Vampires, murder mysteries and LGBTQIA+ representation, Oh my!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I massively look forward to not only the follow up book but whatever else K. M. Enright brings to the book world. That said, you cannot go into this expecting full, steamy and spicy romantasy. I also do not recommend this book if you have issues with blood (appearance, use in magic, consumption, etc). This is a more a dark debut where a lot of people are pushing for things to further their own goals without necessarily seeing what those around them might also be doing.

Shan is unapologetically good at what she does. And sure this gets her in over her head but she is tough, she is clever and dammit she is determined. I want more female MCs like this! In comparison, Isaac and Samuel are more subdued due to what one has done and what the other could do. I didn't really mind that, I think it made Shan shine a bit brighter as a result.

Anton I would have liked more of. He's a character, and in fact there were a few of them, that have a lot happening off screen. While what comes out does highlight the hyper focus Shan had on her plans and directions, my own view is that I would have loved more from Anton, Bart, etc.

I have a couple of small bones to pick with the book overall. I'm not convinced Shan was a Mistress of Lies; information, secrets and manipulation, yes absolutely. But I can see how those might not have made for such a catching title. The other is I wasn't totally convinced by the reveal and resolution. It felt a bit rushed and while it led up to a haunting ending, I'm just not totally convinced. My last two comments are quite minor: I'm still not entirely clear on the blood working except that it seems to underpin everything in the world while also being sort of in the background to it all. And "Jessica James" is not the name of a murder victim in a world of vampires and blood workers. Jessica James is the name of the person that sat next to you in geometry and you occasionally wonder what they're up to.

Mistress of Lies was a fantastic book for anyone interested in slightly darker fantasy reads.

The unique concept and premise is similar to a Vampires vs Humans situation, whereby the Blooded (the vampires in this scenario) have oppressed and used the Unblooded (regular old humans) for centuries. The story follows a plot to take down the Eternal King at the hands of an extremely intelligent and ruthless Blooded woman and her newly-found Unblooded accomplice.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was well written and the dual POV between Shan and Samuel was the perfect balance to get both sides of the story. However, I did get a tad annoyed with the phrase 'Blood and Steel' as I found it was used quite a bit!

The diversity of the characters was brilliant. One of the main characters is a trans man, and his transition, and how it was possible within this fantasy, blood-working world, was so beautifully explained. I also found the way in which racism was included was really effective and added to the story of the main characters. KM Enright really nailed it on this front.

Perhaps the only thing stopping this being a 5 star was I found the pacing a bit slow, I didn't find much happened until the last 20% of the book. But with there being a sequel pending, I'd imagine the next book will be a bit more action-packed from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Mistress of Lies.

Dark, sumptuous and full of a rich, culturally inspired magic, The Mistress of Lies was truly a top tier debut! The worldbuilding and magic system were easily my favourite parts and it was so clear how much attention and hardwork the author put into developing the “back end” of the novel, so to speak. It’s rare to find a world so fleshed out that it becomes almost a character in itself and really was such a great part of the book. Coupled with the multifaceted and dynamic main characters in Isaac, Shan, and Samuel - I really was gripped all the way through. Oftentimes when I see a protagonist labelled “morally grey” it actually means they just make some questionable (but completely justifiable) decisions, but in this case the characters really did skirt the morality line and I loved them all the more for it. With its richly imagined world, characters that leapt of the page and fast moving plot, KM Enright really is an author I’m desperate to read more from!

Mistress of Lies is a scheming, duplicitous book full of blood and lies.

This is such a backstabber of a book. I absolutely adored how deeply it delved into politics and the ever-shifting dynamics of power. It is an elaborate game of chess and you cannot see the next five moves coming. Enright has crafted such a tightly woven plot that is complex and compelling. Right from the opening few pages, I was seduced by this darkly entrancing book. It does not hold back with a fairly brutal scene that speaks to years of abuse and planning. Immediately you know that this book has teeth and it is not afraid to use them. It draws the first blood and keeps moving from there.

Straight away I was drawn to Shan and her drive - she is determined to gain power and wreck revenge on all those that have wronged her and her family. There is a deep seated sense of loyalty and love there, buried beneath facade upon facade necessary to keep playing the game. She has always been underestimated due to her gender and race, all of which stokes the powerful fire of her anger. That kind of rage burns bright and strong and yet you are drawn to the flame regardless. It is such brilliant character work and her arc is so interesting to watch unfold, even though we do not always know every facet of it. Enright keeps some aspects shadowed until you reach extraordinary reveals that made my jaw drop. The mystery plot is well-executed and ties into these wider ideas of legacy, revenge and the pursuit of power at all costs.

