Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Meren and Reven were such a fun couple to follow and watch grow! He is very much the grumpy male to her sunshine personality. I enjoyed their banter and how she didn’t fall head over heels with him. And the author did a good job writing it that even though he did steal her, it didn’t feel like she fell for her kidnapper.

Meren was an independent character who owned her actions. I appreciated that she realized her faults and grew from them. It was interesting reading about her powers and watching them manifest.

Reven was an enigma. He was a little tougher to figure out and understand. He did have a good character arc. I do wish we had a little more back story on how his powers worked? Or where the shadows came from? It also might have been explained and I just didn’t understand it clearly.

Overall this was a fun fantasy book and I’m excited for book 2! The characters were well fleshed out and had a good story arc. They had good chemistry and you were rooting for them to get together. I do think they needed to have a talk after everything came out in the open but that might be in book 2! I did struggle with understanding the world magic. That could be due to the fact that so much was going on though.

Solid 3 1/2 stars

I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would, though I do feel like it was almost two different books. The first half was a bit of a drag. There was a lot of traveling and hiding and events that ALMOST pushed the plot forward, but then stalled in order to make more of an impact later. The second half, however, was action packed and it moved at a clip that was perfectly suited to what was going on. It felt like Owen took off the training wheels and let the story fly.

As a YA book, I expect certain things to happen, and i'd say this book hit just about all of the tropes it could. The main character is sassy and beautiful and doesn't want no help. The antagonist who definitely wont be the antagonist for long, is dark and brooding. And for a while, these things read very tropey, but they do develop as you get deeper into the story. Some long sought after explanations turn some things on their head and make the tropes more appealing.

Also as a YA book, it got pretty steamy in the latter half, but no where near as steamy as, say, ACOTAR, which is no longer classified as YA... it was at one point!

Owen's world building is interesting. She's created a world I dont FEEL like I've entered before, but, especially in the first half, the dialogue can sometimes pull you right out of this world that is supposed to be different from our own. There's a war between fantasy language, both spoke and the very structure of how the characters speak, and modern day language. It feels messy in places and almost like some of those instances were missed in an editing pass. But this somehow gets less obvious or annoying as the book goes on.

The book ends with many more questions than answers, and I haven't seen or heard that there is going to be a sequel but I would certainly hope this will become at least a duology.

This book was such a fun read! I was in a reading slump and this book really got me out of it. I flew through this book in one afternoon and I am so sad it is over. I will be looking out for this author in the future and will be recommending this book to all of my family and friends.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

T his end of August release has everything I love about YA fiction. Meren was trained from birth to play the body double of her sister Tabra, who would one day become Queen. Meren was literally born to die as all second born twins had in her family before. When her grandmother dies, and Tabra becomes queen, Meren leaves her hiding to perform all the risky tasks as her sister. Once in the palace on her way as queen to a meeting, she is kidnapped and taken to a world around people she never knew existed. Meren, pretending to be her sister, must fight her attackers while trying to get back to her home alive.

This book is sure to be a best seller and a favorite among teens. It is the start of a series with the book ending in a cliffhanger.

I had the privilege of reading this one early, and if you love YA fantasy, you do not want to miss it! A swoon worthy hero, a fierce heroine, nonstop magical action. I was on the edge of my seat. Can't wait for book 2! I'm obsessed!

If you love a good Enemies to Lovers with magic, monsters, and diverse kingdoms, this is the one!

Our leading lady, Meren, has lived her entire life in the shadow of her twin sister. Her sister, Tabra, was the firstborn and therefore, the heir. As the spare, Meren's job is to remain hidden away, waiting for the day she will step in to take a death meant for her sister. She was born to die, so her life has never been her own.

Part of her job is to take her sister's place during dangerous events - just in case. Whilst doing her duty on the eve of the coronation, she is taken by a mysterious man of shadow. It is to be seen whether she can trust this man - they each have their own secrets. What Meren does know is that she must get home to save her sister from the very threat the Queens of her line have been guarding against for centuries..



I sat down to start this book with the intention of reading a couple of chapters and then going to bed. I read 45% in one sitting! I just could not stop. This one had some of my favorite tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, and One Bed. I won't spoil anything, but I see some more of my favorites coming in the sequel. ^_~

I especially loved the development of the relationship between Meren and Reven. (Yes, his name is Never backwards. Foreshadowing?) The relationship was well-paced - just enough tension. Reven is the handsome, mysterious, brooding love interest that I am here for. Then, we have feisty, caring Meren who, despite everything, just wants what's best for everyone. I only wished we had gotten more of her relationship with the sister, Tabra. It would have helped me care more about the conflict in her home country, Aryd. As it was, I was too busy simping for my Shadowraith, Reven.

