What a fun read! This was a very enjoyable fantasy with a wonderful enemies to lovers romance (which I always love). Unique magic system and a beautifully defined world.

'The Liar's Crown' has been one of my most antisipated reads of the year and it was worth every second of the wait! Intregue, mystery, betrayal and romance this book had it all.

Meren is the hidden twin and is there to take the chances where her sister the Queen can’t! And as the storyline goes the Queen was to be taken but our heroine was instead. She fights her kidnapper but soon starts to grow on each other! But she finds that things outside the kingdom’s walls are not what she thought or her sister. Now she’s to learn that things aren’t what it seems! Can she tell her sister and they get things to change? This was a great storyline and the characters were perfect for this adventure! I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

The Liars Crown is a fantastical novel, the first in a planned trilogy, centering around hidden princess, Meren, a twin and body double to the future Queen. This book was a bit like Twin Thrones but with some steamier romance and different circumstances. All in all it was pretty fascinating.
I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic read, that drew me in and held me captive the whole book, I enjoyed reading and seeing the characters grow. The relationships were fantastic and fun to see.

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022
From the very beginning, I was hooked and needed to discover all the secrets in this book.
Meren is the extra (twin) princess who has stayed hidden since birth. Her sister is to be Queen some day and her job is too fill in when things are dangerous. When the Queen dies unexpectly, Tabra, her sister must take the throne and there is evil out there and it's coming for the Queen. Meren must now assume Tabra's role to insure her safety, only she is kidnapped and things get very crazy.
The world building was very interesting and Reven, has a very interesting life too. When these two clash it was so good, There is lots of action and drama and sexual tension galore. I enjoyed the danger they were constantly in.
Lets just say, I need the next book in the series. I really loved this story.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

When I heard Abigail Owen had an upper young adult/new adult fantasy book coming out, I was intrigued. I like her adult paranormals and wanted to see how she tackled a different genre. The Liar's Crown was more than I expected. I wasn't prepared for the world Abigail created which includes Imperiums, Enfernaes, and Hylorae, just to name a few. Luckily, there's a glossary on the author's website. It took me some time to get out of my head and understand all the different people. Honestly, I just ended up focusing on the main character and going from there.

Mereneith Evangeline XII of Aryd, Meren for short, is a princess who was thought to have died in the womb. She's the second born whose sole purpose in life is to protect her identical twin sister Tabra, who will one day become queen. In order to keep her identity a secret, Meren and her great aunt Omma live in the city of Enora, as lower-class people in a hovel. When Tabra has to engage in situations that could be considered dangerous, Meren often takes her place. During times when Tabra needs a double, Meren sneaks into the palace and stays in a hidden room in Tabra's living quarters. This cloak and dagger has been going on for generations, with no one the wiser.

When the Queen suddenly dies, Meren's world changes in ways no one could have anticipated. She sneaks back into the palace to comfort her sister and prepare to do her duty as her double, sacrificing her own life if the situation calls for her to do so. Meren and Tabra discuss which events will be the most dangerous for the new queen. But something or should I say someone sinister is already making a move. Eidolon, the immortal King of Tyndra, has the future queen in his sights. Before Meren can do anything to protect her sister from the one person her family has feared for generations, she's kidnapped by Reven, a man who has secrets of his own but claims to be protecting her from Eidolon. Reven has no idea that the princess he just kidnapped isn’t Tabra which explains why all of his assumptions about her are all wrong.

Bickering and fending off dangerous animals along the way, the two end up in a secret place known only to Reven. There, Meren discovers that some information she’s heard isn’t true at all. The two eventually work together to try and figure out what Eidolon wants with the newly crowned queen and how to stop him. Eidolon is a brutal king who has ruled for centuries and appears to be one to two steps ahead of Reven, leading to deadly results.

The Liar's Crown is one of those stories that draws you in. There's this push and pull between Reven and Meren. One minute they want to kill each other and the next they're fighting to deny the attraction between them. Their back-and-forth banter at times is fun to witness. When they give into their physical desire, it's beautiful and powerful.

The Liar's Crown is more than just a romance. It's a story of an 18-year-old girl born to protect her sister and dominion at all costs. One who is not prepared for what happens but has the heart, courage, and determination to fight for and protect those she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself. Abigail's writing allows you to truly visualize the scenes unfolding before you. The battle/fight scenes are edge-of-your-seat incredible but can be considered gruesome to some. If you're concerned, you should check out the publisher's website for trigger warnings.

