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Library Jumpers #3
La briseuse d'illusions
Il lui suffit de tourner la page pour déclencher la fin du monde...
Nul besoin de carte d'adhérent pour emprunter les passages qui relient entre elles les plus belles bibliothèques du monde, mais ne vous y fiez pas : les pires dangers y rôdent... Les menaces que Gia Kearns affronte entre ces murs ont leur lot de dents acérées et de griffes aiguisées comme des poignards – et le magicien maléfique qui mène cette infernale sarabande semble bien décidé à débarrasser la terre de la présence de Gia !
Pour survivre, la jeune fille n'a qu'une seule issue : retrouver sept mystérieuses clés cachées dans les plus anciennes bibliothèque, disséminées sur toute la surface du globe, et résoudre une ultime énigme – comment s'utilisent-elles ? Elle tente de résister aux émois de son cœur qui, pense-t-elle, ne peuvent que venir perturber cette quête, mais son amour naissant pourrait bien être le seul recours quand le monde menace de s'écrouler autour d'elle...
Il lui suffit de tourner la page pour déclencher la fin du monde ! Bestiaire fabuleux, objets magiques, voyage entre les univers... Jamais plus vous ne regarderez un vieux livre poussiéreux du même œil ! Avec La Briseuse d'illusions, Brenda Drake vous entraîne à la suite de Gia dans une quête initiatique périlleuse et riche en révélations.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2018
35 people are currently reading
1637 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Drake
21 books857 followersBrenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
February 6, 2018
Assassin of Truths is the third and final book in the young adult fantasy Library Jumpers series by Brenda Drake. Each book is definitely a continuation and would be best to start the story at the beginning with the first book of the series. It’s definitely a high intensity, action packed ride and well worth the three book read though.
The story revolves around Gia Kearns who when out visiting a library with her friends spotted a cute boy but while Gia was watching he simply disappeared. When she and her friends investigated they found he’d been looking at a book on various libraries around the world and before they knew it they were sucked into the book themselves and transported to another library halfway around the world.
After the jump through the book Gia found that she belong to a world of Sentinals that were charged with protecting humans and the gateways in the libraries. This world that had been hidden from Gia her whole life brought with it plenty of action and adventure along with danger as she navigated her way after finding out of a prophecy that she is a part of in this new world hidden from humans.
This series always reminded me a bit of the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare with the portal jumping and demon fighting with magic and spells involved. While similar though in style Brenda Drake certainly built her own story with these characters that had it’s ups and downs all along the way. While there was a love triangle and a bit of insta-love in the beginning every plays out in it’s own time by the end of the series and fit the story.
I loved that all along the way the story continued to grow and expand with each book. The magic we learned of in book one continued to expand, the world of the library jumpers added characters and locations all throughout the series and along with it the danger surrounding the characters also continued to grow until the explosive end. Gia herself also grew with the story but by this third she still had a few moments I questioned so I’m ending this series at 4.5 stars but certainly found it fun and entertaining along the way.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
The story revolves around Gia Kearns who when out visiting a library with her friends spotted a cute boy but while Gia was watching he simply disappeared. When she and her friends investigated they found he’d been looking at a book on various libraries around the world and before they knew it they were sucked into the book themselves and transported to another library halfway around the world.
After the jump through the book Gia found that she belong to a world of Sentinals that were charged with protecting humans and the gateways in the libraries. This world that had been hidden from Gia her whole life brought with it plenty of action and adventure along with danger as she navigated her way after finding out of a prophecy that she is a part of in this new world hidden from humans.
This series always reminded me a bit of the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare with the portal jumping and demon fighting with magic and spells involved. While similar though in style Brenda Drake certainly built her own story with these characters that had it’s ups and downs all along the way. While there was a love triangle and a bit of insta-love in the beginning every plays out in it’s own time by the end of the series and fit the story.
I loved that all along the way the story continued to grow and expand with each book. The magic we learned of in book one continued to expand, the world of the library jumpers added characters and locations all throughout the series and along with it the danger surrounding the characters also continued to grow until the explosive end. Gia herself also grew with the story but by this third she still had a few moments I questioned so I’m ending this series at 4.5 stars but certainly found it fun and entertaining along the way.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
February 6, 2018
***4.5/5 Stars***
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!
✮Bastien:
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:
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:
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.
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*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
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*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
February 19, 2018
OMG!!!! I can't believe this series is over!!! I am fangirling so bad right now! I just want to re-read this series over and over! This series has helped pull me out of a depressipn and brought me to a fantasy world that was beyond my wildest dreams! This is a MUST READ! Going on these journeys with Gia and all the other amazing characters was indescribable! I fell in love with every single character and was invested in them all. I loved seeing Gia grow and loved how strong she became. I don't care that there was a love triangle, I loved it! This series was hands down perfect for me and one of my all time faves!💙💙💙 I even have my book club ladies reading the first in the series because I wouldn't stop fangirling!!! Oh and Bastien is my fiction husband! Swoony, Swoon, Swoon!!! Brenda Drake orchestrated a perfect trilogy that is sure to capture any YA book lover's heart! I know I won't EVER forget this trilogy! The plots of each story were at the perfect pace, fast but fantastically descriptive. There were also beautiful and remarkable settings!!! I mean you can jump to a different mystical/fantasy world through a book in some of the most beautiful libraries throughout the whole world!!! I mean it's a book lover's dream! I am over the moon that Entangled Teen sent me this whole series and I couldn't get enough of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! In Assassin of Truths(the just released book), my heart was put on a rollercoaster ride and I turned pages at the speed of lightening. I cried, I smiled, I was on the edge of my seat from the suspense and was devastated it was over! I can't say it enough that this series is highly recommended and is beyond amazing! Brenda Drake, thank you so much for creating this YA/Fantasy Masterpiece! I will follow you anywhere and want to read all of your work!!!!❤❤❤
December 30, 2017
Assassin of Truths was my favourite book in this series and the ending is so perfect. I would recommend you start with book one. This series is for the magic-loving wizard groupies. I love libraries. Just the smell of old books drives me crazy, but what if there was more! Books that take you on adventures literally. Gia is our heroine and she is always up for a good fight. Quests, mythological creatures, romance and a prophecy are just a few things this series offers.
In Assassin of truths everything comes to a head, but who will survive. Gia is focused on the great battle. She is on a quest to help save the world. It's going to be dangerous, but there is no stopping her. The library gateways are no longer safe, but Gia has worked out what she needs. Some rewards make the risk tempting. They are trying to kill Gia, but she has luck and friends on her side.
The love triangle between Gia, Arik
and Bastien will, at last, come to a head. With some swooning moments and lustful looks, Gia will choose her man.
This book has so much to offer. It's action packed with a slice of magical fantasy. 4.5 stars out of 5.
*ARC
In Assassin of truths everything comes to a head, but who will survive. Gia is focused on the great battle. She is on a quest to help save the world. It's going to be dangerous, but there is no stopping her. The library gateways are no longer safe, but Gia has worked out what she needs. Some rewards make the risk tempting. They are trying to kill Gia, but she has luck and friends on her side.
The love triangle between Gia, Arik
and Bastien will, at last, come to a head. With some swooning moments and lustful looks, Gia will choose her man.
This book has so much to offer. It's action packed with a slice of magical fantasy. 4.5 stars out of 5.
*ARC
February 12, 2018
This is the third and final novel in this magical, fast paced, action packed adventure and I definitely recommend reading the other books before starting this one. Just imagine that, if you find the right books and know the correct words, you could use it to take you from one library to another somewhere else in the world . . . . These books - and the libraries they are in - are protected by a group of magical knights known as Sentinels. Obviously, there are enemies out to misuse the books and libraries (or the Sentinels would be out of a job!) and it is the battle between these opposing forces that is key to the trilogy. I’m wary of commenting on specific part of this story as there’s a distinct danger of inadvertently revealing spoilers from earlier stories, so I’ll let you read it (or the blurb) to have an idea about what happens in this book.
The story still has Gia Keams as the main character. She has grown and matured through the series and the story is related from her point of view, helping the reader identify with her character and to understand some of her teenage angst and turmoil as she faces dangers and dilemmas as well as being involved in something of a love triangle! The author is an expert at using words to paint vivid images in the imagination of her readers, bringing the excitement and action to life. It is a great finale to a unique young adult trilogy that I have no hesitation in highly recommending to anyone who enjoys magical adventures with a hint of romance.
I requested and received a copy of this novel. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
The story still has Gia Keams as the main character. She has grown and matured through the series and the story is related from her point of view, helping the reader identify with her character and to understand some of her teenage angst and turmoil as she faces dangers and dilemmas as well as being involved in something of a love triangle! The author is an expert at using words to paint vivid images in the imagination of her readers, bringing the excitement and action to life. It is a great finale to a unique young adult trilogy that I have no hesitation in highly recommending to anyone who enjoys magical adventures with a hint of romance.
I requested and received a copy of this novel. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
February 6, 2018
*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Young Adult, Magical Realism*
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Assassin of Truths is the third and final installment in author Brenda Drake's Library Jumpers trilogy. Let's start from the top. Assassin picks up two months after the ending of Guardian of Secrets. Gia Kearns and her group of Sentinels is lying low in Ireland after the loss of key friends and allies to their nemesis. If you haven't already caught on to this series, this is about a group of Sentinels who are magical knights who protect the libraries of the world and humans from the dangers of those who want to rule both worlds.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Young Adult, Magical Realism*
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Assassin of Truths is the third and final installment in author Brenda Drake's Library Jumpers trilogy. Let's start from the top. Assassin picks up two months after the ending of Guardian of Secrets. Gia Kearns and her group of Sentinels is lying low in Ireland after the loss of key friends and allies to their nemesis. If you haven't already caught on to this series, this is about a group of Sentinels who are magical knights who protect the libraries of the world and humans from the dangers of those who want to rule both worlds.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
February 5, 2018
4.5/5 Stars
I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author and volunteered to review it.
This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I have been eagerly awaiting the finale to the Library Jumpers series, and the wait was worth it! This series has grown so much since the first book. This series really captured my heart with its unique take on magic and fantasy. And what book lover wouldn't adore books where the main characters are warriors that visit libraries around the world on a regular basis?
So yes, one of the most incredible things about this book and this series is Drake's addictive brand of urban fantasy. The world that she has created is untouchable by other young adult urban fantasy reads. There really isn't anything like it on the market. At least, not that I have read. I love the original concepts. There may be individual similarities to other young adult fantasy books, but the heart of this world is in a league of its own. The magic system and the hierarchy of different races are totally captivating.
