Such a fun fantasy/dystopian type novel. I don't usually read this genre but I truly enjoyed visiting this world and connecting with the characters. Can't wait to see where this author goes with this world.

If you’re a fan of Caraval and have been looking for Caraval 2.0, I present to you: Den of Liars.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT TO EXPECT⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🎲 Immersive games
🎭 Lots & lots of secrets and lies
🎲 Heists
🎭 Feuding brothers
🎲 Magical dice

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱PLOT⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Lola has been working with the Thief (Enzo) to pull off robberies and heists for years. They are partners in crime who share a heart. I don’t mean that metaphorically. They quite literally share a vital organ. When she’s entrusted with pulling a heist on the brother he hates, the Liar, she gets excited because she thinks once she proves herself, the Thief will finally let her into his inner circle. In order for her to succeed on this mission, she needs to enter the Liar’s Dice Tournament, an immersive game that involves illusions, magical dice that each have their own special power, stealing secrets and lying to fool everyone around you.
<blockquote><i>Standing among you are fifty anonymous players,” the Liar says when the cheers subside. “Over the next week, they will gamble with you, dance with you, dine with you. They will design delights to deceive and spin stories to seduce. Can you decipher truth from their lies? Can you unravel fact from their fiction?”</i></blockquote>
Things get even more interesting when she starts catching feelings for the man she’s trying to steal from.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT I DISLIKED⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🎭 Lola constantly calls the Liar’s morality into question and shames him for his lies, yet she lies more than him lmao I love her, but I didn’t like her holier than thou attitude about this. She’s conning him the whole time but acts like he’s the bad guy when he tells a lie. At least the Liar isn’t pretending to be a paragon of virtue; he’s literally nicknamed the Liar. Meanwhile, Lola makes excuses and justifies all the lies she tells, while condemning him for doing the same. I did not like the hypocrisy.

🎲 I loved the dialogue and banter in the first half, but it started to feel stilted and cringey as I continued to read. I couldn’t believe these were real people having a conversation and when I’m reading a book, I like to pretend everything is real bc it’s more fun that way and I couldn’t do that with this because the conversations felt stilted and forced instead of authentic. I don’t know if it was always like this and I just didn’t notice at first or if it genuinely got worse as the book went on.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱CHARACTERS⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🎭 The Liar. HE IS SO SEXY. He’s so charismatic and seductive with his little smirks and taunts. Arrogant immortals will do it for me every time I fear.

🎲 Lola/Magnolia/Astra. So many names lol. She’s so sneaky and snarky, I love her!!!! I can’t wait for her to get revenge on everyone who tried to manipulate her in this book.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT I DISLIKED⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🎭 Lola constantly calls the Liar’s morality into question and shames him for his lies, yet she lies more than him lmao I love her, but I didn’t like her holier than thou attitude about this. She’s conning him the whole time but acts like he’s the bad guy when he tells a lie. At least the Liar isn’t pretending to be a paragon of virtue; he’s literally nicknamed the Liar. Meanwhile, Lola makes excuses and justifies all the lies she tells, while condemning him for doing the same. I did not like the hypocrisy.

🎲 I loved the dialogue and banter in the first half, but it started to feel stilted and cringey as I continued to read. I couldn’t believe these were real people having a conversation and when I’m reading a book, I like to pretend everything is real bc it’s more fun that way and I couldn’t do that with this because the conversations felt stilted and forced instead of authentic. I don’t know if it was always like this and I just didn’t notice at first or if it genuinely got worse as the book went on.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT I LIKED⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🎭 It was fast-paced and engaging from start to finish with no dull moments.

🎲 The writing is gorgeous. The way the author describes settings, people, costumes, weather, etc. is so lush and cinematic. I had to keep stopping mid-paragraph just to reread lines because I was blown away by her beautiful similes and metaphors. Like, “Raindrops catch on her eyelashes like tiny diamonds.” Who thinks of that? But do you see what I mean? She takes simple, everyday things like eyelashes and makes them seem so whimsical. It reminds me of Stephanie Garber’s writing; they both have the ability to take something completely ordinary and make it seem so enchanting and whimsical.

The following sentences on dancing were some of my favorite lines in the entire book. I’m not a dancer, but this made me want to join a ballet course because she makes it seem like the most magical, wonderful experience.
"When I danced, I became someone. I could close my eyes and see audiences I’d never glimpsed, dance on stages I’d never
touched, hear them cheer in languages I’d never heard."
So, so beautiful.

