Author: Brenda Drake

BOOK REVIEW – Assassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3) by Brenda Drake

BOOK REVIEW – Assassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3) by Brenda DrakeAssassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3)
by Brenda Drake
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The gateways linking the great libraries of the world don’t require a library card, but they do harbor incredible dangers.

And it’s not your normal bump-in-the- night kind. The threats Gia Kearns faces are the kind with sharp teeth and knifelike claws. The kind that include an evil wizard hell-bent on taking her down.

Gia can end his devious plan, but only if she recovers seven keys hidden throughout the world’s most beautiful libraries. And then figures out exactly what to do with them.

The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of falling in love. But when an impossible evil is unleashed, love might be the only thing left to help Gia save the world.

Review:

Assassin of Truth was fast paced, action packed, and a fabulous conclusion to the Library Jumpers trilogy!  And in this final review, I wanted to talk about the characters that affected me the most, which were Bastien, Gia and even Arik. But before I start, I have to recommend that you read this final book close to the previous books.  There’s a ton of people, locations, facts and clues that were sprinkled throughout the first two books and visited again in Assassin of Truth.  So if it isn’t fresh in your mind, you could get confused.  Okay, now on with the characters!  And of course I’m going to talk about Bastien first!

Before I went inside, Bastien caught my hand and kissed my temple. “Stay strong, Gianna.” It was the first time I saw fear in his striking blue eyes. We’d been through scarier things than this, and he had never flinched. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.
“We’ve got this,” I said, holding his stare.

Bastien

I won’t let you face the storm without me. If you fall, I fall. – Bastien to Gia

Sigh.  Bastien was EVERYTHING.  In case you missed me gushing about him in the first two books, here I go again lol.  I loved that Bastien loved Gia fiercely and would do anything to protect her, no matter the cost.  And while he showed his devotion in the second book, with his sacrifice, he does it again in this book. How could I not fall harder for him?  But that’s not all, I loved that not only is Bastien thoughtful and sexy, but he treats Gia as an equal.  He stands right by her side and he respects her.  Bastien was everything I could ever want in a book boyfriend and I found myself loving every single thing there was about him.

Gia

More heads bowed as I passed.
That last word sounded like
salvation. I was just a girl. How could I be that for them? This was too big for me.

Gia had such a tough road ahead of her.  She had so much growing up to do while having the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Yet she preserved again and again.  Did she make mistakes along the way?  Oh yeah.  But that’s one of the many reasons I loved her.  She wasn’t perfect and she had still so much learn.  Especially when it came to relationships.  And while I wanted to knock some sense into her, the few times she butted heads with Bastien, I knew better.  Because here’s the HUGE thing about Gia.  She always comes to her senses.  Even if it took a while for her to assess and analyze everything.  And I absolutely loved that about her!  But the thing I loved most about her, was even though she was 17, she tried her hardest to be true to who she was and protect those that she loved.  Looking back, I’m SO extremely proud of how far she has come since Thief of Lies.

Arik

“Gia.” He grabbed my hands, squeezing them tight around the cold bars. “Come with me. You don’t belong in the middle of this.”
“I was born to be in the middle of this,” I said.- Gia & Arik

Oh Arik.  Him and I never really meshed.  I never once believed that he was the right guy for Gia.  And this book solidified that opinion.  We watched as Arik struggled hard in this book.  His choices failed him.  His blind loyalty failed him.  He didn’t trust or have faith in Gia.  And he never seemed to grasp when his actions or words hurt her.  He had so much learning and growing up to do.  And I loved watching him struggle and find his way in Assassin of Truth.  I want to say more, but just know that I’m very thankful for how his story wrapped up.

