The Liar's Crown was a fast-paced fantasy that ended on a cliff-hanger, involving a set of twins, one with the crown, one as the secret spare, and an enemies to lovers romance. I can't wait for the rest of this series!

I received an e-arc/audio arc of The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know why I waited so long to read this, it was so fun and enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised, as I didn't know what to expect, and no one is talking about this book. It's tropey and entertaining, the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy. I was here for the romance and might have to pick up the sequel after that cliffhanger.
3.5 stars

I liked the characters and the story had good pacing with a lot of action, but I couldn't help thinking that a lot of this felt familiar. A lot of it seemed pulled from Leigh Bardugo's <i>Shadow and Bone</i> (the Shadowraith was similar to the Darkling; the Meren/Reven/Cain triangle similar to the Alina/Darkling/Mal triangle; even the names for the different magical powers - inferni/enfernae). It was incredibly distracting and to be honest, disappointing.

I loved this book. I thought the world was really interesting and the romance was more NA than YA which was a nice surprise. Sometimes I feel like I am “too old” for YA romance so NA is a welcome change of pace and it felt appropriate for the story. That being said, this is for upper YA readers.

The world was filled with details and what I’m assuming are clues that will be fleshed out later in the series but that’s my favorite kind of world. I can’t wait to keep reading.

One tiny note, I will likely need to reread this book before reading any sequels as there were a lot of details.

The audiobook was great. The narrator was perfect and I will definitely be re-listening when it comes time for book 2.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The Liar's Crown" is a promising start to the Dominions saga, a fantasy series that takes us on a journey into a world of magic and wonder. The story follows royal twin sisters, Tabra and Meren, as they navigate their roles in the kingdom. Tabra is being raised to become the next Queen, while Meren is meant to sacrifice herself if needed.

When their grandmother, the Queen, unexpectedly dies, and the ageless King Eidolon seeks to marry the next Queen, Meren takes it upon herself to investigate his intentions. However, she is kidnapped by a mysterious figure known as the Shadowraith, and so the adventure begins!

The audiobook version of "The Liar's Crown" adds an extra layer of enjoyment to an already captivating story. Narrated by Samara Naeymi & Luis Moreno, the duo does an excellent job of conveying the emotions of characters and surroundings of the story. Their narration brings the world of fantasy and magic to life, immersing the listener in the story's rich and vibrant setting.

Overall, "The Liar's Crown" is a fantastic start to the Dominions saga, and the audiobook version enhances the experience even further. With its engaging story, slow characters development, and excellent narration, it's a book that is sure to delight fans of fantasy and magic. I can't wait to see what the next book in the series, "The Stolen Throne," has in store, and I hope that Naeymi and Moreno will once again lend their voices to the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheLiarsCrown #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

Oh, wow, I had such a fantastic time reading this book! I was utterly swept up into this world with these different dominions, with the different types of magic, and the political struggles of one dominion's rulers that has secretly been battered at by the ruler of another! It was so great!

Meren is the second born twin born in line to the throne. But each every other generation is twins, and the second is brought up to be a body double of the firstborn, who is to rule. Which is a pretty harsh existence to live. And now that their grandmother just died, it's time for Tabra, and for

This world was so interesting, with the portals between the different realms, with the different goddess and their protections of the dominions. The history and the politics with the threat that they face from Eidolon were intriguing. And then there's Reven. I absolutely adored his and Maven's banter!

That ending was utterly evil! Cliffhangers, if you can read the next book right away, are okay. If you can't, then they're evil. And this one is a little evil, I picked this book up when I already had the second, so I'll be reading that sometime next week, but I can't wait to see what happens next from here!

I loved reading this book, and I'm going to read the second one as soon as I can!

„The Liars Crown“ is the first installment of a unique, captivating and romantic fantasy series that’ll intrigue teens and adults alike.

