Audiobook Review: City of Lies by Lian Tanner

City of Lies by Lian Tanner

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Series: The Keepers #2

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Publication Date: January 1, 2011

Author Info: www.liantanner.com.au/

Just assume that if I listen to an audiobook narrated by Claudia Black, that I will be giving her performance five stars. Not only does she once again do an excellent job with the various characters, but I continue to be amazed by how she can pull so much emotion from words on a page. It’s impossible not to get wrapped up in the action and emotion when she is so completely immersed in her telling. Not that this is surprising for me. I’ve been known to shed real and true tears along with her as she expresses her deepest regrets to a puppet.

Anyway, City of Lies takes place six months after the events of Museum of Thieves. The Fugleman is assumed dead and his Blessed Guardians have been removed from power, which means children are now free to roam without chains. Some parents and children aren’t quite ready for the change and make their own bindings. A broken limb and an almost drowning are raising tensions in the city of Jewel and calling the Protector’s abilities to keep the children safe into question, especially when rumours of a return of kidnappers proves true with the disappearance of a little girl.

Meanwhile, Goldie Roth has been busily avoiding the Museum of Dunt and the request to take her place as Keeper. Her parents are both unwell and she places their poor health squarely on her own shoulders as a result of her running away in the last book. Becoming a Keeper would mean abandoning her parents and that’s not something Goldie is willing to do, no matter how much her parents encourage her and her friend Toadspit demands it. The kidnapping forces Goldie to forget both of these concerns to focus solely on the rescue of not one but two children, whisked away to the city of Spoke which is about to celebrate its Festival of Lies. For two days, everything will be backwards. How will Goldie learn the truth and rescue her friends within a city of lies?

Once again, Goldie must rely on her wits and the skills of theft and stealth she learned in her previous adventure. And she must also deal with the mysterious voice in the back of her mind that continues to steer her. I’m glad the issue of the voice is addressed. It plays such a prominent role in Goldie’s decisions, as does the broach she wears that once belonged to her bold Auntie Praise. Neither device received much explanation for their purpose in the previous book, but clearly they are important. I’m not certain how I feel about the voice by the end of City of Lies, but I’m curious about how things will play out in the final book in the trilogy. Hopefully we’ll also get to learn a bit more about Auntie Praise.

I’m glad that Goldie’s guilt over her parents does not become an overwhelming shadow to the story, though I appreciate the level of responsibility it shows in Goldie. The whole concept of The Keepers series is to show that children don’t need as much protection as we believe they do. They can be trusted with responsibility and don’t need to be locked in protective bubbles for their own safety. That was more heavily addressed in the previous book, but the lingering paranoia of adults who don’t believe this to be true continues to hang over the plot.

I was disappointed in the lack of Broo in this story, though the tattered cat was a worthy replacement. I also missed the Museum of Dunt, which is a character unto itself. Not that Broo, the Museum and the other Keepers are forgotten, though. They all play a very important part in the story and their connection to Goldie and the children remains strong.

The festival of lies is a fun part of the adventure and the idea of having everyone say the opposite of what they mean is not overdone. Or rather, it could have become annoying, but keep in mind that this is a book written for a younger audience who would probably appreciate the backwards antics of the festival. I am a bit skeptical about the introduction of Princess Frisia, but am curious enough to find out how everything falls into place in the end.

4 of 5 stars

Audiobook Review: Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner

Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner

We return to the adventures of Goldie and Toadspit in this final installment of the series, which picks up right where we left them in City of Lies. The children return to Jewel after their harrowing escape from the kidnappers in Spoke to find that their enemy the Fugleman has taken over the city with his Blessed Guardians and an army of mercenaries.

It's showdown time now, and the Keepers will have to devise a plan to protect the Museum of Dunt and the people of Jewel. The Fugleman, however, has brought in a giant cannon, and is bent on taking over the city and destroying everything Goldie holds dear. To make things worse, Goldie had not escaped from Spoke entirely unscathed; after the effects of "The Big Lie", she holds in her head the personality and thoughts of a long-dead warrior princess. Day by day, Princess Frisia's presence grows stronger, threatening to take over Goldie's life.