She romanticizes everything. Not in a cheesy, overly purple way, but in a way that makes you look at the world a little differently after you close the book. Eyelashes become diamond catches. Rain becomes poetry. Dancing becomes transcendence. Such beautiful, immersive writing.

🎭 The heists. I’m convinced I was a criminal in a past life bc I love reading about thieves a little too< much. I never wanted to put this book down because the heists were always so fast-paced with many near-death experiences or near-being-caught moments that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The breaking in, sneaking around and stealing added so much suspense, and I ate it up.

Jessica S. Olson immediately drew me into Den of Liars: with the first line: “The thief came for her heart in the night.” The concept of “soul light” theft, allowing one to feel love and pain, creates a unique magical setting. The idea of a “four-thousand-plat tutu” and a heist where secrets are put on the line for power instantly intrigued me!

Olson’s worldbuilding is truly imaginative. Magic coming from the stars is beautiful. The curse that befalls Enzo, allowing him to walk through walls but forcing him to steal words and corporeal form, is a brilliant touch, adding intrigue and vulnerability. The Liar Dice Tournament is a stroke of genius: a game where participants stake their most dangerous secrets for a die capable of untraceable deception. It’s a clever mechanism that propels the plot and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The characters are at the heart of this story. Lola is a wonderfully relatable protagonist; her coordination difficulties and fierce determination make her easy to root for. But the real stars are the brothers, the Thief and the Liar. Their complex and conflicting dynamic is a masterful dance of deceit and hidden agendas. I endlessly debated which brother I’d rather side with, thinking while Enzo might be safer, Nic’s trickster nature makes him dangerously alluring. The Liar’s unexpected performance and difficulty “keeping it real” through his secrets added surprising depth. And Enzo? Oh, Enzo! His sweet tooth, love of fashion magazines, singing to his pet octopus Septavia (my heart!), and endearing “bossy mother hen” side made him a true delight. Septavia herself is a fantastic addition, reflecting traffic lights like diamonds and even taking Lola’s side!

The romantic tension between Lola and the Liar is palpable, echoing classic hate-love dynamics. Their relationship feels like a Taylor Swift song. The constant back-and-forth, the whispered “I loathe yous” followed by urgent kisses, is deliciously convincing. The image of Nic in his “absurd purple fedora” added another layer to his handsome trickster charm. My feelings about the brothers are mixed—can’t choose!

Den of Liars is full of thrilling twists and turns, constantly making you wonder who has the upper hand in this complex cat-and-mouse game. Olson’s writing is punchy, witty, and full of memorable one-liners and vivid descriptions. This book is a fast-paced, addictive read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I can’t wait for book two to see what the future holds for these captivating characters!

If you enjoy the romantic adventures of The Vampire Diaries mixed with the high-stakes heists of Six of Crows and a mysterious curse, then I highly recommend Den of Liars!

I absolutely love this author's work, however this book wasn't for me. The writing was over explanatory in a sense that the characters' inner monologue's don't feel unique to them but more so like the author pausing the story to explain what's happening to us.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan's Children's Publishing group, Fiewel and Friends, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I loved the idea of this book. A casino of sorts where people gamble secrets. It was very intriguing. And I have listened to books narrated by this female author (under a different name) and have enjoyed her. So having a copy of this one to listen to (and read along with the Kindle version) was nice.
This book gave me Leigh Bardugo Six of Crows vibes. I think it was the crime boss in a fantasy world thing that made me feel that way. So the idea of the story was really great. It was written well with average pacing and lots of suspense woven throughout. But it didn't hit it's mark for me.
I'll start with the narration. Unfortunately, I didn't click well with the narrators. They had good cadence and inflection, I just wasn't pulled in by their voices for the characters they were portraying. It is dual narration with a FMC and MMC POV. I wish there had been more from the MMC's POV. I felt the book heavily relied on the FMC's POV.
Beyond the narration, I truly struggled to connect with the characters. Astria/Lola had a lot of baggage but I didn't feel like she really addressed any of it and grew from what she found throughout the book. She still seemed to be in the same place she started by the end. Nic/Liar was a better character for me. I could feel his struggle in wanting to be more than just the liar he was. But he didn't do much to change it. Both these characters had limited growth and development for me and came across as one dimensional rather than layered.
I also struggled to feel the chemistry and romance between the characters. It seemed quite forced. There was no growth there. No lead up. It just was suddenly they were attracted to each other and that was that.
I also found the world building lacking. I had a hard time understanding the magic system and how it worked. Or even how people had magic in the first place.
I did appreciate the inclusion of a disability in this book. I could feel the struggle from that character in having to deal with an eye that doesn't work quite right and glasses often getting in the way.
Overall, the book is fast paced but it just missed the mark for me with the lack of world building and development of the characters. I honestly couldn't wait for it to end.

