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.

Meren is a princess but a hidden one. Her twin sister is next in line to be queen, and as per tradition, Meren is her body double. She yearns for freedom but can’t leave her sister vulnerable. But the ruling queen dies unexpectedly, and the princess receives a marriage proposal and a suspicious gift. Meren decides to take her place at the coronation and unwittingly puts herself in the sights of a shadowed kidnapper. As Meren struggles to gain her freedom, she learns that there are more lies to unravel than just her own.

This was a great read! The author excels at creating a vivid setting. Detailed worldbuilding was woven throughout the story, dialogue, and descriptions effortlessly, which left the setting feeling realistic and immersive. I loved the lore and history included about the Goddesses and the Sacred Trees – I’m looking forward to learning more about the history of this world in the next book.

The characters were well written – even the secondary characters had varying motives and personalities (yay for some well written morally grey characters!). I enjoyed Meren as a protagonist. She had the perfect amount of sass and self-doubt to make her relatable and realistic. She was independent enough to take matters into her own hands yet still had doubts about her place and meaning in the world, making for an overall compelling protagonist. Reven was also a compelling character, with plenty of conflicting emotions and motivations. The concept behind his character was fascinating and unique.

On a related note, the author did a great job with the dialogue and banter between Meren and Reven. AND this is one of the best written enemies-to-lovers that I’ve run across. The author avoided many of the YA pitfalls associated with this trope and managed to create a realistic, relatable, and interesting relationship. This was one of the first romances that wasn’t insta-love or felt forced into existing just for the sake of including romance.

There were just a couple things I disliked. There was a connection that felt glaringly obvious, but Meren didn’t figure out until the end of the book. This felt like plot-induced stupidity and was a little frustrating. Eidolon was also constantly mentioned as being a looming and dangerous threat, but he didn’t come into play until the very end of the work. This made the story lose some of the tension that should have been there.

This was a solid fantasy read that I recommend. I look forward to reading the next work in the series!

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

Super thankful to be given the opportunity to read The Liar's Crown!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for granting me access!

From the very first page, this novel has captivated me and would not let me go until the end of the book. The prologue intrigued me and I just had to know how the two princess turned out and how events will play out. I really enjoyed Meren and Reven's interactions together and their romantic "will they won't they" parts had me itching for more. There are a little bit of steamy spicy bits, but nothing too explicit.

I also enjoyed the side characters, mainly Vos and Tziah. I liked Cain in the beginning, but he started to get on my nerves a bit near the end of the book, though he did redeem himself a bit.

This was such a good first installment to this series, I cannot wait to read more, especially after that ending. I NEED TO KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE A-OK PLEASE. THANKS.

I enjoyed this book so much. The premise is intriguing. The characters have a ton of depth to them. And the plot itself kept me wanting to read more even when I should have been putting the book down to do other things.

The only issue I had with the book was the romantic subplot, there were parts that didn't quite make sense based on other things said in various places in the book. And it actually took me just a little bit longer to really connect them rather than think they were contradictions. Also if you aren't into love triangles, you might want to skip this one. Cause it is there, but the main ship gets pretty settled in the first book.

Thanks, NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for the review.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a good YA fantasy book *screams*. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down and I stayed up till dawn just to finish it.

In the dominion of Aryd, in every other generation in the royal bloodline twins are born. This is a well-kept secret nobody is aware of but the royal family: the first twin becomes the crown princess and consequently the queen, the second one lives in the shadows and must do anything to protect the first twin. This also means the second twin must take the first one's place in case of dangerous situations and if the first twin dies, she must take her throne without anyone knowing. Thus, this is the life for Tabra, the first twin and future queen, and Meren, second twin who would do anything for her sister. When their grandmother, the Queen, dies, Tabra is the rightful successor. However, at precisely the same time, Tabra receives a letter from Eidolon, the dangerous and evil King of Tyndra, who asks for her hand in marriage, so Meren decides to take her sister's place at the pre-coronation cerimonial to protect Tabra from Eidolon who is already on the way to them. The only problem is that Meren doesn't manage to get to the cerimonial as her sister because she gets kidnapped and taken away from the castle. And here her adventure starts and she finally gets to feel free for once in her life, even if she is still "Tabra" for her kidnapper.

This is one of the few YA fantasy books which isn't a repetition of everything we have already read again and again and there was not even a single thing I didn't like about it. The enemies-to-lovers trope was on point and it wasn't rushed at all. The author took her time with the revelations without spoiling anything too fast. Moreover, I loved how in depth AO got in describing Meren and Reven's thoughts and feelings, especially toward the second half of the story. I love the description of the scenery and the traits of the different realms and places (e.g. how Eidolon is dry and full of sand or how luxuriant Shadowood is and full of life).
I still cannot wrap my head around to how Reven found out the princess she kidnapped is actually Meren and not Tabra and he gets all furious, but he still has a (huge, may I add) soft spot for her. Obviously. AND THE FINAL PLOT TWIST AAAAH!

