Goldie Roth is back with the second in The Keepers series, City of Lies. Danger once again threatens the city of Jewel when a child is kidnapped. Bonnie, however, is not just any child; she’s Toadspit’s little sister. So Goldie and Toadspit, the two youngest keepers, set off to track the kidnappers down.

When Toadspit, too, is captured, Goldie is left alone in to the city of Spoke where the gods are the same, but the customs couldn’t be more different. Relying on her talents in concealment, ability to lie and her nature as a thief she must make new allies if she is ever to save her friends. But not all is as it seems in the treacherous Spoke. Lies surround Goldie and the people she needs as allies might just as easily betray her for the price of a meal.

Meanwhile, in Jewel, the Museum of Dunt is growing dangerously restless with two of its keepers in peril. And the Fugleman is back, more broken and humble than before, with an offer that his sister, the Grand Protector, cannot afford to refuse.

Lian Tanner just keeps getting better. In City of Lies she pulls all of the safety nets out from under Goldie, leaving her to sink or swim on the merit of her own talents. Away from the familiarity of her own city and without her parents, Toadspit or any of the other keepers to fall back on Goldie shines like, well, gold as she navigates the confusion and perils of Spoke. Her spirit, rather than withering in the face of adversity, expands; and, while Goldie may think herself unequal to the task, she never wavers from it.

This is one of the few trilogies out there that really teaches girls that they can be strong, brave and confident. Unlike all too many others, Lian Tanner never sets up a dichotomy with her girls. Goldie is not only brilliant in contrast to the other girls in the novel. The other girls in the novel are brilliant too. While being kidnapped by two men far larger than her, ten year old Bonnie manages to fight back enough to draw blood. The Grand Protector is a woman who is smart enough to see what’s wrong with her city and ethical enough to work at fixing it. The message isn’t, ‘You can be strong as a girl, if you’re not like the other girls’. The message here is, ‘Girls are pretty flipping amazing’.

I’ll admit that when I saw that the second in The Keepers series would be set in a different city, I was apprehensive. Jewel was such a strong presence in the first book, and I wanted to go right back to it and see how it was going. With world-building that was so vivid in the first book, Museum of Thieves, Jewel was a place I wasn’t ready to leave. After having read City of Lies, I have to say that I’m glad Tanner took the risk of changing the setting. The city of Spoke is just as strong a presence as Jewel, but in a completely different way. Both cities very much take on a character of their own, but the problems of Spoke are just as compelling as those in Jewel. Spoke is a darker city, with more danger lurking in the shadows and citizens who are too worldly rather than the too ignorant citizens of Jewel.

Museum of Thieves was an incredible read, but the stakes are higher in City of Lies, the characters are brighter, the setting is more exciting. Though the series is aimed at the ten to fourteen year-old age group, this is one that anyone can read and enjoy. There’s action, adventure and magic enough for any young reader; but there’s also enough subtlety for older readers. Definitely a series I wish I had grown up with.

City of Lies – Lian Tanner

Allen & Unwin (September 27, 2011)

ISBN: 9781742379999

Welcome to another episode of Liiiiiife with Liiiisa!! Hosted by Lisa herself!

Thank you, thank you!

We all know that the holidays are coming up fast, and that means, delicious food, family and friends, fun, gifts, decorations, and so much more! I LOVE the summer, I love laying out in the middle of the day reading a book, with my two dogs right next two me, enjoying the warm sun, and just being outside. But I also really enjoy the fall and winter time! There is so much to look forward to, and this month I’m letting you in on all the things I have planned, with the fall, Halloween and my birthday coming up!

(And this post itself, is just to let you know of the fun things and Life with Lisas coming up!)

Usually I wouldn’t plan out all the things I do, because usually they’re just a spur of the moment. But this year I did, so I could share with you guys, and maybe give you a few ideas for the holidays (:

So here are the posts and what I hope to include in each:

-Trick or Treating/Costume (The meaning of Halloween, Trick or Treating, and Costume Ideas)

-Haunted House (Haunted Houses and possibly Pumpkin Patches, I plan on going to)

-Carving Pumpkins/Decorating (Pumpkin purchasing, carving, designs, and decorating my back porch!)

-Baking/Goodies (3 Dessert Recipes, possibly goodie bags!)

