Customer Reviews

The Book of Lies

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Mrs. Timmins's Home for Foundlings and Orphans is known for providing care and shelter for those children unfortunate to lose their parents, or be left behind. But when Mrs. Timmins's newest charge awakes, he is instantly overcome with the feeling that he's not who he says he is. Left with no memory of his prior life, twelve-year-old Marcel - aka Robert - is convinced that something fishy is lingering around Mrs. Timmins and her creepy home. Sure, she's a kind old woman, and her son, Albert, isn't too demanding, but there's something not right surrounding her. Marcel believes that his unsettled feelings can be primarily blamed upon Lord Alwyn, a bizarre presence whose obsession and knowledge with magic and the mysterious arts has Mrs. Timmins, as well as her young charges, shaking in their boots. Unfortunately, Marcel has no solid proof that there's something missing from his history. Something that could change his life for the better. Until, that is, he meets up with tiny Bea. Bea has the ability to disappear into the shadows, and her small stature makes it easy for her to come and go as she pleases with everyone none the wiser. Marcel instantly takes to the elfin girl, and finds her fascinating. The fact that she is aware of the strange happenings that took place between Marcel and Lord Alwyn on the first night of his arrival at Mrs. Timmins's Home for Foundlings and Orphans, only works to renew his interest in her, and claim her as his confidant and closest friend. With Bea's help, Marcel discovers that the large, musty old book that Lord Alwyn carries with him wherever he goes is known as the Book of Lies. The Book of Lies is home to Marcel's past, and the truth that will help him forge on in the future. Unfortunately, with Lord Alwyn guarding the book with his life, Marcel sees no way to delve into the book, and learn the secrets of his prior life - before the aging wizard locks them away forever - without being caught. The fact that the Book of Lies is so unattainable, however, only works to make Marcel more determined to get his pauper-like hands upon it. And, with the help of Bea, a mangy horse with dreams of soaring among the clouds named Gadfly, and two unlikely fellow orphans, Marcel embarks on the journey of a lifetime that will take him through hunger and famine, war and flame-ridden dwellings, and through the lands of elves, and corrupt royals with plans to destroy their kingdoms. It is only through these trials, tribulations, and tests that Marcel will finally have the chance to discover his true history, and learn to depend upon others to help him through misery, magic, and mystery. But if he doesn't watch his back, he and his companions may not make it through their adventure alive.

I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, yet I'm easily drawn in by fantasy novels that test the waters, and dip into untouched subjects, and clever concepts. James Moloney's THE BOOK OF LIES manages to fulfill both of these requirements. Moloney's descriptive dialogue, and captivating characters work hand in hand to create a daring novel that takes the reader on the adventure of a lifetime. Marcel is a curious character, whose determination to discover the truth about his past is admirable; while his refusal to turn his back on his friends, or abandon his quest - even when the waters turn rough - makes him extremely likable. His relationship with Bea - a character who, in my opinion, steals the spotlight - is very refreshing, as it is close, and loving, yet doesn't delve into anything romantic. Bea's ability to blend in with the shadows surrounding her, and the fact that she possesses no scent, and creeps around as silently as a cat make her an extremely fun character from beginning to end. She is such an innocent, friendly face, whose presence leaves the reader feeling a sense of familiarity between her and themselves, and truly makes her irresistible. Gadfly, a horse who is wild and beautiful, and dreams of stealing the spotlight of saving the world, and gracing the skies with her agility and heroics from Hercules' companion, Pegasus, is quite humorous; yet also borders on the adorable, as it shows that animals too have dreams that, while oft-times far-fetched, are an important aspect of their lives. While Marcel is lovable and impossible to ignore, I found that both Bea and Gadfly - working together - managed to overshadow his character, and capture my heart instantly. Moloney's various other characters - from the Princess-like Nicola, to the brazen, stout roughneck, Fergus; and even to the mad scientist-like Lord Alwyn, to the mother hen ways of Mrs. Timmins - are an important addition to the tale, who provide conflict and companionship to our hero and heroine. The fact that Moloney doesn't focus too harshly on the life of an orphan is another plus, as he gets straight to the main focus of the story, and keeps you captivated from start to finish. Thrilling!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

As the morning dawns, a 12-year-old boy named Robert wakes up from a deep and disorienting sleep. At least he thinks his name is Robert, though for some reason it doesn't feel right. He finds himself at an orphanage nestled far out into the countryside but forgets how he got there. In fact, he can't remember much of anything, except that perhaps his mother is no longer alive. A fellow orphan by the name of Bea quickly fills him in on the mysterious events of the previous night.

Robert arrives in the darkness and is immediately carried upstairs to the tower. Bea witnesses the sleeping newcomer mumble protests as an old, bent man in flowing robes stands over him with a huge book. The book begins reciting a history to the boy, starting with the name of Robert. But Bea knows this is false; she just heard the old man call him Marcel. After he leaves, Bea tries to stop the book's magic, but it stubbornly continues its false history lesson. Finally, Bea resorts to stuffing Marcel's ears with candle wax and sneaks back to bed.

