The story seemed promising at the beginning, but I had a hard time getting into the plot. The characters were very bland and the magic undertones were unimaginable. I like the concept of Cinderella being a villian, but it just didn't play out for me.

This one is hard to review. Did I think the concept was good? YES. The world was a fun mix of different time periods with a splash of fantasy. Did I like the protagonist? Not really. It became almost like the Cinderella character was basically saying "YOU DON'T KNOW ME" and just being really rude from the get go. It was a unique twist but you really had to push through the first part to get to the meat.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

A retelling of the Cinderella fairytale. With a great twist. This Cinders aka Ash/lady Aslinn is not the meek, poor maid to her evil stepmother. Ash is torn between revenge for her Grandmother’s people and the greed of her stepmother. She manages to woo the prince at the ball with her magic and become part of the royal family. Some great twists and turns. Will she be caught and tried for treason? Suggested age 17 plus reading due to sexual content.

This book was very interesting. As far as retelling go i found it to be a fresh take. I did have a hard time in some places as the path of the plot kept getting lost. I feel like the density of the world building and the magic system that seemed to make zero sense at time, made it hard for me to get all the way into the book. There were definitely some great high points in the story. I did love quite a few of the characters and i found their relationships enduring at times.

This was a fun Cinderella spin off! I liked the way the author changed the story and really made it her own!

Lady Aislinn is not what she seems. Everyone knows her as the charming scully maid that charmed the prince at the masked ball and stole his heart. Everyone says there was a magic pumpkin involved. There are stories being told about the moving love story of the century and Aislinn lets them be told...because she knows the truth. Ash and her stepsisters have been trained to be the cleverest, quickest, and slickest in the room. They have been taught how to weave lies to gain power and wealth, most importantly, through illegal spells. Leading up the wedding, Ash's magic starts to run out and she realizes not everything is as it seems.

This was a beautiful retelling of Cinderella with a fantastical twist. Cinderella isn't the damsel in distress in this one and her stepfamily is basically her allies. She uses a magical powder to get her way and charm her way out of or in anything. The plot was chaotic in this one. I definitely loved the twist in the plot. It was intriguing to be in Ash's brain as she plotted, made shocking discoveries, and fought her real inner self because "that's not Lasy Aislinn". The romance was slow-burn, just the way I like. And while I was caught off guard with the development of Everett's character, it did not shock me. All of the character arcs were entertaining to read. Nobody was what they seemed in this book and the first person POV really sold that to the reader. There were times that I physically gasped.

I would have liked to see more world-building, particularly revolving around Lustre. A better explanation of what it is and how it works. While the ending was pretty rushed, I really enjoyed the book and stayed up late just to finish it.

Gigantic thank you to Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book. It has quickly become one of my favorite Cinderella retellings.

Synopsis: imagine everything you think you know about Cinderella is false. She didn't enchant a pumpkin to make a carriage, she didn't have a fairy godmother, and she didn't enlist the help of cute woodland creatures to find her one true love. No, Cinderella is a con-woman, raised by a con-woman, who is magically charming the Prince into falling for and marrying her. Things are going swimmingly... until she begins to fall in love with the wrong prince, and that threatens to throw all her plans and agendas out the window.

Review: THIS ONE IS A YES. I loved every single character, even the antagonists. Ash is a perfectly-retold Cinderella on a mission of her own. I loved the backdrop, the political intrigue and unrest, the undertones of looming war, the "us vs. them" mentality... this is the Cinderella retelling that present-day needs. The fact that there is a dog in this book named Puppy is just a bonus.

Much more than I expected! Summary made it sound like a normal usual twist on a Cinderella where she swoons over the wrong person, but so many more twists and turns and twists on a twist. Intriguing and suspenseful to the very end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy. I thought this was a creative and fun spin on the traditional retellings. Often the same story is told again and again, but this one was different. I personally, didn't realize it was a retelling and they're not something I pick up often anymore. So, I had a hard time connecting, but it wasnt a bad story by any means.

This is a creative reimagining of the classic Cinderella story, except that our Cinderella character is actually in cahoots with her stepmother and stepsisters to use magic to seduce the prince and take over the country's magical resources. I struggled to like the main character, Ash, because I felt like I never really got to know her since she was always trying to be somebody else. In fact, the only character I really found interesting at all was mysterious and brooding Lord Verance. The story got better once we got to see more of him. In all honestly, this book should have been about 10% shorter. It has a very slow start, and it takes too long to get interesting. Once the plot started moving, I was hooked, but that didn't happen until about halfway.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Oh this was thoroughly enjoyable! I haven't read many twists on fairy tales like Cinderella so I didn't have many expectations going into it.

