It’s not often you can find a rewritten fairy tale that beats the original and even the Disney version. I devoured this greedily with much enthusiasm. This version of Cinderella needs the help of no handsome prince to rescue her, but perhaps that is because we have never seen a Cinderella as formidable as this! Ell is a prisoner in her own home suffering endless abuse by her wicked stepmother until she is mistaken for a mysterious beauty at the prince’s ball. How could this be? Surely the prince knows the face of the woman he fell in love with…except this strange, kindly prince has issues remembering faces and this works in her favor. She only intends to deceive him to gain her freedom, but when he’s so convinced she is his happily ever after, why not become a princess? With the help of her clever lady in waiting and her cunning maid she navigates the tempest of the kings temper, but how long can she walk this tight rope of lies? Can fairies ever be trusted? And is the greatest danger in court or does her wicked stepmother still pose a threat? Most engaging of all, what can she do when she is in a constant battle of wits to hide her lies from the princes best friend, and rather handsome and young Duke who seems to be well and truely set upon her downfall? Romance, in a surprising way, abounds amid magic, and mystery and good vs. evil.

What if Cinderella WASN’T the girl at the ball, she just happened to fit in the glass slipper?

I thought this was such an intriguing premise, and gave Ell so much more agency than in the original story. In this book, she is actively seeking freedom from an abusive environment in any way she can and I support her!

It also brings in one of my favorite fan theories about the Prince, IYKYK 👀

I liked the love triangle and how it explored different ways of loving people.

And the central problem, the king’s war on faeries, was tense and interesting!

There were twists, political intrigue, and a lot of clever lies from Ell.

If you’re looking for a really interesting twist on a classic fairy tale, check this out!

Thanks to the author for the ARC

This was interesting. The characters were decently developed, though I would have liked to see more of the stepsisters, which since I spent most of the book disliking them intensely feels odd. Some of the villains' decisions didn't make much sense for their characters. I would have liked the fairy world and all aspects of the fairies to be more developed, it felt like that part could have gone further in terms of explanations. I didn't see the end coming somehow, though the clues were definitely embedded in the text. I did enjoy it and I would read from this author again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the e-Arc.

I received an advanced copy of Liar's Kingdom from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love a good fairytale retelling, and I especially love one that asks a question about the original that I'm sure many people wondered about. Liar's Kingdom asks: What if the shoe fits the wrong girl? We start the story as the prince shows up at Ell's home. The ball has already happened. The prince has already danced with his true love. When the shoe fits, but Ell knows she wasn't at the ball, she takes the opportunity given to her anyway to escape her abusive stepfamily, and then chaos ensues.

This was an enjoyable read. I loved the nods to Disney's Cinderella and the original Grimm fairytale. Were they a little over the top sometimes? Yes, but despite a bit of cringing, they didn't bother me all that much. It made the story feel familiar but changed things enough that it wasn't a copy/paste of the source materials, especially since we're getting the story of what happens after the shoe fits, not before. I especially enjoyed some of the plot holes the author addresses (specifically from the Disney version), such as, if this shoe was made for this person, how did it fall off so easily? Why does the prince not recognize the woman he danced with and must identify her based on a shoe? Why does the fairy godmother choose Cinderella? All of these answers made the book that much more enjoyable.

Despite my overall enjoyment, however, a couple of things kept me from completely loving it. The pacing was a little off-kilter, kicking into high gear in the second half and refusing to stop. The end was in sight, and suddenly, the long-distance race turned into a sprint. So much happened in the story's second half that a couple of plot points had me going, "hmm," contemplatively. You know, chin resting on the fist, staring into space, wondering. It's not that I didn't understand them because they were all adequately explained, but I didn't know why they were included. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that there were a lot of directions the author could have gone, and I didn't even know that the way we went was an option. But they weren't, like, surprising, edge-of-your-seat plot twists. They were more of a "that's probably not the way I would have gone but I guess we'll see where it goes." It was a lot of stuff happening all at once, all the time, with no pauses to catch my breath. Also, the romance had me sitting there like that one emoji. -_- <--This was me. I was that face. It wasn't bad, but it was barely developed and flew up behind me like it could outsprint the plot's pace.

"You're not going to win," I shout, somehow able to speak despite being completely breathless. (I know this sentence doesn't make sense. That's the point.)

"I can try!" It shouts back.

And then we tie. Because romance.

Was Liar's Kingdom the best Cinderella retelling I've ever read? No. However, if you're looking for a light, fantasy retelling that changes it up and is enjoyable, I recommend trying this one.

A darker retelling about what happens after the HEA we all know and love, with a Cinderella who didn't exist! I don't often find retellings that are so inventive and unique in their own way, but I was pleasantly surprised by this and love how things were so much darker and different than expected. Our villains were devilishly good and sad to say but I hated our Prince Charming for how weak he was in this lol.

