Review: City of Lies by Lian Tanner

Posted 27 July, 2012 by Pushy in Blog, Pushy, Pushy Book Review / 10 Comments

City of Lies by Lian TannerCity of Lies

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publication: September 27th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Audiobook borrowed from library
Get your own: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
synopsis from Goodreads
Rating:

Goldie Roth is a trained thief and a skilled liar. Along with her friend Toadspit, she’s supposed to be one of the Keepers of the mysterious Museum of Dunt. But although she desperately wants to be a Keeper, she will not leave her sick parents to do so.

But when Toadspit’s sister Bonnie is stolen, he and Goldie are forced to follow the child-stealers to the neighboring city of Spoke. Along the way, Toadspit too is captured, and Goldie is caught up in the Festival of Lies, where every word she says means something else and no one can be trusted. There, Goldie discovers some dangerous secrets—secrets that the child-stealers will kill to protect. She will need all her skills as a thief and a liar if she is to survive and save her friends.

Amazing world building and artful character building return with Lian Tanner’s second book in the Keeper’s trilogy!

Different Kinds of Oppression

In book 2 of this series, we find ourselves back in Jewel, mere weeks after the end of Museum of Thieves.  As in the first book, we start off from Goldie’s perspective and again we see her in a sad state of affairs.  This time she’s caring for her parents who are still ravaged mentally and physically from their time in the house of corrections.  She’s doing her best for them, but their fear and inability to cope with adversity has forced her to become more and more separated from the museum and her surrogate family there.
Goldie, Toadspit and his sister, Bonnie, are on their way to the museum when they’re swept into their latest dangerous adventure: kidnapped, stolen away to the strange, neighboring city of Spoke, right in time for the Festival of Lies.  Goldie again finds herself in unfamiliar territory, with fearsome responsibilities and quite a lot to learn.

Political Intrigue for Kids

City of Lies continues the political thriller aspect of the Keeper trilogy, which is absolutely fascinating when you think that it’s a MG Fantasy!  The plot lines are tight, drawing the reader from one series of events to the next, nearly breathless as we wonder not only about Goldie and her quest to save her friends, but also to find out who’s pulling the strings and what their ultimate goal is.  What interested me most when I realized how much this story is like many adult fiction stories about the halls of power and the corrupt things that go on there, was how much the political game is one that can truly make sense at a young age.  The impulses are so primal, so basic, that it’s truly just the school yard (or the street full of urchins as is the case in Spoke) writ large.

Transported to Another Land

Once again, I was completely pulled in by the lush, descriptive story telling in the book.  Old characters are back and there are plenty of new ones to fall in love with plus the whole concept of the Festival of Lies, a period of time when one has to lie and if one’s lucky enough, can get caught up in a lie so big it creates a sort of magic world of it’s own, was glorious to explore.

Bewitched Rating

Bottom Line

Lian Tanner lavishes the reader in glorious details, magical prose and adventure both dark and compelling in this amazing follow up to Museum of Thieves.  Pick this series up today!

Get your own Audiobook at audible: City of Lies (unabridged, 5hrs 58 min)

Narrator, Claudia Black, returns to bring this second book to life and she brings her A game!  What a delight to listen to, such an amazing storyteller, with her ability to bring each and every character off the page and into the listener’s ears.  This audiobook was an absolute treasure!  I highly recommend reading this book in this format!

Additional Notes

The third and final book, Path of Beasts, is due out in a mere couple of months and I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!  If you read my review of the first book, Museum of Thieves, you may remember that I mentioned Lian Tanner has a supremely awesome website full of games and goodies, though, to tide you through the wait until the final book comes out this fall.  So definitely check that out.

And before I let you guys go, I’m wondering, has anyone read either Museum of Thieves or City of Lies?  Did you love them?  Hate them?  Are you as ridiculously in love with Sinew as I am?  I *heart* that silly German dude hard!!!  Either way, let me know in the comments!

Now go and get lost…in a book!
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Pushy

Lover of words and authors; absolute fan girl of books! Give me a good story, with characters I can love (and hate) and I'll follow you anywhere. Sing me a song of worlds I can dream of, and I'll listen forever.

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10 Responses to “Review: City of Lies by Lian Tanner”

  3. hrose2931

    Pushy-
    No I haven’t read the Museum of Thieves but I remember your review and how much you loved it. I’m so glad the second book did not disappoint. With the interactive website, I’m going to see if my son 12, will be interested in it. That way I can justify buying more books LOL. I really want this series. I remember you said how great the first one was and I thought that then. He goes through books like I do. I’ll let you know how it goes. I don’t do audiobooks. But I’m glad someone is reviewing MG books on the blog!

    Heather
    hrose2931 recently posted..Dante’s Girl (The Paradise Diaries #1) by Courtney Cole Review Kismet Blog TourMy Profile

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    Pushy 7/30/2012

    I think your son would LOVE these. They’re definitely something that a boy would enjoy! *hugs*
    Pushy recently posted..Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuireMy Profile

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