First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers, hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, it’s author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines.

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally … reveal the book!

Chaya looked at the bronze spear pointing at her neck. “Stop right there,” said the guard.

Any ideas?

I’ve heard lots about this one and was very excited to see it out slightly early in Waterstones, Coleraine, so I just had to buy it!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen’s jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang?