This was a difficult book to put down. Tabra and Meren are identical twins, princesses in the realm of Aryd. But Meren, born second, is a secret, there to take the place of her sister should the worst happen. King Eidolon has long been the enemy of Aryd, He seemingly will live forever and . When Meren is mistaken for her sister and kidnapped by the Shadowraith Reven, who looks just like Eidolon, she fights back and sparks fly--a variety of sparks. Meren is a Hylorae, able to pull sand out of the ground and melt it to glass. She's not fully in control of her powers and becomes more and more attracted to her kidnapper as they spend more time together. With Reven, Meren learns of problems her world is facing and wants to help solve the issues.

Meanwhile, her sister Tabra is to marry Eidolon. Meren and Reven desperately hurry back to Aryd to try to stop the wedding with the King. Sprinkled with magic, romance, and adventure, this high fantasy ends with a cliffhanger and leaves the reader waiting for the story to continue.

Recommended for fans of Cinda Chima, Cassandra Clare, and other fantasy tales.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author. What an amazing start to a new series. Character development and world building provided an immense depth to this story. The magic systems were very detailed, it was fast paced with a plot leaving you wanting so much more.

Meren has lived a life of hiding. She is a twin, born second to her sister, the named princess. Meren only appears as her sisters double when danger is near. Meren struggles with where her place is in her world. Upon the unexpected death of the Queen, the princess gets a gift and marriage proposal from King Eidolon. So Meren steps in on the eve of the coronation, only to be kidnapped by the Shadowraith. He has his own secrets and magic, mysterious as he is. Reven (the shadowraith) is a complex character and I loved the tension and banter between him and Meren. Now Meren has to kill the King along with Reven in order to save her sister from the darkness. Will Meren be able to escape and do what she needs to do?

This is such a great fantasy full of tension, suspense, secrets, lies, angst, curses, magic, adventure, banter, spice, twists and turns in this enemies to lovers epic fantasy. I can’t wait to read the next book to see what’s going to happen next.

I received this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

As is true today, monarchs need to have an heir and a spare. Meren is the hidden spare whose life is preserved so that she can sacrifice herself in order to protect her sister,Tabra, the heir. When their grandmother, the queen, dies, Tabra and Meren must assume their roles in the kingdom. Meren is kidnapped shortly after the arrival of Eidolon, a seemingly immortal king from a neighboring kingdom. In her journey with the kidnapper, Meren learns that the world is not the way she thought it was. The other issue Meren is facing is the fact that she has powers, gifted to her at birth, as does her sister. On her journey, she learns more about her powers and what she is willing to do to protect those she loves and possibly, how to protect all people from the evil that is Eidolon. The ending felt a bit abrupt, but I hope all questions will be answered in a sequel.

If you’re looking for a sweet, compassionate, gentle heroine, you’ve got the wrong girl with Meren. In this insanely creative YA/NA sci/fi fantasy novel, Owens takes you on Meren’s trip through another world with supernatural powers, friends, lovers, and the fight of her life. Her adventure is tinged with self discovery and royal responsibility which makes this plot and the characters she encounters enthralling. I couldn’t put this down and sincerely hope there is a sequel because I’m needing to know what happens next with this one!

The overall premise of this book is what immediately dragged me in to want to read. I loved the world building, but at times I feel like the story dragged on with the same pressing issue that really didn't get shown until the last 10% of the book. I really was hoping for more of adventure kind of story given that our main character Meren has such a unique gift.

Truthfully I liked this story and with the way in which we are left at the end of the book I will certainly be picking up the sequel whenever that is due to come out.

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Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for this ARC!

I was provided a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. You guys…this book was addictive! I mean, call in to work and take a personal day to read addictive! I could not put it down. Meren and Reven’s characters so beautifully built into a relationship I fully invested in. I love when an author takes the time to develop the characters and their connections into something so believable that my heart aches when theirs does, and flips when theirs does. It’s such an enjoyable journey. I didn’t want this book to end, and I cannot wait for the next one to be published. Thank you for introducing me to this amazing author, and giving me the opportunity to read and review this gem!

I was pleasantly surprised by The Liar's Crown. Abigail Owens is a new-to-me author, since I'm not a big paranormal fan (I know, what am I thinking??). Going in with no expectations, I was frustrated at first by what felt like a very common setup and protagonist, but I was quickly won over by the twists and turns of the story, as well as Meren's whip-smart narration.

