Cover Image: The  Liar of Red Valley

The Liar of Red Valley

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Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley, Walter Goodwater and Rebellion for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Walter Goodwater has woven a fascinating tale. His world building was spectacular, I was engaged by the magic of his world from the very start. The concept of the Liar of Red Valley was captivating. Sadie is a strong lead character. I was surprised by one of the twists and that does not happen very often.

Highly recommend. I will be reading more Walter Goodwater and would love to go back to Red Valley if he ever chooses to write more about this town.

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Genuinely brilliant book! At first, it felt a little too 'on the nose' for me, but as I got deeper into it, the various twists and turns kept me gripped til the last page. I'll be looking out for more from this author!

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This book was quite interesting. The plot was unique. I loved the concept of Liar.
The beginning was a bit slow but it really picked up towards the end. I definitely did not see those twists coming.
However I would have loved to see more of what people would want to change. It was really interesting.

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Synopsis:
The Liar of Red Valley is dead and her daughter Sadie has to continue her legacy. All she is left with is her best friend and a motive - find her mother's ledger. As she continues on her quest, will she adhere to the rules of RED VALLEY-
Do not trust the liar
Do not cross the King
Never, ever go in the river
Review:
What I loved:
The setting of a small magical town with perfect gothic vibes and unknown fearsome monsters was done with great precision. This is a page turning horror story which would keep your heart racing till the end. An absolutely relatable, courageous heroine was a pleasure to read about. The book is full of twists that would keep your heads twirling. The writing is simple, yet atmospheric and the vivid imagery is akin to that of a horror movie.
What could have been better: The climax was a bit flat - I felt it was too simple as compared to the thrilling events in rest of the book. But don't let that hold you back from imbibing this mind racing story.
Trigger warning: There is a lot of bloodshed and graphic writing.
Rating: 3.9/5
So, grab a candle and a drink, get ready to get spooked

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Sadie’s mom is the Liar of Red Valley. She can tell a Lie for you at the cost of shaving years off your life. However, when Sadie’s mom dies, she inherits role. Now she must try and guard the town’s secrets as human and supernatural enemies alike are after her trying uncover whatever big Lies her mother has told.

The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater is a delightfully wonderous and strange book to sink into.

Here in the small town of Red Valley the bizarre, otherworldly, and out-of-place are normal. There are the demonic Laughing Boys, the Whispers who love to spread gossip, and then, of course, there’s also the enigmatic King whose presence protects the town and granted the first Liar their powers to begin with. It’s a well-wrought and colorful world that pulses with magic, and it’s a whole lot of fun getting lost in.

However, there is one aspect of the book that is both a plus and a minus … and that is its pacing.

For better or worse, this book is action-packed and has relentlessly breakneck pacing.

On one hand, this book constantly kept me on the edge of my seat and I never found myself bored.
On the other hand, some of the plot twists (except the bombshell truth near the end) were so rapid that they didn’t have enough build-up to register as a shock. Also, I almost wish the story had hit the brakes and take a breather at times to create tension and further establish Sadie’s relationship with her friend Graciela.

All in all though, The Liar of Red Valley is an inventive and highly enjoyable supernatural mystery.

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American Gothic? How to explain ...it is, at times, utterly bonkers whilst simultaneously addictive reading...this might not tempt me into further books of this genre, but it was really well written. Nice read! Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk, publisher and author for the ARC.

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“Don’t trust the liar”

Interest and excitement carried me all the way through this book. There was always something happening which kept me wanting to read more.

The secrets we discover through the main character’s time as the Liar of Red Valley are constant plot twists that present with a real punch. We watch Sadie learn these secrets while being thrown into her new position as the Liar. We struggle with her as she tries to find her way and take back her city from the evil that’s been slowly destroying them all. Even without the proper guidance needed to perform her new role as the Liar, she is a force to be reckoned with and will not stop until she can right all the wrongs she possibly can.

Throwing magic into a real-world setting while making it seem realistic is usually underwhelming and authors tend to fall short with the realism but this author connected us enough to the characters and their city, Red Valley, to make it truly believable.

You won’t necessarily fall in love with the characters as much as you are rather just captivated by the story and chain of events throughout it.

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In Red Valley, California, you follow the rules if you want to stay alive. But even that isn’t enough to protect Sadie now that she’s unexpectedly become the Liar: the keeper and maker of Red Valley’s many secrets.