–My Birthday (Anything! My cake, dinner, gifts, what my family, friends and boyfriend has planned, etc)

I hope you’ll be joining me in this crazy busy month, and maybe get a few ideas from these next few Life with Lisa segments! If you have any other ideas, for posts, or things I could add to posts, please let me know down in the comments!

October is here and if you go to high school you know what that means…Football and Homecoming! It doesn’t matter if you have a date to Homecoming or not, just go, have fun, and dance!! Here’s a simple check-list and a few ideas, for any girl planning on going to Homecoming!

Dress: There are tons of dresses, in all colours, sizes and price ranges! I recommend going shopping early to get the best selection. I know dress shopping can be difficult and frustrating, but keep calm, and try on as many dresses as possible. That way you’ll know what you want and what you don’t want in a dress.

Shoes: Shoes are the second most important thing about your entire look, it pulls everything together! But what kind of shoes should you wear? Heels? Flats? Well, if you’ve never wore any heels, I would recommend either flats or small heels. You’re going to be dancing you behind off, you don’t want to ruin the fun with not being able to walk or your feet hurting and blistering.

Accessories: Are another large part of your outfit. If you want a statement piece, wear a big necklace, or big earrings. If you want to keep things simple, wear studs and a small meaningful chain! Accessories are perfect to fancy up a plain dress!

Hair: Have fun or just keep it simple, it’s up to you! You could straighten or curl it or even do something different like this!

Make-up: The biggest tip I can give you, is don’t wait til the last minute to think of or do your make up. Decide what you want to do ahead of time, and practice!

Nails: I recommend doing something cute with your nails. You can get them done, do them at home, make them match your dress, or even have them stand out by making them a different colour. As long as you have something done with them, it will really take your look to the next level!

And lastly, Shaving and Scent: You’ll have a short dress on, you want to have smooth and silky legs, especially when taking pictures! And you’ll be on the dance floor all night, its important to wear some deodorant, and stay smelling fresh!

Hey there, Baby Bats! Welcome to part 2 of our countdown to the release of Shine Light, book three in the Night Creatures Trilogy. If you missed out on part 1, you can catch it over here. Here in Australia, we only have around twenty sleeps to go ’til the big day. And if you’re familiar with books one and two (Burn Bright and Angel Arias), you’ll know that’s twenty sleeps too many.

Okay, so last time, I gave you a quick little memory jog of some of your favourite characters. Here’s a handful more:

Rollo

With his freckled skin and red corkscrewing curls, Rollo is easy to find in a crowded club. Also from Grave, Retra first meets him on the transition to Ixion. But is Rollo really on the island of ever-night for pleasure, or does he have his own agenda?

Eve/Dark Eve

Runs the Cursed League with Clash. Blunt faced, tall and broad, Dark Eve wears a leather vest and pants – with silver daggers hanging from the chains around her belt. In hiding from the Ripers, she survives outside normal means.

Krista-Belle

The red-headed lover of Kero, and a friend to Retra. She just needs to learn to stay clear of the Ripers…

Kero

The leader of the White Wings, Kero owes Retra for her bravery – or stupidity. Can he help her find Joel?

Lottie

‘I burned too bright. I saw too much…’ and inadvertently she also gives Retra answers.

Charlonge

Patient and gentle with the baby bats at Vank, Charlonge sees what is outside the visible and is a keeper of secrets… including one of her own.

Ruzalia

‘Ruzalia…. Hair redder than fire and her blade as quick…’ Ruzalia and her crew of pirates kidnap from the barges heading to Ixion. Some say it’s a rescue. Others say she’s perverted and cruel and uses them as pets. Is the truth somewhere in between?

So … if you’re up to date and have read Angel Arias, you’ll have the answers to some of the questions posed above – and if you’re like me, you’ll have another fistful of questions you’re dying to know the answers to. For me, the fascination lies with Ruzalia. What’s her real story? And then there’s Dark Eve. What’s the connection between her and Ruzalia – is there more to it than we’ve been led to believe? Just how does Eve manage to exist the way she does? How do she and the others who belong in her gang – The Cursed League – survive away from the Ripers and the rules that govern Ixion? We’d love to hear your thoughts below (but remember – no spoilers please!)

Stay tuned for more info on the gangs, the places and the creatures of Ixion. In the meantime … Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.

Mandy