Liar’s Kingdom takes the basics of what you know about Cinderella and creates a new story.

Ell (Ellain) is a scullery maid in her own home, serving her evil stepsisters and wicked stepmother. She’s been planning her escape for a while but when Prince Bayard shows up at her door, she is given a new way out and she decides to take it.

In the land of Holbein fairy magic has been forbidden ever since the king broke his vow with the fairy queen. This has caused a war between the humans and fairy kind.

After telling many lies, Ell has married the prince— now she’s a princess. And even though she’s a liar, she has a good heart and wants to save the kingdom.


I loved this book. Ell is a wonderful main character and addition of the fairy plot line was really interesting.

I also loved how this book reminded me of Ever After and Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover, especially if you like books based on well known fairy tales.

Stars: 4.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the e-ARC of Liar’s Kingdom!
4 / 5 ⭐

TWs: abuse, death, animal death

A truly enjoyable Cinderella retelling with a few significant twists. I did figure out most of the surprises before their reveals, but I’m not in a competition against authors, racing to see if I can unravel their work before they can complete it; surprised or not, I found the story to be engaging, approachable, and witty.

Christine Calella’s Liar’s Kingdom breathes fresh air into the well-trodden Cinderella trope with a clever twist, compelling characters, and a world brimming with intrigue. This retelling flips the narrative we all know, placing a sharp-witted, morally ambiguous heroine at its heart.

Ell is a protagonist you can’t help but root for—not because she’s perfect, but because she’s relatable in her imperfections. Her decision to deceive Prince Bayard is both desperate and pragmatic, setting the tone for a story steeped in high-stakes deception. The fact that Bayard struggles with facial recognition is a unique and fascinating twist, not only serving as a clever plot device but also adding depth to his character. His naivety contrasts sharply with Maxim, whose sharp intellect and suspicion make him a tantalizing foil to Ell.

The setting of the royal palace—complete with missing princesses, political tension, and impending war with the fae—provides a rich backdrop for the story’s many twists and turns. Calella does an excellent job balancing the personal stakes of Ell’s deception with the larger stakes of the kingdom’s future. The pacing is tight, and the stakes feel ever-present, whether Ell is navigating royal politics, trying to uncover the truth about the missing princess, or outwitting Maxim.

Maxim deserves a special mention. As Bayard’s best friend and a man who’s suspicious of Ell from the start, he’s both an antagonist and a potential romantic interest. Their tense interactions crackle with chemistry, and his role adds an extra layer of tension to the narrative.

That said, there are moments where the world-building, particularly regarding the fae conflict, feels underdeveloped. The book’s focus on Ell’s personal journey sometimes overshadows the larger, kingdom-wide stakes, leaving some questions unanswered. Additionally, while the resolution is satisfying, it’s a little rushed, especially considering the intricacies of the plot leading up to it.

Still, Liar’s Kingdom is a delightful read that combines intrigue, romance, and wit. It’s a story about finding agency, even in a world built on lies, and it’s impossible not to cheer for Ell as she carves out a place for herself in a kingdom of secrets.

I have never been a big fan of Cinderella, that has always been more up my mothers alley. However #LiarsKingdom by #ChristineCalella is an absolutely magnificent retelling of Cinderella.

Ellain has lived with her stepmother and stepsisters for years now being mistreated by them but one day her life takes a sharp turn. She finds herself lying to a sweet Prince named Baynard claiming to be the girl he danced the night away with at the ball, all because the glass slipper fits her absurdely small foot. His best friend however doesn't seem to buy it for a moment that she is the girl from the ball but Maxim finds himself in a position that he can't tell Baynard what he knows.

Elle finds herself at the mercy of her many towering lies with Maxim always lurking trying to find ways to expose the truth about her without getting himself caught as well.

Witth the King rallying troops to fight the fae that he claims are killing his people he sees an advantage in Ellain afterall she has a fairy godmother that she can call upon and set his plan into motion. Fae though are tricky creatures who use word play to their advantage. Soon all of them find themselves in a precarious position as a wronged Fae begins making deals to bring about the downfall of the kingdom that Elle has fallen so in love with.

When a Fae answers your call playing along with your lies its best to be aware, never forget that sometimes a viper waits in the darkness for a chance to strike and sometimes a slipper can make a glorious weapon.

I adored #Liar'sKingdom and plan on adding it to my collection of fairytale retellings as it has quickly become one of my favorites. I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #Liar'sKingdom by #ChristineCalella in return for a fair and honest review.

I was given this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. There was a lot going on with this book. It was fast paced and a wild ride. The only issues I really had was the fairy kingdom part. And what was Max owed. I don't know if it was mentioned. I certainly didn't notice. So, there were a few holes for me but I did enjoy the story a lot overall. I loved the building relationships.

