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Between the Lions #1
Trust
TRUST is a young adult, mythological, urban fantasy thrill ride about the darkly fantastical, supernatural Museion that has secretly protected humanity’s greatest treasures for millennia, and Anna, the sixteen-year-old New York girl who is the unknowing Heir to it all.
Everything begins in Book
"TRUST."
That’s what the voice inside my head kept repeating when I woke up between the infamous lion statues of the New York Public Library, with no idea how I got there and no memory of the last year of my life.
The only person I ever trusted was my mother, who lied about everything.
I want to trust myself, despite my missing memories. But hearing a voice inside my head obviously wasn’t a good thing, especially since it knew things I didn’t… like how to speak Ancient Sumerian, the fact that yellow-eyed people aren’t actually people, and that my mother’s Egyptian ankh necklace was the key to unlocking the truth she hid from
I’m the last in a long lineage of powerful women whose secrets date back to the ancient Library of Alexandria.
Before she disappeared my mother trained me to be an academic centurion. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s a terrible idea to accept protection offers from shape-shifting, Were-assassins that despise you, or that you shouldn't take advice from a mysterious, hot guy with a habit of disappearing right before he tells you exactly what you need to know. You also don’t have to read a lot to know that when a supernatural stairway appears behind your closet door you should immediately run the other way.
Now I’m fighting like hell to stay alive while searching for both my missing mother and the truth, desperate to find something or someone I can trust.
Everything begins in Book
"TRUST."
That’s what the voice inside my head kept repeating when I woke up between the infamous lion statues of the New York Public Library, with no idea how I got there and no memory of the last year of my life.
The only person I ever trusted was my mother, who lied about everything.
I want to trust myself, despite my missing memories. But hearing a voice inside my head obviously wasn’t a good thing, especially since it knew things I didn’t… like how to speak Ancient Sumerian, the fact that yellow-eyed people aren’t actually people, and that my mother’s Egyptian ankh necklace was the key to unlocking the truth she hid from
I’m the last in a long lineage of powerful women whose secrets date back to the ancient Library of Alexandria.
Before she disappeared my mother trained me to be an academic centurion. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s a terrible idea to accept protection offers from shape-shifting, Were-assassins that despise you, or that you shouldn't take advice from a mysterious, hot guy with a habit of disappearing right before he tells you exactly what you need to know. You also don’t have to read a lot to know that when a supernatural stairway appears behind your closet door you should immediately run the other way.
Now I’m fighting like hell to stay alive while searching for both my missing mother and the truth, desperate to find something or someone I can trust.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2015
47 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Baker
2 books9 followersAs a child the only punishment Jodi ever feared was not being allowed her weekly visit to the library.
At boarding school, though an enthusiastic student, her late night reading fests frequently made her late for first period. Luckily, it was a high school for Performing Arts, where the classes she was good at (writing, theatre, dance & visual art) happened in the afternoon. After attending Carnegie Mellon University, she spent several months performing plays on the island of Cyprus, which was where she fell in love with mythology. When she returned to the U.S.A. Jodi lived in New York City. After a summer of working as a tour guide for the Natural History Museum, Jodi developed an addiction for wandering through all of NYC's incredible Museums - especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She also spent many hours sitting between the infamous library lions dreaming up the kinds of books she wanted to create. Now she happily lives in Los Angeles with two Anubis-y looking dogs in a house lined with books instead of wallpaper. Jodi Baker loves writing & reading Young Adult Urban Fantasy Mythological stories tinged with romance. In addition to her young adult BETWEEN LIONS series, Jodi is also working on a middle grade fiction fantasy series.
TRUST is her first book.
At boarding school, though an enthusiastic student, her late night reading fests frequently made her late for first period. Luckily, it was a high school for Performing Arts, where the classes she was good at (writing, theatre, dance & visual art) happened in the afternoon. After attending Carnegie Mellon University, she spent several months performing plays on the island of Cyprus, which was where she fell in love with mythology. When she returned to the U.S.A. Jodi lived in New York City. After a summer of working as a tour guide for the Natural History Museum, Jodi developed an addiction for wandering through all of NYC's incredible Museums - especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She also spent many hours sitting between the infamous library lions dreaming up the kinds of books she wanted to create. Now she happily lives in Los Angeles with two Anubis-y looking dogs in a house lined with books instead of wallpaper. Jodi Baker loves writing & reading Young Adult Urban Fantasy Mythological stories tinged with romance. In addition to her young adult BETWEEN LIONS series, Jodi is also working on a middle grade fiction fantasy series.
TRUST is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 10, 2015
This is a paranormal fantasy based on the library of Alexandria and Egyptian mythology. Our main character, Anna, has a mysterious heritage tied to ancient secrets, but when her mother disappears and Anna inexplicably loses a year from her life (which, by the way, is never explained), Anna is left to try to make sense of her life, while trying to find her mother and avoid getting killed by werebeasts.
It's an interesting premise but, unfortunately, this book is plagued with a teenage protagonist who combines cluelessness and obstinacy in a truly maddening way. Anna also has a voice in her head for most of the book, also never really explained, which gives her very insistent advice, shouted in all caps. Not that Anna follows its advice much. It felt like half the book was Anna arguing either with the voice in her head, or with her mother, or with other characters who are trying to protect her . . . or kill her. Most of the time it's not clear who Anna can trust.
Anna does show some personal growth in the end, but by that time I was just ready to be done with her and this book. The plot was unclear and meandered a little, and the writing kind of muddled, which added to my frustration level. Also, while the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, the overall plot is unresolved and will be continued in the sequel(s).
2.5 stars. I think teen readers might enjoy this book more than I did, and it's a debut novel, so I'm cutting it a little extra slack.
Content advisory: scattered F-bombs.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's an interesting premise but, unfortunately, this book is plagued with a teenage protagonist who combines cluelessness and obstinacy in a truly maddening way. Anna also has a voice in her head for most of the book, also never really explained, which gives her very insistent advice, shouted in all caps. Not that Anna follows its advice much. It felt like half the book was Anna arguing either with the voice in her head, or with her mother, or with other characters who are trying to protect her . . . or kill her. Most of the time it's not clear who Anna can trust.
Anna does show some personal growth in the end, but by that time I was just ready to be done with her and this book. The plot was unclear and meandered a little, and the writing kind of muddled, which added to my frustration level. Also, while the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, the overall plot is unresolved and will be continued in the sequel(s).
2.5 stars. I think teen readers might enjoy this book more than I did, and it's a debut novel, so I'm cutting it a little extra slack.
Content advisory: scattered F-bombs.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2015
Kane Chronicles (R. Riordan) meets M.I. (C.Claire) Sort of.
Anna isbrainwashed raised by her mother, Kalina, homeschooled, and tell all her life in no attract attention and stay 'in the middle' always. But her mother breaks all her rules when get married, and then disappears...
Anna is frantic to find her mother, but the world just didn't make sense. It seems that Kali keep many dangerouslies secrets from Anna.
Many mentions to N.Y. and the Metropolitan Museum.
Very quick reading.
--------------------
El libro me llamó la atención porque nombraba en un inicio a Hipatia de Alejandria, y la Biblioteca de Alejandria.
Es dificil hablar de la trama sin dar grandes spoilers, pero hay muchos elementos sobrenaturales, y al final te quedas con muchas preguntas y dudas.. ¿Y quién será su padre? Nunca es mencionado, para nada.
Anna no es un personaje muy querible, es una adolescente bastante mimada y centrada en si misma, y lo que más me molesta es que nunca le da ninguna oportunidad a Patrick como padrastro y se obsesiona por tener su madre 'para ella sola', esperando que se deshaga de él, y nunca quiere entablar ninguna relación cordial siquiera con su hermanastro, y sin embargo se molesta muchisimo y llama egoista a este último cuando el joven quiere seguir con su vida y no hacerse cargo de una mocosa a su entender mentirosa.
Todo el asunto cuando despierta en las gradas es muy confuso, y cuesta muchisimo meterse en el tema, supongo que siguiendo como se siente ella con lo de su familia y la biblioteca.Y los shapeshifters. Aunque nunca para a hacer preguntas (ni siquiera después de entender que su madre le ha estado mintiendo) y salta a hacer cualquier cosa.
