Snared: Escape to the Above by Adam Jay Epstein

My name is Wily, and I was the trapsmith for Stalag's Carrion Tomb. However, Stalag the mage lied to me about everything, so I've run away with a small band of tomb raiders. I always believed the sun in the Above would kill me, but I've survived several days under the open sky. Even more surprising, I now know I'm not a hobgoblet. I'm a human! I've agreed to help the thieves raid another tomb, since they need a lot of money to escape the ruthless Infernal King's rule. I may need their help in return, because I've uncovered the truth about my parents. I assumed I came to Stalag because my parents were gone, but that was another one of his lies. My parents are alive, but that's both very good and very bad news.

This book was a finalist for a 2018 Cybils Book Award. The cast of characters for the story was intriguing. Wily had a talent for devising traps, as he was able to think creatively and understood how machines worked. Other characters were Wily's sister (a hobgoblet), a golem, and a warrior with a detached arm. Actually, the arm was a free-thinking, sword-toting character with valiant intentions. The story included two separate antagonists. The Scarf was another mysterious character that regularly popped up to save the day, and the true identity was a surprise. Wily's character went through a dramatic transformation. He was raised as the trapsmith for Carrion Tomb, so capturing and imprisoning treasure seekers seemed like a normal and logical thing to do. However, he later learned the value of freedom and became a valiant character like the detached arm. He was willing to face unbeatable odds to help the helpless and stand up for what was right. The plot was a wonderful blend of adventure, action, and character interactions and moved along nicely. I also liked the imagination of the obstacles and joined Wily with enjoying the workmanship behind them. This book was fun to read, and I recommend you give it a shot.