Mistress of Lies is a dazzling gem of a book, but beware its shine for it hides the blood seeping beneath. It has such an interesting take on vampirism and focuses on political intrigue, court dynamics and the pursuit of power above all else.

This book was really fun! I read it partially while I was on holiday, and I had no idea what to expect. But the author managed to create a very vibrant, interesting world and nuanced characters, with some roaming on the more morally grey side of the spectrum, which I really appreciated. It has LGBTQIA+ rep, with notably a trans character that I found myself really loving and that I think a lot of readers will love loads as well.

The story carefully weaves class issues, racism, societal problems and different experiences into a fantastical, almost vampirical world, and I enjoyed reading and watching the plot unfold. Would definitely recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have fallen in love with vampire stories and this is one of my favourites so far!! I absolutely want to read more about these characters straight away I love them all so so so much

Shan is the daughter of a man who was once at the Kings side, and she has spent her whole life planning to be better, to get her place back in society, and to protect her brother. As you see, Shan inherited the family Blood Working power but her twin, Anton, did not.

Shan has a lot of plans and scenes, and spies to help her, and she uses these to find Samuel, who might just be what the King has been looking for.

As a side note to all of this, Samuel was witness to a brutal murder, that the King wants them to solve, along with finding their places at his side and in society. Along with his current trusted advisor, and Shans old friend, Isaac, they will try and please the King whilst also fulfilling their own agendas

Great take on the vampire mythology, and loads of political intrigue, and relationship dynamics of all kinds.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the review copy, all opinions my own regardless.

Out now, and I cannot wait to see where the story goes in book two!

“Mistress of Lies” by K. M. Enright

Summary:
Shan LeClaire is a powerful Blood Worker, who has spent years practising her craft; Samuel Hutchinson is a nobody, with a terrible curse running through his veins, but also the lost relative of the Eternal King. Shan brings Samuel back to the King, all the while plotting her revenge and how she can use every piece of information and everyone to achieve it. However, when a string of ghastly murders occur, with the Unblooded being the victims, the king tasks both Samuel and Shan to find them, before someone close to them gets hurt.

⭐⭐⭐

Potential Spoilers

Thoughts:
I received this ARC from NetGalley, and Little Brown Book Group. Thank you!

I found this book to be okay.

The Blood Working is a magic system used in the book, which involves having control of someone by using their blood. If you are Blooded you possess the magic, and if you are Unblooded you don’t. The Unblooded appear to be used by the Blooded for various things, such as servants and even their blood, through a blood tax.

This book is a dual POV, following Shan and Samuel.

Shan LeClaire is from a disgraced family, and she is determined to fix her family’s name, by murdering someone at the start of the book, which didn’t come back up in the story; I actually thought this death was going to be a huge thing in the book, but it wasn’t. As the story progressed, I started to dislike Shan, and found Samuel to be a bit of an idiot.

I do like Samuel, but wow. His actions sometimes made no sense, and if I was him, I wouldn’t let anyone near my blood, due to his curse. I would have followed a whole book with Samuel, as I did find him more enjoyable than Shan. I also did enjoy Samuel’s powers more and found him to be an interesting character than Shan.

I did find some of the story repetitive, but there was a lot of potential. I feel this book is more romantasy than fantasy, and this book was marketed as vampires. To me, this didn’t feel like vampires, and more like people who could use blood for magic.

Regardless, I’m possibly curious enough to read the second book for when it comes out, but a lot would need to change in my opinion. There are trigger warnings which I do appreciate.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group! Wish the best for the author!

"Mistress of Lies" by K. M. Enright is a dark fantasy novel set in a world where Blood Workers rule through the Eternal King and his Royal Council. Shan LeClaire is the young matron of her bloodline and she must do everything in her power to prove her worth and restore her family's reputation, ruined by her father's behavior.