Anna ama los libros y se mencionan muchisimos libros al pasar, además de algo de cultura egipcia y hasta olmeca.
------------
Very -very- annoying iteration of the word TRUST in capital letters. For pages.
It was in Read Now, my thanks to NetGalley.
Anna is
Anna is frantic to find her mother, but the world just didn't make sense. It seems that Kali keep many dangerous
Many mentions to N.Y. and the Metropolitan Museum.
Very quick reading.
--------------------
El libro me llamó la atención porque nombraba en un inicio a Hipatia de Alejandria, y la Biblioteca de Alejandria.
Es dificil hablar de la trama sin dar grandes spoilers, pero hay muchos elementos sobrenaturales, y al final te quedas con muchas preguntas y dudas.. ¿Y quién será su padre? Nunca es mencionado, para nada.
Anna no es un personaje muy querible, es una adolescente bastante mimada y centrada en si misma, y lo que más me molesta es que nunca le da ninguna oportunidad a Patrick como padrastro y se obsesiona por tener su madre 'para ella sola', esperando que se deshaga de él, y nunca quiere entablar ninguna relación cordial siquiera con su hermanastro, y sin embargo se molesta muchisimo y llama egoista a este último cuando el joven quiere seguir con su vida y no hacerse cargo de una mocosa a su entender mentirosa.
Todo el asunto cuando despierta en las gradas es muy confuso, y cuesta muchisimo meterse en el tema, supongo que siguiendo como se siente ella con lo de su familia y la biblioteca.
Anna ama los libros y se mencionan muchisimos libros al pasar, además de algo de cultura egipcia y hasta olmeca.
------------
Very -very- annoying iteration of the word TRUST in capital letters. For pages.
It was in Read Now, my thanks to NetGalley.
July 28, 2015
3.5 stars
I liked the idea behind this book. It was strong with Egyptian mythology (which is one of my favorites) and the author did a fantastic job of building up suspense and the world. I didn't understand why the heroine was so caustic to all the adults, and I do hope the romance is amped up in the second book. Overall a good solid debut novel that has me wanting the sequel.
I liked the idea behind this book. It was strong with Egyptian mythology (which is one of my favorites) and the author did a fantastic job of building up suspense and the world. I didn't understand why the heroine was so caustic to all the adults, and I do hope the romance is amped up in the second book. Overall a good solid debut novel that has me wanting the sequel.
March 9, 2015
Well, as far as first books go, this one wasn't so bad. It definitely held my interest and it didn't feel like I was reading another rewrite of one of the popular genre's to write these days. But! The romance felt like it was just thrown in at the end - like Baker felt like she HAD to get it in there before book 2. You knew as soon as Cax got on the scene who he probably was and that they were probably going to be paired together, but... it jumped into a romantic relationship a lot faster than I anticipated and it felt very forced. Furthermore, there were a LOT of things in the book that I just didn't understand - Inanna being the biggest one. The . I still don't understand the purpose of the Librarians or any of the other characters, or why her mother did anything that she did, especially . There was a lot that I didn't understand that I'm hoping will be cleared up in book 2.
June 18, 2015
4 & 1/2 Stars
I received a free ebook copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I made no guarantee of a favorable review.
If you love reading about Egyptian deities and stories about the Alexandria library then this book is for you. If you enjoy reading about shape shifters then this book is also for you.
Anna doesn't go to school nor has any friends. The only person in her life is her mother Kali who teaches Anna about history, languages, and art among other subjects. Then Kali meets Patrick and his son Clayton but a happily ever after is not meant to be and in the blink of an eye a devastating occurrence changes everything and thrusts Anna into a world she never knew existed where she meets her grandmother, Cax and the guardians. Yes, there are grammatical errors throughout the book but it is still an amazing read. The author weaved a magical web with beautiful characters and vivid imagery and I am eagerly anticipating book two.
I will end this review with one of my favorite quotes in this book; "The day will come when their descendants will weep for what was done here."
I received a free ebook copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I made no guarantee of a favorable review.
If you love reading about Egyptian deities and stories about the Alexandria library then this book is for you. If you enjoy reading about shape shifters then this book is also for you.
Anna doesn't go to school nor has any friends. The only person in her life is her mother Kali who teaches Anna about history, languages, and art among other subjects. Then Kali meets Patrick and his son Clayton but a happily ever after is not meant to be and in the blink of an eye a devastating occurrence changes everything and thrusts Anna into a world she never knew existed where she meets her grandmother, Cax and the guardians. Yes, there are grammatical errors throughout the book but it is still an amazing read. The author weaved a magical web with beautiful characters and vivid imagery and I am eagerly anticipating book two.
I will end this review with one of my favorite quotes in this book; "The day will come when their descendants will weep for what was done here."
June 21, 2018
Trust by Jodi Baker is the start of something big. Baker begins with a gripping prologue that draws the reader in and sets the tone and pacing for the rest … or the beginning of what I’m predicting as an epic journey. We’re introduced to Anna and her mother, Kalista and things seem fairly normal and get even more normal when Patrick and Clayton come into the mix. But that’s as far as it goes. About ten percent into the novel, we’re thrown into a somewhat different world, and seeing this through Anna’s eyes, or should I say discovering it, is one of the things that makes this piece of the puzzle special.
Anna doesn’t know what’s going on and with a little help from the big voice inside her head, INANNA, we have the pleasure of figuring it all out together. Baker does a good job with character development (with action and dialogue) throughout, making the characters different enough from each other, never confusing the reader as to who’s talking. She also makes them interesting and colorful enough that you’ll want to follow them throughout this fantastical mystery.
The author does a great job with world-building and backstory as the novel progresses on a need-to-know basis which keeps the narrative moving forward, never bogging it down. Whether Baker is describing ferocious were-creatures and their attacks or the mesmerizing Museion of another world the imagery she uses transports the reader inside the pages of the world she’s created. It’s a race from start to finish and the evolution of Anna from submissive teen to determined heroine is both satisfying and provocative as we long to see more of her and experience more of this story as it unfolds. I’m looking forward to [the] Truth.
Anna doesn’t know what’s going on and with a little help from the big voice inside her head, INANNA, we have the pleasure of figuring it all out together. Baker does a good job with character development (with action and dialogue) throughout, making the characters different enough from each other, never confusing the reader as to who’s talking. She also makes them interesting and colorful enough that you’ll want to follow them throughout this fantastical mystery.
The author does a great job with world-building and backstory as the novel progresses on a need-to-know basis which keeps the narrative moving forward, never bogging it down. Whether Baker is describing ferocious were-creatures and their attacks or the mesmerizing Museion of another world the imagery she uses transports the reader inside the pages of the world she’s created. It’s a race from start to finish and the evolution of Anna from submissive teen to determined heroine is both satisfying and provocative as we long to see more of her and experience more of this story as it unfolds. I’m looking forward to [the] Truth.
October 31, 2017
Full explanation to come.
DNF'd @ 30% / page 89
•had a great premise
•hopes for interesting characters
•hoping for Rick Riordan vibes
•tried to start and restart multiple times (4?) ...Thought it was just because I wasn't in the mood...
•annoying characters
•annoying dialogue style
•vague in a bad way
•annoying "world building"?
•not my cup of tea
•someone else will like it
•frequent rambles
•character often gets off subject really quickly
•page 85 2/3 page ramble did it for me 😪
~~~~~~
After emailing the PR agent to mention that I DNF'd "Trust" she continued to argue via email with me for the rest of the day and eventually just flat out told me to remove my 1 star/DNF review. Hell no, bro. My review policy is very specific and I reserve the right to post my honest review! If I don't like the book, then I don't like the book. It has absolutely nothing to do with the author or the publishing house.
My Review Policy: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
~~~~~~
Full Review Here: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
I was sent Trust quite a while ago, but because of school, book slumps, and failed attempts at even starting. I haven't had the chance, lately, to just sit down and power through it. I was sent this book after helping the author promote the release of her book through a giveaway and guest post. She and her agent sent me a book a few weeks after the giveaway. I this book really intrigued me. I love mythology and I love the mystery behind the library of Alexandria, but this book just was not for me.