The characters throughout this series are ones that you come to truly love. Drake writes her characters in such a way that they become a part of you and you rapidly become attached to them. I love the relationships that are built in this series. They make the characters really stand out and speak loudly to the reader. No matter where the plot was going, I was always invested in the lives of the characters. I was overjoyed in their happiness, and I cried along with them in their pain.
The plot was strong and I really enjoyed the story and how things ended. There were surprises and twists in the story that I just didn't see coming. This book kept me on my toes. The pacing was perfect and I have no complaints about the execution. I didn't feel like the boss fight at the end of the book could have been more climactic when everything was said and done. There was a lot of buildup to it, but then it just sort of ends abruptly.
The romance in this book didn't feel as swoon-worthy as in the last book, but I have to say that I liked where things went. I liked the person that Gia ended up with in the end. I was rooting for them the whole time. And as far as the other boy that had her affections, I am glad that they were able to work things out and stay friends in the end. It really ended well after all the drama in the last book where the romance was concerned. I also liked seeing some of the side characters end up happy in their love lives as well. It was a pretty perfect end.
Overall, this is just a fantastic series! This book really met my expectations in every way. If you are a fan of young adult fantasy, then this series should be on your radar! With its unique premise and lovable characters, you will not be disappointed! I am eager to read more fantasy from Brenda Drake!
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author and volunteered to review it.
This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I have been eagerly awaiting the finale to the Library Jumpers series, and the wait was worth it! This series has grown so much since the first book. This series really captured my heart with its unique take on magic and fantasy. And what book lover wouldn't adore books where the main characters are warriors that visit libraries around the world on a regular basis?
So yes, one of the most incredible things about this book and this series is Drake's addictive brand of urban fantasy. The world that she has created is untouchable by other young adult urban fantasy reads. There really isn't anything like it on the market. At least, not that I have read. I love the original concepts. There may be individual similarities to other young adult fantasy books, but the heart of this world is in a league of its own. The magic system and the hierarchy of different races are totally captivating.
The characters throughout this series are ones that you come to truly love. Drake writes her characters in such a way that they become a part of you and you rapidly become attached to them. I love the relationships that are built in this series. They make the characters really stand out and speak loudly to the reader. No matter where the plot was going, I was always invested in the lives of the characters. I was overjoyed in their happiness, and I cried along with them in their pain.
The plot was strong and I really enjoyed the story and how things ended. There were surprises and twists in the story that I just didn't see coming. This book kept me on my toes. The pacing was perfect and I have no complaints about the execution. I didn't feel like the boss fight at the end of the book could have been more climactic when everything was said and done. There was a lot of buildup to it, but then it just sort of ends abruptly.
The romance in this book didn't feel as swoon-worthy as in the last book, but I have to say that I liked where things went. I liked the person that Gia ended up with in the end. I was rooting for them the whole time. And as far as the other boy that had her affections, I am glad that they were able to work things out and stay friends in the end. It really ended well after all the drama in the last book where the romance was concerned. I also liked seeing some of the side characters end up happy in their love lives as well. It was a pretty perfect end.
Overall, this is just a fantastic series! This book really met my expectations in every way. If you are a fan of young adult fantasy, then this series should be on your radar! With its unique premise and lovable characters, you will not be disappointed! I am eager to read more fantasy from Brenda Drake!
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
April 12, 2018
3.5 Stars. I really liked the book and am really sad to see that is the last book in the series. It was action packed and fun to read.
Assassin of Truths is a young adult fantasy novel about Gia Kearns. She has a mission to retrieve 7 keys from the worlds most beautiful libraries. But now she is running into 'bad guys' unruly creatures and most of all, a love so deep it is hard to think.
Overall I liked this book but felt that the first and second book were much better. I think this book can kind of relate to Mortal Instruments series, in the whole portal jumping scheme of things. Throughout the whole book, Gia is determined and speaks her mind. She has a great sense of humour towards her family and friends. At times I was actually laughing out loud. Parts of the book were also sad and heartwarming.
But one thing I did not like was the romance... And yes there was and always has been a love triangle. I don't mind triangles, but this one was BAD.
The ending was okay because it didn't end on the cliffhanger and everybody lived happily ever after... except me. Yes, Gia and all her friends when back their homes and everything else. I just wished the romance went the other way and there were more books. This is the last book in the series and although it wasn't the best last book, I still was sad and wanted more.
Assassin of Truths is a young adult fantasy novel about Gia Kearns. She has a mission to retrieve 7 keys from the worlds most beautiful libraries. But now she is running into 'bad guys' unruly creatures and most of all, a love so deep it is hard to think.
Overall I liked this book but felt that the first and second book were much better. I think this book can kind of relate to Mortal Instruments series, in the whole portal jumping scheme of things. Throughout the whole book, Gia is determined and speaks her mind. She has a great sense of humour towards her family and friends. At times I was actually laughing out loud. Parts of the book were also sad and heartwarming.
But one thing I did not like was the romance... And yes there was and always has been a love triangle. I don't mind triangles, but this one was BAD.
The ending was okay because it didn't end on the cliffhanger and everybody lived happily ever after... except me. Yes, Gia and all her friends when back their homes and everything else. I just wished the romance went the other way and there were more books. This is the last book in the series and although it wasn't the best last book, I still was sad and wanted more.
July 11, 2018
(Source: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Teen and Brenda Drake.)
“I’m in this with you. With Demos and Emily. With the covens and those in the havens who are on our side. I won’t let you face the storm without me. If you fall, I fall.”
I LOVED this book and the series, I was so happy with this last book as a conclusion, and just the ending itself. Even though I am sad that we will not see these characters anymore, but the author ended it on the right note, in the best possible way.
I tilted my head to look at him. “Please never leave me.”
A worried smile spread across his lips. “You couldn’t chase me away.”
I love romances, so the best aspect of this book for me was that besides adventure it actually finally heavily explored Bastien and Gia's relationship. In the last book she said Arik that she had to give it a try, and till the end she was not 100% into it. However, in this book they were already certain that they were together, so for me the romance was an amazing flavor added to this Mystic World.
“Now, Aetnae and I are going to turn our backs while you two kiss goodbye.” Briony opened her mouth to protest, and I put up my hand to stop her. “Look at him. No telling when you’ll get this opportunity again.”
Again, the author did not disappoint us and presented many new characters AND most of them again had some romanticism in their stories. I am goner for a romance so I appreciate it. YES I love action, fast paced stories with lots of twists and turn BUT Romance is a mandatory element for me.
“I’m most terrified of losing you,” I said.
He flashed a crooked smile. “Never going to happen.”
“Are you always so sure of everything?”
“Not everything,” he said. “I doubted you would ever come to your senses and realize I was the better man for you.”
“You never doubted that.”
“All right.” He laughed. “I knew you’d come around. Besides, who could resist me?”
I laughed that time. “You’re so full of yourself sometimes.”
“I was raised to never lie, weren’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
I fell in love with Bastien even more. We had lot of loses of our beloved characters here, and Gia as the protagonist suffered from it the most, but he always stood next to her, supported her, believed in her, trusted her and pushed her always forward. He did not baby or doubt her, and put her first, dived into abyss for her.
Bastien needed to go with them. It was the only way. I wanted to tell him every secret in my heart. Tell him how I felt the spark between us the first time we met. Tell him I forgave him and that I was scared to lose him.
But there wasn’t time.
We never had enough time.”
I was happy to see the growth in them. Actually since the beginning what I loved about the writing style of Brenda is that she did not add cliché elements. When they went for some mission they succeeded, nothing bad happened, and I loved it. And here is well, something had to be done, no matter what they just did it, separately or no they did. Since the first chapter of the first book all the characters were level-headed and did not act like teenagers, they were responsible and mature in their decisions.
“How did we get here, Arik?”
“Don’t speak. Because if you do, I won’t have the strength to follow my orders.” He lowered his lips to my ears. “Gia, everything comes back to you. I loved you. My heart is ruined. You’ve broken me.”
I did not know to punch Arik or what. Seriously he annoyed me, yes his loyalty could not NOT be respected, however, he saw the wrong from the right but still went against EVERYONE and EVERYTHING just for the laws. I am just glad that he made the right decision in the end.
“Why can’t you follow orders?” His voice was softer then.
“Because it’s wrong. Can’t you see that?” I stepped back from him. “I thought I knew you. That you knew right from wrong. I put my faith in you. And I broke you?” The laugh that burst from my lips was weak and shaky. “You tore me to pieces.”
Arik and Gia's chapter was finally closed. I think before they did not really get a closure, but in this book they did, which was needed for both of them so they could move on with their lives. However, it was more for Arik than Gia. She was already with Bastien, fully, and he trusted her with Arik, fully, she just missed her partner in combat, her friend, Meanwhile, Arik was not fully free yet, he lost his love, his friends, he was devastated with the betrayal of the laws that he fully believed in and so many years fought for, so he needed that closure, for him.
The place didn’t make a home. People you loved did.
I was sad about many loses, but two in particular, even till the end I did not really comprehend that these characters were gone. Sinead and Royston. I was glad that Carrig survived, because otherwise, Deidre would not have survived it. Her mother, her love, she lost so much already, when she finally found herself, and got a life for herself, and not just as Gia's changeling, I do not know why the author decided to kill both Sinead and Royston. But Deidre is a strong girl she would survive, I am not sure I could have if I was at her place.
Arik reached over and removed another strand of hair that had stuck to my eyelashes. “One day, we’ll feel less awkward around each other.”
“One day, you’ll tell Emily you have feelings for her.”
He stared down at his sandwich. “One day,” he repeated.
I shipped Arik and Emily since the second book, when Emily's name was cleared, and I was happy to see them KIND OF together. Ok, they were not really together, but they were moving towards it, so I was happy, they really were cute together.
Emily darted in front of Arik and stretched her hands out. With her fingers spread wide, she mumbled a charm and a wall of mud shot up and flew at Nick, knocking him over.
“Get up. Get up,” she said to Arik. “Don’t just lie there.”
“Hey, stop worrying.” He pushed to his feet. “I just needed a breather.”
She hit his shoulder. “Well, do that later. You scared me.”
Arik quirked a smile at her. “I like you, too. So will you get to a safer spot, please?”
“Since you put it like that, I will.” She rushed off, heading for the outer side of the battle.
I mean look at this how adorable this is. Emily really proved her worth and where her loyalties lay, and Arik showed that he was accepting his mistakes and was ready to right his wrongs. They both wanted to show everyone that they wanted to fix what was done to them, or through them, or maybe by them even, with or without their faults, and I think that was the driving force behind their connection. They got each other.
