The Truth-Teller's Tale (Safe-Keepers, #2)

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The Truth-Teller's Tale (Safe-Keepers #2)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 2,248 ratings · 174 reviews

Innkeeper's daughters Adele and Eleda are mirror twins - identical twins whose looks are reflections of each other's, and their special talents are like mirrors, too. Adele is a Safe-Keeper, entrusted with hearing and never revealing others' secrets; Eleda is a Truth-Teller, who cannot tell a lie when asked a direct question. The town of Merendon relies on the twins, no on...more

Paperback, 276 pages

Published April 5th 2007 by Firebird (first published January 28th 2005)

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Sep 26, 2010 Mariel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: liars and honest Abes

Recommended to Mariel by: me doing the right thing by me

Talk is cheap. Especially when it comes to telling someone what is what. People lie. I've come to feel as I've gotten older that it's not good for all that much. Is it more important to be honest with everyone, or just honest with yourself (you'll learn more doing the latter)? I think honesty is overrated. There are too many layers, too many almosts to say for certain. The certainty is lying, to me. The intent behind the lie is what matters and the intent behind the truth, right? Because either...more Talk is cheap. Especially when it comes to telling someone what is what. People lie. I've come to feel as I've gotten older that it's not good for all that much. Is it more important to be honest with everyone, or just honest with yourself (you'll learn more doing the latter)? I think honesty is overrated. There are too many layers, too many almosts to say for certain. The certainty is lying, to me. The intent behind the lie is what matters and the intent behind the truth, right? Because either one can hurt.

What is the price to pay for bearing the burden of someone else's secrets? Words are for relating and if there's the chance to connect out of that, then it is worth it. I just don't trust it farther than I can throw it (and I throw like a girl).

Sisters Adele and Eleda are mirror twins (I'd thought this was made up until meeting a pair earlier this year). Like their appearance traits, the nature of their gifts of truth-telling and secret-keeping are reflections of the other in the other direction. Eleda cannot tell a lie, or be in the prescence of one without naming it. Their names are palindromes, the lies and truths are fake palindromes. Adele is silent, holding in the secrets that people lay on her doorstep for their own peace of mind, regardless of the added weight on her shoulders. It is considered to be their birthrights in the kingdom that they live in. Dream-makers (whom have the power to make wishes come true, yet tragedy strikes those closest to them), truth-tellers and safe-keepers are in every town, keeping up the burdens for "the greater good", at great personal cost. Shinn's deceptively simple fantasy world is gradient and realized as a real one.

Unlike the secret-keepers known from the previous book (Safe-Keeper's Secret, an absolute gem), Adele plays with her position. She'll pretend to be her sister when someone looks for a Truth-teller. It's an issue of communication. I felt it sick beyond words that Adele and their friend had to poison Eleda to keep her from acting on the trust for the wrong person. Why not break out of what you always do when you need to? Words can be important, sometimes. Eleda can overlook nuances in her essentials, though. (Sharon Shinn is amazing.) It is important to try. I loved Eleda for wearing her heart on her sleeve. Truth-keeping nature aside, it was her own nature to keep that open.

It's opposite day and Adele will tell the truth and Eleda will lie.
I related to Adele in the ways that other readers have found to be her unreadably "bad" traits. It's been one of the fears in my life that I'll end up forever the wooden post to be just there to hear other's problems, with no care for me and who that me is that's listening (not always caring, I'll be honest). It's something I'm torn about, like Adele. I wanna be able to listen, but it does eat away at you (especially when the chance to do the same is nil). It isn't the nature of being a safe-keeper solely, the safe-keeper of Safe-keeper's Secret would confess secrets to another of her kind. I think it had to do with the habits of inner honesty and dishonesty, and keeping things to oneself. It's a hard cycle to break. There's a heart that should be kept only for oneself and that's Adele's core.

(Can't believe it took me this long to get to this) Their twin relationship was another feeling I could relate to and eyed with keen interest for its development. It's tricky when you can relate to someone a lot already and then the differences seep in (or slam in, as the case can be). Like experiencing the same thing and coming out of it differently. Beginning a life very much the same; looks to present to the world the same; same influential family background; culture. Yet there are still differences. It fascinates me how a person is different all the same. (Not just because I'm a twin and endlessly interested in everything to do with me. Although that is true, too.) The lies and truths are like that twin relationship too. They stem from the same place and then twist...

