This witchy novel is a great great YA title. It hits the sweet spot of middle school. It is mature enough to not be babyish, but not so mature that families would feel uncomfortable.

Book Review: Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall, and this book was so enjoyable! This haunting companion to Bittersweet in the Hollow invites us back to the enigmatic town of Caball Hollow, where the air is thick with secrets and the truth is as elusive as the mist that clings to the Appalachian hills.

The story revolves around 18-year-old Rowan James, who possesses an extraordinary ability—she can literally smell the lies of those around her. Talk about an intriguing gift! As Caball Hollow begins to heal from a tumultuous summer filled with revelations, Rowan finds herself grappling with her own family’s hidden truths. The plot thickens when her old rival, Hadrian Fitch, shows up on her doorstep, bloodied and clearly in need of help. But with her keen sense of deception, Rowan's initial reaction is skepticism. And honestly, who can blame her? After all, in a town where everyone seems to hide something, trust is a fragile commodity.

What I loved most about this book was how this author masterfully weaves an atmospheric setting that pulls you in from the first page. The writing is both immersive and engaging, making it easy to lose track of time as I turned each page. The pacing was spot-on; just when you think you have a handle on the unfolding mysteries, something new emerges to keep you guessing.

And let's talk about the characters! Rowan is beautifully complex—her struggles with her gift of discerning lies add a layer of depth that makes her relatable. Her relationship with her sister, Linden, who has a unique ability to taste emotions, brings an interesting dynamic to the story. And then there's Hadrian—a character who’s not just a rival but also a mystery in himself. As his story unfolds, I found myself questioning everything I thought I knew about him, which kept the tension high and my interest piqued.

One minor detail that initially caught my eye was the cover art. It’s simply stunning! The visuals perfectly encapsulate the eerie yet captivating essence of the narrative.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed Lies on the Serpent's Tongue. It’s well-plotted, well-paced, and filled with great characters that linger in your mind long after you’ve closed the book. If you’re looking for a read that combines mystery, supernatural elements, and a rich emotional landscape, this one is definitely worth picking up!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I loved being back in this town!

I really enjoyed the perspective of Rowan in this sequel and getting more background on the town itself as well as the James family.

I love Pearsall’s writing style and I’m really glad I read the first book right before this one as it helped with jumping right into this one. More Hadrain, more James sisters, more Bone Tree, more magic! I hope there will be another book after this one!

Overall rating 4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Loved this book. I liked how it showed a different view point of the family in this book. This book goes into more of the folks tales and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't put this story down.

Getting to know Rowan was a little rougher of a go at first than Linden in book one. I liked that she was cocky and brash but grew to realize her ability isn’t black and white. Rowan learned quite a bit about acceptance, empathy and accepting help.

The growth that the sisters went through both personally, as sisters, and with their abilities was something I love to see in a series. The stakes escalated rapidly for the all of the James women in the second book. I’m not so patiently waiting for an announcement for book three. I highly recommend this book (and series), especially if you like these: Hades & Persephone vibes, murder(s), tight-knit family/sisters, small town & all that comes with it, and enemies to lovers. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

I loved going back to Appalachia in this world. The sisters are just my favorite. I love the whole family. I want to know all their stories. I am so happy to have Rowan's story. The story pulled me in right from the start with mystery and intrigue. I just could not put it down. I really hope we get more in this world. I really need the other sister's stories. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc in exchange.

"Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall is a gripping mystery novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The author masterfully weaves together a complex plot full of twists and turns, leaving readers guessing until the very end. The character development is superb, with each character feeling multi-dimensional and realistic. Pearsall's writing style is engaging and descriptive, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the world she has created. Overall, Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense, and a testament to Pearsall's talent as a writer."

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

I love any book set in Appalachia territory and the folklore that goes with it so it was wonderful to return to this world! Lies on the Serpent's tongue is a haunting and mysterious book filled with folklore, magic and myateries galore. It was nice to read a story from Rowan's point of view and I enjoyed the return of Hadrian as well. Once again the idea of a "mothman" was done beautifully by the author, nothing silly about it. Just tragic and mysterious. I really hope that the author will gift us with another book set in Caball Hollow! It is such a perfect and unique Appalachian setting and the author world builds it up so well!

I didn’t read the first book immediately before reading this one and I clearly suffered a lack of enjoyment and understanding because of it. I tried to follow the story but it was difficult. I may eventually go back to this series when I have the time to read it consecutively, but that was unfortunately not what I was able to do. I did like the premise of the book. I just had a hard time getting invested.

Kate Pearsall writes such haunting settings. I loved the chance to go back to her appalachia and experience it again.