“I’m promising to wait for you until you are ready to join me in the Mystik world. I promise to be there whenever you need me. I promise to watch those horrible black and white movies with you and Nana. I promise no one will ever love you or cherish you as much as I do. I promise to love you until my last breath.”
Tears gathered in my eyes. “And I promise to not annoy you.”
“I don’t think you should make promises you can’t keep.”
He gathered me into his arms, and I lifted my face to meet his kiss. A warmth rushed over me, and I no longer felt cold. I would make a million promises for Bastien. And it didn’t matter what world we ended up living in. Because I knew when things got bad, Bastien would jump into a trap with me, and I’d do the same for him.
Overall, this was one of the best YA Fantasy series that I have read and I cannot just explain, how relieved I was that the author gave us an amazing conclusion with this book. Yes, the loses were devastating, but there are no wars without any loses, most importantly nothing was overdone or forced in readers. Everything was right where it should have been and when it should have happened. Could not be any more satisfied, REALLY LOVED IT~!
“I’m in this with you. With Demos and Emily. With the covens and those in the havens who are on our side. I won’t let you face the storm without me. If you fall, I fall.”
I LOVED this book and the series, I was so happy with this last book as a conclusion, and just the ending itself. Even though I am sad that we will not see these characters anymore, but the author ended it on the right note, in the best possible way.
I tilted my head to look at him. “Please never leave me.”
A worried smile spread across his lips. “You couldn’t chase me away.”
I love romances, so the best aspect of this book for me was that besides adventure it actually finally heavily explored Bastien and Gia's relationship. In the last book she said Arik that she had to give it a try, and till the end she was not 100% into it. However, in this book they were already certain that they were together, so for me the romance was an amazing flavor added to this Mystic World.
“Now, Aetnae and I are going to turn our backs while you two kiss goodbye.” Briony opened her mouth to protest, and I put up my hand to stop her. “Look at him. No telling when you’ll get this opportunity again.”
Again, the author did not disappoint us and presented many new characters AND most of them again had some romanticism in their stories. I am goner for a romance so I appreciate it. YES I love action, fast paced stories with lots of twists and turn BUT Romance is a mandatory element for me.
“I’m most terrified of losing you,” I said.
He flashed a crooked smile. “Never going to happen.”
“Are you always so sure of everything?”
“Not everything,” he said. “I doubted you would ever come to your senses and realize I was the better man for you.”
“You never doubted that.”
“All right.” He laughed. “I knew you’d come around. Besides, who could resist me?”
I laughed that time. “You’re so full of yourself sometimes.”
“I was raised to never lie, weren’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
I fell in love with Bastien even more. We had lot of loses of our beloved characters here, and Gia as the protagonist suffered from it the most, but he always stood next to her, supported her, believed in her, trusted her and pushed her always forward. He did not baby or doubt her, and put her first, dived into abyss for her.
Bastien needed to go with them. It was the only way. I wanted to tell him every secret in my heart. Tell him how I felt the spark between us the first time we met. Tell him I forgave him and that I was scared to lose him.
But there wasn’t time.
We never had enough time.”
I was happy to see the growth in them. Actually since the beginning what I loved about the writing style of Brenda is that she did not add cliché elements. When they went for some mission they succeeded, nothing bad happened, and I loved it. And here is well, something had to be done, no matter what they just did it, separately or no they did. Since the first chapter of the first book all the characters were level-headed and did not act like teenagers, they were responsible and mature in their decisions.
“How did we get here, Arik?”
“Don’t speak. Because if you do, I won’t have the strength to follow my orders.” He lowered his lips to my ears. “Gia, everything comes back to you. I loved you. My heart is ruined. You’ve broken me.”
I did not know to punch Arik or what. Seriously he annoyed me, yes his loyalty could not NOT be respected, however, he saw the wrong from the right but still went against EVERYONE and EVERYTHING just for the laws. I am just glad that he made the right decision in the end.
“Why can’t you follow orders?” His voice was softer then.
“Because it’s wrong. Can’t you see that?” I stepped back from him. “I thought I knew you. That you knew right from wrong. I put my faith in you. And I broke you?” The laugh that burst from my lips was weak and shaky. “You tore me to pieces.”
Arik and Gia's chapter was finally closed. I think before they did not really get a closure, but in this book they did, which was needed for both of them so they could move on with their lives. However, it was more for Arik than Gia. She was already with Bastien, fully, and he trusted her with Arik, fully, she just missed her partner in combat, her friend, Meanwhile, Arik was not fully free yet, he lost his love, his friends, he was devastated with the betrayal of the laws that he fully believed in and so many years fought for, so he needed that closure, for him.
The place didn’t make a home. People you loved did.
I was sad about many loses, but two in particular, even till the end I did not really comprehend that these characters were gone. Sinead and Royston. I was glad that Carrig survived, because otherwise, Deidre would not have survived it. Her mother, her love, she lost so much already, when she finally found herself, and got a life for herself, and not just as Gia's changeling, I do not know why the author decided to kill both Sinead and Royston. But Deidre is a strong girl she would survive, I am not sure I could have if I was at her place.
Arik reached over and removed another strand of hair that had stuck to my eyelashes. “One day, we’ll feel less awkward around each other.”
“One day, you’ll tell Emily you have feelings for her.”
He stared down at his sandwich. “One day,” he repeated.
I shipped Arik and Emily since the second book, when Emily's name was cleared, and I was happy to see them KIND OF together. Ok, they were not really together, but they were moving towards it, so I was happy, they really were cute together.
Emily darted in front of Arik and stretched her hands out. With her fingers spread wide, she mumbled a charm and a wall of mud shot up and flew at Nick, knocking him over.
“Get up. Get up,” she said to Arik. “Don’t just lie there.”
“Hey, stop worrying.” He pushed to his feet. “I just needed a breather.”
She hit his shoulder. “Well, do that later. You scared me.”
Arik quirked a smile at her. “I like you, too. So will you get to a safer spot, please?”
“Since you put it like that, I will.” She rushed off, heading for the outer side of the battle.
I mean look at this how adorable this is. Emily really proved her worth and where her loyalties lay, and Arik showed that he was accepting his mistakes and was ready to right his wrongs. They both wanted to show everyone that they wanted to fix what was done to them, or through them, or maybe by them even, with or without their faults, and I think that was the driving force behind their connection. They got each other.
“I’m promising to wait for you until you are ready to join me in the Mystik world. I promise to be there whenever you need me. I promise to watch those horrible black and white movies with you and Nana. I promise no one will ever love you or cherish you as much as I do. I promise to love you until my last breath.”
Tears gathered in my eyes. “And I promise to not annoy you.”
“I don’t think you should make promises you can’t keep.”
He gathered me into his arms, and I lifted my face to meet his kiss. A warmth rushed over me, and I no longer felt cold. I would make a million promises for Bastien. And it didn’t matter what world we ended up living in. Because I knew when things got bad, Bastien would jump into a trap with me, and I’d do the same for him.
Overall, this was one of the best YA Fantasy series that I have read and I cannot just explain, how relieved I was that the author gave us an amazing conclusion with this book. Yes, the loses were devastating, but there are no wars without any loses, most importantly nothing was overdone or forced in readers. Everything was right where it should have been and when it should have happened. Could not be any more satisfied, REALLY LOVED IT~!
September 26, 2023
Cette série a su me surprendre de tomes en tomes. Une magnifique fin et je dois avouer que je suis un peu triste de quitter l'univers 🥲
February 5, 2018
'Assassin of Truths' is the exhilarating final installment in an absolutely wonderful young adult fantasy series that will leave readers with closure, but still wanting more. After reading the first two books and knowing that this was the last one, I had lots of hopes and certain expectations for it. I'm so incredibly happy that this novel lived up to and even surpassed my expectancies. There are so many series that start out really strong only to tank when it comes to the following installments. This book is just as good - if not a bit better - than the first two, which was a very happy surprise for me.
As with the first two books, a ton of stuff happens throughout the story - to the point where I can't elaborate much on the plot because of potential spoilers. There were a ton of fantastic secondary characters that I enjoyed getting to know on a better level. Gia continues to evolve throughout the book. She's wiser, more mature, confident, determined to do what has to be done in order to finish the war - no matter the costs (and there are definitely some big ones). She's a realistic character with both positive traits and faults, and I was able to easy reconnect with her right away. The romance between Gia and Bastien was sweet and I loved watching them continue to grow closer as the story evolved. As I mentioned a couple reviews ago - I don't normally do the "book boyfriend" thing but in this case, Bastien definitely makes my list. Talk about swoon!
Another big plus for me was the author's choice of writing style. She uses the first person point of view - which I'm a huge fan of for several reasons. The story is told from Gia's perspective, so we really get to know her on a deeply personal level. I think it's a perfect fit for the series and captures the inner workings of Gia's heart and mind, allowing the reader to really identify with her character. The author used vivid imagery and lots of detailed descriptions that brought each aspect of the story to life before my eyes. I easily slipped back into Gia's world from the beginning pages of the book, and I didn't come back out until I had finished the novel (which I ended up doing in a matter of a few hours). The last book in a series is always bittersweet because you usually get a good amount of closure, but it makes me sad that there will be no more new books to look forward to. I know for a fact that I'll be re-reading this series plenty of times, so I guess it's not really goodbye for me at least. :) Very highly recommended for fans of fantasy, along with fans of young adult fiction, paranormal, contemporary, and even romance!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
As with the first two books, a ton of stuff happens throughout the story - to the point where I can't elaborate much on the plot because of potential spoilers. There were a ton of fantastic secondary characters that I enjoyed getting to know on a better level. Gia continues to evolve throughout the book. She's wiser, more mature, confident, determined to do what has to be done in order to finish the war - no matter the costs (and there are definitely some big ones). She's a realistic character with both positive traits and faults, and I was able to easy reconnect with her right away. The romance between Gia and Bastien was sweet and I loved watching them continue to grow closer as the story evolved. As I mentioned a couple reviews ago - I don't normally do the "book boyfriend" thing but in this case, Bastien definitely makes my list. Talk about swoon!