The third book in the series, The Dream-Maker's Magic is a fairy tale about the paranoid superstition that something good always brings on something bad. Like if you're afraid to hope for anything good and staying pessimistic keeps open the options for a turn of luck.
Safe-keeper's Secret is easily one of the warmest books I've ever read. It's about trying on everything, pushing your round self into square pegs, until learning what fits. I love Sharon Shinn because she knows how to tell a damned good story in an unpretending way.
(When youngers I gave my twin the sarcastic nickname of "Honest Lauren". She then made it a point to be annoyingly honest [about bad things I'd done, too!]. Ugh.)
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May 04, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adults

Recommended to Amy by: Mimi

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I couldn't believe I didn't see the ending coming, and yet I didn't! I think perhaps that's because the plot sort of creeps up on you, most of the book I kept asking myself, "What is this book even about?" because it seemed like nothing was happening, but then before you know it it's all exploding all over the place and there's crisis and drama and oh my! I did guess most of it before it happened, but only like a page or two prior, so that was fun. And ag...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, ya

Adele is a secret-keeper, physiologically incapable of sharing a secret. Her twin sister Eleda is a Truth Teller, incapable of telling a lie. From the young age of 12, these sisters assume positions of responsibility in their town, but what happens when they get dragged into royal intrigue and the indiscretions of the most powerful family in town?

As an adult reader of a young adult novel, you always have to keep in mind that the intended audience is younger and assumed to be less sophisticated a...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Kay Iscah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm going to give this book a solid B. The characters are reasonably likable. The premise is interesting: mirror twin girls, one destined to always tell the truth, the other destined to always keep secrets. And, the plot threads for the most part tie up neatly (if a tad predictably) at the end. However I say predictable for someone who knows fairytale and mystery formula very well...there's a bread
crumb trail of clues that I would call good writing. Keep in mind this is a YA book (and apparentl...more I'm going to give this book a solid B. The characters are reasonably likable. The premise is interesting: mirror twin girls, one destined to always tell the truth, the other destined to always keep secrets. And, the plot threads for the most part tie up neatly (if a tad predictably) at the end. However I say predictable for someone who knows fairytale and mystery formula very well...there's a bread
crumb trail of clues that I would call good writing. Keep in mind this is a YA book (and apparently part of a series?).

I think where the story falls short is it doesn't push itself very hard. The world the Shinn sets up has the potential to be very interesting, but we get an incredibly narrow slice of it. In Jane Austen style, poor people are rarely acknowledged, and when they are it's mainly as an accessory for the rich. Our twins girls who have special powers of Truth-Telling and Secret-Keeping (called Safe-Keeper so the Harry Potter lawyers don't cry foul, I guess) are the poor (though still quite comfortable) relations who's parents only own a successful Inn.

The plot could have been one steeped in political intrigue or with moments of true adventure, but instead we get plot more like a compact, fantasy version of Sweet Vally High. I was a Sweet Valley twins fan in elementary/junior high. Elizabeth and Jessica were identical twins with opposite personalities. Every book opened with a description of their matching dimples....however most of the SV books didn't reiterate this too many times of the course of the book. The Truth-Teller's tale redescribes the girls physical appearance in pretty much the same way 4-5 times over the course of the book. Adele and Eleda even have reversed names, something people rarely catch onto unless it's pointed out to them (the same wording is used to say this twice).

The plot of the book rotates around the two girls and their best friend, which isn't a problem in most of the book, except for the rape. Adele makes Eleda sick so she doesn't sneak off to meet with an actor. When Eleda can't go, the actor rapes and beats some other girl that the twins don't like...whew, what a near miss for our heroine. This girl pops up later in the book nicer after her tragedy and planning her wedding (not with evil actor). And that's really the last we hear about her. I'm torn about how this make me feel...on one hand there's a cautionary thing going on here....charming older men may not want what you want them to want, so sneaking off with them is dangerous. But contrasted with the rather happily-ever-after tone in most of the story, it seems off somehow...not properly dealt with. Thankfully, I've never gone through something like that myself, but I know people who have. So I suppose I feel like if you're going to open that can of worms in a story, you need to properly deal with the consequences. Now, there's a positive way to look at the handling too. Acknowledge that something awful is awful, but don't let it dominate you. But it stills seems too off handed for the subject matter.

