The premise of this sounded so good. I really was excited for this stories about thieves… but I really didn’t love the writing. I don’t know why but the octopus around his wrist kind of gave me the ick? I just couldn’t get passed that and the curse. Maybe it’s just not the right time for me to read this… but honestly I think this just isn’t for me.

4.5 stars for me⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
This book has such a unique and fun magic system. It is so refreshing to get something new like this into the fantasy genre. this book makes you want the villain but when lines become blurred, it leaves you feeling conflicted. i’m so excited to see where Lola ends up in book 2!!
thank you macmillan children’s publishing group & netgalley for the eARC✨

3.5! 🌟 This was such a fun, fast-paced read!! Thieves, magic, secret tournaments… right up my alley. I was really into the tension, the mind games, and the chaos of never knowing who to trust. That said… the characters didn’t fully hit for me. I liked the dynamic, especially getting both POVs (it definitely helped with the whole “who do you trust” question), but the romances felt a little surface-level, like it wanted to be messy and angsty but didn’t quite go deep enough. Still, the plot twists, the heists, the danger — all super entertaining. Not a new all-time fave, but I had a really good time with it.

A fun and whimsical YA with dark teeming clouds overhead and shadows throughout. The FMC Lola was such fun to read, the magic system was a treat, and the adventure rolling out page after page kept me very engaged and eyes glued!

This book had so many twists and secrets!

Lola St. James was hidden away after her father lost big in the Liar’s Dice Tournament and made her a target. She was rescued by the Thief, the leader of the Tentacles, and now lives under the name Astra. Years later, she’s ready to prove herself. But when a mission goes sideways, she’s forced into the tournament herself run by none other than the Thief’s brother, the Liar.

You just had no idea who to trust in this book!

I really enjoyed the dual POV and watching Lola get pulled deeper into the feud between the two brothers. The Liar’s public versus private personality was so entertaining!

The magic system was so creative, especially how it’s tied to physical objects!

This series is just getting started, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for the ARC!

I was excited to read this book bexuase 1- I love a heist & 2- readers kept comparing it to Caraval (which is one of my favorites). But the heist scenes were few and far between and I didn’t see any similarities with Caraval.

This had a cool concept & there were parts of this book that were entertaining but I think overall, it needed to be fleshed out more.

The magic system was convoluted with too many terms to keep track of, leaving me confused. And I really didn’t enjoy the ending - himself I had to push myself to read the last 25%

There were some pros though! I liked the FMC Lola, she was badass and spoke her mind. And I enjoyed the dynamic between her and the Liar. Like I mentioned earlier, the heist style scenes had me hooked in the beginning and there was some beautiful writing (specifically the cave scene).


**Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

This is a fun new and exciting YA fantasy book. The plot is filled with lies, secrets, heists and a high stakes magical competition. The female main character is young and slightly naive but very likable. She has to figure out what is real and who she can trust. There are also a pair of mysteriously devious brothers that complicate everything…especially when it comes to matters of the heart! I enjoyed the dual points of view throughout the story. The ending leaves you wanting more and with many unanswered questions. I look forward to the next book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

A fun adventure through glamorous heists. Lola and the Thief's dynamic enchanted me as they schemed and plotted their way throughout a city festering with vice. The duo plan a heist against the Thief's traitorous brother who rules over a decadent casino known as The Liar's Den. Both Lola and the Thief are burdened by their tragic pasts with the Liar, the Thief's brother.

The stakes were high for this book. However, I feel the worldbuilding fell a little flat. Some of the chapters had random details that weren't integrated well. For example, Septavia, the Thief's clingy octopus was mentioned off-handedly in the beginning and then goes unmentioned. The Zenithic church was also written sporadically in the beginning. It can be awkward to read as the novel tries to hook in these details.

