"People turn dangerous when confronted with something that challenges their worldview."

"We’ve been on a collision course headed straight for each other all along."

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Content warnings: murder, dementia-like/amnesia symptoms

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this via an e-book ARC.

I had been checking for this book every day since it got into its ARC season and Penguin Teen was kind enough to get an ARC sent my way by request! I thoroughly enjoyed Bittersweet in the Hollow enough as it was, but my favorite character relationship dynamic was between Rowan and Hadrian. I gasped out loud when I realized that's who book 2 was about!

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue follows Rowan, the second oldest (I believe) of the four James sisters. The firstborn is away at university and Linden is preparing to soon follow, which leaves Rowan to stay behind and help man the local family diner while everyone else seems to move on with their lives. While struggling to deal with her anger towards the town's transgressions from book 1 (trying not to spoil anything!), Gran sends her away to volunteer/intern with the park rangers in the forest outside their Appalachian town. This isn't the worst move at all, until stranger and stranger things start occurring: memory loss across town, an unidentifiable unconscious man, a murder, and Hadrian Fitch appearing on her shack porch injured? Can she possibly solve any of this before it's too late?

This book was just as great as I hoped, even a little bit better! It doesn't come out until January, so I felt a bit odd starting in September in case it was a wintry setting, but the book starts in September! What are the odds? I also adore the sections with each month, listing what produce is in season, what to forage, etc. It makes me want to get non-fiction books on herbalism and foraging and other nature-based learning! I enjoyed all the characters just as much this time as well. The atmosphere of this book, and series overall, is one of the best I've read all year! I would consider Pearsall an auto-buy author for me at this point!

My only complaint was that I had a few questions that didn't make sense at the end. I couldn't understand why someone was a 'rightful' anything in the other side if there are multiple entrances to said Otherside (idk the name off the top of my head). It also seemed like the new character was brought in rather quickly at the end and with many questions (but perhaps there's a potential book 3 he's prevalent in?) and a mystery involving someone's identity felt like there was a slight leap in logic I was missing a step to. It was 1am though, so I am willing to admit I could have missed something on accident.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy YA paranormal romance books, witchy (in the herbalism/nature way and not new age), and small towns with spooky atmospheres! I'm unsure if there's a book 3 or 4, but I would definitely read it (Sorrel and the new character? The youngest James sibling and the guy she found cute?)!

Have you ever been underwhelmed, but in a good way? That’s how this book left me feeling.

I was so happy to return to Caball Hollow with the James sisters, their incredible lore, and their unique abilities. Pearsall has a unique talent for believable world building—her characters and settings could very well be your own best friends and backyard because they are so captivating and realistic.

The only minor critique I had about Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue is that perhaps Pearsall relies a little too much on the reader’s recollection of the events of the previous book. l read Bittersweet in the Hollow pretty recently and thought I had a good grasp on the intricacies of the plot, but there were several times when I had to flip back and forth between the two books in order to understand what was really going on.

As far as ratings go, this was a solid 3.5 rounded to 4.0 star read for me. The writing was excellent, the pacing was good, and the ending was satisfying enough to make me crave more. I will absolutely read it again and recommend it to others—with the caveat that they also read Bittersweet in the Hollow beforehand. I hope Kate Pearsall writes more books in this universe so we can all can watch James sisters understand and evolve in their magic. I feel like the series can only grow stronger with each subsequent book as the lore builds upon itself.

What a wonderfully magical tale where the names are part of the story. There is incredible imagery and subtexts of meaning in Caball Hollow. The James family is unique, with ties to the land -- they truly are part of the bedrock of their community. When the townspeople begin to change, the James girls are the only ones who can reverse the evil - they are the only ones who can see it! I was drawn into this tale at the start and enjoyed the mountains, the magic and the resourceful nature of the girls. They learned more of their family history as they tried to right the wrongs. The author did a fantastic job of weaving magic into everyday life, portraying hope among heartache. And Hadrian was such an incredible character/element in the story - I loved the way he was such an integral part of this town yet was so overlooked and misunderstood. This is the kind of story that sticks with you because it buries seeds of magic in your mind.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I got approved for this, I quickly read the first book in the series and gave it four stars. The second book was five stars for me! Building off the characters and events of the first book, we follow Rowan this time instead of Linden. Rowan can smell the lies people tell, and it makes her extremely hesitant to trust people. Her Gran decides she needs to take some time for herself and she starts working at the fire tower in the forest to get some perspective....however, strange things start occurring and the James girls are at the center of it again!
I really enjoyed Rowan's character and the mystery in this story. The idea of missing things, and creatures that don't belong in West Virginia was captivating!
I spend through this in one day, and I'm so excited for the world to read it on it's publication date.
Appalachian thrillers/horrors/gothic tales are my new bread and butter.

I was so incredibly happy that Bittersweet in the Hollow was getting a sequel because I did NOT get enough of that world! This was such a perfect follow up, and the worldbuilding, characters, and magic, continued to impress. Gothic, mysterious, and dripping with prose, these are not books to miss. Plus, have you seen the covers?

