Cover Image: The  Liar of Red Valley

The Liar of Red Valley

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e-arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"the rules of red valley said not to trust the liar. well, sadie was going to amend that rule: don't fuck with the liar."

i'm not entirely sure what to classify this book as. you've got gothic horror, you've got some fantasy, you've got a few overlapping mysteries and cosmic terror to boot. kind of like night vale, if night vale and every strange creature in it wanted to kill you. a pretty stellar combination, if you ask me.

anyway this book was so good it's ridiculous. there's a twist about every other page, and they get really juicy once you get a look into the previous liars' ledgers. who knew that a town held together by a patchwork of lies could be so secretive wow. the monsters (and other not-quite-ordinary characters) were unlike anything i've seen before, so if you've grown tired of your run-of-the-mill vampires and magicians and what have you, i'd like to introduce you to a few bear-killers and laughing boys and see where that leaves you.

every character was so well crafted they felt like real people i could point out on the street after about two lines of dialogue, but i've got to give a special shout out to thomas and charles. their story was so bittersweet, but they truly embodied the mundane weirdness of red valley and its history. i'd honestly read a spinoff novel about their day-to-decade life.

the life of a liar isn't easy, but i'm glad i got the chance to follow along for a bit. everything from the prose to the imagery was so saturated i didn't want to leave red valley even though, by all accounts, it's a pretty shit town. but there's beauty even in those, isn't there?

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Sadie is the daughter of the Liar of Red Valley. Her mother collects lies in her ledger, lies like that the teller wants to become truth. To do this they must pay a price, sealing the lie in the book with a drop of blood and accepting the price, both financial and to their lives. Sadie knows that it’s going on but not the details and doesn’t really expect to become the liar herself. The book follows her actions when, unexpectedly, she becomes the new Liar.
Red Valley is ruled by a mysterious being called the King whose men keep the Valley safe from outside forces but the under sheriff has decided that the power of the King must be removed and the new Liar must help him. Meanwhile other forces outside are waiting to attack the King, to seek revenge. How will Sadie cope faced by these problems?
The Liar of Red Valley is a story of lies, but also a coming of age novel of a young woman who must face the truth concealed by the lies with the help of her friends. An interesting story with many twists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Review based on anARC copy of the book supplied by NetGalley.

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This is one of the weirdest novels to come across my desk in some time, but it is strangely compelling, an allegory for our times, perhaps, or simply an exercise in surrealism . It takes place in Red Valley, a kind of reverse Brigadoon in California, a town where benevolent and terrifying magic wielded by a mysterious King keeps the population mostly in line and people's Sims and secrets can be wished away for a blood token paid to the Liar. Want to erase the pain and grief of losing a child? Tell the List, give her her due, and his memory will be erased from your mind as if he never lived. As the story opens, the Liar had just died, leaving her daughter Sadie to take over a task and role she never sought , doesn't want, and had no clue how to do it . What she does know is that enemies she never knew she had want her mother's ledgers, the journals that recorded everyone's secrets - including the King's
This novel takes a willing suspension of disbelief and a strong stomach for the tortures the monsters visit on the town once their will is thwarted Somewhere between fantasy, dystopian sci Fi and horror - if you're a fan of those genes, this book's for you .

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An readable read. Good opening storyline which flowed through and made sense until about three quarters of the way into the story. To me the ending was too far fetched with all manner of creatures, monsters, laughing men and the sheriffs department all fighting a mystical king with great powers. Even the local river had magical powers that helped to win the battle. I read and enjoyed much of the book but was disappointed with the ending.

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Red Valley is a fictional Californian Town that has a creepy, haunted, abandoned aesthetic to it that really helps to set the scene. This darkness is echoed by the three simple rules the inhabitants are expected to follow in order to survive.

The three constants; the Liar, the River and the King affects every aspect of this incredible read. Even our protagonist cannot escape her fate. Forced to accept her new reality as the town's Liar after the tragic death of her mother, Sadie is left searching for answers.

I found it hard to gather my thoughts regarding the narrative as it flips back and forth from plot twist to plot twist. It truly is like a rollercoaster ride full of thought-provoking ideas, high stakes and more. Making this book a real page-turner.

The characters themselves were not the most fleshed out in my opinion. There was a two-dimensionality to them that left me feeling cheated. There was so much Walter Goodwater could have done with his characters but it was obvious that his main focus was on the King, his plans for Red Valley and Sadie's self-discovery.

