Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a completely different fantasy than I’ve read lately & I loved that! The magic is new compared to other fantasies I’ve read. The atmosphere is described perfectly. The love triangle is immersive. I NEED to know where Lola goes from here!!

Can’t wait for book 2…

Den of Liars pulls you in immediately with Lola’s story—a hidden daughter of a powerful crime boss, kept secret from the world. At just 15, she’s taken, or rescued, depending on your perspective, by the elusive Thief. She strikes a deal that binds her so tightly to him, it’s as if they become one.

The worldbuilding hints at deeper things: a unique magic system, spiritual powers, and a city where loyalty is always for sale. But the fantasy elements remain relatively light. The writing leans heavily on telling rather than showing, which at times made it harder to fully connect to the characters or the emotional stakes.

Lola is an intriguing lead, though her sheltered upbringing often clashes with the ease at which she navigates dangerous, high-stakes scenarios. She’s portrayed as clever and strategic, but her youth and inexperience occasionally make her insights and instincts feel unearned. I found myself wishing for more grounded emotional depth, moments that showed her inner turmoil rather than simply stating it.

That said, there’s no denying the appeal of certain scenes—especially the casino sequence, which I think Phantasma fans will appreciate (though be warned, this is not a spicy romance). The romantic thread is more relational than steamy, and that slower, more emotional build worked well for me.

The book ends on a cliffhanger that practically demands the next installment, and while I had mixed feelings about the execution, I’m still curious to see how it all plays out.

A special thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy; All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Massive thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC!

I thought a fantasy heist couldn’t surprise me—but Den of Liars did just that. We follow Lola St. James (aka Astra), a skilled thief with a heart literally tethered to the charismatic “Thief.” When she enters the high‑stakes Liar’s Dice Tournament at a magical casino—where secrets are gambled, not coins—she’s thrust into a world of deception and danger.

What worked:

Magical premise: A tournament where contestants bet their deepest truths? So fresh and as addictive as that first roll of the dice.
Complex heroine: I adored Lola’s blend of cunning, trauma, and heart—particularly her glasses-wearing, heart-linked-to-an-MMC uniqueness brought powerful representation and charm.
Atmospheric world‑building: The casino setting feels cinematic—glittering yet ominous—and the magic system is clever and integrated beautifully.
Romantic tension & emotional stakes: Torn between two stunningly wounded brothers—with the Thief sharing her heart and the Liar tempting her in dangerous ways—the romantic tension crackles. It’s more nuanced than a classic love triangle.

What held me back:

Slow first act: It takes a while to find its footing though once the tournament kicks in, the pace grabs you.
Minor pacing dips: A few sections could’ve been tighter; some internal ruminations felt repetitive before the action heated up.

Who this is for:
If you’re into YA fantasy with umami-tier world-building, moral ambiguity, dark academia/heist vibes, and slow-burn, emotionally complex romance, this is your next read. Picture The Inheritance Games meets One Dark Window, with a harder edge. It’s ideal for readers (14–18+) who love magical stakes, morally grey characters, and cinematic tension.

In short: Den of Liars is a lush, cunning fantasy that dazzles with its premise, world, and heart. A few pacing wobbles keep it from a full 5 stars, but it left me eager for Book 2—with my dice at the ready.

There are not enough stars or words to describe how much I loved this book and how badly I need book 2 even though this one hasn’t even been published yet. Jessica Olson keeps you guessing on who the real villain is and even though I finished reading the book I am not completely convinced I know the answer lol. This book has everything, lies & deceit, romance, a heist, and jealousy. I cannot wait to order a copy for the teens at work because I know they’ll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

TW: gaslighting, violence, PTSD, child abuse

Warning this is definitely aimed at older YA audiences, as it has both darker content and steamier scenes (no full-on sex scenes though).

I'm not a big romance reader, but for the fans out there in no particular order: m/f enemies to lovers, a dance scene, undeniable tension, banter, the dance scene, an uncanny connection both parties try to deny, betrayal, drinking together, truth or dare, did I mention the dance scene?

A heist novel, messy relationships, a magical casino, and morally dubious decisions fill the pages of this gripping fantasy thriller. This is for lovers of terrible people who do questionable things in pursuit of their own goals. Prepare for a compulsively speedy read with high stakes and mounting tension, as a fallout between brothers ripples a path of destruction towards everyone in its path.

