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

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: EntangledTeen
400 Pages

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.

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This one had all of the makings to be a great book but it feel a little short. Which was sad to me because the premise was so cool and that cover is beautiful.

One day while in the library, Gia watches some hot guy vanish into thin air. Well, actually, into a book. When she accidentally follows him, she's thrust into this world of magic that's more tied to her than she knows. Suddenly her life isn't her own anymore and her coming has been is part of an ancient prophecy and she basically has started the apocalypse. Whew...that's a lot to take in - one would think.

One of my issues with the book was how everyone just fit. Gia finds out she's part of this mystical world and she's cool like a few pages later. Same with her father and her friends and everyone else who comes into contact with Gia. Now, I'm not asking for major freakouts, but I just feel like there would have been more of an adjustment period instead of just blanket acceptance.

Also, this line from the blurb "Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them", yeah that's not true at all. Gia says early on that she's never been interested in boys but give it a few pages and suddenly it's all Arik this and Arik that. Oh and don't forget Bastien. Because yes, this needs to be a love triangle.

There were parts that I did like. The fact that a majority takes place in libraries all over the world was pretty awesome. I mean, they can jump from library to library by the pages in certain books. I would love that power! And once the plot was finally laid out, things started happening. This book really hit it's stride about halfway through when Bastien showed up. Missions happened and secrets were revealed.

While I don't buy the love story here at all, I liked the history and the puzzle that's laid before Gia. With the threat neutralized for the moment, our group gets a minor breather before what seems to be the a powerful evil force heading for them.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Cursing Fate (The Fated #2) by Brenda Drake

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: November 21, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Teen
220 Pages

There’s something strange about the Layne sisters, and Wade Diaz wants nothing to do with them. Especially the one who ripped his heart out and set it on fire before tossing it in the garbage several months ago. Iris. He can’t even think her name without unconsciously rubbing the spot in his chest where she left a gaping hole. But now her sisters are claiming some evil spirit is after his soul, and Iris is the only one who can save him. Well, at least his heart would stop hurting, right? Didn’t sound so bad.

Iris Layne has always been the sweet sister. She’s kind to everyone, including her best friend Wade… Until she makes a horrible mistake and breaks his heart. All she wants is to go back to before ‘the dumping’. Of course, Wade would rather see her in hell first. But then Iris touches her sister’s tarot cards and unleashes an evil curse intent on playing a deadly game where no one Iris loves is safe, especially Wade.

How do you convince someone they need your help when you’re the one who hurt them most?

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The second in The Fated series follows Iris Layne, younger sister to Aster who we met in book one. Some of the Layne sisters have a gift - the gift of changing fates. After seeing her older sister mess with everyone's fate, including her own, Iris wants nothing to do with this magic. However, one accidental brush with a set of tarot cards releases an evil spirit into Iris and she's forced to face the magic that she was running from.

I'm going to be honest, I enjoyed the first book a little more than this one. It felt more whole. Cursing Fate seemed to focus more on the 'woe is me' side. But that didn't mean I didn't enjoy it, because I did. I still really like the idea of the fates and the curse that binds them. What I really liked about this book was we got to see where the curse came from. We meet the first fate changer who set the curse on the Van Buren's and began this legacy within the Layne girls. 

When the spirit takes over Iris it starts to extract revenge on those who the spirit feels have wronged Iris and through the spirit, Iris begins to unwilling change peoples fates. But what's unknown to her it that every time she changes a fate, she moves closer and closer to losing everything. What bothered me was how Iris initially handled this spirit. She kind of operated under the 'if I ignore it it will go away' mantra. I feel like if in a family where you know magic exists, when a spirit starts talking to you, you tell someone. By the time she decides to seek help, the spirit is strong enough to resist her. Well, duh. It was just little things like this that made me frustrated. Did you learn nothing from your sister???

Overall, this is a very interesting and new series. I continue to be interested in what's going to happen. I was happy to see Aster and Reese make an appearance and I hope to see more of them to come. I'm assuming there will be at least one more based on how this one ended. 

I received an e-copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Touching Fate (The Fated #1) by Brenda Drake

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: October 12, 2015
Publisher: Entangled: Crave
236 Pages


One touch is all it takes...

Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn't. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific gift-with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person's fate.

Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday-and Reese's is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death...only to find the one person who can save him.

Aster doesn't know that the hot Dutch guy she's just met needs her help-or that he's about to die.
But worst of all...she doesn't know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.

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Because it seemed he held the algorithmic key to solving the encrypted code locking her heart.

 

There are two different kinds of people: those who believe in fate and those who don't. Aster Layne falls into the later category. She knows her role in life, she has her routine with her friends and family, and most importantly, she doesn't believe in magic. 

Reese Van Bruen not only believes in magic, but is also cursed by it. And not just a tiny curse, one that will kill him on his 18th birthday. Reigned to his fate, he's chosen to live out life the way that he wants to: traveling and having fun. He doesn't buy into the family belief that there's someone out there who holds the cure. That is until he meets Aster and discovers that she's a fate changer. Unfortunately Aster doesn't know this and Reese decides to "help" Aster discover her gift in order to save his life. What Reese doesn't know is that if Aster changes his fate, someone else's will also be changed.

Boy meets girl. Boy wants girl to save his life. Boy falls in love with girl. Pretty sure that you can see where this is going. 

I enjoyed this one. It was definitely a new topic for me to read about. The whole idea of fate changing is an interesting new side of magic and the author mixes it with elements that we are already familiar with, mostly tarot cards. I also liked how the author portrayed Aster's confusion about her growing power and the difference between right and wrong. Playing with people's lives is not something that should be taken lightly and when Aster realizes what her fate changing can do, she begins to question the morality of what she's doing. 

Magic, sexy European accents, fun locales...this was a good start to a series that I will hopefully be continuing. 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Touching Fate (The Fated #1) by Brenda Drake

I am super excited to have Brenda Drake on the release day of her first book,  Touching Fate (The Fated #1)! And even better, she's providing an awesome giveaway to one lucky reader!

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: October 12, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.

Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese’s is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death…only to find the one person who can save him.

Aster doesn’t know that the hot Dutch guy she’s just met needs her help–or that he’s about to die.

But worst of all…she doesn’t know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.

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Brenda was nice enough to offer up a Touching Fate swag bag to one lucky reader. US residents only please! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I have found that music plays an important part in most author's writing process. I asked Brenda if she could share some of the music that inspired her along the way. Take it away, Brenda!

Inspiration for stories come in all sorts of forms. To get into a story, I need visuals (see Touching Fate Pinterest Board) and music to set the mood. Touching Fate is one of the first releases for Entangled Crave, a teen category romance. The romance is central in the book with a touch of the paranormal. The playlist for Touching Fate starts out with lively songs, then transgresses to more mellow tunes following Aster’s and Reese’s journey. And here is their story in songs…

1. Believer by American Authors – This song makes me think of Reese. He’s a little scared and feels his demons chasing him, but he still believes he’ll find a fate changer that can remove his curse. The fun upbeat sound also goes well with the Ocean City boardwalk setting in the open pages.

2. Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift with Ed Sheeran – This song is after Aster and Reese meet and they are attracted to each other. They were fated to meet. And they both just want to get to know each other better. Although, Reese has ulterior motives, he finds his feeling for Aster growing.

3. You and Me by Lifehouse – This one plays to Reese’s feelings. He has a clock ticking and needs saving. He has nothing to lose. He can’t stop thinking about Aster. And Aster can’t stop thinking about him.

4. One More by Joshua Radin – In this song, Reese feels his curse and wants one last chance at life.

5. The Sound of Silence/Hey You mix by Face Vocal Band –This song speaks so perfectly to Reese’s final hours and the realization that he will die. The vocals in this song are haunting and desperate just like Reese’s inner struggles and his soul calling for help.

6. You’re the First, the Last, My Everything by Joshua Radin – I’m not going to giveaway any spoilers but this song probably will. I love it and who doesn’t want a love that is everything? And obviously, I love Joshua Radin’s songs.
   

Touching Fate Youtube Playlist:

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Joshua Radin, Ed Sheeran...some of my favorites right there. I want to thank Brenda Drake for joining me today and offering up some of her favorite tunes and swag! Be sure to check out Touching Fate (The Fated #1) and come back later this week when I will be posting my review for this lovely book! Cheers!