THE LIAR OF RED VALLEY-- by Walter Goodwater

When I was 48% through this story, I got that dreadful feeling where you realize your book has a finite end, and is not part of a series. (Yet? Mr. Goodwater, for the love of Liars and a cacophony of gods, let there be more works in this universe.)

This is my favourite kind of magical realism: we start with a solidly recognizable world with just a little divergence to learn about, adding details and complexities as you read on. No exposition just for the sake of teaching the readers about the world, instead we're figuring much of it out alongside Sadie.

In a small town in rural California, Sadie loses her mom and gains a complicated new life of unwished-for secrets and Lies. Magic, monsters, gods and a power struggle that threatens the very existence of Red Valley.

I was very much entranced by this book. Sadie is just the perfect mix of vulnerability and drive. The world building is incredibly easy to follow, but unique and addictive.

QUOTES:
- It looked mostly human, though its skin was gray like a corpse and its eyes black and open like a grave.
- Things moving in the dark water, older than time, harder than death. Eyes watching her, eyes all around her, eyes that could see through her, eyes that could consume her.

A Gothic feast for the reader!

Sadie has Inherited her mother's unique ability to make lies, become true. When her mother Dies of cancer the story really begins.

So many unique characters from the cringy laughing boys, to other monsters and strange folk.

The twists really grabbed me by surprise and the story is excellently written by an author who has a true gift with words.

An amazing story start to finish!

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I feel a bit let down with the path this novel took towards its conclusion. The novel's description promised myth, magic, monsters, and a strong female lead. I was excited to read something new. A new take on Sci-Fi and fantasy. As I read on, though, it grew harder and harder to stay engaged with the book. I didn't have a need or desire to keep reading and get to the end to discover how it all worked out for the characters.

Things I wish were more developed within the novel:
--Sadie's character--As a reader we never truly feel connected or sympathetic with her. We could possibly share similar experiences, i.e. losing a loved one, isolation from community, but the emotional connection does not go any further between character and reader. Sadie comes off to the reader as impulsive and lacking a wide range of emotions including concern for others, concern for self, love, joy, and anger. As readers we don't get to know Sadie personally. Event after event takes place, and our ability to create a connection becomes stunted because we are continually moving on to the next step in the story.
--The boundaries of magic--There were many instances I caught myself saying "How did that happen?" or "How would that be possible?" when there was magic involved in the novel. As a reader, it never felt as if we were completely informed of how the bounds of the Red Valley functioned. When I had to ask myself these questions, it stopped the flow of consciousness of the story, and I found myself focused more on the "how" and "why" rather than the actual story taking place.
--The urgency behind the goal--Throughout the whole novel, as a reader I never felt there was any sort of urgency taking place or that Sadie created an atmosphere where we needed to read on to see what her outcome was. If I put this book down, the scene taking place did not create enough emotional distress to cause me to immediately pick it back up at my next available time and start reading. I wanted more anticipation and more fear throughout the novel. There were monsters and magic and the King you shouldn't cross; I needed the emotional atmosphere to match it.
--The monsters--Walter Goodwater had a phenomenal idea with his characters the Laughing Boys, the Crying Boys, the Long Shadows, the Hunter, the King, and the River. I loved the idea behind them and their place in the story. What I needed, though, was more of a background on them. We learn how Laughing Boys come to be, but there is little included on the others. These characters are hard to care for and fear because they don't possess qualities a reader can imagine and interpret and then come to associate with evil. They would become stronger characters had we as readers been given more details on their own origins.

This novel had a lot of good pieces to it, but there were sections that fell short. It read as if there was too much going on, and it was difficult to keep every event and detail straight. I was truly excited to read the story of the Red Valley and the Liar, but this novel just didn't grab my attention as I had hoped. When I finished the novel, I was left unsatisfied. I didn't really believe the novel was over because it felt unfinished and abrupt.

I really wanted to like this novel, and I tried really hard to get into it, but in the end I just felt I was missing too much to truly enjoy reading it.

While an interesting read I did not love this one. As I couldn't get into the book. So this ending up being being a DNF.

The liar of Red Valley

[Blurb goes here]

There's a town in California, it's called Red Valley. A town where normality meets the improbable. I think it hard to pull a reader down the rabbit hole, to make him believe the plausibility of the supernatural. It's all on the writer. Goodwater paints a powerful and believable picture, one of magic, mystery and horror. After the first few pages, you're in. I won't go into detail, since I hate spoilers. My advice? Don't pass the opportunity to dive into this adventure. It is a great read.

Thank you for the free copy!

Thank you Rebellion and NetGalley for sending me ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

This is one of my new favorite books and i'm so happy i've read something interesting and worth my time. The story is set in Red Valley which is protected by the King, outside of it creatures and other <i>things </i>lurk . Liars have well- established business by telling lies in exchange for money. We follow Sadie after her moms death and her struggles as she accommodates to being a new Liar and keeper of secrets. Things go downhill from there and i mean that in a very best possible way. Lots of action, demonic boys, ancient creatures, claws and most importantly <b>magic</b> . There was not a single boring chapter and this is just the type of those books that leave you content and refreshed after reading them. It's like a candy but for your brain.

“People spend too much time fearing death when they should fear what comes after.”

The Liar of Red Valley was Rebellion Publishing’s lead title for fall 2021, so I was incredibly excited when I got an arc of this book. I haven’t read many ‘American Gothic’ novels, so I did not know what to expect when picking up this book. So what did I think about it?

This book takes place in the mysterious Red Valley, where nothing is as you would expect. Red Valley has for 200 years been ruled by The King and The Liar. The Liar has the ability to remake the world by covering up lies. However, each lie comes at a significant cost.

I have been having a difficult time summarising how I feel about this book due to it being absolutely insane yet so addictive. The Liar of Red Valley follows Sadie, the daughter of The Liar. As the story progresses, the reader starts to learn more about the mysterious King, the powerful Liar and the haunting River. Everyone in Red Valley follows three simple rules: “Do not trust the Liar, Do Not go in the River and Do not Cross the King.”

The main highlight of this book is the concept of The Liar. It is fascinating to learn about which lies people are covering and how these lies are shaping people’s future, and the history and fate of Red Valley. Moreover, Walter Goodwater blends philosophical ideas, magical realism and fantastical creatures, making the reading experience truly memorable. Reading this book reminded me of the movie The Cabin in the Woods.

The Liar of Red Valley is at times utterly absurd, but its relentless pace and plot twists will hook the reader. Goodwater creatively uses the concept of The Liar to set up some weird but entertaining plotlines. The Liar of Red Valley is an absurd action-packed work-of-art, with thought-provoking ideas, shocking plot twists and high stakes, making this book a page-turner!

Some readers will find the characters to be lacking depth. Goodwater is clearly prioritising exploring the ideas and concepts in this world. If you are looking for a book with beautiful relationships or complex and fleshed out characters, you won’t find it in this book. Moreover, the absurdity of Red Valley will probably not be appreciated by all readers.

The Liar of Red Valley is one of my most memorable reads of 2021. It is absurd, fun and addictive, but it is not for everyone. I had a really great time reading this book, which is why I will give this book a high rating. However, I can imagine that this book is a bit like marmite; either you hate it, or you will think it is brilliant.

4 / 5 stars

A special thanks to Rebellion Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.