Lola St James spends her days in hiding, hoping to outrun her father's mistakes. Gambling away his deepest secret at the <i>Liar's Dice Tournament</i> and losing put her in grave danger. Enzo aka <i>The Thief</i> is a secretive leader of a gang called <i>The Tentacles</i>. Using his magical curse-given powers, he comes to her aid, offering the young woman a new chance at life as a thief in her own right.

Yet no good deed comes for free... or unpunished.

She sacrifices her very heart to remain under his protection. This sacrifice binds the pair and makes Lola long to properly belong to the Tentacles. Her world revolves around a series of heists with her best friend by her side, as she waits for the day she no longer needs to hide amongst the shadows.

Lola must risk everything to join the gang after a horribly botched heist ruins all her plans and places her Enzo's life in danger. Time is running out, and the solution to all their problems resides in a place Enzo cannot enter. To make up for her failure, Lola volunteers to run a long con solo for the first time, in hopes this would right the wrong and prove her skills.

In a cruel twist of fate, Lola must now join the tournament that damned her and avoid the complicated feelings she begins to have for Enzo's brother <i>The Liar</i>. Nic runs the game baring his title, owning the magical casino—a place where lies and illusions seep from every surface—within which said contest takes place. The young man isn't who he appears to be, constantly putting on false faces and fronts to disguise himself and hide that which he holds dear.

Secrets can set you free or damn you... but they're always for sale.

Lola will have to keep her wits about her as this quest for vengeance and circle of lies draws all manner of danger her way. Everyone wears a mask and has secrets to hide. This contest ruined her life once, and she'll do just about anything to avoid such a fate repeating. She's resourceful, clever and capable of being incredibly devious when the moment warrants it.

Don't expect a cast of kindness... this is a rather cutthroat group of individuals for a YA novel.

The twisty-turvey alliances and truths in a land of lies were absolutely delicious to read about. And every description of setting—even if it was a glamoured illusion—was stunning. Kudos as well to the author for creating a religous system I haven't encountered before in quite this manner; I enjoyed every snippet of world-building about the world outside the games.

The dance scene!!! I as a dancer in my youth, I always judge these scenes perhaps more harshly than I should, yet all I can say is <i>damn</i>!!! It's so well crafted and enticing. A duo spin a tale of lust and lies and hate and the possibility of something more, if either party dared to cross that line. Utterly divine!!! I'm not always that invested in m/f relationships as an ace sapphic woman, yet I was dying so see how things would play out here!!

This was a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it!! I haven't enjoyed a magical heist this much since I first read <i>Six of Crows</i> at the beginning of lockdown. The first novel isn't even out yet, and I'm already frothing at the mouth for the sequel... give this a chance fall in love like I did!!

I can't begin to explain how thoroughly I enjoyed this book. Jessica S. Olson weaved an interesting magic system, with captivating characters and a page-turning plot. I completely neglected the other book I was reading because I couldn't tear my eyes away!

My only gripe is that it was never clear to me what time period this book was set in, and there were a couple of parts that felt weak and pulled me out of the story for a bit.

Nonetheless, it's a 4-star read and I'm looking forward to book 2!

The book was actually on my anticipated list for the month. And disapointingly it fell flat due to where it felt disjointed in the writing. This might be a very unpopular opinion because I was hoping the writing would flow better, but in general it was just ok.

Den of Liars was such an addicting YA fantasy! The court intrigue, layered secrets, and morally gray characters kept me fully engaged from the first chapter. Jessica S. Olsen has a talent for building tension, and I loved how every character had something to hide.

The magic system and worldbuilding weren’t overly complex, but they served the story well—and the mystery elements really stood out. I especially liked the emotional depth of the main character and the way the theme of truth vs. loyalty played out.

A few pacing hiccups in the middle and some twists I saw coming, but overall this was a satisfying, twisty read. Definitely recommended for fans of political fantasy with a darker edge.

4⭐️. I really enjoyed this one! It was giving Princess and the Frog/Vampire Diaries/Caraval set in a casino, which was very intriguing as a premise. I’m always a sucker for even a smidge of a love triangle dynamic ESPECIALLY between brothers (bc tension), and also having an FMC who both loves ballet and has vision issues was a very niche amount of representation that I never really expected to see in any book, much less this one. I’m looking forward to the other book(s?) in this series! Out 7/1. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!!