And so, my journey with the Keepers Trilogy draws to a close, and with it, probably my last opportunity to enjoy Claudia Black's wonderful narrating work for a while. Looks like she's got a handful of other audiobooks under her belt, but I also hope she'll do more in the future; with her voice and talent, I think she would be perfect for urban fantasy.

As for the book itself, it hurts me a little to say this, but I wasn't as happy with it as I'd expected. It wasn't that the story was bad or that it didn't provide us with a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I just find myself viewing this book with an almost frustrating ambivalence, because I even now I'm trying to think of something--anything, good or bad, it doesn't matter--to say about this book and I'm struggling.
  
It almost makes no sense for me to feel this way; after all, the story was great -- the heroes overcome their trials and tribulations, honor prevails, everyone comes together in the end to save the city, and the bad guy is defeated while the good triumph, all that good stuff. It's a children's series after all, you know you'll get a happy ending and nothing's gonna come out of left field at you. 

And maybe that's what it is. Not that I have an issue with books for youngsters having happy endings, but the fact I pretty much knew everything was going to work out in the end. Which is perfectly fine; like I said, it's how things should be, but I personally prefer more a little more uncertainty in my plot lines which is likely the main reason why I don't usually pick up books targeted for middle-grade.

But on the whole, these have been really great books. I probably enjoyed them even more because I listened to them all on audio, but I certainly don't regret my time with this trilogy one bit.

Feel free to also check out my reviews for other titles in this series:
Book 1: Museum of Thieves
Book 2: City of Lies

Final verdict:

 

3.5 of 5 stars

Audiobook Review: City of Lies by Lian Tanner

City of Lies by Lian Tanner

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.

Final verdict:

4 of 5 stars

Audiobook Review: Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Museum of Thieves is a great middle-grade to young adult novel, but can most definitely be enjoyed by all. I suppose it would technically fit into the category of dystopian fantasy, but while reading it I sensed more of a "magical" and "fairy-tale-like" vibe coming off from it. 

Our 12-year-old protagonist is Goldie Roth, who has lived in the tyrannical city of Jewel all her life. In a society obsessed with "protecting the children," she and all her peers are forced to wear silver guardchains and obey their overseers called the Blessed Guardians until they reach the age of Separation. 

When a bomb attack cancels Goldie's Separation Day, she runs away in a panic only to end up at the Museum of Dunt where she meets its mysterious caretakers and a boy named Toadspit. Together with her new friends, Goldie takes a stand against the Blessed Guardians and their leader whose diabolical plans won't just mean bad news for Goldie, but would threaten the lives of everyone in Jewel.

Do yourselves a favor: if you ever get the choice between reading the book or listening to the audio version, choose the latter. Back when I was still an audiobook noob, I could never understand what the big deal was. So instead of reading the words off the paper, you're just listening to someone read them back to you. No huge difference, right?

Except there is. Now that I've had more than a hundred audiobooks under my belt, I can understand how the choice of narrator can make or break a story. Claudia Black, the narrator for Museum of Thieves is probably best known to sci-fi fans for her role in the show Farscape, but I recognize her more from her voice work for video games like Dragon Age: Origins or Uncharted 2. And knowing her talent for voice acting, I guess I really shouldn't have been surprised what a brilliant narrating job she did here.

Still, just because you have a seasoned actor doing the narrating, does not mean they will do a good job. In fact, I find that some of my favorite Hollywood actors and actresses have made for the absolute crappiest audiobook narrators. That talent they have on screen somehow doesn't translate well to this format. Because if the experience with audiobooks had taught me anything else, it's that, no, narrating a book is NOT just like reading back the words on paper out loud. You can easily screw it up.

However, Claudia Black handles it all like the pro she is. She's got the different voices down with her use of tones and accents, so never once was I confused as to which character in the book was speaking. She's also great with other effects like infusing her voice with emotion or varying her volume. She's also got the most sensual voice, and even as a straight and happily married woman I must admit that listening to her always gives me pleasant tingly chills down my spine. I think I could listen to her read forever.