This is a spoiler-free review! Den of Liars will be available on July 1, 2025.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I love a good heist novel, and considering the past few mystery books I read have been lacking in heists, I was so excited to get approved for this galley. Right from the start, readers are introduced to an exciting world that was more modern than I expected. The pacing for world-building is quick but not confusing, and while it took me a second to familiarize myself with all of the new places and books of importance, the story was not overloading the reader with new information every two seconds.

Lola is such an interesting character, and you can tell that she is headstrong from the second she shows up on the page - with the brief prologue, readers are given the tone of her character and she holds true to her determination as the story goes on. Her backstory definitely plays into her character and the choices that she makes along the way. The character of the Liar and the Thief intrigued me so much - it was exciting to see how they differed while also seeing how similar they were. The pull between those two characters and Lola keeps the reader entertained and longing for something mischievous to come into play.

The heists are one thing, but when one goes array, the only way to continue on for Lola is to participate in the Dice Tournament - which poses an entirely new risk to Lola as she journeys on to become a true member of the Tentacles, the Thief's gang. As their bond has grown over their time together, she is determined to prove herself and be taken seriously by the Thief. With their bond already formed, it was interesting to see how Lola still was not a member of the Tentacles despite being able to pull off a number of schemes and heists with the Thief.

I am such a major fan of the main lead falls for the villain, so I was thrilled to see hinting of that trope throughout the book and just mentioned in the summary. It plays out such a complex relationship as there is always more to the villain's story than appears in the beginning. With the Thief seeking revenge against his brother, the Liar, Lola is now right in the middle of their sibling feud, and when pulled between them, whose side will she choose?

For fans of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody and Caraval by Stephanie Garber, this new and exciting young adult romance brings action, romance, and intrigue to a unique story. There is something new at every turn, and readers can expect to be in for page-turning surprises. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has in store, and will certainly be keeping my eye out for any works by Olson.

This was a bit confusing to me. Very Interesting premise about a heist, a thief, a liar and a girl that was “kidnapped” (or rescued?) and now has to share a heart with the guy that took her. He needs to use people to survive. In order to get free from this, she has to help him trying to look for a moonshard that supposedly can free them from all of this. The only issue is that the object is inside his brother’s casino, one he has been blocked from accessing.

Lola, the girl, decides to enter the casino and join the Liar’s Dice Tournament, an annual event where people have to gamble one of their deepest secrets in order to win an unbreakable lie. While the tournament is happening, she is set on a mission to find the moonshard that will free her from sharing a heart and the thief from being dependent on other people to survive.

The Liar, the brother who runs the game, is a man full of secrets and illusions and someone she sees as an enemy. As they know each other more, she starts realizing that he is more than she bargained for. Her attraction for him grows while she is forced to confront the secrets of her past and find the truth about what really happened in between the brothers.

I was not sure I was really getting things until around 65% of the story. I do have to say the MC’s made me giggle! The banter and attraction between them were good but I expected more. I do understand this is YA so there’s a certain limitarion to it.

In general I think there were too many things to grasp and understand at the same time with not a lot of clear explanations. Moonshards, soullight, starlight, voratium… my brain was working overtime and I found myself struggling to pick this back up. It did get better and a little easier halfway in.

It’s a very creative story, but I felt like it almost did too much and felt more confusing than it should.

I am such a sucker for a good heist book. While the actual heist was still really interesting for me the magic system stole the show. The scarcity of magic in this world while simultaneously being a huge commodity was a cool way to bring in the crime elements as well as the game that the heist centers around. I liked how the magic could be contained in the dice or other objects making it more available to other characters but while The Thief and The Liar had more unique capabilities they still relied on these tools. It made Lola's understanding and use of magic a really cool element of the story. The setting was stunning and really brought the game to life. I loved how it had a bit of a vintage Vegas vibe and showmanship. This was particularly well done with The Liar and seeing the different sides of his public vs private persona. I also enjoyed how the main three characters are all intertwined through the magic but also all keeping their own secrets. I am so looking forward to the next book and seeing more of this captivating world.

Readers who love Caraval will love this book, and its world of competition, luxury, and being betrayed by your senses.