I enjoyed this book, a family with special talents that are used to help the town when they are forgetting and trying to find her long lost aunt. I typically don’t read Romantasy but enjoyed this book.

I loved this sequel to Bittersweet in the Hollow. In the months after Linden's brushes with death, Rowan, her older sister must contend with, well, everything: ginseng poachers, a suspicious death and a young man in a coma, annoying Youtubers, and the potential failure of the gate between our world and the other, the Bone Tree. Oh, and her arch-rival, the liar Hadrian Fitch, the moth-winged man who might have all the keys to these mysteries.
It was so many threads, but Pearsall juggled them all well and tied them up neatly somehow. Rowan is such a delightful asshole, and Hadrian is fantastic as well. Seeing a familiar world through completely different eyes added a new layer to Cabal Hollow. Also, I adore a good enemies-to-lovers story, and this was a spectacular one. It takes some delightful twists as well.
I can't wait to see if there'll be another book. My money's on Juniper getting the spotlight next.

Currently catching up on reviewing my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

Didn't enjoy this as much as the first book but still really enjoyed it. Cannot wait for the next one

But a cliffhanger??? Come on! :((

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is the companion novel to Pearsall's debut Bittersweet in the Hollow (though you don't necessarily need to read that first) and follows Linden's older sister Rowan. In Bittersweet in the Hollow, I thought that the powers that each woman in the James family had was interesting, and Rowan's was no different. She has the ability to detect when someone is lying by their smell, and Pearsall deftly explores how this impacts Rowan emotionally. I never would've considered the toll of harboring unpleasant truths that nobody wants to speak about. This ties nicely into the thriller-esque plot as well, since secrets and lies are a big part of those types of stories.

When Rowan's former friend turned fierce rival (and major liar) Hadrian waltzes back into her life, he ropes her into investigating strange things that have been happening in their town. I liked how things slowly escalated, beginning with stolen property before people start losing their memories and somebody turns up dead. This all seems to be tied to a creature in the forest who is heavily implied to be (similar to?) Mothman which was interesting since the story is set in West Virginia. I thought that the relationship between Rowan and Hadrian was done well too in how Pearsall explores the issues between them and how they put them aside for the sake of their town. This book also expounds upon the lore of the James family and their gifts as well as the relationships between the sisters and their mothers. I particularly liked the sensitive depiction of Rowan's complicated relationship with her mother

This isn’t the type of book I usually go for, but I found Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue to be such a satisfying read. Rowan’s journey, as she navigates her magical gift and untangles a murder mystery, was captivating. Caball Hollow’s dark, atmospheric setting, with its eerie small-town charm and hints of magical realism, pulled me in completely.

While Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is a companion book to Bittersweet in the Hllow I personally feel it's much better enjoyed if you have read the first book because you already know these characters and have attachments to them. That being said I enjoyed this one even more than the first.

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is a YA fantasy filled with magic, mystery, secrets, my lies , family, a love story between a witch and the man and a satisfying ending. I very much look forward to more books in this universe !

It was fun to return to the town of Caball Hollow! This time it is the viewpoint of the almost perpetually angry Rowan (due to being able to tell when anyone lies, which is completely understandable). Things are still not quite right though with memories and valued objects going missing, changing people and we get to see Hadrian again (still dark brooding and handsome)! He and Rowan are the ones to solve the mystery this time (though Rowan's sister always have her back too). You get more town history and how it relates to the Bone Tree. I like getting more details about that, which is fascinating, though also quite dark for how it was made. Lots of excitement, a few bodies, and a comatose young man added to the mix and the stakes are just as high as the first book, especially with nosey YouTubers looking for the Moth Winged Man and ginseng poachers stripping the national forest for a quick fortune and destroying the delicate balance.

This is a fun next book and I really hope there will be more, especially after that ending!

This story was an interesting story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

"Where you go, I go," he whispers.

LIES ON THE SERPENT'S TONGUE brings us back to the James sisters in Caball Hollow. Something is happening to the Bone Tree and once again the sisters, with help from a certain Moth Man need to figure out what is going on before it's too late.

I really enjoyed being back in the Bittersweet in the Hollow world and not just because of the whimsical small town or the James family who I grew to love, but for Rowan and Hadrian who had a lot of unfinished business from book one. They never lacked chemistry, and this book showed that in spades. But with secrets, a decaying Bone Tree and the Otherworld slowly seeping into Caball Hollow, the pair had many obstacles working against them. But I'm happy to say by the end I was satisfied with how certain aspects came together even if we are still left with so many unknowns. I am keeping my fingers crossed the author plans to write a book for each of the James sisters. Oh, and a novella about their parents please because I have been rooting for them and hoping for a happily ever after.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. All quotes listed are from an uncorrected text.