The Liar’s Crown is the first book in the dark fantasy Dominion trilogy. Abigail has written an amazing story, setting this trilogy up to be epic. The ending will have you excited and wanting more. The Liar’s Crown is definitely a bookshelf keeper.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Queens are what keep this dominion alive.”

“Knowledge is power.”

“A monster’s power lies in our fear of him.”

“Forgiveness means you acknowledge wrongdoing first.”

“Caring is a gift. You only have to be brave enough to reach out and take it.”

“When there seems to be no other way, think of one thing you can do.”

“You’re not a survivor. You’re a fighter.”

Twin princesses, one born for the throne, one a double--meant for sacrifice.
Only, on the night of the coronation of her sister, Meren gets kidnapped.
She's forced to pretend she is her sister, and try to uncover whats happening here and escape before its too late for her kingdom.
The setting and the world building was intricate and stunning -- I cant wait to experience
more of this world in the next book ! I also loved the MC. She was funny, relatable and wasn't a "damsel" of the story. I feel like the romance in the story was a natural progression and not too "instant".
There was a lot of mystery and tension surrounding the ageless, evil King, and there's still a lot of questions left unanswered at the end. Hoping for more action and more great storytelling in book 2 !

The Liars Crown features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ YA fantasy
○ Royalty
○ Enemies to lovers
○ Magic
○ Adventure
○ Kickass FMC
○ Secrets

My overall rating for The Liars Crown is...

4 Stars!

What an exciting and picturesque series starter! The Liars Crown showcases vivid world building, an interesting plot and lovable characters. The simmering, enemies to lovers romance was sexy, with a medium burn that kept me craving more. The writing style kept me entranced the whole way through and I often found myself wanting to read past my bedtime. Overall, a stunning and new fantasy adventure for readers of young adult

I am very picky when it comes to my fantasy books, but I thought The Liar's Crown was wonderful. The concept with hiding a twin from the world so that she can step in when her sister is assassinated is quite interesting and unique to me. The magic was great, the enemies to lovers is GREAT. It was just a great book overall. The only thing I didn't like is that cliffhanger ending and knowing that now I'm in a waiting game for book two.

The Liar's Crown, while nothing exceptional, is a great fantasy YA that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Both Meren and Reven were interesting characters who played well off each other. It had some great banter and romantic tension, and the plot moved quickly with enough turns to keep it interesting. While I enjoyed the book, I didn't find the plot, magic system, or characters to be outstanding, but I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series because I think it has the potential to be excellent once we get to see some more of the characters in action.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy of this book. I read and reviewed this book voluntarily.

Twin princesses are born. A rival ruler always kills the twin, so the second princess is hidden away. When the queen dies, the twins’ grandmother, Tabra becomes queen and her sister Meren is kidnapped by a mysterious man who might be the Shadowraith. He actually thinks Meren is Tabra, so she plays the part. He’s terrifying and has secrets that Meren is scared of but curious about. The two get to know each other better as they help one another through danger and eventually get to the Shadowraith’s home. He explains who he is and introduces himself as Reven. He’s been giving a home to the Vanished and others that are shunned from their communities, giving them jobs, safety and a place to belong. When Reven’s sanctuary is attacked, Meren creates a portal for the people to escape. All that’s left are Reven and Meren. They both end up making extreme sacrifices for the people they love. The ending leads to a sequel. 4 stars for the mystery wrapped up in this fantasy!

This was a quick read. It was action packed and I enjoyed the concept as well as the turns it took throughout the story. The magic system is also pretty easy to understand and follow. My only minor complaint was that the main character had too many insta-love feelings for someone who kidnapped her and she hated. I couldn't connect with her internal debate. I loved the banter between the two characters and I really liked Reven's character. He is a morally gray character trying to figure out how to do the right thing.

Overall, I am excited for the next book! If you're looking for a quick, fun read that I don't think requires you to hold too much mental energy towards it, you will enjoy this book.

This book overall was very enjoyable!

It started out at a good pace, hooking me and making me curious what was going to happen, but then I found that it did slow down quite a bit in the middle after Meren (our main character)'s kidnapping. There is a lot of time spent getting to the destination, and then dawdling there, while I don't feel like too much happened that required it to be so long.

But other than that I really loved the story, The backstory of the main male character is complex, and not something I was able to figure out until it was revealed, and at most times in the book I found myself sympathizing with both him and Meren, and I think that they were really great main characters to be following.