While I loved the premise of the book, the story started off quite slow. In particular, there was a lot of “telling, not showing” heavy moments in the first few chapters that I think could have been handled with a bit more nuance. And yet, despite these information dumps on the actions being taken, the world building and setting the scene was pretty surface level to me. It took several chapters for me to even understand the age of the characters, making it difficult to envision in the start. Additionally, the magic system didn’t feel fully baked (though perhaps that will become clearer in the next book?), nor did the religion system.

The three main characters were intriguing. I felt invested in trying to understand the relationship dynamics between them and in trying to parse out their secrets.

Overall, I would say this book was okay, but ultimately I found myself wanting a bit more in terms of world building and plot development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Den of Liars is about Lola who was saved by Enzo, the Thief, four years ago. As a bargain, she consented to sharing her heart with him which links the two of them together until she dies. Now, Enzo needs Lola to enter the Liar's Tournament run by his brother, Nic. Before she can enter the Tournament, she must offer her biggest secret. We follow along with Lola's journey in the Liar's Tournament, her self-discovery, and trust. This is a first person dual-POV YA fantasy high-stakes heist romance with a complex love triangle that isn't a true love triangle.

I was hooked almost right away in this book. Olson does a good job of introducing this new world and magic system while still leaving us readers with some questions that hopefully will be answered in the second book. There was vivid imagery of the magic system and the mystical casino setting. The casino is where the majority of the story takes place. I do wish that more of the story took place outside of the casino, I understand why it had to be that way and was pleased with how everything was tied together.

As for the magic system, this is the first time I've read a book with dice magic like this where the dice had to be rolled in order to take effect. It was unique and refreshing.

The character development in this was good overall. Lola is fierce, clever, and morally gray as she is also a thief. I enjoyed reading about her complex relationships with each of the two brothers. Each of the brothers have their own complex story line. For this being the first book in a series, I think the development of all three characters was well done and hope to learn more in the next one!

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fantasy book mixed with a casino heist plot as well a (sort of) love triangle!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson is a first person dual-POV YA fantasy romance with a complex love triangle that isn’t really a love triangle. Four years ago, Enzo saved Lola’s life and in the process she gave him a piece of her heart, linking the two together. Now Enzo needs Lola to enter the Liar’s Tournament run by his brother, Nic and offer up one of her own secrets in the process. But nobody is expecting sparks to fly between Lola and Nic.

The book opens in a way that feels like a love triangle where the main character has to choose between two brothers is going to happen and technically yes, but not in the way we’re used to. As of this book there is nothing romantic going on between Enzo and Lola, which is very interesting considering they share a heart. They view each other as siblings and have a very close bond, but there’s nothing in really indicating romantic feelings are going to develop in the next book either. This was probably the part of the book I liked the most because it flips a popular trope on its head and never says romantic love is more important than platonic love. Lola’s relationship with Enzo is just as important and just as messy as her relationship with her romantic interest Nic. It doesn’t pull the rug out from under you because nothing about how Lola describes Enzo feels romantic. She clearly loves him, but not all love between men and women leads to romance.

The magic system is not fully explained. We know that some people have magic but not everyone does. Nic is bound to tell lies and the casino he runs is packed with illusions. He can take people’s secrets and keep them in empty dice as well as small pieces of magic that let other people impact the thoughts and actions of others. There’s curses and Enzo is said to be immortal as well. I’m curious to see how the magic system is developed in the next book and how it’s all linked together.

The world feels like an alternative 1930s. Between the casino, Nic’s fedora, and the tech level, it is familiar enough while also very much not being our world. Almost everything happens in the casino or if it didn’t happened in someone’s memories and we explore the scene with the magic system. There is some lore regarding faith that uses the term ‘priests’ but might be closer to Protestantism.