My sincerest gratitude to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this eARC of Den of Liars. In exchange for the eARC, I leave my honest review.

Forbidden Romance, Enemies to Lovers, he falls first AND love triangle? Oh my…

I must say, this is one of my favorite reads this year. From Caraval to Phantasma and now we have the Liar’s Dice Tournament, it seems like these fantasy books with game elements are rising up from the ashes of dystopian books from the yesteryears. The concept caught my attention immediately and it didn't disappoint. Did it surpass my expectations? Not really, but that isn't to say that I didn't enjoy it. This is my first read from Jessica S. Olson and I definitely plan on picking up her other two books.

First of all, the world-building is intense and really engrosses the atmosphere around you. I truly felt like I was a particle in between the pages watching the story unfold in real time. The writing in this aspect is nicely done. And it isn't your typical run of the mill setting as well, it wasn't the usual cyberpunk/futuristic setting you see with these types of themes, but a combination of The Shire and Naboo, just a little more hazy and lacking vibrant colors.

There is an element I feel as a reviewer I must discuss. The book does have religious elements in it and at times the main character does oppose said religion harshly ( in this book the religion is a made up religion). So keep that in mind before you start reading. If this is something you don't like, or if you try to keep your reads away from anything religious it would be best not to read it.

However, I did not like the pacing of the book, at all. Some parts felt rushed, some too slow, then we have scenes popping up in between other scenes. I almost put the book down, but I wanted to see how the story would unfold. With a story of this magnitude and complexity, it can be difficult at times to find a rhythm but when the rhythm is there, the story is fantastic.

As for the characters, I thoroughly enjoy Magnolia’s character. Yes, there are moments where I wanted to bang my head against the wall but she is young. Young people make mistakes and can be extremely self centered at times but at this age people are still finding themselves. Her character also mixed well with Nic’s character who is charming and aloof and makes you gravitate towards him. And the things that he says, can make any woman swoon.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, regardless of the qualms I had with it. I am most definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Title: Den of Liars
Author: Jessica S. Olson         
Genre: Fantasy, YA    
Rating: 5 out of 5

Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament–a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets–made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief's mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.

I was engrossed in this from the very first page. Lola is a great character, and I loved getting to know her and trying to guess what she’d do next. The Thief and the Liar were both strong characters—and both had good and bad qualities, but I was eager to find out more. Loved the worldbuilding in this, and the casino world was riveting to me. I would absolutely have binge-read the next book in this series immediately!

Jessica S. Olson lives in Texas. Den of Liars is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan’s in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/10).

What I Liked:
-The magic system with the dice was neat and fit the casino setting well.
-Olson did a good job of slowly building up questions for Lora (and the reader) to begin wondering what to really believe.

What I Struggled With:
-I thought the heist element was going to be a lot more prevalent in the book. The plot leans more into a con than it does a heist, which isn't necessarily bad--but it's different than I was expecting.
-I'm assuming that Den of Liars is the beginning of a series, though I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere yet. If it's intended to be a standalone, the opening felt too open and unresolved.

Overall:
Don't expect this to be a heist book. While it does have some of the elements, it's not the main plot. Rather, the plot centers more on Lola and her relationships with the Devious brothers. Since that wasn't what I was anticipating, it did leave me a little disappointed.

ᯓ✿ 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ☀️⊹ ࣪ ˖

˚₊ · 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!!
🖤 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗋𝗂 𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖻𝗎𝖽𝖽𝗒𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐 𝗆𝖾!!
⤷ 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 (RTC)

🍂⸝⸝ .☘︎ ݁˖ 𝐃𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐬 🂡⭑.ᐟ
⋆｡˚🦊 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 14+(kisses, flirting, innuendo), 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 13+ (Robberies, fights, etc)
➜ 🂡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
➜ 🂡 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
➜ 🂡 𝐇𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
➜ 🂡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
now playing: 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 🕷️ ⋆˚࿔
🧡 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠⋆˙✮
⤹ 0:39 ——◦———— 4:18 ⤸
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆
.・゜゜・　　・゜゜・．
｡･ﾟﾟ･　　 ･ﾟﾟ･｡

── 🍁 "𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

🎲๋࣭ ⭑ GUYS. GUYS. GUYS. When I tell you that this book became my obsession for the PAST WEEK I AM NOT EXAGGERTAING!!! From the world building, to the TENSION, to THE FREAKING DIALOUGE OH MY GOD?!?!? This book had me at the EDGE of my seat, BLUSHING AND GIGGLING at words written on paper. This book felt like a combination between Powerless, Caraval, and maybe even The Inheritance Games. WE SERIOUSLY GOT AN ALL IN ONE PACKAGE HERE FOLKS!!

