this book ATE. Dark, delicious, amazing LGBTQ rep, with complicated characters and a fantastic blood magic system. I loved the tension, the mystery, and the world, all wrapped up in beautifully descriptive writing. A real breath of fresh air in the sea of cookie-cutter cozy releases.

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright was all that I hoped it would be...Vampire King, LGBTQ representation, and magic!! I ate it up. It’s a fantasy filled with romance and political schemes. The magic system of this book is darkly unique and entertaining. I enjoyed every page of this book and can’t wait for part two.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this arc.


Posted on Goodreads on 6/6/24.

This was an amazing read. I have not read many books with Filipino representation and I loved reading every second of it. This book has amazing plot and characters. The romance does not outshine the plot which was nice. The magic system was interesting, I would love for it to go more in-depth on the blood magic. The love triangle in this book was done extremely well.

After the death of her father Shan finally steps into the role she believes she should have always had; the Head of the declining Le Clair family. As the new matriarch she has a plan to get back into the King's good graces and she needs the Unblooded Samuel Hutchinson to put all of her schemes into effect. Unfortunately for her Samuel is not as easily manipulated as she originally believed and as Unblooded are being murdered the King gives them an ultimatum: Find the killer or they'll lose the people they love the most.

Okay this was good, not excellent, and nothing truly groundbreaking but definitely worth the read. Enright relies on a pretty cookie cutter type of world where the gap between those who have and those who do not has widened to the point where there is widespread civil unrest. There is, of course, an underlying message of othering that is definitely systemic oppression bordering on racism between the Blooded and the Unblooded. And while those are always interesting stories, they are quite common. Especially given their current social/political issues in the U.S. today.

That being said one thing that does edge this book a little bit farther out in the running in terms of similar plots is how absolutely clueless and how absolutely selfish Shan really is. Do be fair I'm not even sure she realizes this even at the end of the book but she is just another Noble trying to keep her status while pretending to care about those whose back she's standing on. There are several times when the depth of her callous attitude towards the Unblooded is incredibly angering, even as her own brother who is Unblooded tries to explain how little her efforts actually mean in terms of getting more rights for them she just blows him off. She wants to "fix" the problem while maintaining the many privileges she has only because of the problem.

The magic system I found to be a unique twist on Vampirism/Blood Magic, while the Blooded do have to consume blood to get the most out of their Blood Magic it isn't the drastic level of consumption you see in your everyday vamps. And thanks maybe to this the Blooded can use their Blood Magic in ways that a vampire wouldn't normally have open to them.

Honestly, the best part of this was the murder plot. It gets buried sometimes under everything else and in large part thanks to that I was pretty shocked when we discover who the killer is. But I think what makes this stand out is how it is intertwined with the civil unrest taking place. Even though we don't focus on it all of the time it's still at the heart of everything that is happening.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend it. It's a simple read but does address hot button social issues of today, especially when it comes to the privilege that Shan enjoys and how she can't really see that to make real change she's going to have to sacrifice quite a bit.

As always thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eArc.

3.5 stars rounded up because I’m weak in the knees for morally grey bad bitches.

This book had such a strong and compelling start, but it failed to keep that momentum going through to the end. My biggest gripe with this book was actually not getting to see the characters doing the things we were told about them. Shan, who is apparently a political spy mastermind, doesn’t do anything particularly smart or conniving on page, it’s pretty much all off-page. Same goes for Samuel’s magic, we barely get to see him learn to control his powers, we just get to see the results of it. A lot of the plot points felt quite surface level, meaning I wasn’t finding myself all that invested in the story. Events kinda just happened, and I kinda just didn’t care most times, especially towards the end. I hope that the sequel can address some of the issues with plotting and pacing.

That said, I really liked the characters and their relationships with each other, which were definitely the strongest aspects of this book. And most importantly the dark-sexy-vampires-with-silver-claws-and-fancy-dresses vibes were immaculate. As a political fantasy, this book was disappointing, but as a romantasy, especially with the poly love triangle (albeit a bit insta love-y), I rather enjoyed it, and I’m gonna read the sequel once it comes out.

Shan is a bloodworker who has recently murdered her father to take his place as head of house and council member. Samuel has recently been discovered as the last living relative of the king. Both are now investigating a series of murders committed against the unblooded.

I feel like we needed more background on the magic system and the history of the world. In chapter one we hear that Shan has claws and went to an academy and get no further information than that. It also felt like the relationship was a little forced. Otherwise, really interesting concept. 3.5/5

There is absolutely no reason for me to not have enjoyed this book as much as I wanted.

There are so many things in this book that I like. I like Shan and I like Samuel. I like the magic system and how different it is. I like the world and the glittering riches in contrast to the poverty. I like the political intrigue and character work.

