4.5 out of 5. A really great book, one of the best I read this year! The main character and side characters were interesting, the book was very fast paced, and the plot was gripping and smooth-flowing, so much so that I finished the book in three sittings. That may sound slow, but I am a very slow reader and reading something similar in volume to this may take me a week or two if it is not interesting. The book starts off on a low note, Red Valley feels like any other small town, but as the plot progresses, the book reveals more and more of its secrets to you, and it hooks you to the town and it's people.
This can very well be the start of a new urban fantasy series, and I hope there are sequels planned, as the book felt very short for what it is. I'd really love to read more of this town and its people!
All the good things out of the way, I'll now list some of the shortcomings of this book. Although they are very sparse and spread out too far apart, there are a few pacing issues in the book. Like in one of the scenes, when a huge plot point about the mc is revealed, it doesn't take her very long to come in terms with it, which I felt was unnatural, seeing how her character reacts to other situations. Other than this, and some slight issues I have with character development, I can not find any flaws with this book. It is only issues like these that made me take half a star away from an otherwise great book. This can very well become one of the top urban fantasy books of this year upon release!

Thank you to the author, publishers Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

Fantastic world building delivers a wholly engrossing fantasy adventure which will appeal to fans of horror, magical realism, dystopian thrillers and more.

Sadie’s mum is the Liar. Within the borders of the town of Red Valley whatever lie she writes in her ledger instantly becomes true. Sadie knows what her mum is, but she doesn’t know she has cancer, not until the hospital calls to say Sadie’s mum has hours to live.

Now everyone seems to expect Sadie to be the new Liar, particularly the King of Red Valley - a being of immense power who lives under the town and grants protection to those who live within the borders from the monsters in the world.

In this epic adventure Sadie has to discover the power of a lie and keeping other people’s secrets.

I loved this book. There is some truly epic world building to create the context in which Sadie lives and how her powers work, but it never gets in the way of the plot. Sadie herself is a really engaging character and it’s easy to be on her side and cheer her on as she faces down demons and monsters and deals with traumatic revelations about her own life.

As far as I can tell this is intended to be a standalone and not part of a series, which is a shame. I’d love to read more about Sadie and her friends. While this is an entirely satisfying self-enclosed story I’d happily travel back to Red Valley anytime.

The Liar of Red Valley is my kind of book!

Supernatural fantasy with a little twist of horror. Sadie is a great character, she is moody and grumpy but very much human. There is a twist near the end that I did not see coming at all, but I loved it so much!

I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review.

I found that I wanted to read this book continuously. Just as well I'm not working at the moment, because it really was very good! It has a very interesting story, and the characters are good. I loved how it flowed, and it was so different to anything else I've read of late. Really good!

#TheLiarOfRedValley #Netgalley

Do not trust the Liar.
Do not go in the River.
Do not cross the King.

The Liar of Red Valley is about a town protected by a King, harassed by a River, and full of secrets kept by a Liar. The book opens with the Liar dying. Her daughter Sadie will become the new Liar. That's how it works. The King will keep the peace. Or will he? And, man, that undersherrif is an annoying dude, right? And what secret is kept in the Liar's ledger that everyone wants?

I freakin' ate this book alive! I read it in two sittings and I couldn't wait to get to the end to see what happened. Walter Goodwater knows how to spin a tale. The world-building was wonderful, the story was great, there were a couple of times where he hit me with a twist that made me exclaim out loud.

There were so many small details about this book that I loved. That's the real secret to building an captivating world- the little pieces of true things that you add up in your head to build your own image of the place you're reading about.

This book was fun, scary, funny, and poignant in places. The story moves at a good pace and keeps you wanting more. All in all, this was a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes spooky stuff!

Wow! Thanks to the gods of literature to send us a brilliant author! I haven’t read something so original, extremely smart ( those twists fooled me more than two times and triple shame on me! ) so outstanding!
American gothic story dances with magical realism and well balanced paranormal, thriller vibes.

The world building is peculiar. The creepy, haunted town story is well crafted, characters were lovely and relatable. Diverse representation is well executed and the triggering subjects including police brutality, hate crimes, homophobia, racism are boldly approached.

Walter Goodwater finally brought fresh, complex, intelligent soul to the gothic, dark, paranormal universe.

Think about the town centered on three simple rules: “ Do not trust the liar! Do not go in the river! Do not cross the king!” Easier said than done!

