Thank you for my eARC of this book. I loved the premise of this book and the delivery didn’t disappoint. A great spin on a classic and one I would recommend to my fellow fantasy lovers!

DNF at 36% - there is no clear motivation or explanation to any of the characters actions and over a third of the way into the book I'm still asking myself WHY is Ash/Aislinn trying to marry the prince in the first place?! What's the deal with luster - it gets mentioned a lot that there isn't much left and then we move on to solving problems non-magically.

As Lady Aislinn’s story spread throughout Solis, it was embellished with mysteries, magic and miracles. She did not arrive in a carriage transformed from a pumpkin or leave a glass slipper behind. Even the rumours about her humble origins, her toil as a scullery maid or the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters were not true. At least not entirely. In reality, she and her sisters were trained to get what they wanted most: wealth and power. When they enter the ball, Aislinn’s natural choice is to use a minor spell to seduce Prince Everett and become his wife. But even her scheming family does not realise that she has her own goals.

Thief Liar Lady is an interesting take on Cinderella, which wonders quite far from the original. To a point where you start to wonder if a connection with the well-known story was necessary. The world created by the author is fascinating in its own way. It is full of intrigues, complex ties between politics and economy, and characters that are full of secrets and surprises. In this novel, the heroine has to navigate between the contradictory demands of her ambitious stepmother and her maternal grandmother, who is a part of the rebellion against Solis’s control over the neighbouring Eloria. Especially when her own desires become more apparent when she meets the Elorian prince Rance. I must admit that I loved the slow-burn romance in this novel. Aislinn, or Ash as she likes to be called, is involved in so many different plans and intrigues that falling for the hostage prince seems like a mistake. Nevertheless, she is unable to stay away or hide her true identity from him...

This was a fab retelling of such a well known story however the pacing was a little off. I enjoyed the creative worldbuilding and the alternate step sisters!

Thief Liar Lady is a sort of Cinderella retelling. What if Cinderella's story didn't quite go as told? What if there was quite an after story? With this book I loved the concept but not all of the execution.

Like I said, I loved the concept. We meet Aislinn as she is once again being asked about how she met her fiancee, the prince. It suggests the actual cinderella story but the reality is different. Aislinn was placed at the ball and in this position by her stepmother in an elaborate plan. Yet at the same time when her grandmother finds out she wants her to use her position to help out the rebellion. It puts Aislinn in quite the spot, constantly being pulled by others and constantly having to keep up a mask. It is exhausting.

I really enjoyed the characters for what they were. But I struggled with this book in the last quarter. I loved the idea of this plot and it could have had a good ending to go with the twist of the fairytale. However that last quarter was all about the romance with a too perfect ending considering all that happened.

Adding on to that I struggled with the rebellion. I couldn't really care about it because it was so far away. Aislinn never was apart of the rebellion before she landed herself in the palace and since she barely leaves te palace we see absolutely nothing of the mistreatment or the rebellion. When the prince leaves to go to the factories and Aislinn doesn't go with him despite being asked I thought that was a big missed chance.

A mixed box based on an interesting idea and bringing us to a world where Cinderella is not the pure soul that will marry a prince but a complex character manipulated and read to change the game.
Someway it's more similar to the original fairy tales spirit and it's the last version in this story which dates back to a couple of thousand year.
There's some issues: the pace is a uneven and very slow at the beginning, it's a dark story and there's some very dark moments, most of the characters are unlikeable and flawed.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Del Rey for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: child death (off page), animal injury, torture (off page), physical abuse, consent issues, sexual content, mental manipulation

