This is a wonderful series, and at first I thought I wasn't going to read the second book, but im glad I did. this book I personally liked an idy bity bit more than the first one, but thats just my oppinion. im frustrated that I cant get my hands on the 3rd ebook free though!!!! :@ ( )

I didn't like it as much as #1. ( )

Okay, let's see if I can pull this review off without making it another gush-fest on my love for Claudia Black. As usual, her narration is fantastic, but for this second book of The Keepers Trilogy, I want to focus on the story because that's what I think really shines.

After the events of The Museum of Thieves (my review here), Goldie Roth has been offered the chance to become a Keeper of the Museum of Dunt. But then her new friend Toadspit's little sister Bonnie is stolen away, and so the two older children take off after the kidnappers. After a journey upon the seas, Toadspit ends up being captured too, and they all end up at the city of Spoke where the much-anticipated Festival of Lies is about to begin. Now Goldie has to save her friends while trying to survive in the middle of this bizarre place, made even stranger by the nature of the festival, where every day is "Opposite Day" and no one can be trusted.

This series is targeted at the middle-grade audience, so younger readers would probably appreciate it more, but I found this book to be quite enjoyable all the same. The story is a lot of fun -- short, but very cute. I think children will like that characters have to speak and act in a way that is the opposite of what they mean during the Festival of Lies, but it isn't done in such a juvenile manner that adults can't find it all very entertaining as well.



There's also an aspect of make-believe, role-play and "playing pretend" in this book that kids would probably enjoy, which also involves a very abstract magical idea that I'm still trying to wrap my head around (though I'm sure children would probably take for granted and wouldn't question too much). There just seems to be a lot more going on in this sequel in terms of fantasy elements and ideas, some that are just more intriguing and appealing to all readers.



The focus is mostly on the adventures of Goldie and Toadspit this time around, with the other adult keepers back in the city of Jewel and given an obligatory side plot to keep them in the series. Quite honestly, I didn't mind the story's greater emphasis on the children because in my opinion they're a lot more interesting to read about. The audiobook narration also does a good job of bringing them to life, along with the crazy city of Spoke.

Once again, if you can get your hands on the audio version of this book, I highly recommend doing so. This series would not have made even made it onto my radar screen if it weren't for Claudia Black's name being attached to the project, since it's not a regular habit of mine to pick up children's books (but maybe I should make it one, since my toddler is growing up so fast). Black's voice work is always top-notch, and so far these books have been great. I've already put my name on the waiting list for the final installment of this trilogy from my library. ( )

In City of Lies, Goldie and her friends enjoy more freedom then they did in the past book, but they soon learn that freedom comes at a price -- for it may be that a few of the ancient dangers of the city have returned. When one of Goldie's friends is kidnapped, Goldie follows along in hopes of staging a rescue. She soon finds herself in the unfamiliar city of Spoke, where the Festival of Lies is just about to get started and nothing is quite what it seems. Goldie doesn't know who to trust, or even how to find her missing friends, but she knows she must try. Along the way, she meets an interesting assortment of characters and learns some startling secrets, all while having the sort of heart-pounding adventures that she encountered in the first book of the series. Will Goldie, using the skills she learned in the Museum of Thieves, be able to rescue her friend and find a way back to Jewel?

This second book in the Keepers series was just as good as the first. I was particularly impressed that the author, having created a fascinating and fully realized setting for the first book, moved away from it and came up with just as complete and interesting a setting for the second. I'm looking forward to listening to the conclusion of the series some time soon. ( )

The second installment in Lian Tanner's series. When Toadspit and his sister Bonnie are kidnapped by slavers from another city, Goldie must rescue them in the midst of the Festival of Lies, when nothing is as it seems and a big lie can change one's fortune. Again, I wouldn't have picked this up in text form--listen to the audiobook! Claudia Black is a fantastic reader and she really brings to life what could be an awkward silent read.