A creative and unique Cinderella retelling with some wild twists and some dark feels. Cinderella didn’t make it to the ball, but all the elements of the traditional story show up in different ways. You get a kind, Cinnamon roll Prince with a disapproving and disappointed father.
I love Elle and how protective she is over her Prince and the kingdom. She’s a very determined and brave FMC. I would have liked to have had more time spent with the Prince in the story and more of a romance. The actual romance in this story is unexpected and a quick little side plot at the end.

4⭐️ 🫑 (no spice, some light swoon moments)

💜*Thank you to NetGalley, Page Street Publishing | Page Street YA and @tbrbeyondtours, for including me to the
"Love On Paper", book tour. For the tour schedule go to https://tbrandbeyondtours.com

This was a refreshing retelling. Cinderella meets Ella enchanted in this fabulous YA novel with enemies to lovers and the occasional twist to throw you under the couch-- in the good sense. A freshly prose, with a pinch of sugar this witty retelling will swing you off into a land full of mischief. I HIGHLY suggest you read that book and I can't wait to read more from Christine Calella.

Thank you to TBR Beyond Tours and the author for an e-copy of the novel and including me on this tour! Here are my thoughts.

The story begins and we’ve heard it many times before. The prince comes and places the perfect fitting glass-slipper on Ell’s foot, finding his true love. Except there is one little problem, Ell was never at the ball, so she can’t be the prince’s true love. Ell decides to play along anyway to escape her evil family, only to learn the kingdom is in dire danger and the pressures on royalty are much more than she expected.

Retellings are so fun. I love when an author has the crazy “what-if” thoughts and rolls with them. Retelling fairytales in particular hits that nostalgia feel but provides a new story too. Liar’s Kingdom provided a well thought out entertaining read with tons of fantastic characters. As is the usual with me, it was some of the supporting characters that made me excited to get back to reading this one!

The plot was filled with unique magic and some stressful dynamics and situations. And what fairy tale is complete without some sort of love story, in this case, a love triangle, but with a little more unexpected characters thrown in the mix.

Liar’s Kingdom is a great novel to curl up with this winter. It’s cozy, lighthearted and fun with lots of high stakes!

2.5 ⭐️ ARC Review: Wanted to give this one a fair chance, since it was an ARC, but I was ultimately super disappointed. I even read the whole dang thing but should have DNF’d it.

There are a couple positives though. There are funny moments. The twist was so different to the original but it still felt like the original story. I liked the reconciliation between the sisters. Bayard and Trude were such sweet characters. Buuuut that’s about all I liked.

The romance? Non-existent. The love Maxim has for her came out of nowhere and made no sense. Yes he tries to protect her and whatever but like what? I didn’t even like either of the main characters so that didn’t help.

The plot? Also non-existent. I felt like there was no point to this story at all.

Now. The fact of the cheating. Yes the married couple do not love each other, in fact they both love other people, but that’s just it. They are married. Maybe if they waited to kiss their actual true loves till the end. But that didn’t happen sooooo. No.

That ending also wrapped up so quickly and weird. This book was all around bizarre and I didn’t like it.


*Thank you to NetGalley, Christine Calella, and Page Street Publishing, for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🧚🏻‍♀️ ya fantasy
🧚🏻‍♀️ mistaken identity (on purpose)
🧚🏻‍♀️ enemies(ish) to lovers
🧚🏻‍♀️ Cinderella retelling w/a twist
🧚🏻‍♀️ HEA

Length: 384p
Source: ARC - TBR & Beyond, NetGalley, Page Street YA
Release Date: January 14, 2025

•••••••
If you’ve ever seen Ella Enchanted and LOVED it, you’re going to LOVE Liar’s Kingdom. A unique retelling of Cinderella, except the girl saves herself.

Ell is stuck under the roof of her cruel stepfamily. So when a prince shows up with a glass slipper that happens to fit her foot perfectly, she goes along with the ruse that she’s the young woman he danced with at a recent ball so he whisks her away to his castle.

But when she arrives, it’s anything but a happily ever after. Maxim, the prince’s best friend, knows something is off with her and he’s doing everything he can to uncover the truth. Between some ridiculous but fun developments, Maxim and Ell fall hard for each other.

Seriously such a FUN retelling! I love Ella Enchanted because it’s unhinged at parts. SAME VIBES, y’all. I’m obsessed because the entire story made me happy and nostalgic!

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

An incredibly clever twist brings a refreshing take to a classic fairy tale!

This tale has a lot more darker elements like The Brothers Grimm's version, which might be sensitive to some readers. I highly suggest checking out the content warnings below before diving in.

I thoroughly enjoyed following Ell’s journey from the beginning to the end.
Watching her character grow after enduring so much grief, hatred and cruelty was truly inspiring. She emerged as the bigger person, learning an important lesson in forgiveness.