Meren is a fantastic YA protagonist: confident in a lot of ways but unsure in other (realistic) ones. Watching her grow makes the adventure of the novel all the more likable and interesting. I appreciated the steady characterization Owen uses, especially since while Meren grows, she doesn't fundamentally become a different person/character, unlike some YA protagonists. To sum up, Meren is Meren is Meren :) The secondary character/love interest is also well done: decently complex and sympathetic.

While I felt as though the worldbuilding was a tad on the flimsy side, I did appreciate the thought that went into the magic system. It felt, however, as though I was reading a spinoff novel of another series or something and I was expected to be familiar with the world already. Not a deadly sin, but I was occasionally confused.

I did like the plotting. I stayed up far too late a few nights thinking "just one more chapter." The twists were very well done and ones I didn't usually see coming--huzzah! I like being tricked by books :) I am very much looking forward to book 2, since the cliffhanger ending on this one...!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the book ARC. All opinions are mine alone :)

Many thanks to the Publisher and Netgally for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

I so badly wanted to love this book, but I'm stopping halfway through because I just can't motivate myself to continue reading anymore. And that sounds bad, but honestly, I'm just bored with the direction the book has taken.

The premise of this book was so good! Twin sisters, one an actual princess and one a body double to protect her sister from ill-wishers around the kingdom. There's an evil king who intends to murder the princess and of course everything goes tits-up from the moment we start reading.

The writing felt comfortable for a fantasy book. I was expecting a lot of hard to pronounce words and terms and sure, there were a couple (Hylorae, Enfernae for example), it wasn't all that bad! I easily got a grip on the story and it's characters and was excited to start this journey.

The plot execution however, was a little lacking. There was a lot of infodump at the start, causing me to have to take notes on the different magic users in the kingdom to keep everything straight. This did get better over time, but it was a lot to handle in the first few chapters. The narrator and main character Meren sometimes used words that felt completely out of place with the setting of the book. It almost felt too modern for the setting of the book, which didn't match.

At the halfway point a lot has happened and at the same time I felt as though nothing had happened. <spoiler>Sure, Meren was kidnapped by one of Eidolon's shadow personalities and they've travelled across several lands, but nothing really came of that. The story focussed more on the romance between the two (which eventually turned out to be insta-love, a trope I don't vibe with) than it did on the world building and creating a natural relationship between the two. </spoiler> There was a lot of telling instead of showing and it just added to the list of things that kind of put me off the book.

I didn't really care for the characters either. Meren and Reven (I only just realised that those names are creepily similar), I just couldn't get a grip on them. There was a lot of focus on their building (though almost immediate) relationship and not a lot on their personalities. Meren is described as a girl who can definitely fend for herself, though in the 50% I've read I don't remember her standing up for herself or fighting a monster herself. Reven, our looks-like-he-could-kill-you-is-actually-a-cinnamon-roll love interest was just one big fluffball of cotton candy. Sure he looks all dark and brooding, but every time he was around Meren, he just transformed into this loving puppy following her around. It just didn't hash with the setting and the premise.

I really had to tell myself to read. Whenever that happens, I already know the book isn't my cup of tea. I hate it when it happens, because naturally I want to love and cherish all the books I read, but sadly this just wasn't it for me.

The Liar’s Crown is an entertaining and immersive YA fantasy and the first in a new series by Abigail Owen. I’ve read many of Owen’s adult novels, and the author has transitioned to YA wonderfully. The characters, the world-building, the magic, the ROMANCE – it’s all fantastic!!

Merin is a layered protagonist. She’s brave and selfless, and she never gives up. She’s a bit sassy, and she is sarcastic and witty. Meren has spent her entire life in the shadow of her twin sister, who is the future queen. Often standing in at events that prove too dangerous for her sister, Meren lives to protect her sister, which leads to her kidnapping. Though she has one purpose in life, she longs for so much more, and her epic journey, both emotional and physical, is so intriguing! I also like that we see Meren, faults and all. She is not perfect, nor does she profess to be, but she owns her faults and tries to grow from them.

Reven is really interesting too, and I was so eager to learn more about this brooding and mysterious character. Was he a villain or a hero or somewhere in between? The more I learned about him, the more I wanted to know, especially as his past is slowly revealed. During her time with Reven, Meren meets many others, and these characters are all unique and developed as well. I found myself getting attached to the secondary characters and could understand why Meren did too.