From the moment she drew her first breath, Meren was hidden away and raised to be a body double for her twin sister who, by contrast, was brought up as the crown princess. When Meren is abducted she at first congratulates herself on a job well done until she realizes that her kidnapper might not have, in fact, gotten the wrong sister at all. Revelations beyond her wildest dreams turn her world upside down and developing a crush on the enemy must surely be a stress-induced inconvenience…

There are a lot of things about „The Liar’s Crown“ that I haven’t encountered often or even at all before, so - to me - this book felt rather unique and really captivated me.
I liked the idea behind the twin princesses and loved it even more once I realized that Meren and Tabra actually don’t have the strained relationship one might expect in a situation like theirs. Since Meren is the series‘ protagonist, we only get to know her side of the story, which is quite interesting, but I’d also have enjoyed a glimpse of Tabra’s upbringing as well.
The relationship between the book’s heroine and the Shadowraith is nothing short of hilarious. Their initial interactions just had me giggling with glee and the progression of their relationship feels pretty believable, too.
The magic system is quite interesting as well, especially considering I feel like we only got a small taste of it so far and there’s a lot more to be explored in the sequels.

„The Liar’s Crown“ is the perfect book for fantasy fans who enjoy novels featuring political intrigue, deception and, of course, a healthy dose of romance. Recommended for readers aged 14 and up.

This is a great start to a series. The world and character building keep the reader intrigued. What happens when twins are born, and in line to take the crown? The second becomes a body double when the first could potentially be in danger. That is where the trouble begins. It continues through the landscape of the world being set up. There are love interests and sass. Everything you could want in a fantasy.

The narrators Samara Naeymi, and Luis Moreno do a great job of keeping the narrator interested in the story unfolding.

I want to thank Netgalley, and RB Media for an advanced audiobook.

This book was my very first audiobook so I was not sure what to expect, but OH MY GOSH I fell in love! The world building the author does is amazing. For someone like me who usually has to read/see it herself everything made so much sense just listening to it. I was hooked by the first few pages ad could hardly put it down. I am so amazed with the plot, that cliffhanger at the end was *chefs kiss*. I can not wait for the sequel!! Meren & Reven have my heart swooning, if they don’t end up with a HEA I will be broken! I even bought a physical copy because I just love this story so much. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this book. It is one of my top books right now!! Thank you Abigail for writing such an amazing story. I can’t wait to see where the twins end up!

It starts off slow, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The world and character-building took a while, but it was worth it. The narrator did a great job with all of the characters. I’m looking forward to book 2.


**I received an audiobook arc from netgalley and RB Media in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the narrator, and the book was super fun and enjoyable! The world created by the author was really interesting and the journey kept me on the edge of my seat.

I should start by saying that I am NOT a fantasy girl. I just wanted to step outside my comfort zone and I did enjoy this. However, I’d just finished a different series and longed to be reading that instead sooo I guess this didn’t quite measure up but it didn’t bomb so that’s a win!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. This book hit every single story beat a New Adult enemies-to-lovers Romantasy novel deserves. Think of every trope you could want. This book has it. I have recommended it to all friends whom enjoy this genre, and purchased a physical copy for myself. I cannot express how eager I am for this sequel.

The cover got me and the story kept me. I couldn’t put this one down. Hidden princess and enemies to lovers - need I say more! The world building was fabulous. The characters were awesome. You are rooting for the heroes and hating the villain. I cannot wait to read the next book. I need it this very minute. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I can't wait to read more! The author's world was so captivating and intriguing. I really hope that there is a series in this world. or at least off shoot books.

DNF - 70%

365 Days meets Court of Silver Flames...

Princess Meren has lived in the shadow of her older twin sister, Tabra, since infancy. Standing in her place whenever danger feels imminent, Meren has one job, to keep her sister alive; however, she longs to be free. Unfortunately, her dreams move further out of her reach after her grandmother dies and Tabra ascends the throne. On the night of the coronation, Meren takes Tabra's place and is kidnapped by a handsome stranger. Will Meren find her way back to the castle before their greatest enemy reaches Tabra, or will this be her chance to break free and live the life she's always wanted?

