It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a retelling of Cinderella. I was pleasantly surprised by this dark retelling that’s twists a classic in with a tale of the fae. I enjoyed the inclusion of the fae in this story – particularly how their gifts were given, because it is a double edged sword.

Nothing in Ell’s new life at the palace is as it seems and everyone is hiding something – not just our girl. It has been a long time since I’ve had a despised character get what’s coming to them (and stays down… looking at you Jack Barlowe). I normally am not a fan of love triangles in books but this one was one of the better ones I’ve read. Maybe because it wasn’t a full on pining triangle. Maxim & Ell are both incredibly stubborn and unwilling to back down, I can see how that would shower all the sparks. My only wish is that they had more page time once they figured it out. Ell sticks by her decisions to the point of being nearly mulish, which made me love her all the more – totally doesn’t remind me of anyone I know.

“I think anywhere, no matter how lovely, would begin to feel like a cage if you could never leave it.”

The foreshadowing was a tiny bit heavy for my personal taste with some aspects of the plot. There were solid twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming at all that made up for the other bits. The just desserts in this book were spot on – I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I could see this book getting a prequel covering the parent’s tale or a sequel about what happens after the close of this book.

“This is not a flash in the pan, what’s between us. It’s the warm, crackling fireplace you return to when darkness falls and the night is cold.”

Many thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to be on the tour, to Page Street YA for yet another solid dark tale (you all know how to pick ‘em), and to Christine Calella for this great twist on a classic. If you love retellings of classics but on the darker side, then this book is for you.

This was a fun twist on Cinderella and I liked the focus on her character development and grit. I will say there was a lot going on in a relatively short novel — I wonder if some of the world building could have been deepened and side plots bolstered a little if the focus was whittled down. That said, I’m still glad I read it and would recommend to a friend into fantasy/Cinderella.

<i> "You vex me, you surprise me, you delight me. You never noticed?" // "Liar." </i>

I love this fresh take on Cinderella retelling! I love how El stood up for herself, I love Maxim to bits (he needs a HUG), also clueless, innocent Bayard lol. Love LOVE the romantic undertone and all the tension! I really enjoyed reading this book :))

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella is a first person-POV YA retelling of Cinderella that asks ‘What if Cinderella lied about dancing with the prince and what if the prince had face blindness?’ When Prince Bayard and his best friend, Maxim, demand that Ell try on the glass slipper her two stepsisters have failed to fit into, the shoe fits like a dream. But Ell not only didn’t dance with the prince, she didn’t even attend the ball.

There’s been a post on Tumblr for years asking if the prince from the original fairy tale had face blindness because why else is he using a shoe to find the girl he fell in love with? I have no idea if Christine Calella saw that post or not and ideas cannot be copyrighted, so I’m more interested in how the idea was executed. I appreciated the execution a lot and the reasoning that was given for things that don’t make total sense in the original story when you take away fairy tale logic (namely, the reason why Cinderella has such small feet). I think many people who saw that post and wanted to read a whole novel with that premise would appreciate how these details play out and how much attention was paid to Prince Bayard not being able to recognize Ell immediately.

Ell and Maxim are the real slowburn romance arc here, with Maxim being a jerk in the beginning and fully aware Ell is lying because of his own ambitions. Ell struggles with her attraction to Maxim and tries to push herself to fall for Bayard, who is kind, opens up to her, and is willing to listen to her. Given the abusive environment Ell grew up in, it makes sense that she would try to force herself to be with someone who feels like a safe bet, someone who you know will treat you right, and to be cautious of someone who you feel you can’t trust at all. It takes time for Ell and Maxim to finally get to the point where they can be open with their feelings and that made a lot of sense with Ell’s history.

I think what really made this stand out to me as a fairy tale retelling was how the author’s note frames the story of Cinderella as a story of abuse. I fully agree with that assessment (though not every retelling has to handle this topic in the same way); Cinderella has always been a story of a young woman trapped in a bad situation and eventually finding love in spite of it. Calella doesn’t shy away from the fact that the stepmother is emotionally and physically abusive and how the stepsisters have contributed to the situation even if they might not be the instigators and how Ell is impacted by this treatment plus her actively trying to choose kindness when she can.

Content warning for depictions of child abuse

I would recommend this to fans of that original Tumblr post and readers looking for a YA Cinderella retelling that delves into the ramifications of child abuse on survivors

This reimagining of the popular fairytale places Cinderella at the center of the action. Instead of a passive girl whose goodness magically opens a path to royalty, the lead character drives her story forward.

Though at first Ell thinks of nothing beyond her escape from imprisonment in an abusive home, she soon forms a deep friendship and cares for the prince with face blindness. She cares for the girl who becomes her first lady-in-waiting and her maid, wanting to know their true feelings and thoughts and to protect them from a volatile king.

I like that Ell makes choices that change the course of the story and that she still has the internal goodness that Cinderella is so classically known for. I also liked how the prince’s face blindness is handled throughout the story. There were moments when the narrative could have erased this part of his character and instead chose a different path forward. I appreciated that.

The pacing of the book was a little bit uneven for me. The first half of the book sets up a lot of dominoes that fall in the second half of the book. I like the idea of that, but there were things in the second half of the story that felt like they happened fast. I felt like I was supposed to have put together all the clues from the first half of the story and then been expecting some of the things in the second half. The romance, in particular, seemed to happen quickly. I would have liked to see a little more development there.

Overall, though, Liar’s Kingdom is a fresh, inspired reimagining of the story of Cinderella. I loved how the author transformed some of the story elements and preserved the heart of the classic tale.

Loved this retelling of Cinderella’s story lots of twists and a wild ride! The enemies to lovers was well written and overall enjoyed this story!

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.