Overall this story gets a thumbs up for a once read through, but it's not something I want to revisit over and over...(less)

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Sep 10, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, ya, romance

"The Truth-Teller's Tale" is a young adult or middle-grade fantasy novel which will appeal most to girls. It's the second novel in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to understand this one. This one may spoil events in the first novel, though.

It's a charming novel, though I found it predictable. But it probably won't be predictable to a middle-grader. I was expecting a more complex story based on the "a Safe-Keeper told a secret, a Truth-Teller told a lie" beginning promise, but...more

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Jul 14, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this started off a bit slowly, but by part two the action had kicked in and it kept going for the rest of the book. I could really relate to Eleda because I too find secrets infuriating and often wanted to smack Adele, even though I did understand why her role as a safe-keeper was important and why Eleda still loved her (she had her moments). Nothing in this book came as a surprise: I guessed that Adele had put the herbs in Eleda's food the minute she got sick, suspected Alexander and...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Kiersten added it

Very enjoyable. I have always wanted to write a story with a character who was physically unable to lie, but it wouldn't have occurred to me to write her a twin sister with exactly the opposite gift - to be unable to reveal a secret, no matter what she has to say to avoid it. I liked how the first half of the book was spent developing the world and the characters, before throwing the reader into the nonstop action: romance, mystery, and intrigue - of the second half. The characters were well-don...more

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May 05, 2012 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in the Safe-Keepers series. I picked it up, since I wanted a book to read between some new books I was waiting to come out. I'm a Sharon Shinn fan. So, thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did.

It's about two twins that are complete opposites. Adele and Eleda have opposite names, wear their hair parted on opposite sides, and even write with opposite hands. They are also opposite in deeds, one keeps all secrets while the other has to always tell the truth. They're called Safe...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Alyssa Archambo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, romance, epic-fantasy

I love Sharon Shinn, but I think she should stick to writing adult novels. This is a solid story, with amazing characters, and a great setting, but just like the first book in the series, The Safe-Keeper's Secret, the ending was incredibly predictable.

This book still gets a high rating, because despite the predictability, I did enjoy it very much. I like the world Shinn has created, with people being born with a gift that makes them tell the truth at all times or keep secrets. However, these uni...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Jenna St Hilaire rated it 5 of 5 stars

After Summers at Castle Auburn, I couldn’t wait long to track down another Shinn novel. This one, recommended by George (thanks, George), came with so many fascinating concepts that I was hooked from a glance at the back cover.

The fascinating concepts include the idea of mirror-twins, who reflect each other in perfect reverse—in this case, from the palindromic names, Adele and Eleda, on down. What each sees when she looks at the other is her own mirror image and the inverse of her magical gift....more After Summers at Castle Auburn, I couldn’t wait long to track down another Shinn novel. This one, recommended by George (thanks, George), came with so many fascinating concepts that I was hooked from a glance at the back cover.

The fascinating concepts include the idea of mirror-twins, who reflect each other in perfect reverse—in this case, from the palindromic names, Adele and Eleda, on down. What each sees when she looks at the other is her own mirror image and the inverse of her magical gift. Adele hears secrets, offers wisdom, but never betrays a confidence. Eleda never lies or misinforms, and her words can even be prophetic.

Eleda (naturally) narrates the story, which carries a very Shinn setup: festive, lighthearted magic, loosely medieval worldbuilding, and memorable, pronounceable names. For all my fondness for thoughtful naming practices in fantasy, it's certainly easier on the reader to discover Micahs and Gregorys and Melindas mingling with the Roelynns and Darians, with not one Lúthien Tinúviel or King Roedran Almaric do Arreloa a'Naloy in the bunch.

Like Auburn, Eleda’s world comes strikingly alive for that of a standalone novel, and it grows its heroine outside the farm-to-destiny cycle common to its genre. It’s cheerful, likable, relaxing high fantasy—the sort that can be comfortably read, like Shannon Hale’s or Diana Wynne Jones’, even by those who wouldn’t come near million-word monsters like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time.

