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A review by ditten
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mistress of Lies is the first book in a vampiric dark fantasy trilogy full of politics, mystery, and power, and with a poly romance.
Shan, a Blood Worker (a sort of vampire), wants to protect her Unblooded twin brother at all costs. To do this, she needs to be strong enough to go against the Eternal King which requires power. So Shan schemes and trains, counting on her skills and her spies to be able to rise in rank and change the system from within.
Enter Samuel, a supposed Unblooded who has a dark secret and hidden connections - perfect for Shan to use as her puppet. Only, Samuel turns out to be so much more than just a naive means to an end for Shan.
Making things all the more complicated is Isaac, the Royal Blood Worker, right hand man of the Eternal King, and Shan's former best friend and lover. As both Shan and Samuel are charmed by Isaac, they have to juggle feelings and desires with finding a serial killer, a task bestowed upon them by the Eternal King.
~
I really enjoyed this book! The fantasy world created by Enright was complex and interesting. Like the characters, I never fully knew who to trust, so I was suspicious of everyone 😆 The mysteries and manipulation were great, and I gasped out loud a few times because I didn't see twists coming. And I'm all for the love triangle being resolved with a poly relationship!
Mistress of Lies has great diverse rep with a trans character, several characters of Filipino (or the fantasy equivalent) descent, bi/pan and poly characters, and focus on class and gender differences and discrimination.
The author did have a tendency to tell more than show which was a bit frustrating. In many ways, the characters felt a lot more like teens than mid-twenties, and I think some of their choices and naivité would've worked better if this book had been YA.
That said, I'll definitely be reading the next book when it's released as I'm super curious to see more of this world and characters, especially after the intriguing way Mistress of Lies ended.
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright // ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to Orbit for the finished copy!
Shan, a Blood Worker (a sort of vampire), wants to protect her Unblooded twin brother at all costs. To do this, she needs to be strong enough to go against the Eternal King which requires power. So Shan schemes and trains, counting on her skills and her spies to be able to rise in rank and change the system from within.
Enter Samuel, a supposed Unblooded who has a dark secret and hidden connections - perfect for Shan to use as her puppet. Only, Samuel turns out to be so much more than just a naive means to an end for Shan.
Making things all the more complicated is Isaac, the Royal Blood Worker, right hand man of the Eternal King, and Shan's former best friend and lover. As both Shan and Samuel are charmed by Isaac, they have to juggle feelings and desires with finding a serial killer, a task bestowed upon them by the Eternal King.
~
I really enjoyed this book! The fantasy world created by Enright was complex and interesting. Like the characters, I never fully knew who to trust, so I was suspicious of everyone 😆 The mysteries and manipulation were great, and I gasped out loud a few times because I didn't see twists coming. And I'm all for the love triangle being resolved with a poly relationship!
Mistress of Lies has great diverse rep with a trans character, several characters of Filipino (or the fantasy equivalent) descent, bi/pan and poly characters, and focus on class and gender differences and discrimination.
The author did have a tendency to tell more than show which was a bit frustrating. In many ways, the characters felt a lot more like teens than mid-twenties, and I think some of their choices and naivité would've worked better if this book had been YA.
That said, I'll definitely be reading the next book when it's released as I'm super curious to see more of this world and characters, especially after the intriguing way Mistress of Lies ended.
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright // ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to Orbit for the finished copy!