The pacing was perfect, and the information given out over enough time that I never felt confused or like I needed to go back and check anything. There was plenty of danger, drama, and magic along with the world-building. I would love more about the Goddesses in the next book. We saw three of the kingdoms in this one, and I'm hoping for more in the sequel. Please, can I have it now??

My heart may never be the same again! The Liar's Crown is a wickedly breathtaking epic adventure that will leave you in awe of the richness and depth of this marvelous world. Not to mention that it is guaranteed to steal your heart with the wonderful and magnificent creativity of its passionate, non-stop plot. You can't hide from the decadent heat, the raw emotion, and the incredible twists. This story will take over your heart by force!

Meren has one purpose in life. While she dreams of having more, she knows there is danger and risk involved. Relegating herself to her dangerous and lonely existence, she releases her wishes to the safety of the shadows. No one can be hurt that way or so she thinks. When Reven steals her away, Fate opens a whole new world to her. Can she believe in more then the path she was taught to follow? Will the truth set her free, or will it bind her tighter then she ever thought possible?

Reven seems so much different then her at first, but he is truly just the other side of the coin. There is not much that he has experienced that she hasn't. When two compatible souls look into the other and see hope and the possibility of love, should they ignore it or give it a chance? Fate never makes things easy, but when has anything worthwhile ever been easy?

Abigail Owen has truly set herself apart with this beautifully heart-wrenching journey of self-discovery and determination. The amazing characters will leave their mark on your heart as you follow their dangerously unorthodox path to something more and something greater. No matter what you will not walk away the same. Their words will reshape and change whatever they come in contact with. This is truly life-changing literature!

This was such a wild ride of a book. I was hooked from the prologue, the concept of this is so fascinating yet brutal and utterly violent. Twins with completely different destinies. One blessed, one cursed, what could go wrong? I loved the plot, the characters, the relationships and everything in between. I was a bot skepticall about the main relationship of the book, but that changed very quickly. Meren and Reven are such great characters, with so many adversities ahead of them, but somehow they only get stronger and stronger. The ending broke me too, but my soul restored after reading the epilogue. Overall, a huge mix of strong feelings, mainly good ones, I loved this!

Twin princesses, one who lives as queen and the other who lives as a body double... meant only to sacrifice her life for her sister if her sister is ever in danger. Meren has lived her entire life under the disguise of a poor girl with no standing but slips into the palace to visit her sister if there is ever danger. Meren has spent her life hidden, knowing she is second best. Training and living in the desert, she yearns for more, for a life of her own. When the queen dies and Meren’s sister is to be crowned queen a proposal from the ageless King Eidolon has come.., suspiciously right after the death of the queen. King Eidolon is known for his treachery and yet Meren’s sister can’t help but believe in his better nature and Meren will do everything to stop the wedding from happening... yet before she can she is kidnapped by a figure made of shadow who mistakes her for her sister. The figure is actually Reven, the Shadowraith who has been kidnapping people... but he asks her to help him and that there is much more going on with the disappearing people than she initially thought. Reven need’s her help in saving his people as he knows Meren’s secret, her abilities over sand and that she could be the key to saving his people... except he is under the guise that she is her sister. Meren will have to navigate through lies, deciding who she can trust, and her feelings for the Shadowraith who has stolen her heart. This was such a fun read! I had a great time reading it and I loved Meren as a protagonist. The romance between her and Reven was great and the overall arc of the story was well done, I absolutely can’t wait for the second book!! I NEED IT!!!! Meren has lived her entire life knowing she is nothing more than a sacrifice but when she is finally given space to just be herself, to show true self to someone, it’s just wonderful. Meren and Reven work well together, they’re both people burdened with powers and duties and things that make it hard for them to truly show another themself, but together they connect and understand one another. The ending has me so excited for the next book. and I AM BEGGING FOR MORE REVEN POV!!! Overall if you love enemies to lovers, political intrigue, action, and romance, this is definitely for you!

*Thanks Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This latest book by the Author is the start of a new YA Fantasy series with great worldbuilding , complex characters and secrets held close

In the land of Aryd twin Princess sisters are born .... one raised to rule the other to be hidden in the slums only brought out in a times of need .
The Queen dies suddenly and when the wrong sister , Meren ,is kidnapped on the eve of the Coronation and taken to the Shadowlands by a Shadowraith , her whole focus is on returning to protect her sister Tabra from the threat of King Eidelon .
Everyone holds their secrets close , can trust and a slow burn romance reveal the different truths and can betrayals be overcome ?

