“Keeper of the Lost Cities” series ate my soul.

Over this past week, I discovered something new about myself–

–And that is: I can actually experience symptoms of addiction withdrawal from books.

The genesis of my book addiction:

When I spent the weekend at a friend’s house, she recommended that I should read a book series that she adored. So she let me borrow her books. And you’ve probably already figured it out from the title of this post (spoiler alert)– but the name of the book series is Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger.

By the end of the first book, I knew that the series had to be mine. I planned on saving up my money to buy the series in one fell swoop.

But one of my other friends gifted me a $70 Amazon gift card. SO GUESS WHAT YOUR GIRL DID? THAT’S RIGHT! I redeemed the card, and bought all of the available books right there and then.

And I have zero regrets!

…Or, at least I think so. I’m still dealing with the fall-out of my dopamine-fueled decisions.

…And thus, began my week long reading-binge.

When I received all of my 9 books that are currently in the series (including Unlocked— which is considered to be 8.5), I already got through 5 books. That meant I had 4 books left that I hadn’t read yet.

If you can’t tell by the featured image of the post, these books are dense. We’re talking about 700-1,000 page, THICK books. And you might not know this about me, but I’m an avid reader. And when I’m obsessed with a series, I read books faster than the speed of light.

It took me about a day and-a-half to 2 days to finish reading one book. And I finished those 4 chunky-boi books in one week.

Am I angry that Shannon leaves her books on a cliff-hanger?

YES.

Am I sleep-deprived from the late nights I’ve spent reading?

Yup.

(I could probably give Sophie’s sleepless-night track-record a run for it’s money)

Am I going to sink more money into buying the newest book that comes out?

Absolutely.

I LOVE these books, and they’re in my book-shelf to stay.

I genuinely had no idea what I was getting myself into when I said “Sure!” to my friend, and she let me borrow her Keeper of the Lost Cities books. But I’m glad I did!

The plot and the characters are consistent throughout all of the books. The adventures, the life-and-death risks, and the emotions– they all feel real, like I’m actually in the main character’s shoes. Everything. Is. SO. GOOD. The targeted age-range for the series is just a suggestion (which is 8-12, if you were wondering). I’m in my early 20’s. And not a single person can dissuade me from ranting about my love for these books like my life depends on it.

FYI: They do more for me than Harry Potter ever did.

So… do whatever you will with that nugget of information. LOL

“OKAY, WE GET IT! You love the books. What are they about?!”

I THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER ASK!

*slams a laminated page of the book cover with it’s excerpt in front of you*

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Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath–someone who can read minds. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain. Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy who appears out of nowhere, and who can also read minds like her. She discovers there’s somewhere she does belong, and that staying with her family will put her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye. Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

Read more at ShannonMessenger.com

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It’s like… if Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter had a child, and it did some of the things that the parents never accomplished. But that also might be my bias doing the talking right now.

I definitely suggest that you should read it and form your own opinion about it!

Though, I can’t guarantee that you won’t become obsessed like I have… read at your own risk! *wiggles eyebrows suggestively*

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FELICITY’S FOOTNOTES:

Hey guys! I thought I would rant a little bit about how much I love this book series, since I just got finished with it recently.

I’m HYPED that the true book 9 is slated to come out this November (remember, I only bought up to 8.5)! I think I’m probably going to end up buying the book as a late birthday present, or early Christmas present to myself. I needed my mitts on this book, like, yesterday!

Anywho…

I’ll probably come creeping back out of my shadows with a critique of the series somewhere in-between now, and when Stellarlune comes out in November. This post is to blow off some of my extra-obsessive energy that had no where to go, and that definitely needed to be re-directed before I combusted.

I might also end up drawing some of the characters.

Once I’m hyper-focused on something? It becomes EVERYONES’ problem.

Sorry-not-sorry!

Thanks for reading until the end of the post!

-Felicity Annora