I have to admit: this is not reading in one sit kind of fast pacing, heart pounding story. It’s not hard to focus on but it needs your entire attention to absorb the rules of creepy town rules by only the King and the liar whose takes people’s lies and making them believe they come true.

We mostly read the story from the POV of designated new liar a.k.a. Sadie but when the author switch to another POV without warning, we get a little distracted. I honestly turned back to reread a few pages. Writing style was still easy to catch the entire concept but you have to give your full attention.

Sadie inherited her mother’s powers as soon as she passes away, becoming the next liar but she reluctantly accepts her new title, having hard time to learn her new powers and responsibilities and she has still no idea to whom she can truly trust. Now she has ability to create a new world with full of lies but each lie comes with its cost.

As Sadie starts to learn more about her mother’s past, she also learns more about mysterious King and haunted river.

I don’t want to give much away so I have to stop right here.

I can honestly say this book is quiet different, intriguing, clever experience with a lot of unexpected twists, action packed, exciting turn of events and a well executed conclusion which earned my four extremely creative absolutely captivating four stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion/ Solaris for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

»A Lie can do lots of things, but it can't make cancer go away.«

Imagine you had to power to bring a lie to life. To make it true (for a certain definition of true).
Real or not, the Lies work. Doesn't matter if they're real, they're real enough.
Find out more about it in this contemporary fantasy gothic story, with a slight twist of horror, some very absurd (and fun to read) ideas and creatures and a lot of twists.

This book is set to be published in September, ready for fall, the season where we cuddle up with a cup of hot beverage and a good book. And while the days will be getting shorter, you won't even notice the shadows growing larger before your window and your hot beverage turning into a cold beverage because you won't be able to put this book aside. Yes, it's that good.

I've heard this work called lovecraftian, but I disagree. Not everything that involves dark powers is automatically this subgenre, and comparing it to Lovecraft is not giving Walter Goodwater the credits he is due: He has created this world with fresh ideas, and it is not a mere copy of some cthulhian stories. Instead, he blends magical elements (like Mexican Brujos) with fantastical creatures and philosophical ideas into a delightful concoction.

This book is about Sadie, who inherits the title of Liar of the Red Valley after her mother dies. She also gets a clear idea about the power of lies, and the limits to that power on that day when she discovers her mother had cancer for a while but lied about being healthy. The lie holds truth until the very last moment - and I think that's a statement to ponder about. After all, »A Lie can do lots of things, but it can't make cancer go away«.

Well, there always was a liar in the red valley, like there always was the king. Who is the King, and why did he create the Liar?

You'll find answers (and more lies) on Sadie's journey through the fantastical, mythical and kind of scaring Red Valley. Before the end of this journey, talking to the dead and a house stepping in and out of time will be the least of your worries. And when you think that in all this fast paced action you finally have a slight grasp of what's going on, then Walter will hit you with one in the final plot twist I've had the pleasure to read in a long, long time.

Of course I was trying to picture what the great Lie that Sadie's Mom had told at the end of her life would be, and I had a few ideas cursing through my head. But wow, did I ever not expect that.

And no, I'm not going to spoiler that for you. Just read the book, will ya? And remember, your cup is getting cold.


Submitted to Goodreads and Amazon (Amazon review still pending)

First book i have read in a month, and this was the perfect book for me to read to get back into reading.
It was hard for me to put the book down and stop reading it, and right now i already want to read it again.

Definitely the best book I've read so far in 2021

This book is about Sadie who's the daughter of the Liar, and when The Liar dies, that's when troubles begins.

Sadie inherits the powers that was gifted to her family in the 1800's by the King of Red Valley.

And in red valley there are three rules just must follow if you want to stay alive

Don’t trust the Liar.

Don’t go in the River.

Do not cross the King.


This book has a bit of everything, Creepy beasts called The laughing boys, an annoying new under-sheriff who disapprove of the king (not annoying because he disapproves, he's just annoying and a jerk), a time traveling gay couple (whom i adore), and great friendship

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.

This is, without a doubt, the most creative book I’ve read all year. There’s magic, a King, and a Liar, but there’s also a town in California that’s set in the modern day. This book will send you on a rollercoaster ride that’s a mixture of horror and fantasy. One of this year’s truly great books.
I loved the lore and magic in it. And I especially loved the main character, Sadie. She has fire and is a force to be reckoned with. The plot is rich and the villains and side characters are wonderful to read about. Definitely recommend.

This might be my FAVOURITE book of the year so far. Clever, fantastical, creepy, dark... an easy 5 stars for me.

