DNF at 38%- giving it 3 stars for the potential it had.

This had so much potential, but I just started to get bored and wasn't motivated to continue. There was a lot that needed to be explained- how Aislinn and the prince met, Rance's backstory, the fragile relationship between countries, and Aislinn's many schemes- and it felt like I read so much without the story really moving forward. I really wanted to explore the romance that seemed inevitable between Aislinn and Rance, but I just don't have the patience to continue on in hopes that it will be worth it. I think this would have been a great fantasy read if it had been simplified a bit and given me more reasons to stick it out.

I impulse-requested this book after reading the summary. A new take on Cinderella where she and her family are con women? A very new take on the fairytale, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Thief Liar Lady reimagines the Cinderella tale and sets it amidst a world of magic dust and politics.

Everyone is enamored with the whirlwind tale of Lady Aislinn and how she bewitched Prince Everett at his birthday ball. What nobody knows is that this was all planned by Ash and her family so that she can gain a high position at court. Ash has secret plans even past that, but she first has to navigate her tenuous position at court, especially with her confusing feelings toward Lord Vance, the hostage prince of Eloria, a neighboring (and conquered) country.

Soria does a good job of taking the original skeleton of the characters and making them her own. Although Ash’s stepmother, Seraphina, planned this scheme, there are still the physically and emotionally abusive parts to their relationship that remain. However, I liked that her relationship with her stepsisters, Cecile and Adelaide, grows better over time. Sure, they hate each other, especially since Seraphina pitted them against each other, but over time they realize that they don’t have to do what she wants them to do anymore. Even Everett was fleshed out more as a character rather than the flat Prince Charming.

The addition of a new character, Verance, was interesting, especially with his character’s backstory. He’s the hostage prince of Eloria, the country that Solis conquered for their lustre, the magical dust that their economy runs on. While he seems lazy and improper to Ash at first, she slowly learns that this is his mask since he’s given up on trying to free his country. Their relationship and rapport grow over time, and I liked watching this play out.

There is a lot more politics in this book than I expected. Basically everyone wants lustre, a substance that can do pretty much anything: heal, bewitch, disguise, and so on. Solis entered a treaty with Eloria years ago, that essentially means they conquered them and took their land. There is a plot line that delves more into this, which was an interesting addition to the fairytale aspect of this story.

My biggest issue with this book, however, is that the pacing was all over the place. I was glued to the page for the entire first half of the book and then it abruptly started dragging. Then the last part was so rushed, to the point where the ending felt so weird. I also feel like Ash was not really…as developed as I would have liked? I feel like some of her inner monologue read as so flat, and she always talks about how she trained for situations like these (conning the royal family) but it doesn’t actually feel like she does that much.

Still, I enjoyed Thief Liar Lady for the most part although I found the second half to be a lot more lackluster. It was an interesting take on a popular fairytale, and I liked the characters and the twists in the story. If you’re intrigued by an adult fantasy fairytale reimagining, you should give Thief Liar Lady a try.

3.5 - This unique Cinderella re-telling brings a fresh take on a classic, with an edgy adult voice. Admittedly this one was a little slow at first for me to get into. I was trying to keep everything and everyone straight, but once I got about the 30-40% mark it all clicked into place for me and I couldn't put it down.⁠
I thought the author did a great job of bringing a really fresh perspective to the story. Political intrigue, forbidden love, magic that was manufactured, AND, you don't really hate Ash's stepsisters. ⁠
I definitely can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us in the future!

A retelling of Cinderella from the perspective of the ultimate scammer and con-woman - Cinderella (aka Ash) herself.
There’s a lot of hand-wavy religion v. progress, colonialism v. independence stuff here, all of which are covered pretty lightly and feel like after thoughts. Not everyone necessarily wants their fantasy romance to come with the heaviness that an in-depth analyses of these topics invite, but to include them half-heartedly feels like the most “meh” of both worlds.