2.5 stars rounded up! ✨

I LOVED “Bittersweet In The Hollow” so I was ecstatic to read the sequel. This was full of magic, mystery, and family but I found the plot to be a bit slow for my liking.

In “Lies On The Serpent’s Tongue” we follow our FMC Rowan. She can smell the lies of others, and has kept a close relationship with her family and their traditions. Her nemesis Hadrian who once helped out at her family’s farm has returned asking her for a favor. He wants her to work alongside him to sense who is being dishonest, as this will lead him closer to the truth about who viciously attacked him, and why. Accepting a new adventure in her life, and a partnership with Hadrian, she sets out on a journey that will change her entire future.

I LOVE the atmosphere of Caball Hollow, and everything about the forest. The world described is always a promising glimpse of nature.

I found the plot to be quite slow, and it wasn’t necessarily grabbing my attention. The plot was underwhelming, and the mystery wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in what was happening. This story kept referencing events that took place in the first story and almost was too heavily reliant on that. I felt that this was too connected to Linden’s story and not so much focused on Rowan as an individual. This would have been a great novella to continue BITH, but it fell quite short as its own story.

The romance was underwhelming. I could not sense the chemistry or tension between our main characters, so I almost felt as if they had little to no romantic feelings for one another. I wanted passion, sacrifice, and communication. I was not getting that, unfortunately.

I have seen some stunning reviews for this story, so I might not have been in the right mindset to be reading this story. I just wanted this to stand out on its own and not be so dependent on the first installment.

The writing of this author is so easy and pleasant to follow and her way with words really tie this story together! This book is book 2 in the series and we can see the development of the story and world in the second book which I absolutely love and i hope the world keeps on evolving in the next book!

I loved the romance that was going on in this book although i would love to have seen more of the character and their romance with some more buildup perhaps. Some plot twists felt a bit off and it confused me slightly but i still absolutely adored this story! I definitely cant wait for what is coming in the future books for this town.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this arc copy in exchange of an honest review.

Perfect spooky season read. While I haven’t read Buttersweet in the Hollow, this book had my attention from the beginning. The Appalachian folklore plus mystery plus romance in this book kept me hooked. I’d love to have Rowens ability to detect lies the way she does. I admire her tenacity and grit and not wanting to sit around and wait on things to come to fruition. The twists and turns of this book kept me interested and not wanting to put it down. Kate Pearsall is a phenomenal writer and I can’t wait to read more of her work!

It's a very unique book, the idea is something I've never heard of before! I hadn't read the first part before reading this book, which made some things hard to understand, but I still was able to enjoy it a lot !!

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't stop reading it, there was something fresh about this storyline that I just loved, she was able to tell when people lie, a talent of hers, to be able to taste lies I have never heard of a story like this and it was unique, There was some things I wanted to know more about the moth man.
There is another book before this one you need to read which is Bittersweet before you read this one and know some of the events into this book.

There is something about The Hollow I was desperate to come back to. I wanted to learn more about Linden's sisters, about the moth-winged man and the bone tree. There was something a bit more suspenseful about the first book. Maybe because missing items and memories doesn't seem as thrilling as lost people and lives, but Kate Pearsall still hits home with this one. I loved slipping back into the James' family life and getting a better glimpse of the otherworld. I hope that there will be more books about the magical James women and the hollows coming our way in the future.

Rowan was by far one of my favorite characters in the first book quickly followed by Hadrian so having them both be the center of the second book made me so happy! I love Rowan's witty banter and her strength, and I appreciate that she knows when to set boundaries and enforce them and when to let them slip up because she realizes she guards herself too much because of her gifts.

If you like magic and otherworldliness nestled in a small-town vibe pick up this book!

Maybe a 3.5?

I liked the premise of this book, and the atmosphere was beautifully crafted. There were several points where I found myself admiring how visceral the writing feels, as well as some truly sublime quotes woven into the narrative. While I did find myself getting wrapped up in some of the mysterious occurrences by the latter half of the book, the plot always felt more mystery-adjacent than actually mysterious, which definitely skewed down my enjoyment of the storytelling. There's also an abundance of unnecessary repetition and jarring transitions, both things that I hope will be sorted out during edits.

I think my main grievances come in the form of the ambiguity of plot, and the crafting of Rowan & Hadrian's relationship. They had a subtle but sweet chemistry laced with cute bursts of banter that I really enjoyed, but I don't think there was decent buildup/relationship development, which again left everything feeling just a bit lackluster. As for the storyline itself, some seemingly major plot points just aren't expanded upon very well, an issue which has the added disadvantage of making Rowan appear a lot surlier than she needs to be. Rather than "show, don't tell," much of this story feels like it's not showing OR telling you anything, which could hinder readers from getting fully invested.

