It was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and I love every seconds of it.
I went in with moderate expectation, bracing myself for disappointing turn of events, but this book proved me wrong. I love Meren and her determination! I also love how mysterious and intriguing Reven is, and how their story unfolds. Both Meren and Reven are growing in those pages and I'm so happy to see it. The plot was amazing, full of twisted turns and secrets. The magic system and world building is somewhat simple to follow, which is good, but also beautiful and made me want to know more!
It was a fantastic read and I'm really looking forward the next book!

A royal line that always has twin girls- one to rule and one to hide. Really a new take on the old "heir and a spare" saying. For generations, the evil king Eidolon has kidnapped and killed one of the sisters in order to maintain his immortality. Meren is the second twin, making her the one who has always had to hide away, preparing to be a body double for her sister, the future queen, Tabra. When their grandmother dies and it is her sister's turn to take the crown, Eidolon shows up asking for the future queen's hand in marriage. When Meren goes to stand in for her sister to meet with him, she is taken suddenly from the palace by a mysterious. shadowy figure.

I'm just going to say it- I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I did not expect to go into this book loving it nearly as much as I did. I read this all in one sitting, I was absolutely engrossed from the very beginning.

Our heroine, Meren, is up there as one of my new favorites for YA fantasys. Growing up away from the palace, she has a rougher edge to her but it comes across funny and sassy and not ever cringey. One thing I love about her and her journey is that she struggles. We get to see her struggle with her magic and with decisions- she doesn't just wake up one day as if she is "the chosen one" who is immediately good at everything.

Okay, now the important part- the romance. This was adorable. This was absolutely me-screaming-throwing-my-book-in-glee GOOD. The banter? Perfect. The love interest is the perfect, perfect balance of witty and sarcastic. For me, this hits so many of my favorite tropes. Enemies to lovers? YES. Morally grey? YES. Can we talk about the enemies to lovers in this though? THIS is how you write enemies to lovers. The tension was there but it built naturally.

The ending had me literally SCREAMING. I cannot believe I have to wait for a sequel. I read this thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teens as an Advanced Reader's Copy BUT I have already ordered the hardback book to add to my collection.

This title is perfect for fans of young adult/new adult fantasy romance! This felt like A Court of Mist and Fury + From Blood and Ash + Dance of Thieves (really the cutest/best elements of all of these)

All in all, this was just so fun and captivating to read. Definitely adding this to my list of go-to recommendations!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Liar's Crown was so freaking good. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked and now I seriously need the sequel. In this, you will meet Meren. She is a twin and technically a princess but has to stay hidden. Her twin sister is next in line to be Queen. Whereas Meren is her body double and secretly dreams of being free from her duties.

So, when an unexpected death draws her back into the double body life, the last thing she thought was going to happen was a kidnapping. Hers to be exact and by a mysterious guy with shadow magic. Now Reven was all kinds of yummy. I loved his grumpiness and instantly started to ship these two together. Their bantering gave me life and just helped fuel the flames within their sexual tension bonfire.

Seriously, the romance between these two made me swoon. Of course, there's lots of drama and danger lurking around them. I definitely wasn't expecting the ending that came our way. Which is probably why I'm beyond excited for the next book. I need everyone back together and a certain evil someone to die.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Really hoping that the sequel lands in my lap as well.

The Liar's Crown is an intriguing fantasy. It starts off with the birth of two girls born into royalty. While both of them are princesses, one of them, Meren, is kept as a secret. Meren's role is to take the place of her sister when there is danger or if something happens to her. When the Queen dies, Meren's sister takes the throne. When Meren stands in for her sister, she is kidnapped by the Shadowraith. As Meren tries to escape, she starts to fall for her captor. She also learns that an ageless and evil King is coming for her sister.

There were so many twists and turns in this book. The premise of the book with the twins drew me in. I thought Meren was a strong and likable character. The slow build romance had me hooked as well. The ending left me wanting more. I can't wait for the next book.