I loved the characters. I know there are reviews out there that said there needed to be more character development but I actually think Ash is portrayed pretty well. She's spent most of her life just trying to survive. I think it tracks that she wouldn't really know herself well or would fall back on her survival tactics in moments of uncertainty. She consistently displays admirable traits but rails against them because of the trauma inflicted by her stepmother. And running a long con like she is would wear on anyone; I'm not surprised she got a little lost in herself and her lies. Watching her come into her own and forge her own path was lovely.

The stepsisters are great, too. They're deliciously snotty and untrustworthy but are just doing exactly what Ash is going: trying to survive. I would've liked to see a little more from them.

Obviously Rance was my favorite ;-)

I didn't rate this higher because I thought the story could've used more work. The whole magic system screamed 'deus ex machina' to me and I think that's because the tension between Solis and Eloria isn't explored enough. Sure, it's almost always in the background but it read more like a convenient plot device than anything real / true to these characters.

The pacing is off, too. The ending is packed with action and coming from the rest of the book -- the beginning dragged! -- it felt rushed. Don't get me wrong, I was invested in the ending. But I don't know that it was quite earned.

On the whole, I think it's an interesting take on Cinderella's story. I've already recommended this to people!

I really enjoy fairy tale retellings, and this one had a lot of promise. The book started strong - I thought it was great when Ash separated the fairy tale "fact" from "fiction" (glass slippers & pumpkin carriages). However, early on the book took a slow turn and - for me - it took a really long time before it finally picked up the pace again. I thought the last third was terrific, I'm glad I stuck around for the conclusion.

The story of Cinderella is as timeless as her glass slipper. But what if it were a scam? What if she and her stepsisters used their charm, wit, and magic to change the course of histo… I mean, their place in society?

Thief Liar Lady reveals Lady Aislinn’s rise from poor, scullery maid into a mysteriously beautiful future princess wasn’t quite as full of magical pumpkins and mice as legend would have one believe.

Rather it required far more calculated preparation and even a new name. It was an evening of masterful scheming and dark magic handcrafted by herself and her stepfamily – though for very different reasons.

D. L. Soria has created an enchanting reimagining of the legendary Cinderella tale. She brings to life two contrasting worlds on the brink of a second war – one of nobility and grace profiting from one of starvation and illness.

This Cinderella is far more worried about watching her back, playing the political game, and seeking revenge than she is about love. Or maybe she can have both.

Our heroine, Ash Vincent, is prepared to do anything it takes, including casting spells on the royal family, for the sake of human rights. Unfortunately, her perfectly laid plan is skewered by an unexpected true love rebel ready to do the same, and an evil stepmother willing to further the cultural and political divide for the sake of power.

As a born and raised Disney lover, this book captured my imagination and heart from the description to the end of the book. It’s the perfect adult fairytale. D.L. Soria unapologetically gets the crown and the gown dirty. I loved it.

The author slowly smooths on the layers of depth for each persona resulting in an intricately woven cast of multidimensional characters that remind us to never judge a person by their shoes or lack thereof. I am dying to tell you who I loved and why, but that would give spoilers. I don’t do spoilers.

Thief Liar Lady doesn’t shy away from digging into the deep complexities of life, family, and government. Don’t judge the book by its fairy tale cover. It’s a tale of espionage, political intrigue, and independence led by a reimagined Cinderella ready to fight for her beliefs whether she has a man or not. And she’d prefer not.

This adult book is perfect for adult Disney fans and fans of fairy tales and villains, especially if you like a princess who is a bit shrewd. This would be a good “beginner’s level” storyline for fans of espionage and political intrigue.

From the publisher:
I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen—as the rumors insisted—in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this—to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we wanted in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince—the wrong prince—distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created . . . and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.

My Thoughts:

i gave this book 4/5 stars.It's an interesting take on the Cinderella story. Happily Ever After isn't guaranteed. It's up to Ash aka Lady Aislinn to use her wits, charm, and magic to work towards that goal.