This was such a fun ride! Full of twists and turns and with a really fun game in a magical casino.

I loved how the game was played, needing to convince people of lies using magical dice that gave temporary abilities. It was fun to see how she solved the mini puzzles she was given. And the casino was so lavish and so fun to explore.

I liked the tension between the two brothers and how she felt drawn to both of them. She had a history with one (that eventually starts feeling a little shaky) while she feels inevitably drawn to the other. The way those relationships developed and changed was cool to see.

Overall this was a fun YA adventure!

Thanks to the publisher for the copy.

A fast paced story surrounding thieves and magic. Had a though time getting into at first but over all enjoyed this one!

Stealing Secrets or Secretly Stealing?

I got swept away by these characters and their fascinating magic system. The evolution of Lola was tantalizing and empowering. The Devious brothers, The Thief and The Liar are dark, mysterious (and sexy), characters who get wrapped up in the life of Lola as secrets unfold, and lies are told.

I look forward to seeing where this story goes next.

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓰𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓭, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓭, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭. 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓫𝔂𝓮”

Thank you Jessica S Olson, Macmillan Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is an exhilarating, mysterious YA romantasy by the incredible Jessica S. Olson! It is the first book in “The Devious” series. I’m unsure at the moment how many books will be in this series/if it’s a duology/trilogy, etc! This book is expected to release on July 1st, 2025!

➼ enemies to lovers
➼ warring brothers
➼ forbidden romance
➼ magical dice
➼ secret identity
➼ lots of secrets, lies and betrayals

Trigger warning(s): kidnapping, child abuse (past), violence, and murder

I truly loved this book! The writing was CHEF’s KISS! It was honestly captivating, and sooo easy to read! Plus the visuals?? I could see it playing all out in my head, it was incredible! This book is perfect for reads who love ”Caraval” and ”The Assistant to the Villain”! A couple things I want to mention about this AMAZING book, first, <spoiler>the voratium bracelet and Lola using it to enhance her connection to both Nic and Enzo’s powers??? SO OP!! That is literally big brained of her to do. The next is the colored die. I love that each die color represented the die’s powers; red — makes the truth feel false, blue — creates a visual glamour, green — alter sounds, scents, feelings and tastes, yellow — softens emotions to your will, and white — the power to sense lies. I love this little bit on information when I read the book, I kept going back to my notes and referencing what each die did when people used them throughout the story! The final point I want to mention from this book is miss Estelle. I picked up on this real quick, but miss girl slipped up when Lola was using Astra as her identity and Estelle referred to her as Lola instead. Miss girl knows something and I HOPE she isn’t shady cause I loved the girl power in this book. But I really can’t wait to read more about her in the next book! A lot of unanswered questions for sure.

Donnic “Nic” Sinclair, also known as “The Liar”, is a very complex character, but an amazing MMC. Him and his brother, Enzo, have been through a lot in their lives, it’s honestly a sad backstory. There’s so much to unravel about “The Liar” in this book and again, so many unanswered questions that I’m BEGGING will be a part of the next book. Also, the chemistry between Nic and Lola? I’m LIVING for it! I also just loved being able to see his side of things throughout the story!

Magnolia “Lola” St James, also known as “Astra Tremaine”, is a bad@$$ FMC! I love the strabismic amblyopia (lazy eye) rep in this book, and how she talks about the struggles she has faced with it! Lola has a LOT of history and challenges she has faced throughout her life. It’s truly a sad backstory, and I don’t know whether to love or hate Enzo for “saving” her, or rescuing her, after she was kidnapped. Like Nic, there’s a bunch about Lola that we don’t know yet, and I cannot wait to read more in the next book in the series!

