<i>I received this title as an ARC on Net-galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you Orbit for the copy!</i>

<b>The Good</b>
From the very first chapter I was hooked. I love political fantasy and Shan'd introduction was such a powerful way to set the tone for this book. None of the characters are one dimensional, they each have their own complicated personalities and motivations which made every interaction so interesting to parse through. Shan is amazing. I loved her strength and her intellect but I also loved her more vulnerable moments. She worked so hard her entire life for her goals and she is willing to lie, kill, and manipulate anyone to fulfill her own plans. Samuel, my poor pookie bear. At the beginning of the book he is angry yet resigned to live the life destined to him because of his status as an Unblooded. He struggles with his powers and his identity because he represents the pinnacle of all he grew up resenting and internally railing against. I loved the dynamics with each character in the trio. Issac and Shan's connection is build on years of fighting and surviving being social outcasts together. They both now have agendas and motives and can understand how they game is played but still yearn for each other. Their individual relationships with Samuel make sense. They are drawn to his conviction, his vulnerability, the naive way he sees and navigates the world and how he can understand what they've been through. I loved the intersectional lens this book takes on power and class. Shan was born into nobility but her being mixed race puts her at a disadvantage in comparison to her peers. This is seen with Issac as well. Samuel is white but was born in the lowest class as an unblooded. His blood gives him privilege and prestige to move into a higher class.

<b>The Bad</b>
I don't love mysteries so the storyline involving the murders did not hold my interest as much as it needed to. Which made sense by the end but it wasn't interesting during the majority of the book. I also struggled with the understanding what the authors messaging in regards to revolution and oppression. I thought that the goal of freeing the Unblooded and defeating the Eternal King was going to be a bigger motivational factor than it actually was. My enjoyment of Shan's character began to wane as I felt she didn't really learn the lesson i thought the book was trying to teach her, or at least I thought was going to? I felt like she cared more about the idea of a country than the people suffering in order to prop it up. She understood the suffering of the Unblooded but not to the extent to truly risk anything in her own life to help them or disrupt the power structures that harm them. She was pushing for slow progress and seeing the "bigger picture" while not even asking the oppressed group if that's what they wanted. And that's touched on in the book but I don't think she actually changed in her methods after hearing that. It made sense with her character as she is used to assimilating and trying to fit into a world that rejects her but she does that from a place of privilege. I also felt it was hypocritical for her to be so against killing when the book opens with her killing her own father.

<b>Tropes:</b>
— MMF
— Trans Love Interest
— Dark Political Fantasy

<b>Horn Level:</b> 3/5🌶️
<b>Format:</b> Ebook

<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>4/5🌟 rating.</b> I really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book but struggled with it's mixed messaging. I feel like the sequel will really make or break this series.

Check out my socials <a href="https://beacons.ai/buffyreads"> here</a> for more reviews!

This was absolutely fantastic. Part court intrigue, part polyamorous romance, part murder mystery, Mistress of Lies has morally grey characters, magic powered by blood, and nuanced themes of race, privilege, and political change--whether it's possible to improve an oppressive system from within, or whether real change requires revolution. On top of that, this book is also a compelling read that I didn't want to put down! I can't wait for the next book in the series; book one was satisfying (no cliffhangers, thankfully), but there is plenty of intrigue set up for a sequel.

In short--I'm in awe of everything this book manages to accomplish and highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Exciting start to a new trilogy and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book after that ending.

The vampires in this book are called blood workers, and they can use blood as special abilities. If you liked Heavenbreaker and or Silver Under Nightfall, I highly recommend this one. I tore through it, it was so good and intriguing. There's also a polyamorous romance which I'm always eager to see more of in fantasy, though one of the three characters paths took a twist that I hope all gets figured out in the next book.

Did you watch "The Legend of Korra" and go think "Wow, blood bending is super cool"?

Do you support women's rights AND women's wrongs?

Then this is the book for you!! This book feels as though it's set in the same world as Legend of Korra (in terms of vibes), and if Korra was a master of politics and willing to get her hands dirty. Literally AND figuratively.

Shan assassinates her father and covers it up to rise to power of her house and fix his mistakes. Her plan is then to use her new status to bring down the immortal King and reach a more equal society between those with blood magic and those without (the unblooded). She must work with her former friend and lover, Isaac, who also happens to be the Royal Blood Worker, as well as Samuel, the unblooded and unacknowledged heir to the king (who may be more than meets the eye) to bring it all down.

Oh. And it's super gay. Like, incredibly gay. It's awesome.

Shan is one of my favorite characters in awhile, but everyone is incredibly complex and doesn't feel like they're there "just because." The relationship dynamics all serve a purpose and play a role in the politics of the nation. Not to mention--there's fillipino representation, which is SO rare to see in mainstream fantasy.

