Mistress of Lies had an intriguing start but suffered from a case of telling and not showing.
Synopsis
The book opens with Blood Worker Shan LeClaire committing patricide. She’s out for revenge and to rebuild her family’s reputation after her father squandered it. Then there’s Samuel, an unblooded, with a dark power who does his best to stay under the radar. However, when Samuel comes across a body horrifically murdered, he is pulled into an investigation of the murder alongside Shan.
Review of Mistress of Lies
I thought I would love this debut fantasy, but it did not work for me.
The pacing was a bit inconsistent. It dragged in the middle, and the ending was a whirlwind. I was not a fan of the direction it took.
The plot also seemed to be stretched too thin. There are a lot of side plots and not enough time to develop them all. The murder investigation often takes a back seat to everything else happening with the MCs and their love triangle.
The biggest letdown for me was the telling and not showing part of this novel. The reader is told that Shan is brilliant, but many of her choices are not well thought out or all that sneaky. When it comes to Samuel and his struggles, the reader is informed that he is progressing, but that occurs off-page. It would have been nice to witness his actual progression.
As for the love triangle, I didn’t see the appeal of one of the love interests.
While this book didn’t work for me, it might work better for you.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Expected Publication: 13 August 2024
Thanks to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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