A solid debut! The world-building was vivid and really well-written. I particularly enjoyed the political intrigue in the novel and the fantasy elements. The book was long page-wise but it did not feel like that. I flew through it really quickly. The plot was fast-paced and gripping. In terms of the characters, Michael was a good protagonist albeit annoying sometimes.
Overall, I am looking forward to more of Martell's works.

I think it is just personal opinion and preference, but this book was just lacking something for me. I liked the way it was written and I liked the overall writing, but it just didn't get a full 5-stars for me. I did enjoy the cover art; it really pulled me in and made me want to read this book. Surely, other people did love it and I am very thankful to have read it. Trust me, I really wanted to love this one because the premise sounds great! As a fantasy book I really wanted it to transport me but just didn't quite get there for me.

This book absolutely blew my expectations away. It was so intriguing and well written. The author did a fantastic job at balancing the story line with the scientific aspects of the story. I highly recommend it!

Though this book has not really stuck with me, I enjoyed reading it quite a bit.

I liked the main character and I hope he one day gets all the answers he's looking for ; the mystery involving his father intrigued as well as many other bits of plot, including those about the magic.

The side characters were interesting and so was the world, I overall had a really fun and engaging reading experience with this book.

My only criticism about it however is that there was nothing particular enough about it for the story to stick with me, as I have read many fantasy books in my lifetime already. Still looking forward to the sequel though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a rough start for me. There was a death early on that was very traumatic, but I understand how it was important for the storyline. And once I was able to move past it, I was very impressed. And I sincerely hope there is a second in the series.

3.5 stars
Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and saga press for giving me the opportunity to review this arc. Overall this debut novel by the author is good. This book tells the story of Micheal Kingman who is on a personal quest to find the true reason why his father was executed and to restore the legacy of his family. Micheal makes decisions that may lead to him finding the truth or have him killed.
Upon reading this novel, the beginning was slow and I really had to will myself into continuing with it. The story actually got better around the 23% mark, and I suddenly became interested in the storyline with an intensity that I loved. After reading this book, I have to say that I was completely caught off guard with how things played out for Michael and his family in the end. I honestly didn't expect that twist of events in the end, which will most definitely make book 2 in this series interesting.
The author did a great job with this story and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2020/09/03/the-kingdom-of-liars/#comments

My Five Word TL:DR Review : Magic, Politics, Revenge, Secrets, Lies

The Kingdom of Liars is a really good start to series. I can’t deny that I’ve taken my time with this one but that’s more due to my ever changing-up-and-down reading mood which can go all over the place on a simple flight of whimsy and I then find it’s better to leave whatever I’m reading to one side and start something different for a while. As it happens, having a break was definitely the right choice. I picked this one back up and thoroughly enjoyed it.

As the story begins we meet Michael Kingman, awaiting trial for regicide, Michael is about to tell his story. This is a rather complex tale of a family, sworn to protect the royal family. Over the years their exploits have become legendary and their determination to protect their legacy and name a thing of pride. Unfortunately, their good standing came crashing down when David Kingman was accused of murdering the Prince and found guilty. Executed for treason, David’s family were branded, they lost their home, livelihoods and respect and now David’s son Michael seems to be in a similar plight. Like father/like son? – or perhaps innocent men are being accused of crime they didn’t commit. The question is why.

In fact the why and who is the real driving force here. Michael has spent the year’s since his father’s death going through the stages of denial and anger and has become consumed with the need to know what really happened. This is all taking place during a time of unrest. The current King is not loved, the surviving Prince is feared and hated, the nobility are at each other’s throats jostling for position and wealth, and rebellion is brewing. On top of that, the magic that the nobles use comes at a terrible price, the loss of memory, and this basically means that not everyone can be trusted.

I’m probably not writing the best description of what really takes place here but I really don’t want to give too much away. Basically, on the eve of the Endless Waltz, desperate for answers, Michael makes a few too many pacts and with all these people and deals to juggle things start to spiral out of control.

Anyway, no more elaboration about the plot. Let’s talk about other things.

Well, firstly, this book does have something of a set up feel to it, to be fair though there’s a lot to fit in. The world is interesting and I’m definitely curious to learn more about the history, about the Mercenary’s and about the broken Moon, just to give but a few examples. But, in spite of that slight set up feel the second half of the book really does pull you in. Things begin to twist and turn and the author delivers a steady stream of revelations.