This was a fantastic and fast read--I can't wait for the next one!

Mistress of Lies: The Age of Blood: Book 1
by: K.M. Enright
due 8-13-24
Orbit/Hachette Books
4.0

Overall, I like this book. The first chapter was so well written, engaging and really drew the reader into the this dark fantasy of blood based magic and the abuse of power. The world building is magnificent-interesting and persuasive. The rest of the book seem to lack the flow of the first chapter.
I loved the diversity of characters- a trans character, mixed race characters and polyamory were wonderfully represented, but I found them to be rather cold and hollow, hard to resonate with. Even the romance seemed forced, at times. However, every character had flaws, and its these flaws that made them relatable and real.
I'm very interested to see how this series builds and grows. The blood magic is something I want more of. I will be looking for Book Two.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
#NetGalley #MistressOfLies

4.25⭐️

Lust. Betrayal. Power. Schemes.

Just a few words I would describe Mistress of Lies.

If you are a fan of political intrigue & a plot that more about the characters, you’ll enjoy this like I did!

This story was a very unique spin on vampires. If you want the classical I’ll bit you & can’t be in the sun, you’ll not get that here. Instead you’ll get a highly intriguing blood magic! The first book in this series sets up the magic system in a beautiful way but leaves you with unanswered questions. So I’m excited to learn more!

Our two POV characters feel very complex. You have a character who comes from the elite but still very much feels the prejudices of this society. The other starts off as nothing but is destined to be at the top. Which leads to a very interesting & impactful story. Once’s you also deal in our third character into the story, it just becomes so enticing.

Also can we talk about the representation in this book!?! From trans representation to poly representation to Filipino representation. This is also my second book with poly representation & I thought it was very well done. All parties were respected & no feeling of cheating was happening.

At the heart of this story, it’s about suppression & the rebellion that comes with when a society suppresses its people. I loved the revolution with a plan vs a revolution without one storyline.

My reasons for not giving this book 5 stars is that it was lacking at times. I knew who the murderer was. I think how a certain characters issue with their power was resolved too quickly. Lastly, I wish there was a tiny more structure. But none of that took away from how much I enjoyed reading this. I am very much looking forward to how this series progresses.

Thank you NetGalley & Orbit for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright was SUCH an enjoyable read! I needed something dark, brooding, AND queer for Pride month and this served up the perfect combination. The queer characters were well rounded and relatable, and I especially enjoyed the transgender representation.

The magic system that focused on working with blood was interesting and maintained by focus throughout the story. K.M. Enright did a masterful job weaving the world building throughout the entire book, instead of info dumping everything into your lap over the first quarter of the book. It was never dull and the quick pace was refreshing for the genre.

The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 starts was due to the relatively quick yet incredibly deep romantic connections. My absolutely ideal characters “earn” inseparability just a bit more. But regardless, I would highly recommend Mistress of Lies and am incredibly excited to read K.M. Enright’s sequel, Lord of Ruin. The Age of Blood series is shaping up to be one that you’ll want to have on your shelves at home!

This multiple POV debut is captivating. What started out as a book about siblings, choice, and destiny turned into a book about love and rebellion. A huge question in Mistress of Lies is legacy. Based our talents, or lack thereof, are we destined for that life? Is there nothing we can do to change our fate? For the world of Mistress of Lies it's one dedicated to classes, to the Blood Workers and Unblooded. And like a true society invested in keeping another down, that can only go on for so long before change comes. It's inevitable.

3.5**

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and was so excited when I received the arc. I will say this premise was really unique and I loved the concept of the "Blood Workers". They're not your traditional vampires but still very interesting to learn about. I also really loved and appreciated the diversity. Unfortunately I think where this story lacked was world building, pacing and character development. I felt myself a bit confused about character motivations because the backstory and history of this world wasn't the most fleshed out. I also thought the pacing could be improved upon, I was enjoying the beginning and some of the ending, but it got a bit slow and repetitive in the middle for me. I also think the relationship between Shan and Samual could've been a bit more developed and fleshed out. It was a solid read and I would overall recommend it, but I do think my expectations were a bit too high.

I was very excited to get an ARC of this novel given its place on many "most anticipated" lists for summer 2024, but found myself slightly disappointed with the actual novel. I agree with other reviewers that the plot moved too quickly to develop fully, and I also found the worldbuilding and lore to be a bit dense. I will probably read the other coming novels in the series because I like the representation the author includes in their work.

When I saw the amazing cover for Mistress of Lies I immediately wanted to know more. As I read the synopsis I couldn't help but think of previous books I've read by Anne Rice, Stephen King and Caleb Carr. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit/Orbit Books for providing this arc in exchange for my review.