This book should be one of my favorites, but for some reason, it is so easy for me to put down. There is some disconnect between myself and this book. Now; I am a mood reader, and it very well may be that I am simply not in the mood for this book, but even as I trudged along it just didn’t grab my attention.

That being said, this is a book I think many people will enjoy. I think it caters to a lot of people honestly who like books that I like. If you like high fantasy with political intrigue and somewhat gruesome magic with a splash of romance, then I think this will suit you very well.

For now, it is a bland three stars. There is a decent chance I will give this a reread when I am more in the mindset to read this kind of book.

3/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to release. It is immensely appreciated but does not impact the content of my review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow! This was such an original story. I loved the diversity of the characters, the plot and the politics of this story. Tension, messy family, secrets and plost twists. This had me hooked. I would've liked more relationship development between Shan and Samuel but still a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc! was really looking forward to this. It was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, so when I got the arc I went apeshit. Now I sit here so so disappointed to say the least. Let me break down my grievances.

This book has a HUGE problem of telling and not showing. Samuel’s power progression is one glaring example. There were some scenes of him trying to corral and control his power, but mostly he just magically improves a fuckton off the page. Another glaring example is Shan’s supposed brilliance. She’s allegedly this grand spymaster, but the decisions she makes in this book are questionable, and we get no true showing of Shan’s “brilliant” mind. I would have liked to learn more about her building her spy network. The last example I’ll use (even though there are many others): the unblooded people. We know they’re angry, and we get a taste of the many issues they face, but for this group taking up such a huge section of the (little) plot and world, it is lacking. For one of the mcs originally being of one the common unblooded, we still truly lacked that perspective. I want to know more about their hardships and daily lives, and I want you to show me it instead of making me accept the few things you tell me about them. Simple epigraphs would have helped.

The characters annoy me. They really do. I couldn’t connect with them, and I wasn’t buying what we were told about them. Shan is supposedly brilliant but does dumb shit. She’s also someone I’m supposed to feel sympathy for; I don’t feel sympathy for her. Also, I wanted more of her “revenge.” Her climax happens literally in the first chapter. In addition, we never even learn why she wants to topple the government. There are many things that are not just explained at all, but more on that later. Isaac is a shit for multiple reasons, and Shan is a grade A dumbass for giving him so many chances. Samuel is the most fine out of all of them, but I still didn’t connect to him and his character. There’s a lot of repetition of their feelings, and so much so it became ad nauseam. I also don’t buy their relationship. They had a much chemistry as a cracked bunsen burner. We get essentially insta-lust/love. No.

The plot: where is it? It started out so strong but dragged to hell by the middle of the book. There was simply no progression of any of the plot, and it became slowly focused on their dumb relationship. I know it’s a romantasy, but we can’t just abandon the plot. By the end, we had an underwhelming conclusion that pissed me the fuck off because the mcs were so ready to just forgive the culprit. What???? Especially when they were horrified at everything the culprit was doing, and obviously were furious. I don’t buy it!
The court intrigue was underwhelming as well. The schemes were lackluster, and the characters were being used more than they were using others. I’m bored.

The world building…we get nothing. We get the names of some other countries and the fact that they don’t like blood workers, but why? What even is the magic system here? What are blood workers truly capable of? It was briefly mentioned in the “plot”and never explored. Secondly and again, nothing is explained and we’re just supposed to be cool with it. We hear a lot about Isaac and the LeClaire family’s Tagalan ancestry, but besides the food we get no sense of culture. We have no sense of the country at all either. Of course we also have no sense of any of the other countries at all besides names.

I will say, while there were few descriptions for my liking, what we got was delicious. Silver claws, woven tapestries, magic-infused gardens -it is truly decadent. I will give credit where credit is due. I also loved the theme of the importance of secrets; I only wish it was shown more than told.

Overall, I obviously did not like this. I am very VERY upset. -2.5 stars

3.5 stars~ Such an interesting read! The world building and blood magic system for Mistress of Lies were quick to grasp and easy to understand, making it great for those who are looking for a welcoming, quick fantasy read.

I did felt that the pacing was somewhat slow for me. The beginning started off really strong, immediately gripping me into the story and its characters. Then, it seemed to slow down towards the middle, making the story feel drawn out at times. However, it does pick back up again towards the end and was really compelling.

The strongest aspect of the book for me was the complicated characters. I thought it was a really diverse cast of characters from different backgrounds and were well‐written. I like that we get to see the differences in morals and motivations at how each would react to certain situations. The introductions of side characters were also well-executed, without feeling too overwhelmed. Their relationships with the main characters actually added to the story and were not distracting to the plot.

