I really enjoyed the dark fantasy murder mystery vibes in this one. I’ve never read a poly romance in a book so that was a new dynamic that I really enjoyed. This book has some very interesting world building and lots of political intrigue which I love.

This book had a lot of potential to be amazing, but issues with pacing and the amount of details shared with the reader (either way too many or too few) led to a lackluster reading experience. I think I also struggled with the lack of world building because there were times I felt completely in the dark and it was never resolved later on. I wanted to love this book in the worst way, but there were times I really had to push myself in order to finish it.

This was really good!!! I liked the different aspects of politics and getting to see all the different views of revolutionaries. I also LOVE the relationship between everyone!!! I find them super interesting and am excited for the next book!!!

I’ve read a lot of books, so it takes something special to surprise me—Mistress of Lies didn’t quite do that, but it did have its moments. The premise, with a woman plotting murder for power, is intriguing, and the blood magic and Samuel’s cursed power were compelling. Unfortunately, the book became predictable quickly. I guessed the killer long before the characters did, though I don’t mind that personally. The romance felt flat—decent but not believable, and the second-chance angle didn’t work for me. I also love poly relationships, but this felt more like a love triangle with Samuel at the center.

The political commentary felt clumsy and tired, reinforcing oppressive systems under the guise of nuance. The characters, despite being portrayed as intelligent, often made decisions that didn’t match up, which made the story frustrating. The ending offers some hope for the series, but starting with a book that’s only redeemed by sequels isn’t the best foundation. There’s potential here, but it could’ve been much better executed.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Polyamourous, with vampires, political intrigue. Need i say more. I am so ready for the next book, what a great read I just couldn't put down.

DNF

My feelings about Mistress of Lies are complicated. Going into it, I had high hopes. I mean, starting off your debut with "It should have been more difficult to assassinate her father," is certainly a strong way of doing it. And, as someone who really enjoys dark, queer fantasy (and vampires!) I thought this would be a no-brainer 4-5 star. Except it wasn't.

Although there was a well-done gritty, dark atmosphere and a cool blood magic system, the writing was too repetitive and the characters didn't stick with me. I mention this often with low reviews, or reviews for highly anticipated books that let me down, but for me, the ability to really love a character (regardless of how they act, if they're 'unlikeable' or a villain), is what makes me enjoy a book way more. With these characters who are so central to the plot and your appreciation for the book, I wasn't exactly a fan.

I think K.M. Enright presents some interesting ideas here (for as far as I read), and I really wanted to love this book, but it missed the mark for me. I think there's an audience for Mistress of Lies, but it's not me, unfortunately.

Shoutout to Aardvark for having this as a book pick or we may have never enjoyed the complexity of this read!

The tag line is what sold me, and I stayed for the first chapter a father slaying. Like ok then! Someone yell that one Taylor Swift song about patriarchy.

The magic was hard to follow, it was one of those “you don’t get fantasy, you must be dumb” books so I felt incredibly dumb. But I liked the different take on vamps cause it can be outdone so many times.

Can’t wait to see what happens next in number 2.

Enright’s prose is vivid and fast-paced, pulling you into a richly layered world brimming with danger and intrigue. The protagonist is a master of manipulation, making her both compelling and unpredictable, while the supporting cast adds depth and complexity to the story’s high-stakes drama. Some might find the plot twists come at a dizzying pace, but fans of morally gray characters and clever, suspenseful storytelling will devour this one. Perfect for readers who love their fantasy with a side of espionage.

I liked the magic system and thought the concept was interesting. I wish I had felt more connected to the story, but might re-read when I'm in the right mood.

Reading this right after reading Bride by Ali Hazelwood made me appreciate Enright's rich world-building even more than I already would have—the existence of vampire/blood magic societies necessitates a moral quandary about blood sourcing, and those murky and shocking realities are the crux of this book's plot. The stakes feel high, the sexual tension heats things up, the relational bonds feel lived-in. I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series.

The premise of this novel was intriguing, but as I kept reading there were more than a few drawbacks tat made this story not a hit for me. The Author did a good job of building suspense and weaving a story that is full of secrets and lies, it was compelling enough to keep the pages turning at least.

However the romance just did not do it for me, it felt confusing and a bit forced, which made it hard for me to emotionally invest int the relationships. While I love seeing romantic relationships that reflect a poly type lifestyle, the chemistry was not there and it left me feeling dissatisfied. The twist at the end when you finally discover the killer felt like it came out of nowhere and the set up for the next book just did not make me want to check it out.

