THIS COVER. it's so beautiful I want to own 100 copies just so I can stare at it all day 🤣 I first read Abigail Owen when I read The Rogue King - and it was so good! I have been following along ever since and was so excited to be approved for this one (which is out now!). I loved it!!! I read this as an audiobook and I thought it was phenomenal. Twin princesses. One to take the throne, and one who keeps her existence a secret... I thought the story, the characters, the magic, the royalty, the secrets, the action, the steam - was all great.

"I'm going to kill the bastard who did this to you"

Read if you enjoy:
• enemies to lovers
• secret royalty
• magic
• "touch her you die"
• witty banter
• tensionnn

Thank you RV Media for my ALC!

DNF at 57%

It was entertaining at first but the writing wasn’t for me and I didn’t enjoy the insta love, the relationship and characters didn’t feel solid. If you want a brain off fantasy romance maybe try it out but it was just not for me

I think most YA fantasy lovers will enjoy The Liar's Crown! It feels like a perfect addition to the genre in the sense that some tropes and aspects of the story will feel familiar, but there's enough unique world-building and story development to make this book feel fresh. That being said, this felt more new adult to me based on the fact that the sex is a little more explicit than most YA books.

I really liked the world-building in this book and the magic system was interesting. The magic system felt more unique than what we see in most YA books, and there's plenty of adventure and interesting details in the world. The romance felt pretty stereotypical and expected, but if you love a shadowy, dark love interest who's really a marshmallow on the inside, you'll love Reven. It would've been nice to see more of Meren's relationship with her sister at the beginning of the book to better establish their relationship dynamics, but overall I enjoyed this one! I'm definitely intrigued and want to see what happens next!

Tabra is the heir and her twin sister Meren is the spare. But Meren’s existence has been kept secret so when a kidnapping takes place, Meren is accidentally taken instead of the real princess. Upon the death of the girls’ mother, Tabra is set to inherit the throne and then a marriage proposal comes from the evil King Eidolon. With Meren being held captive by Reven, she is desperate to get free and save her sister from a horrible fate.

The tension in the story is intense and doesn’t let up. Meren’s devotion to protecting her sister is her driving force but things get complicated when she learns more about her abductor, Reven. He’s a Shadowraith but there’s a complexity to him that makes him enthralling. Owen is masterful at creating characters that struggle with interior conflicts and loyalties.

This book is hard to put down as it races toward the amazing conclusion that will leave readers breathless, anxious for the next installment. Lovers of Jennifer Armentrout and Holly Black will want to add this to their “must read” list. The audio version is a riveting read by Samara Naeymi and Luis Moreno.

I honestly expected this to be a very YA book but it is pleasantly upper/more adult YA. The main character, Meren, is fierce, persistent, and brave. Her romantic interest is intriguing and charming in his own way. I thought that they had pretty good chemistry and a believable love story. The one part that just felt a little lacking was the politics between the nations, I did not get a good feel for the differences between the people of each kingdom and any political intricacies. This is definitely a romance focused fantasy, which isn't a bad thing but I just wished that there was more political intrigue. Overall, it was enjoyable and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A genetic predisposition to twins every other generation is a deeply held secret in Merin's kingdom. The heir to the throne, and the spare to take her place during dangerous times and potential murder. Merin is the second twin. Raised in secret, forced to match all scars her sister earns, learn all the ministers, politics, and history that her royal sister learns, all while living in squalor with her grandmother's own secret twin. When their grandmother dies, Merin is kidnapped by an urban legend as the biggest threat to the kingdom, and their lives, engrains himself next to her sister- the newly crowned queen.

I finished this book and had a really great time. I kept telling myself I'd go to sleep at the end of the chapter, but couldn't bring myself to stop. Around the 50% mark it really picked up and became fascinating, and I honestly can't wait for book 2. But that said, I have an issue with the beginning of the story. At around the 30% mark, I realized story progression wise, I was expecting to come upon the rising action soon, but was only 30% through. Which meant I still had a lot of 'forest wandering' and exposition to go through before the story could continue. This would have been overall fine if not for the fact that the early establishment of Merin's relationships- with her aunt, her sister, her best friend, are all so rushed and poorly established. I would have loved more interactions. As it stands, when everything towards the end goes down with her sister I just didn't care that much because as a character and a sister we didn't get a lot of development.

The same goes for her relationship with Cane. We got nothing much to show that relationship, though more than her sister. And when he comes back at the end, it seemed like he was a new character because of how much I'd forgotten about him.

Then there's the chapter long sex scene, which yes this is marketed as UPPER YA, but it is still YA. The detailed sexual content didn't feel appropriate considering who this book is being marketed to at the end of the day.