The only reason I would not recommend this to students is that there is a brief sex scene in the novel.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lair’s Crown is absolutely riveting. I was captivated by the story from start to finish. I simply could not put the book down. Abigail Owens weaves an intricate story about twin crown princesses who even though are both royalty lead very different lives cast upon them by birth. Meren is the younger sister born to be her sisters shadow. A double meant to step in if there is danger. Always second best. But along side a dark and mysterious stranger she finds out just what her strengths are and who it is to be a crown princess and save those she holds dear.

i've been staring at this review for nearly 45 minutes now unable to come out how to start because i am conflicted about this book. i enjoyed it, but i do have some 'buts' with almost every section, which is why the rating is three stars. still, despite that, i can't shake the feeling that this could work for some other people a lot better than it did for me. it's not bad by any means - i thought it was good in several sections. but let's divide this by sections so i can attempt to write a longer review to explain why i feel this way:

plot
we follow meren through out the book, the second born princess from a kingdom where twins are born every other generation, and where one of them acts as a double for the 'true' heir in any dangerous situation, and so said heir is protected. one day, meren gets kidnaped by a mysterious figure who thinks she's her sister.

i liked the plot the most, even if i think there's a bit too much happening at all times. it felt like there were barely a moment when we just stopped for a second and it got a bit much. still, despite that minor complaint i have there, i enjoyed the plot the most. this book starts incredibly high for me - the worldbuilding was intriguing and i found the idea of 'one sister being hidden due to the threats to the family' incredibly interesting. but the worldbuilding was also confusing at the start because there's little to no explanation and i wish there was something. i don't need an info-dump either, but there were too many new concepts thrown all at once that left me a bit confused at first. again, i liked the plot through-out, but i think that the fact that there was always so much going on made it a bit overwhelming.

if you enjoy extremely fast paced stuff, this one's good for that though.

characters
i liked meren. i liked her a lot. i don't have much to add here because i did find her interesting and brave. reven was fine as well, he had conflicts and i liked him as well. i don't actually have any 'buts' for this section - i enjoyed both characters, and i also liked cain and vos, so as far as characters went, i enjoyed them all.

romance
my only real complaint with the romance is, well, that it happens too quickly. if you're not someone who is bothered by that, i think the romance is fine. they have nice scenes together. and while normally i'd be against them because of how they started, it has a good enough reasoning behind it that i didn't mind that. my issue did come from the fact that the feelings appeared too quickly for my taste.

overall, i liked it, but i feel like other people would enjoy it more if they don't mind feelings and romance happening on the quicker side, and the book also leaves conflicts open for another book.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this ARC so i can read it early and i am happy <3

I was completely hooked in this book from the very first pages forward. It was a dark, exhilarating voyage filled with lies, shadows, and curses. I was eagerly reading till the last pages because of the novel's inventive world-building, engaging magic system, and two outstanding lead characters (gasps).
Meren is a powerful main character who fits in well with the stories, nonetheless, I admire her for being a little reckless and selfless. I liked how the length of time it took for their relationship to develop struck a good balance between the hazards involved and the romance. And The found family aspect really completed the stories. Such a good and tangled story to read while missing homey 🫶🏻

I am exhausted writing this because I stayed up until 4 am reading this book. Yes, 4 am.
I'm rating this book a 5 because I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy and I will reread this book before the sequel comes out. I couldn't put this book down! The characters, world building and plot were all outstanding.

Meren has the best personality. She is heroic, but able to admit she wants to be selfish. She is funny and her banter makes me want to be her, and is incredibly caring. She really holds this book together. Not that the other characters aren't entertaining, but she was a great character to read about.

The world that Abigail has built is unique and really made me want to know more about it. I want to know everything I can about the different dominions and the people that live there. She does a great job of creating this world that is easy to understand, yet complex enough to make it interesting. I think this would be a great world to build multiple stories in.

As far as the plot goes, it really flowed well. The only thing that felt disjointed was when they went to the portal to take Meren back, got taken as prisoners, and then made their way back to Shadowood once they escaped. It felt like the entire part of that book was simply created to 1. add unnecessary spice and 2. put Meren in a life threatening situation. Of the three, plot is probably the weakest, but it is still quite strong! I loved the beginning, trying to figure out who Reven was and how he was connected to everything.