“Thief, Liar, Lady” tells the story of Cinderella after the ball, but under a new twist: what if it had all been an orchestration from the very beginning? Aislinn met her Prince Charming, Everett, seemingly by chance at his engagement ball only to disappear into the night leaving behind only a slipper. However, this was all intentional- Aislinn, her stepmother Seraphina and her step sisters have worked for years in order to gain Aislinn access to the royal family. Now, Aislinn is on the verge of becoming a princess as her marriage is only weeks away, but the King (Everett’s brother) is growing suspicious and she’s rapidly running out of the lustre she uses to keep her fiancée under her spell. At the same time, Aislinn isn’t as loyal to her stepmother’s wishes as Seraphina believes. She is in fact operating as a spy for their neighbouring country, one crushed in a war years before where their prince was stolen and brought to court as a hostage, alongside her grandmother who has demanded that Aislinn release the rebellion leader back across the border. Aislinn meets the “hostage prince” Rance only a few weeks before her wedding, and despite everything she finds herself distracted by him- with his honesty, his love for his dog, and for the terrible history that keeps him captured in the castle of his enemy. In the midst of Aislinn’s plans, war looms and a terrible series of events, some of them caused by her own decisions, leads to the worst.

I adored this book, racing through it from the first page, as I found it completely engrossing. Aislinn is a morally grey lead with a brilliant characterisation, part of her is committed entirely to the ruse of catching Everett while the rest of her wants nothing more than to do the best she can for the country of her mother. I massively enjoyed the ongoing tensions between Seraphina and Aislinn, especially when she reflected back on the lessons her stepmother gave her in order to ensure the plan would work. There’s an important storyline around consent and mind manipulation, especially in regards to Everett that throughout the story changed from being something Aislinn accepted to something she hated. The characters were all vibrant and realistic; this includes King Ryland and his distrust, Aislinn’s stepsisters Adelaide and Cecile vying for their own futures free of their mother and Rance, a prince raised among the enemy and regarded as a traitor by his own people. I loved the gradual romance between Aislinn and Rance, especially because all of their scenes were so sharply written. The highlight of this book for me is the way that a story as simple as a woman meeting a prince has spiralled into something far bigger and more legendary than Aislinn could ever have expected complete with unexpected consequences. This is an adult fairytale, full of court intrigue and political scenes alongside magic, romance and evil stepmothers; the trigger warnings are important, especially those around abuse, consent and sexual content, for readers who like to know what they’re getting into. I loved this book, especially because its a standalone fantasy that managed to wrap up everything by the end.

I did not finish this book due to animal cruelty

What if Cinderella is not the sweet fairytale romantic story we always believed but it is, instead, a con? The premise is brilliant! I loved it, totally, but... but the development is not as good as I was hoping. It is all bad? Nope. But it is nothing special, and things are a little too unripe on the whole. My interest was on a rollercoaster: I was hooked, I was bored, interested again, bored again, hooked again, and so on... And this is not really a good sign. Also, the MC is interesting and Rance is a good character, but all the others... not so much, really. And this book is full of people who are so happy to blame others for their own fault that it was just annoying. And then we have a scene in which a dog is hurt because of violence, and... I just had to stop, because I wasn't interested in the slightest to continue after that.

Sadly I did not enjoy Thief Liar Lady.
I really struggled with it as I disliked most of the characters and found the story quite slow.
I did love the premise of this book but sadly it just didn't work for me.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Things I enjoyed:
- The writing is voicey and engaging, and there's some good nuggets of humour in there too
- The plot was surprisingly more complex than I was expecting
- I liked the world building behind the lustre and its many uses, I think there was a lot of potential there
- The concept is so fun! I love the idea of having the whole Cinderella story be a ruse and that's definitely what hooked me into reading in the first place

Things that didn't work for me:
- I think the concept pitched didn't match the book: I was expecting Ash to be a competent spy and liar but there's just so many moments where she forgets or can't hold her personality in and breaks it
- The plot is slow to unravel - I was checked out by the time the good stuff unravels and just skimming through by that point
- The book didn't feel period. The writing is easy to read but very modern, as is the speech, and there were also certain behaviours or actions that jarred me out of feeling like this was a regency piece, which is a shame

Ash is an amazing character. She was manipulative but always tried to be nice and felt guilty about being fake. Her backstory was very interesting and I wished we had another novel about the world to know more about the political state of the countries. The theme of colonisation was very strong but left me wanting more. This book made me realise that I, in fact, do love heists. What a revelation!