Trust follows a sixteen-year-old girl, Anna as her life is turned upside down through paranormal and supernatural events after her mother goes missing. Anna begins to hear a mysterious voice in her head ...who can speak ancient Sumarian and knows about her ancient bloodline. As Anna continues to discover more and more about her family, she begins to doubt that she can trust anyone she comes across.
This book has a great premise, however, I did not like it much at all. I read the first 30% of the book, but I really just could not get into the book. I usually give a book about 40-50 pages before I DNF it, but I really was hoping for Trust to pick back up. I have tried to start this book three or four times, but I didn't get into it. I thought it was just a timing issue, but I really do not think that is the case. This book just was not for me.
As I started this book and got a decent chunk read, I realized that I really did not like how the characters were established. I didn't like their personalities and I just didn't care about what was happening to them. Not to mention, I really did not care for Baker's writing style.The way she wrote the dialogue to any scene, the constant rambles, the random monologues. It just wasn't interesting to me and I just found all of the characters to be annoying. Everything was described vaguely and even moments that I figured would have more substance to them lacked everything I would hope for.
This book was just not for me. I think that this book could be marketed for the middle grade genre. The writing style lacked the depth of what I would expect from a young adult novel. I expected something with some Percy Jackson vibes, but...no.
DNF'd @ 30% / page 89
•had a great premise
•hopes for interesting characters
•hoping for Rick Riordan vibes
•tried to start and restart multiple times (4?) ...Thought it was just because I wasn't in the mood...
•annoying characters
•annoying dialogue style
•vague in a bad way
•annoying "world building"?
•not my cup of tea
•someone else will like it
•frequent rambles
•character often gets off subject really quickly
•page 85 2/3 page ramble did it for me 😪
~~~~~~
After emailing the PR agent to mention that I DNF'd "Trust" she continued to argue via email with me for the rest of the day and eventually just flat out told me to remove my 1 star/DNF review. Hell no, bro. My review policy is very specific and I reserve the right to post my honest review! If I don't like the book, then I don't like the book. It has absolutely nothing to do with the author or the publishing house.
My Review Policy: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
~~~~~~
Full Review Here: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
I was sent Trust quite a while ago, but because of school, book slumps, and failed attempts at even starting. I haven't had the chance, lately, to just sit down and power through it. I was sent this book after helping the author promote the release of her book through a giveaway and guest post. She and her agent sent me a book a few weeks after the giveaway. I this book really intrigued me. I love mythology and I love the mystery behind the library of Alexandria, but this book just was not for me.
Trust follows a sixteen-year-old girl, Anna as her life is turned upside down through paranormal and supernatural events after her mother goes missing. Anna begins to hear a mysterious voice in her head ...who can speak ancient Sumarian and knows about her ancient bloodline. As Anna continues to discover more and more about her family, she begins to doubt that she can trust anyone she comes across.
This book has a great premise, however, I did not like it much at all. I read the first 30% of the book, but I really just could not get into the book. I usually give a book about 40-50 pages before I DNF it, but I really was hoping for Trust to pick back up. I have tried to start this book three or four times, but I didn't get into it. I thought it was just a timing issue, but I really do not think that is the case. This book just was not for me.
As I started this book and got a decent chunk read, I realized that I really did not like how the characters were established. I didn't like their personalities and I just didn't care about what was happening to them. Not to mention, I really did not care for Baker's writing style.The way she wrote the dialogue to any scene, the constant rambles, the random monologues. It just wasn't interesting to me and I just found all of the characters to be annoying. Everything was described vaguely and even moments that I figured would have more substance to them lacked everything I would hope for.
This book was just not for me. I think that this book could be marketed for the middle grade genre. The writing style lacked the depth of what I would expect from a young adult novel. I expected something with some Percy Jackson vibes, but...no.
April 14, 2015
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Although I am not an avid reader of young adult fiction, I have to be honest and say this book had me captivated. For many years Anna's family has consisted of just her and her mother Kali. Kali has raised her daughter to be ordinary, to not stand out in any way, to always stay in the middle, for in the middle one cannot choose a side. Cryptic words, that Anna will remember later. Eventually Kali gets married, and Patrick and his son, Clayton become part of the family. But this family has secrets that Kali chooses not to reveal. Because of those secrets, Patrick is murdered, and one night Kali leaves home, telling Anna that she will return for her, but she disappears, whereabouts unknown. The next day, Anna wakes up between the lion statues at the New York Library with no memory of how she got there. In fact Anna has been missing for a year, and she has no idea or memory of why. What follows is a story about and ancient library, a mystery involving several cultures, revenge, and the family dynamic, Who can Anna trust to help her find the answers she seeks on a quest to find her mother, to find about herself, and eventually to find her destiny as a heir to something thought impossible to the modern world.
June 27, 2015
The writing was great, and I enjoyed some of the random references to other books. The only reason this isn't getting a higher rating from me was the lack of forward-moving plot and information. I'm sure it will all be addressed later in the series, but there's a bunch of quick action and explanation sequences at the end that still don't really leave you with much in the way of an idea of what the hell is actually going on in this world... (s).
July 4, 2015
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
NEVER FINISHED. Not for me.
To be honest I couldn't get into this book. For me personally it sounded like something I would like, but I felt that it was too drawn out.
I stopped reading after the second chapter, I'm a fast reader and it took me over three days to drag myself through those first couple of pages, let alone the rest of the two chapters.
NEVER FINISHED. Not for me.
To be honest I couldn't get into this book. For me personally it sounded like something I would like, but I felt that it was too drawn out.
I stopped reading after the second chapter, I'm a fast reader and it took me over three days to drag myself through those first couple of pages, let alone the rest of the two chapters.
March 8, 2017
Jodi Baker's debut novel TRUST (Book One: Between Lions Series) is the fantastic story of a teenage girl named Anna, whose mother has kept from interacting with the outside world. Despite living in the urban New York City, her mother has always reminded her to "be middle of the pack," which means being ordinary. Her mother, however, gave her a top-tier homeschool education with a focus on literature, history, languages, and even hieroglyphs. Suddenly, Anna's life changes. Her mother disappears without a trace. Anna wakes up between the lions of The New York City Public Library to discover she has missed a year of her life and a voice inside her head. Nothing makes sense. After searching for answers, she discovers she is the Heir of the Museion, an ancient library that protects the world's masterpieces. Ancient and mythological worlds collide with the modern world, and Anna has to find out for herself who to trust.
Inspired in the Ancient Library of Alexandria and Hypatia of Alexandria, Baker created a fantastic world in the middle of urban New York City. Baker maintains a degree of suspense throughout the novel while Anna figures things out. The story keeps the reader imagining answers to Anna's constant questions, which represent to a certain point a typical teenager discovering his or her inner voice. Full of literary nods and historical and mythological details, TRUST (Book One: Between Lions Series) is a treat for geeks, librarians, and history and literature lovers.
What is more, Baker did a great job creating strong female characters and portraying beautiful diverse characters. Her writing technique is different and intriguing. Note that TRUST is the first installment in the Between Lions Series, which means some things are left unresolved. I can't wait to read what happens next. If the rest of this book series is as good or better than its first installment, it has the potential of being a great movie series.
Inspired in the Ancient Library of Alexandria and Hypatia of Alexandria, Baker created a fantastic world in the middle of urban New York City. Baker maintains a degree of suspense throughout the novel while Anna figures things out. The story keeps the reader imagining answers to Anna's constant questions, which represent to a certain point a typical teenager discovering his or her inner voice. Full of literary nods and historical and mythological details, TRUST (Book One: Between Lions Series) is a treat for geeks, librarians, and history and literature lovers.
What is more, Baker did a great job creating strong female characters and portraying beautiful diverse characters. Her writing technique is different and intriguing. Note that TRUST is the first installment in the Between Lions Series, which means some things are left unresolved. I can't wait to read what happens next. If the rest of this book series is as good or better than its first installment, it has the potential of being a great movie series.