Content warning for mentions of child abuse

I would recommend this to fans of YA romantasy that don’t play tropes completely straight and readers of 1930’s-inspired fantasy

A game of lies. Who wouldn’t want to read a book about that? I enjoyed the elements of the game, and I loved both Nic/The Liar and the casino. At first, I really disliked Lola. Her naivety, her meekness, it was too much. But the more she saw the life outside of Enzo, the more I grew to like her.

This was a fun read. I’m definitely looking forward to future books in this series.

Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.25 Stars

Den of Liars was an entertaining read, full of fantastical elements and illusion. The characters felt a little flat and I do wish we had more dimension to understand them better. The setting was fun and unique but the world building could have been better fleshed out.

I would absolutely recommend for anyone to read this, especially for a quick and fun time, despite these personal critiques. This was a fun read!

ARC Review: Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and to Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I went in pretty blind in terms of what the storyline was going to be, other than knowing it is a YA romantasy. I loved the world-building and the vivid imagery of the magic system that Olson created. This was my first time reading a book with dice magic, and I loved the idea that rolling each die had a different effect. The slow burn and pining of Lola and Nic’s romantic tension was top tier! I want more of them! I do wish we’d gotten more answers to the questions being asked at the end of the novel, but I guess we’ll have to wait for book two!

Den of Liars will release July 1st 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC of Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson!

I had such a good time with this book. The premise felt unique, and I was immediately hooked by the whole mystery of how the curse worked and what the magic really was. It gave just enough detail to keep me curious without overexplaining. Jessica S. Olson did an awesome job building a magic system that felt unique but still had clear rules and limits, it never felt too convenient or overpowered, which I really appreciated.

The whole gambling/casino vibe tied to the Liars’ magic so perfectly as well. It added this constant tension because every scene felt like someone could be bluffing, and the stakes always felt high. I loved how the magic wasn’t just for show, it was all about manipulation and strategy, which fit the story and curse theme so well.

And then there’s Lola, I loved her. She’s smart, calculating, and kind of a mess in the best way. Watching her evolve through all the twists and betrayals was so satisfying. She’s one of those characters that you root for even when she’s making risky decisions because you get why she’s doing it. I honestly can’t wait to see how her character continues to grow in book two.

This line was my favorite-
“Dear, if anyone ever tells you to distrust everyone but them, they aren’t interested in truth. Only control.”
It sums up so much of the vibe of the book in just one sentence.

If you’re into YA fantasy with morally gray characters, high-stakes magic, and a FMC who definitely has more than one trick up her sleeve, Den of Liars needs to be on your TBR. I’m already counting down to book two!

This was a fun read! It was a little slow at first, and I thought this book was about to be like Caraval, but I was happily proven wrong! There was a lot of action within this casino heist themed book.

I thought Lola was a great example on how easily young people can be manipulated. She is incredibly strong from what she went through, however, she did feel very naive.

Lola and the Liar had great banter! I liked how we learned about his magic along with her, however, I thought it was kinda odd that we got to learn his real name before she did through the chapter POV. It would have been nice to give us his POV with the chapters calling him ‘The Liar’ and then switching to his real name after Lola learned it - if that makes sense.

It might be a personal preference, but a fedora? No thank you. I thought the Liar was an interesting character to learn about! He seemed to hold a decent amount of depth, but between him, Lola, and Enzo, it felt like they were all immature teenagers (maybe they are & I missed that?).

The story telling and world building was okay! I was getting confused during certain parts, I felt like some scenes had maybe a little too much detail & that caused the confusion?

Overall, it was a decent book!

2.5⭐️ Rounded up!

I received an ARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Den of Liars hooked me from the very first chapter! I was a little skeptical at first, but it definitely blew my expectations out of the water!! The stakes were high and the action stayed rolling in this casino heist-themed story. Great world-building, fun magical elements, and delightful twists made it so much more in depth than what appears on the surface. I absolutely cannot wait for the next one!

Lola & The Liar had such fantastic banter and tension that kept me eager for more. I loved the multi POV, although I did wish for more from The Liar’s side. Hopefully this will happen in the future, maybe with a little spice thrown in…? 😏