I enjoyed what I read but would I read The Liar of Red Valley again? Probably not. The premise behind this book has so much promise, such as Sadie's ability to hide the secrets of the townsfolk, her family history and her blossoming friendship with Thomas and Charles Gray. I found I was much more interested in why the Grays were both present and absent at the same time, and why it was that Charles appeared weak and frail as opposed to the battle for control over Red Valley.

Another theme that I felt could have been done with a bit more investigation was Walter Goodwater's take on drug addiction. Unlike your average addicts, Red Valley is plagued by a group of people who are so desperate to chase the ultimate high that they invite demons into their minds. It would have been nice to see just <em>one </em>of these people trying to fight their addiction, rather than just accepting their "new companion" as their new normality. Even if it ends up being yet another lie in Sadie's ledger.

I can definitely see this book being something that is either loved by people or hated. To me, this was a fun, fast-paced read that definitely leaves you spinning.

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3.5/5

Sadie's mum is the Liar of Red Valley. People visit her and put their blood in her ledger and she makes the Lie they want to tell seem like truth - as long as they're willing to pay the Liar's Price. Red Valley is protected by an ominous King who no one has ever seen, but his creepy henchmen rule the place. Suddenly Sadie is thrust into the role of the Liar, and is drawn into a web of secrets and creepy creatures. Why is everyone after her? What is the actual deal with this King bloke? Can the town of Red Valley be saved from nefarious forces??

This is such an odd little book. I don't even know how to categorise it - a kind of urban paranormal dark fairytale? It was listed as "horror" on Netgalley but I'm a massive wuss and I never really felt creeped out, even with the weird creatures.

This was a kind of interesting and unique story, and I've certainly never read anything like it. Somehow there was just something... missing for me. It read a bit younger than I was maybe expecting, and less creepy. It's basically a "the 19 year old girl has to save the day" kind of story. There's a good little twist in there, that did get me.

I think one of my biggest issues is that it never really made sense for the people to stay in the town and defend it. The world outside the town is vaguely described as existing so like... why not just leave? Why risk your life for some random little valley when you could just.... Go somewhere else and just not?? Although this was discussed in the story, the reasons for staying never made any sense to me.

After a lot of interesting build up and complexity, the resolution felt a little too easy. This winged darkness guy has been around for literal eons and Sadie wipes him out in a matter of paragraphs? Just didn't ring true and felt pretty unsatisfying. Not to mention the resolution of the King, which was way too easy and barely even "on screen".

I just can't figure out how to place this one. It was okay and kind of interesting, but I didn't love it or feel excited about it. Fairly solid 3.5/5 for me.

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RTC
Thanks to Netgalley and Rebel Publishing for the opportunity to review this book

Don’t trust the Liar.

Don’t go in the River.

Do not cross the King

I'm rating this story for now, Until I'm able to process everything but here we go.

The story takes place on a mysterious town of Red Valley, where the King and The Liar Rule over the small town and I tell ya no one there is really normal, the story with Sadie having flashbacks of her childhood while her mom welcomed many to create lies and for a great cost, Sadie is looking to know what happened and why now The kings wants with her. I can continue to write about the story without spoiling you, however if you like gothic settings this is a book for you.

this is my first Contemporary Gothic Novel and liked it a lot will be getting a copy soon.

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I absolutely enjoyed this book as the best horror fiction I ever read. So if you are a horror-reader, then The Liar of Red Valley is the right fit for your taste.
It has the right amount of suspense, fear, excitement and dread.

Mark the date: September 28, 2021

The book is yet to release on the said day and trust me you’ll love every bit of it!😊

Oh, and once again thanks to @rebellionpublishing for sending the ARC of the book. Looking forward to read more books from you!✨

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There are three rules you must follow in Red Valley, California: do not trust the Liar, do not go in the River, do not cross the King.
When Sadie’s mother unexpectedly dies, the young woman suddenly becomes the Liar of Red Valley. Now, she has to deal not only with her grief, but also with the threats due to this new role.

The Liar of Red Valley is a good book with a quite original plot. It is well written and Walter Goodwater’s pen grips you into the story. Through the path he has created, he is able to make you feel lost enough that you can’t guess the way he is leading you in the course of the story.

