Trust Between the Lions Series Book One by Jodi Baker

304 Pages
Publisher: Between Lions Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: June 18, 2015

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Mythology, Teens, Young Adult, New York

The story opens with Hypatia’s escape from the Alexandria Library then jumps to present time. Anna Perankios and her mother, Kalista live a solitary life until Kalista marries Patrick. She now has an older stepbrother Clayton. After Patrick is murdered, Kali goes missing and Clayton is accused of his mu https://belladonnasbooks.com/review/ruins-the-sentinels-book-2/rder. Anna wakes up in front of the New York Public Library with a homeless woman. She finds out she has been gone for a year. Now she has a voice in her head. Since Clayton is in college, Anna goes to live with her grandmother, Calypso, and her guardian, Styx. When Anna goes for a walk in Central Park, there are werejaguars chasing her.

The story is fast paced. The characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. I love the idea that the library survived the fire and has had a league of strong women keeping its secret.

I loved the premise of this book and was afraid that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised when it surpassed them. Anna was a great character who was easy to connect with, and the story itself was very interesting and fast paced. In fact, this was a very quick read. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in book 2.

5/5 stars.

I did not have a chance to read this book, but it is effecting my feedback rating. I am giving books 5 stars that I haven't read to improve my feedback rating. I am not recommending the book for my classroom or students since I have not read the book. There needs to be a better system of leaving feedback for books not read.

Adventurous, fast-paced fantasy that takes the reader through the crevices and hidden staircases--real and mythological--of the New York Public Library. Trust's protagonist (who loves books) is pulled into a mystery surrounding her mother, her family lineage of powerful women, and the ancient Library of Alexandria while nearly falling for her first love, even though she's struggling with the truth and who she can trust. Once the reader meets Anna and Inanna, to stop reading the book is nearly impossible. Full of culture. Were-animals. Were-jackals. Liars. Pantheon. Egyptian ankh necklace. Yellow-eyed people who are not people. Gift-giving voices. Mysticism. Historical and literary detail. Excellent writing. BuytheBook.

Home schooled by her Mother, Anna had very little interaction with the outside world. Her entire life has been within the walls of their brownstone in New York where she is taught, not only Math and Language, but extraordinary details of different cultures. Then one day, Anna's Mother falls in love and everything changes. The man and his son move into her home with their outer world ways. When tragedy strikes her world shifts again. Anna goes to sleep one evening and wakes up in daylight between the lions.

Beautifully written, this is a young girl's astounding journey into a life she had no idea existed. Every child's right of passage includes the time when we discover that our parents aren't flawless, they don't always tell the truth the way we understood it should be and their choices can change our lives dramatically. Anna wakes up confused and fearful, afraid to Trust but the voice in her head keeps telling her that Trust is exactly what she needs to do. This fantastic story is steeped in cultural references that help make it come alive. There are dozens of great messages to help young women find their own inner voice and learn to Trust their instincts.