What DID work for me though, was the romance. If you’ve read ACOTAR, you’ll be familiar with the romantic plot construction. The slow build up of Ash’s desire for the sarcastic, inconvenient love interest seems like what Soria really enjoyed writing, and I think this would have been a more successful book if it had either narrowed its scope to focus on that, or really expanded the world building to incorporate all the underlying “isms”.

Read If:
You went through a big Wicked phase
You refuse to believe that large dogs aren’t an inherent threat to you
You binge watched ‘Inventing Anna’ the day it came out

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Thief Liar Lady is an imaginative retelling of Cinderella, positing the idea of a Cinderella figure who, instead of being enslaved by her stepfamily and rescued by a handsome prince, is working with her stepsisters to con the Prince in a scheme to win power and agency within their patriarchal society. It’s a fun spin on a classic, and I enjoyed the self-aware way it paid homage to the original, including some in-text nods.
The world building was one area where I found myself feeling a little lost. For the most part, I get psuedohistorical fantasy vibes from the hierarchy depicted within the story, with a monarchy, and nobility, and the resulting old-fashioned patriarchal class structure. However, there’s also occasional glaringly modern terms that stick out…I’m not against anachronisms, and it is a fantasy, but without proper grounding, it doesn’t make a ton of sense. I am more willing to accept that the magic is not meant to be explained, a lustre is of the soft magic system variety, and its purpose to the characters is pretty easy to grasp for the most part.
While Ash isn’t the most defined character, due to her playing a part for most of the book, I did enjoy reading about her. She’s a great spin on Cinderella, being from humble, if tragic circumstances, and trying to do something about it. I also liked the focus on her relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters, especially given that they have a much more friendly relationship, especially in contrast to others they don’t know they can trust. Rance was also an interesting character, and while the romance is very much a subplot, I liked the dynamic between him and Ash that formed throughout the book.
With a lot of political intrigue, there’s a lot going on that kept me engaged. It took a little bit to get into it, but the pacing was also helped by the relatively short length of the chapters, helping to maintain a punchy, steady pace throughout.
This is a delightfully original take on a beloved classic, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for feminist fairy tale retellings.

A dazzling and unique take on Cinderella. Lots of scheming and spying in addition to the exact right amount of slow burn romance takes this fairy tale retelling to the next level. A must read!!

I've always loved updates of old stories <i>and</i> I've always loved Cinderella stories so this was right up my alley. This is the story of Ash (oops! Aislinn), who has worked in concert with her "evil" stepmother and stepsisters to meet and marry the prince. Using magic, but not the whole pumpkin coach and mouse footmen and glass slipper thing -- that seems to be (only a few weeks later) popular embellishment on the real story. There's some political stuff going on, too, and Aislinn's balancing of her family and her new role.

I was fascinated by the Goddess religion and wished that had been played up. There was also something missing about the Aislinn/Everett pairing that I won't get into due to possible spoilers. Still, as updates and reimaginings go, this is a good one.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This fantasy sports a clever premise using a well-known fairy tale as the catalyst. Readers should not be expecting a retelling or minor twist on the Cinderella story. Instead, this novel is what happens after because what happened before is not what the fairy tales say.

Told in first person from Lady Aislinn’s (aka Ash aka Cinderella) point of view, the reader sees up close and personal the internal conflicts and insecurities of Ash. It sure doesn’t seem like Ash is in the control of the situation–even though that is what she keeps telling herself and others. Ash, the heroine, may be difficult for some readers to root for; she does look out for her interests at a cost to others, although she keeps telling herself it is for the greater good. The pacing of the story is good, and frankly the initial set-up twist is brilliant. Plus, the author has a gift for writing witty and believable banter, which is always enjoyable. The ending was a little difficult to buy, but forgiving readers will point out that this is a work of fiction after all.

While this book is set in a fantasy world and magic does play a role in the story, the magic system is not really expanded upon and the politics of the world play a more important role. The book is also part steamy romance and part political intrigue. So, readers who like all three of those genres would most likely enjoy this book.