I thought it was interesting that magic is dependent on lustre - a substance that can be mined. How the lustre is used plus the willpower behind the spell affects the results. Ash has been using lustre to establish herself in the palace. As the book goes on, there is a shortage of lustre due to unrest among the miners. Ash must then rely on her wits and charm to continue to hold her place in the palace. Good thing her stepmother taught her how to do that as well as how to perform spells.

Overall, the book is well-written. It is slow a bit in the beginning as the stage is set. Later on, the pace picks up and maintains a good clip until the end. I found myself struggling a little in the beginning. Once I reached the point where the pace picks up I found myself reading late into the night to find out what would happen next.

I liked Ash more than her alternate persona Lady Aislinn. I think even Ash prefers to be herself than to perform as Lady Aislinn. Prince Everett who plays the role of Prince Charming falls for her as Lady Aislinn. He is next in line for the throne. Everett is okay, but the hostage prince shines. I especially liked that he has a dog that he treats quite well.

Happily Ever After is not guaranteed. Ash, along with her stepsisters, must make it happen if they can. I had a little trouble accepting the ending. But, it is still a good ending.

Setting wise, it's a little unclear. The time period strikes me as a little medieval, but they have running water in the bathrooms. I was happy for Ash and them that it's like that, but it occasionally brought me out of the book when it was mentioned.

Overall, it's a good book. It's well written though it is a little slow in the beginning, the rest of the book makes up for it. I liked the characters I was supposed to like and didn't like the ones we are supposed to find unlikeable. There are some characters that start out in one column and end up in the other as the story progresses. This makes it more interesting. If you enjoy retellings, this is an interesting one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review,

✨️ Thief Liar Lady ✨️

DNF at 65%. I tried very hard to get through this book but nothing is grabbing me. The tension between Aislinn and Rance was the only part of the story I was willing to read more for but even now, I think I'm throwing in the towel.

For me, I didn't care for having a Cinderella inspired story have an unlikable FMC (maybe it's just because I grew up loving the Disney version that having her be this person conning and taking away the princes ability to make his own choices just gave me the ick). I also didn't love that Ash hit the prince when they had an argument, violence with your "partner" even if it's fake to you was very off-putting and must have been very hot and cold to the prince where she's smacking him and then kissing him right afterward to make the wedding still happen.

This story, from start to finish, was interesting, entertaining and engaging. I really loved the different elements to this retelling and found myself wondering how in the world no one has ever had this take before! I love the "Cinderella" universe and always am up for fresh twists of well-known stories, but this one exceeded all of my expectations!

really good book and kept me on my on my toes of what would happen. really enjoyed the characters and their journey and would read this author again.

A Cinderella story with a real twist. It has the magic and the energy. This book is not in any way written for even young adults to read the language constantly bad words being used di not expect in a classic story. It has me reading couldn't put it down otherwise just was not happy with the language, It's a very different type of story with a very interesting ending to the book. Which I did not expect. I was happy with the ending. characters were very good. Plot was very different but pretty much the book lived up to its name.

DNF @ 52%.

I haven’t seen many spins on the classic Cinderella tale (in fact, the only one to date that I can think of is the 2021 movie with Camila Cabello), and I found the premise behind THIEF LIAR LADY to be fascinating. The book presents as a feminist rendering of the beloved tale, but unfortunately, the main character’s motives were unclear. Yes, you know that her grandmother is Elorian and introduced her to the cause, but why does she care? What does Ash want? The author even goes as far to state that Ash does not believe in the religious aspects of it, and therefore, I didn't feel that anything served as a strong enough motivator for her actions. If I am going to read a book about a group of strong-willed females striving to make their own way in the world, I want a more compelling protagonist. Beyond that, the magic system seemed more convenient than well defined. Had the plot moved faster, I may have wanted to continue the story, or if it was truly character driven, I would have loved to have delved deeper into Ash and her psyche.

I am incredibly grateful for the early copy and would not dissuade anyone from reading this. It simply wasn't for me. Thank you, Del Rey and NetGalley!

"Thief Liar Lady" by D. L. Soria is a captivating Sci-Fi & Fantasy novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through a richly crafted world. With intricate storytelling and vivid descriptions, the author masterfully brings to life a universe filled with intrigue, deception, and unexpected twists. The characters' depth and the immersive setting make this novel a must-read for fans of the genre. D. L. Soria's "Thief Liar Lady" keeps readers hooked from start to finish, making it an enthralling addition to any Sci-Fi & Fantasy enthusiast's bookshelf.