Book Review: The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen

About the Book:

Title: The Liar’s Crown

Author: Abigail Owen

Page Length: 448

Publication Date: Aug. 30, 2022

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

Synopsis: Beauty and the Beast meets Snow White in this upper YA fantasy where a black heart is disguised by beauty, the purest soul is hidden within a beast, and a gift of hope is laced with death.

Everything about Meren’s life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, she has only one purpose—to sacrifice her life for her beloved sister if death comes for her. Meren has lived under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead, their dominion under threat of eternal winter, and the sinister King Erebos has sent her sister a flower. The first seen in a thousand years. With that gift, he seeks to wed her. Untrusting, Meren does what she was born to do and secretly takes her sister’s place on the eve of the coronation.

Which is why, when a man made of shadow kidnaps the new queen…he gets Meren by mistake.

As Meren tries to escape, all the lies start to unravel. Not just her lies. The Shadow Ranger who took her has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, hideous faces, that terrify her.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save them all is to kill Erebos. But to kill the king is to destroy the king, including the only good piece of his soul left—the Shadow Ranger who has stolen Meren’s heart.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

The Liar’s Crown is an entertaining and immersive YA fantasy and the first in a new series by Abigail Owen. I’ve read many of Owen’s adult novels, and the author has transitioned to YA wonderfully. The characters, the world-building, the magic, the ROMANCE – it’s all fantastic!!

Merin is a layered protagonist. She’s brave and selfless, and she never gives up. She’s a bit sassy, and she is sarcastic and witty. Meren has spent her entire life in the shadow of her twin sister, who is the future queen. Often standing in at events that prove too dangerous for her sister, Meren lives to protect her sister, which leads to her kidnapping. Though she has one purpose in life, she longs for so much more, and her epic journey, both emotional and physical, is so intriguing! I also like that we see Meren, faults and all. She is not perfect, nor does she profess to be, but she owns her faults and tries to grow from them.

Reven is really interesting too, and I was so eager to learn more about this brooding and mysterious character. Was he a villain or a hero or somewhere in between? The more I learned about him, the more I wanted to know, especially as his past is slowly revealed. During her time with Reven, Meren meets many others, and these characters are all unique and developed as well. I found myself getting attached to the secondary characters and could understand why Meren did too.

The enemies-to-lovers romance is one of my favorite parts of the story. No shock there! Meren and Reven have great chemistry, and their witty and sometimes antagonistic banter has major grumpy/sunshine vibes. And talk about sexual tension! It’s off the charts! Meren and Reven are opposites in many ways, and though they start as enemies, they learn they’re more alike than they think. I love how their relationship builds, and some of their more tender moments are super swoon-worthy!

The world-building and magic are intricate and detailed, which creates a super immersive and vivid story, as does the writing. Owen has a way of pulling the reader right into the book and brings not only the characters but the world to life. The plot is also really intriguing and filled with twists and turns. There’s a ton of suspense and adventure, and I found it difficult to put the book down. There’s so much going on, and danger lurks around every corner for Meren, which makes for a pretty gripping story.

The more I think about this well-paced and engaging story, the more I like it. The characters are compelling, the story is unique and intriguing, and the romance is fantastic. I would definitely recommend the book to readers who like upper YA fantasy or romantasy, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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