The enemies-to-lovers romance is one of my favorite parts of the story. No shock there! Meren and Reven have great chemistry, and their witty and sometimes antagonistic banter has major grumpy/sunshine vibes. And talk about sexual tension! It’s off the charts! Meren and Reven are opposites in many ways, and though they start as enemies, they learn they’re more alike than they think. I love how their relationship builds, and some of their more tender moments are super swoon-worthy!

The world-building and magic are intricate and detailed, which creates a super immersive and vivid story, as does the writing. Owen has a way of pulling the reader right into the book and brings not only the characters but the world to life. The plot is also really intriguing and filled with twists and turns. There’s a ton of suspense and adventure, and I found it difficult to put the book down. There’s so much going on, and danger lurks around every corner for Meren, which makes for a pretty gripping story.

The more I think about this well-paced and engaging story, the more I like it. The characters are compelling, the story is unique and intriguing, and the romance is fantastic. I would definitely recommend the book to readers who like upper YA fantasy or romantasy, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Very creative! I felt this was pretty unique to anything I've read to date. It had a very interesting storyline and I'm loving all the different characters.

Meren is an easy heroine to want to root for. She has a high sense of loyalty and a desire to do what's right for all involved. Her power is still developing and I'm curious to what all she will be able to do once she has stabilized it.

Reven is a very unique character. He's everything that is good, however he is battling pure evil from within himself. I won't spoil and expand on that. I like him for Meren, but I also like Cain for her as well. It'll be interesting how I feel with the next book.

I can see many possibilities with this series, which I like. I'm looking forward to seeing the direction the author will take us.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5/5

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Fantasy series (book 1)
𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩: eARC

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
Twin princesses
The Shadowratih: morally gray, moody, possibly evil MMC
Interesting magic system
Enemies to lovers romance
Fake identity
Fun read!

𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
This was a fun, easy read that took me barely a day to finish. The FMC, Meren, is the second born princess of the kingdom who must act as her sister’s body double. When the Shadowraith mistakenly kidnaps her instead of her sister, she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous political game between kingdoms, and she realizes that everything she’s been raised to believe may not be what she thought.

There’s snarkiness and banter plus romance and a little spice (yes please!), as well as awesome shadow magic, stealth and deception, and a great mix of action and battle scenes. The Shadowraith honestly reminds me a little bit of the Darkling (yes, I might have pictured him as Ben Barnes)—he’s got such a difficult past and really struggles with toeing the line between good and evil. Meren doesn’t back down in front of him, and is so fearless and snarky. They make a great romantic duo!

My only issue with the book was that some of the world building was a little confusing, and could have been given more context or description. It took me a while to catch on to the names/types of the different types of magic, or the different locations/peoples of the kingdom. There is definitely a lot to digest here, and honestly I was enjoying the plot so much that I was reading kind of fast and may have missed some things.

Overall this was a really fun read! Look for it to be released on August 30!

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc for an honest opinion.

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

This book was so much better than I expected, I dived right into it and loved every second of it. The plot and just the whole book, was so well written. Absolutely liked how the story went on.

To see how Meren grew as her character and her power? Bloody amazing! She was such a strong character!
It was so nice to learn about each character and their powers.

I truly can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

The Liar’s Crown might be my favorite fantasy of the year. It had an interesting twist with twin princesses, with one never being known to the public to serve as a body double. Unfortunately, the body double was kidnapped which brings on a whole set of events. I thought the main characters were witty and had a lot of depth. The world building was done fairly well, even if the portal situation was sort of confusing. I liked how Meren grew into her own and eventually embraced her true value. Meter was naive or weak which is something unique to this novel compared to other popular fantasy heroines. I wish it wouldn’t have ended so abruptly, i.e. now I have to wait for book 2. There was one detailed, racy scene that honestly could have been made more vague. Overall it was pg-13.

This is my first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more by them! This is such a uniquely written story that you will find yourself thinking about long after you finish it. Highly recommend!!

Why I Decided to Read This:
This cover looks amazing right? I thought so too.

Plot:
Meren is her sisters body double. However, when someone goes to kidnap the upcoming queen, they accidentally kidnap Meren instead. This was such an interesting plot. I've seen variations of this book before; however, I've never seen the body double come into play for a fantasy world.

Brief Thoughts:
I did like this book. I thought the beginning seemed to be written more for younger teens; however, the ending seemed more for older teens. So, it was a little confusing for me on what age group it would be for as I was reading. I can definitely see potential for this series, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

Characters:
First, we have Meren, who is Tara's twin sister and body double. She doesn't really get her own life because she always has to pretend to be someone else, which is shown throughout the book. Reven is a very interesting character. He believes he is evil even though he does a lot of good things, and you can definitely see his struggle throughout the story.