The Liar of Red Valley is mistrusted or disliked by almost everyone in her mysteriously magical hometown. Why? Because for a price, she can take people's lies and make the whole world believe that they are true. When Sadie's mother passes away unexpectedly, she inherits the Liar title - and a whole other host of dangerous problems and secrets with it...

I. LOVED. This. Book. It's a mystical and dark modern fantasy, and I absolutely tore through it. As the story develops it only gets better, and the way Goodwater used different characters and aspects of the book and the town was so, so clever. The twists were unpredictable and reminded me very much of Frances Hardinge's stories (which is a huge positive for me as Hardinge is my favourite author and has written several of my favourite books) but for an older audience.

There's a huge range of diverse characters, with mlm and wlw representation as well as POC rep, all of which are significant characters throughout the book. In turn, the book deals with sexism, homophobia, and racism (as well as police brutality) in a way that seamlessly and realistically blends into the story. Goodwater's characterisation and writing was witty and thoughtful, and I absolutely loved it.

I want to say again that this book is CLEVER. Authors who can pull off such clever twists and weave events together so well always leave me in awe, and I've not discovered many yet other than Hardinge who can do this so effectively. Goodwater pleasantly surprised me again and again with his unique concept and twists.

The writing and descriptions themselves are nothing particularly special, but the story itself makes up for it. This additionally means that the book is fast-paced and a nice quick read. I thought it was perfect for the story Goodwater was telling.

I would urge any fantasy fan to pick up this book AS SOON as it comes out. Please. Please read this book. I adored it and I need someone to rant to it about!!

Sadie's mom is The Liar. Sadie knows a bit about what her mom does, but when Sadie finds she's inherited the title after her mother's death, she finds she has a lot to learn. A lot to learn about being the Liar, about the King, about her mother, and about herself.
The Liar of Red Valley is a great mix of horror, suspense, monsters, magic...and friendship. It had me hooked from the beginning! It's a real page-turner.

#TheLiarofRedValley #NetGalley

A crazily creative tale or myth, The Liar of Red Valley is magical!

Like all mythical tales, the fate of the people of the town of Red Valley are in the hands of the Evil King. We learn quickly that the the Liar, mother of Sadie, is dying, and Sadie is fated to take on the mantle of the King's liar. It is certainly not a popular role and one that Sadie does her best to reject. But one of the governing rules of Red Valley is that you do not cross the King!

For me, I wanted more character development. It was hard for me to emphasize with the characters. I think this is a great book for lovers of magical realism, horror and fantasy.
It is a fast paced book that may occasionally lose you in the story lines that take absurd plot twists.

Talk about twists and turns. Just when you think one thing it goes the opposite way! Was a very interesting read.

Thank you to publisher for allowing me to read this book!

In Red Valley, lies are costly, because if you are willing to pay the Liar's Price, the lie becomes the truth. You tell the Liar your lie, she writes it in her ledger, you pay the monetary fee, and you seal it with your blood (and also some unknown portion of your life -- the bigger the lie, the more of your future life -- hours, days, week, and years -- you forfeit). As the repository of the town's secrets, the Liar is despised. Until today, the Liar of Red Valley had been Sadie's mother. However, she had died of cancer that practically no-one, including Sadie, knew she had; some things even a Lie cannot erase.

The Liar's power comes from the King, who protects Red Valley from the things that want to harm the residents. No one in living memory has seen the King, only his emissaries, the King's Men, who express his wishes and enforce his rules. The Rules of Red Valley are simple: Do not Cross the King. Never, ever go in the River. Don't trust the Liar.

As Sadie is leaving the hospital following her mother's passing, she is confronted by a King's Man, who passes along the condolences of the King and informs Sadie that she is now the Liar and it is her job to protect her mother's ledgers and the ledgers of the previous Liars and the secrets they held.

However, Sadie's tenure as the Liar is off to an inauspicious start. Sadie's mother never taught her how to be the Liar, so her knowledge of what she can do and is supposed to do basically is limited to the mechanics of recording the Lie in the ledger and collecting the Liar's Price. She has been told to safeguard the ledgers, but she cannot find her mother's ledger and did not know that other ledgers existed. More ominously, she arrives home to find a Laughing Boy in the house, looking for her mom's ledger. A Laughing Boy is someone who has invited a demon to reside in them, providing a high greater than any drugs, but bringing with it the ever-present audible laughter of the demon. The following morning brings another unwanted guest -- Undersheriff Hassler, who wants to take down the King and enforce order in Red Valley -- demanding that she turn over the ledgers to him.