There’s such an emotional depth to this book, from the weight of the secrets Rowan carries to the eerie mystery creeping through the Hollow. The way the author makes the town itself feel like a character; alive with whispers and rumors, is just brilliant. It had me hooked, desperate to see how everything would unravel. Honestly, the blend of supernatural intrigue and raw, human emotion is everything I love in a story. This is a must-read for anyone who craves dark, atmospheric mysteries with a touch of magic and a whole lot of heart.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot took me by surprise and I think our library patrons will LOVE it!

I really had a wonderful time reading this mystical setting small town mystery despite not reading the other book about Linden. I thought the author made it easy to pick up the important facts from the other book without making it into an info dump in this one.

This book focuses on Rowan, one of the James girls with magical abilities. Her ability is to taste lies. When dead bodies started appearing in her small town, she had to put her ability to test. But people missing important memories and personal items, as well as a newfound legend about the origin of the Otherworld, sure made it harder for Rowan to taste the lies people told. Especially the return of Hadrian, who she had always known as a liar, to the town.

I loved the writing as it was easy to read yet had several great proses. But what made the story great was the characters that came to life in this story. The James sisters especially, really grew on me, especially Rowan, as she was the female lead. I loved her character growth, her tenacity, and her fierce love for her family. The worldbuilding was great as well albeit a bit confusing for me on the details, but this is probably because I have not read Linden's story. The flow was perfect, not too fast and not too slow.

All in all, I enjoyed this story.

4.5/5 Stars

The minute I heard Lies on the Serpent's Tongue was being published, I couldn't wait to read it! When I saw it on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it as soon as I was feeling the fall vibes and it did not disappoint!

I loved the first book in this world, Bittersweet in the Hollow, so I was excited to dive into Rowan's story. We follow Rowan almost directly after the events of the summer shown in Bittersweet in the Hollow.(so it's a good idea to re-read Bittersweet before jumping into Lies) Angry and without answers, Rowan begins to notice things going missing and the memories associated with those things also go missing. On top of that, there's something going on in the forest and Rowan's least favorite person, Hadrian, wrapped up in the mysteries.

There were so many things about this book that I loved even more than the first. Pearsall's writing has only improved and they fleshed out Caball Hollow so much. I really like the magic system in the James family and loved keeping up with some of the relationships introduced in Bittersweet. I would have loved to see more interactions between Rowan and Hadrian because their chemistry was off the charts!

The only thing is that one of the twists felt a little far-fetched. I think it would have worked a little better if there had been more leading up to it because as it is, it felt like it came out of nowhere. Regardless, I had such a good time back in Caball Hollow with the James women.

I really hope Pearsall continues writing in this world because it is just so atmospheric and I feel like we've only just begun to peel back the layers in this town. I would absolutely recommend Lies on the Serpent's Tongue and any of Pearsall's other books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

This was a lovely sequel (companion?) to Bittersweet in the Hollow although, fair warning, if you don't remember the events from Bittersweet I would HIGHLY recommend that you review it before reading Lies. I hadn't read Bittersweet in a while and I did find myself somewhat lost on the specific details of events from the first book. Not enough to take me out of the story, but enough that I wished I had done a quick reread before jumping into this one.

In some ways I wish that this was more of a separate stand-alone novel - it falls a little flat as a true sequel but I loved getting to know Rowan as a character and seeing some of the fallout of Bittersweet coming into reality. As with the first, the gothic horror ambiance and the writing are excellent. I still love the connection to nature and magic, the natural spells of the hollow, and the magical sisterhood that the James girls share. There is just enough horror to be a little spooky and just enough romance to give a break from the terror. I think that especially for a teen audience, this is going to hit well.

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue is the sequel to Bittersweet in the Hollow, which I loved. The series follows members of a witchy family in Appalachia, and this book is from the perspective of the second-eldest sister, Juniper.

It was interesting to return to Caball Hollow in the wake of the previous book’s events, but from Juniper’s perspective. Her magic is different enough from Linden’s that it didn’t feel like a rinse and repeat of the first book. The same could be said of the mystery in this book, though I don’t feel like the pieces connected as well, which resulted in everything having to be summarized in the last 10%. I also didn’t feel the same level of connection with Juniper as I had with Linden, nor with the romance subplot, despite it being foreshadowed in the first book. It felt a little weak, as though there was the expectation that the work had already been done.

While I didn’t love Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue as much as Bittersweet in the Hollow, I still enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a witchy mystery. I’m looking forward to another installment in the series!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an arc of Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing in the title suggested it's part of a series. I was a little confused but realized my second mistake. YA, while they can be fun, but I'm getting too old for them
I liked the premise, but that's it
It's not the book for me.

I was a little disappointed by this as a sequel but it was a good book on its own.

While it failed to grab my attention as well as the first one, we're following well developed characters and a story that makes sense in the world that's been stablished. The things I would like to highlight as those I enjoyed the most are small in comparison to the overall plot, but leave room for more sequels in the future:
-The very ending
-The development of the story about the protagonist's parents, plus the confirmation we get on what could happen in the future.
-The participation of the other sisters
-The ambiance