I have mixed opinions on this book. On the one hand, it was really easy to get into and enjoyable to read, but on the other it either moved too quickly or too fast for it to make sense. I wish there had been a little more build up to the actual romance, rather than it being so sudden, and a little more worldbuilding to flesh out this world they were trying to save.

When I started reading this, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. Most little girls love Cinderella, and I was one of them. Would this author totally destroy how I felt about the original fairy tale?

However, I discovered that the book is absolutely fabulous! The author truly pulled this off with an original plot and some really intriguing characters. The character based on Cinderella: Ash, also known as Lady Aislynn in Royal circles, is pushed behind the scenes to entrap a noble man by her stepmother--and yes she is a bit on the wicked side. Ash instead sets her sights on the prince. The stepsisters, while not exactly wicked--or maybe they are--have their own agendas.

Filled with intrigue and magic this book was a delight to read, and I LOVED it! I think it's worth al of 5 stars.

In this retelling of Cinderella, the main character is Ash. While she does have a stepmother and stepsisters, they aren't quite as evil as much as they are her co-conspirators. She manages to infiltrate royalty by using magic to get the price to fall in love with her. However, with war looming and another prince stealing her attraction, can Ash fulfill her goal?

I liked the premise of this so much, but I think it was slow in a lot of places. I felt like we would get some key plot point then it would drag for a while before another plot point. I think it took too long as well to get to why Ash wanted to marry the prince. I liked the magic used here, and thought that part was creative. I think though the writing style took away from the story for me.

Thief Liar Lady premise is very different from the original Cinderella story. Ash (Aislinn) is a strong character, not only due to the con her family is running but also that she is running a separate con. You didn't truly know her real personality until much later as she is always hiding something. Truth is what we make it to be, is the belief that

While it starts slow, the story picks up quickly once Lord Verance appears - and from there, hold on! I loved seeing Ash's relationship with her stepsisters evolve throughout the book and while the political intrigue was a little convoluted, the book still kept me entertained!

As a note, this is a new adult book with some spice and language.

There is magic, murders and mysteries, and women willing to do whatever it took to reach her goal. So if you like that, and fairytale retellings and unexpected twist, read Thief Liar Lady!

Thank you to the Publisher for the arc!


So I was really excited to read this, Cinderella retelling and she’s a con woman? I’m intrigued.

However it felt incredibly long when it didn’t need to be, a good chunk of this book could’ve been cut down. I feel like the writing focused more on every other character but the main character herself which in some cases It can work. But you have a scullery maid turned con woman? Why did she turn to this life? I wanted more of her motivations. Overall it is a fun read.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

"Thief, Liar, Lady" is, at its core, a Cinderella retelling that focuses on "what happens after the happily ever after." The similarities to the actual fairytale are few, but they do exist, just in a more subtle manner. Although the book does start after the events in Cinderella, there were still enough references and connections/flashbacks to tie this story in with the old fairytale. Going into this book, I didn't expect much, mostly because I didn't enjoy how it opened: after the action i.e. Cinderella's story. It was just one of many ARCs I requested to read here on Netgalley. It started out slow, but it wasn't long before I was really drawn into the plot. By the end, I wound up loving this book a lot more than I expected I would.

All of the characters are very fleshed out. Ash has a traumatic background, and what she's doing in the palace (two missions, one of which is only admitted to much later in the book) make her a bit of an anti-heroine, or "grey" heroine. She uses emotional and magical manipulation, she lies and steals, she acts as a spy on the royal family, and above all she pretends to be someone she's not.

I loved her relationship with Rance, and I also liked her relationship with Everett, as twisted as it was. Outside of his brother Ryland's influence, he didn't seem too bad. Of course, he grew up in an environment steeped in misogyny and sexism, which is why he treats Ash the way he does most of the time. Ladies are supposed to be "delicate" and not concerned with political realities. The stepsisters were fleshed out in their own way, but I have to admit that they never really grew on me. I like Mariana and Merielle, as well as Puppy (of course!!) and the roles they played.