I cannot wait until the next one comes out, and I will be reading her other books in the mean time. I am exhausted writing this because I stayed up until 4 am reading this book. Yes, 4 am.
I'm rating this book a 5 because I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy and I will reread this book before the sequel comes out. I couldn't put this book down! The characters, world building and plot were all outstanding.

Meren has the best personality. She is heroic, but able to admit she wants to be selfish. She is funny and her banter makes me want to be her, and is incredibly caring. She really holds this book together. Not that the other characters aren't entertaining, but she was a great character to read about.

The world that Abigail has built is unique and really made me want to know more about it. I want to know everything I can about the different dominions and the people that live there. She does a great job of creating this world that is easy to understand, yet complex enough to make it interesting. I think this would be a great world to build multiple stories in.

As far as the plot goes, it really flowed well. The only thing that felt disjointed was when they went to the portal to take Meren back, got taken as prisoners, and then made their way back to Shadowood once they escaped. It felt like the entire part of that book was simply created to 1. add unnecessary spice and 2. put Meren in a life threatening situation. Of the three, plot is probably the weakest, but it is still quite strong! I loved the beginning, trying to figure out who Reven was and how he was connected to everything.

I cannot wait until the next one comes out, and I will be reading her other books in the mean time.

**I didn't include this in the review, but I think that the sex scene should be fade to black. There is too much detail for young adult, when the scene does not actually move the plot along. Books are being taken out of libraries in schools left and right over this, so if it isn't necessary it should be removed. Or it should be classified as adult/NA. More and more YA books are having descriptive sex scenes and I'm not a fan. As a teacher it is hard to recommend these books when parents don't want their kids reading about sex in literature for fluff.**

Twins are born to change a kingdom, one to rule, the other to protect. One lives in the light while the other hides in the shadows. It has been this way for generations, and for the crown to prevail against an old and ageless enemy, it must survive at all costs. This has been the story followed for generations until the last set of twins set into motion a curse and ultimately a choice that changes everything. Within the pages of The Liar's Crown, author Abigail Owens creates a stunning storyline with all the best elements - family, friendship, love, and danger all rolled into a dramatic package. An excellent way to start a series and leave her readers clamoring for more.

I loved the premise of The Liar’s Crown and it lived up to my expectations. I wasn’t expecting it to end on a cliffhanger. I don’t know why I thought it was a standalone. It’s the first in a series that I can’t wait to read the rest of. It was action packed. There was adventure, love, betrayal and so much more. The world is interesting and intriguing as is the magic system. I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more of this world, it’s characters and magic. I definitely recommend it.

The Liar's Crown is the first book in a new YA fantasy series by Abigail Owen. Meren is a twin, a princess, but second born. Her only role in life is to stand in for her sister if death comes to their door. With her sister's coronation looming, Meren steps into her shoes. And that's when the dangerous Shadowraith steals the wrong princess, and perhaps Meren's heart. Secrets unravel and Meren realizes that the only way to save everyone and everything she cares about is to kill the immortal King Eidolon.

I throughly enjoyed this novel right off the bat. I don't know what it is about twin tropes but I always enjoy them and this story was no exception! Meren is a likeable character and I enjoyed reading the story through her eyes. There was quite a bit of world building that took a while to get into but that just made the story deeper and richer. I am not ashamed to say I fell in love with the Shadowraith, I mean...how could you not? The rich fantasy elements and mouth-watering romance kept me engrossed within the novel.

I recommend The Liar's Crown to anyone who wants to read a dark YA fantasy with twin princesses and a tall, dark and beautiful love interest. I can't wait for book 2!

I received an arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A delightful, passionately addictive, exciting and heart tugging book!!

The preface HAD me. I'm always excited when a book starts with a Dramatic labor scene and cursed baby... or two.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
~Consistent and clear world building. It's mostly described in the beginning so pay attention.
~Shadow magic that is actually done well.
~Fun, strong, morally grey and lovable characters.
~Steady pace to the plot. It's exciting but not exhausting.
~Slow burn romance that eventually hits that steam train. It's worth the wait.
~Meren, MC and Reven, MMC are my absolute favorite.
~An ending that had me shaking with anger, frustration, shock and absolute anticipation for the next book.