Overall, the book was very enjoyable and intriguing. I'll definitely be tuning in for the sequel as well! Thank you Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

ARC

The story jumps in at full speed and does not slack in pace. Shan Le Claire is devious, intelligent strategic and ambitious. Bodies begin surfacing under strange circumstances. Who is at fault? Who is pushing the boundaries of law and magic?

A long lost heir is found and brought into a world of magic murder and politics. Samuel Hutchinson aberforth the last living member of the Aberforth family. Slowly finds his legs after a life of poverty and seclusion.

Shan and Samuel must discover who is responsible for the mysterious deaths in Dameral. While playing political power games. They must be careful with everyone they meet including one another.

The mistress of lies was an excellent read. It will suck you in and hold you tight till the end. There is something for everyone in its pages. A wide range of representations In characters. Eloquently written and relatable.

I was excited for this one because I’ve been wanting to read more Filipino authors! Unfortunately I found it to be suuuuper slow, and I never felt invested in any of the characters. The beginning was intriguing, but as the story dragged on, I just didn’t find myself caring about what happened. I like seeing more cunning female MCs but bummed this one didn’t work for me!

happy pride month! this book has to following LGBTQIA+ rep:
trans / bi / poly / gay (side characters)

it also has filipino rep!!

"The right choice was clear- and she chose the other path without hesitation."

WOW. This was a return to the traditions of fantasy: deeply political, steeped in complicated webs of characters, and of course, magic.

If I had to highlight one thing that made me just yes, it was the characters. I mean, they were just... stunning! Shan, Samuel, even Isaac felt entirely fleshed out, highly realistic characters. I felt for Shan, I was split along with Samuel about his moral dilemma, and I felt Isaac's exhaustion.

The plot too??? This is a masterclass on how to write dark fantasy. With this unique, fresh take on what I would call a vampire trope, you literally cannot be bored. The pace is just right (as an added cherry on top), which makes you just want to keep reading.

I'm going to be honest, this romance made me believe in true love... I mean with quotes like:

"She was beautiful in the most exquisite of dresses, she would be beautiful in rags, she would be beautiful in nothing at all."

"Besides, he didn't care if he could do better, whatever that meant, because she was already better than all the others combined."

...how can you not?

"wait soap... then why'd you only rate it 4 stars? this book sounds perfect!"


//SPOILERS AHEAD//





Well... it's because something felt missing. I don't know if it's because of this book only being the first book, or because it's a debut, but this book felt incomplete. That, and while minorly addressed, Samuel's sudden ability to be a master of blood magic didn't quite make sense too me.









//SPOILERS DONE//

bottom line: read it. now. like do it.
------------------
OH MY GOD I GOT AN ARC!!!!! LIFE IS COMPLETE THIS BETTER NOT DISAPPOINT

update: it didn't.

(4.5/5)

I loved this book. This was probably one of my favorite reads of the year.

Shan is my favorite kind of FMC- she’s BA and morally gray. I loved everything about her.

I thought the premise of this book was unique with the blood magic. I also loved the plotting/scheming, the politics, the romance (poly/love triangle), found family, and the twists and turns throughout the book.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gothic vampire story with politics, manipulation and of course, lies. Told from two POV's it shows a society that is fighting to balance the inequality of the unblooded and the blood workers.

This is the best ARC that I have read so far! I loved the gothic dark academia tone this book had. It was super engrossing and I could not put it down. I loved Samuel's character and his naïve/innocent prospective. The continuous mysteries kept me on my toes. I found comparing this story to a game of cards. One moment you think you know what characters and roles are being played then all of a sudden the author decides to shuffle the deck. I LOVED this!

Enright’s debut into his new series begins with an attention-stealing introduction. With a compelling and promising start that had me hooked, I was sure this would be my next five star read.

Unfortunately, that’s where the thrills ended. By the first hundred pages, Enright establishes all of the characters and their intentions/worldviews surrounding the conflict. With a magic system based on blood with vampire tendencies, it was fairly easy to understand. The political aspects were a bit tangled, some points weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked. It was difficult to attach to any of the characters because of this because Mistress of Lies is a story centered around its politics. Unlike the usual fantasy novels, there aren’t too many action scenes. While I enjoy a different take on the genre, the mixture of narration and political commentary brought with it had me at a loss.

The disclosure is written extremely well, perfectly fitting for the maturity/age of each character. When there’s a scene that relies heavily on the dialogue, I enjoyed being able picture the story in my head cinematically without descriptive narration. It was when the over-abundant narration came along that I didn’t like reading as much. The numerous extensive paragraphs could have been trimmed down to effectively progress through the story at a steadier pace. Even so, the dialogue always makes up for it and when both forms of storytelling are paired together Enright’s work truly shines.

