First off, look at that cover?!?! It's absolutely stunning! I loved every moment of this story. It's told from a few different POV's and done so masterfully. There are four different characters that we are following and they are all so very different. I thought the author did an amazing job with character development. I thought the magic system was a new and refreshing take on the use of magic. The plot was full of surprises and I was caught off guard on more than occasion. The pacing was fast without any dull moments. The ending was kind of an explosive cliff hanger. I can't wait to read the next book!!

Huge thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for my gifted copy!

LEAGUE OF LIARS was a unique and twisty fantasy. Astrid Scholte is becoming one of those authors I consistently enjoy, and LEAGUE was no exception. I loved the dark edge of this story and world that Scholte has created. It reminded me a lot of DIVERGENT and had a really neat dystopian feel to it. But in typical Scholte fashion, LEAGUE crossed genres, and definitely has strong fantasy and thriller elements to it as well. One thing I would tell someone before they pick this book up. I know it was marketed as comparative to Six of Crows, and while there were some similarities (jailbreaks, heists, misfits banding together) I didn't think that it was that close to SOC at all. And that wasn't a bad thing, you just may want to adjust your expectations and you'll probably enjoy it more. That being said, this book read more like a legal thriller of all things and I have to say that that is definitely a first to me with a fantasy I have read. And I really liked it that way. Through Cayder, we get thoughtful reflection on legal systems and injustice. That character's development was really strong. I also really liked some of the later plot twists and connections between the character I didn't expect. My only issue with this book was the use of 1st person POVs and 3rd person in a multi-POV book. I didn't really understand why Scholte did it this way. It may just be a pet peeve of mine, but I would have preferred one or the other. And it wasn't just one or 2 POVs as 3rd, it was all except Cayder and I think that Scholte would have been better served keeping it to one or the other POV.

League of Liars is a brilliant, twisty YA dark academia mystery that sets up an amazing sequel. If League of Liars does not get a sequel..it would be criminal.

I got about halfway through this book before I decided to put it down. I really love Astrid's other books that I have read, but this one did not grab me. I just didn't feel like enough was happening to keep me entertained, and some of the story line was slightly confusing. I was disappointed because I was really looking forward to this one and wanted to like it.

So, so, so good!!! This Author needs to stick around in the YA world. Something so magical and entrancing about the way she writes!!!

League of Liars was such a fun, fast paced YA fantasy!! The world building was done fantastically and was so unique, I especially loved the magic system! Although it took me a second to get into the story, once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down.

The narrator is incredibly awkward and annoying. I couldn’t stand being inside his head and his wildly immature train of thought. The dialogue is also stilted and awkward. The world-building makes sense, but some choices with the magic system seem like an easy cop-out to explain things that don’t really seem like realistic choices.

Such a fun and fast paced read! I thought the world building was done really well and I loved the magic system. Very six of crows vibes

Thank you so much to @penguinteen and @netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book! I absolutely loved it! The way the world-building and characters were written was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I also really enjoyed the way all of the characters dynamics were set up. I would recommend this for anyone looking for an adventure or just the perfect book to cozy up with this winter that’s sure to keep you engaged throughout the whole book!

After Cayder lost his mother in an accident seven years ago, he became obsessed with serving justice to those to use edem, a time-altering magic that only makes itself known in the shadows. He thought spending his summer helping at Edem Legal Aid would only toughen his resolve against those who abuse the often unpredictable magic, but Cayder soon realizes that both people and magic are so rarely wholly good or wholly bad. Reunited with old friends and teaming up with some new acquaintances he never saw coming, Cayder is about to discover long-buried secrets that will shatter his world and everything he thought he knew about edem and the world he lives in.

Astrid Scholte brought a lot to the table in League of Liars. There were new revelations practically in every chapter, and it was often hard for me to put this book down – especially towards the end. Scholte combined a unique story with creative worldbuilding and plenty of action.

It did take me a few chapters to get into this new world; I initially felt like it was set much earlier in time, yet Scholte included more modern technology like telephones. While the royal court, the government, and the lands themselves were pure fiction, the references to our technology often took me out of the fantasy just a bit. None of this truly affected my enjoyment of the plot, but it did take me a bit longer than usual to adjust to the world Cayder and his friends and family were living in.

I did quite enjoy the character Scholte created for this story. Cayder started off so sure of what he believed in, so sure that everything was black and white, and it was an exciting journey watching him learn of the larger world outside of his own little bubble. This story was great socio-political commentary on the justice system and how inmates and people labeled as criminals are treated, and Cayder’s story arc allowed him to slowly wake up to reality and realize that the government-created constant cloud cover overhead was metaphorical as well as literal.