More than anything else, it’s a love story—or rather, a set of love stories. As such, it’s thoroughly enjoyable, if also thoroughly simplistic about the idea that true love of the romantic type is what grows you up and forms the basis of all your happiness. The story is far from being thoughtless, however. The play of Safe-Keeper against Truth-Teller is downright insightful, and there’s some pretty symbolism around the Wintermoon celebrations especially.

The tale would be worth reading for the attention to tangible detail alone, as that’s simply beautiful in places. The scene of Eleda’s first evening out with her young man is one of the loveliest of its type I’ve ever read.

There was nothing in this story to make me regret picking it up. I’d like to re-read it. As with Summers at Castle Auburn, it’s likely to send me hunting up more of Sharon Shinn’s work.(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Diana (Bever) Barber rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the second book in this series, but it can stand on its own. It is the tale of mirror twins who have opposite, innate, extraordinary abilities. One is a Truth-teller from whom people seek advice, because she must always tell the truth. The other is a Safe-keeper to whom people go to relieve themselves of the secrets that weigh on their souls, because she will never reveal them. The idea of the two roles is a fantasy characterization dream come true. What an idea for a book! Unfortunately...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eleda and Adele, mirror twins, are respectively a Truth-Teller and a Safe-Keeper. As such, they are summoned to the palace when a baby princess is born. Eleda predicts that the princess will be a docile child, not like her brother the prince. The sisters are daughters of an innkeeper and too poor for their friend Roelynn’s father to find them best suitable companions. And Roelynn is not happy with his plan to marry her to the prince. Very light but you can be sure that things will turn out happi...more

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Sep 25, 2008 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like quiet, thoughtful coming of age stories as well as fantasy

Recommended to Erin by: Mom

So many of Sharon Shinn's books just make me feel warm inside.

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Oct 18, 2009 Amy or "Ames" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, read-in-2009, i-heart-the-cover-art, m-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 11, 2011 Maureen E rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

The middle book of Shinn’s trilogy. The solution was kind of easy to spot, but I suppose that there are reasons for the main character not seeing it herself. By the way, all three of these books have gorgeous covers that are paintings. I’m rapidly growing to hate pretty much any and all photo covers–that’s a huge exaggeration, actually, but I’m so tired of models looking nothing like the characters, standing in a modern teenage posture. It’s especially awful with fantasy and historical books. [M...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Miss Clark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 18, 2012 Matthew Galloway rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know some have been disappointed that the "twists" were fairly obvious. I, however, didn't feel this to be a story about twists, but rather one where the reader has all the pieces and gets to slowly, joyfully come together into a pretty pattern. We never needed to fear there wouldn't be happy endings - the question was how it would all come about.

As per usual, I love the worlds that Shinn creates. They're well thought out and interesting and, for this particular novel, I really loved the inter...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Adele and Eleda are mirror image twins. When they look at each other it gives them the image of looking in a mirror. They part their hair on different sides, they both have one green and one blue eye, but it is the opposite for each. One is right handed and the other left. Their personalities are also opposite. One is a truth teller and the other is a safe keeper. They are two halves of a whole.

Eleda is the truth teller and this story is written from her viewpoint. She describes the life of bein...more

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Nov 26, 2007 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Becky

This is a worthy sequel to The Safe-Keeper's Secret. As in that book, the main characters are a safe-keeper, who can keep any confidence, and a truth-teller, who cannot tell a lie. The twist is that the two are mirror-image twins. The plot is interesting, if somewhat predictable (I had guessed the surprise ending 100 pages before the end).

However, I've rarely read a book that posed so many intriguing ethical questions. Potential group discussion questions! Are there people that you feel that you...more

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Apr 24, 2009 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, read-in-2009

I was a bit reluctant to start this, since I had loved The Safe-Keeper's Secret so much when I first read it that I just didn't believe there was really something that could follow that up in a satisfying way. While I didn't absolutely love this novel, it was a very enjoyable read and I had a lot of fun with the story and characters. The idea of two twins that are mirror opposites in appearance and personalities was interesting, and one thing I really enjoyed was how the longer I read the more I...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Althea Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy Shinn's writing, but I didn't like this quite as much as the previous book in this series, "The Safe-Keeper's Secret."
It's a stand-alone story, although reading the first one first would help, a little bit, as far as understanding the premise behind this 'world.'
In this story, the romance is front and center, and the 'fantasy' aspects take a (very) background role. Adele and Eleda are 'mirror twins' - seeingly identical, but with very different personalities. One becomes a 'safe-k...more

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Aug 21, 2009 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

I have several of these books waiting to be read, and I'm honestly not sorry that I do!