What’s interesting is that even when there’s so many words to read, the plot falls short or rushed. For example, the entire first act is simply Samuel, one of our protagonists, finding out he’s the chosen one and receiving riches beyond wonders. The plot armor is evident, especially in this case. There are no repercussions for the crime committed in the beginning featuring another main character. With Samuel, he loses his accountant job and we’re told it’s absolutely devastating. You’d expect some weight to be held amongst the situation and more story to develop from it, yet Samuel is saved on his walk home as he discovers his promising fate and riches.

Another rushed plot line would be the romance, undoubtedly. Another insta-love. Everyone has the hots for each other and the characters we follow find themselves in a poly relationship. The only problem with this was that it felt like Shan and Isaac, two of the main characters, were in a relationship and kept playing tug of war with Samuel. There was no equality between each other. No growth. It didn’t feel as intimate as I would have hoped for the trio.

In life we’re always growing. Besides Samuel’s magic abilities through his training there’s no character development amongst everyone. If i were to write a list of attributes of the characters when we first meet them versus when we last see them it would be the same. The most character development I noticed from anyone was from a side character, Anton. He had grown angrier and more secretive as the years pass by not ever entirely agreeing with his sister’s (Shan) plans which affect their relationship in the long run after the end. While it’s nice to see a hint of development, the priority development was misplaced.

Since the main characters received the short end of the stick here, the whodunnit was obvious for me because I wondered ‘if this character was so important toward the story, why are we not able to see their point of view in the events transpiring?’ I answered my own question then: if I did know this person’s point of view then there would be no plot twist when their motives were revealed. Sadly, as previously stated, because this character was so vital to the story the severed connection between audience and character made their plot twist predictable.

Nevertheless, there were aspects I could appreciate and truly enjoy. Seeing our protagonist, Samuel, frightened by his own power only to then indulge in it and realizes there’s something dark and twisted inside himself to enjoy it was very interesting. I also loved seeing a trans character play such an important role and that their transitioned added another level to the story and wasn’t implemented there just because. Instead, Enright used this characters transition to push the story further and expand the knowledge of his magic system. Very happy to see such representation elevate a novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). This review is based off of an uncorrected proof. Political fantasy lovers, this title is for you!

Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book was good and the romance was well done. The different topics discussed in this book are interesting and very important to the development of the characters. I really enjoyed the murder mystery element as well. Solid plot, 3 stars.

Thank you to Orbit Books for my arc! this was my most anticipated read of this year and it did not disappoint!

hey hi hello, this book was fantastic.
we follow 3 different main characters who all intersect at one point in the story and i could not get enough. the discussion on race, class, status there's so many important topics all crammed into this book and i couldn't put it down. I love how loyal Shan was to her brother, how Samuel just wanted to be able to exist in a world that doesn't want him.

AND THE ROMANCE?!?!?!?!?! i gasped and was giggling and kicking my feet.

can the sequel get here already?

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy of this book for my honest review!

In this blood dripping fantasy, the story opens with Shan murdering her lord father to take his power through blood magic to scheme and advance her position in the vampiric court. There is treachery and deceit everywhere as Shan is a master of political intrigue. We are also introduced to Samuel from the slums of the unblooded who may lack blood magic, but has a sinister power of his own, When he is found out by Shan, he is pulled into Shan's scheming and directly into the path of the eternal vampire king. Brutal murders of unblooded start to litter the streets and Shan and Samuel are tasked with finding the murderer with dire consequences if they don't. With political unrest rising, the kingdom is on the precipice of rebellion. Where do allegiances lie and who can be trusted?

The storytelling alternates between two POVs, Shan and Samuel and what is fascinating, in my opinion is that though they are the main characters, Isaac is a close third and it would have been really interesting to have had his perspective as well. They synopsis of this book grabbed my attention and the first chapter had me hooked. Unfortunately, the pacing fell flat for me soon after and from there on I was more invested for the characters then the actual storyline. I love political intrigue, scheming, and treachery in a novel as it forces alliances for better or for worse. The love triangle between Shan, Isaac, and Samuel was tight and emotional. I wish there was more world building and a more thorough explanation of blood magic, rather than just the reliance on vampire lore to understand their power. More information was given later but it felt more of a they cast this, or they can do this. I think I left with more questions than answers when trying to understand how blood magic worked. I just was left with this feeling of wanting more and I really wanted to love this book.

I appreciated how the author listed the themes to be aware of in this book so that readers can go in feeling informed.

I always admire anything that perfectly does what it sets out to accomplish. Mistress of Lies is sexy and dark with the kind of grey characters that leave you genuinely questioning whether they'll give in to their worst instincts. I did sometimes wish the bloodworking was a little more integrated with the characters who had it. I felt like I was reading about it more than I was seeing them use their abilities. To me, that felt like a minor quibble, because I was here for the characters falling in messy love with each other. I got exactly what I wanted.