Lorenzo “Enzo” Sinclair also known as “The Thief”, is a comical MC. I know he tries to be really tough, but I feel at times we see a softer side of him, especially one that cares deeply for Lola. I’m just HOPING <spoiler>that he doesn’t betray Lola like it’s semi hinted at in this book. Someone is lying to Lola about the kidnapping and her history, and I’m really afraid it’s Enzo. It’ll break my heart if it is</spoiler> 😭

Book boyfriend? YES! I love Nic so much and cannot wait for more of him in the next book!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jessica S. Olson, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group: Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Did I find my new favorite YA fantasy read?? I was absolutely enchanted by Den of Liars and am already anxiously awaiting the sequel in the duology!! I'm hit or miss with fantasy as a whole, but if the plot revolves around a heist and a competition, I will definitely give it a shot. I'm thrilled to say that Olson successfully pulled off everything from the plot to the characters to the romance. There were some interesting elements at play, such as Lola's tethered connection to Enzo that I haven't quite seen before, and the dual POVs worked well to tell the story. I do wish we would have seen some from Enzo's perspective, but I have a feeling that might be at play in the sequel. All of the heist scenes had fantastic fight choreography written in, and everything felt so vivid while reading. The world building in terms of magic system and location was a pleasant surprise for me, as I found it easy to comprehend as a whole. I did find some of the "history"/religious beliefs of the world slightly confusing, and I wish that Olson would have taken a bit more time to explain the religious beliefs and mythology of the world to better understand how that was coming into play for the character's own beliefs. However, the star of the show (beyond the plot for me, as that was hands down the most fun and alluring) was the romance!! Lola and Nic had incredible chemistry, both when enemies and when lovers, and yet they had just as many amazing vulnerable scenes as they got to know each other. I truly bought their connection and was rooting for them early on. I thought Olson did a great job of developing their relationship to each other in a well-paced timeline, and I think their connection felt strong because she spent equal time developing them as individuals. Everything felt complex and well-rounded, and I appreciate the story not ending on too big of a cliff-hanger! I'm already excited to read what's next!

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Devious series. I got this ebook for review from NetGalley.

Thoughts: Previous to reading this book, I had read both of Olson's other books ("A Forgery of Rose" and "Sing Me Forgotten"), I liked both of these books. I didn't love them but they were enjoyable to read, I enjoyed the charaters and the concepts behind them. This book I struggled with and ended up stopping about 25% of the way in. I didn't like how it was written with a ton of exposition by the characters at inappropriate times in their heads. I also didn't like the characters and thought they were one-dimensional and boring. Lastly, the plot felt very typical to YA fantasy.

Lola is supposed to be dead and most of the world thinks she is dead. However, she was rescued by the Thief and now shares her heart (literally) with him to combat a curse he has on him. Now Lola is trying to prove herself to join the Thief's band called the Tentacles but to do so she will have to compete in the Liar's dice Tournament. The Thief's brother runs this tournament, and Lola is strangely drawn to him.

So, there was pretty much nothing I liked about this book for the first 25% of it I read. During action scenes we're subjected to long mental expositions by the characters about their pasts and thoughts, these portions were awkward sounding and really broke the mood of the story. Then there is the fact that I didn't like any of these characters, they are so stereotypical YA and so one-dimensional. The Thief and Lola obviously have a very harmful relationship that is portrayed as brother/sister-like and I thought this just felt yucky. The Thief very literally bound Lola to him in exchange for saving her life, and now he constantly makes her feel incompetent and less than she is. He overprotects her by not letting her do things and this felt very toxic and controlling to me. Lastly, there is the "love" interest, the Thief's brother. I think he is supposed to be your typical sympathetic villain, but he seemed so fake and over the top to me.

The story here is a variation of so many other YA stories like this and has been so overdone. Girl gets forced into dangerous high stakes competition to prove her worth to a boy but ends up falling for the bad boy that just happens to be the brother of the boy she's trying to fight for...ugh...

So, yeah I found this very disappointing and eye-rollingly silly. I just couldn't keep reading it. As with most books that I don't get more than 25% through I am giving this 3 stars in the assumption (and hope) that it gets better. To be fair some of this is probably just me, I really have been finding these typical over the top YA romance books a bit nauseating lately. I think I am just sick of them or at least sick of how they portray these toxic relationships between young adults.

My Summary (3/5): Overall I didn't enjoy this and found it very disappointing. I thought Olson's last two books were decent but this book missed the mark for me on characters, writing style, world-building, and plot. I don't have a lot good to say about it aside from maybe it gets better. Again, to be fair, I am sick of these YA books that have such stereotypical characters and young women making poor decisions. Part of not being able to finish this may be just pure exasperation on my part. However, given that I liked but didn't love Olson's first two books and how this book went for me I probably won't be picking up more books by Olson in the future.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• spoiler free review •°*”˜.•°*”˜

✨ 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬 ✨

Find a sunny spot, grab your beverage of choice, and turn on some music. it's time for this review lovelies.

it all started a week ago when i opened up my email and was shocked to see i actually got an arc. i was grinning and telling everyone i could that "i got an arc of Den of Liars!" my sister was concerned for my sanity - as she rightly should be - and my mom thought it was the coolest thing. but alas i didn't have time to read it right away so i had to wait till the weekend.