Writing Style:
This book was written in first person from Meren's POV. As I mentioned above, it seemed like it was written for younger teens; however, it definitely has parts that are meant only for older teens to read.

Likes:
- Meren: I liked her character. I saw her struggles and really liked how she became her own person who did things that she wanted to do because she felt it was right even if it wasn't the easy way out.
- Plot: I really liked the plot of this book. I think it kind of reminded me of The Kiss of Deception, which I loved.

Dislikes:
- The World Building: I wish there would have been a little more world building in the beginning of the story. All the different powers and what people were was just a little confusing for me.
- Slow Paced: The beginning of the book was a little too slow paced for me. It wasn't really until a little after the halfway point that it began to pick up for me.
- The Romance: Don't get me wrong. I loved the romance. I just wish I would have gotten a little more from the characters to show how they were falling for each other.

Recommendation:
I do recommend this book if you love a good YA fantasy. I think this is a perfect read for fans of The Mortal Instruments series and The Remnant Chronicles.

What’s in This Book & Trigger Warnings:
- Kidnapping
- Death
- Supernatural Powers
- Open Door Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Love Triangle

This is a beautiful YA Fantasy read with rich world building, complex and well-developed characters, and a PG slow-burn romance. So well done, this gets all the stars! Highly recommended!

This brand new series by Abigail Owen is a must read!! A unique tale of Kings and Queens that takes your imagination to new highs!! This book has an unusual blend of characters, each with a special quality that makes them unique.

Meren wishes for a new life. One filled with laughter, companionship, friendship and love. One where she will not spend her life hiding away, playing a part. One where she doesn't have to hide who she is. One that will not be lonely.

Meren's role in life has been planned since the day she was born. Twin to the queen of Aryd. Playing the role of her twin's body double in all things that matter. It is a role that she wishes she could change, but is also proud to play in it.

King Eidolon is rumored to be an evil man. The ruler who will bring destruction to all the dominions. He has killed Queens for many years. He has outlived all rulers. His true end game is world domination and suffering to all.

Meren begins on a forced journey that will show her things she thought were not possible. But her travels will not be easy an the path is not clear. Can Meren figure out how to save Aryd and everyone else that matters to her.

This book was a non-stop adventure from the very beginning pages. It was an exciting, dangerous and earth shattering read. The characters were different from others I have read. Reminds me of the Shadow and Bones Series. Unique and well written, readers can't help but become addicted to them. I could not put the book down.

Overall this book was well written. The author took her time laying out the plot and creating a wonderful utopia. The story moved along at a steady pace. This book has a lot of excitement. It is filled with adventure, evil plots, loyalty, danger, and love. A wonderful start to an amazing adventure.

This book was fantastic! I enjoyed the action and the world she created. I can’t wait for the sequel. #spicy #morallygrey

Absolutely captivating. Abigail Owen crafts an incredible story of intrigue, magic and romance. I really enjoyed how the magical elements of the book intertwined with the political elements. I loved the concept of being a hidden princess! I haven’t read a book like this before! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

2.5 ★

not a bad fantasy romance by any means- just painfully average.

i think the beginning of the book was the strongest, at least plot-wise. the whole situation with the hidden princesses, mysterious marriage proposal, and this sinister political threat looming over the kingdom's head was more than enough to capture my attention. it just all started moving too fast and got too convoluted to the point where i lost interest and gave up.

everything was pretty predictable. i can't say there were any major plot twists that shocked me to my core. i think i was most disappointed with the romance. it had so much potential, but then boom- instalove. they got all lovey dovey and mushy real quick, especially as i didn't feel any real chemistry between them??? they sort of fell for each other just because. i will at least say that they kept their banter even after their quick start, which was nice i guess.

i liked meren- her courage and wit were interesting, and i liked following her perspective. on the other hand, reven, the love interest, was.. not my fav. he was one of the guys who are all "im a bad person, you should stay away from me, im not good for you" blah blah. he, of course, falls for her and this leads to this exhausting back and forth between them where they keep denying attraction to each other. he was supposed to be all bad and scary, but he was actually very mushy and nice on the inside. BORING.


as a single, minority 3 star review in a SEA of glowing 5 stars, i would still encourage anyone interested to pick this up when it's released. this is a fun enough YA/NA fantasy romance, that i probably would've enjoyed more if i had picked it up at a better time.