The story immediately draws us into Shan's life and the eventual murder of her father. We quickly find out the reasoning behind the murder and some of her aspirations for what comes next for her and her brother Anton. We also discover she's gifted and her brother is not.

The story then shifts to Samuel and his current lot in life. His life is uprooted once he stumbles across a woman killed by someone who appears to be a Blood Worker.

Shan finds out about Samuel and discovers there is more to Samuel than even he knew. Their lives are thrown together and Samuel crosses paths with the Eternal King. When another victim is discovered and the Eternal King tasks them with finding out who the serial killer is, I couldn't help but wonder how these two people from different worlds were going to work together.

I ended up not finishing this book at 60% and cannot provide a starred review.

Some of my frustrations were: Shan's protectiveness and seemingly great relationship with her brother before the patricide was not shown and we are now seeing the deterioration of their supposed close relationship. Anton is very unlikeable at times. The Eternal King asking Samuel and Shan to find a serial killer seemed very far-fetched to me. Shan's secret network of spies and informants should have been demonstrated well before she was asked by the King to find the killer. Samuel was a bookkeeper before he met Shan. His ability to help Shan find a killer is nonexistent at this point for me to believe the two of them would be successful. We are shown instances of how Samuel's power works and that he has to learn to control it, but that doesn't happen as quickly as I expected it. I liked the alternate chapters, but they would start off interesting and then nothing would really happen to advance the plot.

I felt the pacing and the world-building were going very slowly. This may work for some readers, but I got bored with it. I also wished there was a map to refer to as other countries were talked about or mentioned.

However, the blood magic and bloodletting for purposes of magic were fascinating along with how this magic was used in various ways. I loved an early scene between the Eternal King and Shan in her garden. Their conversation brought to mind President Snow and Katniss from the Hunger Games series.

Thank you Netgalley and K.M Enright for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

3.8

KM Enright’s novel Mistress of Lies immerses readers in a richly textured world of political intrigue and personal ambition. Set in Renaissance Italy, the story unfolds through the eyes of its protagonists, Shan LeClaire and our Unblooded Samuel Hutchinson

The writing is heavily detailed and is filled with atmospheric historical setting with vivid descriptions of Florence. Beyond the setting it also helped me take a glimpse into the complexities of politics and culture during that time. The emphasis on political maneuvering and interpersonal relationships appealed to me since I enjoy power dynamics rather than a straightforward adventure. The plot unfolds with a deliberate pace, allowing for intricate character development and nuanced relationships to unfold. The web of alliances and betrayals (of course including complicated romantic situations) are skillfully woven, keeping me guessing about the true motives of Shan, Samuel, and Isaac. However, I found the pacing slow at times, particularly in the buildup to major plot developments. It also suffers from a lack of genuine surprises or twists. The political intrigue, which should be the novel's driving force, unfolds in a manner that is overly predictable. Shan no longer felt like a cunning matriarch, and simultaneously, Samuel felt like he was experiencing inconsistencies with his growth.

The writing of the characters and their ambitions could be improved, however, as K.M ENright's debut this was an enjoyable read!

I LOVED the polyamorous representation and will be picking up the next one just to see how it evolves. The Knight’s blood magic system was interesting and I liked how the harm and violence that this magic can do not only in practice, but the cost of gaining magic. The political and character development aspects left me wanting because the political layout felt surface level. The "why's" weren't really clear, and there were some parts where the reader is told where I wish Enright showed this on page especially for the first book of the series.

4 stars!

Thank you to K.M. Enright and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Oof, I ate this up. Really, just a tasty blood-magic dark adult fantasy snack with all of the political intrigue and general mess that I tend to like. This is one of those books that I think has really broad appeal so I'll try to narrow it down my recommendation but I think it was great overall and I like what it was setting up for the rest of the series.

First, all the good stuff. This author understands that blood magic should be fucked up but also a little sexy and I appreciate that. While not especially complex, that magic system does a good job of setting the tone. In the same vein, the world is pretty standard but it's a good kind of standard, with the class tensions that really fuel the story and allusion to a larger world that I assume will be more present in the rest of the series. The conflict was probably my favorite part of the book because Shan, Samuel, and Isaac all represent different stances on how to resolve the crisis. It's also has dimension, because in addition to the poor-rich dichotomy there is also the unblooded-blooded dichotomy and all four of those groups have overlap. I think this choice really adds complexity and also better represents how real-life politics function. Shan, Samual, and Isaac's politics all have clear ties to their origins and evolve over the course of the books. That's just astounding, I really loved that. There is kind of a big bad but pretty much every character falls into a grey area that makes everything super volatile and unpredictable. Veering away from that, the characters are solid and I liked all of them for different reasons. I love poly romance and I have a feeling it's going to be dragged out a bit since there's so much going on otherwise but I'm not complaining.

