Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner

I want to begin on a positive note. Museum of Thieves, Book 1 of the Keepers Trilogy by Lian Tanner was probably the best book I read in 2010. So, I was shocked when I hated City of Lies, the 2nd book in the series. I am happy to say that Path of Beasts is a better book than City of Lies but not nearly as good as Museum of Thieves. It is possible that because Museum of Thieves was such a good book that nothing will come close and it clouds my judgement on the other two.

With that being said, Path of Beasts starts a few minutes after City of Lies ends. Goldie and Toadspit are back in the city of Jewel along with their new friends from Spoke, Pounce and Mouse. Tanner does an okay job bringing the story to an end. The book is entitled Path of Beasts but the path is only a chapter or two part of the story. The Fudleman, the villain of the series, is back and he once again wants to take over the city of Jewel. Sadly, this is the same plot as in book 1. The children save the day in book 1 and everyone is determined never to let the Fudleman rule the city again, cut book 3 where once again all the adults are totally helpless and the children are left to save the day. I understand that this is a kids book but I would have liked a different plot and not a repeat of book 1.

My biggest disappointment with City of Lies was the lack of the magical Museum of Dunt. The museum really is a character in its own right and I am happy to say that it plays a big role in this book. I think a lot of the magic in book 1 was getting to know the museum and those in charged with keeping it safe, the Keepers. This is a Keepers Trilogy and yet the Keepers are not a main point in the rest of the books. I guess I assumed that the next two books would deal with training the Keepers and other mysteries of the museum and not Goldie and Toadspit's journey of taking down the Fudleman.