He kissed me deeply, as if it would be the last chance we’d ever have. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting desperately to keep him there with me. Tears slipped from my eyes. – Bastien & Gia

But Assassin of Truth encompassed so much more than Bastien, Gia and Arik.  There was Emily, Demos, Lei, Jaran, Royston, Deirdre, The Red, Nick, Edgar who was Philip’s guard, Uncle Philip and so many more.  And they each added so much to this beautiful story.  I cherished each and every one of them.  My only hiccup I had with this book was that there were a lot of places and names to remember.  And sometimes I got confused or couldn’t place them, even though I knew we had already met them or been there in the past.  But regardless, this story was so much fun and I loved all of the magic found in the pages!  The ending was beyond fabulous and if there’s ever a future novella showing what everyone is up to, I couldn’t pre-order it fast enough!

*ARC kindly provided by Entangled Publishing:Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
thief of lies brenda drake
Thief of Lies #1
Review:

Jen
guardian-of-secrets-brenda-drake
Guardian of Secrets #2
Review:

Jen

Assassin of Truths #3
Reviews:

Jen

BOOK REVIEW – Thunderstruck by Brenda Drake

BOOK REVIEW – Thunderstruck by Brenda DrakeThunderstruck by Brenda Drake
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Stevie Moon is famous...at least to the subscribers on her comic review vlog. At school, she’s as plain as the gray painted walls in the cafeteria. So when Blake, the hot new guy at school, shows an interest in her, she knows trouble when she sees it. Been there. And never doing it again.

As the son of the god Thor, Blake Foster's been given an important mission—to recover the Norse god Heimdall’s sacred and powerful horn before someone uses it to herald in the destruction of the entire universe. But while Blake is great in a fight, the battlefield that is a high school’s social scene is another matter.

Blake knows his only choice is to team up with the adorable Stevie, but she's not willing to give him even the time of day. He'll need to woo the girl and find the horn if he hopes to win this war. Who better to tackle Stevie's defenses than the demi-god of thunder?

Review:

Thunderstruck was such a cute story.  It revolved around Norse Mythology and the pages were filled with friendship, drama, first love and some mystery.  I quickly read it in two sittings and I found myself smiling a lot.  While it had a younger vibe and a few adorable yet cheesy moments, I enjoyed Thunderstruck and it’s characters!

He wanted to get lost in her. Forget he was from another world. A world where she could never go. A world he no longer wanted to return to without her.

Blake, the son of Thor, was my favorite out of all of the characters.  He was to recover a horn, and bring it back home.  But Blake found himself distracted by Stevie, a girl who goes to the same school as him.  And while I thought the son of a god would be charming and charismatic, it didn’t always work out that way lol.  He was soooooooo out of his element on Earth.   He was awkward at times, used too proper of English, and he didn’t understand slang (the Netflix comment was my fave rofl!). There were moments that I was laughing yet also cringing for him.  But thankfully Stevie was able to see past all of that, just like I was able to.

He just didn’t seem like he belonged on this planet, which was a weird thing to think, but it kept playing in her head.
Really, Stevie. You’re not living in a comic.

Stevie was an adorable girl who had a vlog and loved cosplay.  And I assumed her and Blake would easily end up together, that’s not exactly how it went down.  It all became convoluted when Blake wasn’t sure who had the horn.  And because of that, he ended up hanging around another girl a lot.  Her name was Grace, and I was not a fan.  So a love triangle formed.  And there was definitely a lot of drama.  I’m one of those that loves drama (I use to watch soaps back in the day), so I was a happy girl.

Kyle was leaning against his passenger side door. “Now, wasn’t that sweet? Kill a troll, hack up its body and dump it in the bay, then kiss a cute girl. All in one night.”
“What do you want, now?” Blake rounded the hood to the driver’s side. “Don’t you have someone else you can bother?”

Another character that helped cause a lot of drama was Kyle.  He was Blake’s brother and in the beginning I wasn’t too sure where his loyalty resided.  I kept getting annoyed at myself because Kyle came across as someone who I shouldn’t necessarily like.  Yet I did.  He was the annoying brother who would never go away.  Heaven help me for liking him lol.

“Why me?” Her words were as silent as a feather falling from a dove. When she looked back up the moonlight touched her face, her cheeks flushed and her dark eyes glistened with tears held back. And he didn’t care that he told her his feelings, because they made her look like that— beautiful.