I loved it so much. I need book 2. NOW. please.

My rating: 4.5!

4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was a dark, thrilling ride, full of secrets, shadows, lies, and curses - and I loved it a great deal. The world-building in this novel creates a unique setting, and along with the intriguing magic system and two fantastic lead characters, I was quickly hooked.

What's great about this book?
- Meren is a wonderfully strong FMC, who has lived her life in the shadows of her sister. Ironically, she is kidnapped by a shadowraith who shows her there's more to her than being second best. At no point in this book did I feel that Meren was weak or the lesser twin. She is formidable, reckless when necessary, relatable when fearful, and determined to help those she can. Knowing how selfless she is even when she has been raised to be discarded at the first sign of trouble for her twin, made me love her even more.
- Reven also is fascinating. Sure, he has a lot of the common traits of other fantasy male leads (that I adore), but I really enjoyed the shadows aspect of him and his struggles to control them. I liked his vulnerable sides and how far he was willing to sacrifice himself for those he cared for. Both Meren and Reven have a lot in common, like calls to like, and I enjoyed watching him embrace that as time continued.
- The banter between both main characters and side characters alike is great. Mouthy Meren was a lot of fun.
- The romance is balanced well with the risks involved, and I appreciated the timeframe that their connection evolved over.
- The found family aspect and Shadowood itself.
- As I mentioned, the magic system and the dominions this world takes place in are really interesting and different from other books I've read with similar tropes. I'm eager to see how they'll play out in further novels in this series.
- The betrayals, revelations of lies and plot twists were all timed extremely well.

Things I didn't quite enjoy:
- Sometimes the story felt like too much was happening at once and I was struggling to imagine all as it happened. But this was such a small gripe overall.

Final thoughts:
The placement of where this book ends has me very eager to see what happens next. If you like dark YA fantasy, with a dash of romance, self-discovery, and fighting for a greater cause, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.

Overall, an interesting premise. Though, at times I felt that the romance was too central of a plot point. Meren and Reven would often go into instalove rather than have their relationship develop naturally. To be honest, the kidnapping trope did not help much with this. I would have much rather read flashbacks or just some indication of the relationship between Meren and her sister, but we only got a few pages of that,

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. There was too much tell rather than show, lots of lines that didn't make sense or felt unnecessary, and the romance was very insta-lovey. The guy kidnapped her but not even a day into her being held hostage she was resisting the urge to 'lean into' him and making jokes with him.

In short, the writing felt a bit amateur to me.

However, I do feel like in the right hands, this story will be amazing! The concept itself and all of the plot lines are very interesting in of themselves! It just wasn't for be! I wish the best to Abigail. I will still be recommending this book so that the right readers can find and love it!

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

Thank you to Entangled Teen and Abigail!

The story is about Meren, a second born twin in a royal line where twins are common and the second twin always lives as a shadow princess— an incognito life where she is trained since birth to be her elder twin's double in every way. And is expected to take her place in times of danger.

When an old enemy comes forward with a wedding proposal for the future Queen Tabra, Meren decides to take her twin's place and meet the mysterious king before she does. But when she's kidnapped by a handsome, enigmatic man Reven who mistakes her for Tabra, Meren is thrust into a new journey with a man who has as many, if not more, secrets than she does.

This was a surprisingly good read! The magic system, the world, the different kingdoms (complete with their unique magic, monsters and landscapes) was really intriguing. The writing is fast paced and the characters are funny (especially the banter between Meren and Reven which I really loved). The whole twin mystery was handled really well and I gasped when Reven figured that part out because let's face it, that was what I was looking forward to ever since I read the blurb. 👀

The ending was really shocking and the epilogue left me with so many questions. Will recommend this to all fantasy lovers who love a convoluted plot.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

What a gem!

I'm not a particularly die-hard fantasy reader, but this book was so hard not to love. There's romance, there's suspense, there's shadows, there's spicy scenes, there's LGBTQ representation... there's literally so much. The main character, Meren, is a twin forced to live her life in the shadows. A secret stand in for her twin sister, the crown princess, she has literally lived her life waiting to die in her place. When she was kidnapped by the mysterious (and very complex character), Reven, she finds her world widened to beyond her own country's borders.

Perfect for fans of the famed ACOTAR, the sequel can't come soon enough!