── 🍁 "𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

🎲๋࣭ ⭑ I will first ramble about the worldbuilding in this because I felt like it was EXTREMELY clever and unique from alot of books I read. The world that this book takes place in almost combined fantasy, dystopian, and vintage all in one in a whimsical fairytale like way. When I was reading this book I got the vibes of maybe a 90s- or 70s kind of like vintage fairytale film. LIKE I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THE VIBES BUT THAT IS JUST WHAT IS WAS GIVING!!!! I feel like the morally gray characters all probably added to that concept because gosh, I think every one of them are charming in their own unique way.

── 🍁 "𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄'𝙢 𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤, 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

🎲๋࣭ ⭑ The plot of this book was also EXTREMELY well thought out. We follow our main character girlie Magnolia and her troubles she has with her "savior" the Theif who saved her life at the cost that she shares her heart (like literally by the way not in a cutesy romantasy way) with him. And so she agrees but at what cost will that cost her? BECAUSE NOW APPARENTLY SHE HAS TO HELP HIM GET THIS MOONSHARD THINGY IN ORDER FOR HIM TO LIVE!!! Because if you didn't know by the way this Theif guy is cursed and has to basically steal speech and things from other people in order to live. *side eye* So when the both of them get an EXTREMELY good lead on where the moonshardy thingy might be... well lets just say not all the plans turned out as expected. (yes i am screaming because I ate this plot up.)

── 🍁 "𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

🎲๋࣭ ⭑ NOW. While this book certainly was.. no actually VERY ENJOYABLE. I do have some notes on things that weren't as good. One of them being the flow of the book because of how rushed or how we had characters basically teleporting from one place to another OR EVEN teleporting from ONE CONVERSATION TO ANOTHER. There were parts where the book flowed nicely I will admit, but sometimes it felt a bit rushed and choppy and left me confused as to how we ended up here. I think that if the book was just a tad bit longer we could have progressed the plot a teeny more to where it didn't feel rushed. I think another thing was that I felt like the main character was just a taaaaad bit annoying at times. I feel like she was mainly self centered and maybe even just a bit bratty in general. OH AND I THINK ANOTHER REASON WHY THIS IS THREE STARS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THAT ENDING. I LEGIT WANTED TO THROW MY PHONE ACROSS THE ROOM AT HOW MAD I WAS.

── 🍁 "𝙊𝙤𝙝, 𝙤𝙤𝙝, 𝙤𝙤𝙝" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍊 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

˗ˏˋ♠️ 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒂: She wasn't the worst, wasn't the best. There were times where I was like "YOU GO QUEEN WHAT A GIRLBOSS!!" and there was times where I was like "are you srsly fr rn." So yes, even though she triggered anger issues. She wasn't all that bad.

˗ˏˋ♠️ 𝑵𝒊𝒄: OH MAN. OH MAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN. New book boyfriend alert for my morally gray men lovers. This guy right here will be the end of me. Because his dialouge? GOD HAVE MERCY. I WAS SCREAMING. He is so charming and I wanted to just hug him for the entire facade he had to put on. This man is if Legend, Kai, and maybe even Grayson had a child.

˗ˏˋ♠️ 𝑬𝒏𝒛𝒐: Was I a fangirl for him in the beginning? Yes. Did I end up despising and hating this mf at the end of the book? Also yes. I hope he dies at sea.

── 🍁 "𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙-𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡" ݁ ⸝⸝ ! ⌢ ࣪

⋆.˚🧡 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥
Would I recommend this book to everyone who comes across this review? YES. Would I also tell them to beware of the pacing and annoying things I pointed out? ALSO YES. Am I looking forward to seeing where the second book of this series goes? INDEED YES. Let's hope and pray it is even better than the first.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Den of Liars kept you intrigued THE whole time. It is one of those books that you cannot put down. There was a bit of everything fantasy, action, and romance. The whole concept of it being held in a casino and where everyone is playing in a game of lies and tricks, was very unique. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for book two!