The friendships she forms with her maid and two other unexpected characters were one of my favorite parts from the story. Initially suspicious, these characters ultimately prove to be allies, adding depth to the story.

However, the romance element left much to be desired. It felt forced and rushed, appearing abruptly in the last few pages.
The story would have been just as strong without this last-minute addition.

Overall, this was fun and fast-paced read that concluded with a satisfying ending for both the human kingdom and the Fae kingdom.
The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and each unexpected event throughout the story took me by surprise until the final battle!
I would keep an eye out for more books by this author in the future.

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: death, animal death, animal cruelty, physical abuse

All I knew about this book was that it was a retelling of Cinderella. Most of the time, it’s hard to surprise with a retelling, but this one surprised me! This story took me down a different path, and I had so much fun figuring out where it was going. Just a heads up: there are some dark parts to the story.

Ell is still an orphan and under her stepmother/sister’s thumb. She hates her life and would love to get away. One day, a prince shows up with a glass slipper. There’s no way it would fit anyone, but it fits Ell. She is now living a life of luxury as the next princess. The only problem is that it was not her slipper. She has never met the prince before and is living a lie. It sets her down a path of trying to keep her lie under cover and agonizing over what the right thing to do is.

It was fun seeing how the parts of Cinderella’s original story are in this retelling. I enjoyed how it was so different than the original story. I adored many of the characters. There are times that I think we could have delved into character development. I wanted to know much more about Bayard and Maxim’s past. The relationship between Ell and Bayard was so sweet and caring. I wish we could have had more time with Maxim to get to know him better. The women were the stand-out characters in this story. I don’t want to say too much, but she’s got quite the girl gang.

There are a lot of things that I would have loved to know more about. This could easily have been a couple more books. I do appreciate the standalone story. With that being said, I would have loved to know what happened to certain characters and more about the magical creatures. There’s potential for some great novellas to come out of this story.

Overall, I thought this was a great book! I read through it rather quickly because I had to know what happened next. Some things could have been expanded on, but it didn’t take from my enjoyment. I enjoyed this one and look forward to what Calella writes next!

Many thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours, the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Intrigue: 8
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 8

This was such a fun retelling- absolutely not what I'd typically expect from a Cinderella story. It was a great experience beginning to end!

Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tour, the author, and Page Street YA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
This book simply wasn’t drawing me in. To me, the characters didn’t feel like they had depth to them. Maybe it was the first person POV that made it feel that way, but even the MC fell a little flat.

I do enjoy books in first person, and it can be hard to build intrigue surrounding the story, since the author is limited to one person. I think this book would have felt more approachable in third person, especially as it starts to get into the political intrigue of the court and of the fae.

While the premise of the story is to throw the reader into the end of another story (Cinderella), it felt a little too much like I was dangling from a branch in the open air. I wish we could have gotten a prologue, or maybe a bit of context BEFORE the story started (a little fairytale about our MCs history perhaps) to get the reader settled in a bit easier.

Knowing this was an enemies-to-lovers book, I could tell easily where the romance was going, and I didn’t see it becoming very fulfilling.

This is such a fun twist on the classic Cinderella story. Though it starts with some similar elements with Ell suffering as an abused servant to her stepmother and step-sisters, the story actually begins after the ball with the Prince searching for the mysterious woman who disappeared when the clock struck twelve. When Ell tries on the glass slipper and it fits, she readily asserts that she's the woman he's looking for. The problem? Ell, desperate to get away from the abusive life she's living, lied. Suddenly she's whisked away to the castle and betrothed to the prince where she finds herself tangled in royal intrigue as she navigates royal life, a brewing war, and the constant threat of being exposed, especially by Maxim, the prince’s suspicious best friend.

Ell is a clever and resourceful protagonist trying to navigate her new royal life while also trying to stay ahead of the king, the prince, and Maxim, the prince’s suspicious best friend. I love Maxim! He’s frustrating and charming in all the best ways, constantly challenging Ell and making her life difficult, but you can tell there’s more going on with him. Their back-and-forth was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.

I liked how the author worked in classic Cinderella elements while also creating elements that made the story feel completely fresh and new. The world-building—especially the tension with the fae—added some darker, more complex layers to the story as does Ell’s growing awareness of the dangers around her. I feel like the more she learns about the king and his decisions, the more intense the story gets. Bayard’s inability to recognize faces adds another intriguing layer, and I really liked how dynamically developed his character was. Usually, the prince is so one-dimensional in fairy tales, so it was great to see a fully-fleshed out character here.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read. The characters and story are intriguing, and the mix of classic Cinderella tropes blended well with the new elements. The pacing is quick, and, though it generally worked, I did wish that some parts were slowed down a bit to let a few of the relationships and conflicts breathe more, especially some of the friendships and the love story. If you're looking for a unique Cinderella story, this is definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.