CONTENT WARNINGS:
Some strong language, moderate violence, an open-door romance scene, and inuendo.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
At this point I really don't care about any negative reviews because I loved it. Yes, there are characters that need more development, the world could have had more description and I have a few magic and plot questions, but this is obviously the beginning book in a series (not sure how many. Maybe a duology?) That's all to be expected. I would have loved a dual POV and I'm crossing my fingers it happens in the next book. I've already read a new release this year (2022) with a "twin royal" storyline and this one is the better of the two.

Unlike some books that I quickly forget after reading them, these characters and plot will stay with me for quite some time.

This book comes out at the end of August 2022 and You won't want to miss it.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Liars Crown! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Characters - 9
Atmosphere/Setting - 8
Writing Style - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic/Relationships - 9
Enjoyment - 10

Total: 65
Divided by 7 = 9.2 (5 stars)

1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

I’ve never had so much fun getting a headache.

Our story stars Meren and Tabra, twins, with Tabra destined to be queen, and Meren living as her invisible backup, as many queens in their family have. And then Reven kidnaps the princess… except, he doesn’t kidnap the right one. The premise hooked me.

But it didn’t entirely live up to my hopes.

I struggled, especially in the beginning, with how much information was being thrown at the reader. Enfernae. Hylorae. Imperium. Zariphates, wanderers, devourers, outcasts, so many other terms are thrown at the reader so fast early on that I had to actually take notes. I’m still not entirely sure I understand it all, but it did get easier.

This book is clearly setting up for a sequel, so while I did wonder why we even got some characters that felt ultimately useless (Pella, for example), I’m hoping it’s a set up for later, though even if that’s the case, it felt a bit clumsy.

Onto my biggest complaints. I was completely knocked out of the immersion of the story by the odd language choices of characters. The atmosphere of the story and the language are sometimes at odds. It’s hard to have this magical fantasy when characters say “hells no” and “total bitch”, which give Valley Girl vibes, as well as specific idioms, such as “no harm, no foul”, which originates in basketball. “Hells” in particular grated on me - multiple characters use it (which often feels out of character) - I counted 74 instances. Yikes.

And the romance. Maybe it’s me, but it felt so rushed, and I never felt like we really got to see why Meren and Reven suddenly care for each other so much. Even when they should still be very wary of one another there’s a lot of affection. It didn’t work for me. Especially got squicked out when Meren has a panic attack and Reven “helps” her snap out of it with kissing. That was deeply uncomfortable.

But, many other aspects worked and worked well. There is a small detail mentioned of how a person’s accent reveals their class and status, a fact which can be used to conceal or manipulate. This is a truth that is often overlooked and it was satisfying that it was acknowledged. I hope it’s used significantly in the future.

Reven’s relationship/tie to Eidolon was genuinely surprising to me, and was a really interesting concept. They’re the same person, but entirely different people, due to certain aspects of their selves being more or less prevalent, as well as Reven’s lack of memories.

The character Tziah - I really wanted to know her more. I appreciated that Meren spoke directly to Tziah. It often happens that those who communicate differently are pushed to the background while someone communicates on their behalf, but Meren speaking to her directly was an excellent choice; it respected Tziah’s as an individual.

I definitely would change a few things overall, but I’m also really excited to see what could happen next.

At first I was very skeptical about a high fantasy book coming from one of my favorite PNR authors. Silly me.

What we have here is a unique concept. Every generation of royalty gives birth to twins. The first one born will wear the crown. The second one born lives a life of obscurity so they are available to take the place of the heir should anything happen, and to act as a stand-in for any occasions that may include danger. The heir lives in the castle, lives a life of luxury and pampering while the second lives a life of peasantry, never to be seen in public, never to have friends, never to trust anyone with the knowledge of their birth.

Such is the life of the twins, Tabra and Meren. Tabra has the good life, the life of a princess. Meren, on the other hand, has a life alone, living with the twin of the current sitting queen, being schooled and trained and prepared to be the princess when needed, and to become the queen should disaster fall, but never to truly live the life of a princess. While Tabra has an entire court of friends, Meren has one, and he is from a wandering tribe where she would never really belong should she go with him as he wishes her to.

