I found this book disappointing on essentially all fronts.

I found the world building quiet lacking. There is general information provided regarding the different groups of people, but there is only very vague references to how the world developed. There are also a lot of throw away statements about other places but without a lot of context or information.

The romance had a wide variety of issues. One of the romances starts as insta interest but develops to this supposedly intense and deep relationship but without much to get to that point. I did not find it very believable. Another part of the romance had a history with heartbreak and ends rekindling without much to explain or explore why the history no longer mattered.

There is also a theme of betrayal where the characters seem to just move past it without missing a beat. It seemed so inconsistent and illogical.

There was also a murder mystery element to the plot and I found it fell a bit flat and I wish it had more suspense.

Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright is a gripping dark fantasy full of political intrigue, blood magic, and morally complex characters. The story kicks off with a dramatic patricide and maintains its intensity with messy family dynamics and rich worldbuilding.

I loved the intricate romance subplot and the shifting loyalties among the characters. The ending was both bittersweet and intriguing, leaving me eager for the next book. If you enjoy dark, atmospheric fantasies with intricate plots, this one’s for you!

3.5

Mistress of Lies is one of those those books I was excited about especially knowing that it was written by a Filipino author. The book started strong with well-developed and strong FMC, a good premise and I liked the author's writing style. Unfortunately, it felt flat towards the end.

DNF@ 30%

I was really interested in the plot, but was disappointed in the execution. I didn't like the tell not show writing style.

Mistress of lies by K.M. Enright is a dark fantasy novel. It is the first in a series by a debut author. This cover is absolutely gorgeous!! This book has elements of magic and romance. The plot is interesting enough. The book did feel a bit juvenile and YA for my liking. Overall the book was good but I'm not sure I'd read the next in the series. Personally this just wasn't quite the right book for me. But for the right audience this book definitely has an intriguing tale to tell. Thank you netgalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately while the premise of this book was intriguing to me I couldn’t get into it and didn’t enjoy the characters. I ended up not finishing this book

A dark and intricate fantasy novel with rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and a high-tension romance subplot. The story follows morally grey protagonists in a world of blood magic and political intrigue. I adored the unconventional twists on traditional vampire tropes and was constantly torn between loving and hating certain characters. Overall, the ending left me intrigued for the sequel.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the beginning of this. A murder in the first few pages? Sign me up! Sadly, it just went downhill from there. When a character needs to improve upon something, I want to read about their struggle, to see them practicing, and to know they worked hard to overcome whatever deficiency they have. But rather than showing us Samuel's progress, all we see is a massive improvement seemingly out of nowhere. We don't get to see the struggle and that was disappointing.

Instead, I was the one struggling to make it through this book. It was so difficult to connect with characters that we don't really get to learn about. We know the main plot is one of vengeance, but I never felt like it was a strong motivating factor behind the characters actions. The big bad bloodworkers also felt like a caricature of "bad guys". I love fantasy that explores characters, both protagonists and antagonists, that have depth and none of these characters felt multi-dimentional.

I did enjoy the actual magic. Blood magic is one of my favorite types, I just wish it was explored more rather than just drawing a line in the sand saying 'this' is good and 'this' is bad.

Poly romance and political intrigue? Two of my favorite things. This was a dark fantasy that was intricately built and hooked me on the first page.

Mistress of Lies was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I’m incredibly disappointed to report that it ended up falling flat for me.

This book has so much beautiful potential that instead is squandered on an insta-lust situation and a whole lot of telling and not showing within the narrative. As someone who really loves fleshed out, fascinating characters, I was looking forward to Shan especially. Morally ambiguous women willing to do anything for their goals are usually my exact cup of tea, but she was incredibly contradictory to herself and her goals throughout the duration of the novel.

I think some parts of the writing and the world building also left a lot to be desired. The magic system is never truly explained and, despite being wildly fascinating, hinges on us just expecting it to happen without any explanation why.

I really did love Issac though. The best parts of this book, for me, were scenes with him in it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

I honestly just didn’t enjoy this. The characters felt occasionally really juvenile which bothered me. This book is partially labeled as erotica and it’s clearly meant to be an adult novel so I think it would have landed better if the characters were more mature.

I loved the concept of blood workers and the interesting magic system but I feel like the plot wasn’t well backed in the beginning of the book. It was hard to get behind the plots and political machinations of the main characters because of the lack of world building.

I really wanted to like this book and the concept is interesting but it just wasn’t for me. I think if you’re just looking for the romance and non of the fantasy / political elements you might enjoy it. However if you also want a complex and well crafted world this might not be the book for you.

I really enjoyed this. This was a really skillfully written political-ish fantasy, with a really interesting poly romance. I haven't read much, fantasy or otherwise, that delves into that sort of relationship so it was really interesting to read about and understand. This was skillfully written, and I did love the beginning note from the author about language referring to one's own body. And, the mention of what wasn't included in the book. That was a really, really great addition and I hope to see that in more books in the future. Overall, I can't wait for more in this world and more from this stellar author!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC

I am sad to announce that I am terribly disappointed.

What I thought would be the tale of a badass heroine manipulating political systems in order to rise in power ended up being three bumbling idiots in a trenchcoat who can’t keep their emotions in check or their hands to themselves.

The beginning was fascinating and the magic system genuinely interesting, but the strength of the story ends there. The plot was hanging by a thread, the characters were as interesting as a slice of wet bread, and not even the romance (which took the forefront) was very good.

I'd heard that this book would be featured in an upcoming book box, so I was excited to see it available for request on NetGalley. After reading the description, I was even more excited because it felt like something different.

In the world of Mistress of Lies, Blood Workers hold all the power in the kingdom. The king engages in public displays of blood drinking (from "criminals") and non-Blood Workers are also expected to provide blood. Blood Workers possess magic derived by access to this blood.