Secondly, Michael. I like him, which is just as well as he’s the one we stick with for the entirety of the book. However, liking him doesn’t mean that I didn’t sometimes feel intense frustration at the choices he makes. Sometimes it feels like he’s running around like a headless chicken and his priorities have a way of waning and waxing to the point where even the mercenary that he hooks up with has a go at him for not seeing anything through.

I have to say I was fascinated with the man named ‘Dark’ and Domet too. The fear and respect that everyone has for both these characters definitely gives them an intriguing edge and I’m hoping for more – can’t deny it.

In conclusion, after a slightly slow start I enjoyed this one very much and look forward to picking up the next instalment.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The cover artwork drew me to this debut author's book and it did not disappoint. Mysteries, politics, and fantasy---I enjoyed it all.

I wanted to like this book more than I did.

Overall, the book is good. Solid prose, good ideas, strong supporting characters. But two things stuck out that took away from the story.

First of all, I like the overall plot and world building. The idea is great. I REALLY like the writing style of mentioning something and then not explaining it for awhile... real people don't define word/terms/events they already know. I can't stand when authors do that, so thank you Martell for that.

What I didn't like:

1. The main character is a whiny little bitch. I'll say it again, Michael Kingman is a whiny bitch. Several times in the book someone tells him to do something, he says "No" because that's what the hero does, then he does that thing because he's so weak but refuses to admit it... another character even calls him out on it about 2/3 of the way through the book, I loved that.

Imagine someone who's parent was an influential politician, now disgraced, yet they think they must save the entire nation because no one else is good enough to. That's the main character. As if James Comey or John Bolton's adult child said to themselves "The whole country is going to hell in a handbasket, and only I can save everyone." But then they did almost nothing the entire book, ALMOST NOTHING.

Like Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark... if Jones hadn't been in the movie, the Nazis would have opened the Ark and died. If Indiana Jones hadn't been in the movie, the ending wouldn't have changed; if Michael Kingman hadn't been in this book, the ending wouldn't have changed. He is active during the whole book, but the results of that activity are hard to point at.

2. Plot jumps ... I don't know what to call them, just things that don't happen in real life happening all the damn time. Not big enough to be a plot hole, just something that stands out and makes me think "Why did that happen, that's so weird" but not in a good way.

Might be I don't know the motivation of a character to blotchy dialogue, just weird. Like how Kingman has several beatings/near death experiences in a few days but is still walking around like nothing happens. I don't think he sleeps for a couple days, and just walks it off.

Overall, a good debut. I'm looking forward to the second book. I'm expecting the writing to get stronger with more experience.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Kingdom of Liars is a stunning debut from Nick Martell. Its about Michael Kingman and his quest to restore his family legacy. The reason he has to restore his family is his father and his family were branded as traitors after his father killed the Prince. His family lost everything after that, their home, their money and, their standing in society. His mother now lives in an asylum, marked as a Forgotten, one the at lost all their memories from magic use. His brother was forced into being the executioner for the king. His sister works at the asylum his mother lives in and Michael has no employment and scrapes by scamming low nobles. Then he is offered employment by Charles Domet, a high noble that offers him good pay for him to assist him in proving his father’s innocence.

“On the charge of treason in the highest degree, we find Michael Kingman…” Domet met my eyes for a last desperate moment, seeking forgiveness.”...guilty.”

This tale is a wild ride into high noble society and the scheming and planning between the different factions. The people that surround Michael are just so wonderfully crafted you can feel the connections between them. The love of family, the closeness of friends, the animosity of rivals all are conveyed throughout the book. Michael’s closest friends to him are his family and he would do anything for any of them.

“If you want to help,” I said “protect my friends and family. That’s all I’ve ever cared about.”


Even though the world is just one city but is fleshed out through the society and history that is given throughout. I like the way he built there were no sections that were just a huge infodump to fill you in but were added as part of the story through the things Michael was learning about his past, especially since he had no memories of his life before his father killed the Prince.

“It was beginning to become clear to me that something had happened to my memories. But why was I only noticing it now?”