Overall, while the story had it’s moments, it doesn’t fully deliver, another’s may enjoy it more than I did!

Thank you to the Author K.M. Enright for writing this story.

Big thank you as well to Orbit books and NetGalley for my no cost copy of “Mistress of Lies’.

This book includes:
- political intrigue and court machinations
- an outsider
- vampires
- an enteral king
- conspiracy
- subterfuge
- LGBT
- a murder unsolved
- moral grayness galore

"Mistress of Lies" follows two characters Samuel and Shan as they both attempt to navigate the cutthroat world of vampires and blood magic. Shan grew up in aristocratic circles and is an expert at navigating the ruthlessness necessary in her struggle for power. However, her position in court is precarious due to her family's involvement in a political scandal and her mixed heritage. Samuel, on the other hand, is the bastard heir to the royal family. He grew up in extreme poverty but is getting pulled into the world of politics and royalty despite his attempts to remain an outsider. After a string of violent murders, Samuel and Shan are coerced into working together and grapple with the possibility that they may have more in common than they may have thought.

This book will surely have many fans. It has yearning, drama, vampires, mystery, and a complex political world that instantly draws readers in. "Mistress of Lies" expertly subverts typical male/female characteristics in a way that I think will make the book very popular. Shan is intensely loyal to the point of lethal ruthlessness, and Samuel is empathetic and vulnerable. Both characters are well-developed and show great personal development. The book wasn't a hit for me because the pacing was a bit slow for me, but it's a good book overall.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, K. M. Enright, and Orbit Books for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

2.5⭐️ I went into this book expecting to love it; it was a highly anticipated release for me. I started reading as soon as I got it, then found myself setting it aside over and over. It felt like I was forcing myself to read it. The concept is intriguing, but the plot felt thin. It was all tell and no show. The characters were not engaging, sympathetic, or likable to me and there was just not enough world building to compensate. It was not my cup of tea, but maybe it’s yours.

Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dnf at 25%

Mistress of Lies By K. M. Enright had all the ingredients for my next perfect 5 star read: blood magic, vampires, queer romance, etc., but the execution fell flat for me. The only part of the book I enjoyed reading was Samuel's perspective and seeing him learn about his own background. The writing was really hard to get into. I never felt immersed in the story and had a hard time following what was going on because of how bored I was. Neither the plot nor the romantic elements were interesting and the more I tried to like this book, the more disappointed I was by it.

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. I wish I could've enjoyed this more than I actually did.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me the arc!

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I loved the set up and the first introduction of the characters, but once the action actually needed to start happening, the plot lost all its strength. Our main characters lost their uniqueness and blended together and then the plot became so romance-focused that I forgot what the main crisis in the book was at all! I see great things in the author’s future but sadly this was a story that didnt know where it wanted to go.

Without a doubt one of my favorite reads of the year so far. A fresh, invigorating take on vampire mythos that left me hooked from the very first page. The cover is beautiful; the prose more so. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

When I first started reading this, I had high hopes. I loved the world building of the Blood Workers and the feistiness of Shan's character.
But, then I just started to lose interest. I didn't even realise it had been billed as a vampire fantasy book until I came here to write my review as it was barely part of the plot! It just seemed half-hearted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC of Mistress of Lies in exchange for this honest review!

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

This got plus 1 star for the LGBTQIA+ representation, then minus 1 star for having the main trans character be a bad guy.

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This book has both poly and trans representation in the main group of characters, which we definitely need more of in popular literature!!! I struggle with wanting this type of representation, and then being sour and disappointed when these minorities are then also portrayed as the bad guys. Why can't we just get trans characters than aren't the literal devil?

Yes, there is political intrigue. My issue with it is that it just gets dropped so we can have little lovey-dovey moments, and then BAM, oh right, there was stuff going on!!!! The pacing is so weird, the Eternal King should have probably just killed them at multiple points because the characters were literally doing nothing productive and it very much felt like they were just ignoring the fact that there were these magical murders going on.

3.75

I really enjoyed this book, i felt really connected to the characters & their relationships between them. Usually in poly romances i have favorites but i loved all 3 of them & their relationships equally. I really enjoyed the world building, it wasn’t complicated to follow & had enough for me to understand the story.

I think the first half of the book is better than the second half i felt myself finding it a little hard to read in the last half. i’m excited to see where this series goes.