This is a fast paced book , full of intrigue and secrets , with twist and turns around every corner - I look forward to the next book in the series

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I was so excited that I was able to read and review this book! It is my favorite YA genre and had so many elements that I love to read in my books-magic, adventure, mystery, romance. The Liar’s Crown started out very slow-so slow that I almost have up on it. Luckily I stuck with it and really enjoyed it. As with all books, there are pros and cons. Pros-the overall story was really intriguing, the characters (especially Meren) were very likable, lots of adventure and twists and turns, well written. Cons-occasionally the language seemed a bit to modern for the setting, the multiple classifications of people (by both region and magical classification) was complicated-I found my self having to go back to figure out who held what type of magic, at one point there were a lot of “mini plots” but they seemed to all finally come together. Even though it tended to be a bit confusing, I really did enjoy the book. Unfortunately, I will not be purchasing this book for my library. There was a fairly descriptive sex scene that I feel is way too mature for my students. I think it is a great read for adults who love fantasy and I will recommend it to them! I look forward to the next installment in the series. I am ready to see what Meren has up her sleeve!

I am very grateful to have gotten this eARC and I did have fun with this book, but like, I really think in order for me to be comfortable giving this to students as a YA book, the sex scene needs to be at least a chapter shorter than it is. I’m not even particularly prudish about these things but like, there is a Lot of Sex in the middle of this book! Not something I’m going to feel good about handing to a teenager!
Also, I don’t know this author or her life or culture but the desert people/culture stuff made me uncomfortable, too. It all feels a littttttle too close to something actually inspired by actual Arab culture (like the ‘Mirage’ or ‘We Hunt the Flame’ series) and it doesn’t sit right coming from someone who doesn’t appear to actually have that cultural background?? Idk
And the story held my attention but like, it wasn’t particularly original (some real ‘shadow and bone’ vibes!) and again, didn’t feel like YA, didn’t always feel culturally PC. Idk man, wish I could be more positive :(

Synopsis:
No one knows about the twins that are born to the throne every other generation. It is the best kept secret in the kingdom and one that allows the royal line to continue.

Meren is the twin born second, whose only purpose is to be a double for her sister, the rightful heir to the crown. She is meant to be sacrificed for her sister if there is ever a threat.

The biggest threat, King Eidolon, is rumored to have taken the lives of many queens in the past. With the death of the current queen, Meren’s grandmother, Eidolon sends word of his wish for peace and a union between their kingdoms.

On the eve of her sister’s coronation, Meren is kidnapped by a Shadowraith, with whom she feels a strange connection. Struggling to control his powers, the Shadowraith is hiding secrets of his own.

Meren must escape so she can fight for the kingdom’s safety against the impending dangers lurking to overtake it.

Review:
I have mixed feelings about this one. While there are certain aspects that I absolutely loved, there are also things that fell short for me. I think it is a solid 3-star experience and many readers are going to fall on either side of that.

I'll start by saying that it is a classic YA fantasy story, and if you love this genre and all the usual components then this is a story for you.

Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My favorite part about this story is the world-building. The magic system and story world are rich and intricate. I would have loved a more in-depth exploration of these aspects. Especially in the beginning, some concepts are a little lacking in description, leaving me wanting a better grasp on the way things are and how the world works.

The premise is so unique and interesting and I just wanted more of it. I wanted more attention given to the magic, culture, background, society structure, etc. I think the lore in this story is one of its strongest points and it would have been more captivating to me if this was done justice with more detail.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐
The plot is exciting. The sequence of events and the pacing kept the story moving and left me wanting to find out what happened next. The beginning is fast-paced and I really enjoyed that.

There were a few points that had me questioning things. I won't go into specifics so as not to give any spoilers. But at some points in the story, I was questioning certain actions of the characters, as well as some parts of the story world that didn't quite make sense to me.

I did, however, feel it lacked a sense of urgency with the plot. I think because the villain in the story doesn't get any real page time it doesn't make the "imminent" threat feel real, more a far-off danger that I didn't feel afraid of as much as I feel like I should have. The tension just wasn't there.

Engagement: ⭐⭐⭐
It took me a little while to get into this one. Part three is when things started to fall into place for me. Regardless, I was still invested enough to keep reading. The political intrigue is engaging. I loved seeing the different factions of people and cultures.

If YA fantasy tropes are your thing then you will love the ones in this book. I think with a little more fleshing out at the start I would have been more invested in the outcome.

The beginning is a little rough. The prologue was a blandly generic setup that can be found in numerous books of this genre. It could be enough of a cliché that many wouldn't continue reading.

There are some incredibly unique concepts to this story that hooked me in and could have made it a higher star rating for me if the execution of them was more fleshed out.

Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love Meren's snarky attitude and independent nature. And I enjoyed the building romance between her and Reven. He is the epitome of a tortured good-guy with a bad rep. Their banter is catchy and emotional.

Of course, enemies to lovers is a favorite of mine so I couldn't resist, and this part of the story worked well for me. Their scenes together are fun and I enjoyed seeing them get to know and understand each other better.

I would have liked a little more insight into the characters' development in the beginning, to better see their transformation and connect with their motivations.

Style: ⭐⭐
The voice of the story felt a little off to me. The dialogue sometimes feels too modern, like there is a disconnect between their vocabulary and this story world and time period. It also feels a little too juvenile in some places, except the content of the story definitely isn't.

At first, the voice of the protagonist feels much younger than her actual age. Of course, I understand this is young adult, but my initial impression was that it is written for a younger age range until I realized that the content is more for older teens.

There are a lot of matter-of-fact statements (telling), rather than implying things with details, descriptions, and actions (showing). Like the opinions and perspectives are being forced upon the reader instead of letting us infer on our own. For example, the emotions of the characters are blandly stated, rather than giving us context to show them.

This caused me to feel not as swept away within the story as I could have been.

Overall:
I feel like my review may seem overly critical. Perhaps I'm just jaded when it comes to this genre because I read so much of it. Or perhaps, because I am an editor, it is my natural inclination to point out areas of improvement.

Either way, I still think this is a good story and, although I give it three stars for my personal experience, I do think a lot of readers are going to really enjoy this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for gifting me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this novel. I am rating this book based the stars due to lack of time to leave a full review. #NetGalley #TheLiarsCrown

ARC from NetGalley.

Compelling fantasy story with really cool magic. The worldbuilding was great, and I absolutely adored the protagonist. The love between the protag and love interest felt earned and not like badly-disguised Stockholm Syndrome which I loved so so much especially since the kidnapper trope can fall into that so easily. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy/regal stories, as well as fans of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I already can't wait to read the next one!
#TheLiarsCrown #NetGalley

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4781591011?book_show_action=false

good story. easy flow. i liked the characters and the humor. interesting concept with twists and turns.

The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owens is full of fresh takes on Fantasy favorites! Meren is a princess, but I stead of living the life of royalty, she is treated as a commoner whose only role is to serve as a body double for her twin sister, the Crown Princess. Upon their grandmother's death, it is time for Tabra to rise as queen. To keep her safe, Meren takes her spot at some pre-coronation activities where she is captured by Reven and spirited off to the Shadowood.

The book starts a bit slow as the author introduces the world and the magic systems. She also needs the characters to take a perilous journey to reach the Shadowood. Hang in there! Once they reach their destination, this book starts to soar! The strength of this book is the characters and their relationships. I love Meren from the first page. She is strong willed, despite existing in a subservient role, smart, and empathetic. Reven is a fantastic MMC. I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2.

Thank you the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Liar's Crown was an entirely original new tale of travel adventure with multiple twists and concealed identities. It took me back to the YA fantasy roots of fantasy adventure we saw a lot of in the early 2010's but without the horrible love triangle obsession of that era, just strong lead characters, uncomplicated world building, and politics only so far as the story requires.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The liar’s crown was a delightful and fun read. The story follows Meren, the second-born princess who’s duty-bound to act as a body double to her twin sister.


Writing style:
The overall storyline of this book is mainstream YA, but there was sufficient originality for it to stand out from other books in the genre. The fantasy elements and magic system wasn’t explicitly explained but it was fairly easy to follow through with it. Also, the pacing of the book was well done. There was never a dull moment and I loved reading the short chapters *chef’s kiss*.

Characters:
Meren is the sole narrator and I quite enjoyed her as the protagonist. Throughout the book, she maintains her strong will and unapologetic character. I loved how Meren was unafraid to speak out for herself even when she felt vulnerable.

Reven is the typical broody guy with a traumatic past but he grew on me as I read the book. He has a complicated life/existence but he strives to do what he feels is right. Reven had a very important role in the plot (aside from being the love interest) but I wish that his personality was a bit more fleshed out.

Romance:
I couldn’t say no to the forced proximity trope. There were lots of small moments between Meren and Reven where they grew to care for each other *swoon*.

There was one scene where they slept together and it wasn’t fade to black. It’s nothing too graphic but it’s NA or upper YA content.

My only complaint is that the romance progressed a bit fast for my liking. Meren was very quick to trust Reven because he is attractive and has pretty turquoise eyes.

Overall thoughts:
I’m giving this book 4/5 stars. It was a great starter to a series and it definitely potential for wonderful sequels. I’m excited to see where the story will go especially after the epilogue.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy fast paced fantasy stories with a heavy romantic subplot.