However, I would have liked to have a map sometimes. I felt like I read the beginning of a great story and the end of another great story while I don’t really know how I passed from a story to another. Perhaps I would have liked to know more about the Liar and her power. I would also have liked more character development.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rebellion Publishing and Walter Goodwater for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This book was absolutely thrilling.

Red Valley is a place infused with magical power that attracted all kind of creatures, good and bad. That's also a place where demons roaming free and can live inside someone's head.
One day something was wrong and Red Valley's fate laid in the hand of a girl named Sadie (TBH, by the moment I opened the first page and saw her name, I was all excited about this book because of personal reason). And so Sadie's adventure began. She was brave, determined, smart, and cunning. In sums: heroine material.
The setting was simple yet brilliant, and very much enjoyable. The pace was somehow felt just right, not too fast or too slow. Overall, I like this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review, and thank you Walter Goodwater for writing this✨

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Oh this one was wildly entertaining I loved it. I'm not really sure how to describe it - a gothic horror tale with a contemporary twist, featuring more monsters than you can shake a stick at (although I'd recommend running away rather than the whole stick idea) and a main protagonist with a darkly strange gift who may hold the answer to saving a town on the edge of disaster.

Some excellent world building and terrific writing seals the deal, this is clever, immersive and twisted as you like.

Recommended.

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A gripping Southern California gothic about a young woman reluctantly tied to dying, demonic town. This reminded me a lot of Robert Jackson Bennett’s American Elsewhere with a touch of Welcome to Nightvale, though it didn’t dig as deeply as it could have into the electrifying supernatural elements. Most of the magic was very unique: between the concept of the liar and the Liar’s Price, drugs that allow laughing demons to consume minds, and a delightful duo of time-traveling queer Victorian men. Goodwater is clearly a talented writer of thrillers: several chapters had me chewing on my nails in distress as Sadie faced danger after danger with little hope of escape.

However, the plot is scattered and the conflict contrived. The central drama is twofold: the King of Red Valley and a dangerous lie that Sadie’s mom told on his behalf, and an odious undersheriff who wants to drive the supernatural elements out of town. Both problems were resolved incredibly quickly and disappointingly without too much effort on the side of our protagonist. Furthermore, there is a lot of time spent talking about the King’s enemies and building up to a final battle that never comes to a satisfying fruition. Overall, I wish that either more time had been spent digging into the interesting magical elements (I could have read a whole book about Charles and Thomas) or that the focus of the story had been narrowed, allowing more complexity to evolve within the antagonists.

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This was so good and such an impressing and interesting premise. It really makes you think about how one lie can make a world of difference both for good and bad. I haven't read anything like this before and it was very refreshing and keep me wanting more. This had some good and interesting plot twists that I didn't see coming and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. highly impressed with this author and can't wait to see what else he brings us next.

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impossible to predict, dark and tense and full of things that lurk in the dark, this book kept me on my toes until the very end. however there were also lighter moments, heartwarming moments, funny moments. an action-packed fantasy read that i absolutely adored.

random rants:
-THOMAS AND CHARLES ICONS I LOVE THEM
-absolutely cackled at the police officer being called Hassle
-the freaking PLOT TWISTS why was it so twisty
-the portrayal of loneliness was absolutely stunning
-honestly might go back and give it five stars its so good aaaah

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To survive in the magical town of Red Valley, you must follow three rules: Do not trust the Liar. Do not go in the River. Do not cross the King.

But there's more than meets the eye in this town. There's a powerful King who oversees the land, a sheriff who's determined to bring down the King, mysterious creatures lurking amongst humans, and the Liar—who guards the town's secrets and has the power to reshape the world.

Sadie is Red Valley's newest Liar. She inherited her mother's powers after she unexpectedly passes away. The story evolves as Sadie struggles to accept her mother's passing and comes to terms with her new responsibilities as the Liar.

As Sadie learns more about what it means to be the town’s newest Liar, Red Valley erupts into chaos. It's up to Sadie to get to the heart of Red Valley's secrets and try to restore order.

I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. I was thoroughly immersed in this magical world and didn’t want the story to end. This story was action-packed, creative, and fast-paced— everything I look for in a great novel!

I felt an immediate connection with Sadie. She’s such a strong and independent character which I found to be very refreshing!