I don't have any big issues with this book but overall I felt a little disengaged. It's definitely not lacking in complexity or depth but you still get that feeling of a first book where a lot is just happening that will be important later on. The pace picks up a lot in the last ~50 pages and some events were so sudden that I got a little lost. I didn't predict the twists but none of them felt revelatory, like I hadn't assumed that was where it was going but the book had given me no reason to think otherwise.

Overall, this was awesome. It's a really good start to a series, not to mention a very impressive debut! If you like your fantasy a little bloody and a lot political, with a smidge of romance, I think you'll love this.

Happy reading!

Mistress of Lies is a dark romantic fantasy novel that switches POVs between Shan LeClaire and Samuel as they navigate bloody court politics, blood magic, love, and betrayal. One of the central questions this novel poses: is it possible to work within oppressive systems while working to dismantle them?

Enright’s writing at the sentence level is sharp and had me highlighting some excellent lines throughout reading. Additionally, the writing of longing and romantic tension in a handful of more sexually tense scenes was well done and made me feel the tension rising between our three main characters.

“He could feel her, a gentle touch across his veins, stirring his blood and his heart and his body in a way he had never known before. He breathed and she was there. His heart skipped a beat, and hers skipped with him.”

“The touch was brief, perfunctory, but it still made her want things she didn’t dare name.”

I loved the polyamorous set up and hope to get more of that dynamic as the series continues. I also enjoyed exploring Knight’s blood magic system. While the focus of the magic system explores all the harm and violence that this magic can do not only in practice, but the cost of gaining magic, I appreciated that we also got a glimpse into how this magic can be supportive and affirming for some characters.

There are two areas I’d love to see more that I think would strengthen the novel overall: character and political scheme development. Despite the court politics being a central backdrop in this story, we don’t really get an in-depth look into the political layout or strong background into this side of the world. This goes hand-in-hand with what I felt was a lack of character development amongst most of our characters. This book is marketed as morally grey, and when I read morally grey, I generally need to know a character’s “why” to be able to see both sides and/or justify actions in the plot. With Shan, for example, we meet her in the beginning at a moment of peak violence and are told about her ruthlessness and cunning, however after this we don’t really ever see her cash in on that ruthlessness and scheming persona. It landed more as this character saying they wanted to dismantle a system but then proceeds to play directly into that system. And without having a solid grasp on her motivations (because the wanting to protect her brother didn’t feel fleshed out enough), it didn’t strike the morally grey balance that makes me want to root for a character. In all, Entight laid some important groundwork that I hope to see expanded on in the rest of the series!

The action starts immediately: a young woman kills her father with the assistance of her brother’s lover. The magical and political world created by the author is unique. If you read the description and are looking for a vampire novel, this is not it; this book is dark romantasy. For that reason, it really wasn’t my type of story, but give this one a try if you enjoy the genre. It’s well-written and has everything a romantasy reader would be looking for, and I love the diverse representation.

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

I really enjoyed this one. The lore and politics felt fresh and I was genuinely surprised by the twist. Will definitely pick up the sequel!

The devastation I feel about this book cannot be put into proper words, because I was giddy with anticipation for the release, but I was really let down by how it turned out to be.

We started off so strong and somehow dropped off like two chapters in. It did pick up again in the end but something was entirely off with the pacing, like the middle of the book was drawn out with little payoff to show for it, it felt underdeveloped. Also, the plot felt splotchy? We don’t get a lot of background on the magic system or why things are? The characters felt a little one dimensional to me, they didn’t live up to the potential that they were hinted to have. Then the chemistry was lacklustre, and the romance felt like instalove, but also a triangle?

I think this book might’ve needed a little more time to be properly fleshed out. The bones are obviously there; a fantasy world with plenty of political intrigue and good writing. I felt like it would’ve been fantastic with a little more refining. I’m sure there are others who will find it enjoyable, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to Orbit for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderfully written dark fantasy following a cast of messy but intoxicating main characters, this book will hook you from the very beginning. Opening with Shan assassinating her father, this story wastes no time immersing you into the twisted world of blood magic and political intrigue. Told from the POV of two of our main characters, we quickly learn about the civil unrest plaguing Dameral. The magic system is explained in a way that made it really easy to understand but also felt layered and complex. I was incredibly invested in the relationships between the main characters and really wish we would have gotten more of Shan/Samuel/Isaac together. As someone who is in a relationship with a trans man, I felt like there was representation of my relationship in this book in a way I haven’t experienced before and I absolutely loved that. I’m so interested to see how the story continues in following books! Mistress of Lies will be out August 13th.