Another big plus for me was the author's choice of writing style. She uses the first person point of view - which I'm a huge fan of for several reasons. The story is told from Gia's perspective, so we really get to know her on a deeply personal level. I think it's a perfect fit for the series and captures the inner workings of Gia's heart and mind, allowing the reader to really identify with her character. The author used vivid imagery and lots of detailed descriptions that brought each aspect of the story to life before my eyes. I easily slipped back into Gia's world from the beginning pages of the book, and I didn't come back out until I had finished the novel (which I ended up doing in a matter of a few hours). The last book in a series is always bittersweet because you usually get a good amount of closure, but it makes me sad that there will be no more new books to look forward to. I know for a fact that I'll be re-reading this series plenty of times, so I guess it's not really goodbye for me at least. :) Very highly recommended for fans of fantasy, along with fans of young adult fiction, paranormal, contemporary, and even romance!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2018
DNF at 35%
I'm sure some people will love this, but it's just not for me. It seems almost exactly the same as TMI, a series I personally love, but not in a reminiscent way, in a way that the story and characters are the same except not as good as TMI.
Speaking of the story, I had no idea what the plot was doing. It seemed we were trying to do one thing, and then suddenly we'd be off doing this whole other thing and I'd have to think, "Wait, what about this other plot line that is seemingly more important?"
The characters were all completely flat and I didn't like the main character at all. She was very self-pitying and ick.
This is very upsetting to me, because the idea was soooooo cool, but the execution was a complete flop for me and the book overall unoriginal.
I absolutely hate DNFing books, but I am too confused and disinterested at this point to continue.
Thank you to the publisher + Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
I'm sure some people will love this, but it's just not for me. It seems almost exactly the same as TMI, a series I personally love, but not in a reminiscent way, in a way that the story and characters are the same except not as good as TMI.
Speaking of the story, I had no idea what the plot was doing. It seemed we were trying to do one thing, and then suddenly we'd be off doing this whole other thing and I'd have to think, "Wait, what about this other plot line that is seemingly more important?"
The characters were all completely flat and I didn't like the main character at all. She was very self-pitying and ick.
This is very upsetting to me, because the idea was soooooo cool, but the execution was a complete flop for me and the book overall unoriginal.
I absolutely hate DNFing books, but I am too confused and disinterested at this point to continue.
Thank you to the publisher + Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
February 10, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5
I was a little disappointed with this book, if I’m honest. When I read the first book, Thief of Lies, I was surprised by how much I loved the story. But the second book wasn’t quite as good, and this one didn’t reach those expectations, either. It was a good read, and the storyline, the world, is really interesting, but the characters annoyed me in this book, and the plot was a bit hard to get into at first.
I was really annoyed by Gia in this book.
In the previous books, she was awesome and badass and I really loved her. In this book, she felt like a totally new character. She’s still caring and she does still know how to fight, but it felt like she overthought and worried too much about everything, and the smallest of things would make her panic. She just felt really different from the other books, and I didn’t like that. Plus, she’s determined to do everything on her own. When something happens, her first reaction is to sneak away in the night, not telling anyone what she’s doing. Trusting her friends to help her would’ve saved her a lot of anxiety.
I’m not totally convinced by the romance.
Okay, I’ll admit it; I still want Gia and Arik together. I don’t really like Gia and Bastien together. They felt kind of forced and hurried in the second book, and that was the case with this book, too. Sure, they have some cute moments, and there are moments where Bastien is great and really supportive of her, but only when she’s in pain for one reason or the other. When she’s fighting, trying to save people, putting herself in danger, he’s angry. And okay, sometimes she makes mistakes, but she can take care of herself. And it really bothered me how he kept refusing to accept that she could, that she didn’t need a protector.
The plot was good.
At first, I found it really hard to get into it the story. Not because it was slow, but because it started out very fast. There was no gradual introduction to the plot, but it started right away with a lot of things happening at once, and it made it a bit hard to get into the book at first. But apart from those first few chapters, I loved how full of action and twists the book was.
The world is totally awesome.
I love the world. People say that reading books takes you to new places, and I really liked the idea that books could literally take you to a different place. And I loved that the libraries were literally such magical places – not that I didn’t already know that. It’s such a great concept, and I loved reading about this world. Plus, the Sentinels are totally awesome. I definitely want to be a Sentinel when I grow up (okay, I’m already grown up, but whatever).
To sum it up, I enjoyed reading the book. The plot was good and the world is unique and interesting. But I didn’t like the characters or the romance, and the main character felt like she’d changed a lot since the other books. Overall, I’d definitely recommend the series though.
I was a little disappointed with this book, if I’m honest. When I read the first book, Thief of Lies, I was surprised by how much I loved the story. But the second book wasn’t quite as good, and this one didn’t reach those expectations, either. It was a good read, and the storyline, the world, is really interesting, but the characters annoyed me in this book, and the plot was a bit hard to get into at first.
I was really annoyed by Gia in this book.
In the previous books, she was awesome and badass and I really loved her. In this book, she felt like a totally new character. She’s still caring and she does still know how to fight, but it felt like she overthought and worried too much about everything, and the smallest of things would make her panic. She just felt really different from the other books, and I didn’t like that. Plus, she’s determined to do everything on her own. When something happens, her first reaction is to sneak away in the night, not telling anyone what she’s doing. Trusting her friends to help her would’ve saved her a lot of anxiety.
I’m not totally convinced by the romance.
Okay, I’ll admit it; I still want Gia and Arik together. I don’t really like Gia and Bastien together. They felt kind of forced and hurried in the second book, and that was the case with this book, too. Sure, they have some cute moments, and there are moments where Bastien is great and really supportive of her, but only when she’s in pain for one reason or the other. When she’s fighting, trying to save people, putting herself in danger, he’s angry. And okay, sometimes she makes mistakes, but she can take care of herself. And it really bothered me how he kept refusing to accept that she could, that she didn’t need a protector.
The plot was good.
At first, I found it really hard to get into it the story. Not because it was slow, but because it started out very fast. There was no gradual introduction to the plot, but it started right away with a lot of things happening at once, and it made it a bit hard to get into the book at first. But apart from those first few chapters, I loved how full of action and twists the book was.
The world is totally awesome.
I love the world. People say that reading books takes you to new places, and I really liked the idea that books could literally take you to a different place. And I loved that the libraries were literally such magical places – not that I didn’t already know that. It’s such a great concept, and I loved reading about this world. Plus, the Sentinels are totally awesome. I definitely want to be a Sentinel when I grow up (okay, I’m already grown up, but whatever).
To sum it up, I enjoyed reading the book. The plot was good and the world is unique and interesting. But I didn’t like the characters or the romance, and the main character felt like she’d changed a lot since the other books. Overall, I’d definitely recommend the series though.
January 4, 2018
This book was everything. It broke my heart with some of the losses that we experienced, but in the end it was everything I was hoping it would be and the perfect ending to a crazy adventure.
I was WAY shipping Gia and Bastien in this book and I loved getting to watch them grow together. Throw in all the near death experiences and this book really has you on edge. You never know who is going to pop up, or who turns out to be a spy.
Gia makes some hard choices in this book and it hard to watch her try to hold it together. She has grown so much since the first novel and in this book you really see her come into her own at the end.
The story comes to a head and the battle we have all been dreading has arrived. I swear Brenda Drake likes to have her readers biting their nails, because by the end of this I was holding my breath and reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen.
This novel was the perfect blend of the previous two and everything I wanted. It wrapped up splendidly and I hope we see more from this family in the future! Thanks for the wild ride!
Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2D7F5Df
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. Not to mention there’s an evil wizard trying to use his magical abilities to take her down. Because she has the keys to end his devious plan. That is, once she figures out what to do with them.
With the handsome, cocky, and maybe-perfect-for-her Bastien by her side, Gia travels through the beautiful wizard havens and Mystik covens to gather the answers she seeks. The journey is harrowing, and it pits Gia against someone she loves. But there’s only one way to destroy her enemies—if she can uncover it before they catch up to her.
Because sometimes facing our demons is the only way out.
June 23, 2020
Globalement, j'ai trouvé que ce troisième tome était meilleur que les deux autres. Il y a beaucoup d'action et les personnages ont assez peu de temps pour se remettre de leurs batailles et des événements, ce qui fait que l'on tourne les pages pour savoir ce qu'il va leur arriver.
L'univers gagne en profondeur comme les personnages et j'avoue avoir enfin cru à la romance entre Bastien et Gia (les détails sur les sentiments et les contacts entre les deux personnages qui m'ont manqué dans le tome 2 sont finalement présents ici).
Mais. Oui il y a un "mais". J'ai relevé plus de 50 coquilles dans ce roman qui fait 560 pages, soit presque une coquille toutes les 10 pages. Je trouve que c'est vraiment énorme (en règle générale, j'en relève quelques unes, rarement autant). Je ne sais pas si cela a été remonté jusqu'à la maison d'édition, ni si les impressions postérieures ont été corrigées. Néanmoins, cela fait mal à mon français, et certes je pinaille, il y a toujours des coquilles cachées dans un manuscrit, moi-même j'en fais et je ne suis pas infaillible... Mais autant ? Je ne sais pas mais j'en doute...
L'univers gagne en profondeur comme les personnages et j'avoue avoir enfin cru à la romance entre Bastien et Gia (les détails sur les sentiments et les contacts entre les deux personnages qui m'ont manqué dans le tome 2 sont finalement présents ici).
Mais. Oui il y a un "mais". J'ai relevé plus de 50 coquilles dans ce roman qui fait 560 pages, soit presque une coquille toutes les 10 pages. Je trouve que c'est vraiment énorme (en règle générale, j'en relève quelques unes, rarement autant). Je ne sais pas si cela a été remonté jusqu'à la maison d'édition, ni si les impressions postérieures ont été corrigées. Néanmoins, cela fait mal à mon français, et certes je pinaille, il y a toujours des coquilles cachées dans un manuscrit, moi-même j'en fais et je ne suis pas infaillible... Mais autant ? Je ne sais pas mais j'en doute...
October 12, 2018
This book wasn't as interesting as the previous two and because of that I every time I put it down I didn't feel this great desire to pick it up again.
About the romance:
I'm still glad I read this book, because I did want to know how everything ended and think that most people who've already read the first two books in the trilogy will feel the same.
About the romance:
I'm still glad I read this book, because I did want to know how everything ended and think that most people who've already read the first two books in the trilogy will feel the same.
Read
January 28, 2018Tons of action and adventure in the conclusion to Brenda Drake’s NYT bestselling Library Jumpers series. Danger at every turn for the main characters as Gia gets the last keys, and goes on a journey to take down the Tetrad and Conemar for the final time.