The magic system was pretty fun and scary, and I very much liked the secondary characters who felt very real in all their complexity. There was a scene between Ash and Everett that made me very uncomfortable as it felt so wrong and like a mutual rape. If you've read Thief Liar Lady, you probably know what I'm talking about.

I did love this book but I was a little disappointed that there was not as much queer representation as usual (just a little sapphic kiss mentioned), but oh well.

"I think you'll find, if you pay close enough attention, that most women are always angry."



Rep: POC secondary characters, sapphic kiss mentioned
TW: manipulation, murders (also on kids), torture, murder attempt, sex scene that read as mutual rape, parental abuse, betrayal, animal cruelty, smut

The ball is over. The slipper fit. The prince was won. Now the real work begins. Ash and her step family have worked for the chance at an opportune wedding for Ash and her step sisters and Ash has secured an engagement to the Prince. But that is not Ash's only goal as she placed herself within the court during treaty renegotiations between Solis and conquered Eloria. Unfortunately, Everett's childhood friend and hostage prince of Eloira, Rance, makes an already complicated situation that much more dangerous for Ash and all of her plans.

Soria was ambitious with this continuation of the Cinderella myth in her layers of colonialism and what it takes to survive. Ash is desperate to hold the balance of expectation from every side in order to be what she has to be and almost never is that person who she is. Soria captures that mindset and that exhaustion incredibly well. To sell this as simply Cinderella conned the prince feels disingenuous in hindsight because of the breath of elements at play within this book. However, because of all those elements the pacing in the plot felt a little disjointed, especially in the second half as there was enough material to expand into a duology rather than a stand alone. As such, some of pieces feel rushed or set aside for the sake of version of a happily ever after that I am still reflecting on.

Thank you to Netgalley and DelReyUK for the review copy.

Headlines:
Irreverent, morally grey heroine
One messed up tale of lies
Triangles

Thief Liar Lady was a twisted retelling loosely based on Cinderella, but don’t expect a genteel heroine who is at one with the forest creatures. Ashlinn was a double, triple crosser, out to snag the ultimate match for nefarious reasons but as a reader, I suspended my judgement. Right at the end, I felt Ashlinn remained utterly morally grey and sometimes corrupt. It certainly made for interesting reading.

There was a backdrop of political warring between lands and a hostage prince had been taken years ago in payment for actions of the Elorians. Meanwhile, Ashlinn was finding her feet in palace life, trying to appear meek and pliable when she was really one step from effing at all and sundry, giving them a piece of her mind.

There was a relationship triangle which I resist calling a love triangle and with some hefty twists and shocks, I had no idea where the story direction would go once it diverted from my expectations. Suffice it to say, I was satisfied with the final play while feeling discomfort at the journey. I would have appreciated a little more what happened next, I’ve been left a bit wanting.

This standalone tale of twisted proportions was a great fantasy piece that kept the intrigue going.

Thank you to DelReyUK for the review copy.

Now how does the term 'con artist cinderella' sound? Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one but I was very pleasantly surprised!

Our heroine, Ash, is the Cinderella of her tale - only she is also a liar and has used magic to 'help' the prince fall for her. Now she has to keep his attention until the marriage, whilst also keeping her secrets and working on a hundred other hidden agendas. Can she keep control of this delicate balance she has created? With rebellions, a suspicious hostage prince she might be developing feelings for, even one mistake could prove fatal...

This was such a unique take on Cinderella. There were so many twists and turns, everyone was keeping secrets and the tension was constantly on high with the threat of treason hanging over Ash's head. There was war looming, lots of political intrigue and an interesting magic system.

