First book the Devious duology. From the first page, this story dragged me under. Lola, now calling herself Astra, has spent years in the shadows, haunted by the disgrace of her father’s ruin in the infamous Liar’s Dice Tournament. Earning her place among the Tentacles is her way out and her way forward. But when a heist collapses around her, she is thrown into the very tournament she has spent her life avoiding, where truth is a weapon, secrets have weight, and nothing is what it seems.

Trapped between two estranged brothers, one tied to her past and the other unreadable and dangerous, Lola must navigate a world built on deception, illusion, and blood debts. Survival depends on who she chooses to trust and how much of herself she is willing to lose.

I devoured the ebook of Den of Liars in under two days. Magical tournament, emotional twists, complicated family dynamics, and enemies to lovers perfection. I need book two immediately!

Tropes and themes:

🎲 magical tournament

🔥 slow burn romance

🤐 enemies to reluctant allies

🪄 secrets as currency

💔 bonded by magic and shared pain

🎭 glam and danger in equal measure

Well written and fun.

Really loved these characters and the story was very different than what I’ve been reading lately.

If you want high stakes and a completely new magic system you’ll like this.

Magic meets Las Vegas meets a love triangle.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s for this ARC!

Den of Liars is a fast paced novel about secrets. Two brothers are cursed with magic and have gone their separate ways until one brother sends a thief after the other. Once I picked this book up, I could not put it down. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I think this would make a fabulous movie. You will enjoy Den of Liars if you like secrets, healing from trauma, and love triangles.

Perfect for fans of the Legendborn Cycle and the Rose Bargain. This fast-paced romantasy is great for teen readers. With a love triangle and all of the classic romantasy tropes - you will be sucked it. At some times there was a lull and it started to feel very YA, but I had to check myself and remember that I was not the target audience. It gave magical intrigue in ways unlike so many other romantasies - would recommend!

I absolutely loved this one!! I ended up buying a copy for myself. I didn’t see any issues or anything with printing :)

Den of Liars is a high-stakes blend of deception, romance, and magic set against the backdrop of a mystical casino tournament where secrets are currency and lies can quite literally kill.

At the heart of it all is Lola St. James—alias Astra—a sharp, ambitious thief with a complex past and even more tangled present. When a heist gone wrong forces her into the deadly Liar’s Dice Tournament, she finds herself toe-to-toe with the enigmatic and dangerous Liar, brother to the Thief who saved her years ago… and to whom she’s magically tethered by a shared heart.

Olson’s writing is compulsively readable, with a plot that blends the intrigue of The Inheritance Games, the magic-soaked theatrics of Caraval, and a swirl of Six of Crows–esque underworld grit. The twists hit hard (even if you see a few coming), and the stakes—both romantic and magical—escalate with each round of the tournament.

That said, your enjoyment may hinge on your tolerance for heightened drama. Lola walks the line between fierce and frustrating, sometimes too self-centered to root for wholeheartedly, while the love triangle between her, Enzo (the Thief), and Nic (the Liar) treads familiar tropes. For some, Nic’s charm and moral ambiguity will be irresistible; for others, his fedora-tipping and shifting personas may lean a bit into caricature.

Where this book shines is in its vivid worldbuilding and the actual tournament scenes—tense, clever, and full of narrative sleight-of-hand. The visual touches (like Lola’s visual impairment being meaningfully integrated into action scenes) and deeper emotional arcs around found family, betrayal, and toxic friendships lend it extra emotional weight.

The pacing can occasionally be uneven, and the tone sometimes wavers between mature YA and something younger. Still, Den of Liars is immersive, romantic, and genuinely fun—a page-turner with teeth. The cliffhanger ending practically demands a sequel, and I, for one, am all in.

Den of Liars is a YA romantasy with heists, cons, questionable scores, and lots of lies. The stakes are universally high for all characters, and there is no shortage of questions to ponder even after the novel ends set up for a sequel but not on a cliffhanger. I'm going to be upfront: the Liar, our MMC, lacked the mystery and virtually any attractive qualities. He's overly religious and noble despite his lies, and his wardrobe choices of purple, black, and silver with fedoras felt like cheap costumes. I can't ship him with anyone tbh.
Our FMC, Lola (is that really short for Magnolia bc that feels strange) is pretty badass, but I don't really understand her at all still. Like I genuinely wonder if her father just found her in one of his mines or something because all of that was strange. Still, the overall story was fairly compelling, and I would have finished in less than a day of reading if Instagram didn't exist.
This was interesting enough for the YA crowd. I'll likely pick up the next in the series to see where this goes.
Favorite part was the seven-legged octopus who really deserved more page time because she was the most interesting of all.
Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for this ARC!

I loved this book ! Keeps you ended from the moment you begin reading all the way to the end ! I loved the witchy aspect that u felt throughout the book ! Definitely adding to my physical bookshelf asap !

Den of Liars is the first installment of a forthcoming series that follows Lola St. James, the daughter of a crime boss in a magical city. Her father has believed her dead for four years, and during that time, she has fallen in with Enzo, otherwise known as ‘the Thief,’ one half of a pair of criminals referred to as ‘the Devious’.

Though they’re good friends and partners in crime, Lola and Enzo are bound to each other by more than work and friendship – they saved each other’s lives by agreeing to share a heart through magical means. In an attempt to separate their hearts, Lola joins the Liar’s Dice Tournament, an annual game of lies held by Enzo’s brother, Nic, or ‘the Liar’. She hopes to win the prize of the tournament and discover where Nic keeps the moonshard that he used to curse Enzo originally. If she’s successful in her quest to locate it, Lola can use its magic to separate her and Enzo’s hearts while keeping them both alive.

However, once she enters the Liar’s Den Casino and begins playing the games in the tournament, Lola realizes everything is not what she once believed. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends, all while she must navigate tasks that test her courage, skills, and morals.