After hearing the story, Marcel is eager to discover the truth about his identity and family. When he admits knowledge of his true name to the old man, Marcel is forbidden to leave the orphanage grounds. More determined than ever to reveal his history, Marcel, with the help of Bea, steals the strange book to look for answers. It is called THE BOOK OF LIES, which records every lie told in its presence and glows red when hearing the truth. With it, they discover that two other orphans have been lied to as well, given a false history to replace the truth.

Then two strangers appear over the fence claiming they have all the answers and promising to help them escape. They say that the three memory-replaced orphans are mixed up in an evil plan to take control of the kingdom. But whom should Marcel and Bea trust? Marcel and his friends set out on a life-threatening adventure, a race against time to save their histories and their futures.

Hang on tight to this fast-paced story, which contains more twists and surprises than a haunted house. With magic and dragons, elves and a flying horse, readers' imaginations will explode!

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

I read this book three years ago, with my then-10 year old son, in the UK edition. It's one of my favorite children's books ever, perfect for pre-teens, but intriguing enough to be a page-turner for this adult (and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel). It's also a much-needed entry in this segment of the market; most of the magic/fantasy sorts of books are too old for pre-teens... or not very smart or well-written. The Book of Lies is both smart and well-written, with a trio of central characters that every child will identify with. And it's a great read and a lot of fun!

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR FANS.. there are two sequels to the Book of Lies that apparently have only been released in Australia. They can be found through other sources if you search.

As is my usual practice, and noticing the fact that the plot of this story has been quite nicely outlined in several reviews here, I am not about to give another summation of the entire story again. It will suffice to say that this is an epic adventure to discover lost identities by three young people and a flea bitten horse that wants to fly and in searching for their lost identities, the children are also quite involved with saving the entire kingdom in which they live from complete take-over by evil forces. This is a typical quest type adventure story whose setting is in a different place and a different time.

Imagine yourself waking up with the strong feeling (as you are soon told) that you are not who everyone says you are and that you are a newly arrived orphan now living in an orphanage! Imagine that everything you are told is a lie...or is it? Imagine not knowing who is telling you the truth and who is not! Imagine placing yourself and your friends in great danger; imagine yourself saving your world and everyone else's world not quite knowing what you are doing.

Now throw in a goodly amount of travel (after your escape from the strange orphanage), a whole group of elves and other strange people, a dragon here and there and plenty of magic everywhere. Now consider the fact that this is an extremely well written book with almost nonstop action and a new twist and surprise every few pages. Folks, you have yourself a very, very good read.

This book is out of Australia. Little known to most of us (we Americans) there is a whole different publishing world located in the Land Down Under; a publishing world with authors that are as good as anything this country is turning out and quite often, even better! This is a pity. We are missing out on a lot of good reading.

I understand from reading other reviews that there is one or two sequels to this work. Wonder why they are not available here on Amazon??????

Anyway, the work being reviewed here, were it better known, could quite well fall into the cross-over category along with books such as the Harry Potter series, Hunger Game Series and some of the teen vampire books. There is as much appeal here for adults as there is for the YA reader...it sure caught and held my attention.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I read the book to him and he loved it. There were certainly sections he didn't understand at first, but he got the idea after I stopped to explain.

My daughter checked this book out of the libray and loved it! We ordered a copy from Amazon because she wants a copy of her own. The only bad thing is that this book is the first book of a trilogy, and the other two books don't appear to be available in the US.

A good read with vivid imagery (excellent fodder for a movie), this fantasy, created by Australian author Moloney, takes place in a nondescript land in 'olden times' plus an ending with a good hook for a sequel. Lord Alwyn, the old sorcerer, created The Book of Lies and uses its magic to erase the memories of children brought to Mrs. Timmins' Home of Orhpans and Foundlings. Bea, a waif at the Home, spies on Alwyn when he secludes himself in a room alone with the newest arrival, a boy who was brought unconscious during the night. When Alwyn is momentarily distracted from the boy's memory erasure, Bea takes some soft wax from the candle and plugs the boy's ears so he cannot hear the rest of the lies. She has heard the boy's true name, and when he awakens, Bea tells the boy what she knows and has seen. The boy cannot be placated, and thus ensues a wonderful series of adventures that involve espionage, rescue, escape, capture, alliances and loyalty, deceits and treachery. The characters are well-drawn, comprehensive and believable.

At Mrs. Timmins's Home for Orphans and Foundlings, the young lad awakens to realize he remembers nothing not even his name although he claims to be Robert. He learns from one of his new peers, Bea in the shadows that he is Marcel and he must find THE BOOK OF LIES if he is to regain his past.

Two other orphans Fergus and Nicola join Marcel on his quest to find himself. They meet Starkey, who tells Marcel that an evil wizard partnering with an ambitious king took his memory and much more from him and the people. To regain paradise lost he must find THE BOOK OF LIES so that he can learn truth from lies but must also prepare for a battle against an invincible evil team.

Targeting the middle school students who will join the three orphans on Marcel's quest, THE BOOK OF LIES is a fun young adult fantasy. The book is the intriguing element that freshens up the saga as a key twist related to the tome adds to the entertainment of the tale. The three children are fully developed unique individuals who the pre-teen crowd will root for in their myriad of escapades. Readers will enjoy James Moloney's fabulous youthful quest fantasy.

Harriet Klausner