I adored the romance, I thought it worked really well in the overall plot and Rance completely won me over with his charming wit and flirtatious behaviour. His past was heartbreaking and I loved his connection to his dog 🥰

I had a few qualms about Everett's (the Prince's) arc and the ending felt a little abrupt but overall I really loved this one! If you're a fan of retellings definitely give it a read!

(Please be aware there are some CWs before you start reading!)

Many thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for an ARC.

Unfortunately, I did not get past 8%, I could not find it gripping at all and I was very disappointed.

“Only a nobody can be anybody they want”

I flew through this book and read it over 2 nights. I was completely hooked from beginning to end!

This story is a twist on Cinderella, one where she is a grifter and works with her stepfamily to ensnare the prince with the help of magic. We begin the story where she is already engaged and living at the palace and now must maintain the facade but as events unfold it gets harder and then there’s Lord Verance who is distracting her from her goals.

I really loved Ash and how she does what is necessary to achieve her goals. There is also a lot of political intrigue and mystery with her country on the brink of war so the stakes are high.
We also get to see a more complex and interesting relationship with her stepsisters and how they have all been impacted by their upbringing.

The magic system is also really interesting especially as it’s a dust that has to be mined so it makes it limited and hard to procure so Ash is often left with only her own ability of charm and wit and smarts to get through the situations she’s thrown into.

I really enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it if you enjoy fantasy fairytale inspired stories!

This story is a Cinderella retelling, except with a feminist twist. Cinderella does not go to the ball searching for her true love - in fact she and her step-sisters are con-women set on catching the prince to secure their fortunes.

There is romance, politics, and complicated relationships in this story filled with twists and turns. The plot moves a bit slowly at the start and I would have liked more character depth and development, but overall it was a fun, easy, and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Cornstone UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thief, Liar, Lady was an intriguing fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Little Thieves.

We all know the story of Cinderella, right? Except what if the real story is nothing like we’ve been led to believe.

I absolutely adored this twist on the Cinderella story, where instead of a romantic escape from an abusive family, the prince has been ensnared by careful magic. Oh, she’s still escaping an abusive family, but that family still have their claws in her and they were in on the plan all along. Add one rogueish, seemingly carefree, foreign prince and weave in a little political machination on the side.

I was constantly surprised and enchanted by Thief, Liar, Lady. The way the narrative came together was wonderful, and seeing Ash realise that everything was not perhaps as it appears, and also that being whisked off your feet by a handsome Prince may not be the fairytale you always imagined was really interesting in a Cinderella retelling.

I worded how all the plot lines came together and were concluded, and found I couldn’t put it down for most of the second half of the book.

Overall, Thief, Liar, Lady was and enchanting and different take on a Cinderella retelling, and I would read more by this author in the future.

This was an inventive retelling of the traditional fairytale and had the potential to go far, yet was limited by the lack of world-building and unbalanced pacing. The beginning was slow to get going, particularly as it wasn't even setting things up adequately in terms of establishing the world and fantasy elements, only for the ending then to feel rather rushed.

The magic element itself (and in particular its role at the centre of the "romantic" relationship) also raised several questions, but any acknowledgement or challenge of these issues was far from adequate (which is a pretty major faux pas for a book published in 2023!) It was this that definitely brought the book down for me - I know (from previous works) that Soria can do better in writing quality too, but above all I don't feel I can champion a book that doesn't call out the dub-/non-con within it.

I adored this book so much it left me feeling no other book could compete.

I chose it purely because of the cover being so amazingly pretty, then I realised it was a Cinderella retelling. I'd committed to reading it already though. So despite my concerns that it wasn't really my thing, I set to it.

At first I nearly gave up. I don't know if I was in a mood or if I was too tired but I struggled with the first couple of chapters. I went back to it the next day determined to give it a fair go and boy oh boy oh boy am I glad I did!!

This book surprised me in so many ways. I can't even begin to describe how magical I found it to be.