The ending left me excited and looking forward to the next book, overall this was a really great story and I am glad I got to read it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

A closely held secret is the only thing standing in the way of King Eidolon being able to take over the throne. Each second generation of queens is born as a set of twins, one living in the shadow to act as a double should something happen to the first-born twin. Meren being the second born twin has lived in the shadows most of her life. Her only escape being going into the dessert and spending time with Cain. Yet when her grandmother dies and Meren’s sister is about to take over the throne, Meren is forced to go her sister’s side and support her during her reign. Yet when King Eidolon sends a gift and asks for the queen’s hand in marriage Meren worries for her sister’s safety. The king’s intentions cannot be good. Yet Meren is swept away by a strange man on the coronation day leaving her sister to fend on her own against the king’s advances. This stranger sweeps her off to strange land where shadows he controls help protect those looking for safety. What are the intentions of this dark stranger? Can Meren protect her secret? Will she be able to get back to her sister’s side in time?
This is a pretty faced paced book that draws you in quickly. Readers will easily get swept up in the fun world. I think it is really interesting that there are so many different world all connected by portals. I do kind of wish a bit more info had been given to the readers about all the different worlds. I love that Meren and Raven connect through their shared affinity for shadows. The ending is perfect. There is no way that you will not want to read the second book. I can't wait to see what Meren does next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Meren, is the 2nd born princess and therefore is a body double for her twin sister who is the “real princess”. After Meren stands in for her sister at coronation and she mistakenly kidnapped by a shadow wielder.
This book has:
▪️unique magic
▪️secrets
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️a bit of a forbidden love
▪️YA fantasy
.
Reader beware, it does end on a cliffhanger, but I’m looking forward to the next book! The romance was my favorite part of the book (of course). The banter and tension between Reven and Meren was great and he’s a very protective character, which I don’t mind at all!
Also, this cover is gorgeous!!
.
Thank you to @netgalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read this book!

The Liar's Crown is the first in a new YA fantasy series. The main character, Meren, is the decoy princess. Born second, her life's job is to be the placeholder for the future queen whenever the heir might be in danger. Upon hearing of the death of her grandmother (the queen), she runs to the palace to check in on her sister. Posing as her sister at an event before her coronation, Meren is kidnapped by the Shadowraith in place of the new queen. Will she escape? What of King Eidolon - the kingdom's longtime rival - who's on his way to propose to the new queen?

I enjoyed the book, and flew through it wanting to learn the fate of the main characters. I thought the idea was clever, and I very much enjoyed how some of the twists tied the stories of our two protagonists together even more.

Pros:
- Characters - The Liar's Crown includes a wonderful cast of characters, all of who where interesting. The author did a great job of creating side characters who were unique and intriguing in their own right.
- Magic system - I quite enjoyed the magic system. It was clever and one I don't really see.
- Pacing - I thought the book flowed nicely, (My only qualm was that I thought the journey at the beginning took a bit too long - but I think this comes down to personal preference.) Just an FYI, the scenes are broken down by chapter in this book. I like this, but I know some people get annoyed, so I wanted to share.
- The cover! - I know this is not related to the contents of the book, but the cover on this is absolutely stunning! It can't not be said.

Cons:
- Meren's interest in Reven - This has an enemies-to-lovers plot, but I felt that she gave over to her attraction too quickly. She had just been kidnapped, and very quickly Meren talks about how she's attracted to her kidnapper. It kind of threw some of the romance off for me a bit. I'd have liked for her to slowly give over to her attraction - and there's a great key moment in the first 25% of the book that would have been perfect.

If you're looking for a fun, courtly YA fantasy with an enemies-to-lovers story, this is a great book for you! The plot is engaging, the characters interesting, and the world fun. (The naming of the different kingdoms is very clever.) I'm interested to see how things turn out for Meren and the Shadowraith!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meren has lived her entire life in the shadow of her twin sister, waiting for the moment when she might need to step in front of danger to sacrifice herself. Now the shadows have come for her, and she must sacrifice everything she thought she understood about the world around her. Buckle up folks, you're in for quite the ride. 

In a word, this teen fantasy romance is simply mind-blowing. I have been a long-time fan of Abigail Owen's adult dragon romance series, so I was excited to step into another world with her. I'll admit I had a few hesitations in the beginning, wondering if this young adult novel would skew too young for me, or if the evocative cover art would potentially hold too much promise of what would lie within. I'm happy to say I was proven wrong on both accounts. Readers of all ages can appreciate this story, and the dramatic juxtaposition of flowers against skull on the cover simply hints at the wondrous magic in which you're about to find yourself entranced. Ms. Owen is a master world-builder, and it's hard to articulate just how refreshing it was to be immersed in a fantastical land unlike any I've ever come across before. 