I started and finished da book in a single night. staying up wayyy to late for my own good, because this book is going to take the world by storm.

🎲 A young thief attempting a daring casino heist during a high-stakes tournament is torn between two warring brothers in Den of Liars, a thrilling YA fantasy romance by acclaimed author Jessica S. Olson. 🎲

everything about this book was amazing, i loved it all. there was a few cons but please 99% of this book was perfection earning

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

↪ 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓼

✨ a well-done love triangle >>>>> I hate love triangles, and have read exactly three i like. this one is the fourth. girlies, THE TWO MEN SHE COULD END UP WITH?!?!?! honesty, i would be okay if she ended up with either. (and i get the other one)
✨ the casino setting! I could feel the lights and the action, i could see the card games unfold. drink the yesterfizz with Lola.
✨ our characters were written very very well, to me they all felt real. each of the main characters had an issue they were working through that was written so well.
✨he is obsessed with her and she doesn't know it | we get his POV *dieS*
✨enemies to lovers done right
✨Reads like a fantasy even though it really isn't.
✨there were SOO many annotatable quotes, when i get the physical copy of this book you better believe that it will be marked up so hard.

↪ 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓼

◊ the ending felt a little rushed, if we could just have gotten another few chapters that would have been lovely.
◊ a few of the story elements felt confuzzled. mostly because i was reading it like a fantasy not dystopian. despite the fact the book is a cross-genre book i was still taken by shock when they hopped in a getaway car. i feel like she could have ebbed into that a bit more.
◊ during one aspect of the tournament it felt slightly rushed but not necessarily in a bad way.

¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º° 🎲 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 🎲 °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸

🅻🅾🅻🅰
i was attached to her from the start, her personality is intoxicating. not the mention that she uses sarcasm as a coping mechanism, she made me laugh sooo many times. her ptsd was written so well and the fact she wasn't unbeatable. now adays so many characters are over powered but not our Lola no she is just the right amount of kick but and soft girly looking for love.

🅴🅽🆉🅾
the overprotective and cursed 'older brother' type character. i liked him instantly at the first time we were introduced to him. he steels things as a living and is good at it. having a magical ability and all. ;) but i really liked him, he did do some things that were kinda messed up but always was there for our fmc.

🅽🅸🅲
the owner of the cassino, The Liar. I, like our fmc, hated him to start with but by 20% he had be screaming, banging my fist against my desk with his BANTER. I could read endless pages of that banter. he also deals with secrets instead of cash which I found so fascinating.

~*-.,_,.-*~' ^ '*-,~*-.,_,.-*~' ^ '*-,~*-.,_,.-*~' ^ '*-,~*-.,_,.-*~' ^ '*-,

All in all this book SLAYED. I will recommend for a long time and feel like it is the perfect summer/fall read possibly with a coffee?? though that could just be me <3 have a wonderful day and PLEASE READ THIS BOOK

Den of Liars was an interesting read, but I definitely had to push through to finish this one...
I believe that this will be a popular one, I just wasn't the audience for it potentially?
Things that I liked:
- the Caraval meets "Now You See Me" in Vegas vibes
- magic system involving dice
- two brothers love triangle

What I struggled with:
- the magic system was so unique, but SO confusing
- struggled to connect with any character, it was as if you only experienced them in passing and didn't really have a chance to love or hate them?
- conversations were very repetitive and went in a loop
- scenes didn't make sense, it was as if some moment the FMC was concerned with the competition and others she would sleep the day away?

Thank you, NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of Den of Liars.

Posting Schedule of my reviews:
- Goodreads: June 29, 2025
- Instagram: No Review due to less than four stars personal rating
- Barnes and Noble: One week after pub date (7/8/2025)

Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“My eyes sharpened on his. ‘I don’t need saving.’
‘Of course you don’t, darling.’”

This book was fun and intriguing and pulled me in from the mysterious first page. A story about, a liar, a thief and the girl in between. We follow Lola as she gets swept up into a daring heist, entering into a tournament that threatens to spill all her secrets in the search of the one thing she desires. As secrets unfold and feelings grow our heroine must determine what is illusion and what is truth. Stuck between two feuding brothers who carry different parts of her heart, Lola St. James is also trapped in a tumultuous web of finding out who she is and deciding where her path leads.