July 3, 2017
Well, first let me start by saying that I don't normally write reviews but I had to make an exception for this one-it's that good. I read a lot of YA books, so I happen to know there are some pretty awesome authors out there. I couldn’t believe this is actually a debut novel/author! The writing literally sears the page with words so powerful they become branded into your mind and characters so vivid they come alive to the point where your own heart is pounding right along with theirs while reading the action and romance scenes. I’m totally invested in this series…I will be first in line when the next book comes out! So now my question is why are you still reading this when you should be reading Trust?
December 5, 2023
Trust Between the Lions Series Book One by Jodi Baker
304 Pages
Publisher: Between Lions Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: June 18, 2015
Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Mythology, Teens, Young Adult, New York
The story opens with Hypatia’s escape from the Alexandria Library then jumps to present time. Anna Perankios and her mother, Kalista live a solitary life until Kalista marries Patrick. She now has an older strpbrother Clayton. After Patrick is murdered, Kali goes missing and Clayton is accused of his mu https://belladonnasbooks.com/review/r.... Anna wakes up in front of the New York Public Library with a homeless woman. She finds out she has been gone for a year. Now she has a voice in her head. Since Clayton is in college, Anna goes to live with her grandmother, Calypso, and her guardian, Styx. When Anna goes for a walk in Central Park, there are werejaguars chasing her.
The story is fast paced. The characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. I love the idea that the library survived the fire and has had a league of strong women keeping its secret.
304 Pages
Publisher: Between Lions Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: June 18, 2015
Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Mythology, Teens, Young Adult, New York
The story opens with Hypatia’s escape from the Alexandria Library then jumps to present time. Anna Perankios and her mother, Kalista live a solitary life until Kalista marries Patrick. She now has an older strpbrother Clayton. After Patrick is murdered, Kali goes missing and Clayton is accused of his mu https://belladonnasbooks.com/review/r.... Anna wakes up in front of the New York Public Library with a homeless woman. She finds out she has been gone for a year. Now she has a voice in her head. Since Clayton is in college, Anna goes to live with her grandmother, Calypso, and her guardian, Styx. When Anna goes for a walk in Central Park, there are werejaguars chasing her.
The story is fast paced. The characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. I love the idea that the library survived the fire and has had a league of strong women keeping its secret.
March 19, 2023
I loved the premise of this book and was afraid that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised when it surpassed them. Anna was a great character who was easy to connect with, and the story itself was very interesting and fast paced. In fact, this was a very quick read. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in book 2.
5/5 stars.
5/5 stars.
June 28, 2016
I received a copy of this ebook for free from Netgalley in exchange for an impartial review. Normally, I have a strict "no self-published books" rule for my reviews. However, I decided to make an exception for Trust because it offers something I believe is sorely needed in today’s market, especially in YA fiction: Diversity. Both the author and the protagonist are women of color and that was enough to persuade me to take a chance on this book.
I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision. In her debut novel, Jodi Baker introduces the audience to a protagonist who is smart, funny, and relatable. Although I did notice a few issues that can be attributed to lack of writing experience, overall Ms. Baker manages to weave history and mythology together to create an intriguing story told with an engaging voice.
Trust opens with a prologue that thrusts readers into the final moments of Hypatia of Alexandria. In Jodi Baker’s fictionalized account, Hypatia is the last living descendant of Ptolelmy, founder of the Great Library of Alexandria, and is heir to the position of Head Librarian. Desperate to save the precious scrolls from being burned, Hypatia attempts to escape through a magical portal hidden in a wall. But there is a price. Humans are only allowed to use the portal in the presence of a Guardian for safety. To attempt entry without a Guardian is certain death.
The next several chapters recount the strange childhood of the novel’s main protagonist, Anna. Raised in New York City by her single mother, Kali, Anna knows her life isn’t typical, but she doesn’t understand why. She only knows that she must "stay in the middle of the pack" lest a mysterious They discover her existence and take her away from her mother.
Kali takes pains to isolate Anna from the outside world. Anna is homeschooled and the only time she sets foot in public school is to participate in annual testing. Despite Anna’s high intelligence and the advanced curriculum in which she has been instructed, ranging from learning to read ancient Greek to zoology lessons, Kali coaches her daughter to ensure Anna’s test scores are never above average. Anna has no friends her own age, nor is she allowed to speak to strangers. In her whole life, Anna has broken her mother’s rule only once – when, as a young child, she dared to speak to a boy in the antique bookstore she and Kali visited twice a year. After that incident, Anna and her mother never return to the store.
If anyone thinks Kali’s behavior borders on psychological abuse, you’re not alone. The only other reason to be that obsessive about maintaining secrecy is if Anna and her mother were in a witness protection program. Which is why I had a hard time suspending my disbelief when Kali meets a boisterous man named Patrick while she and Anna are visiting Central Park, immediately begins dating and then marries him a few months later, culminating in Patrick and his teenage son, Clayton, moving in with Anna and Kali.
Without giving too many spoilers, Patrick turns out to be a throwaway character who gets stuffed into the Fridge to fuel the rest of the plot. With both her mother and step-brother incapacitated by grief, fifteen-year-old Anna is forced to take on the role of "pack alpha" and manage the household, beginning her journey into adult independence. Eight weeks later, Kali drags herself out of mourning and leaves on a mysterious errand. She tells Anna to "stay in the middle" until she returns. Anna goes to bed and wakes up on the steps of the Metropolitan museum with no memory of how she got there.
At this point, Trust takes a sharp turn into urban fantasy. Anna discovers it’s exactly one year later and that Clayton has reported both Anna and Kali missing. A grandmother Anna never knew she had now owns Anna’s house and has been named her legal guardian should Anna ever be found. Even more unbelievable is the new voice in Anna’s head, which possesses knowledge Anna does not, including how to read and speak ancient Sumerian. The voice, referred to only as "Inanna", insists that Anna must trust it and those it deems appropriate allies.
From that point on, Anna is on a mission to discover where she’s been for the past year, learn why she has no memory of that time, and ascertain her mother’s whereabouts. Along the way, Anna learns she is a distant relative of Hypatia of Alexandria, that shapeshifters such as were-jaguars and were-jackals exist, and that her entire life has been a lie her mother fabricated to hide Anna from her grandmother’s political schemes.
Trust is the first installment in Jodi Baker’s Between Lions series and it is definitely not a stand-alone novel. There are numerous plot points that are not resolved by the end of the book and a few I felt were glossed over or rushed. I’m hoping those threads will be more fully developed in later books. Despite a few drawbacks, Trust is one of the most captivating books I’ve read in quite a while. I look forward to future books in this series.
I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision. In her debut novel, Jodi Baker introduces the audience to a protagonist who is smart, funny, and relatable. Although I did notice a few issues that can be attributed to lack of writing experience, overall Ms. Baker manages to weave history and mythology together to create an intriguing story told with an engaging voice.
Trust opens with a prologue that thrusts readers into the final moments of Hypatia of Alexandria. In Jodi Baker’s fictionalized account, Hypatia is the last living descendant of Ptolelmy, founder of the Great Library of Alexandria, and is heir to the position of Head Librarian. Desperate to save the precious scrolls from being burned, Hypatia attempts to escape through a magical portal hidden in a wall. But there is a price. Humans are only allowed to use the portal in the presence of a Guardian for safety. To attempt entry without a Guardian is certain death.
The next several chapters recount the strange childhood of the novel’s main protagonist, Anna. Raised in New York City by her single mother, Kali, Anna knows her life isn’t typical, but she doesn’t understand why. She only knows that she must "stay in the middle of the pack" lest a mysterious They discover her existence and take her away from her mother.
Kali takes pains to isolate Anna from the outside world. Anna is homeschooled and the only time she sets foot in public school is to participate in annual testing. Despite Anna’s high intelligence and the advanced curriculum in which she has been instructed, ranging from learning to read ancient Greek to zoology lessons, Kali coaches her daughter to ensure Anna’s test scores are never above average. Anna has no friends her own age, nor is she allowed to speak to strangers. In her whole life, Anna has broken her mother’s rule only once – when, as a young child, she dared to speak to a boy in the antique bookstore she and Kali visited twice a year. After that incident, Anna and her mother never return to the store.