From the powers of our characters, to the monsters of the various landscapes they traverse, everything was a constant surprise from one page to the next. As the novel progressed I couldn't help but feel as though I had entered somebody's dream world where fantasy and nightmare blend together to create something entirely unique. The rules of this world aren't terribly difficult to understand, but in hindsight I wish I had paid a bit more attention at the beginning when the details were first being discussed. We're provided with something of an info dump early on in the book, so something I'd recommend is maybe jotting down a few notes for reference later so you fully understand the differences between things like Vexillium, Imperium, hyloraes, enfernaes, etc. Some fantastical elements were explained more fully than others, and I get the sense we've been teased with the mention of some things we might not see until later on. 

Meren is the standout lead character of our novel. A second-born twin princess whose identity has been hidden from the world, save for a chosen few who can be trusted, she's expected to stand in for her sister whenever the possibility of danger arises. It's on the eve of her sister Tabra's coronation as Queen when a man composed of shadows mistakenly kidnaps Meren, thinking she's the highborn princess whose powers can change the fate of their world. The dynamic between Meren and this Shadowraith was electric, with an obvious animosity towards each other slowly developing to respect, and ultimately something even more powerful. While she might be totally out of her element by being kidnapped across lands unknown to her, Meren isn't afraid to stand up against him. She refuses to go down quietly, and the frustrations evoked by both her and the Shadowraith when they repeatedly throw verbal barbs at each other was positively delicious. It was the perfect blend of comedy, fearlessness, foreplay and even emotional vulnerability. Their combined presence on the page quickly became the foundation of the story going forward, and you never wanted to see the two of them apart. 

Perhaps the most enigmatic feature of the book was witnessing Meren come into her own by stepping out of the shadows she was forced to hide behind. She's always been something of a rebel. When she was told to never use her powers, Meren would often sneak away to practice transforming sand into glass. Ordered to live hidden away in a small house, she found ways to escape into the wide-open vastness of the desert. And yet, these few instances of rebellion were hidden from her keepers, and she'd always walked the line set before her. It was never out of subservience, but rather out of true love and protection for her sister that she continued to do what was expected. When the Shadowraith takes her away from all she's known, Meren is rightfully pissed, but in a way it also allows her to finally explore what it means to be her own person. As the Shadowraith shows her how a fight against evil is forming in the distance, Meren once again steps up to protect those she loves. Whereas before she played the role of delicate princess to save her sister, she now realizes she'll need to up her game by becoming a badass in her own right. Wielding her power over sand to create pretty glass flowers has now evolved into forming waves of glass spears in battle. She no longer blindly listens to the orders others bestow upon her, but rather she becomes part of the conversation to try and find a solution in saving their world against a power-hungry evil King. As her distance from the palace grows, Meren more fully transforms from a girl into a woman, and it's quite the captivating journey.  

In perusing a few other reviews of this work online, an unexpectedly common theme is a few readers mentioning they felt that Meren and the Shadowraith fell for each other too quickly, and that it was a love at first sight scenario. I suppose I can't 100% agree with this assessment. Meren is clearly confused about how she feels towards this stranger. On the one hand, there is a clear presence of animosity following his kidnapping of her, and he has several instances of eye-roll happening at her consistent back-talk. And yet, Meren can clearly see something good within him that slowly causes her to lower her defenses the more time they spend together. If anything, I would say it was a slow burn rather than a situation of love at first sight. Meren certainly feels an attraction at first sight of the Shadowraith's distinctively dashing profile in the darkened streets of her hometown, and she's not sure how to act in front of someone who makes the butterflies take flight within her. However, there also appears to be some other kind of connection simmering between them that I think has only just been teased to us in this first novel. There's something drawing these two together, and it extends beyond simple attraction or even love, but perhaps there is a fantastical element at play here too. I certainly can't wait to find out more about what it might be. 