June 19, 2018
"En résumé, c'est un tome final qui tient toutes ses promesses, et même plus ! J'ai adoré retrouver cet univers qui est bien plus complexe qu'on ne le pense. On a toutes les réponses à nos questions et le cœur serré à plusieurs reprises. C'est une trilogie que je vous conseille fortement de découvrir à votre tour, si ce n'est pas déjà fait."
Chronique complète: http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
Chronique complète: http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
March 31, 2018
First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
This is the last book in the Library Jumpers Trilogy.
I finished another series/trilogy. This is my mission this year, finishing series or at least catching up on series that are still not finished. So far I'm doing pretty good. Yay me!
Summary (cause it's not that spoilery): 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.
I was back in the world right from the beginning, I especially loved that we got a few reminders of what happened before. It was enough to jog my memory but not too much that it got repetetive (look at me using new words). I also loved that we gt right back into action, that's what I love about these books, they are just so action filled.
I just love these characters in this story. Gia is an amazing character, the author doesn't go the route of making her a strong character by never having her cry, WHICH I LOVE. You can be strong and still show emotions. There was also some mystery about Gia and her globes, that I won't go in detail about but that I totally loved. Emily was also back, while I strongly disliked her in the second book until we figured some stuff out, I loved her in this final book. She was amazing. Like always I enjoyed every moment that had Nana, Pop and Afton in it. But also the other sentinels like Lei (my favorite ducky), Jaran (his friendship with Gia will always be my absolute favorite!), and Demos.
I still couldn't care less about Nick (I mean I feel for him, but I wasn't a big fan of him before everything went down, so) or Bastien. I'm sorry, I just can't. This is also why I read everything relating to Gia and Bastien very loosely. I can't. And Arik, ARIK. Good god, how I miss that dude from book one. Book two was a mess when it came to him. The beginning of this book, I couldn't deal with him and was very glad to see things change around the middle towards the end. I love Arik with all my heart, but damn, it's been a rough time.
Another part that I truly enjoyed in this book, was seeing the fairy realm, seeing all the other havens and covens. I just love all the world building, it was beautiful and just so very well done.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this trilogy. Not everything went how I wanted it to go but I can live with that, I still liked it alot.
This is the last book in the Library Jumpers Trilogy.
I finished another series/trilogy. This is my mission this year, finishing series or at least catching up on series that are still not finished. So far I'm doing pretty good. Yay me!
Summary (cause it's not that spoilery): 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.
I was back in the world right from the beginning, I especially loved that we got a few reminders of what happened before. It was enough to jog my memory but not too much that it got repetetive (look at me using new words). I also loved that we gt right back into action, that's what I love about these books, they are just so action filled.
I just love these characters in this story. Gia is an amazing character, the author doesn't go the route of making her a strong character by never having her cry, WHICH I LOVE. You can be strong and still show emotions. There was also some mystery about Gia and her globes, that I won't go in detail about but that I totally loved. Emily was also back, while I strongly disliked her in the second book until we figured some stuff out, I loved her in this final book. She was amazing. Like always I enjoyed every moment that had Nana, Pop and Afton in it. But also the other sentinels like Lei (my favorite ducky), Jaran (his friendship with Gia will always be my absolute favorite!), and Demos.
I still couldn't care less about Nick (I mean I feel for him, but I wasn't a big fan of him before everything went down, so) or Bastien. I'm sorry, I just can't. This is also why I read everything relating to Gia and Bastien very loosely. I can't. And Arik, ARIK. Good god, how I miss that dude from book one. Book two was a mess when it came to him. The beginning of this book, I couldn't deal with him and was very glad to see things change around the middle towards the end. I love Arik with all my heart, but damn, it's been a rough time.
Another part that I truly enjoyed in this book, was seeing the fairy realm, seeing all the other havens and covens. I just love all the world building, it was beautiful and just so very well done.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this trilogy. Not everything went how I wanted it to go but I can live with that, I still liked it alot.
Read
February 10, 2018Assassin of Truths was a satisfying conclusion to the Library Jumpers Trilogy. Full of action of action and excitement right from the word go, book 3 picks up a month or after the end of book 2. Gia and her friends are still reeling in the aftermath of the events of book 2, the grief at those they lost and for Gia especially the part she played in it all. However there are chiavi to find, a tetras to release and conquer and two worlds to save so Gia and her friends are determined to get on with the task at hand. The pace of the story did not let up the whole way through, each page seemed to reveal a new secret or betrayal or surprise and raise the stakes just that little bit higher. This was done cleverly in a way that both progressed the story and kept me hooked into the book, holding my breath, from beginning to end. I also found it easy to get back into the flow of the series. It’s been a year since I read Guardian of Secrets but I found it relatively easy to slip back into the story. I really liked the growth we saw in many of the characters, in particular Gia, from the beginning of the series to this last book. She really seemed to learn and grow after each thing that happened and this made me like her all the more. I also liked seeing how her relationships with others, with Arik and Bastien especially, grew and changed as the characters did. It felt like virtually all Gia’s relationships with other characters changed through out the series, many strengthening and others changing into something completely different, which is how it is in life especially when there are epic world ending events in play. What I loved most about the novel was the world building. Ms Drake creates a world that while dealing with all sports of strife, is one I would love to visit. Right from the beginning, the idea of being able to jump from place place via library and through a page in a library book, grabbed my imagination and the worlds and havens that Ms Drake created within this idea made not want to leave at the end. All in all I really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole and I am sad that this appears to be the last book in this world. I do know that regardless of whether its set in this world or in some other, I will be interested in reading what Ms Drake writes next. I have no qualms giving this book 4 stars for excitement, action, a great story and a world you will wish you could stay in.
Sapphired Dragon XX
Sapphired Dragon XX
July 2, 2025
J’ai été beaucoup moins happé par l’univers que lors des précédents tomes. L’action omniprésente a desservi l’histoire, les personnages étant toujours en mouvement, de ville en royaume, de bibliothèque en refuge j’avais parfois l’impression que leurs déplacements n’aboutissaient à rien. Il en va de même pour l’ajout de nombreux personnages, qui ont d’ailleurs pour la plupart finit sacrifiés…
La relation un peu trop parfaite entre Bastien et Gia, bien que mignonne, m’a laissé un peu dubitative. Et Arik dans tout ça ? Le triangle amoureux est totalement passé à la trappe, le personnage d’Arik se borne dans l’obéissance aveugle pour se ressaisir soudainement, et que dire de ses sentiments instables ?
Le tempérament de feu de Gia transparaît beaucoup moins dans ce troisième tome, même si elle reste une guerrière, elle est sans cesse mise en position de victime. On la voit plus souvent tétanisée avec des larmes dans les yeux que déterminée et armes en mains.
L’enlèvement de Nick me dérange aussi, pourquoi l’avoir kidnappé si c’est pour ne pas jouer un rôle dans le récit ? Il n’apparaît que deux fois et son passage n’as pas de réel poids alors que c’est un personnage plein de ressources qui aurait gagné à être développé.
Même les scènes de bataille m’ont paru moins dangereuses. Le problème de la Tétrade, la plus grande menace que le monde ai connu a été résolu si rapidement.
J’ai quand même apprécié retrouver les personnages, leur humour, leur fragilité et leur problème. J’ai adoré la découverte de nouveaux lieux aux descriptions magiques. J’aime toujours autant que les livres soient des portes sur différents mondes, j’étais comme une enfants devant le livre pop up du jardin secret.
Dans ce dernier volume on en apprend plus sur le mode de vie de plusieurs espèces, on en découvre d’autres, on s’attarde davantage sur le monde politique, ses complots et les lois qui le régisse, j’ai adoré cet aspect.
Ce troisième tome n’a pas été un coup de cœur contrairement aux précédents, je me suis essoufflé à le finir. Bien que j’ai apprécié beaucoup d’aspects et que l’action ne manque pas je termine la trilogie avec une pointe de déception. Les personnages et l’univers n’ont pas su me tenir jusqu’au bout et l’histoire n’a pas prit la direction que j’attendais laissant trop de doutes et de questions en suspens. Ça reste tout de même une bonne lecture.
La relation un peu trop parfaite entre Bastien et Gia, bien que mignonne, m’a laissé un peu dubitative. Et Arik dans tout ça ? Le triangle amoureux est totalement passé à la trappe, le personnage d’Arik se borne dans l’obéissance aveugle pour se ressaisir soudainement, et que dire de ses sentiments instables ?
Le tempérament de feu de Gia transparaît beaucoup moins dans ce troisième tome, même si elle reste une guerrière, elle est sans cesse mise en position de victime. On la voit plus souvent tétanisée avec des larmes dans les yeux que déterminée et armes en mains.
L’enlèvement de Nick me dérange aussi, pourquoi l’avoir kidnappé si c’est pour ne pas jouer un rôle dans le récit ? Il n’apparaît que deux fois et son passage n’as pas de réel poids alors que c’est un personnage plein de ressources qui aurait gagné à être développé.
Même les scènes de bataille m’ont paru moins dangereuses. Le problème de la Tétrade, la plus grande menace que le monde ai connu a été résolu si rapidement.
J’ai quand même apprécié retrouver les personnages, leur humour, leur fragilité et leur problème. J’ai adoré la découverte de nouveaux lieux aux descriptions magiques. J’aime toujours autant que les livres soient des portes sur différents mondes, j’étais comme une enfants devant le livre pop up du jardin secret.
Dans ce dernier volume on en apprend plus sur le mode de vie de plusieurs espèces, on en découvre d’autres, on s’attarde davantage sur le monde politique, ses complots et les lois qui le régisse, j’ai adoré cet aspect.
Ce troisième tome n’a pas été un coup de cœur contrairement aux précédents, je me suis essoufflé à le finir. Bien que j’ai apprécié beaucoup d’aspects et que l’action ne manque pas je termine la trilogie avec une pointe de déception. Les personnages et l’univers n’ont pas su me tenir jusqu’au bout et l’histoire n’a pas prit la direction que j’attendais laissant trop de doutes et de questions en suspens. Ça reste tout de même une bonne lecture.
February 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way has the author or the publisher influenced my review or my opinions. This review contains spoilers and shouldn’t be read if you haven’t read the book.
This was definitely the best book of the series. It had much better pacing than the other two, it kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what was going to happen next. While there were some parts that to me didn’t seem necessary to the plot, it all came together in the end to create a satisfying ending to the series.
I loved the fact that Gia did end up with Bastien and didn’t get back with Arik. I was wondering if it was going to happen when they escaped without Bastien but I am glad that it didn’t happen. Gia stuck to her guns and was smart enough, had enough common sense to realize their romantic relationship was damaged beyond repair and even if she wanted to go back that she couldn’t. I’m also very happy that she realized what a good man and relationship she had with Bastien. I love so much that he only has eyes for her and never looks at another woman.