The ending, I felt, was just a bit rushed, but it did feel mostly realistic in terms of outcomes. Everett wasn't the kind of person who *wanted* to go to war, and Ash used her wits and intelligence to come up with an alternate plan that would save both kingdoms. Her reunion with Rance at the end was very short, so I wish we saw more of them setting out together, but it did feel appropriate for an ending.

The writing was phenomenal. There were no clunky or awkward sentences, and the dialogue always felt natural and fresh. I found myself wanting to check out what other novels, if any, the author has written because I enjoyed her writing style so much.

The cover of this novel is beautiful, and it contrasts nicely with the title: a beautiful, glittering world of wealth, power, and royalty where a girl trained to be a spy learns to lie and manipulate her way to the top.

Overall, I did really like this story. It drew me in time and again, and there were so many plot twists that I absolutely never saw coming. One after another. There were also more subtle twists; for instance, I didn't think Ash and Everett would actually get married, nor did I think they would actually consummate the marriage. Usually, something or someone interrupts these Big, Important story moments right before the event can unfold. But Ash did get married, and later that night she did sleep and engage with intercourse with Everett, which I considered really unexpected. Not to mention what happens immediately after and into the following day.

Out of 5 stars, I gave this book a 4.5 on Goodreads. Definitely recommend if you like feminist vibes, royal & political intrigue, forbidden romance, mysteries, and tense action.

I really enjoyed this darker, morally grey Cinderella retelling. The characters were real and raw rather than picture perfect. It actually added to the story that I remembered from my childhood. I actually liked the FMC made some real choices. It helped to watch her character ebb and flow as she grew overtime. I love character development and the author did a nice job of weaving that throughout the book.

The author’s writing style was fun and kept you invested in the story overall. I am looking forward to seeing more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I have been in my fantasy and magical realism phase so I was excited to check out this book. It sounded action packed and entertaining. There were multiple main characters and side characters which made this a slower paced read to keep them all straight. I enjoyed learning about the elorians, war, and the dramatic plot. I had to reduce my rating due to a scene where there was animal harm, which always impacts my enjoyment of the book.

I haven’t read many Cinderella retellings but it's easy to see Thief Liar Lady stands out with its exciting twists on the classic tale. This does follow some of the basic elements of the Cinderella tale - a girl goes to a royal ball, intrigues the prince, and he searches for her after she leaves only a shoe and a glorious memory - but puts quite the devious spin on things. Aislinn, or Ash as she prefers to be called, is running a con. Her stepmother and stepsisters have put tremendous amounts of effort and money into putting Aislinn into position so she might cast an infatuation spell on a wealthy nobleman at Prince Everett’s three night birthday ball, but Ash set her sights on the Prince himself. Her success now sees her ensconced in the palace, away from her “evil” stepmother, and awaiting her wedding day.
What her stepfamily doesn’t know is that Ash has a second mission from her Elorian grandmother to feed information to the Elorian rebellion and influence politics. Everything is going quite smoothly until the hostage Prince Verance, called Rance, shows his insouciant face and Ash is struck by cupid’s arrow. A slight exaggeration, but it’s clear from their first encounter that the two are entranced by one another.
The story is told purely from Ash’s point of view and is mostly set in the present day. There are a few chapters where we flashback to the recent past and those were somewhat disorienting as in the eARC there was no way to differentiate those chapters in the heading. Ash is a fascinating character and while she was trained to execute a task this complex and delicate, it’s interesting to see how anxious she gets about being found out and to see here doubts and constant reminders to herself to stay in character. It’s clear to the reader from the very beginning that there’s no way she can stay in character as “Lady Aislinn” forever and at some point the charade will come crumbling down. The only question is when it will happen, especially as Ash and Rance continue to have their unplanned and emotionally fraught encounters. The tension between them is palpable.
I think the most satisfying part about this book is when I thought I knew precisely how it was going to play out and then the rug was brutally ripped from under me and I was reeling! I was shocked! And then it bamboozled me yet again! The ending was ultimately satisfying, but leading up to the ending was a hell of an emotional rollercoaster and that is what made this book worth it. Thief Liar Lady was an excellent retelling, especially if you’re fond of roguish characters and confidence games.

