This has such an intriguing premise and magic system and while initially it sounded right up my alley and something I’d love it ended up being…confusing? I tried two different formats multiple times and it just wasn’t clicking for me. There was so much happening and so many twists and turns that everything felt chaotic and I wasn’t even sure what was going on half the time. I made it to about 50% before I decided it just wasn’t worth my time although I will say the back bones for this story are some of the most unique I’ve ever read but the execution just didn’t work for me.

Astrid Scholte's third novel contains equal parts magic and courtroom drama. I've read many fantasy novels in my time, and so often there is this elaborate social hierarchy and customs, but what really stood out to me in this book was this world's legal system. It's reminiscent of that of many real countries, but even more intense which keeps the stakes high and this story very engaging.

League of Liars follows Cayder, an aspiring lawyer who takes a summer internship with a defense attorney who primarily works with people accused of using edem (extra-dimensional magic). I thought that the lore that Scholte creates around edem was really interesting. Users can stop time and also kill or heal others, which leads to lots of nuance if it's pretty obvious why it's illegal.

Things get complicated for Cayder when his younger sister Leta is arrested for using edem and faces life in prison. Something that Scholte does really well is writing characters who are not necessarily admirable but who you want to get to know better, and Leta is certainly one of those characters. Even though Cayder is really the star of the show here, reading about Leta's backstory and the potential reasons she used edem added to the intrigue.

Among Cayder's law firm's other clients are a boy named Jey who willingly admits to his father's murder with edem as his weapon, and even the princess of the nation of Telene, Elenora, who is accused of murdering her brother the king. They were both interesting characters as well whose stories further add to the nuance around edem in this story. A large part of this story also involves an elaborate jailbreak plot, which is of course really engaging.

I have yet to meet a Scholte novel that I didn't love, and even if this one is a bit different in tenor than her previous works, League of Liars is a winner.

This was fun! I don’t have a ton to say honestly, it was just a fun kind of read but the world was pretty interesting! The use of some sort of “shadow” magic being banned and there being a legal court system on a fantasy type world was a pretty cool blend! I’ve actually never read a book quite like it. The fact that every time you commit a crime using this magic, you get left with a scar like tattoo was actually also really cool!

This story had a lot of fun selling points, not quite like SoC as it was pitched BUT maybe the sequel will give off more of those vibes now that the “crew” is more assembled. I also really enjoyed the plot twist at the end, I really didn’t see that coming which I was surprising to me 😂.

Overall, it was fun and I’m shocked more people haven’t been talking about it in all this time!

Edem based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In Kardelle, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Regency. These are their stories…

Okay I had to go with the spin-off Law and Order because this is a courtroom drama turned jail break in a fantasy world.
If you read any online snippets comparing it to Sox of Crows…. Well don’t believe what you read.

That being said, I really enjoyed yet another Astrid Scholte book! I love the way she tells a story and this one, while it started a little slower, definitely got exciting and held my attention. I couldn’t put it down once I got to the end and that’s what makes a good book for me!
The only thing I’m concerned about is the lack of confirmation of a sequel …. And there needs to be one with the way this book ended!!

When I saw that Astrid Scholte was coming out with another book, I was so excited. I loved Four Dead Queens and the premise of this book was so interesting. While I enjoyed this book and would definitely read a sequel for this book, there were a few areas I had issues with.

What I liked in this book:
I loved the characters, which is probably what made me like the book as much as I did. They were entertaining and I felt that they were really well-developed. I also loved the inclusion of humor in the book and the writing style was amazing (at this point I think I would read anything Astrid Scholte writes!). There were a lot of plot twists and elements to the story that kept me hooked and unable to put the book down until I finished.

What I wasn’t a fan of:
I feel like a lot of the book was just the trial, and while I love reading about court systems (it’s the pre-law student in me), it was a little bit much. The other problem I had was the ending. I felt that it ended abruptly and there is a lot of questions that go unanswered.

Overall, I thought that this was such a fun read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys true crime and fantasy!

League of Liars follows Cayder, a teenager who wants edem users to be brought to justice. Cayder works alongside an attorney on three high profile cases of teenagers who he finds to be more similar to him than he previously thought. This makes Cayder question if the punishment is truly comparable to the crime. Alongside Cayder, we have Jey, who is accused of killing his father with edem; Cayder's sister, Leta, who has been accused of murdering an entire town by using edem-generated fire; and lastly, we have Princess Eleonora, who has been accused of murdering her brother, the King, in an attempt to take his power.

League of Liars is action-packed, ensuring the plot moves along in an effortless manner. The world-building is also nearly flawless. It is too easy in fantasy to dump too much information on your reader all at once. However, Scholte did a fantastic job of giving the reader just enough information to understand the magic of the world without it feeling overbearing. I really enjoyed how the world of League of Liars was crafted- it left the reader with questions and theories about the world, but it was never confusing.

I also loved how Cayder had to question his beliefs, and the commentary that Scholte included on legal systems. I enjoyed reading from all of the characters perspectives, and I was constantly thinking about this book when I was away from it. I was also completely shocked and excited by the ending. I usually prefer more resolution by the end of a book, but League of Liars sets up the sequel in such a fantastic way that I did not expect. I am so excited to learn more about the world and its magic in the next book.