Most fantasy books you read show that magic has a cost, this one is no different the magic here costs you memories and can totally damage your mind if used incorrectly. The ones this happen to are called The Forgotten because they have forgotten everything. The magic is called fabrications and the users are called Fabricators. Fabricators are specialized and most use only have one specialization. The specialization usually shows at a young age and is visible to others.

“Your father was one of the most remarkable Fabricators I ever saw.”

This is one of the best debuts I have read t in a long time and am eagerly waiting on the next book in the series.

I loved the concepts and ideas for this world, but I feel like the ideas should have been narrowed down so the ideas and plot points presented could have been developed more. I would have loved the magic and the pieces of moon falling to be developed more than how they were presented. It was hard at times to stay engaged with this book, but I feel like that would have been resolved with some further world and plot development.

I thought this book had interesting characters and it was great to see a strong female character in a fantasy book. I felt that some of the characters needed a bit more development. There were a few characters that were hard to keep track of since there wasn’t anything to distinguish them from others.

I will be looking to see what this author does in the future. With the interesting ideas that this book had, I think as this author improves over time, his books will be something I will be interested in for sure.

Michael Kingman has been exiled and branded a traitor. Living a life of crime to support himself and his sister, Gwen, Michael longs to clear his father’s name. When an opportunity to return to court via being a royal council member, he jumps at the chance. To survive, Michael will need to master his magical fabrication skills. With rebels coming out of the woodwork and the kingship becoming more self-serving and dictatorial, will Michael find a way to clear his father’s name and save the kingdom? Martell’s world-building and addition of magic is masterfully done. The characters are intriguing and easy to relate to. The plot keeps moving and creates enough twists, tuns, and subplots to keep readers interested. Fans of historical fantasy and mystery will want to pick this one up.

ARC from NetGalley

Here's where I bitch about almost everything and then tell you that it was a good book.

The beginning was really slow, and I honestly didn't enjoy it very much. The worldbuiding could have been better. I don't have much of a feel for the setting. The magic system was interesting but not well-explored. I hope it is in the books to come. I felt like the end was a bit of a cop out.

This book did suffer from over the top characterizations. The prince is a dick, but we never find out why. Because he is rich and the book needs a bad guy? Because Michael wasn't there to guide him? How inept are these royals that they turn into complete jagoffs if they don't have someone holding their hand and guiding them into nonjagoff territory?

Trey, okay I understand. I understand you were wronged. I understand that you specifically said don't do this, and then Michael did it, and there were some serious repercussions because of that, but his shtick is a bit much. I rolled my eyes pretty much every time he showed up.

No one else really gets much screen time. We don't really learn a whole lot about many of the side characters, which is a shame and I assume will be rectified in the books to come, but I feel like this could have been better if it wasn't just the Michael show.

There were a couple of times that I was quite confused because of all the memory issues/magic, but that might just be me and my gnat-length attention span.

There were a few, in my opinion, plot holes. There will be some serious spoilers in here. Fair warning. (I'm removing the spoiler tags/text from here because I don't know if it will work properly, and I don't want to ruin this book for anyone. You can read it on goodreads if you are so inclined.)

All bitching aside, I actually liked this book in the end. It was entertaining enough to hold my attention once I got past the first half or so. The plot holes and other irritants were shallow enough and offset enough by interesting bits that I can say that I liked this book and want to read the next one.

3.5 stars

I have mixed feeling toward this book, and I would start this review from the ending for once. If I have to “judge” it by my enjoyment alone, I would have given it 4 full stars, because I found it an immersive and captivating reading, and even if I am in an hard to please mood, and even if I am not in the right mood for chunky books right now, I enjoyed myself a lot while reading it. But if I have to “judge” it on the execution… well, I should give it three stars. So I ended with the middle ground, three stars and half, because there are some things that could have been done better, some holes here and there, and it is far from perfect in a lot of respects. But it is also a debut, so maybe the second book would address all these “problems”. And I am really looking forward to the sequel, because I need more of this!