This novel also presents us with the formation of a mini unrequited love triangle. The relationship between Meren and her Shadowraith takes front and center, but we also see instances of Meren's only childhood friend, Cain, wanting to express intimacy with this unknown princess. I will say this was the only feature of the book which reminded me of another series, as it felt very reminiscent of the love triangle present in the Hunger Games series. Similar to how the heroine of that series always viewed her longtime male friend as something of a brother, Meren too has looked to Cain with brotherly affection that is a special kind of love all it's own. There may have once been a time when the concept of a future with Cain seemed like a great prospect, but it's only upon meeting the Shadowraith that she realizes how much more there is to feel towards a potential partner. I'm typically not a fan of love triangles, and thankfully this feature wasn't a primary focus of the novel. However, we definitely see the hostility level growing between Cain and the man of shadows, and I have a feeling this conflict could possibly become a more prominent discussion point for the next book. That being said, these characters certainly have a few more life-and-death priorities to deal with, including a power hungry king with his focus on the crown, so hopefully they choose to focus their energy on resolving those matters first!

Sometimes the first book in a series is so good you can't wait to get started on book two. Then there are the premier books that are so fantastically amazing you're almost angry you don't have the next book in front of you right now! The Liar's Crown definitely falls within the latter category. This novel sort of ends on a smidge of a cliffhanger, but the epilogue gives enough of a solid stopping point where you don't literally feel like you're dangling off a cliff. Instead you're just eager to see what our characters will get up to next. It's very important to know going into this read that this is the start of a series, a fact I didn't remember when I started. Meren and the Shadowraith take up the majority of the plot focus, so I was initially disappointed that we didn't see more scenes involving her sister or the evil king. Abigail Owen has always succeeded in creating a dubious villain you hate to hate, and I sort of felt like I was missing out in this one. Now that I know there's two more books to come, and considering how this first one ended I realize the author was simply laying the groundwork for us to dive deeper into this world of characters going forward.

The Liars Crown is a supremely good time. Fans of ACOTAR and Shadow and Bone will easily find footing in this intriguing world filled with morally grey characters and epic battles.

In the Dominion of Aryd the royal line holds a secret....the bloodline is blessed with twins. One twin to rule and one to live in the shadows, waiting, learning, and watching. Meren is that twin. She is raised as a placeholder for her sister, a secret being that accrues all the danger and none of the reward. Despite being hidden away and serving as a stand in for her sister in dangerous situations, Maren loves her sister and people fiercely. When she is kidnapped by a dark and mysterious stranger while playing the Princess she has no choice but to lean into the ruse, keeping her kingdom and secrets safe. Who is this mysterious kidnapper? Where is he taking Maren and why? You get to unravel these answers withing this story at a breakneck speed that will keep you up to the wee hours.

Owen's does a really clever thing here. The story is familiar, almost nostalgic in its cadence. Does swirling dark shadow magic sound familiar to anyone?! This familiarity tricked me into thinking I knew exactly where the story was going leaving the door open for me to be pleasantly surprised with some of the fresh twists and turns. Meren is a character that is easy to root for. She's witty, smart, and intrinsically flawed in ways that are oh so relatable. The Love interest is fascinating, a truly interesting take on a morally grey character. There's some spice here but it isn't the core of the story and I felt that it was written in a clever not cringy way. The magic system,world building,and political intrigue are all fascinating without being so complicated that notes are required. For me this all came together to create an effortless read that was a pleasure to devour.

These characters will easily live in my head while I desperately wait for the next installment.

Thank You to Netgally and the Publisher for the Review Copy.

The Liar's Crown was the first fantasy book I've read in a while, and I wasn't disappointed. It reminded me why I loved this genre so much. The story follows Meren, the second-born twin princess of Aryd, who has lived in secret as her sister Tabra's body double. Meren gets kidnapped, mistaken for her sister, and that's how her journey begins.

The plot was fast-paced and well-written, with some exciting twists that kept me entertained the whole time. The world-building was intriguing but definitely a little confusing at first because of all the new words being thrown at us at once, but all the confusion slowly cleared out as I was reading. Sometimes the story felt like too much was happening at the same time, though.

I enjoyed both of the main characters. Maren was strong, brave, and opinionated. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about her. I found her powers really interesting. I've never read about a character who could control sand and make it into the glass before, so that's a bonus. Reven was your typical tall, dark, mysterious, and handsome fantasy MMC, slightly morally gray but secretly good, but it worked really well for him.

The romance aspect and Meren and Reven's relationship were definitely the best parts of the book. Their chemistry was INSANE. The banter was absolutely amazing and the sexual tension was on point. They had some wholesome moments too, and I can't wait to see more of them in the next book. One thing I disliked was how fast they went from enemies to lovers. The romance felt rushed at times, but somehow the quick progression of the relationship worked for them.

Overall 4.25 stars. I can't wait to read the second book in the series. Fingers crossed we get to see Reven's POV.