Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book!

I can’t tell y’all how much I enjoyed this book. It did kind of give a beauty and the beast vibe in a tiny way by pretty much having to get rid of the “beast” to get the nice caring “human” again and also the slow burning romance.

It did have a little spice which I mean who doesn’t love that?! Usually I want books to get to the point and not add so much extra stuff but I love how detailed this book was. It never got boring for me. I literally could not put it down. I won’t say much because I don’t want to give anything away but I pray that a second one to this is coming out because that ending had me wanting to throw my iPad across the room.

Quick summary: I LOVED this story! Solid 4.5 stars and a strong recommendation!

Full review: Abigail Owen's latest novel, The Liar's Crown, is a new fantasy centered around a cursed princess and a man cloaked in shadows. The unique worldbuilding, vivid setting, and compelling character dynamics crafted a spell over me and refused to let go until I'd finished every last word of the epilogue. Who needs sleep anyway?

Meren was an easy protagonist to root for. As the stand-in princess for her twin sister, she is accustomed to danger and self-sacrifice. These experiences helped her grow as a person, making her tough, smart, and feisty. She wore these traits like a coat of armor, blazing through the obstacles around her with determination and wit. That's not to say she didn't falter at times (when faced with murderous octopus-like monsters and a moody boyfriend with multiple personalities, who wouldn't?), but it was wonderful to finally see a strong, relatable female protagonist in the YA genre.

Reven was also deliciously complex. At first, I was slightly skeptical of his growing relationship with Meren. I know some people think that shadowy, villainous men kidnapping naive girls is hot (and if you're one of them, I'm not going to judge), but it wasn't a great start for me. However, as the story progressed, we started seeing more layers of Reven. Literally. The relationship between him and Meren was definitely a slow-burn romance, and I liked watching them grow to love and trust each other.

The worldbuilding was also very vivid and enjoyable. There was a complex religious system, unique magical powers, and a new fantasy world that defied the laws of physics. It isn't every day you come across fresh ideas in the fantasy genre, and this book is delivered!

Before I list my concluding thoughts, I do want to mention that there is a sex scene in this novel. It isn't long or explicit, but it might be something some readers want to take note of. Additionally, several swear words were used. They aren't any worse than what you'd hear in a middle or high school, but they might be something others want to know before diving into this book.

Concluding thoughts: The Liar's Crown is one of the best fantasy books I've read in 2022. The unique setting, intricate worldbuilding, believable romances (including an LGBTQIA+ relationship among two side characters!), and likable protagonists brought this story to a solid 4.5 stars. I'll round up to 5 stars to throw my support behind the series (seriously, book two can't come soon enough).

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

I AM SCREAMING RIGHT NOW, THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD, AND THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO WAIT EVEN MORE TIME FOR THE SEQUEL!!! I loved the characters, everyone seemed so real and I related to them and rooted for them, I have to say that my favorite is Cain, I am really hoping that he ends up with Meren not that I don’t reven but I just find Cain to be so cute and good it makes my heart ache

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Teen for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Liar's Crown is an Upper YA fantasy story with morally grey characters and a swoon worthy romance. Meren and Tabra are a part of a long line of twin sisters who have ruled over Aryd. When one sister is killed, the other takes her place as ruler the next day. An ongoing fight against King Eidolon, Meren is trained as the "second sister" to always protect Tabra no matter the circumstance. When their grandmother, the current ruler dies from old age Tabra is next to rule and Meren is to move away from her desert home and be Tabra's body double. On the night of Tabra's coronation Meren meets Reven whose intentions were to capture Tabra but instead steals away Meren, leaving Tabra to deal with the threat of Eidolon on her own. Meren needs to find her way back to Tabra before it's too late, but when Reven reveals his secrets and intentions Meren feels confused by what her head and her heart wants.

I swear Entangled Teen has been killing it with each new release and they especially know how to twist my emotions. There better a sequel after everything I've been through while reading this book! Gosh, that Epilogue! I hope the sequel, if there is one, will have Reven as a POV, even if it's just a chapter. I adore that guy and what he has unintentionally built in the Shadowood. Seriously, he is now a part of a long list of book boyfriends.