If anyone thinks Kali’s behavior borders on psychological abuse, you’re not alone. The only other reason to be that obsessive about maintaining secrecy is if Anna and her mother were in a witness protection program. Which is why I had a hard time suspending my disbelief when Kali meets a boisterous man named Patrick while she and Anna are visiting Central Park, immediately begins dating and then marries him a few months later, culminating in Patrick and his teenage son, Clayton, moving in with Anna and Kali.
Without giving too many spoilers, Patrick turns out to be a throwaway character who gets stuffed into the Fridge to fuel the rest of the plot. With both her mother and step-brother incapacitated by grief, fifteen-year-old Anna is forced to take on the role of "pack alpha" and manage the household, beginning her journey into adult independence. Eight weeks later, Kali drags herself out of mourning and leaves on a mysterious errand. She tells Anna to "stay in the middle" until she returns. Anna goes to bed and wakes up on the steps of the Metropolitan museum with no memory of how she got there.
At this point, Trust takes a sharp turn into urban fantasy. Anna discovers it’s exactly one year later and that Clayton has reported both Anna and Kali missing. A grandmother Anna never knew she had now owns Anna’s house and has been named her legal guardian should Anna ever be found. Even more unbelievable is the new voice in Anna’s head, which possesses knowledge Anna does not, including how to read and speak ancient Sumerian. The voice, referred to only as "Inanna", insists that Anna must trust it and those it deems appropriate allies.
From that point on, Anna is on a mission to discover where she’s been for the past year, learn why she has no memory of that time, and ascertain her mother’s whereabouts. Along the way, Anna learns she is a distant relative of Hypatia of Alexandria, that shapeshifters such as were-jaguars and were-jackals exist, and that her entire life has been a lie her mother fabricated to hide Anna from her grandmother’s political schemes.
Trust is the first installment in Jodi Baker’s Between Lions series and it is definitely not a stand-alone novel. There are numerous plot points that are not resolved by the end of the book and a few I felt were glossed over or rushed. I’m hoping those threads will be more fully developed in later books. Despite a few drawbacks, Trust is one of the most captivating books I’ve read in quite a while. I look forward to future books in this series.
July 19, 2015
Trust – Jodi Baker
Published June 18th 2015 by Between Lions Press
Pages: 214
Disclosure: I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, my feelings about this book are a little conflicted, and varied drastically as I progressed through it. In the beginning, we meet Anna and her mother, who live in New York City, and study all sorts of ancient arts. However, they’ve isolated themselves from everyone else, always trying to stay “in the middle of the pack”. Their reasoning? Well, other than subtle hints, we don’t really know yet. Anna’s mother always says thing like, “So they don’t take you away”, although Anna doesn’t even know who “they” are.
This was my favorite part of the book, for sure. It was easy to love Anna, the mystery was enough to keep you intrigued, but it was also elusive.
Instead of learning to draw circles and sing the alphabet song, I traced hieroglyphs and danced around the apartment acting out all of the parts of the fairies in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Every day we’d sit on our comfy, tattered, red velvet couch and discuss something amazing like the disappearance of the Mayans or how many mitochondria could be in a tiny cell. We’d compare the ancient Roman and modern American systems of government against Hammurabi’s Eye-for-an-Eye code, taking turns listing the next number in the Fibonacci Series, or giggle together at the idea of pigs with wings. The more I learned, the more my mother pushed me like an academic centurion, hurling a daily stream of never-ending, no-wrong-answers-allowed quiz questions at me on every conceivable subject, expecting me to answer not just in English, but Greek, Egyptian, and Latin as well. I loved every second of it.
I enjoyed Baker’s writing style immensely, and couldn’t seem to get enough of it. The way she wrote had a whimsical feel that showed me Anna’s memories in full detail. But then, after the second chapter, things began to fall apart for me. There was so much confusion, and not a clear, direct explanation. The chaos was irritating, and the characters who I had liked at first began to bug me.
At this point, I gave up on the book. I set it down and picked up another. However, a few months later, I returned to it, because I had no other books with me on my vacation. Now, looking back, I’m thankful I picked it back up. As I continued reading, I found that it began improving. Some explanations were given, the writing style was still captivating, and things were clicking into place. This was the half way point between good and bad. There were a few scenes with gore, but the way Baker wrote them was phenomenal. She made them feel real and serious and sickening, but not particularly frightening.
"In print, on TV, or in video games, you knew it wasn’t actually happening. If you forgot, you could always look away, press pause, or tell yourself it was just a picture, just a word, or just effects. But from where I was standing, the smells of the blood and the sweat and the adrenaline of the jaguars were all palpable. The air was thick with the stench of it, of them, of death; and it was all real."
As the story continued, there wasn’t much anticipation built up, and I found myself really surprised when it ended. There were tons of unanswered questions and there wasn’t really a point I would consider a “climax”. I would definitely suggest it to other YA lovers, as long as they don’t mind a little insta-love, a little chaos, a few annoying character moments, and tons of unanswered questions. Hopefully this will get better as the series continues, and I look forward to reading more from Baker. In conclusion: This series receives a 3/5 star rating from me.
Published June 18th 2015 by Between Lions Press
Pages: 214
Disclosure: I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, my feelings about this book are a little conflicted, and varied drastically as I progressed through it. In the beginning, we meet Anna and her mother, who live in New York City, and study all sorts of ancient arts. However, they’ve isolated themselves from everyone else, always trying to stay “in the middle of the pack”. Their reasoning? Well, other than subtle hints, we don’t really know yet. Anna’s mother always says thing like, “So they don’t take you away”, although Anna doesn’t even know who “they” are.
This was my favorite part of the book, for sure. It was easy to love Anna, the mystery was enough to keep you intrigued, but it was also elusive.
Instead of learning to draw circles and sing the alphabet song, I traced hieroglyphs and danced around the apartment acting out all of the parts of the fairies in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Every day we’d sit on our comfy, tattered, red velvet couch and discuss something amazing like the disappearance of the Mayans or how many mitochondria could be in a tiny cell. We’d compare the ancient Roman and modern American systems of government against Hammurabi’s Eye-for-an-Eye code, taking turns listing the next number in the Fibonacci Series, or giggle together at the idea of pigs with wings. The more I learned, the more my mother pushed me like an academic centurion, hurling a daily stream of never-ending, no-wrong-answers-allowed quiz questions at me on every conceivable subject, expecting me to answer not just in English, but Greek, Egyptian, and Latin as well. I loved every second of it.
I enjoyed Baker’s writing style immensely, and couldn’t seem to get enough of it. The way she wrote had a whimsical feel that showed me Anna’s memories in full detail. But then, after the second chapter, things began to fall apart for me. There was so much confusion, and not a clear, direct explanation. The chaos was irritating, and the characters who I had liked at first began to bug me.
At this point, I gave up on the book. I set it down and picked up another. However, a few months later, I returned to it, because I had no other books with me on my vacation. Now, looking back, I’m thankful I picked it back up. As I continued reading, I found that it began improving. Some explanations were given, the writing style was still captivating, and things were clicking into place. This was the half way point between good and bad. There were a few scenes with gore, but the way Baker wrote them was phenomenal. She made them feel real and serious and sickening, but not particularly frightening.
"In print, on TV, or in video games, you knew it wasn’t actually happening. If you forgot, you could always look away, press pause, or tell yourself it was just a picture, just a word, or just effects. But from where I was standing, the smells of the blood and the sweat and the adrenaline of the jaguars were all palpable. The air was thick with the stench of it, of them, of death; and it was all real."
As the story continued, there wasn’t much anticipation built up, and I found myself really surprised when it ended. There were tons of unanswered questions and there wasn’t really a point I would consider a “climax”. I would definitely suggest it to other YA lovers, as long as they don’t mind a little insta-love, a little chaos, a few annoying character moments, and tons of unanswered questions. Hopefully this will get better as the series continues, and I look forward to reading more from Baker. In conclusion: This series receives a 3/5 star rating from me.