One of the most interesting things in this book, and one with some problems, is the worldbuilding, and the magical system. We have an interesting world, but we are left with a lot of questions about it, the biggest one being “What the heck happened with the moon?”. Seriously, I need to know! We have a shattered moon on the sky, and sometimes pieces of it fall on Earth, but it wasn’t always so, once it was not shattered, and something happened to it. Something that it may, or may not, be tied to Michael’s family. And, to be honest, everything seems tied, one way or another to the Kingmans.
And the magical system is interesting and quite new, but we don’t learn enough about it. Magic has its cost, and in this case more often than not are memories, and once you abuse of it you’ll become a Forgotten, a person without memory who, obviously, border on insanity. But there are a lot of people who uses magic, and they are not going around like madmen. It is true that all, or so it seems, suffer of some memory loss and that they are taking precaution against it, like keeping diaries and tattoos for the very important things, but it is not that they all are without memory so… how all of this work, exactly?
I was hoping to learn more at some point, especially since Michael start his training with Fabrications (magic) at one point in the story, but there is so much happening, that we don’t see a lot of it, and so we are left wondering.

And there is really a lot happening. We have a world, or better a country, who is no more unite and rich as it was once. It is a time of unrest and troubles. The Royals are not as they were, without Kingmans behind them, to mediate and help them, we have rivalry between the nobles, we have unrest with the low classes, who as usual are the more damaged from the decisions taken by the ones socially above them, we have rebels who are trying to take the power in a violent way, and we have a mystery. Or more than one, but all of them started a long time ago and have ramifications in the present.
And at the center of it all there are the Kingmans, more as victims than anything else, but everything, in the end, is about them.
We have action, plots and twists, mysteries and we are left with a ton of questions and few answers. A tad too much of questions without answers. It is one thing to leave something for the sequels, because obviously we cannot get all the answers here, in the first book, but some of those questions deserved a resolution, in my opinion.

And finally we have the characters. Michael is our MC, and even if I liked him, he can be the most annoying boy ever. To be completely honest, I liked him but I cannot say why. He is one of those characters who feel responsible for everything, always, and this is not the worst. He made one big stupid decision after another. And I am not joking. He chooses always for the worst. And the stupidest thing possible every damn time. It is astounding, really.
And yet, I liked him. He wasn’t my favorite character, but I enjoyed him quite a lot. Even if I was constantly asking “Why?????” and even if there is one thing that buggered me to no end, it really drove me crazy: at one point in the book, in the first half of it, he discovered that some of his memories are missing. He met some characters that knew him, and had knew him since childhood, and he can’t remember them. At all. For him they are strangers. And he wonder why. But he doesn’t do a thing to try and discover who they are, or why he can’t remember them at all. Not a singe thing!!!! Sometimes he wonder, but there is always something more important that demand his attention. And if on one hand I can understand it, on the other it really doesn’t make any sense at all.
I mean, he could have asked his sister, or his brother at least! And instead… nothing. Nothing at all. It was just so maddening!

The other characters are less infuriating, but they all are interesting. I have to say that they are secondary and I wished to see more of them, and to see them more… well developed, in a sense, but they were great, and they all have their own personality. Gwen and Lyon, Michael’s siblings, are strong willed and they really care for Michael, even if it is not always an easy task.
Kai and The Girl In Red were fantastic! I loved them both, and their loyalty is moving. I would have loved to see more of them, and I really hope to meet them again, because they were just so good!
And then we have my favorite: Dark. We don’t know a lot about him, he is a mystery, but he has so much potential! And I think we would see more of him in the next books. And I can say that I am really looking forward to it, because it is the most complex character in this book, and I think he would have some surprises for us.
And lastly I have to mention Domet and the Corrupt Prince. Domet is an interesting character, but he is also the weakest point in all this, because he is just super powerful and, at the same time, with no power whatsoever. It is quite strange. I think that he is the worst character, if we are just speaking about how he is developed. As a person was interesting and intriguing, and I have liked him. And then the Corrupt Prince. I found quite nonplussed that all the people refer to the prince with that name. But this thing aside, he is really a villain well done. It reminded me a bit of Regal from Hobb’s books. One of the most despicable characters ever, one that I have hated (and I am hating even now) with a passion! So yeah, a character that I really despise, but developed really really well.

In this kingdom where all are obsessed by memory, by the loss of it, and by how they would be remembered by the history we have a story with a big mystery from the past, which can save or damn an entire Kingdom. And I appreciated a lot the story, and the way it is told, because the author show a great talent in its storytelling. And I know that my review seems not so enthusiastic, but… But I enjoyed it, I lose myself between these pages, and I am looking forward to the sequel!

"The Kingman family did not die with whimpers. History was shaped by our births and deaths, and whether I liked it or not, I would be no exception."

Kingdom of Liars gives me campy murder mystery vibes. The story opens with a prologue, in which Michael Kingman is on trial for killing the king—ten years after his father was executed for killing the crown prince, Davey Hollow. Michael tells himself, and thus the reader, that he only ever did what he believed was necessary, and he holds his silence as the jury pronounces him guilty of regicide. The court erupts into chaos, a Warden drags Michael away, Michael awaits his execution—and the reader is left wondering if he really did it.

Cue chapter one. Michael tells his story. As a proud Kingman, Michael dreamed of upholding his ancestor’s legacy as great leaders in the community. Since his father’s execution, however, Michael’s family has been branded as traitors and stripped of their place in court. His siblings seem have to moved on—his brother serves as the royal family’s dog, and his sister works in the asylum where his mom’s been committed. Unable to settle into society, Michael performs crimes with his friends against minor royals for the money to treat his mom, and because a part of him still holds a grudge against the world for turning against his family. When the opportunity arrives for him to return to court and prove his father’s innocence, Michael takes it.

Michael is quick to speak, quick to anger, and quick to act. As he admits, he’s known for his persistence, not his intelligence. His character may be off-putting for some readers—his sassy attitude gets him into trouble on multiple occasions with other characters—but it feels like a defensive mechanism for the hardships his family has gone through. I recommend giving his character a chance if you enjoy the plot; it took time, but Michael’s character grew on me. A Kingman at his core, Michael is fiercely loyal to a fault. Even when the people he loves turn on him, and even helping them jeopardizes his plans, he does his best to help them. As Michael learns more about the Hollows and the factions making a bid for power, he understandably fluctuates on where he stands in the political and social climate of the Hollows. In keeping with his brash personality, these shifts felt abrupt at times, but the action and tension continue to push the story forward.

The mystery of who killed the crown prince and who killed the king drives the plot. Coupled with this mystery is the intrigue of what happened during the time period that Michael cannot remember. Does he have the right impression of his father, or has he forgotten a crucial event that would change everything he thought he knew? If memories can’t be trusted, can Michael truly trust the people who approach him for friendship or favors?

The Kingdom of Liars delivers a satisfying conclusion while setting the stage for the next chapter in Michael Kingman’s life, as he forges his own path as a Kingman. I look forward to reading The Two-Faced Queen, book two in The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings!

An enjoyable read, epic fantasy by a new author. It had a nice review by Brandon Sanderson so I definitely was excited to pick this one up. The book has some nice world building, and an interesting magic system where using magic too frequently leads to amnesia. However, I made a crucial mistake when I started reading it. I thought this was a stand alone novel. This means that I was increasingly disappointed that tantalizing aspects of the book were going unanswered right up to the end.

That’s my fault though, if I’d know that it was going to be part of a series I’d have adjusted my expectations. For instance, there is this thing about the moon. It’s imploded for some reason and every once in a while pieces of it fall to the ground. It’s understood somehow that Michael’s family is responsible for this lunar destruction and I REALLY wanted to know why and how. Books like The Kingkiller Chronicles and The Fifth Season have whetted my appetite for moon content … however, when it comes to this book any answers about the moon are reserved for another part of the series I’m sure. Quel dommage.

Characters were pretty interesting. The main character is a little unreliable, because of plot reasons, and the political intrigue surrounding him was fairly good. It’s a nice first start for a new fantasy author.

Young adults who like fantasy adventure would throughly enjoy this book. The main character’s struggle to protect his family and become the man he wants to be will resonate to teens yearning to grow up.

This was a DNF for me. I could not read anything more than a chapter or two before I couldn't take any more and would put it down. The main character is not that believable for me. I kept noting questions of why he was doing something and not another, believing the other would have been the more likely for him with his knowledge and background.

I do plan to post a review on my blog, but haven't yet written the review.

What an epic story!!!!!! What can I say about this story? The characters are amazing! Dynamic. Realistic. And relatable. The plot was absolutely amazing! My attention was held the entire time. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I love the entire story!!!! I was sad when I finished. Amparo has an amazing story!!!!

An excellent epic fantasy, gripping and entertaining.
I loved the great world building and magic system, the fleshed out characters and the great storyline.
I can't wait to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.