Welcome back to the city of Jewel, a land where until very recently all the children of the land were chained to either a parent or a Blessed Guardian to keep them safe from the dangers in the world around them. Thanks to the Museum of Dunt a spunky girl named Goldie Roth that has all changed - though not necessarily for the better. Golide is enjoying the new freedom, but she is also struggling with her destiny to be the next Keeper of the Museum of Dunt, despite all the pressure she is facing from her friends and the Museum itself. When her friend, and Toadspits little sister, Bonnie is snatched from the street she and Toadspit rush to the rescue, but they soon find themselves caught up in a dangerous new adventure.
Goldie, Toadspit and Bonnie soon find themselves in the city of Spoke a neighbouring city that is like Jewel, but is also very different. Separated from Toadspit and Bonnie, Goldie needs to figure out what is happening so she can find her friends and help them return home. There is a dangerous enemy in Spoke, and to make matters worse they have arrived near the time of the Festival of Lies when everyone tells a lie, and the bigger the lie the better! The only time anyone can tell the truth is when they are touching an animal, but even then can they really be trusted? Dangerous times lie ahead for Goldie and her friends, and back in Jewel a new danger lurks at the edge of the city.
This is the second book in this trilogy and I have to confess that I liked it more than the first book in the series - maybe because I was used to the writing style, and also because the second book in a series is often easier to read because all the introductions are out of the way and you can jump straight in with the story. I am really looking forward to the last book in the series Path of beasts to be released so I can see how this series ends. Goldie is a fascinating hero because she is so imperfect, and there are some interesting plot twists and some interesting mythology with this series (and from other reviews you may have figured out that I like interesting and well thought out mythologies).
City of lies is a great read and will appeal to a wide age range. Younger readers who would like a bit of a challenge will enjoy it, 'tweens will enjoy it, teens who struggle a little with their reading will enjoy it, and as I have proved adults will enjoy it too. Hopefully book three will round out the series well and leave us feeling as satisfied as City of lies, and hopefully Tanner will continue to write more books in this genre with her unique eye for what is and what could be.
If you like this book then try:
- The star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
- Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
- Stone heart by Charlie Fletcher
- Bartlett and the ice voyage by Odo Hirsch
- Under the moutain by Maurice Gee
- Into the wild by Erin Hunter
- Finding the fox by Ali Sparkes
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