Besides Reven, I love Meren as well. She is a feisty, stubborn, and a full-of-heart kind of character. I did however want to shake her a couple of times. There were moments when I felt like the Genie from Aladdin and wanted to scream at her "TELL. HIM. THE. TRUTH!" I knew that blow out was coming and I couldn't help but feel slight anxiety waiting for things to blow up. The way Meren wanted to work with Reven and help his cause was written perfectly.

The romance is steamy and made me swoon. There is a slight love-triangle but Meren definitely knows who she wants to be with in the book. Their feelings weren't instant and built gradually through each chapter. I love the banter between Meren and Reven, even with Vos. There is quite a bit of humor and it's just perfect.

The world building is fantastic, the writing is fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I had started reading the book at night, which was a serious mistake as I had to wake up early for work the next day. I love this book and I highly recommend it to all YA Fantasy readers who love a good romance and adventure.

5 stars.

Everything about Meren’s life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, she has only one purpose—to sacrifice her life for her beloved sister if death comes for her...

The Liar's Crown is a fun YA read that I read in one go. The premise of having two royal twin sisters, one to rule and one to sacrifice reminds me of one of my favs, For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten.
The story moves quickly and get introduced to some enjoyable characters, the chapters are short too which is a plus. The story itself isn't that original, but what is these days. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it, so it gets a solid ok 3/5 stars. Still if you like a quick YA fantasy read, give this book a go!

tl;dr
A salacious romance that builds well on an intriguing premise. Interesting set of magic powers, but somewhat confusing world lore.

About
Meren is a princess, but she's the second princess. Destined to live a life doubling as her older twin sister to protect her from the immortal King Eidolon. When she's kidnapped by a man made of shadows before her sister's coronation, it seems like she's done her duty, but it turns out that Meren isn't the only deceiver the realm.

What I Liked
The author's notes discuss the premise is based on a fairy tale in while a man sheds his shadow, and I feel like that premise was taken to some very cool places. Reven, the man made of shadows, is everything you could want in a dark lord romance option - moody, powerful, complex. I especially appreciate that he is genuinely trying to do good, and not just "misunderstood by the masses." The lead Meren is also a great read - sassy, self-assured, and a quick thinker. She's competent enough that I didn't find her frustrating, but not so magically capable that it felt OP. Fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope will absolutely appreciate the sparks between them. The magic system of the world is only lightly defined, but easy to understand, and I was impressed with all the creative ways that Meren used her own abilities. There's a tendency for the "jerk" romance option to be dubious about consent, so I was very relieved that their sex was consensual. Strong recommend to anyone looking for a romance with steamy moments against a fantasy adventure backdrop.

What Wasn't For Me
Supporting characters don't get painted with much detail, with Meren's sister Tabra suffering the most from this. This is the first book in a series, so I suspect characters will receive further development down the road, but given the events of the book, it would have helped to establish Tabra's personality a little more. I struggled to picture the shape and look of the world. In a single region, four different mythical creatures from four different countries (ranging from Greece to Japan) are mentioned. The main characters sometimes speak Latin, even referencing the famous quote "quis custodiet ipsos custodes." A character at one point mentions brain cells. When/where is this taking place?

First off- not YA- I would 100% count this NA.

Definitely a slow burn with SUCH good chemistry between the two main characters and about 🌶🌶 (only one sex scene though) but with potential for more.

I’m obsessed with this book though and I’m dying I have to wait so long for book 2.

If you liked ACOTAR or the bridge kingdom, you have to read this book.

It has magic, secret royalty, a kidnapping, enemies to lovers, one bed trope (or one small hole in a tree trope 😉), some spice at appropriate places, tension, great and interesting side characters, betrayal and a GREAT plot.

Also the ML is hate everyone but you, but also secretly a soft Cinnabon, dark brooding and ready to destroy the world for his love type.

The MC isn’t a damsel in distress, she is strong and ready to put herself out there. I especially enjoyed her point of view and how it’s written. She repeated will say, X seemed almost angry/jealous/etc, but maybe I’m overthinking it? Which I enjoy that it’s not described as definitive that’s what others are thinking, when it’s from her POV- it’s the little things.

There is murder, war, explicit scenes, fire, mentioned self harm/vague mention of attempted suicide, and very small LGBTQ romance (super small mention in the side characters without providing spoilers, but may become a bigger part in book two, fingers crossed because I’m rooting for them)


I received this ARC for free from net galley, but everything written above is my personal opinion on this book. Thank you net galley for the chance to read this amazing book! I can’t wait for the next release!