Obtaining the answers she needs requires Sadie to take dangerous and prohibited actions and forces her into a situation where, in order to protect her friends, she has to reveal the biggest secret in the ledgers, and break the first Rule. The consequences of her actions will be profound for her and the other residents of Red Valley. Her efforts to rectify her mistakes will reveal to her much greater secrets and much greater threats.

The nature of Red Valley and its human and inhuman residents is quite creative; and more imaginative and complex than I had expected. The secrets that are revealed early in the story are quite significant, but the author has some monumental surprises awaiting the reader later in the story. There are some major twists that I certainly never expected. Be sure to set aside plenty of time to read this book, because once the story has you hooked, you will not want to stop reading until all the secrets are revealed.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I went into this book thinking it'd be one thing but nope, this is a seriously unique story everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen it twisted in a whole other direction.

Such a great and creative book. You think it will go somewhere but it completely changes paths and directions. Really really great read.

“People spend too much time fearing death when they should fear what comes after.”

The Liar of Red Valley is Rebellion Publishing lead title for fall 2021, so when I got an arc of this book, I was incredibly excited. I haven’t read many ‘American Gothic’ novels, so I did not know what to expect when picking up this book. So what did I think about it?

This book takes place in the mysterious Red Valley, where nothing is as you would expect. Red Valley has for 200 years been ruled by The King and The Liar. The Liar has the ability to remake the world, by covering up lies. However, each lie comes at a great cost.

I have been having a difficult time summarising how I feel about this book due to it being absolutely insane, yet so addictive. The Liar of Red Valley follows Sadie, which is the daughter of The Liar. As the story progresses, the reader starts to learn more about the mysterious King, the powerful Liar and the haunting River. Everyone in Red Valley follows three simple rules which are: “Do not trust the Liar, Do Not go in the River and Do not Cross the King.”

The main highlight of this book is the concept of The Liar. It is fascinating to learn about which lies people are covering, and how these lies are shaping people’s future and the history and fate of Red Valley. Moreover, Walter Goodwater blends philosophical ideas, magical realism and fantastical creatures together, making the reading experience truly memorable. Reading this book reminded me of the movie The Cabin in the Woods.

The Liar of Red Valley is at times utterly absurd, but its relentless pace and plot twists will hook the reader. Goodwater creatively uses the concept of The Liar to set up some weird but entertaining plotlines. The Liar of Red Valley is an absurd action-packed work-of-art, with thought-provoking ideas, shocking plot twists and high stakes, making this book a page-turner!

Some readers will find the characters to be lacking depth. Goodwater is clearly prioritising exploring the ideas and concepts in this world. If you are looking for a book with beautiful relationships or complex and fleshed out characters, then you won’t find it in this book. Moreover, the absurdity of Red Valley will probably not be appreciated by all readers.

The Liar of Red Valley is one of my most memorable reads of 2021. It is absurd, fun and addictive, but it is clearly not for everyone. I had a really great time reading this book, which is why I will give this book a high rating. However, I can imagine that this book is a bit like marmite, either you absolutely hate it or you will think it is brilliant.

4 / 5 stars

A special thanks to Rebellion Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not what you think it is. You start down one path, and soon you are lost in the forest of twists and turns that leaves you both eager and searching for more. I loved the concept, the easy flowing writing of the author, and the plot as it leads you to its destination. There are many surprises along the way that you just dont see coming.

A great book, I can not wait for more!

This is, without a doubt, the most creative book I’ve read all year. There’s magic, a King, and a Liar, but there’s also a town in California that’s set in the modern day. This book will send you on a rollercoaster ride that’s a mixture of horror and fantasy. One of this year’s truly great books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

So, I was in the middle of a reading slump when I received the approval to this book on NetGalley, and THANK GOD I was approved, it save me from my slump!!
I read the entire book in just a couple of days and I loved it.
The story has this magical feeling to it that makes the reading so pleasing, even with this weird sense of "WTF is happening in this little town?".
I did a full portuguese review for this one, it deserves to be know.

I wish this is the start of a series about Red Valley, because is too short of a book to be a one time deal.

Fragment of the review in portuguese: "The book may seem rushed at times. When Sadie finally discovers the big lie that her mother told before she died, it takes no more than a few paragraphs for her to internalize and overcome, continuing her mission. For some readers this may seem rushed, but I was grateful: if it had a hundred pages of her dealing with an existential crisis, I would not have liked the book so much".