I was transported to the magical town of Red Valley where there are only three rules: Do not cross the King; Never, ever go in the River; Don't trust the Liar. During the course of the story, all three rules are broken to disastrous consequences.

The Liar of Red Valley is at times utterly absurd, but its relentless pace and plot twists will hook the reader. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

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Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A weird but entertaining read.

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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I don't know what to actually say about this... except that I was gripped by the first chapter. A story of many twists and turns, and a dark fantasy story, following the life of Sadie, moments after her mother's death. But everything in her life is not what she thought it was.

Even after finishing this, I'm still questioning everything that has happened in this story.

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Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts I have no idea what genre this is. It is not exactly paranormal, women’s fiction or suspense. But it is really interesting.

Red Valley is ruled by The King and The Liar. When Sadie becomes The Liar she has many secrets she must learn and keep. There are actually three main characters, The King, The Liar and The River.

I will be honest, this book is so WEIRD! And yet it is interesting. I am really not sure how I felt about it. Everytime I thought “This is getting too odd to finish” something happened that kept me reading. The world that Walter Goodwater has written of is a world of dreams and nightmares.

I do believe there is a genre to this book but I have no idea what it is. But if you are already a fan of this unknown genre you will love this book! And that sentence makes as much sense as the book itself.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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This book started so so well. The concept was amazing, loved the idea. I thought I will read a great thriller-horror book about secrets, lies, with great characters. But not really.

After Sadie’s mother dies, she becomes the Liar of Red Valley and she’s pulled is this strange world with strange creatures.

I liked the first 100 pages, we meet some characters, we have to find some secrets, we find about the antagonist and that’s all. After 100 pages, everything is just rushed. I couldn’t get my head around so many things. I feel there were too many plot lines, too many things left unexplained. I wanted to find more about Sadie’s ancestors, about the women is her family.

After some pages, there are introduced some bizarre beasts with different abilities which I didn’t understand at all. We forget about the Liar and we read only about these things that are coming in the town.

I did not understand why we shouldn’t trust the Liar, I wanted more secrets and lies and plot twists. I found the antagonist meh, it says “do not cross the King”, but he’s almost nothing. He’s not this bad thing who does bad things, he’s just there because there’s no other villain.

This book was just a great idea, but kinda badly done.

I was provided with an advanced copy by NetGalley.

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4.5/5🌟

"Don’t trust the Liar.
Don’t go in the River.
Do not cross the King."
-----
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 is a rollercoaster ride of magical realism, horror, and fantasy. It's gripping, unique, and twisty!

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- the world is richly imagined and peculiar. It's set in a creepy town in California where its residents are either human or nonhuman with a terrifying river, menacing King's men, and monsters outside Red Valley yet remain grounded in the real world
- diverse characters and LGBT rep
- well-developed and interesting characters. Sadie, the MC is a strong and independent person. The Laughing Boys are def creepy
- Intriguing magic system. The Liar of Red Valley can take people's lies and weave them into a new world but at a cost, there are also drugs that allow laughing demons to consume the minds of addicts and time travel
- the author's writing style is easy to follow and he has woven magic and realism seamlessly.
- deals with police brutality, homophobia, and racism

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I want to start off by saying my 3 star rating is because of my own personal preference of things being dark and disturbing and not so fantasy-esque. There were some darker bits in this book but it was mostly magic and mysterious monsters. I'm not a normal fantasy reader so I can't really compare it to others in the genre. It was categorized as a horror and scifi/fantasy but I personally found the horror pretty mild.

Sadie suddenly becomes the Liar of the Red Valley and she is immediately thrown into chaos. She is trying to figure out what it all means as she learns of the power that being the Liar carries and the secrets she must keep as a result.

This book moved at a pretty quick pace and there were a lot of edge-of-your-seat moments in it. I enjoyed watching Sadie's character grow and become self-confident, and I loved how clever she was.

My biggest gripe about this book was the ending. There was this great buildup and then it was just over. I would have liked to see more back story on the King and his enemies as well.

Overall this was a solid read! As a person who never reads fantasy I think this was a good one to start with in that genre. I really think fantasy readers will appreciate this one though.

