I am a sucker for scheming and machinations but this felt really juvenile and more a bitter young girl taking revenge against a "frenemy".

I couldn't even continue to read it because it just bored me.

I think it has heaps of potential in terms of the plot. The idea of elves being mainly evil and conquering humans and plots to overthrow power and gain Royal titles sounded good but I couldn't push past 20% to get anywhere.

Reading other reviews that state their is sustained daily, incestuous sex between cousins, caricatures of native peoples, misrepresentation of LGBTIQ characters, alcoholism and violence I really did not think it worth my time to push past the desire to DNF.

I loved this story! I immediately wanted to read more about this world, the inhabitants, and their magic. I definitely want to be first on the list for any sequels and I think that this world could span a lot of books. I will say that the use of "they" to identify a single elf was confusing at first

Castle of Lies seemed promising but fell short. I could not get interested enough to keep going. I skimmed through this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I liked how all of the main characters were incredibly flawed. I’m only giving it four stars out of five because I feel like the world building could’ve been a little better fleshed out. Also, I’m not sure what naming convention the author was using, but I really hated all of the names except Thelia’s. (that took me a while to get around.)

All in all, it was an enjoyable read, kept me turning the pages, and I read it all in one sitting. I’m not dying for a sequel to it, though. Maybe this is a 3.5/5. Still pretty good, as I’m not easy to please, ha!

This book has a very slow start. It took me a while to get into this new world and story. It did pick up at the end, but it was as if the author had a remote control button because she sped through the rest of the book so fast, I hardly knew what was happening.

I also found it a bit difficult with all of the POV changes, maybe I am just not used to that in my books. So it is a subjective opinion from me. And most of the characters kind of mush into the same characteristics. No one really stood out to me and I never really rooted for anyone. Maybe because most of the characters were jerks... but I digress.

This books should also be noted as having a lot of trigger warnings for younger people. I am a 28-year-old nurse so not much shocks me anymore, but I can see some of the things that happen in the book bothering others.

I am not really interested in reading the sequel, this book just did not captivate me enough.

I expected a bit more from this book. However, it did keep me reading, wanting to know what will happen to the main characters. I liked Tgelia and Percival and Sapphire.

Some of the things that happened, was a bit over the top, even for a fantasy novel. The characterisation of the elves also fell flat at times and no clear indication was given about the real reason for the invasion and why magic is dangerous.

All in all I enjoyed the book, but definitely expected more. Thanks #Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the book.

Due to reading other reviews, I don’t think I will be reading this book since I don’t feel comfortable with certain aspects of it.

So I didn’t really enjoy this one unfortunately. It took me forever to read because it just didn’t capture my attention at all. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters at any point in the story. I almost DNFed it but pushed through.
I felt like this book had a lot of promise, but just didn’t do much. I liked the take on the elves being the “evil” and keeping the humans prisoner in the castle. I didn’t like all of the POVs (I think there were at least 5). It would switch POVs in the same scene so I would forget who I was reading because several of them felt almost like the same person.
The thing that bothered me the most was the elf whose POV we get (Sapphire) has not decided whether to be a male or female, so is referred to as “they” or “them.” It was very confusing when, for example, it said “they jumped out the window” but it was only Sapphire. It made any scene with Sapphire in it so hard to read.
Several of the characters were very cruel to the point where I dreaded any scene they were in. Also, there are cousins who are in love which is weird.
I am assuming from the ending that this book is the first in a series, and unfortunately I don’t think I will be continuing on.

I felt as if the book started off relatively slow and then, once the story actually started to pick up, it went much too fast. It felt as if the story could have been expanded on throughout a series instead of being condensed into one novel. I dont think the author took enough care to put more detail into the world-building. The character development was also lacking, at best. The characters gave little to no indication that what was happening to them affected them at all. Considering how much suspense, betrayal, politics, and magic is in the book, I'm surprised at how little the characters seemed to be affected by anything. However, I do like the concept. It reads somewhat like YA novel, and I rarely find unique YA novels. The lore is original, and I like the Classic Fantasy feel that the book had with the elves and the magic system. I dont know if this book was supposed to be the first in a sequel, but I think that if the author takes more time and care with the flow of story in future works, then all will be good.

This was a DNF halfway through the book. Most of my reason for DNF-ing is due to the flat characters whose personalities we are told about rather than shown. And even though the characters are in trouble and being invaded, most of what we hear about is the conflict going on between the four main characters. The fact that the POV changes too quickly between each POV character only serves to distract from the story, and I feel like it would have been a better story overall if it had stuck with the same character the whole time.

A fantasy reminiscent of Game of Thrones. Although the characters are unlikeable, they are some of the most interesting I’ve read.

