Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

"The past is a maze. She is the key."

In other kingdoms, gold is the standard currency, but in Craewick, and the surrounding realms, memories reign. This system was created by the mad, power-obsessed ruler known by the title: "Madame". She and her followers have formed a society in which the powerful reign, and the ungifted are crushed. Those who are gifted can easily swap, steal, or implant memories through touch as they please. Those who Madame deems a criminal or her enemy are taken to the auction, where their memories are harvested and sold to the highest bidder, resulting in their deaths. 17-year-old Julietta Lark is tired of this corrupt system and yearns to leave Craewick far behind, but is wracked with the guilt of an accident that caused her mother's coma, leaving her bedridden in the city's asylum, and the deaths of her friends. When Etta receives her mother's auction norice, Madame's threat to kill her mother, she is determined to do whatever it takes to save her mother, even if it means facing the ones she betrayed years earlier, rejoining the world of the Shadows, Craewick's black market. The ones who thought her dead. To show her loyalty to them and save her mother, Etta must steal a secret, memorized map of the Maze, a dark, horrid prison created by a bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring kingdom. So she, along with an unexpected ally, set out on a perilous journey to steal a legendary map, knock an evil tyrant off of her throne, and right all of the wrongs that have plagued the Realms before it's too late. Once again, Etta Lark must become the Memory Thief.

My thoughts:

Wow! This was such a great book. I really loved it. Lauren Mansy has a very authentic and gripping style of writing, and her world building skills are top-notch. Each character had their own unique traits and personalities. I really enjoyed Etta as a character. She was strong and resilient, but authentic. She had her weaknesses and was grappling with guilt and loss, but was able to find the strength to overcome thosewhich I really appreciated. Complete with a sweet romance, this book was everything I was wanted, since reading the summary on Amazon. The only thing that disappointed me, and this is personal preference only, was that this is a standalone. I would have wanted this to at least be a duology. There was so much more I wanted to see! But who knows, maybe the aurhor will write another book. Memory Thief-related or not, I'll read anything that Lauren Mansy writes, as she is an amazing author!!

I hope this review was helpful.

I was granted permission to read an early copy if this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Genre: YA Fantasy

My rating: 5 stars

Language: Clean!

Age Range: 13+

Content: Very mild action scenes/death scenes. A few kisses.

Favorite Character: Etta + Reid

Favorite quote: "Sunsets are ten times prettier after a storm. They're proof that good can come out of something really bad." - Penn

Conclusion: This book has been amazing! It was interesting twist that you can give and take away someone's memory. The story was fascinating and I love how it talks about forgiveness and how good can come from evil. I highly recommend this book!

*I received an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review. These opinions are my own.*

In a world where memories are currency, power, and weaponry, your past can be bought or stolen, and nightmares implanted.

Etta Lark is a gifted young woman who would do anything to save her mother, who is in a coma. She is her mother's only hope, yet her intricate past and rare gift makes her the target of Madame, a power-hungry megalomaniac. She is ruggedly independent, removing herself as much as she can from the caste system of sorts that rules the realms. I admired her courage, and her devotion to her friends.

This story operates with multiple flashbacks, and a heavy backstory that helps the reader keep up, yet the whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking, "I would have read a whole book about that!" There is a lot going on in this book, especially for its length of just over 300 pages, which plenty of twists, reveals, secrets, and good world building. Multiple times while reading this book I wondered if it might have been better as a series, with more room to expand upon the world that they operated in, as well as fleshing out many of the intriguing characters and relationships, without relying so heavily on flashbacks. The main reasons I believe it would have been a great series, are because the notion of memories being used in this way, with the associated gifts is a pretty big premise, also there are many prominent characters who are alive only in memories, and Etta's time in the Shadows sounds like it could have been a book in itself.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but in the end I really liked it. It is great for fans of Defy or Graceling but more clean in content, though the stakes are still high. As a result of this book's shorter, single volume length I think that the punch of some of the more shocking reveals was lost, as I wasn't as hungry for it, and in the end there were so many reveals that some challenges seemed in my mind too easily solved. I'm sorry if this all sounds so negative, but what I am really saying is that I liked it, and I wanted more!

Overall, very entertaining, with many surprising plot twists, and reveals. Hard to put down with a full cast of characters, though I did feel like many of the concepts were really good there just wasn't enough time to expand on it and appreciate it all. Etta is determined and independent, a strong sympathetic character. An entertaining read, with intriguing fantasy concepts, filled with action and hard to put down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*Clean Read--but not Christian*