Thank you to #netgalley and #rebellionpublishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

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This is a tale about family's obligations in a town where the paranormal is a part of the everyday life. When Sadie's mother, the Liar of Red Valley, dies she has to become the Liar herself. They are a trader of wishes, and a subordinate to the King.
I loved the mythology, specially how we discovered some of the rules at the same time as Sadie did. She was an interesting character to follow, but I wish she was a tad more layered. The mystery itself was compelling just as much as it was chilling. Overall, a very good horror story!

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Okay this is a perfect book for spooky season, the vibes are immaculate.

This was such a well thought out idea and was executed perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed Walters writing, I really felt like I got to know the characters well despite it being shorter than I expected. I loved the concept, I was nervous it wouldn’t play out how I’d expect but I ended up being so impressed. There was a little bit of gore thrown in there which was awesome, and all the descriptions had me in awe of Walter’s talent. This is the kind of book that is too good to be turned into a movie honestly. I was kept on my toes and didn’t at all predict the twists, it was so fun. I only felt the story lacked a little more depth, but I also think it could have been a bit longer (though perhaps a sequel or spin off could be fun?). Not an all time favourite but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one at all.

Thanks heaps to NetGalley and Rebellion for an eARC of this fantastic thriller fantasy.

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The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater is Rebellion Publishing’s leading title for September, marking it the perfect addition to your fall lineup. Goodwater delivers on all ends by blending together the American Gothic, horror, and fantasy genres. Red Valley is brimming with supernatural creatures and closely guarded secrets that are best left untold.

The story takes place in the mysteriously small town of Red Valley, which has been ruled by the King and the Liar for nearly 200 years. The story is mostly told from the POV of Sadie, Red Valley’s newest Liar who is now able to take people’s lies and remake them into truth, for a price of course. Goodwater has harnessed this plot and unleashed it through multiple genres, and brilliantly I might add. I loved the various flavors that came together to make it its own. I am by no means a horror reader but the horror didn’t feel too heavy.

From the novelty of the Liar to the chilling presence of characters such as the Laughing Boys, Goodwater succeeded in developing an assortment of horrors and monsters that reminded me of an ingenuity the likes of Neil Gaimain. I found Sadie to be a very relatable female lead and thought her decision making and choices were on brand for her character. The secondary characters were diverse and tightly connected to Sadie’s character arc yet were given the space to become fairly developed themselves.

Some of my favorite character journeys are those following the aftermath of life changing events. Sadie’s journey was one of identity and legacy. It was a wise decision to have Sadie suddenly placed into her new role because it added to the mystery of the Liar. The reader learns as much or as little as Sadie does, and I think that helped set the tone. There is some content that the reader should be aware of beforehand including police brutality, hate crime, racism, and homophobia.

The development of Red Valley is where Goodwater shined. Red Valley felt like its own little isolated pocket of life grounded inside a much larger, realistic setting where supernatural elements are considered normal and part of everyday life for the people of Red Valley. Their best chance at staying alive is by following three vital rules that ideally serve to protect from the supernatural otherthings living outside the protection of Red Valley.

We do not learn much of what’s beyond Red Valley. This is what added to the strangeness and absolutely worked in favor of the plot. I loved wondering what was on the periphery and how life outside of Red Valley worked. The characters are closely tied to Red Valley, and Red Valley is tied closely to the characters. The plot is guided by supernatural elements between the characters and the land which helped the reader explore the smaller details within the social and cultural network of Red Valley.

The magical, supernatural elements were fantastically balanced between some darker influences with lighter, benevolent magic. Eldritch beings were plentiful and took on a life of their own in an otherworldly manner. The way these beings were all initially introduced and came together worked in its favor. I think my only (minor) complaint was that a few things weren’t as satisfyingly concluded as I anticipated considering the buildup, if that makes sense. The pacing felt a bit rushed near the end as everything was coming together. I wanted to spend more time fleshing out some conversations and scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed The Liar of Red Valley and its blending of genres. Special thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion/ Solaris for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. You can grab your copy on September 28th, 2021.

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I really enjoyed this book! The premise was very unique and not like anything I had ever read before. There was also a twist that I 100% did not see coming. Ultimately the setting and fast-paced plot kept my eyes glued to the page.
My only complaint is I wanted to know *more* about this world. It takes place in a magical town but I wanted to know if just this town was magical, or were other towns in this world magical as well? I also just wanted to explore this town and the creatures even more!
If you’re looking for a book with a spooky setting that isn’t scary for fall, I would definitely add this one to your radar.

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I received a digital advance reader copy of The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater from NetGalley. The Liar of Red Valley is scheduled for release on September 28, 2021.