Conceptually, Castle of Lies is promising. It aims to - and successfully does - deliver a new plot-line that’s not a generic trope. Based on a MC who strives (and always has) for power, and follows routes to gain it, the main plot twist leaves you wanting more. Character development couldn’t done with some tweaking and more focus, but the overall theme and compilation of the novel was satisfying.

I'm not well-versed in high fantasy, but this one has all the secrets and schemes of a good drama plus delightfully haunting, original magic reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, but with more teeth. A thrilling ride adorned with growth, humor, and characters you can root for.

DNF at 12%

I'm not a big fan of present-tense writing for novels. That was a turn-off for me right from the start. However, I could have gotten used to it if the book had been worth reading.
The author switches perspectives every 5 paragraphs, between at least 5 different people. It's annoying getting tiny snippets of each person's story one at a time like that. Multiple POV is a fine strategy, but you can't switch between scenes like a TV show.
The writing is completely void of any descriptive elements. It's entirely Dialogue (internal and external) and Actions, all smashed together with no adjectives at all.
The characters are fine, but you don't get to know them at all because they just switch again and again like lightening. The plot is fine, but pretty rushed along. The pacing is terrible, just fast-forward all the way. Everything happens one after another with no pauses or explanations in between.
I would have called this a rough draft that needs a lot of work, not something publishable.
I received this as an ARC book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. There's just so much going on, constant switching of POV, tons of new rules and subplots being added in. Don't even get me started on the loose ends. So many unanswered questions that could have been be answered, tons of subplots that lead to nothing, the character development needing more work. Felt like it could have used several rounds of deeper editing.

3 stars!

This author shows a LOT of promise! The idea for this is so unique, and I was shocked by a few of the plot twists. However, while I was surprised by a few, most of the twists left something to be desired. The ending was a bit predictable which was rather disappointing. That said, I was so interested I read this in one sitting!

I also think that the character development could have been done a bit better. I enjoyed a lot of the characters themselves but never really felt a connection. I loved the world, it was amazing! But the characters didn't quite fit.

I haven't read many books like this but it shares a tiny bit of similarities to Three Dark Crowns!

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Loved this book. Thanks so much for allowing me to review this one. I couldn't put this amazing book down.

2.5/5 stars

I could not or the life of me get into this book. I kept trying and trying, bit this just was way too...boring? I'm not sure if that's the word I'm lookong for, but it's as close as I can get. There's just so much going on, constant switching of POV, tons of new rules and subplots being added in. Don't even get me started on the loose ends. So many unanswered questions that SHOULD be answered, tons of subplots that lead to nothing, the character development needing more work... It all just adds up to a big mess. I noticed within the first 5 chapters that there was going to be tona of imformation being jammed into this book. There needs to be a lot more revising and editing to be done in orser for it to become coherent and more entertaining, in a way. LGBTQ+ representation...exists. I'd say if you have this aspect in a book, make it count. In this book though...let's just say that the LGBTQ+ aspects took a backseat and weren't explored much, if at all. Might as well not include it and the story would still be the same.

I don't see myself getting a finished copy unless I see that there's been major improvements done. Possibly a library borrow, but definitely not buy. There's a very specific audience for this, and unfortunately it's not me.

ARC received by the publisher through NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Castle of Lies is a young adult high fantasy story that involves themes of political intrigue, romance, and magic. In a lot of ways, Castle of Lies was unexpected and even surprised me. But unfortunately, I found a lot of flaws with this book that could have largely been avoided with more editing.


PLOT AND SETTING

This story seemed to want to go too many places at once. On the one hand, this is a political intrigue story. The Holy Kingdom is ruled by a drunkard king who basically bankrupted the whole country. His daughter, Corene, is of marriagable age, but his ward, Bayled, has been promised the throne. Thelia is from a family of nobles, but she grew up alongside princess Corene. Thelia was raised to be a warrior and conspirer by her mother - believing that the one purpose of her life is to become Queen. Bayled seems the perfect path to the throne. But everything gets thrown into chaos when the King reveals he has promised Corene’s hand to a Southern Lord to secure their alliance.


On the other hand, we have the element of the elves and magic. Sapphire is an elf recently promoted to an elite elven fighting group. Their mission is to invade the Holy Kingdom and gain control over an out-of-control wellspring of magic that the humans are completely unaware of.


Once the elves make it to the Holy Kingdom, the storyline of who will be king/queen is largely forgotten about, and a few major questions I had were left unanswered. One of which was about the magic problem in the Holy Kingdom: why was the magic overflowing? Additionally, Corene's engagement to the Southern Lord is a plot point that is completely abandoned, despite the many unanswered questions and contradictions there were.

CHARACTERS


The characters in this story I have very mixed feelings about. Honestly? This read a lot like a messed up fantasy version of Love Island. All of the characters are a little bit trashy - and not in a way that's wholly entertaining. Because of the political conspiring, none of them really trust each other. Towards the end of the story, they begin to build some trust, but it wasn’t quite enough to make up for rest.