Now underneath it all, was Norse Mythology.  And maybe this is more my issue than anyone else’s, but I’m clueless about Norse Mythology.  So when a character’s name would appear, I didn’t understand who they were.  It’d say if they were related, but I would have loved to have a little bit of a backstory on who was who.  Thankfully I was reading on my kindle, so I would highlight the name and read more about them on the Wikipedia pop-up box.  But I do wish some of that info was within the actual story so I’d know who we were meeting or who they were dressing up as.

This time he turned his back. Because he would do anything to save her, even betray her.

The creatures, characters, mystery, and action made this book such a quick, fun read!  I was completely entertained, and the story went by too fast.  I’m always bummed when I devour a story too quickly.  Ohhh one more thing before I go, while it’s a YA book, I felt like it would be a great step for those ready to leave MG and step into YA.  

PS This is SO random but Trevon (Stevie’s best friend’s boyfriend) reminded me so much of Murray, Dionne’s boyfriend, from Clueless for some reason.  So I was always smiling when he was gracing the pages.

*ARC kindly provided by Entangled:Crave via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) by Brenda Drake

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY - Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) by Brenda Drake

I’m beyond ecstatic to be on this tour because spoiler alert – I LOVED this book! Guardians of Secrets was magical, fun and had my emotions all over the place. So check out my 5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy!

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) by Brenda DrakeGuardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2)
by Brenda Drake
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Being a Sentinel isn't all fairytales and secret gardens.

Sure, jumping through books into the world's most beautiful libraries to protect humans from mystical creatures is awesome. No one knows that better than Gia Kearns, but she could do without the part where people are always trying to kill her. Oh, and the fact that Pop and her had to move away from her friends and life as she knew it.

And if that isn't enough, her boyfriend, Arik, is acting strangely. Like, maybe she should be calling him "ex," since he's so into another girl. But she doesn't have time to be mad or even jealous, because someone has to save the world from the upcoming apocalypse, and it looks like that's going to be Gia.

Maybe. If she survives.

Review:

Guardian of Secrets was filled to the brim with magic and fun!  This is the second book in the series, and I was easily transported back into their world right from the start.  The pages were filled with friendship, laughter, tears, betrayal, love and trust.  And I happily found myself addicted, since the characters continually pulled at my emotions.  I absolutely loved Guardian of Secrets, and I can’t wait to discover the rest of Brenda Drake’s books!

His face went serious. “Gia…”
“What?”
He stepped closer to me, lifted my chin toward his lips, and kissed me.

The story starts off right where Thief of Lies ended.  Gia, Nick and the Sentinels have gone into hiding in the human world.  They attend school, and I found myself completely absorbed in the drama that unfolded.  On top of school, they were still training, and Gia and Nick were tracking down the remaining Chiave, which are the keys to the Tetrad.  I can’t say too much more about the plotline, without huge spoilers, but know that I loved how the storyline evolved.

If someone’s soul could die, mine was withering with each painful step.

Speaking of evolving,  I’m happy to say that Gia has grown up and matured.  Her immaturity in Thief of Lies bothered me, but I’m so impressed with her now!  What I loved about her most still held true, she continued to stand strong, to not back down, and she tried to do what was right again and again.  And while she could still be rash and impatient at times, I expected it since many people she loved were in harms way.  So Gia rightfully earned my love and respect!

I felt safe with Bastien around. Cared for in a way I hadn’t been before, even with Arik. I might not want to admit it, but I’d felt that way since the day I’d met him.

Arik also earned my love and respect, and well, that just made me want to cry.  I know that sounds weird, but he’s not the one I want to ultimately end up with Gia.  I wanted to remain ambiguous towards him, so I wouldn’t feel bad if and when he wasn’t chosen.  You see there’s a love triangle that is done fabulously in this series!  On one side is Arik, a Sentinel like Gia.  Their love is forbidden but Gia is a little obsessed with him and vice versa.  At the start of this book they’re together, but another girl keeps coming into the picture which made me ecstatic.  Because on the other side of the love triangle is Bastien, a Wizard, who Gia was betrothed to as a child.  

