I was provided an e-arc through Netgalley. I was really excited to dive into this new fantasy novel and I had high hopes to have something grip you after being in a reading slump. The first 20% was pretty decent and after that it was just not what I wanted it to me. I will preface this novel has everything to do with preference and this clearly wasn't mine.
I am a character driven person, and the characters felt extremely flat to me. I wanted to like Shan, and I found Samuel intriguing, but in the end all the characters felt very service level. Now, most of the time if an author lacks character build, they make up in world building. Unfortunately, this book didn't form in either.
I didn't like how the POVs are written in this book. It's jarring for me to read, and something was missing the entire time while I was reading. I am not invested in the characters even though the very beginning started off strong. Maybe I am not smart enough or there is way too much down time between moments. The world building is not as extensive as I would have liked.
The book was also extremely predictable and not in a fun way. I won't be continuing the series, but that could change who knows.

DNF at 25%

The set up was great with the first chapter, but unfortunately I am not enjoying this enough to continue. The world building is not where I would have liked to be at this point. We know some very basic things about the setting, but I don’t quite feel rooted. Also, the showing and the telling of characters is not matching up- their choices and actions are not aligned with how they are presented- and the stakes feel unintentionally low.

It looks like this is going to be a series, so if reviews are better for the next installment I could be convinced to try again, but not right now.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced reader copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early. I was excited to read a fantasy romance— one that build a world AND has a stellar romance to accompany it. This book started to do that then fell flat.

Adult | Romance Fantasy |

The book details characters that have great power but I was only shown that through time jumps. I was hoping to see more of the spying and scheming but again, was just told things were happening off screen. Even situations that are written to be a big deal seem to just fizzle out. Similarly to how the romance started and fizzled in this book. Everything just felt disjointed in a way that made me bored. I’m not sure what the end goal of the overarching story was supposed to be outside of what was literally told to me. I did enjoy the writing as it was refreshing to get a story told from the 3rd POV.

Thank you to Orbit, K. M. Enright, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of Mistress of Lies in exchange for my honest review.

Let me tell you, you are not prepared for this book. In this book, there is no good guys, just the bad guys, and the guys who are willing to do what they must to make things slightly better. Now, there are some people fighting for what is right, but that is in the background, and even their ways are questionable. The magic system is so intricate and there is so many different layers to it, allowing for a lot of potential in future books. Mistress of Lies follows Shan, a blood worker who killer her father and is attempting to restore glory to her family name. Shan keeps her cards close to the chest, and is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. Honestly, she is the definition of a morally grey character. This book also follows Samuel, a bastard who is forced to forsake his background and all who he is and step into the role of nobility when it is discovered that he is related to the Eternal King. Samuel grew up on the streets and knows what it means to suffer, so when suddenly he is put into a position where he is the one supporting those who cause the very suffering he experienced, he is put in a difficult, and potentially life-threatening position. Samuel and Shan are brought together by their dislike of the current system of government under the Eternal King, but things get sticky when they are tasked with finding a murderer.

This book has layers upon layers, and summarizing it is not easy. Enright really did weave a complicated web of deceit and treason in his plot. Just as you start to believe that you have figured out what is going on, another layer is added. This is done in such a skillful way, that readers are left wondering until the very end. Even the characters have several layers to them. Samuel is trying his best to adjust to a life that he does not want to be apart of. He is brought into the middle of a centuries old conflict, where he is now viewed as a pawn and as a potential savior. Shan has her schemes, and at times she can be very stuck in her ways. She is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals, but at times she forgets to ask those closest to her how they feel about everything that is occurring. As this book is very plot driven there is not a lot of room for character development. There is some as Shan learns to trust others (very slowly) and Samuel adjusts to his new life, but in the grand scheme of things this is a plot driven book. However, I imagine that this is the kind of series where the character development feels subtile, but throughout the course of the sequel(s) the characters develop greatly.

This is a tricky book to explain, or even review because of how many layers that there are. I will say that I loved every second of it. From the very beginning I was drawn in and did not want to put it down. The characters are intriguing, you are constantly left guessing (nothing is predictable!) and the plot is fast paced, but also easy to understand. The world building and the magic system are also so intrigate, complex, and yet so interesting. Blood workers technically are not vampires, though their magic requires blood, and they are not simply a witch/wizard either. It is something new and interesting. I want to know more, not because there was not enough information provided, but because I am curious. I want to know just what the extent of this magic is and how it impacts the outcome of the plot. Sometimes, I want to read a sequel because I need answers or I am confused and think that things will make more sense in the next book. Not here. This book is everything. I want to read the next book SO BADLY. This was so good and I loved every second of it. This series has the potential to be a top-tier favorite series for me. The only reason that this was not a five star (though it was close) is because I would have loved just a smidge more character development. But as I have said in other reviews, I am a character development individual, and me giving a plot driven book a four-star rating and saying that it has potential to be an all-time favorite series is saying something. I truly think everyone needs to read this book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I liked following our characters who all had different and complicated motivations for their choices. Shan felt like a real morally grey character that I respected despite not always agreeing with her choices. I think the romance was okay, some scenes and feelings felt forced while others felt very genuine. Regarding the plot twist at the end, I wasn't too invested in who did what but rather the consequences that followed. I think it would be fun to get a POV from the King.