The Liar's Crown held great promise, drawing me in with its intriguing synopsis; however, after more than five hours of listening to the audiobook, I couldn't force myself to go any further. The author's infatuation with Meren and her kidnapper, Reven's, lust pushed the plot to the back of her mind, causing the entire storyline to drag at a snail's pace. In the beginning, their connection was endearing, but the further into the story I went, the quicker the sparks blew out, and my hope in this novel actually fulfilling the epic journey I was promised vanished!

Not the fantasy I thought it was...

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like there are alot of fantasy books coming out right now with a story of twins, but luckily this take was quite interesting. I enjoyed the world building and the magic that was written in this story and the twist that came with the king.

Okay first: this cover? Beautiful 😍 I remember the first time I spotted it, while scrolling through the Apple Books app in the upcoming YA titles section (probably because I was checking something about my own upcoming title 😂). My brain was like, "Ooh, hello, what is this beauty?" and I immediately had to click and find out what it was about 😂

One born to rule. One to forfeit ... As a hidden twin princess, Meren's sole purpose is to sacrifice her life for her sister (the heir), so when danger presents itself on the eve of the coronation, Meren takes her sister's place. Which means SHE is the one who winds up kidnapped when a shadowy figure comes for the true princess.

Having read (and loved) TWIN CROWNS earlier this year, I was more than ready for another "twin princesses" fantasy, and THE LIAR'S CROWN did not disappoint. Meren is fierce, brave and loyal, and her captor, Reven, turned out to be a complex (and rather swoonworthy) character with a fascinating backstory and resulting powers.

With a fast pace and an interesting magic system (and a good dose of romance 💖), this story kept me listening, and OF COURSE I want to know what happens next!

Note: there is one slightly spicy scene, so look out for that if you’re not into that kind of thing and want to skip it.

Abigail Owen takes the Murder Princess trope and ages it up just enough to give it her usual spark. The queens in Meren's royal line have a set of girl twins, one to be the queen and one to be a body double. Meren has been hidden in the poorer part of the city, living in disguise as a normal girl but tutored in the arts of queendom. Naturally, she learns to steal and stab from her rapscallion friends, too. Crucial Murder Princess skills... especially if you're going to get kidnapped by people who think you're the real queen-to-be.
To those of us who've read deeply in the Murder Princess genre, there's not a lot in this book that's particularly surprising or unique, but Owen's writing carried the book for me. It's a solid story, but if not for the strength of her writing--in particular her morally gray characters and their excellent chemistry--this book might be just another in the pack. That said, the world-building around the male MC's magic is pretty cool and I genuinely wondered how things would turn out with the dark side of it.
In a fairly crowded field of 19 year olds with Big Destinies and a habit of stabbing people, The Liar's Crown is a fun read that has me eager for the second.
Audio Notes: I really enjoyed the narration! According to the list on Audible, I haven't read any of Samara Naeymi's work before, but her voice sounds familiar enough that I was curious about possible pseudonyms. In any case, I thought the voice she did for Meren sounded age-appropriate and the pacing was great.

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living 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 and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed.

This book was an absolute delight! The amount of angst, tension, and plotting was outstanding. I really enjoyed the main character because she had so much character growth and recognized her flaws.

There were many characters in this book that had a spotlight and I thought the author did an excellent job at maintaining their identities as well as creating their own backstories. The actions of all of this characters were consistent with who Owen created and you were never perplexed by a characters changes.

When reading the story there felt like there were many moments that could have been tied together and brought more to the readers eyes. This is an unfinished series (duopoly, trilogy?) so these moments may interconnect in the future. It just felt overall, like there were missed opportunities that left me feeling a bit underwhelmed with these small tweaks to the plot.

I am confidently rating this book five stars, its not perfect but it was genuinely enjoyable and the characters were all likable in their own ways.

Overall, I am unsure if this book really needed to be anything except for a standalone, but I am sure I will enjoy and read the next book.

I could feel the tension with the writing and the narration. This is an audiobook that I would recommend to people who always listen to audiobooks. I also think this narration is especially good for people who are trying to get into audiobooks.