Keeper of the Lost Cities Paperback – February 20, 2020

4½ stars. I probably wouldn't have ever heard of or decided to read this series if I hadn't run into this first book free on Kindle Unlimited! This is one of the things that is so great about Kindle Unlimited: finding new authors & series that aren't as mainstream but are just as awesome & well-written as anything on the bestseller list.Though Keeper of the Lost Cities is technically a middle grade book, I completely enjoyed it at almost 40 years old. The writing isn't dumbed down and the plotting is suitably complex to stand with some of the better YA books I have read. For me, this was one of those books that I couldn't put down because I was forever going to read "just one more chapter!"This story is quite fast paced and the world of the lost cities is a lot of fun. In other reviews and commentary, it garnered a lot of comparisons to Harry Potter, and while there are definitely some similarities, I think that there are more than enough differences that it stands firmly on its own. The worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts. There are all manner of interesting creatures, potions, powers, etc, that I can't wait to see more of in upcoming books.One thing I liked a lot was that it didn't end on a cliffhanger. Yes, there is quite a bit of setup for subsequent novels, and there is an underlying mystery that will surely serve as plot throughout the entire series, but all of the major aspects of this book were wrapped up neatly, with a definitive end. So often these days I find books that seem to end in partway through, leaving a significant part of the action in the next book as an incentive to keep readers coming back. A good book doesn't need to rely on a dramatic cliffhanger as a gimmick, and I was glad that KotLC does not. I will be excitedly diving into the second book all the same!Overall this is a fun read for kids and adults alike. There isn't any cursing or sexual situations, this is a clean read that I think parents should feel good about giving to their kids. There are a couple of sad parts & parts that might be a bit scary to young children but it all works out okay in the end. If you are a fan of magic & fantasy, or coming-of-age & chosen-one tropes, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this fast-paced, clever series opener.

I’ll admit it took a little bit to get into the storyline. It seemed like not enough of a setup was given or something. (It just felt a bit off.) But I’m glad I stuck with it.Surprisingly, this book brought me to tears...twice. I rarely ever cry, so it’s a rather large feat and says something about some of the depth of the storyline. (That said, I fully admit that the portions I cried about were ones I, too, went through during my childhood.)I really enjoyed the mystery and the pacing of this book. It never felt boring, nor did it feel rushed. The storyline had enough day-to-day interactions to allow us to get to know our characters and their world, but also enough mystery and action to keep us guessing and engaged.It had likable characters and mostly realistic interactions, however, to start this series with the main character at age 12 is rather odd. The maturity level and the way the main character handled herself, her emotions, the situations she found herself in and the way other adults spoke with her definitely did not support a CHILD of age 12. PERHAPS a 17 year old verging on adulthood, but even that is a stretch.Also a stretch were several things that just went too smoothly or were glossed over since for the sake of the storyline being able to progress and the author not having to delve deeply into certain issues. I chose to use the wonderful talent suspension of disbelief and just enjoy the story, but at times the inconsistencies did draw me out of the story.However, I will be continuing with the series (which I see has 9 books) and I hope the main character grows older as we progress through the series and we end up with her in adulthood; though I’m unsure that will happen since this seems to be geared more toward middle schoolers.And one last thing: maybe I’m out of touch with today’s youth, but although *I* enjoy romance and crushes in the books I read, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for this story or this character’s age. (Especially since she is 12 (hello?! She’s still a CHILD) and the person she was crushing on was 15.) Again, I chose to ignore these things and just enjoy the story, which I was able to do since nothing inappropriate occurs. But I wanted to mention it in my review because it just didn’t sit right with me. Had this been even a 16 or 17 year old, I may have felt more comfortable and it would have been more believable.

I loved this entire series so much! Truly brilliant and amazing writing and story development. I have never read a series as fast as I have these books. Very original, great characters and loved the story. This writer is very good!! I still have a book to go and then the last book when issued! AWESOME!!

My daughter doesn’t like to read but started these books and can’t put them done.. I love reading and was excited she found a series she loves!