But enough gushing about Claudia Black. Like I said, the book itself is a fantastic read, but this is one of the few cases where the audiobook narration makes it even better. Maybe it's the fact this book was meant for young audiences, but I just didn't find the characters to be that deep or well-constructed -- but again, one of those shortcomings that a good narrator can make up for. The setting is suitably fantastical, especially descriptions of the museum and all the wonderful treasures and places within. The story itself is fun and entertaining, even for adults, though its message of growing up and independence is admittedly more appropriate for younger readers.

Seriously, though, if you're interested in this and can get your hands on the audiobook...do it. And be sure to also check out my fellow blog contributor Wendy's take on Museum of Thieves! I have her to thank for pointing this series out to me.

Story:

3.5 of 5 stars

Performance:

5 of 5 stars

Final Verdict:

4 of 5 stars

Audiobook Review: Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

I found this in my hunt for books narrated by Claudia Black. I’m not going to deny that my adoration for this woman’s skill as a performer easily biases me. She gives her all, as usual, in this book and her performance may have tipped the scale, but, stepping back and trying really hard to be objective, I’d like to believe I’d have enjoyed it just as much had I read it myself (though I could never have done it justice!)

The Museum of Thieves exists in a dystopian utopia where all the dangers of the world have been removed to keep everyone safe. There are no pets, save for clockwork creations, because live animals bring disease and could bite you at any moment! Children are literally bound to their parents or to the Blessed Guardians until they are 16 years old, again, all in the name of keeping them safe. Were they not chained to their parents, or to their beds at night, they could be stolen away by any number of monstrous pirates and slavers! The children don’t particularly care for this arrangement, but fear keeps them in check, with the exception of Goldie Roth, of course.

On her Separation Day, the ceremony to allow her her freedom is cancelled after a bombing that causes the death of a child and a whole lot of panic. This immediately throws the Protector’s plans to limit the powers of the Blessed Guardians and lower the Age of Separation to twelve out the window. Refusing to accept the cancellation, Goldie steals a pair of scissors and boldly snips the ribbon binding her to her parents and escapes. She quickly finds herself lost, alone and hungry in the streets and hunted by the Blessed Guardians -- until a mysterious man guides her to the Museum.

This is a coming of age book where a young girl who has never been allowed to think and do for herself has to learn to do so with the help of her own instincts, a little voice in her head, the memory of her bold aunt and the Keepers of the Museum. The secrets of the Museum are revealed, as is the dastardly plot against the city of Jewel. Some of the events are quite predictable, but keeping in mind the audience the book is meant for, everything works nicely and the characters and sense of adventure drive everything along at a pace that kept me interested the whole way through.

Tanner really spoke to me with the idea of children – and parents – being restricted in this society because it’s something that I rage against as a parent. The locks and chains binding the children may seem extreme, yet it’s not uncommon to see kids on leashes now. Sure it’s convenient and ensures a little runner can’t do just that, but I’d much rather hold my children’s hands and teach them why they should hold mine. It’s far more respectful to them and I believe that children are just as deserving of respect as adults, and in return, they will learn to respect and be responsible for and to others. Our society restricts children in so many other ways – much of it coming from our fear of them getting sick or hurt or worse. Of course no parent wants such things to happen to their child but we can't be naïve enough to believe we can protect them from everything. Our society has has become too overprotective to the point of not letting our kids live and learn through experience. Living in fear is no way to live! Consequently, I really enjoyed the liberation of the children at the end and the genuine pride that the elder Keepers and the parents showed for Goldie and her fellow escapee, Toad Spit.

Returning to the narration, Black does such an incredible job with accents, tones, pronunciation, pacing and most importantly, emotion. I was literally on the edge of my seat during some parts and in almost tears during others. I loved the characters, including the Museum itself, and Black very successfully brought them all to life. I am absolutely going to continue with the other books in the trilogy to find out what happens next.

 

Book rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narration: 5 of 5 stars