“Reading You: A Memory Thief Mystery” by Lubov Leonova

Having read previous books by this author, I was excited to revisit the world she has created on the pages and learn more about the characters.

The kingdom where magical powers can both elevate or destroy you and where people facing the challenges of taming their extraordinary abilities sometimes succumb to their dark side came startingly alive for me in “Ghost: A Murder Mystery.” I read it a few years ago and couldn’t stop myself from reading the other two books Lubov Leonova had published at that time.

Since Lana’s struggle to prove her worth in the men’s world remained fresh in my memory, once I learned that the author shared two more stories that precede the one told in “Ghost,”  I had to read them.

Lana is a young woman possessing a powerful Gift of mind-reading. Despite this, according to the societal rules, she cannot count on ever achieving her dream of becoming a detective. She is expected to become a wife and a mother, the only roles available for females. I liked the way the author portrayed Lana, letting her make mistakes and learn from them. Even though her intentions are noble, Lana’s reckless behaviour sometimes brings harm to those she wants to help. Youth and the lack of experience aren’t the best tools for solving serious crimes.

“Reading You: A Memory Thief Mystery” is the first book in the “Two Worlds: Beginning” trilogy. From the first pages, the story throws the reader straight into the tangle of Lana’s struggles. On one hand, her life is comfortable and she shouldn’t have a single worry, only which marriage proposal to accept. Besides, by doing this, she would make her father, who raises her alone, very happy. Isn’t that what a dutiful daughter should do? Even though Lana loves and respects her father, she cannot betray her dreams. She understands that it is unlikely for her to ever become a guardian, but she still grasps at any opportunity to prove that she is perfect for this job. And since solving mysteries is her true passion, failed attempts don’t stop her.

While set in a fantasy world, with people possessing magical gifts of telekinesis, mind-reading, paralysing, persuasion, etc., the book addresses the issues we still haven’t managed to solve in the real world. The author touches upon the subject of domestic violence and its consequences for the most vulnerable social group, children. Although awkward in her zeal to help and solve crimes, Lana is someone many victims would like to meet among the sea of indifferent faces of strangers, and, sadly, friends and family.

Since my curiosity about Mercy House was piqued already years ago when I was reading “Ghost,” after finishing “Reading You,” I immediately started the next book of the trilogy. I’ll be sharing my review of “Mercy House” soon. Imagine the sinister castle with the dark corridors and dungeons hiding the sufferings of innocent victims – young girls who possess ‘destructive’ magic, something men ruling the world cannot allow women to wield, so they don’t lose their power…