• Thelia - The main character and one of the POV characters. She is definitely fits in the “badass tough girl” fantasy trope. She was trained in martial arts by her mother, but she was also abused by her mother and other members of her family. Despite that, her mother’s training defines her life, and she strives to become queen one day.


• Corene - The princess. Corene and Thelia grew up together, and are practically sisters. But when the story starts, Thelia absolutely hates her guts because of an unspeakable thing Corene did to Thelia. I honestly thought Corene was the most pointless character. Of all the characters, she manipulates and uses people the most. But she also sees the least development, and a lot of what she does is left without motivation or explanation.


• Bayled - Originally from a kingdom to the North, Bayled’s parents were emissaries to the Holy Kingdom. When they died, the King took Bayled under his wing as his ward. Because of the King’s favor toward Bayled, he has been promised to inherit the throne. Bayled grew up with Thelia and Corene, and is madly in love with Corene. Honestly... Bayled was the most clueless of all the characters. He wasn't my least favorite, but I really wanted to slap him at times - He is entirely unaware of the way Corene and Thelia manipulate him.


• Parsifal - Parsifal is from a family of nobles left bankrupt by the King's spending. Parsifal is described as disfigured, and uses his sense of humor about his own looks to get his way with others in court. Parsifal struck me a little bit as a cheap Tyrion knock-off - he is sexually wanton, drinks too much, and makes people laugh. He also deals in secrets, and uses people’s misconceptions about him to his advantage. Of all the characters, I thought Parsifal was the most interesting, and sees the most development throughout the story.


• Sapphire - An elf, and the one elvish POV character. Sapphire is non-binary - the elves get the choice to choose their gender at a certain age, and Sapphire never felt completely right as a man or woman. I thought this was an interesting concept that wasn't explored enough. Of all the elves, Sapphire is the most genuine and compassionate - but at some points their naïveté got on my nerves. Their relationship with Thelia and Parsifal is a key part to the story.

ROMANCE

Castle of Lies makes a genuine attempt at LGBTQ+ representation, which we definitely need more of in high fantasy. However, I don’t think it was completely handled the right way. (I am not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, however, so please correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.)


There is a bi character, a non-binary character, and a polyamorous relationship. The bi character unfortunately is written into the stereotype of bi people being “promiscuous” or “perverse”. They don’t really challenge this problem in the story. As for the polyamorous relationship... there is just a huge part of it that really bothered me, that I can't really explain without spoiling the story.


Sapphire is the non-binary character, and I found the concept of this really interesting. However, it isn’t really developed in the story. The author definitely could have used this character as a platform, and I think that opportunity was missed.


Moving away from the LGBTQ+ aspect, there was a particular romance in the story that I found really problematic. Two of the characters that get involved with each other are cousins. Okay, I guess you could argue that in a medieval setting, getting involved with your cousin wasn't so strange. However, we are in 2018 - do we really need to be writing fantasy stories where cousins love each other?? I was also disappointed because without the aspect of the characters being cousins, this romance would have been one of the highlights of the story for me.

WRITING

The writing was a big miss for me. There was a lot of potential, but some serious, heavy editing was needed.
One of the major problems was the dialogue. In some parts it's just... so cheesy and cringe-worthy. One of the things I hated the most was the fact the characters refer to their parents as "Mommy/Mom" or "Dad/Daddy". Maybe this is very nit-picky of me, but it just felt... so wrong in this setting.


"I sit across from Daddy, who ignores me even though he hasn't seen me all week."


There are also some really bizarre and at times disgusting analogies for certain situations. One example is when one character kisses another, making someone else jealous. The character who kissed uses this sentence to describe their guilt:


"I am the shit and piss overflowing in the poop garden."


(Poop garden being the castle's sewer system.) Like.... okay?? Is this visual necessary?? There were numerous instances of very weird analogies like this, and I don't understand their purpose. Are we supposed to laugh? Supposed to feel disgusted? I wasn't sure whether the author wanted us to take the story seriously in instances like this.


At other times, the vivid descriptions worked really well, such as this instance at the beginning, where Thelia's hatred of Corene is being established for the reader:


"Corene isn't made of queen material - never has been. And illustrating my point: she can't even hold her liquor. She worms across her bed in her silk nightgown, spilling wine across the blankets."

This description makes me feel kind of gross - but in a good way because Corene is so miserable.

CONCLUSIONS

I think this story had some solid bones. But covering that are a lot of flaws - it's just unfortunate it wasn't edited a little better. I liked the political intrigue, I liked the magic. Heck, I even liked how miserable and trashy the characters were. Some of the characters did see some decent development throughout the story, which I appreciated too. Unfortunately, the things I liked just were enough to outweigh what I didn't like. I don't know if I would continue this series, but I could see myself giving this author another try in the future.