March 29, 2015
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will preface my review by saying the only reason I gave this 2 stars (honestly probably more like 1.5 stars) rather than 1 was because of the last 25% of the book. Everything leading up to that point was an absolute chore to get through. And even then the last 25% wasn't GREAT so much as it was great by comparison to the rest of it.
I thought I would really enjoy this. I love mythology, I love fantasy, and I love all things Egyptian. This seemed a given to me that I would find it to be enjoyable. But the plot was so convoluted and VERY slow moving in addition. The first 75% just dragged. It was all over the place and really did not make much sense for the most part. The world building was completely non-existent. The character building was non-existent. It was just very disappointing.
Anna was not developed well at all. None of the other characters were either, but she is the protagonist. She needed to be relatable, complex, and she was neither of these things. Towards the end she did prove herself to be pretty courageous, but even this was only after a series of extensive and serious mistakes and misjudgments. She is left in the dark for so long about so many things and when she finally gets chances to ask questions, she repeatedly asks the wrong ones. Anna doesn't appear to have realistic relationships or interactions with nearly any other characters in the book. Her relationship with her mother is bizarre, and the ones that develop later with other characters aren't much better. This really bothered me.
This book simply wasn't very well done in any sense. There are so many answers that are never given. And I mean big answers to big questions the book brings up and there is a complete lack of follow through. Maybe this is because there are going to be more books, but if this is the case I know I for one am not interested in reading more from this series.
I think with some proper outlining and more time spent on the preparation and writing of this book, there could have been a much better result. But in its current form this definitely is not a book that I would recommend.
I will preface my review by saying the only reason I gave this 2 stars (honestly probably more like 1.5 stars) rather than 1 was because of the last 25% of the book. Everything leading up to that point was an absolute chore to get through. And even then the last 25% wasn't GREAT so much as it was great by comparison to the rest of it.
I thought I would really enjoy this. I love mythology, I love fantasy, and I love all things Egyptian. This seemed a given to me that I would find it to be enjoyable. But the plot was so convoluted and VERY slow moving in addition. The first 75% just dragged. It was all over the place and really did not make much sense for the most part. The world building was completely non-existent. The character building was non-existent. It was just very disappointing.
Anna was not developed well at all. None of the other characters were either, but she is the protagonist. She needed to be relatable, complex, and she was neither of these things. Towards the end she did prove herself to be pretty courageous, but even this was only after a series of extensive and serious mistakes and misjudgments. She is left in the dark for so long about so many things and when she finally gets chances to ask questions, she repeatedly asks the wrong ones. Anna doesn't appear to have realistic relationships or interactions with nearly any other characters in the book. Her relationship with her mother is bizarre, and the ones that develop later with other characters aren't much better. This really bothered me.
This book simply wasn't very well done in any sense. There are so many answers that are never given. And I mean big answers to big questions the book brings up and there is a complete lack of follow through. Maybe this is because there are going to be more books, but if this is the case I know I for one am not interested in reading more from this series.
I think with some proper outlining and more time spent on the preparation and writing of this book, there could have been a much better result. But in its current form this definitely is not a book that I would recommend.
May 21, 2015
Title: Trust (Between the Lions #1) Author: Jodi Baker
Publisher:Between The Lions Press
Publish: June 18th,2015 Type: YA Urban Fantasy
Author Website: jodibakerbooks.com Goodreads:
This a ‘galley” copy eBook supplied by Netgalley. I am not receiving any monetary benefit or any kickback for this review. I received this Galley for an honest review. So basically, I get free books for reviews. How awesome is that??
Anna is the last in a long lineage of powerful people; whose secrets date back to the ancient library of Alexandria. Except Anna doesn’t know it. Trust is a young adult urban fantasy about a syndicate that is protecting the greatest treasure known to mankind. I really liked the beginning. I thought it has a great start to a grand adventure, but there were three things that cause my attention to waver. After Anna wakes up between the library lions with no knowledge of the last year and hearing a voice in her head was when I started to drift away. I still like the book but there was just so many variables to keep track of that made me less excited. The missing year is never explained to us or to Anna. The voice to me sounded more like a psychotic break then a plot point. The nurse slur irritated me, but I was able to ignore it to move on with the book. Anna did at least grow in character throughout the book. Also, no knight in white till almost the end.
I might read the next book just to see what happens. I liked it and would recommend to others. Especially if they like their urban fantasy mixed with a dose of history. I like the nod to the library of Alexandria, and the love of reading. Not to mention, the kick butt librarians.
I give Trust 3 out of 5 lions for a good premise and hope for a sequel that explains more. This book took me approximately 2 hours to read. If you like to try this book pick it up at B&N, Amazon, or your local bookstore. Trust will be out in stores on June 18th,2015.
Publisher:Between The Lions Press
Publish: June 18th,2015 Type: YA Urban Fantasy
Author Website: jodibakerbooks.com Goodreads:
This a ‘galley” copy eBook supplied by Netgalley. I am not receiving any monetary benefit or any kickback for this review. I received this Galley for an honest review. So basically, I get free books for reviews. How awesome is that??
Anna is the last in a long lineage of powerful people; whose secrets date back to the ancient library of Alexandria. Except Anna doesn’t know it. Trust is a young adult urban fantasy about a syndicate that is protecting the greatest treasure known to mankind. I really liked the beginning. I thought it has a great start to a grand adventure, but there were three things that cause my attention to waver. After Anna wakes up between the library lions with no knowledge of the last year and hearing a voice in her head was when I started to drift away. I still like the book but there was just so many variables to keep track of that made me less excited. The missing year is never explained to us or to Anna. The voice to me sounded more like a psychotic break then a plot point. The nurse slur irritated me, but I was able to ignore it to move on with the book. Anna did at least grow in character throughout the book. Also, no knight in white till almost the end.
I might read the next book just to see what happens. I liked it and would recommend to others. Especially if they like their urban fantasy mixed with a dose of history. I like the nod to the library of Alexandria, and the love of reading. Not to mention, the kick butt librarians.
I give Trust 3 out of 5 lions for a good premise and hope for a sequel that explains more. This book took me approximately 2 hours to read. If you like to try this book pick it up at B&N, Amazon, or your local bookstore. Trust will be out in stores on June 18th,2015.
June 6, 2015
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publish date: 18th June 2015
Full review can also be found on: Paein and Ms4Tune’s Book Blog
This book started off amazingly, for the first 10%, up to the end of chapter 1, I was really captivated. Unfortunately after that the book lost me. Anna told us exactly how smart she was and then spent the rest of the book being stupid. I gave her some slack, having lost a year of your life, your mother and discovering nothing was as you thought can do a number on you, but she never used her brain. You could perhaps argue that hers was book smart, that she wasn't taught to think, but she was taught about civilisations and wild animals and, I assume, logic and analysis. At the very least she was told to be quiet and stay in the middle of the pack. Why was she so silly about everything?
The writing style seemed to change after the first chapter too, but I think this is to do with the change in direction. the first chapter is first person too, but is delivered by her talking abut it as if it was the past (because it was) and the rest of it is told as it happened.
The story was fast paced and there was plenty going on. There was no time to be bored as Anna was quickly swept up in the next mystery or happening or quest. While she doesn't know what's happening around her she decides she's having none of it.
The story is left open for another book to complete the mystery. While I'd like to know, like Anna, what on earth was going on, I don't think that I will continue with this series.
March 24, 2015
This book is part one of the 'Between the Lions' series.
I enjoyed this book from the beginning. The story and plot line were very intriguing and unique from the start. Baker seems to have a lot of interesting ideas planned for this series. The book held my interest, but seemed to fall short for the last quarter of the book. It certainly was an easy and quick read which I loved (since I don't have that much free time with all of my law school work during the semester).
