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

I was captivated by the story from start to finish. I feel like it had it all. Excellent world building, relatable strong female MC, intriguing story, strong character development, steamy romance that isn't too much. A must read. Highly, highly recommend!

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

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.

I see I may be in the minority, but this book was very “meh,” for me.

Secret twin plot, evil king, shadowraith, enemies to lovers. Lots of could be plot points and tropes, but none of it meshed or clicked for me. No connection with the characters or plot.

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.