“…..There’s nothing more attractive than a girl who can decapitate a beast.”
I laughed. “So you like the violent type.”
He quirked a mischievous grin. “There’s nothing better.” – Bastien & Gia

From the first moment Bastien appeared, I fell head over heels in love with him.  He knows what he wants in life and will do anything to get it, which is so sexy!  Not only was he loving, caring and let Gia have her independence, but what he sacrificed for Gia *clutches heart*.  I desperately want to talk about that but won’t because of spoilers.  But that event brought about his protective side.  And even better than Bastien being protective was his jealous side.  So hot, he was so unbelievably hot!  So in case it isn’t obvious, I desperately and wholeheartedly love Bastien!

“I have desires, and need a wife.” – Royston

There was a whole list of characters that I loved.  Especially Lei, Faith and Dierdre!  It was so refreshing seeing strong woman support one another and continually raise each other up!  I loved it!  But another character stood out loud and clear and his name was Royston.  He became a quick favorite!  Royston spoke those words in the above quote but here’s the thing, I can’t tell you who or what he is, or even how he fits into the story, but know that I felt guilty for even liking him.  Especially since he was so blunt and had no filters at times.  But he entertained me, and I hope that some of my guesses pan out for how his story will proceed!

Before he could swing it, I aimed my sword and threw it like a javelin. The blade flew through the air and punctured the upper left side of his back, making a sickening tearing sound as it broke through his flesh.

So Guardian of Secrets was such a huge win for me!  I laughed, I fell in love, I sobbed and I closed the book with the hugest smile on my face!  I loved that yet again the story continually built, and that we started to see more sides to the huge picture that is unfolding.  And while I guessed how a few things would play out, I was happily surprised and even shocked with a few of the twists!  So I can’t wait for the final book, because this series continues to get better and better!

*ARC kindly provided by Entangled Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
thief of lies brenda drake
Thief of Lies #1
Review:

Jen
guardian-of-secrets-brenda-drake
Guardian of Secrets #2
Review:

Jen

Assassin of Truths #3
Reviews:

Jen
Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Brenda Drake:

Brenda DrakeBrenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1), Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2), Touching Fate (Fated Series #1), and Cursing Fate (Fated Series #2). She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. She hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter pitch parties on the hashtag, #PitMad. 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).

WebsiteTwitterFacebookInstagramGoodreads

 

Tour Schedule:

You can check out the rest of the tour here.

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BOOK REVIEW – Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake

BOOK REVIEW – Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda DrakeThief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1)
by Brenda Drake
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

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 Parislibrary, 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.

Review:

***Updated Review After Re-Read***

Thief of Lies was addicting and completely entertaining.  And I’m so glad that I re-read this book!  You see, the first time I picked this up, I struggled connecting to the characters.  The story was so much fun, but I never felt as though I was fully immersed until Bastien appeared on the pages, and well I’ll talk more about him later.   But this time around, it all clicked into place.  I was so happy because Thief of Lies was an adorable story filled with adventure and magic!  And I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds!

Time crept by as I waited for Bastien, and I closed my eyes.  But the nightmare of where I was and who I didn’t know I was, strangled my breath.  Gia Kearns didn’t exist anymore.  She’d been lost somewhere on that first day when the gateway book ripped her from her world, dumping her in a dark hole.  A fog surrounded me.

But to start, can you imagine what it would be like to jump from library to beautiful library?  Well Gia and her friends accidentally jumped through a book and landed in a library in Europe.  Yet it’s not all ahhh this library is breathtakingly gorgeous and I’m going to sit here and read some fabulous books.  They become witness to the Sentinels, who protect the libraries with magic, kill a demonic hound that almost took out Gia, our heroine.  Within the group of magical knights that saved them was Arik.

“Did you just check out my boobs?” I whispered. Please say yes.
“No.” He smirked. “Okay, yes. I am a guy.”
That you are.
I yanked the covers up to my chin and suppressed a smile.