Once you get into the world that Scholte has created, there are so many great characters to get to know. Told from four very different perspectives, readers will end up second-guessing character motives right up until the end; everyone is keeping secrets, lying, or both. And as unreliable as the main characters were, their colleagues and families were even worse. Guessing all these characters’ true motives did keep me on my toes, and I thought it really added to the plot’s overall sense of danger and the unknown.

I started off unsure if I would end up enjoying this story, based on how slowly I got into the fantasy world Scholte created, but I ended up really liking it. League of Liars had plenty of action, great use of magic, and an ending that leaves me desperate to know what comes next for Cayder, his friends, and his family.

League of Liars is basically if Six of Crows had a legal component. I enjoyed the world-building, but I felt like it ended somewhat abruptly, just as the action was starting.

I really appreciate Penguin Teen sending me an eARC of this one! I'm a huge Astrid Scholte fan so it pains me to admit that this book didn't live up to my expectations. I suppose a part of it was the framing/marketing, since this is billed as a heist novel. The heist planning and execution only happened in the last 30% of the book, and it was pretty half-heartedly thrown together (Cayder is not on Kaz Brekker's level). The rest of the book was a legal drama, which was at times interesting but not exactly what I signed up for.

One thing I will say about Scholte is that all of her sci-fi/fantasy concepts are super intriguing and distinct from one another. I was so interested in edem and how their society was based around this weird time-magic (I do think the book could have used more world-building here). The characters were also well-written and their backgrounds were gradually revealed in a way that kept me turning pages. So there was a lot to like here in terms of characters and setting; I just wish the plot hadn't taken a backseat to everything else!

I'm a bit confused. there is no information anywhere that says this is going to be a series. so if this is indeed a standalone, the ending is… pretty bad. There is just so much that is left unresolved and the ending feels like a set up for another book, so that's what I'm going to assume it is, despite not actually knowing? If there ends up not being another book, my rating should be much lower for leaving questions unanswered and a plot unfinished.

Now that that's out of the way, for what this is, its pretty good! The story basically says murder trial and jail escape, but make it sci-fantasy. The whole concept of the Edem and how its used is unique. I'm not quite sure I completely understand it, but I like how criminal trials are based on the mark it leaves on the user afterwards. I also really enjoyed how connected all the characters are, from the criminals to the young intern defending them.

despite liking the story, I just wanted more from this. more character development, more use of magic, more world-building. the entire story feels pretty basic with so many different aspects that could be further explored. its pretty decent for what it is, but I felt like it could have been more.

so overall, a pretty fun and unique story. definitely will keep my eyes open to see if there's mention of another book planned. if not, I really hope the conclusion is revised before final publication.

A phenomenal thriller sci-fi read!! I cannot get over how well developed Astrid made her world!! One of my favourite reads this year!!

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this arc.

When Cayder's sister is arrested for using illegal magic, he has to find a way to save her from life in prison and runs into a bigger conspiracy than he thought he would have to fight.

I really liked the magical aspects of this book; it had a really cool and unique magic system. I loved the ideas behind that system and am excited to be able to learn more about it in future books(?) as what happens with this extradimensional magic is explored more.

The characters were all...fine. I wasn't really attached to any of them and I don't think that character development was one of the strong suits of this book. There is a bit of a "heist" aspect when they break out of prison, but that is really only a small part of the book. Most of it was legal things and background.

The writing style is good, but I just wasn't really invested in the characters.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

I wanted to like it so much! I love court systems, I love trials, I love political stories. However, I just didn't click with this book. Also the ending fell flat, and didn't feel finished. Is there going to be a second book? Because if not, I will be so disappointed and I feel like a lot of other people will be as well. The one thing I did really enjoy was the humor, I found myself chuckling quite a few times. Here's to hoping there's a sequel.

If this book doesn’t have a sequel, I will be really upset. I loved this book but so much was left unanswered and without any mention of a sequel, I am scared that this is all I will be left with of this world.

I really enjoyed the edem magic system. I thought it was super cool and interesting how the magic is tied to shadows.

Also this squad is so fun! I love Jey and his sass so much. But really he’s just such a hidden cinnamon roll.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to read YA after such a long time. The plot was interesting and so were the characters. I can't wait to read the next book!

I'm all about fantasy thrillers and this is exactly what I'm looking for when I say I like them. I'm just wondering if this is going to be a series with that ending?

Astrid Scholte can do bo wrong. League of Liars has been on my Must Read TBR since March of 2020 and it DID NOT disappoint! I am fully obsessed!!