Throughout the book, there are several surprising twists that I did not see coming. This helped to keep the pacing feel fast and fresh. I would love to see this novel turn into a movie or TV series. I’d be the first to watch!

Add this to your TBR pile if you love fantasy and mysteries!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion/Solaris for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Thanks to Netgalley for a advanced copy for an honest review.
II was so surprised when I finished this book because I couldn't stop thinking about the story and the characters!. The story is so differerent to all the stories I read before. At the beggining I thougt it was a thriller but when you passed the pages I realized It was fantasy, I really like that was fantasy but with a touch of scary story.
Saddie, the principal character was someone who you will see growing in all the book. She started as a sad little teenager but at the end she was such a strong girl who even soesn't know how she will live but she stopped to feel scared.
It was not only one bad guy in this book. It were a lot of evil character that will hunt your dreams even when you finished the story.
For not even one second I felt bored or wanted to skipped pages. The plot, the end was something I never think about it, It got me so surprised.
You should read it,you will feel scared for momments but you will enjoyed.

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Brilliant Southern Gothic told with flare. The author takes the common, expected tropes and delivers them with a fresh twist. Really enjoyed this well paced, folk horror-esque ride and connected with the well-drawn characters. One to re-read.

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This book started off so well, with a great concept. I was really invested in the Liar and the little town where lies could become true. This was the real appeal of the story for me, so I was disappointed that it was quite fleeting and ended up more about fighting demons.

The author seemed to change the story halfway through which was a shame. After so much buildup about the Liar, it would have been much better had there been two parts to it so that Sadie’s huge realisation ended book one and left readers on a cliffhanger. The battle could have been more intense in its own book, providing time to hear more about how the town came into being and where the creatures came from.

It would also have been great to hear more about the inhabitants of the old house and their story, as well as Sadie’s mum and her ancestors. There were many questions left unanswered and I felt the book needed more depth and detail.

Sadie was a great character, yet her story seemed to be fraught with peril in ways in which her mum’s (we assume) had not.

Despite allegedly being so powerful and intimidating, the King wasn’t particularly interesting and again, more backstory and understanding would’ve helped me to be more invested in his role in the town’s history. As it was, he was disappointing and barely contributed, except in the rushed ending.

A great concept and characters, but a rushed ending that left many questions.

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What an absolutely magnificent, unique, beautifully written tale. I don't often stumble across brand new, completely fresh ideas and premises in books but this one is in a league of its own. Full of fascinating magic, vivid characters, dark threats, and a smattering of optimism, this story ultimately is a triumph of hope when all seems lost. Absolutely fantastic read!

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Cover Art: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️/5
Plot: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️/5
Protagonist: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️/5
Ending: ⚡️/5

Plot: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.

🌈This book features a real, likeable protagonist. In 2021 we have been a little stuck for those, but Lilly is absolutely fantastic. A strong, independent female character who gets over her self doubt and fights for her kingdom. For that reason, you should definitely read this book.
🌈This book is GRIPPING, until the end when it feels slightly rushed. 3/4 of the way through this book there is a twist that I didn’t even see coming, I didn’t even pick up on the possibility of a twist and yet there it was, leaving me with my mouth wide open, unable to speak. But after that, the book takes a sharp nose dive into boring. Perhaps it lost momentum at that point, perhaps I raised my bar of expectations after reading that. I’m not sure what it was, but, the end did not match the rest of the book. The end felt like the end of a Disney film where the rest felt like a dystopian multiverse.
🌈One of my biggest pet peeves is unnecessary characters and this book features a couple of them. In my opinion, an unnecessary character is one who does not add to the storyline, one where the re-equilibrium can be reached without us meeting them. Sometimes side characters have short sequences that help us to feel empathy for characters, or build an understanding as to why the protagonist/antagonists act the way they do. But, in this book, a few of the unearthly, magical characters where unnecessary which just feels like wasted time in to the book as we as an audience have to not only spend a page being described them, we also spend time wondering why on earth you’d introduce dementor-like characters but then do absolutely nothing with them. They had potential man, why didn’t the author use it ? Another unnecessary character was the river, the river is drawn on the cover art & in the slogan for the book, but it appears for only a short scene and seems no more dangerous then a non-magical earthly river

Overall Rating:⚡️⚡️⚡️.5/5
Would I read it again? Y

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