It’s almost 10:00 on Sunday and I just realized that I forgot to do an MMGM. So I reverted to the classic: Keeper of the Lost Cities! I always have lots to say about it. Here goes:

Dark schemes unfold—and Sophie’s loyalty is pushed to the limit—in this thrilling fifth book in the bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Sophie Foster is back in the Lost Cities—but the Lost Cities have changed. The threat of war hangs heavy over her glittering world, and the Neverseen are wreaking havoc.

The lines between friend and enemy have blurred, and Sophie is unsure whom to trust. But when she’s warned that the people she loves most will be the next victims, she knows she has to act.

A mysterious symbol could be the key—if only she knew how to translate it. Every new clue seems to lead deeper into her world’s underbelly and the Black Swan aren’t the only ones who have plans. The Neverseen have their own Initiative, and if Sophie doesn’t stop it, they might finally have the ultimate means to control her.

Okay, so this is a website dedicated to Shannon Messenger. What I’m going to say here, is why.

Three main elements of a book:

1. The characters. This is probably my favorite thing about Keeper of the Lost Cities. I care about what happens to Sophie, Fitz, Keefe, Dex, Biana, Tam, Linh, etc. so much that it’s a little bit scary sometimes. Because Shannon Messenger just wrote them into existence and with a single sentence, she could kill them. She has all the power here. And what she’s done with that power so far is make me relate to all the characters, even some of the ones I don’t want to, because as this series has progressed, we’ve seen the good and the bad in every character. Lodestar, trying to have no spoilers here, but Lodestar introduces a new character, though not really new, and I’m super excited to find out what’s going to happen with her/him/it, because they have a lot of potential.
2. The world. Sophie’s world is certainly different form ours, which is interesting because we (as humans) live so nearby to the other intelligent species, but are so far apart in so many non-literal ways. One really interesting thing about the Lost Cities is that they’re supposed to be perfect. Their world is supposed to be the perfect community, and yet it’s hopelessly broken. I think one of the major factors in this is that they can’t allow themselves to feel guilt, or they risk their minds breaking. So if something happens they feel bad about, they just erase the memory; pretend it never happened. How can a society truly function like that for long?
3. The plot. Obviously, even with great characters, a book would be nothing without a story. One of my favorite parts about reading Shannon Messenger’s books is that she always surprises you. The story might have started out simple, but with every book it grows, and every page brings something unexpected– which sometimes you’re glad it happened, and sometimes not so much. But it keeps you turning the pages.

That’s a brief summary of why I love KOTLC, though I apologize for it not really being specifically Lodestar related. Next week I’ll do this on Saturday! Have a great week. 🙂