Arik really bothered me the entire time in this book. He has such a high and mighty demeanour and I was really angry when even though he knew it was wrong, he still arrested Gia and put her in the Gallows to be tortured. He refused to disobey orders even when it could save lives. In the exact opposite way Bastien only grew on me more and more. He wasn’t afraid to do what was right, even if it meant becoming an enemy of the Wizard court and possibly giving up his title. I also loved that he was willing to go into the Somnium with Gia because his love for her was so strong that he wouldn’t leave her to face it herself. While being arrogant and conceited, he is also noble with good intentions. He really cares about the people and I can understand why they wanted to make him head of the new government at the end of the book.
One storyline I really would’ve liked to have seen expanded was the one with Nick. I thought we were going to this epic fight of him and his father and him fighting against the darkness rising within him brought on by his father but it never happened. He just ended up being controlled by another wizard, and eventually Bastien. I would’ve loved to have seen his inner musings and fighter against the wizard who controlled him in a POV chapter once in awhile. We get to see a glimpse of it when he is in his fight to the death with Gia, but I wish we had gotten to see more of it.
I also felt like Carrig was another character who could’ve been utilized more often and I expected him to be a big part, especially of the last battle. But he ended up being in a coma for most of this book and when he finally woke up was bedridden for the final battle. It was kind of disappointing to be honest. I was happy to see that The Red got more of a central role in this book though. He is such a unique and interesting character, and to find that he was trying to help and not Evil was great.
I was really sad to see Sinead die in this book, she was like a mother to Gia and a female role model when she had none. Also, could the way she died be any sadder? Gia had to sacrifice Sinead to save Carrig. Royston had such a sad ending too, sacrificing himself to take down the Tetrad. His character really got the short end of the stick; he got married, had a child (by the age of around 20), got stuck in a Somnium for hundreds of years, escaped, only to have to drink a poisonous potion to destroy the Tetrad and save the human and Mystik worlds. I felt like he has such a meaningful life but he didn’t really get to live one much. Also, he and Deidre just got ripped apart by his death. And poor Deidre lost her love and her mother in this book.
I’m glad that Uncle Phillip didn’t turn out to be evil but I am so angry that he got killed off! He was my favourite character next to Bastien in this series and although he died for a good cause, saving Gia it was still really sad and I was upset. I felt like it was the exact same thing that Gian had done for her in the previous book, and I didn’t want to see the same thing happen again.
One other thing that bothered me in this book was the ending. I understand that Gia has been through a lot but I can’t believe she isn’t helping out in the Mystik world at all and is basically hiding out in the human world. Heroes and heroines aren’t just magnificent during the battle, but also in the aftermath, helping to rebuild the world that was almost destroyed, I just kind of felt like Gia was hiding and wanting her life to go back to what it was before she became a Sentinel. It kind of disappointed me because I expected her to be with Bastien, helping to rebuild the Mystik world.
The final battle was interesting and didn’t really go the way I thought it would at all. After the false start in Esterill and having to rush back to home base, I wasn’t really expecting the death match between Nick and Gia. At that moment Conemar definitely had the upper hand and when reinforcements arrived, then it started to look like what I expected the battle to be. We lost many characters in this battle and while I knew that was probably coming, it didn’t make it any less sad.
Overall this was a great ending to the series I think although I would love to see an epilogue with all of our favourite characters maybe 5-10 years down the line just to see where they all are. It would be a dream come true to see Gia and Bastien married, maybe with a kid, and being the rulers of the Mystik world with her Sentinel friends by her side. Maybe this is just a pipe dream but a girl can hope, right? I loved the sound of this series right from the beginning and although I didn’t love the first book I’m really glad that I read through them all to the end.
This was definitely the best book of the series. It had much better pacing than the other two, it kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what was going to happen next. While there were some parts that to me didn’t seem necessary to the plot, it all came together in the end to create a satisfying ending to the series.
I loved the fact that Gia did end up with Bastien and didn’t get back with Arik. I was wondering if it was going to happen when they escaped without Bastien but I am glad that it didn’t happen. Gia stuck to her guns and was smart enough, had enough common sense to realize their romantic relationship was damaged beyond repair and even if she wanted to go back that she couldn’t. I’m also very happy that she realized what a good man and relationship she had with Bastien. I love so much that he only has eyes for her and never looks at another woman.
Arik really bothered me the entire time in this book. He has such a high and mighty demeanour and I was really angry when even though he knew it was wrong, he still arrested Gia and put her in the Gallows to be tortured. He refused to disobey orders even when it could save lives. In the exact opposite way Bastien only grew on me more and more. He wasn’t afraid to do what was right, even if it meant becoming an enemy of the Wizard court and possibly giving up his title. I also loved that he was willing to go into the Somnium with Gia because his love for her was so strong that he wouldn’t leave her to face it herself. While being arrogant and conceited, he is also noble with good intentions. He really cares about the people and I can understand why they wanted to make him head of the new government at the end of the book.
One storyline I really would’ve liked to have seen expanded was the one with Nick. I thought we were going to this epic fight of him and his father and him fighting against the darkness rising within him brought on by his father but it never happened. He just ended up being controlled by another wizard, and eventually Bastien. I would’ve loved to have seen his inner musings and fighter against the wizard who controlled him in a POV chapter once in awhile. We get to see a glimpse of it when he is in his fight to the death with Gia, but I wish we had gotten to see more of it.
I also felt like Carrig was another character who could’ve been utilized more often and I expected him to be a big part, especially of the last battle. But he ended up being in a coma for most of this book and when he finally woke up was bedridden for the final battle. It was kind of disappointing to be honest. I was happy to see that The Red got more of a central role in this book though. He is such a unique and interesting character, and to find that he was trying to help and not Evil was great.
I was really sad to see Sinead die in this book, she was like a mother to Gia and a female role model when she had none. Also, could the way she died be any sadder? Gia had to sacrifice Sinead to save Carrig. Royston had such a sad ending too, sacrificing himself to take down the Tetrad. His character really got the short end of the stick; he got married, had a child (by the age of around 20), got stuck in a Somnium for hundreds of years, escaped, only to have to drink a poisonous potion to destroy the Tetrad and save the human and Mystik worlds. I felt like he has such a meaningful life but he didn’t really get to live one much. Also, he and Deidre just got ripped apart by his death. And poor Deidre lost her love and her mother in this book.
I’m glad that Uncle Phillip didn’t turn out to be evil but I am so angry that he got killed off! He was my favourite character next to Bastien in this series and although he died for a good cause, saving Gia it was still really sad and I was upset. I felt like it was the exact same thing that Gian had done for her in the previous book, and I didn’t want to see the same thing happen again.
One other thing that bothered me in this book was the ending. I understand that Gia has been through a lot but I can’t believe she isn’t helping out in the Mystik world at all and is basically hiding out in the human world. Heroes and heroines aren’t just magnificent during the battle, but also in the aftermath, helping to rebuild the world that was almost destroyed, I just kind of felt like Gia was hiding and wanting her life to go back to what it was before she became a Sentinel. It kind of disappointed me because I expected her to be with Bastien, helping to rebuild the Mystik world.
The final battle was interesting and didn’t really go the way I thought it would at all. After the false start in Esterill and having to rush back to home base, I wasn’t really expecting the death match between Nick and Gia. At that moment Conemar definitely had the upper hand and when reinforcements arrived, then it started to look like what I expected the battle to be. We lost many characters in this battle and while I knew that was probably coming, it didn’t make it any less sad.
Overall this was a great ending to the series I think although I would love to see an epilogue with all of our favourite characters maybe 5-10 years down the line just to see where they all are. It would be a dream come true to see Gia and Bastien married, maybe with a kid, and being the rulers of the Mystik world with her Sentinel friends by her side. Maybe this is just a pipe dream but a girl can hope, right? I loved the sound of this series right from the beginning and although I didn’t love the first book I’m really glad that I read through them all to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2020
I did not want this series to end. There's so much potential to explore in the world further, so many cool things I really wished we could take the time to poke at more! I'd love to see another, related series in this world, maybe her Nana's backstory? That'd be AMAZING!
February 17, 2023
3,75/5 ⭐
Une très belle fin pour cette trilogie !!
Une très belle fin pour cette trilogie !!
May 16, 2024
Une conclusion épique à la hauteur des premières aventures. Toujours plus de magie, de mystères, de trahison et d'amour. L'auteur nous tient en haleine du début à la fin.
February 11, 2018
Received in exchange for a honest review.
this series overall is great. It’s entertaining, well written and entrancing. Assassin of truths is all these things as well. You will find characters that steal your heart like Bastien, Demos, and Arik (yes Arik). Characters you love to boo like Comenar. And characters you get on the fence with like The Red...You see growth in characters but also struggles that show they are human and not perfect.. Bastien my only problem with him was he was too perfect and it made you wonder. He was great for Gia and I fought that pairing for awhile but he grounded her and supported her unconditionally. He loved her and helped her gain the strength and confidence needed to take on the task ahead of her. Arik in this book lost so much and at times put faith in the wrong people but it was part of him growing into himself and dealing with all he lost and coming to terms with it. I think this is why I like him so much we wasn’t perfect he was real. Yes he was stupid at times but we all are. Yes he had blind loyalty but at what time didn’t we all especially when that is all you know. IT is a good trait and bad at times. but both will take your heart for different reasons. Arik as much as I wanted him with Gia was meant to be her guide and friend. He showed her what a leader was and helped her fit in. He was meant to be her partner in battle and friend nothing more and we see that in this book. For me as hard as this is to say Emily is more suited for him. She makes mistakes and struggles as he is now so she understands him more whereas Gia thinks she does but doesn’t. Bastien and Arik are diverse and yet similar as well. Great fighters and will do anything for what they are passionate about and believe in.
If the other two books have not been read this book will go over your head because each one ties into the other and is a continuation of the story. All the characters are carried from previous books as well and so is the overall plot and theme.
Gia is the one everyone is protecting and after for she can change everything and in many ways has. She is rash and doesn’t always think before she acts. At times she drives me batty. I didn’t always agree with how she treat Arik throughout the whole series but in this book especially and it was no wonder he was how he was. In this book though she did come into her own. She became stronger and more confident. She gained in her self assurance and had people who supported her and were behind her no matter what. She wasn’t questioning everything and believed now. But she also grew to the point at the end where she realized how all her actions played out and saw she needed to change. That made a huge difference.