I found it difficult to follow along with the main character, Anna, and the voice inside her head (yeah, she has one show up randomly in the second chapter...). I was confused and couldn't figure out what the point of it was without some sort of background or foreshadowing or really anything to explain why it was suddenly thrown into the story. I also don't completely understand the point of some of the characters or the time lapse that took place between one of the chapters. I felt like I was filling in the blanks, but without any information from the book to assist me. There wasn't a helpful transition between the first chapter and the second, which made it make zero sense.
There was also a romance thrown in at the last minute that seemed forced and predictable. It wasn't terrible, but didn't feel genuine.
Maybe in the next book of the series, things will be explained and flushed out in a way that isn't as confusing or forced on the reader.
I absolutely love anything to do with Egyptian or Greek mythology, so this book really worked for me in all aspects of the mythology and fantasy department.
Copy of book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review is also posted on my blog dedicated to book reviews: http://madteapartybooksandthings.wordpress.com
I enjoyed this book from the beginning. The story and plot line were very intriguing and unique from the start. Baker seems to have a lot of interesting ideas planned for this series. The book held my interest, but seemed to fall short for the last quarter of the book. It certainly was an easy and quick read which I loved (since I don't have that much free time with all of my law school work during the semester).
I found it difficult to follow along with the main character, Anna, and the voice inside her head (yeah, she has one show up randomly in the second chapter...). I was confused and couldn't figure out what the point of it was without some sort of background or foreshadowing or really anything to explain why it was suddenly thrown into the story. I also don't completely understand the point of some of the characters or the time lapse that took place between one of the chapters. I felt like I was filling in the blanks, but without any information from the book to assist me. There wasn't a helpful transition between the first chapter and the second, which made it make zero sense.
There was also a romance thrown in at the last minute that seemed forced and predictable. It wasn't terrible, but didn't feel genuine.
Maybe in the next book of the series, things will be explained and flushed out in a way that isn't as confusing or forced on the reader.
I absolutely love anything to do with Egyptian or Greek mythology, so this book really worked for me in all aspects of the mythology and fantasy department.
Copy of book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review is also posted on my blog dedicated to book reviews: http://madteapartybooksandthings.wordpress.com
March 24, 2015
Copy of book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Trust is the first book in the Between the Lions trilogy. This Paranormal with Egyptian and Greek mythology twist takes you into our current times. Where you meet Anna our heroine and how she lives her life always in the middle. The first few pages of the book make no sense when you start reading the book, it almost makes you question as to "Why" it is there. You don't find out till later where it all comes in at and to where it makes sense. Besides the first few pages the beginning of the book is slow, you watch Anna go through daily routine and what happens when it gets interrupted and how she copes with it. After about halfway does it start to pick up with the death of her step-dad and her mother's disappearance. Anna gets a voice in her head who is called "Inanna" which you can tell when she talks as it is in all caps. You get introduced the mythology that Anna's life has been wrapped around by her mother. Though Anna seems to toss everything out the window about being in the middle, even arguing with the voice in her head which gives her sound advice.
As you get to the end it leaves you with more questions than answers and a romance that starts to bloom? The romance is iffy as she didn't trust him then feels like she can and starts falling for him hard. I understand teenage love but it's all at once while her life is danger and she has lost the only guardian she had. I enjoy the twist with the Egyptian lore as it isn't used much in books. While your left with answers, Anna does grow a bit and uses her smarts to help her. What also bothers me is how her mother seemed to change like a child throwing a temper tantrum against the way she was raised and her own people.
The book was good and I can't wait till the next one comes out to hopefully get more answers than questions.
Trust is the first book in the Between the Lions trilogy. This Paranormal with Egyptian and Greek mythology twist takes you into our current times. Where you meet Anna our heroine and how she lives her life always in the middle. The first few pages of the book make no sense when you start reading the book, it almost makes you question as to "Why" it is there. You don't find out till later where it all comes in at and to where it makes sense. Besides the first few pages the beginning of the book is slow, you watch Anna go through daily routine and what happens when it gets interrupted and how she copes with it. After about halfway does it start to pick up with the death of her step-dad and her mother's disappearance. Anna gets a voice in her head who is called "Inanna" which you can tell when she talks as it is in all caps. You get introduced the mythology that Anna's life has been wrapped around by her mother. Though Anna seems to toss everything out the window about being in the middle, even arguing with the voice in her head which gives her sound advice.
As you get to the end it leaves you with more questions than answers and a romance that starts to bloom? The romance is iffy as she didn't trust him then feels like she can and starts falling for him hard. I understand teenage love but it's all at once while her life is danger and she has lost the only guardian she had. I enjoy the twist with the Egyptian lore as it isn't used much in books. While your left with answers, Anna does grow a bit and uses her smarts to help her. What also bothers me is how her mother seemed to change like a child throwing a temper tantrum against the way she was raised and her own people.
The book was good and I can't wait till the next one comes out to hopefully get more answers than questions.
April 7, 2015
This is Jodi Baker's first book. And this book is the first in a series entitled "Between The Lions". I am kind of on the fence with this book. It is written for young adults (but when has that ever stopped me. They are the best books). This is most refreshing, as it doesn't try to clone other successful books that came before it. It is a young adult paranormal thriller about a girl named Anna.
We learn in the beginning that her mom practically brainwashes her throughout her entire childhood to always stay in middle, to not stick out from the crowd or let anyone see her as anything other than average. That seemed to be the mom's mantra, all while homeschooling Anna as if to test for Mensa. A great deal of the book doesn't really make a lot of sense. I kept thinking I must have skipped sections here and there. All we do really know about Anna's mom is that Anna calls her a liar and says that is all she does.
Anna is chased by were-jackals into some netherworld and is nearly killed by were-jaguars. She is saved at the last moment by a "goddess looking" woman who ends up being her mom. Anna wants desperately to save her accusing mom, but from what is unclear. I felt this really could have been an exceptional book, if only we had some sort of backstory and knew more. Who is Inanna? Why is the mom so paranoid, even believing the grandma is trying to turn Anna against her mom? There are just too many questions that go unanswered to make this book stand out from the crowd for me.
Netgalley gave me a free copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
We learn in the beginning that her mom practically brainwashes her throughout her entire childhood to always stay in middle, to not stick out from the crowd or let anyone see her as anything other than average. That seemed to be the mom's mantra, all while homeschooling Anna as if to test for Mensa. A great deal of the book doesn't really make a lot of sense. I kept thinking I must have skipped sections here and there. All we do really know about Anna's mom is that Anna calls her a liar and says that is all she does.
Anna is chased by were-jackals into some netherworld and is nearly killed by were-jaguars. She is saved at the last moment by a "goddess looking" woman who ends up being her mom. Anna wants desperately to save her accusing mom, but from what is unclear. I felt this really could have been an exceptional book, if only we had some sort of backstory and knew more. Who is Inanna? Why is the mom so paranoid, even believing the grandma is trying to turn Anna against her mom? There are just too many questions that go unanswered to make this book stand out from the crowd for me.
Netgalley gave me a free copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
April 17, 2015
Trust takes a completely different outlook on some historical events turning this book into an interesting fantasy read. We learn that protagonist Anna is suddenly missing for a year. But she doesn't remember any of it. She soon learns that her mother has been missing to, and she embarks on a journey to find and save her. But nothing her mother taught her prepared her for what was to come.
The idea of this plot was interesting enough. But there are still complete plot holes by the end of the book. Where was Anna for that last year? Why is there a war going on with the guardians? Even if it is the first book in a series, I felt that it could have answered now questions rather than leaving the reader still confused about the beginning of the story.
Many of the plot twists I found to be somewhat be somewhat predictable (i.e. the thing with Anna's mother at the end, the thing with Cax).
The story did lend to character growth, which I wholeheartedly enjoyed. And at the end there was the start of a possible romance.
So what did I think overall?
Trust was an okay book. If you are really into ancient Egyptian culture you would probably enjoy this book. My biggest complaint is the chapter length. For a YA book, I felt the chapters were far too long. Overall I didn't love it, but I still enjoyed it.
Note: I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
The idea of this plot was interesting enough. But there are still complete plot holes by the end of the book. Where was Anna for that last year? Why is there a war going on with the guardians? Even if it is the first book in a series, I felt that it could have answered now questions rather than leaving the reader still confused about the beginning of the story.