From here the story takes some wild turns. The princess is kidnapped...or so the kidnapper thought. Since no one knows there are two, he has no way of knowing he got the wrong one. And what a handful he got! Meren is as outspoken, as tough, and as unruly as no princess should be. Reven is as harsh, as demanding as you'd expect in a kidnapper, and periodically as kind as no kidnapper ever is. Between the two of them we are taken on a wild adventure, one that has so many twists and turns that you can't help but be completely caught up.

I loved every minute of this story, and wait anxiously for the next book in the series. Abigail Owen is a tremendously talented writer, regardless of the genre she has chosen at the time. I truly was silly to be skeptical in any way. So get ready for an exciting, unusual, and often heartbreaking tale of kingdoms such as you've never experienced before. She, literally, turns your world upside down. It is one wild ride that you'll hate getting off to wait for the next ride to come along.

This was so wonderfully done, Abigail, so exceptionally creative, and I loved every minute of it! Excellently done, indeed!

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is exactly what a YA fantasy should be! Excellent world building, relatable strong female MC, intriguing story, strong character development, steamy romance that isn't too much. Five stars!

5/5 stars

Meren is the second-born royal twin, but her existence was hidden away. Her twin sister, Tabra, is the next in line to be queen.
Meren gets kidnapped by Reven, who believes her to be Tabra. Soon, they realize they have the same enemy and goal and strike a sort of alliance. And, eventually, their alliance turns into something more.

The plot was page-turning. I had to force myself to go to sleep because I just wanted to keep on reading! Meren was an incredible main character and the more she learned her powers and got stronger, the more I enjoyed her POV.
Reven was a perfect hero, and I loved that he helped Meren understand and learn and trust her powers!

However, I didn’t really care about the other characters, and sometimes it seemed the events were happening at the same time and too quickly.

All in all, I loved this book and the ending made me want to have the sequel in my hands immediately!

I loved it!

This book is simply the best! It is a fantastic and engaging read for fans of fantasy and adventure. The book offers a unique take on world-building and it is a blast to read and imagine it. I also love all the characters especially the main characters Raven and Meren.. Meren has such a strong personality! The other characters are all interesting and romantic sub-plot is chef's kiss.

I thought it would be a stand-alone novel but it turned out to be a series and that's a plus for me. Can't wait to read more of Raven and Meren!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic YA fantasy! I really enjoyed this book, a hidden twin Princess that yearns for freedom, a swoon worthy hero, and plenty of action, this book had it all! Also, the cover is so gorgeous!

4/5 ✨ s

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who allowed me to receive a virtual ARC of this book!

Warning ⚠️ this will be a series! It is not listed as such but will (I assume if sells well) at least have one more book to finish the story.

I quickly took to liking our main character Meren. Who is the secret twin sisters (in a line of twin sisters) of Tabra. Each sister is born with powers. Meters are sand related and Tabras is an unknown soul type power.

Of course there is an evil king, and a kidnapping from a very handsome male lead- Reven. Our main characters keeps secrets from each other and eventually have to face those secrets together to take down the evil king to save their people.

I found this book to be a great read and I can’t wait for book two!

This was a fast-paced engaging read filled with adventure, humor, suspense, and romance with a dash of spice.
Princesses Tabra and Meren are twin sisters, but to the world there is only Tabra. Tabra was raised in the palace to be queen. Meren was raised hidden in squalor; trained to provide protection for her twin sister by stepping in to take her place in potentially dangerous situations. When such a circumstance arises, Meren switches places with her sister only to find herself inadvertently kidnapped by a man cloaked in shadows. While attempting to determine what her captor has in store for her Meren learns of new threats and struggles to find a way to protect her sister, her kingdom, and her heart.
This story was so much fun to read, and I didn’t want it to end. The way in which magic is displayed in this book is unlike anything I’ve read before. The world building was imaginatively constructed, and the characters had a wonderful complexity to them. Meren is an instantly likeable character. I absolutely love a strong female lead with a sassy attitude and Meren is the complete embodiment of this persona. I’m also a sucker for flawed dashing men fighting their own demons and a certain shadowed mystery man filled this role for me. I enjoyed that this book kept me guessing until the very end. Each time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was surprised by a new twist.
It is a definite fantasy must read with an ending that will leave you begging for more!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.