The story was really fast paced for a book with a intertwining plot and so much going on. there wasn’t so much detail it bogged you down but enough that you get some great world building and concept of the danger and what is going on and why it is happening. The detail is so that you can truly grasp why things are happening and not detail for details sake. Our characters are complex and multi dimensional. They each have their own unique personalities and enhance the story in one way or another. The plot has twists and turns, sadness and we see many inner struggles within some characters especially Arik and to me this is what makes him more relatable and real. He falters and finds his way but it isn’t easy. The ending was a great way to tie up the series. We do have some very sad moments and an epic battle but we see closure and even though there is the possibility for other books in the series if desired, this part of the story is done and there are no questions left unanswered or hanging in the air. Our good vs. evil that took place in these three books is resolved and doesn’t have us wondering. So it ties up everything well and is decisive in this as well. The story is entertaining and entrances you. You are kept in the story to the end and not left hanging for more answers but you may just want more of the characters to see where they are later in life. It isn’t necessary but something that would be welcomed for the characters are ones you learned and had grow on you and you got invested in their story and their growth. You hope that things turn out well for them and this is how Ms. Drake wrote this series for you to be engrossed in the story and the characters. To feel part of the world and invested in what happens in this world and to them. A wonderful way to do the series that grabs you from the beginning especially with all the action, danger, and romance that happens.
A great series that has a unique and interesting twist on libraries, magic and the star cross lovers concept as well. YOu are entranced and entangled in its web from beginning to end and don’t want to put it down.
this series overall is great. It’s entertaining, well written and entrancing. Assassin of truths is all these things as well. You will find characters that steal your heart like Bastien, Demos, and Arik (yes Arik). Characters you love to boo like Comenar. And characters you get on the fence with like The Red...You see growth in characters but also struggles that show they are human and not perfect.. Bastien my only problem with him was he was too perfect and it made you wonder. He was great for Gia and I fought that pairing for awhile but he grounded her and supported her unconditionally. He loved her and helped her gain the strength and confidence needed to take on the task ahead of her. Arik in this book lost so much and at times put faith in the wrong people but it was part of him growing into himself and dealing with all he lost and coming to terms with it. I think this is why I like him so much we wasn’t perfect he was real. Yes he was stupid at times but we all are. Yes he had blind loyalty but at what time didn’t we all especially when that is all you know. IT is a good trait and bad at times. but both will take your heart for different reasons. Arik as much as I wanted him with Gia was meant to be her guide and friend. He showed her what a leader was and helped her fit in. He was meant to be her partner in battle and friend nothing more and we see that in this book. For me as hard as this is to say Emily is more suited for him. She makes mistakes and struggles as he is now so she understands him more whereas Gia thinks she does but doesn’t. Bastien and Arik are diverse and yet similar as well. Great fighters and will do anything for what they are passionate about and believe in.
If the other two books have not been read this book will go over your head because each one ties into the other and is a continuation of the story. All the characters are carried from previous books as well and so is the overall plot and theme.
Gia is the one everyone is protecting and after for she can change everything and in many ways has. She is rash and doesn’t always think before she acts. At times she drives me batty. I didn’t always agree with how she treat Arik throughout the whole series but in this book especially and it was no wonder he was how he was. In this book though she did come into her own. She became stronger and more confident. She gained in her self assurance and had people who supported her and were behind her no matter what. She wasn’t questioning everything and believed now. But she also grew to the point at the end where she realized how all her actions played out and saw she needed to change. That made a huge difference.
The story was really fast paced for a book with a intertwining plot and so much going on. there wasn’t so much detail it bogged you down but enough that you get some great world building and concept of the danger and what is going on and why it is happening. The detail is so that you can truly grasp why things are happening and not detail for details sake. Our characters are complex and multi dimensional. They each have their own unique personalities and enhance the story in one way or another. The plot has twists and turns, sadness and we see many inner struggles within some characters especially Arik and to me this is what makes him more relatable and real. He falters and finds his way but it isn’t easy. The ending was a great way to tie up the series. We do have some very sad moments and an epic battle but we see closure and even though there is the possibility for other books in the series if desired, this part of the story is done and there are no questions left unanswered or hanging in the air. Our good vs. evil that took place in these three books is resolved and doesn’t have us wondering. So it ties up everything well and is decisive in this as well. The story is entertaining and entrances you. You are kept in the story to the end and not left hanging for more answers but you may just want more of the characters to see where they are later in life. It isn’t necessary but something that would be welcomed for the characters are ones you learned and had grow on you and you got invested in their story and their growth. You hope that things turn out well for them and this is how Ms. Drake wrote this series for you to be engrossed in the story and the characters. To feel part of the world and invested in what happens in this world and to them. A wonderful way to do the series that grabs you from the beginning especially with all the action, danger, and romance that happens.
A great series that has a unique and interesting twist on libraries, magic and the star cross lovers concept as well. YOu are entranced and entangled in its web from beginning to end and don’t want to put it down.
January 24, 2018
Breakdown:
I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The Setting
This book jumps between worlds and cities as you would guess from the title of the series. Each city that Gia visits on her quest to defeat the Tetrad and Conemar are described wonderfully, with each one being given it’s own characteristics to match a place from the human world. Couve and it’s residents are given characteristics of the french, from accents to styling. Another city — the name currently escapes me — is made to resemble that of the spanish. The book didn’t focus on the settings very much because this book was carried along more by the characters and the plot.
The Characters
Gia is the main character, a teen girl thrown into the maelstrom much like Harry Potter was. There were a few moments where I felt that Gia would contradict herself in her behavior, one moment being scared and terrified while the next she was this almighty warrior with a stiff upper lip. Having read the other two books as well, I’ve watched her grow as a character and as a person. She took the world of the Mystiks as one would expect but she made the best of the situation and continued pushing forward, even though any other girl in her position would rather run from their problems than run towards them. She’s stubborn but loyal, with a heart and mind for others sometimes over her own well being. She often rushes into things without thinking through all of the repercussions and side effects. All of which makes her an extremely likable and believable character in my opinion.
Bastien is the prince of Couve and Gia’s boyfriend. The two have been through hell and back together and in that time they grew close to one another. He has become one of her closest allies and the person she trust at her back in all things. He’s a high wizard capable of extraordinary things but he doesn’t boast and brag about it. Rather, he’s a very down to earth person who cares for others and just wants everyone to be equals. Much like Gia, he’ll sacrifice himself to save those he cares about. He’s a much better match for Gia than Arik ever was in my opinion, although that doesn’t mean I don’t like Arik.
Arik is Gia’s battle partner and ex. The two have been on rocky footing ever since Conemar played a dirty trick on them in an attempt to isolate Gia. He’s immediately attractive with his appearance and his british accent but I often found him to be lacking in any redeeming qualities. He’s a blind follower who does what he’s told, even if he knows it goes against everything that he should be doing. At one point, he throws Gia to the wolves. And then of course comes crawling back to rescue her once he’s realized he was in the wrong. He’s not a horrible character and there are definitely moments where he’s easy to like. I just found myself disliking him most of this book.
There are a handful of other characters that all pop up continuously throughout the book and each of them plays a part in the ending of the novel. Even some of the characters that you only briefly meet are heavily involved in the ending. Most of them are well rounded with their own personalities and ideals, so overall, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each of them.
The Plot
There was so much going on in this book that I found myself stopping and rereading a few passages to try and wrap my head around it all. Gia goes on a dangerous quest in order to save both the human and Mystik worlds — something no high school senior should ever have to do. But she perseveres through it all even as her heart breaks and her confidence in others begins to shatter. She learns some of the hard truths of life and faces down some of her fears before it comes down to the ultimate battle between her and Conemar.
Conclusion
This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed and cried. I grieved and also found joy. I think that this was an excellent conclusion to the trilogy. There were a few moments where it felt slightly rushed but in the end, the book came to a conclusion that made sense.
I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The Setting
This book jumps between worlds and cities as you would guess from the title of the series. Each city that Gia visits on her quest to defeat the Tetrad and Conemar are described wonderfully, with each one being given it’s own characteristics to match a place from the human world. Couve and it’s residents are given characteristics of the french, from accents to styling. Another city — the name currently escapes me — is made to resemble that of the spanish. The book didn’t focus on the settings very much because this book was carried along more by the characters and the plot.
The Characters
Gia is the main character, a teen girl thrown into the maelstrom much like Harry Potter was. There were a few moments where I felt that Gia would contradict herself in her behavior, one moment being scared and terrified while the next she was this almighty warrior with a stiff upper lip. Having read the other two books as well, I’ve watched her grow as a character and as a person. She took the world of the Mystiks as one would expect but she made the best of the situation and continued pushing forward, even though any other girl in her position would rather run from their problems than run towards them. She’s stubborn but loyal, with a heart and mind for others sometimes over her own well being. She often rushes into things without thinking through all of the repercussions and side effects. All of which makes her an extremely likable and believable character in my opinion.
Bastien is the prince of Couve and Gia’s boyfriend. The two have been through hell and back together and in that time they grew close to one another. He has become one of her closest allies and the person she trust at her back in all things. He’s a high wizard capable of extraordinary things but he doesn’t boast and brag about it. Rather, he’s a very down to earth person who cares for others and just wants everyone to be equals. Much like Gia, he’ll sacrifice himself to save those he cares about. He’s a much better match for Gia than Arik ever was in my opinion, although that doesn’t mean I don’t like Arik.
Arik is Gia’s battle partner and ex. The two have been on rocky footing ever since Conemar played a dirty trick on them in an attempt to isolate Gia. He’s immediately attractive with his appearance and his british accent but I often found him to be lacking in any redeeming qualities. He’s a blind follower who does what he’s told, even if he knows it goes against everything that he should be doing. At one point, he throws Gia to the wolves. And then of course comes crawling back to rescue her once he’s realized he was in the wrong. He’s not a horrible character and there are definitely moments where he’s easy to like. I just found myself disliking him most of this book.
There are a handful of other characters that all pop up continuously throughout the book and each of them plays a part in the ending of the novel. Even some of the characters that you only briefly meet are heavily involved in the ending. Most of them are well rounded with their own personalities and ideals, so overall, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each of them.
The Plot
There was so much going on in this book that I found myself stopping and rereading a few passages to try and wrap my head around it all. Gia goes on a dangerous quest in order to save both the human and Mystik worlds — something no high school senior should ever have to do. But she perseveres through it all even as her heart breaks and her confidence in others begins to shatter. She learns some of the hard truths of life and faces down some of her fears before it comes down to the ultimate battle between her and Conemar.