At first, Arik was everything I adore.  Sexy, secretive, protective and with a wounded past.  He had so much potential!  Yet I had a love hate relationship with him.  Luckily, this time around I got why he was being standoffish and cold to Gia.  But at other times, he could be so sweet and charming.  Yet, I never felt any electricity between Gia and Arik.  Their moments together didn’t leave me all smiley and giddy, so I truly don’t feel like he’s the right guy for Gia.  Especially when he said things like the quote above.  So I nicely stepped off Team Arik.

I gulped down my fear, drew my sword from its scabbard , and kept it close to my side.

Gia had a lot on her plate, and she tried her best adapt while leaving her old life temporarily behind (I can’t say why, but you learn the why early on in the book).  Yet it took me a while to warm up to Gia.  At times, she got caught up in being jealous and boy obsessed.  It came across as immature, and I wanted her to work harder on finding herself. But as I watched her deal with her new world and a new set of people/creatures I loved her resilience.  Even though she kept getting thrown into situations that were way above her head, I loved how she reacted realistically while she also jumped right in to help others.  Gia is someone who showed huge possibilities for growth, and I can’t wait to see how much she’ll learn and improve as the series progresses.

“With time, I’ll prove to you we belong together. Go ahead and have your fun with Arik, but it’s my arms you’ll end up in one day.”He kissed my cheek and headed over to the gathering crowd. – Bastian to Gia

I have to talk about Bastien now, or I will burst.  Oh Bastien.  From the first moment that he appeared on the page, I was captivated.  He was a wizard who was confident, sexy and strived to do great things while dealing with a broken heart.  He fascinated me.  And whether it was his sense of knowing himself or knowing what he wanted, he felt so much more grown up than Arik.  The words and manor that Bastien spoke to Gia always left the hugest smile on my face.  He was respectful, caring and I loved that he seemed in control.  So I truly hope Gia sees what I see and comes around.  Please oh please don’t end up with Aric by the end of this series and break my heart.

“I take it you’re not used to rejection,” I said.
He lifted a smile. “I’ll admit it’s a rare occurrence.”
Arik took a step toward us. “All right, we’re finished here.”
Bastien stood and leaned over to my ear. “You not wanting nobility intrigues me.  I’m curious to learn more about you, Gianna.” His whisper tickled my neck and sent a shiver down my back.  I held my breath, every inch of my body at attention.  He straightened, gave me a wink, and swaggered to the door with Arik on his heels.

Besides Bastian, Gia and Arik, we’re introduced to a lot of characters who range from witches, wizards, sentinels, fae etc.  On top of that, we learn about many different places and kinds of magic.  But I never once felt overwhelmed or lost.  We’re slowly introduced with little bits of info here and there, except for a few info dumps that  were relatively quick.  So it was easy to take it all in.  And ironically, I thought the story was somewhat simplistic a few chapters in, but I couldn’t be more wrong.  It continually grew and become more elaborate and layered as each chapter went by.  Especially when I started to discover clues and meet people err creatures? who were bent on not only revenge, but also ruling their world and the humans world too.  It was so entertaining!  So I can’t wait to see how the story proceeds, and here’s hoping you’ll join me and be on Team Bastien!

I grabbed a stapler and crouched behind the nearest cabinet. Nick and Afton ducked down beside me. I pulled the leg down on the stapler, held it up, and readied it to shoot.
“Yeah, that’ll work,” Nick said.

PS I have to give a shout out to her best friend Nick who could be grumpy at times, but I adored him.  And Afton, her other best friend, was this lovable girl who warmed me heart!  Ohhhh and Lei, she’s a Sentinel that is funny, sweet and kick ass.  I can’t wait for you to meet all of them!

PPS I finished Guardian of Secrets (the 2nd book in the series) last night and LOVED!  It’s 4.5 Stars and this series just gets better and better!  My review will be posted on February 6th with the Blog Tour. ♥

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
thief of lies brenda drake
Thief of Lies #1
Review:

Jen
guardian-of-secrets-brenda-drake
Guardian of Secrets #2
Review:

Jen

Assassin of Truths #3
Reviews:

Jen

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