I really enjoyed the world building and magic system in this book, but the insta-love was a little annoying/not my thing. I did really enjoy the relationships between the characters. I'm glad I listened to this rather than reading it.

3.25 stars

I enjoyed this twist on the “the heir and the spare“ storyline. The magic systems are interesting—Meren has sand magic, meaning she can manipulate sand and melt it into glass, and the explanation of Reven is fascinating. I have to say that after the kidnapping is a long portion of the book (about 1/3) that is really slow. It’s just a lot of walking and wandering and talking and very little happens. I would also not recommend the audiobook, which is how I read this. It shows that there is a male and female narrator, however, the male narrator is only for the epilogue. Otherwise the female narrator does all the voices, and for Reven she pitches her voice so low and gravelly that it’s very difficult to make out what she’s saying. I had the sound cranked all the way up and I was still missing words in Reven’s voice.
Overall I do think this was a good concept, and I did enjoy the beginning and ending of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley & RB Media for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I literally finished this audiobook 30 seconds ago and the one thing I need to know is WHY IS BOOK 2 NOT OUT YET??!!?

I loved this book. I got so caught up in the world and the characters and the story that I could not turn it off. I listened to more every chance I got, stayed up way too late some nights, sat in the car a few minutes longer after I arrived at my destination, and was generally glued to my headphones as I flew through it.

The characters were wonderful. They were relatable and so interesting. Meren, as a twin and as a second-born royal, had such a deep and compelling story. She was ordinary and extraordinary in so many ways and it was perfect. She is exactly who I wanted in this story and her sass and strength made for a great read. Without spoiling anything, Reven was fascinating. I loved the two of them together.

I really enjoy stories like this with a bit of mistaken identity, magic, and romance. I definitely appreciate that this book did not end on a cliffhanger, but in many ways, it might as well have because I just need to know what happens next. Right now. I will be over here very impatiently pining away until book 2 comes out.

Now THIS is exquisite fantasy. Five stars and a book hangover from this little beaut. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meren and Tabra are twins in a long royal line where the second born is hidden as a spare for the first born. Tabra is set to become the queen of Aryd, and has caught the eye of a neighboring king, Eidolon(also known as a shadow king). When the coronation is deemed too risky for her to attend, Meren is sent in her place. On her way, Meren is kidnapped by a dark young stranger. She must continue to convince her kidnapper that she is Tabra both in an effort to keep Tabra safe and keep herself alive. Will Meren's powers as a sand wielder help her escape back to Tabra? Or is there more to this stranger than meets the eye?

Guys....this is the beginning of something great. The world building is phenomenal, the characters are sassy and engaging, and the magic system is the real star. Meren is such a great heroine, she isn't whiny or resentful about being second born, instead she takes her duty as a double for Tabra severely seriously. It's so refreshing to see a hidden main want to serve her purpose while also finding out who they are outside of it. She doesn't throw her sister to the wolves upon realizing what she wants out of life. Reven, our kidnapper is very charismatic, reminds me a bit of the Darkling, and is hard to stay angry with, simply the best kind of enemy to lover in my opinion. This novel grants the reader everything they could want: classic tropes, fresh magic, and reveals leaving you gasping for air. I am STARVED for book 2 and will be counting down the months, days, hours until I can sink my teeth into it.

5 stars for the beginning of a new epic in fantasy. Recommended for readers who loved the Shadow and Bone trilogy or Vicious from V.E. Schwab. Age recommended for readers 15+ as there is some explicit romance, but nothing untoward. Don't mind me, I'll just be here willing time to go faster to get me closer to book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audiobook for an honest review.

The Liar's Crown
by Abigail Owen
Pub Date: 30 Aug 2022

I enjoyed the narrators and the storyline for this book. While there may be similarities to other YA works, there were many unique features that made "The Liar's Crown" feel fresh. Meren is the hidden twin princess while her sister, Tabra, is the only known royalty who will one day rule. Meren's only job is to stand in when a situation calls for to keep her sister safe. I appreciated that the twins don't have a jealous rivalry and genuinely care for one another. Reven kidnaps the wrong princess, and the rest of the book carries on from there. The relationship evolves between Meren and Reven as kidnappee/kidnapper, to friends, to something more...
The world building was well done, and the addition of shadows was interesting. The characters had good personal growth and the relationship between the main couple felt like a natural progression that had you rooting for them. Even the side characters were fully fleshed out and made you want to know their backstories as well.

This book does end with a lot of unanswered questions and conflicts unresolved. Stay tuned for book 2!

Meren has spent her life in the background. By being born as the 2nd twin instead of the first she is a hidden "back-up" princess. When it is time for her sister to take over as Queen Meren fills in as a body double in case something goes wrong. When she is kidnapped she must continue to play the role of queen until her captors realize there is still a queen on the throne they took her away from.