Thief Liar Lady is an exciting, action-packed, unique take on a classic fairy tale. Ash, the Cinderella character in this book, is a con artist who has tricked Prince Everett into falling in love with her. Now that she has accomplished getting the prince to be infatuated with her, Ash's stepmother desires for her to find husbands for her stepsisters as well. However, finding love interests for her family and ensuring her own wedding goes smoothly aren't Ash's only goals. She is also on a secret mission of her own, one which may get her into grave danger. As she balances all of her lies with her goals, Ash finds herself also dealing with the "hostage prince" - a good-looking but extremely irritating, lazy, smartmouthed individual.

I don't typically like retellings; however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are all very interesting and well-developed. In particular, I loved Ash, as a morally gray heroine, and Rance, as the annoying, "doesn't-give-a-care" prince. The development of their relationship is well-done, and I loved the scenes in the cottage at the end. I thought it was very creative that the story begins after the ball with Ash already having accomplished getting Prince Everett to fall in love with her. The "flashback" chapters were well-done and added to the story. I also like that while there is definitely at least one main villain, all of the characters make choices that can be viewed as questionable.

I'll definitely be recommending Theif Liar Lady. It's an easy five stars for me!

I loved this! It's a unique twist on Cinderella that wound up being good in all kinds of ways!

Cinderella is not who you might think she is. In fact, she is a con artist. Loaded with dirty language and a very curious world, I found myself rushing to finish.

This book is definitely quirky, with characters that I really enjoyed reading about. I definitely recommend this to fans of fairytale retellings.

Out July 11, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

In D.L Soria's Thief Liar Lady, we get Cinderella with a twist. Unlike in the classic tale, our heroine, Ash, is not a scullery maid with talking mice for friends and a fairy godmother. Instead, she is trained by her stepmother in the art of magic (AKA lustre) with one goal in mind: achieve her family's financial security by tricking a lord into marriage. But on the night of the royal ball, Ash picks a different target -- the prince, and thus begins her tale of romance, deceit, and tragedy.

In many regards, Thief Liar Lady does not stray far from the original source material. From the lost slipper, to the annoying stepsisters, and the evil stepmother, we're given glimpses of a tale as old as time. But Soria has taken these familiar elements and entwined them with a story of political upheaval as Ash finds herself trapped between the fairytale she has worked so hard for, and her loyalty to family. Because Ash isn't just an agent of her stepmother; she is also a spy for her grandmother, who is a member of the rebellion of the oppressed country of Eloria. And as her wedding day draws near, Ash learns that the relationship between the two countries is far more violent and unstable than anyone realized. But will she have the strength to fight back if it means revealing her lies?

I love a good fairytale retelling, and Thief Liar Lady checked quite a few boxes for me. The romance was fun, the dialogue witty, and the plot was fast paced enough that I ended up finishing it one night. I appreciated that Ash isn't a perfect heroine. She didn't immediately solve every puzzle or mystery, and Soria makes it clear that she has her weaknesses as she struggles to overcome the various challenges set before her. I also enjoyed the relationship between Ash and her stepsisters. I hate when women are always catty to each other in books, and I appreciated the complexity of their bond .

However, it fell short in many ways, too. For one, I found the worldbuilding to be lacking. There is an info dump explaining the history between the kingdoms of Eloria and Solis, but all of it felt forced and contrived. The reasons for the rebellion didn't read as realistic to me -- I can't imagine that a monarch surrounded by advisors wouldn't be able to come up with a single solution to the problem besides war. I understood that Ryland's character isn't meant to be liked, but did it have to be so obvious? I came away feeling that all of the political drama was to provide Ash with a purpose and that none of it really mattered, in the end.

Overall, Thief Liar Lady is a fun, quick read. It has the key elements of a romantic fantasy, but it misses the mark in its attempt at adding in political intrigue. A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy!