Ruby and her sister Wren are asked to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy party for $2000 each. They agreeed happily. BUT the hostess is dead, all the guests are witches and a curse ensures that no one leaves until the murder is solved in 3 days.

I like this magical world. The mystery is good. Lots of threads and characters though. Very fast paced. A fun read.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

A mysterious;, eccentric woman asks two sisters to impersonate her granddaughters at a dinner. The girls agree when money is offered, but they don’t realize this is not an ordinary family dinner.

I absolutely loved this book! It has a unique plot, fascinating magic system, as well as amazing characters. 400 pages flew by with multiple points of view.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance. I look forward to recommending!

I wasn't sure when I first started The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning, but I'm glad I stuck with it because it ended up quickly pulling me in and kept me hooked until the end.

We follow sisters Ruby and Wren (with chapters from Ruby's POV) as they're hired by a mystery woman to impersonate her long unseen granddaughters at a dinner party in a nearby mansion. At first, I questioned why a couple teenagers would agree to this with a complete stranger, but then I realized, yes, I too would impersonate someone at a dinner for $4,000! Events quickly go awry and the sisters find themselves trapped on the mansion grounds. And everyone else trapped with them is a witch who could kill them quite easily. They're left trying to help solve the riddles and mystery so the grounds can be unlocked, all while trying to keep their real identities a secret. We also get dual POV chapters from Auden, one of the witches who lives in the mansion.

I thought the magic system was really interesting, and leaves room to grow other books in the same world. The pacing really picks up and keeps things moving, so it's a quick read even at 400 pages. I found myself preferring the chapters from Auden, because he has more of an insight into the mansion grounds, the witches and backstory, and his own family, so it was more conducive to solving the riddles and motives, and moving the plot along. The sisters, as outsiders, were more reactionary characters, truly plucked at random (unlike its comparison, Inheritance Games, where the MC isn't as random as she first seems.)

Overall, The Lies We Conjure is a magical and fast-paced YA mystery thriller that will appeal to a large audience. The 'Knives Out meets Inheritance Games' comparison is an apt descriptor, so if that sounds like your ideal read, you won't be disappointed when picking this up.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Lies We Conjure" by Sarah Henning is a bewitching (pun intended) tale filled with intrigue and familial secrets as the book takes you into a murder mystery filled with magic and mayhem. I absolutely loved the concept of this book as well as the cover, and I couldn’t wait to dive into this supernatural YA book.

As stated, the premise of the book is very unique. A chance encounter thrusts Ruby and Wren into a deadly game of deception when they are hired to impersonate granddaughters at a dinner party hosted by an eccentric old woman. However, as the night unfolds and the hostess meets a sudden demise, the sisters find themselves trapped in a house full of witches, their identities at risk of being exposed. You are given two perspectives in this book: Ruby’s perspective as she masquerades as a witch as well as Auden’s perspective as the grandson of the witch who is murdered. You are given both an insider and outsider perspective on the witch family and all the drama and intricacies within.

Henning skillfully crafts a world brimming with magic and mystery, drawing you into a web of family politics and supernatural suspense. The background on the witch families is given a lot of development as each family gets their own “magical tool” as well as their own development. Despite the main focus being on the magical family, we are mainly focused on the viewpoint of Ruby who didn’t even know magic existed before being trapped in this murder mystery. While While this outsider perspective adds a unique angle to the story, it did leave me a bit disconnected from the story because all the magical elements and family drama had to essentially be spoon-fed to Ruby, leaving some moments feeling like an info-dump. And I felt like Ruby/Wren didn’t contribute a lot to the actual mystery. I actually much preferred Auden’s perspective as I was reading.

I did enjoy the murder mystery elements of the book as well as the hunt for the various magical tools. I thought the world-building was unique, and I thought it was given plenty of development, especially since this is a standalone book. However, there almost seemed to be too much going on with all the different plot points and different motivations of the characters. I sometimes lost track of what was going on, but I still quite enjoyed reading the book. I liked the relationship building between Auden and Ruby (though it was mainly built on lies). Their romance offers a sweet lightening of the mood as the mystery continued to develop. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, and I like how everything came together at the end.

Overall, "The Lies We Conjure" offers an entertaining read for fans of magical mysteries. The fast-paced plot and engaging protagonists keeps you hooked until the final reveal, making it a worthwhile pick for those seeking a spellbinding blend of mystery and magic.

Ruby and Wren are just trying to get by when the chance of a lifetime presents itself, a eccentric old lady invites them to impersonate her granddaughters for the night in exchange for a payout they can’t resist.

However, less than an hour into the dinner event, she dies. The house goes into lockdown and it won’t lift until the mystery of her death is solved. Everyone at the party, except Ruby and Wren are witches. Can Ruby and Wren survive? Can they keep their identities a secret?


The cover on this book is gorgeous, but does the book live up?

YES! I think that it did. This one was most definitely like “Knives Out” except with magic. I found myself drawn into the story right from the start, though it was a hasty beginning and I wish that it was a little more flushed out. However, the drama and intrigue quickly started, and the action took off. The fact that everyone was a witch except Ruby and Wren was a lot of fun, they really fumbled along, and their blunders were interesting to read about. As with “Knives Out” this is a book that you really have to pay attention to. There is a lot going on and lots of moving pieces. I’m usually one for simpler tales, but this one had me hooked and on the edge of my seat wondering whodunit and boy did I have a million guesses. This was a wild and entertaining ride, and I’d recommend it for those who love a good engaging mystery, but with magic!

A Whodunit with a magical spin! A mysterious older lady hires Wren and Ruby to impersonate her granddaughters for an upcoming dinner party but leaves out some important information...like the fact that all of the other guests are witches! The house is placed under a magical curse after the hostess dies and chaos ensues as the remaining guests start dying one by one. Will Wren and Ruby be able to keep their wits about them so they can make it out alive?

A fast-paced mystery that kept me hooked to the end! I loved it!