Conclusion
This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed and cried. I grieved and also found joy. I think that this was an excellent conclusion to the trilogy. There were a few moments where it felt slightly rushed but in the end, the book came to a conclusion that made sense.
April 19, 2019
Il y a un peu moins de deux ans, en juin 2017, j’avais le plaisir de découvrir le premier tome de la série Library Jumpers, La voleuse de secrets, grâce à un service de presse d’Interforum. Un an plus tard, je me replongeais dans cet univers avec le deuxième tome, La gardienne des mensonges. Il était donc temps cette année de terminer cette trilogie avec le dernier tome, La briseuse d’illusions. Ayant beaucoup aimé l’univers dépeint dans les deux premiers livres, j’étais curieuse de savoir comment l’intrigue allait évoluer et quelle fin l’auteure allait nous offrir.
Comme cela avait déjà été le cas pour La voleuse de secrets et La gardienne des mensonges, j’ai eu un peu de mal à me remettre dans l’histoire. Même s’il y a des éléments qui sont rappelés pour aider le lecteur à se souvenir des actions passées, l’univers est trop complexe et les personnages sont trop nombreux pour que l’on puisse se remémorer l’ensemble du récit, les liens qui unissent les protagonistes et les nombreux retournements de situation. Néanmoins, après une centaine de pages, j’ai vraiment repris le rythme de la lecture et ai eu envie de connaître la suite des aventures de Gianna et ses compagnons.
Alors que j’avais trouvé qu’il y avait des passages un peu longs, parce que très descriptifs, dans les deux premiers tomes, j’ai ressenti le contraire dans ce troisième livre. En effet, certains éléments qui me semblaient importants pour la résolution de l’intrigue ont été peu expliqués, me laissant un peu sur ma faim. Il en est de même pour les réactions de Gianna, l’héroïne du roman. J’ai eu la sensation qu’elles n’étaient pas toujours proportionnelles à l’action décrite dans la narration. Certes, cela peut être justifiée par son jeune âge : on sait que les adolescents ne contrôlent pas toujours leurs émotions, mais j’ai pensé, à plusieurs reprises, que cela cassait le rythme du récit. Cependant, j’ai beaucoup apprécié le fait qu’on avance véritablement dans l’intrigue. Cette fois-ci, on n’a pas le temps de s’ennuyer car il y a des retournements de situation très régulièrement. Alors qu’on pense enfin toucher au but, l’auteure réussit à nous surprendre et à nous donner envie de tourner les pages pour en savoir plus sur la suite des événements. Le dénouement est à la hauteur de nos attentes, même s’il est plutôt prévisible, malheureusement. Toutefois, je tiens à souligner que l’auteure n’hésite pas à éliminer des protagonistes importants, toujours dans le but de surprendre les lecteurs. Même si cela nous fait de la peine, bien entendu, cela est un point positif à mes yeux puisque c’est une façon de rendre l’histoire plus crédible, malgré les aspects fantastiques.
Enfin, côté personnages, je les apprécie toujours autant. Ils sont attachants et apportent tous quelque chose à l’intrigue. J’aime particulièrement le fait qu’ils soient tous différents les uns des autres, puisque cela renforce le travail de création de l’auteure. Effectivement, Brenda Drake a créé de toutes pièces un univers fantastique riche, avec des créatures singulières et de nombreux mondes. Le voyage au cœur des plus belles bibliothèques du monde nous fait également rêver, nous donnant l’envie de les découvrir à notre tour.
Pour conclure, Library Jumpers est une série fantastique à l’univers qui fait rêver tous les amoureux des livres. C’est une belle aventure qui s’achève et qui me laisse un très beau souvenir. Je vous recommande la lecture de cette trilogie !
Comme cela avait déjà été le cas pour La voleuse de secrets et La gardienne des mensonges, j’ai eu un peu de mal à me remettre dans l’histoire. Même s’il y a des éléments qui sont rappelés pour aider le lecteur à se souvenir des actions passées, l’univers est trop complexe et les personnages sont trop nombreux pour que l’on puisse se remémorer l’ensemble du récit, les liens qui unissent les protagonistes et les nombreux retournements de situation. Néanmoins, après une centaine de pages, j’ai vraiment repris le rythme de la lecture et ai eu envie de connaître la suite des aventures de Gianna et ses compagnons.
Alors que j’avais trouvé qu’il y avait des passages un peu longs, parce que très descriptifs, dans les deux premiers tomes, j’ai ressenti le contraire dans ce troisième livre. En effet, certains éléments qui me semblaient importants pour la résolution de l’intrigue ont été peu expliqués, me laissant un peu sur ma faim. Il en est de même pour les réactions de Gianna, l’héroïne du roman. J’ai eu la sensation qu’elles n’étaient pas toujours proportionnelles à l’action décrite dans la narration. Certes, cela peut être justifiée par son jeune âge : on sait que les adolescents ne contrôlent pas toujours leurs émotions, mais j’ai pensé, à plusieurs reprises, que cela cassait le rythme du récit. Cependant, j’ai beaucoup apprécié le fait qu’on avance véritablement dans l’intrigue. Cette fois-ci, on n’a pas le temps de s’ennuyer car il y a des retournements de situation très régulièrement. Alors qu’on pense enfin toucher au but, l’auteure réussit à nous surprendre et à nous donner envie de tourner les pages pour en savoir plus sur la suite des événements. Le dénouement est à la hauteur de nos attentes, même s’il est plutôt prévisible, malheureusement. Toutefois, je tiens à souligner que l’auteure n’hésite pas à éliminer des protagonistes importants, toujours dans le but de surprendre les lecteurs. Même si cela nous fait de la peine, bien entendu, cela est un point positif à mes yeux puisque c’est une façon de rendre l’histoire plus crédible, malgré les aspects fantastiques.
Enfin, côté personnages, je les apprécie toujours autant. Ils sont attachants et apportent tous quelque chose à l’intrigue. J’aime particulièrement le fait qu’ils soient tous différents les uns des autres, puisque cela renforce le travail de création de l’auteure. Effectivement, Brenda Drake a créé de toutes pièces un univers fantastique riche, avec des créatures singulières et de nombreux mondes. Le voyage au cœur des plus belles bibliothèques du monde nous fait également rêver, nous donnant l’envie de les découvrir à notre tour.
Pour conclure, Library Jumpers est une série fantastique à l’univers qui fait rêver tous les amoureux des livres. C’est une belle aventure qui s’achève et qui me laisse un très beau souvenir. Je vous recommande la lecture de cette trilogie !
February 25, 2018
Thank you to Chapter by Chapter and author Lydia Kang for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
Assassin of Truth is the third and final novel in the Library Jumpers trilogy by Brenda Drake bringing the series to a climactic and thrilling end.
This is it. After everything Gianna Kearns has been through, she is about to embark on her most important mission yet and hopefully save the Mystik world from the various dangers currently facing it. As a mysterious disease makes its way through the covens, Gia and her allies race to find a cure to stop the spread of the disease and save those affected while also preparing to stop Conemar before the evil wizard brings to life a monster said to be unstoppable. Time is running out and with Gia unsure who she can trust, making mistakes now might mean those she love will pay the ultimate price….
Brenda Drake brings the Library Jumpers series to a close with Assassin of Truth, another enjoyable read that will keep readers guessing until the very end but see the victories obtained throughout the story come at a cost. The characters fight for their very survival, but not everyone is guaranteed to make it out alive and emotions run rampant, especially with the climactic ending.
Personally I’ve enjoyed reading this series. It’s had a solid storyline and enough action and excitement to keep me entertained. I’ve liked Gia as the main character and thought she was easy enough to follow throughout the story. I feel like she’s remained solid over the course of three books and feel like her growth was just enough to compliment the storyline.
Brenda Drake has written a very vast and large array of minor characters who have helped Gia throughout her journey. From Bastien, Arik, Nick, Afron, Pop, Nana, Uncle Phillip, Deidre, Emily, Jaran, Lei, Demos, Aetnae, Faith, The Red and Carrig amongst others, they have all brought something kind to the story with friendship and familial bonds often see throughout the story.
My only real disappointment was the love triangle between Arik, Gia and Bastien. Though Gia finally makes her ultimate choice once and for all in Assassin of Truth, I have personally never massively strong emotions towards either of Gia’s choices and felt like she could have chosen either option and I wouldn’t have been too concerned. That being said, I think she chose well.
Overall, this series has definitely been worth a read. Brenda Drake has created an interesting world and concept and it easily swept me into a magical world of danger and adventure.
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
Assassin of Truth is the third and final novel in the Library Jumpers trilogy by Brenda Drake bringing the series to a climactic and thrilling end.
This is it. After everything Gianna Kearns has been through, she is about to embark on her most important mission yet and hopefully save the Mystik world from the various dangers currently facing it. As a mysterious disease makes its way through the covens, Gia and her allies race to find a cure to stop the spread of the disease and save those affected while also preparing to stop Conemar before the evil wizard brings to life a monster said to be unstoppable. Time is running out and with Gia unsure who she can trust, making mistakes now might mean those she love will pay the ultimate price….
Brenda Drake brings the Library Jumpers series to a close with Assassin of Truth, another enjoyable read that will keep readers guessing until the very end but see the victories obtained throughout the story come at a cost. The characters fight for their very survival, but not everyone is guaranteed to make it out alive and emotions run rampant, especially with the climactic ending.
Personally I’ve enjoyed reading this series. It’s had a solid storyline and enough action and excitement to keep me entertained. I’ve liked Gia as the main character and thought she was easy enough to follow throughout the story. I feel like she’s remained solid over the course of three books and feel like her growth was just enough to compliment the storyline.
Brenda Drake has written a very vast and large array of minor characters who have helped Gia throughout her journey. From Bastien, Arik, Nick, Afron, Pop, Nana, Uncle Phillip, Deidre, Emily, Jaran, Lei, Demos, Aetnae, Faith, The Red and Carrig amongst others, they have all brought something kind to the story with friendship and familial bonds often see throughout the story.
My only real disappointment was the love triangle between Arik, Gia and Bastien. Though Gia finally makes her ultimate choice once and for all in Assassin of Truth, I have personally never massively strong emotions towards either of Gia’s choices and felt like she could have chosen either option and I wouldn’t have been too concerned. That being said, I think she chose well.
Overall, this series has definitely been worth a read. Brenda Drake has created an interesting world and concept and it easily swept me into a magical world of danger and adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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