Many of the plot twists I found to be somewhat be somewhat predictable (i.e. the thing with Anna's mother at the end, the thing with Cax).
The story did lend to character growth, which I wholeheartedly enjoyed. And at the end there was the start of a possible romance.
So what did I think overall?
Trust was an okay book. If you are really into ancient Egyptian culture you would probably enjoy this book. My biggest complaint is the chapter length. For a YA book, I felt the chapters were far too long. Overall I didn't love it, but I still enjoyed it.
Note: I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
May 15, 2015
*ARC kindly provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.*
This is the saddest thing in my life- to give a bad review to a book! I thought I would love this because it’s all about mythology and I love anything to do with mythology! Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea! I love fantasy and Mythology and so on…. That this seemed a given to me that I would find Trust to be enjoyable. But the plot was so convoluted and slow moving in addition and by slow I mean VERY SLOW moving! This book was all over the place and the world building and character building was completely non-existent! It was just very disappointing!
Anna needed to be relatable, complex, and she was neither of these things. Towards the end she did prove herself to be pretty courageous, but even this was only after a series of extensive mistakes. Anna was left in the dark with so many things but when she actually starts asking the questions, she asks all of the wrong ones!! This book simply wasn’t very well done in any sense.
I think with some more time spent on the preparation and writing of this book and better outlining of this book, the outcome of this book would have been a lot better! But in its current form this definitely is not a book that I would recommend.
ON MY BLOG:
This is the saddest thing in my life- to give a bad review to a book! I thought I would love this because it’s all about mythology and I love anything to do with mythology! Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea! I love fantasy and Mythology and so on…. That this seemed a given to me that I would find Trust to be enjoyable. But the plot was so convoluted and slow moving in addition and by slow I mean VERY SLOW moving! This book was all over the place and the world building and character building was completely non-existent! It was just very disappointing!
Anna needed to be relatable, complex, and she was neither of these things. Towards the end she did prove herself to be pretty courageous, but even this was only after a series of extensive mistakes. Anna was left in the dark with so many things but when she actually starts asking the questions, she asks all of the wrong ones!! This book simply wasn’t very well done in any sense.
I think with some more time spent on the preparation and writing of this book and better outlining of this book, the outcome of this book would have been a lot better! But in its current form this definitely is not a book that I would recommend.
ON MY BLOG:
July 6, 2015
This is a novel about trust. Who can you trust? Anna has been taught to "stay in the middle" in other words don't do anything that will make yourself seen or heard. Anna is/was home schooled by her mother, Kali. Her mother is her only friend as her mother doesn't want Anna to attract anyone who might give away their home. When Anna is "awaken," she has discovered a year has pass and her mother has disappeared. Anna is taken to her grandmother's home. Anna thought she has no grandmother. Why? Where is Anna's mother? Is she dead or alive?
In this fantasy, you will discover what the museion is and enjoy Egyptian mythological
beings. The author keeps your attention throughout the novel with adventures and action. It is a marvelous read that leaves one wanting more and answers to questions not given in the story which hopefully will be answered in the next book.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
In this fantasy, you will discover what the museion is and enjoy Egyptian mythological
beings. The author keeps your attention throughout the novel with adventures and action. It is a marvelous read that leaves one wanting more and answers to questions not given in the story which hopefully will be answered in the next book.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
November 23, 2015
**Actual Rating 3.5 stars**
*I received a ebook copy from Netgalley*
This was a hard book for me to rate, it had some great qualities but also there were a few let downs. Overall I found this book enjoyable it was a quick read with some very cool Egyptian mythology and The Library of Alexandria, and I am a big fan of mythology of all kinds and this was well done and rather exciting especially the beasts caught in a war for the power of knowledge.
As I read this book I noticed that A LOT was said but very little was actually answered, there are still so many questions big and small that need to be answered, and that's when I noticed how annoyed I was with Anna, she was said to be very smart but she was not smart enough to stop talking in circles and figure her shit out, I liked the voice in her head (Inanna) much better she was by far the rational one.
Like I said overall this book was good but based on my mixed feelings about it I am still unsure if I will continue the series or not, only time will tell.
*I received a ebook copy from Netgalley*
This was a hard book for me to rate, it had some great qualities but also there were a few let downs. Overall I found this book enjoyable it was a quick read with some very cool Egyptian mythology and The Library of Alexandria, and I am a big fan of mythology of all kinds and this was well done and rather exciting especially the beasts caught in a war for the power of knowledge.
As I read this book I noticed that A LOT was said but very little was actually answered, there are still so many questions big and small that need to be answered, and that's when I noticed how annoyed I was with Anna, she was said to be very smart but she was not smart enough to stop talking in circles and figure her shit out, I liked the voice in her head (Inanna) much better she was by far the rational one.
Like I said overall this book was good but based on my mixed feelings about it I am still unsure if I will continue the series or not, only time will tell.
June 8, 2015
The general way to describe this book is:much different than I expected! Egyptian mythology is a weakness of mine, so I was very curious how this would play out.
Anna has been sheltered her entire life - but from what? When she suddenly wakes up having missed a year of her life and is entirely on her own, what can she do? It soon becomes clear that Anna has been sheltered for a reason...although that may not have helped her much.
Because of being sheltered, Anna might be a little hard for some to relate to. There are times when her decisions definitely aren't the best - but how can you say you'd do anything different if you were so under-experienced with the world?
Trust is full of lots of twists and turns, with a flair of mythology mixed into many of these. There's action, excitement, mystery, and a dash of romance. I'd recommend this to fans of younger YA who are interested in mythology and/or adventure.
Anna has been sheltered her entire life - but from what? When she suddenly wakes up having missed a year of her life and is entirely on her own, what can she do? It soon becomes clear that Anna has been sheltered for a reason...although that may not have helped her much.
Because of being sheltered, Anna might be a little hard for some to relate to. There are times when her decisions definitely aren't the best - but how can you say you'd do anything different if you were so under-experienced with the world?
Trust is full of lots of twists and turns, with a flair of mythology mixed into many of these. There's action, excitement, mystery, and a dash of romance. I'd recommend this to fans of younger YA who are interested in mythology and/or adventure.
July 6, 2015
I quite enjoyed reading this tale of contemporary fantasy, interwoven with parts of my favorite ancient culture, that of Egypt. The writing style was okay-ish. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that the voice in Anna’s head, Inanna (if you get it) is written in capitals do distinguish it from Anna’s own thoughts. It felt, however, like she was constantly screaming and that was not so pleasant to read. Anna’s own thoughts were not always well written either, there were a lot of redundant words that you normally don't put in a novel.
In the end it was the story that captivated me. I’ve always been a fan of Egypt, I’ve even learned myself how to read hieroglyphs. So stories incorporating Egyptian mythology have a plus already. But other than that, I stick with my okay-ish. The stories, characters and writing style were not amazing, but not bad either. Definitely for a debut, this wasn’t a bad shot at all. And I managed to finish Trust in a couple of days and with a good feeling!
In the end it was the story that captivated me. I’ve always been a fan of Egypt, I’ve even learned myself how to read hieroglyphs. So stories incorporating Egyptian mythology have a plus already. But other than that, I stick with my okay-ish. The stories, characters and writing style were not amazing, but not bad either. Definitely for a debut, this wasn’t a bad shot at all. And I managed to finish Trust in a couple of days and with a good feeling!
July 2, 2017
Well, first let me start by saying that I don't normally write reviews but I had to make an exception for this one-it's that good. I read a lot of YA books, so I happen to know there are some pretty awesome authors out there. I couldn’t believe this is actually a debut novel/author! The writing literally sears the page with words so powerful they become branded into your mind and characters so vivid they come alive to the point where your own heart is pounding right along with theirs while reading the action and romance scenes. I’m totally invested in this series…I will be first in line when the next book comes out! So now my question is why are you still reading this when you should be reading Trust?
March 5, 2015
This book started out so great, but my interest in it kind of fizzled. It has an interesting concept, interesting mythology, interesting set up. I just lost interest.
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