If you love misunderstood villains, forbidden romance this one is for you.
The magic system and environment was unique and refreshing, and I cannot wait for the next book! The cliffhanger leaves you waiting for more and excited to see what Lola will get into next.

Magic, lies, a heist, a conwoman, a love triangle...this all sounded fantastic to me but for some reason this new YA romantasy just didn't quite hit the mark. I still found the plot entertaining and might keep reading when the next book comes out. Would recommend to fans of authors like Stephanie Garber. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Write the heist and I will come. That might as well be my own personal bumper sticker. Oh, and I’m sorry? This is a casino heist? And there’s a game tournament of some kind going on? Well just let me put on “Casino Royale” in the background and let’s smash this.

Den of Liars starts off interesting, grows more complex and intimate with each chapter, and leaves you aching by the ending (which isn’t a cliffhanger, IMO, but it does leave you heavily anticipating the next installment). It feels fresh and exciting, with an elegant, old money charm to the worldbuilding and showmanship.

Of course there’s lying and stealing in this book, but there’s also a lot of honesty and heart. These characters are all wounded deep inside and can’t easily break free. It’s going to be fun reading the next book and seeing how they can start to dig themselves out. 4⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Book Series/Disability Rep/Fantasy/Romantasy/Urban Fantasy/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

Lies, deceit, thievery and romance. Multi POV fast easy read. Interesting characters. Secret identities. Some unexpected moments that really made my mouth pop open.

Lola St. James is supposed to be a secret, but when her father loses her identity in a high stakes game of Liar’s Dice - a tournament where players gamble their deepest secrets - a rival family kidnaps her. Saved by Enzo, the Thief, Lola reinvents herself helping in heists and searching for the moonshard.

When a major heist goes wrong, Lola has no choice but to enter the very tournament that changed her life. In order to keep her own secret safe from the Liar she must win the tournament while also staking out the Casino in search of the Liar’s vault.

The world building and character development was fantastic. I never felt lost or confused while unraveling the past of the Liar and the Thief and how they got their magic or how it works. I loved the casino setting and could vividly imagine the Liars illusions.

To be fully honest, the romance in this book was just a bonus. I was far more interested in the Liar’s Dice tournament itself and revealing more and more of Lola’s history. I did love the enemies to lovers and forced proximity between Lola and the Liar.

Den of Liars was fast-paced with high stakes and I loved every second of it. Hooked immediately from the beginning. It gives off Phantasma vibes while being unique to itself. Den of Liars ends on a cliffhanger and I’m excited to see what’s in store for book two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC opportunity. This is an honest and voluntary review.

Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson is a dark, twisty tale of power, deception, and identity — and I was hooked. The court intrigue is deliciously tense, the betrayals hit hard, and the morally gray characters kept me on my toes the entire time.

Olson crafts a world that feels both sharp and shadowed, full of secrets and shifting alliances. I especially loved how no one — not even the main character — could fully be trusted. The layers of manipulation, hidden motives, and emotional stakes were all done so well.

There were a few pacing bumps and moments where I wanted just a bit more depth or clarity in the worldbuilding, but overall, this was a gripping and satisfying read. Bold, clever, and unapologetically dark.

How deep do lies truly go? And how far do some people go to protect their deepest secrets? Den of Liars explores these questions in an opulent and glittering casino, with a heist at the center and two feuding brothers.

To the rest of the world, Lola St. James is dead. As far as anyone who isn’t her or her friend Enzo know, she was murdered four years ago. In actuality, she made a deal with him- she’ll share her heart with his, in exchange for him rescuing her from her kidnappers. He needs a heart to help his curse, she needed an escape. A win win situation. Together, they’re searching for the Moonshard- the elusive piece of magic that caused his brother to curse him and gave them immortality.

When the yearly tournament at Enzo’s brother’s casino starts up, Lola realizes this her opportunity to spy on the Liar. If she can seize the moonshard from him, she can break Enzo’s curse. But the Liar’s dice tournament is more dangerous than Lola ever expected, and he takes an interest in her, the only person who seems to be able to break through his glamour. As Lola lies and steals, she begins to realize that the things Enzo told her aren’t adding up- and she may not hate the Liar as much as she thinks she does.

This was a fun read, but things don’t quite start to fall into place until pretty far into the book, so be prepared for a lot of red herrings! Thank you to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my review! Den of Liars releases on July 1st!