Sharon Shinn's writing is very readable and I've enjoyed everything written by her so far. This book is no exception. While it's not quite as good as her Twelve Houses series (which is written more for adults) this book carries definite appeal - I can see my 16 year old sister absolutely devouring it and the others similar to it.

Fun, light reads - a touch of fantasy, romance and a good story.

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Aug 04, 2010 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This was really a companion book, not a sequel, to "The Safe-Keeper's Secret" - only two of the characters from the first book were in this one, and they were extremely minor. It was really a standalone novel. This one had a little more mild "content" in it (not actual sex, but a few small allusions to it). It also had a lovely and satisfying romantic plot line - much more than the first - which I, of course, loved. On the whole, it was a nice, gentle, well-written summer read.

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Aug 14, 2009 Carter rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Truth-Tellers Tale was about two mirror twins named Eleda and Adele. Adele is a safe-keeper and eleda is a Truth-teller. Their friend Rolynn always is crushing on a boy unworthy to her father.
Before Summermoon, the dance master Gregory comes along with his apprentice Alexander. Rolynn falls for Alexander who is a different person than she thinks he is.
It wasnt as good as Safe-keepers secret
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes very romantic fairytales (UGH!!)

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Jun 07, 2011 Jennifer Daiker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sharon-shinn, young-adult

Elada and Adele are twins and mirror images of each other in both personality and appearance. Elada is a truth-teller, unable to speak an untruth and compelled to always tell the truth. Adele, on the other hand, is a secret-keeper, as closed-lipped and good-naturedly duplicitous as her sister is outspoken. As the twins grow up and into their roles, their abilities help them provide the functions of confidant and advice-giver for the entire town. Occasionally the townsfolk mix up the twins, to so...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit, ya-fantasy

Sharon Shinn is a new author (for me, anyway) I'm finding myself consistently going back to - I read three of her books in one weekend - two YA and one Adult and liked them all equally well - she's a rather nice mix of Robert Jordan (fantasy) and a less than sap-filled romance author that creates a romance that's even more romantic for it's lack of gushy wushy smexyness. You know - the everyday kind that we lowly realists exist for.

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Oct 22, 2012 Jessie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Happily surprised by this book. Loved the concept of the mirror twins and their special abililties. One sister unable to tell a lie and the other unable to share a secret. The story-line really pulled me in and kept me interested. I also liked that it was a clean book free of profanity. I didn't realize it was part of a series so I will have to go back and read the first and the next one as well. I really enjoyed this.

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May 18, 2012 Shoshana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I totally love these books. The twins are fun, I like how Shinn can make a short book cover several years in order to bring you to a fully contextual climax (though based on the teaser on the flap the climax is more personal and less political/"important" than I felt led to believe), and I like the cast of supporting characters. Eleda is pretty stupid about her sister and Micah, though. On to The Dream-Maker's Magic!

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May 21, 2009 Raya rated it 4 of 5 stars

So far, I’ve enjoyed all of Shinn’s novels, including The Truth-Teller’s Tale. She has a fairy tale-esque feel to her writing, complete with handsome strangers and happy endings. Somewhat predictable, but far from a generic fantasy read. She keeps the mood light, but still touches on some slightly grown-up themes, like sex and the nature of relationships, individual vs. societal expectations. A quick, enjoyable read.

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Oct 01, 2012 Fred Dickson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: easy-afternoon-fantasy, shakespearian-mistaken-identity-lol

I really just love the concept of the Truth Teller, it's so simple but has so many opportunities for awesome, I wish she would expand on it a little more. Awesome sibling relationship which gave this book bonus points, and a romance that was not filled with heart pounding staring at one another. You can see exactly where the plot is headed, but I didn't mind. It was just one of those nice little stories.

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About Sharon Shinn

I’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative w...more I’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative writing, so I pursued a degree in journalism at Northwestern University so I’d be able to support myself while I figured out how to write fiction.

I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.

I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones.")

I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.

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The Truth-Teller's Tale (Safe-Keepers #2)

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