Reven, her captor, has many secrets of his own and as Meren gets to know her captor their start as enemies softens to a point of understanding. I truly appreciated the evolution of their relationship and felt it was well-written.

For the fantasy realm I feel the world was well built and it didn't seem a slog as the first in longer series sometimes feels. I am very curious to see where this one is going and look forward to book 2.

I definitely recommend listening to this one if you are considering it as the narration was very well done.

Thank you to RB Media and Recorded books for the advanced listening copy of this one

Ooh, this was so good! I loved reading this and it was hard to keep to my buddy read with only a few chapters a day. The plot jumps right into things and kept my interest with a good pace and a nice slow burn romance. I loved how Meren is a fighter and will do anything to save her sister, including getting kidnapped and pretending to be her. She's sarcastic and smart and a great match for Reven.

I want to know more about the magic and the things it can do. There are different types of magic users, some can use sand or shadow to do things, but there's more we don't totally know. With how this one ended, I think we'll get more answers in the sequel.

The tension between Meren and Reven is so well written and I loved their fighting and passion. I was rooting for them to get together and know they could be such a power couple. I'm excited to get more of these two soon!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to RB Media, Entangled: Teen, and NetGalley for the copy.

It was an interesting YA fantasy story.
I liked the magic and the world setup a lot.
But I would have liked to read more from the sisters side of the story.

The insta-love is a bit much, but I was glad the triangle part wasn't as bad as I was afraid of.
And in the beginning it was a bit hard to get into the story with all the names and new information about a world you don't know.
I really had to get used to all the names and had some trouble remembering who was who.

I loved this book! The narrator really brought you into the characters world. I was transported and felt that I was surviving along side Meren and Reven. I cannot wait to read the next book and pray that Meren and Reven are given a HEA.

Every time I read a fantasy and absolutely love it I do a happy dance… this one was sooo good! It had it all… family secrets, Magic, adventure, romance, and a vivid setting. Fantasy can be a hit or miss for me. I need something fast paced… just enough world building to know the setting, and characters you never want to leave and The Liars Crown checked all those boxes. I’m beyond excited for the next one to come out this coming year!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I enjoyed the Liar's Crown. I liked the action, adventure, and world building. I love feisty Meren. The story moved at a quick pace and I never lost interest. I look forward to learning more about this world.

The theme of sisters and body doubles seems to be a popular trope at the moment which is why in this mids of all the other books recently released this one was a "its fine" read. I wasnt particularly captivated or engrossed throughout the audiobook.
The story started off strong and intriguing with the introduction of the sisters and their roles they play. Meren is a good main character who doesnt hold resentment for the role she has to play as her sister's shadow and body double, She just wants whats good for her country. But her interactions with her sister are cut short when she was mistakenly kidnapped by Revan the male MC. I felt for the majority of the book the pacing was slow and turned more into a romance than your typical YA fantasy. The start and the middle of the book are very different.
I did enjoy Ravan's and Meren's interactions and the secrets Ravan was harboring. There were also some unexpectant steamy scene.
Whilst this wasnt for me, readers looking for a romance heavy YA fantasy with royal sisters and dark magic would enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB media for an early release of this audiobook for a honest review.

Surprisingly good! I typically stay away from YA high fantasy because they tend to miss out on the violence and heavy themes required for a solid fantasy novel. So to say I rate this book five stars is shocking and amazing. Abigail Owen managed to make these younger characters so interesting that I couldn’t put the book down. The relationship between Meren and Reven was the perfect example of enemies to lovers and the way she wrote the “spicier” scene was honestly beautiful. The book progressed beautifully and it had some amazing plot twists that I did not see coming! Overall, I think The Liars Crown is a beautifully written YA high fantasy that is perfect for teens and young adults. I highly recommend reading this!

This was an enjoyable new fantasy entry. The author did a wonderful job with the world building and gave this story an original feel. I liked the twist of a hidden twin for the princess that could step in as a body double. It was clever and well woven into the story. It was easy to connect with the main character, Meren. She was the second born princess so she wasn't destined to rule and had been the one hidden away.

The development of the plot involving Reven was inventive. Even though several facets of the storyline felt obvious, it was still enjoyable to see how it all developed. Of course, Reven and Meren find themselves feeling an attraction to one another that they eventually succumb to. But it takes a good part of the story to get them to that point. Along the way, you learn more about them and some of the other characters as well.

I look forward to reading more in this series and revisiting these characters.

Also, my review copy was an audiobook. I greatly enjoyed listening to this book. The narration was well done and I kept me interested all the way through.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.