Oooh!! I really enjoyed this dark fantasy debut from K.M. Enright.

Here’s what I loved
🩸high angst romance: the complicated, messy entanglements between Shan, Samuel, and Isaac were some of my favorite scenes in the book. I loved the trans rep and poly romance subplot of the story.
♠️ political intrigue mixed with messy family dynamics: relationships and power play a key role in the central storyline, and I can’t wait to dive deeper into these details in the next book.
🩸 sultry atmosphere steeped in blood magic: this book delves a little bit into the darker side of fantasy with some gory, blood elements. I loved the “vampires” and their use of blood for magic.
♠️ complex anti-heroes and multi-POV: I love when character relationships are complicated. The main characters have separate, sometimes opposing goals; yet, they are pushed into situations that further complicate their plans.
🩸 twisty murder mystery: I love a good whodunnit and fantasy settings. Put them together, and I am a happy reader!

My only true complaint is that this felt a little rushed and jumbled in parts. There were scenes that I felt could have benefited from more nuance in order to add greater significance to the story.

Overall, a strong debut! I will definitely continue the series. If you’re looking for a sultry, dark fantasy for your fall tbr, give this one a try!
My rating: 4⭐️

Thank you so much @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the free eARC! Opinions are my own.

Mistress Of Lies is an interesting read! It opens with Lady Shan LeClaire assassinating her father, this story wastes no time immersing you into the twisted world of blood magic and political intrigue. We quickly learn about the civil unrest plaguing Dameral. This book is full of questionable morals, blood focused magic, and political intrigue.

Two of main characters, Shan and Samuel are both incredibly complex and felt genuinely ingrained into their personalities and the world around them. I enjoyed how the dynamic between the pair of them developed over the book as Samuel was introduced more to the upper class society that Shan lives in when they get paired to investigate a string of murders!

Overall, I enjoyed the book! My only complaints was the lackluster cliffhanger ending, which was understandable bc it’s a trilogy. Also, the love interests between the main characters did not move me at all! However, I did like the Fantasy Mystery Thriller aspect of it! The magic system is explained in a way that made it really easy to understand but also felt layered and complex. I will definitely continue reading the next books!!

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

Mistress of Lies was a unique vampire story filled with political intrigue, romance, mystery, and magic. I really enjoyed the unique vampire hierarchy presented in this book. It was very different from other vampire stories and I appreciated that. The characters were also super interesting and I loved the banter between characters. This book has a bit of a "why choose" feel with a twist. I enjoyed myself from start to finish. I think anyone who gravitates toward vampire stories will enjoy this one. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. A great read for fall!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this upcoming title.

This book has alot going for it, I was unaware it was the start of a series though. Its not a bad thing, but for me series' usually are so much bigger and wider than what the first book could ever convey. I am very intrigues to see where this goes,

Easy, 3.75 stars

Well, this book was quite disappointing.

Since the story opened with our morally gray main character murdering her father, I thought we were in store for a complex tale full of twists and turns. Boy was I wrong.

Enright spent entirely too much time dwelling on the sexual tension between the Shan, Samuel and Isaac instead of, you know, moving the plot along in any meaningful way. Our two leads had absolutely no agency and were frankly, kind of stupid. How are you charged with catching a serial killer and then spend zero time investigating? Also, how do you miss that the murderer was right under your noses? (Probably because no time was spent investigating.....) Any time that Shan does intend to do some sleuthing, it's done off page!

I also find it problematic that the 'villain' ends up being the trans character. Regardless of the motives, I think we need to leave that trope behind.

The magic system had no thought behind it and didn't appear to have any rules or logic either. It seemed to be just: blood + magic = results which is such lazy worldbuilding.

Although I did enjoy the two leads, I'm still flabbergasted at how Shan considered herself such a spymaster when everything took her by surprise. Like girl, you are clearly not as smart as you thought you were. (Enright could have also given her more to do beyond being lusted after by the two men in her life.....)

All reviews going live on Goodreads, Storygraph, Fable and my blog today.

What’s the best way to take down a monster? Does slow and careful save the day, or do you do it quickly and damn the consequences?