While this was nearly a perfect read, the romance could have been a bit more elaborate. Towards the end of the book there are two relationships that develop and it is done rather quickly. I would have liked to have seen more interactions between these characters before developing any romance as there was little tension. This resulted in little to no payoff for the reader. I also felt that the book was a tad bit too long. While I was never bored during the book, I could see how it could be a turn off to other readers as there were scenes that did not always feel necessary.

I truly enjoyed League of Liars. This is such a fantastic young adult fantasy, with an enticing mystery and well-developed characters. League of Liars feels very reminiscent of the early 2010s dystopian fiction, and I mean this with the highest of praise.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy for me to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I have been a tried a true YA Fantasy Girly for a while, but I think maybe I have outgrown it and while I still delve into it, this book was just not for me.

There was great world-building and I enjoyed the characters, but this very much felt like a first in the series books, however a bit more sluggish to get through.

The pacing was off and this book didn't quite hold me to want to continue with the series.

There is magic though! And a secret society, and that's always fun! Unfortunately it was not for me though.

I initially thought this was a standalone so the ending was surprising. I’m assuming there will be a second book? I love a group of unlikely friends who become a ragtag team saving the world. It’s the perfect character set up for YA fantasy. I really enjoyed the magic system and elements of the marks left behind by using magic. The romance felt a little sudden, I would’ve liked more throughout.

I really enjoyed Astrid Scholte's debut, which made me excited for this release. League of Liars is an interesting fantasy that had great potential, but just didn't really hit the mark for me. There were some enjoyable moments but the overall premise and the characters fell a little flat to me. Since I really enjoyed Astrid Scholte's debut, I'm definitely looking forward to picking up more of her books in the future — because I know the potential to love it is there. Overall, this was a solid read with some great writing, but needed a little bit more to make it a favourite.

Finally reviewing this book because I started and stopped this book several times. I felt that I maybe was not in the right mindset or mood for this book but I ended up DNF at 55%. I was very excited for this book. The premise sounded fantastic but I just couldn’t get into it or the characters.

This book held so much promise but in the end did not deliver. I could not connect with the characters and the story line fell flat. I ended up not finishing this book at 60%

This was a super interesting concept to me but when I got the 40% mark and still nothing was really happening, I decided to stop reading.

I had high hopes for this book but…it just fell flat to me. Too much was coincidental, too much felt contrived, and too much just didn’t interest me.

I can totally see how some will love this so it may just be me, but I will say there were some really cool parts. Loved the magic system/idea (though it seems a little implausible - even if a very well lit room you can still create shadows) and I liked the idea of a prison break feeling type of book.

Perhaps it was the characters I didn’t connect with? They were so…flat? Too much of some stories is explained in a flashback which, while it was a nice twist, left me feeling empty that we didn’t get to truly experience the idea with them.

And I just have a hard time with stories where there is the “big bad” without enough of a true explanation. We don’t get that by then end (not satisfactorily imo) and it just feel flat for me.

Sadly, I think I am not this author’s intended audience. I’ve tried so many times to read and love her books but they just aren’t for me. Best to her, but I probably won’t read book 2.

My rating 2.2*
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Thanks to NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a (very) late review for League of Liars but that’s partially because it took me so long to get through it that I ended up DNFing it a few times before I gave up for good.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with the book or writing. The plot is advertised as a mix between How to Get Away with Murder and Six of Crows so technically I am an ideal audience member. And yet…

I really struggled with getting through this book. I found the plot so interesting that I even tried the audiobook before realizing that it wasn’t necessarily a me issue. The book is just really slow paced and the stakes are actually pretty low. No one’s actually in danger, they just don’t want to be in prison. Which is tough when there’s no connection to any of the characters that really has you rooting for their escape/innocence in the first place.

The world building is also not the best here. The explanation of Edem is vague at best and it’s not really fully developed at any point. We KNOW everyone has secrets but the plot is so slow I found myself not really caring to find out the truth.

I really enjoyed the authors Four Dead Queens so this felt like a massive let down for me. Ultimately this may have just been a failed connection between me and this novel so if it sounds appealing to you I say still give it a shot.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I'm so sorry this has taken me fully a year to review, but it was worth the wait! I really enjoyed this book. I had a lot of fun with it--I'm an absolute sucker for magic criminals, and the cover is stunning. Great time all around!

DNF at 10-15%
Off the bat I found the main character to be unbearable and the world just did not seem conducive to a compelling fantasy story. The magic and laws around it didn't make much sense at all. It was just too hard to find anything of interest to keep me hooked in the first bit.

3.5

The world of this book is so intriguing! I actually didn't have any issues with info dumping, it was fascinating to me. The plot and characters just fell a little flat.

This one wasn't for me. I had a difficult time getting into the narrative and found the plot choppy at best. The premise holds a lot of promise and though this may not be for me, others may find it intriguing.

This one was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the world. Characters were okay too but didn’t really stick out to me.

Overall it was okay.

I recommend it to fans of YA fantasy.