The novel is a great first installment by Olson. Lola is a well-rounded, believable character that I was able to connect with easily. The world is fleshed out and detailed, and the magic is complex while still being easily understandable to the reader. Olson’s prose is compelling and simple, and the plot is well paced, which kept me engaged and suspenseful throughout the course of the novel, especially in the suspenseful heist-focused scenes. I look forward to reading the second novel in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The magic was super interesting, the story was compelling and the characters were AMAZING. however, I was frustrated by the ending. It felt like a full 180. I am not sure if it is just set up for another book, I hope that is the case.

This was a magical story about the complexities of truth, vulnerability, and trust. Lola is a compelling main character, and I liked seeing her progression throughout as she slowly began to question her worldview and the stories she had been told. I did enjoy the chapters from her perspective more than the Liar's, although both character voices were distinctly written. There were also several compelling background characters who I hope to see again the next book--there are just enough hints to guess at the identity of one of them, and it's an intriguing possibility. I liked the plot balance between the actual game Lola was competing in and her side quests along the way. There are lots of mysteries unsolved and questions to be answered, and I am excited to see how everything plays out in the next book.

I decided to DNF Den of Liars at about 75%. While it’s written as a YA, the interactions between the characters felt overly immature and often unnecessary. The premise was intriguing, but the story itself felt disjointed and never fully came together for me.

The magic system was confusing and never really explained, which made it hard to stay invested. I also felt the characters, world-building, and magic lacked depth overall. There was so much potential here, but everything stayed surface-level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the advanced copy.

This was unfortunately a bit of a letdown for me. I loved the premise, but it seemed to fall flat in execution. I found the magic system a bit muddy in its execution and I found myself losing interest throughout due to a lack of connection to the characters. I know this is minor, but I also could not get past the fact that Nic constantly wore a fedora???

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Den of Liars is a gripping fantasy full of secrets, romance, and high-stakes twists. Lola is a bold, complex heroine caught between two captivating brothers—the Thief who shares her heart and the Liar who challenges everything she believes. With a daring casino heist, a thrilling tournament, and emotional depth, Jessica S. Olson delivers a story that’s impossible to put down. I really enjoyed the unique magic system and was hooked from the first page to the last!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica S. Olson, and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Den of Liars is a twisty mix of heists, magic, and secrets set against a unique, high-stakes tournament backdrop. The emotional bond between Lola and Enzo added depth, and Nic was the perfect wildcard. Some parts dragged and the ending left me yelling (in the best frustrated way), but the story kept me hooked. Solid start to a new series—I’ll definitely read the next one.

Was a good and fun read. I liked it and it kept me interested until the end. It was quick and the characters and story were interesting

How to describe Den of Liars? To borrow from Churchill: it’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Set in a vividly unique world with an unusual magic system, the story is told from dual POVs—Nic (our magnetic, mysterious Liar) and Lola (a tough, beautifully broken heroine with a mission).

Lola’s out to pull off a one-of-a-kind heist under the guise of a high-stakes game for her so-called friend Enzo, but quickly finds herself tangled in the secrets of The Liar’s Den—and the dangerously compelling man at its center.

Fast-paced, twisty, and ending on a cliffhanger that made me yell.

Absolutely loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

when I was selected to receive a proof for den of liars, I was over the moon with excitement! i’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of this book, as I’m a longtime fan of jessica s olsen.

and let me tell you: this book did NOT disappoint! I was hooked from the very beginning. I couldn’t put the book down while simultaneously trying to read it slowly so I could savour every second of it. den of liars is a fantastic combination of heists, a tournament and magic.

the history of each character, their relationships with one another and the romance was all on point!! a girl couldn’t have asked for more!! the banter and dialogue hit so hard.

I gotta say, the ending was frustrating (in a good way). I have to wait for the next book just to find out what happens?!?!

ANYWAY, this book is chefs kiss. I need everyone to drop what they’re doing and go read it. please and thank you.

Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson is one of my favorite books so far this year. I couldn't put this one down and can't wait for the next book.

Lola St. James is our fmc and her father is a pretty well-known man but she is his biggest secret...or she should have been. When her father lost the Liar's Dice Tournament, he lost a big secret and this made her a kidnapping target. Just when she thinks she's done for, the Thief (Enzo) shows up and makes a bargain with her. He'll rescue her but he needs her to share her heart with him. She agrees but now after all these years of sharing a heart, they can feel each other's emotions and while sometimes that is helpful, it can also be a challenge for what is coming.

Lola wants to be a full-fledged Tentacle but when a heist doesn't go as planned, the only thing Lola can do is compete in the Liar's Dice Tournament herself. So she changes her name and appearance and enters the tournament. There are so many things Lola has to deal with during this tournament. First, one of the challengers is trying to sabotage her, Second, because of the feelings they share, every time something happens and she reacts strongly, there's the risk that Enzo will show up. But the biggest challenge she faces with this is that the Thief's brother, the Liar, runs the game and he's not what she expected and she can't stop thinking about him or help being attracted to him.

That's about all I want to say because so much happens with in this book and I can't say anything because I don't want to ruin anything. Like I said, I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. The story is engaging, the characters are interesting, and the writing is well-done. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and even though this is a series and you'll have to wait for the next book to come out, I would encourage you to pick this up. I think you'll enjoy it.

There is something about YA fantasy books that just draws me in, and this one is no exception. This book had such a unique magic system that I immediately fell in love with. Add in the romance and you have a good mix of both. I got a very “Caraval”-esqe feel while reading.

While I did like the main characters, I definitely wanted a little more. My favorite part of the story was the casino setting. It was written so incredibly well.

Overall it was an enjoyable read.

A very special Thank You to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.