Everyone in the Aeravin knows their Eternal King is monstrous, inhuman. What no one can agree on is what they can or should do about it. The largest dissent in opinion is between the Blood Workers of the nation and the Unblooded. Even though the Unblooded outnumber the Blood Workers, you can guess who has all the money and power. There are those within the ranks of the Blood Workers who would like to see the Eternal King fall, however, and one of those is the newly ascended Lady Shan LeClaire, the Blood Worker daughter of the king’s late spymaster.

Despite a somewhat misleading blurb, this novel was just as dark, sexy, bloody, violent, and intriguing as I thought it would be. No matter what fault I might have found with this book, the vibes were spot-on, 100% vibing. This is undoubtedly helped along by the evocative atmosphere Enright describes so well, thorough worldbuilding, the passionate natures of the main characters, and the inherently dark material that comes with any blood-based magic system.

This book was too long, in my opinion, but the story inside was great and it’s a great start for a trilogy. The main characters are fantastic and the LGBTQ representation is amazing. I’m eagerly anticipating book two.

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Adult Fantasy/Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/LGBTQ Fantasy/Spice Level 1

3.5
The magic system was interesting. In this world, nobody really likes blood worker's (people who can use blood to use magic), except for a small country that welcomes them. If you are born without magic here, you are considered lesser than. We don't know the full extent to what Blood workers can due. The country is run by the Eternal King, a man kept alive by "sacrificing" someone every year draining their blood to fuel his vitality. Shan LeClaire is a strong blood worker, but due to her mother being a foreigner and her father being paranoid, the family is almost in ruins. Shan has a twin brother who is Unblooded (unmagical) and she will do whatever it takes to protect him even kill her own father to take over. Shan runs into the long lost heir to the Eternal King Samuel. Finding Samuel puts Shan into the Kings good graces, but the spotlight isn't all that she imagined. Samuel has a dark secret, he has the ability to control people by his voice. With Samuel having grown up with the Unblooded, he wants nothing to do with the nobility. Shan has a plan to use Samuel to overthrow the king. While scheming together there are murders happening to poor. The king has tasked Shan and Samuel to find the murderer or face consequences.

Shan not knowing what her brother was doing behind the scenes was kind of frustrating. She talks about how much she loves and wants to protect him, but she doesn't even really know him. Shan talks about the loyalty of her little birds, but you know that Bart had to know what was going on with Anton. The throuple relationship was interesting. I really am excited to see where the next book takes us. I don't think Shan is going to handle her new responsibilities very well. Interested to see Samuels and Isaacs abilities, and if we learn more about the magic.

*poly romance* strong FMC * trans rep * patricide * a few gorey scenes but I wouldn’t call this book horror at all * definitely fantasy with a touch of romance

By not calling them outright vampires and instead using the term blood magic and blood workers we get an interesting take on what we would otherwise call a vampire political drama. The world building and politics were easy to follow. I enjoyed the dynamic of the poly romance as they are all into each other both separately and together. Which I don’t read enough of I guess, but I’m sure exists. Perhaps not with the trans rep though. 🤔 Either way, I’m glad to see and read diversity in my favorite genres and tropes.

The book ends on a bloody cliffhanger figuratively not literally and I look forward to the continuation of both the plot and the romance. I was left wanting a conclusion to the story and I did not get it.

I received this book as an eARC from Orbit and NetGalley for an honest review.

I thought Mistress of Lies started out incredibly strong, but did end up fading a bit as the story progressed. There's action happening right from the start, but then it progresses into a bit of a lull that picks up again at the end. There's fantastic trans representation throughout the story, that is only made more impactful by the author letter at the beginning of the book.

I loved the characters, but wish they would have been developed more. This is one of those books that progress days/weeks at a time between chapters so you can read between the lines a bit to see how the relationships develop, but I would have liked to see more of that. For example, throughout the book, everyone keeps saying how horrible and deceitful Shan (fmc) is and how she's done awful things to protect those she loves, but she really doesn't seem that awful to me. She seems like a great friend and sister to me, but they act like she's nasty and the disconnect was frustrating for me. (yes I know the story starts with her killing her father, I'm ignoring that). The love triangle also felt very weird and underdeveloped to me. It felt like a half-way storyline that the author couldn't decide if it was happening or not, and I think it would have worked better to either full send it or not have it at all.

Those are my main gripes with the book, otherwise I thought it was a fun time. It had good political intrigue, a fun crime-solving plot, and scheming. Ultimately, I wish more details were included in the book, especially surrounding the magic system, but I'm optimistic that the themes will continue and hopefully delve deeper in the sequel.