Oh my goodness. Jessica Olson's story telling had me reeling! The characters in this book are so well done and have so much depth to them. The story is complex and the magic system is...WOW! The twists and turns combined with the lies and riddles embedded in this book had me craving more. My brain was tuned in and my emotions were along for the ride. If you are a fan of One Dark Window or The Inheritance Games, add this to your TBR right now. The magic vibes were similar, but still unique.

Den of Liars takes place in a casino like atmosphere, but the Liar runs a tournament with an unbreakable lie as the final prize. Our FMC (Lola), who struggles with her eyesight disability throughout the story, enters the competition to aid the Thief in his search for a magical object to break his curse. She accidentally gambles away their biggest secret and must win to keep it hidden. Those who lose the game, lose their secrets and some juicy ones are revealed to all. Oh, and the Liar is the Thief's brother, but they're enemies now and Lola--she shares a heart with the thief.

Fully of betrayals, hidden pasts, secrets, lies, thieving, attempted murder and more...this book left me craving the next story and quickly rose to one of my top reads of the year. Be warned the cliffhanger is brutal.

Tropes:
Cursed MMCs
Hidden past
Magical games
FMC has an eye disability
Thieves and Liars

Quotes:
“Truth holds up. You can question it, you can dig at it, and it will continue to be true, no matter how you feel about it.”
If you spend your life hiding from the monsters you think live in the dark, you’ll miss the stars every single time.

Thank you Net Galley and Jessica S. Olson for the ARC of this book. These are my honest opinions.

I have been in the mood for YA fantasy recently and this just really hit the spot!! It is the first of a trilogy and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two books! It was very easy to read and had an intriguing storyline that caught me early on!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Very excited for this book release! I'll definitely be picking up tickets for the book signing that happens to be in my area 😁

The writing was smooth and easy to read, which I appreciated. I usually don't like love triangles but this book is the exception. Perfectly done! Even after finishing I still love Enzo and hope he gets redemption in the next book.

Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and author for the E-arc!


From the very first chapter, Olson’s latest fantasy caper had me in its thrall—but it was the electrifying Liar’s Dice Tournament that sealed my devotion. If you’re on the fence after a few pages, trust me: once you reach that pivotal game, you’ll be hooked.

Olson’s prose is lyrical yet sharp, steeped in atmosphere that drifts between smoky taverns and glittering halls. The magic system—dice that bend fate itself—feels fresh, tactile, and rich with lore. I was equally delighted to see meaningful disability representation in the protagonist; her journey toward self-acceptance unfolds in tandem with a tightening spiral of secrets, betrayals, and impossible wagers.

Every major player is delightfully, maddeningly grey. Lola’s uneasy alliance with the enigmatic Liar crackles with tension, and the shifting dual perspectives make their cat-and-mouse dynamic even juicier. The high stakes of the tournament, the slow-burn empathy among rivals, and sudden gut-punch twists kept me turning pages long past midnight.

My lone reservation was the recurring religious thread. Though fictional, its tone of constant defiance toward organized belief occasionally pulled me out of the story—particularly in the first half. The focus does ease later on, and despite some strong language and a couple of closed-door make-out scenes, the content stays largely PG-13.

Minor quibble aside, I can’t remember the last time a story devoured me this completely. It’s my most surprising five-star read of the year, and the wait for the sequel already feels unbearable.

Perfect for readers who love:
Caraval's sumptuous contests, Ocean’s Eleven-style cons, the ragtag camaraderie of Six of Crows, and the sizzling “I-shouldn’t-want-you” chemistry reminiscent of the Salvatore brothers or Klaus and Caroline. Picture all that filtered through the adrenaline of a Percy Jackson casino set piece, and you’ll have a taste of what awaits.

I had a really hard time getting through this book and did not enjoy it at all to the point I almost DNF’d it at several times throughout the book.

I am not a fan of the writing style at all , I could not connect to the characters and it could not hold my attention to the point I fell asleep several times while trying to read this book in the middle of the day.

The book sounded great but when it came to actually reading it, it was a letdown and did not live up to expectations.

Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends

I seriously loved this book! The characters were dynamic and intriguing, and the pacing was great through the book. It was such a great YA book too and felt like it easily crossed over into being intriguing and popular for adult audiences. Thank you so much for the opportunity!