Shan is the heiress of a disgraced Blood Worker, and although she has abilities, her brother does not. Shan is involved in all sorts of things behind the scenes and her introduction definitely caught my attention. She wants power and is willing to do just about anything for it. Samuel, who thinks he's not a Blood Worker, ends up stuck in the middle of a non-Blood Worker murder investigation. His life is thrown upside down when Shan tells him who and what he is. We meet Isaac, someone from Shan's past who works closely with the King. Everyone has secrets. People are dying. Relationships are forming.

I'm still a little confused on how the blood magic works, but I imagine more will be explained in later books. I hope we get to see more develop with the relationship between Shan, Isaac, and Samuel.

Thanks to the author, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for an eARC of this book for honest review.

I had to dnf this but it’s really an “it’s not you it’s me” situation. I just wasn’t able to get into this book but I could tell that it was a lush world filled with interesting characters and a really intriguing magic system. I’m definitely not permanently dnf-ing this; I might return to it in October for spooky season.

I unfortunately had to split reading this into more than one session because if I had a choice, I would've read this from cover to cover without a break. Instantly intrigued with an opening of patricide and it keeps going up from there. Shan is cunning, ruthless, merciless to those who deserve it, and slightly soft for those she loves. She will do anything to protect her people even if it ends up pushing them away. Samuel is kinder than the world deserves with darkness lurking about underneath. His conscience his strong even when his will wavers. Even though he is clumsy and awkward while entering polite society, he sticks to his values with ferocity. Isaac is exhausted. Haunted. Trying to shoulder the weight of everything (and hoo boy is everything a doozy) but crumbles just the smallest bit with his lovers. KM weaves an intriguing story around these three characters as they dance around each other and the Eternal King in the deadliest of dances while a murder kills those society deems unfit. I wish I could erase this all from my mind and read it all over again.

DNF @60%, beginning of ch 30

This started off as a surprisingly strong debut, especially for the type of year I've been having with Orbit new releases.

But here's the thing: these aren't vampires. Or they could just as easily not be, anyway. Long-lived, beautiful, and magic related to blood... but literally could not be vampires. It's not even like all of them do Blood Working, anyway.

The Writing:
There are a couple of times where the text told me that a romantic relationship was growing between two people (it was?) or that a character is smart (they are?) or a few times when they stated the same reasoning for a character investing in lowly informants and it feels tell rather than show.

But it's honestly not copious and quite understandable for a debut, so I don't terribly mind. I'm mostly confused because without those cues, it's not something I would've thought on my own. So it felt like a bit of a disconnect.

Why DNF?:
I don't know that this'll be a permanent DNF, but I can at least say that I'm not interested in continuing right now, and I'd rather come back if I'm in the mood. But there's a disconnect between the ideas and the follow-through and my interest.

I prefer my Fantasy to either have more or less Romance than this, but this kinda feels like a no man's land for my personal investment.

Would you like to read a romantasy with a queer polyamorous story at its core? Then Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright is for you! This book, while a solid political dark fantasy with a serial killer running amok in the background, really shines in the romance aspects. The FMC is Shan LeClaire, a noble woman who is better suited to whispers and secrets as the shadow master, is torn between her ex-lover and a new suitor. But who says you have to choose?

What follows is a story of questionable loyalties, treason, love, and acceptance. I would encourage you to read this book if you’re looking for a poly love story with queer and trans main characters in a dark romantasy. The plot of the book outside of the central love story is what you would expect from a debut author. That being said, I’m excited to see where this series goes! This is a very strong entry into a dark fantasy series!

Thank you to #Orbit and #NetGalley for a free ARC of #MistressofLies by #KMEnright in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 3.5
“Mistress of Lies” takes readers into a fantasy world that has parallels to our world’s revolutionary eras (think the eve of the French Revolution), maybe a tad of regency England, and the beginnings of industrialization while touching on themes that resonate today.

Going into this book, I thought it was about vampires. That’s not so: blood is indeed present but as the source of magic accessible to the upper class. Some parts were a tad gruesome, but not as bad as it could be.

The main characters frustrated me by the second half of the book. That’s what brought it from a 4.0 to a 3.5.

✨Summary✨
Shan is ambitious, beautiful, loyal to her brother and has just ended her father’s life. She is now the lady, and head, of the household and while she did it for her own ambitions, she also did it for her beloved brother. As her first step in her new role, she discovers the identity of the lost heir of the royal family.
Samuel always knew he was the bastard of a powerful lord, though his mother took the secret of exactly who, to the grave. When a beautiful young woman finds him, Samuel learns he is the unknown royal heir. The King welcomes Samuel with open arms and is prepared to give Shan a shot at pursuing her ambitions as well.
Shan and her old friend, and ex, Isaac, are tasked, in very different ways, to catch Samuel up with the life he will be living going forward. Shan helps Samuel with the social aspect, while Isaac assists with the magical portion. These lessons bring the three of them together in friendship, which has the potential to turn into more, as sparks and romantic tension rise in the threesome.
Shan is commissioned to assist with an investigation into a serial killer running amuck within the city, with bodies turning up left and right. With the help of Samuel and Isaac, Shan will attempt to solve this mystery. But will the threesome find much more than they ever imagined?

👩🏻My Recommendation👩🏻
This was an interesting read. It took a little bit for me to get into it, but it was probably more of a me problem. The book is extremely well written, the story is interesting. It’s definitely more political than romance or fantasy. I was expecting something a little less heavy with court politics, but again, that’s through no fault of this book’s. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the polyamorous and trans representation. It felt a tad long, but the ending was very good and makes me want to read the next book for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.