day Launch (hosted by Jen Halligan PR) for THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers #1)!

Check out the book and excerpt below, and be sure to enter the amazing giveaways! 

Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2016

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.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt from THIEF OF LIES

We stepped into the Children’s Library and stopped in the center of the room. A massive light fixture designed to resemble the solar system dominated the ceiling. The hushed rumble of two male voices came from one of the reading nooks. I crossed the room, paused at the built-in aquarium, and inspected the fish. Afton halted beside me.

“This is great,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb whoever was in there with us. “Fish and books. What’s not to love?” Spotting a sign referencing classic books, I searched the shelves for my all-time favorite novel.

The male voices stopped and there was movement on the other side of the bookcase. I paused to listen, and when the voices started up again, I continued my hunt.

Warmth rushed over me when I found The Secret Garden. With its aged green cover, it was the same edition I remembered reading as a young girl. The illustrations inside were beautiful, and I just had to show them to Afton. Coming around the corner of the case, a little too fast for being in a library, I bumped into a guy dressed in leather biker gear. My book and notebook fell and slapped against the floor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry—” I lost all train of thought at the sight of him. He was gorgeous with tousled brown hair and dark eyes. Tall. He flashed me a crooked smile, a hint of dimples forming in his cheeks, before bending over and picking up my forgotten book.

He held the book out to me. “Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” He’d quoted a verse from The Secret Garden with a sexy accent that tickled my ears.

I stood there like an idiot, my heart pounding hard against my chest, unable to think of a response. The fact that he had read the book and could recite a line from it stunned me. And impressed me.

Say something. Anything.

“Good read there,” he said when it was obvious I wasn’t going to speak. He winked and nodded to a guy behind him before ambling off. When he reached the end of the row, he paused and glanced back at me, flashing me another killer smile, and then he disappeared around the bookcase.

Tingles rose in my stomach. He looked back at me. The guy following his Royal Hotness gave me a final appraisal before departing. His stringy blond hair hung over his large forehead. It looked like he hadn’t washed it in weeks, and there was probably an acne breeding ground under it. He grinned, and I broke eye contact with him, making for the nearest window.

Oh God, you’re so lame, Gia. You could have finished the quote or anything less tragic than not speaking at all. The response I would have said played in my head. With silver bells, and cockleshells, and marigolds all in a row. Why? Why hadn’t I said that?

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram
 

Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up are 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 she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

GIVEAWAYS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Entangled Teen's THIEF OF LIES Blog Tour for more chances to win the prizes below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, what do you think?

I've been excited about THIEF OF LIES ever since I heard about it months ago, and I just started it! I'm really enjoying it so far!

Are you excited that THIEF OF LIES released today?

Excerpt Tour: THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake!

I don't know about you all, but I am SUPER excited for Brenda Drake's THIEF OF LIES! When I was offered the chance to share an excerpt today...I JUMPED at the chance!! I definitely wanted a sneak peek, and I'm sure some of you do, too!!!

First, here's a bit of information about THIEF OF LIES:

Title: THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers, #1)
Release date:  1/5/16
Author: Brenda Drake

About the Book:

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.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | B&N | iTunes

 Kobo | Powell's | Books-a-Million | The Book Depository | Walmart | Indigo Books

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).

Connect with Brenda: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Now what we've been waiting for...the excerpt!

EXCERPT: 

I pressed the screen, and it went dark. “How do we know he’s not being forced to say this?”
    “The password, May Agnes guide you,” Lei replied. “She’s the patron saint of Asile.”
    Agnes? That was the silver woman’s name that formed from my globe. Did the saints have something to do with the Chiavi?
    I faced Ricardo. “How did you know I was here?”
    “The werehounds tracked your scent from a shirt Katy…excuse me, your nana…gave us.”
    “Can your pack help us save Couve?” Arik asked him.
    “They will, but Gia must go with me.” He noticed the protest forming on my lips. “Merlin said no exceptions. I’m to get you to the shelter.”
    From the corridor came yells, scuffles, and the continual wail of the warning siren.
    “I can’t go with you,” I said. “I have to fight with them.”
    “She can’t fight with us,” Lei said, glancing at the door. “She almost killed Kale.”
    I turned to Sinead. “You know what I can do.”
    Sinead gave me a pity smile. “Yes, but you have no control over it. Let Ricardo take you to your father and friends.”
    I thought of Kale lying motionless, near death, and I hated that she was right. As much as I wanted to stay, I might be more hindrance than help. I caved. “Okay,” I said, defeated. Lei flew out of the room with the Laniars on her heels.
    Sinead hugged me, then rushed after them. Arik moved over to me and cupped my face gently in his hands. His eyes held the intensity that always drew me to him.
    I swallowed my breath in anticipation. All the sounds around us went silent.
    He bent and lightly brushed my lips with a kiss. His lips were soft and oh, so tender. Butterflies swooped and curled inside me, and it felt like the ground disappeared from beneath my feet. He pulled back a little and said, “Regardless of the fact that you’re a royal pain in the arse, I fancy you. Listen to Ricardo and don’t do anything rash.”
    He gave me another kiss and rushed out the door. My heart twisted in my chest as he disappeared. I touched my mouth and exhaled. He liked me. It was against the laws, but he told me he fancied me. Maybe we had no future, but we had now.
    “What a sweet display,” Ricardo said, dragging me out of my haze. “I’m not one for rules or laws, but I’d be careful there. The punishment would be much worse for him than you.”
    “Why?” I stared at the door as if I’d see Arik there.
    “He’s a leader. He knows better.” Ricardo headed to the window. “Are you ready to fly?”
    “Did you say fly?”

I've been eagerly awaiting THIEF OF LIES ever since I first heard about it at the Raincoast Teens Read Winter + Spring Preview! It reminded me of The Pagemaster and I just love the idea of being able to travel through libraries!!! So neat...and after that excerpt, it sounds even better now! 

 So, what do you think?

 Is THIEF OF LIES going on your to-read list?