3.75/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is simply captivating! The characters are lovable, the world is masterful, and the book as a whole is incredibly atmospheric

I wish I had loved this book but I am so very bored. Perhaps it’s just not the right time for me. The elements were all there, magic, romance, vampires, etc. I just found the book to drag. Shan and Sam’s insta attraction gave me the ick. The fact Shan was willing to forgive Isaac for being an awful person. She is supposedly a spymaster but she just gives me kid vibes and I just didn’t like it enough to continue past 40%. Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the earc.

This was a fun, if sometimes uneven, read. Enright’s world building is lovely, and I love the twist on how vampires acquire and use blood. The use of the magic was also really cool. Shan, Samuel, and Isaac are all well written and the relationship that builds among the three of them is interesting (and is a real love triangle!). I really appreciated how Enright explores race and class, as well as how each character’s particular experiences impacts how they think the issues should be resolved, through these characters. That said, the pacing was sometimes off. The first few chapters seemed to move incredibly fast, while the middle seemed to move quite slowly. That said, I still enjoyed the book and the unraveling of the mysterious murderer and secrets of the King. I look forward to reading the second book and seeing how happens next.

The beginning of this book was very promising, and I originally loved the characters and atmosphere, but overall it felt very juvenile and underdeveloped. The world was scant, and the plot and conflict felt too clear-cut to be interesting.

Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for the eARC of this book! And wow let me say, Orbit does not miss.

We follow Shan, who murders her father in the first chapter of this book, and immediately I was hooked on her. In a world of reimagined vampires and court intrigue, Shan knows how to play both sides and how to play them well.

Meanwhile, as far away from politics as he can be, is Samuel. An Unblooded with a dark power stirring within him, and Shan is determined to draw it out.

This book is absolutely phenomenal. We see a world ruled by Bloodworkers, those who can take power and control those whose blood they consume, and the Unblooded exist under their feet. Forced into hard labor with barely enough money to get by. The power and courtly dynamics in play are absolutely phenomenal. We see how the games are played in this world and how manipulation is the only way to succeed when you can’t trust anyone around you.

Add a murder plot to the already amazing world, and you have a book that is nearly impossible to put down. When Unblooded start dying in brutal ways, it becomes Shan’s responsibility to catch the killer, while also training Samuel to advance in high society. As the tension increases between them, so do the stakes.

That characters in this book are never truly good nor bad, they are all deeply complex and surviving in the only way they know how and it is fascinating to read. The dynamics between them also shift throughout the book, whether that be romantic or power wise.

And I can’t in good conscience write a good review of this book without talking about the polyamorous romance. Isaac was once Shan’s lover before being whisked away to become the King’s Royal Bloodworker, and now he’s trying to find a way back into her life. But with three powerful people with very different motivations in the mix, it becomes infinitely more than just a romance subplot.

Overall, this book was absolutely phenomenal and I am foaming at the mouth waiting for the sequel.

Thank you, Orbit Books and NetGalley, for sending me a E-ARC of Mistress of Lies in exchange for an honest review.

Combining political intrigue with a poly romance, Mistress of Lies is an ambitious, dark romantasy debut from Filipino-American writer, K.M. Enright.

The story follows our three main characters: Samuel, Shan and Isaac as they, in their own ways, deal with the issues of racism, classism, bigotry, in the Kingdom of Dameral. Born into a disgraced elite family of Blood Workers, Shan must claw her way back into the good graces of society to tear it down from within. Samuel, a poor, idealistic unblooded (non-magical person) is discovered at the scene of a mysterious murder and his world is flipped upside down because of it. Isaac seemingly has it all as the Eternal King’s blood worker (right hand) but because his family is foreign, he must work harder than everyone else to prove himself.

This book had a lot of potential which is probably why I ended up feeling so disappointed by the end. The first chapter of this book had me hooked. Patricide? Count me in! Unfortunately, the rest of the book just didn’t hold up. For one thing, a lot of the action seemed to occur off page. Throughout the book, we kept hearing about the work Shan and Samuel were doing to investigate the murders (so much so that, at one point the names of the deceased were stated and I was like HUH??? Were these ever mentioned before??). We kept being told that Shan was clever and resourceful and morally gray, but every choice we see her make was head scratching; we kept hearing about Isaac teaching Samuel about blood working but we as readers were only privy to one lesson.

On that note, this world felt really one dimensional. We were told that the Kingdom of Dameral is hated by the rest of the world because of their blood working – why? Why are foreigners hated so much in Dameral but welcome foreign blood workers? What even is blood working? Is it a genetic thing? How does it even work? We get one explanation at the end of the book that blood working is intuitive to the user…ok? What does that even mean?

I am glad I finished this book – the middle was a bit of a slog. I guess I should’ve listened when they said this was for fans of From Blood and Ash. I didn’t like that series for some of the same reasons as this book. This just wasn’t for me – I like my romantasy not skimping on the worldbuilding details and this ultimately left me wanting.