Sadie has always known her mother was a liar. Her mother’s gift from the Red Valley allows her to change the story of anyone who is willing to pay the price. What Sadie did not expect was for her mother to lie to her.

Sadie discovers her mother’s lie soon after her mother dies, passing the title of Liar to Sadie herself. Sadie does not know how the lies work, how to keep herself safe from those who want the secrets held by the Liar, or how to save the Valley she calls home.

As a character, Sadie is the perfect guide to the secrets held in the Valley. Being with her while she uncovers layers of lies and secrets was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Like Sadie, I was frequently surprised by what she learned as the plot moved forward.

In terms of plot, this novel is difficult to discuss without giving spoilers. Throughout the story there were twists and turns that caught me off guard, yet managed to make perfect sense within the world of the story. The only small issue I had with the plot itself was the questions I was left with at the end of the novel. While many of the questions of the novel were resolved, there were enough left open that I noticed the gaps, yet maybe not enough to want a sequel novel.

As a place, the Red Valley is the right amount of disturbing. Many elements here were familiar pieces of our real world, with a layer of the magic of the Valley over it. As with the plot, there were some questions about the Valley that remained open at the end of the novel, but as pieces of the world, I was willing to accept them as the way the world worked.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the twisty world and story Goodwater created in The Liar of Red Valley. I recommend this to anyone willing to jump into a world that is a bit unlike ours and explore its secrets with Sadie.

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4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/09/26/the-liar-of-red-valley-by-walter-goodwater-review/

Don’t Trust the Liar.

Don’t go in the River.

Don’t cross the King.

Red Valley, California isn’t like other towns. Sure, there are schools and grocery stores and restaurants. There are parks and businesses and bridges. There are forests and families and livelihoods. But there are also some things in Red Valley that aren’t in the rest of the world.

There are things that aren’t human, but aren’t exactly inhuman either. There are things that go bump in the night, but have been convinced not to do so here. Are are beings as old as time, and some things even older. There are rules that you don’t break, not if you want to live. And there’s power, power to rule the world—or remake it.

Sadie is just another small town girl. Born into Red Valley, she’s now well on the way to dying in it. A waitress at a local diner, Sadie’s life isn’t exciting or notable in the least. Except that she’s the only daughter of the Liar—and the Liar has power.

Not power like the King, but not insignificant either. When her mother dies, Sadie is forced to confront this power directly. For she is now the new Liar, and her mother’s power is now her own. But what is it, and how does it work? While her mother never explained the power to her, Sadie knows the basics. Someone comes to the Liar. They have money, and something about the world they want changed. They tell the Liar what they want changed, and supply the Liar with an offering of blood to do it. An offering that often enacts another price entirely. Ofttimes it’s something petty, something superficial. The more inconsequential, the cheaper it is for them. But something is missing from this, something that Sadie needs to know. Just where does the power come from, and how does she harness it?

Something she’ll have to find out quickly, for it’s not long before people come a’calling. The sheriff wants to use her new power, while the town junkie wants something else. And when the King calls on her, Sadie knows it can only get worse. But what is the real purpose of the Liar, and is it a fate Sadie even wants to share?

While I’ve most often seen this classed as ‘horror’, I didn’t find the Liar of Red Valley terribly “horrifying”. It was an interesting—and entertaining—fantasy debut, one that makes you think about the origins of power, authority, and the things that go bump in the night. The main thing I latched onto out of the official blurb was the “inhuman” aspect. Now there’s just enough of this in the book to make you think—but no more. I really would’ve liked to explore more of the things that bump in the night, not a mere one or two that show up in the text.

It is an entertaining read, fortunately. Entertaining with quite a few plot twists. Including one in particular that’s head and shoulders above the rest. It’s a doozy of a twist, one that both makes you think and makes you buy into the story like never before. Not that the story was a drag before that. This was never a difficult one to read. With a lively plot, a relatable lead, a decent supporting cast, a number of mysteries to solve, and an intriguing setting—the Liar of Red Valley had so much to love, and more.

Sadie’s mother is central to the plot, but we spend the entire book trying to learn more about her. She was a power in Red Valley, one that might have even rivaled the King itself. But what was her power? How did she control it? And what was the great Lie she told that everyone wants to get a hold of? It’s really a book of mysteries, not horrors. And the answers to those mysteries and more are just inside!

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