The very beginning of this book kept me glued to the pages, unfortunately its intriguing premises didn't live up to the rest of the story. The novel starts with Shan murdering her father after years of abuse, the chapter was well-written and it set up the right tension and aroused the reader's interest to the point that my expectations inevitably rose. But it was short lived.
The greatest problem of this book is the writing itself. There was too much tell and very little show, so a great part of the characters' characterization turned out to be a mere account of what they could and couldn't do, without bothering to show to the reader their abilities and incapacities. How they all lived and thrieved in a world like that, how Shan used her spying web as a tool to bring her family's importance back, how she was a cunning and manipulative women when being Lady LeClaire. All her bragging about her innate scheming skills, her being one the best Blood Workers, etc... were only sentenced without any particular meaning, because we didn't really got to see what she was capable of. Shan's choices didn't show her cleverness, most of the time they were very poor decisions that clashed against her goals, decisions that hurt her brother, even though she claimed that all she did was to keep him safe.

"Mistress of Lies" follows two point of views, Shan and Samuel, who hides a very dangerous and uncontrollable power that will bring him into Shan's claws. I didn't find myself intrigued by their story, nor by their relationship. Well, first, how their bond shaped and turned into something different from Shan's plans was too fast to be appreciated. The pacing is, in fact, another element that prevented me from enjoying the novel and its characters. It wasn't a slow burn and their growing affection didn't seem realistic.
The relationship between Isaac and Samuel was far more enticing, yet it still developed too fast for my liking. Isaac plays an important role in the novel, he's the Royal Blood Worker and, as Shan, he has always felt like an outsider because of his heritage. I liked how the author decided to handle the romance between these three characters, avoiding the love triangle.

As I said before, the pacing was another problem of this book. The plot felt inconsisent and it served as background to the romance. I still can't understand what was the real purpose sought by Shan. The whole story was focused on the romance since nothing changed at the end, it led us all the way back.

The worldbuilding remains the most intersting thing in this book, yet the lack of descriptions made it nothing more than a wallpaper. Even the magic system didn't have the prominance it deserved and promised. We don't get to see blood working at its peak and we don't know if there are limits to its use, what it can really do aside from empowering its wielders.

However, "Mistress of Lies" is an enjoying debut novel, perfect for people who are searching for an easy-to-read book. But sadly, as I went on, I understood that it wasn't my cup of tea, that's all.

When I started this book I was curious because the premises are intriguing, and it starts strong! I was there for it and I was happy but I slowly changed my mind, and by the end of the book I wasn’t so happy with it anymore. It has a lot of potential, and a lot of good things, but there are also a lot of things that didn’t really work so well for me. It started with a bang, because the first scene is gold, and I was so there for it. But the book didn’t keep up with all the hype it generated with that first scene. Such a shame!

The Good:

1)Shan. I like her. I like that she is strong-willed, tenacious, and resolute. She has plans and she is hell-bent on following them through. Also, her plans are pretty great. You can tell she is in for the long game and going places. Really.
And there is more, because she is leading a double life, one as a lady and one as the head of a huge net of spies, sort of. And I was so there for it!
2)The Magic System.Blood magic may not win the prize for the most original, but I enjoyed it and I wanted to see more of it. The author could have put a bit more work into showing us the magic, but still, it works well and it is well done so… good!
3)The Romance. Mind me, I wasn’t too invested in this part but it is well-developed and it is enjoyable. The fact that I wasn’t really interested in it is on me and not on the author. And we have a sort of triangle, but not your usual one, and this part I enjoyed a lot!
4)The writing and the pace. The book is well written, it’s captivating and smooth, and the pace is just right. It is a tad unbalanced, but still… not bad!

The Not So Good:

1)Anton. Siblings in books are one of my pet peeves, so this is mostly on me but… but Shan is doing everything she is doing for her brother, basically. Because even if they are noble, Anton is not a Blood Worker, and their society is not good with those who can’t do magic so she is trying her best to make a better world for all the people who live there and not only for those who have magic. An ambitious plan, sure, but she is on the right path. And she is making a ton of sacrifices and she is putting a ton of hard work into it, because she wants a different world, more just and right, but especially because she wants a better world for her brother. And her brother is a jerk!! It is disheartening to see that the reason for all this work does not live up to expectations. At all.
2)They do not talk! This book is full of intrigues, plots, and twists so obviously everyone in it has secrets. Even the ones that should be allies. And they do not talk to each other making things more complicated than they should be. I was constantly frustrated by it and wanted to scroll them until they talk to each other. I am not talking about revealing all the plans, but for f**k sake, at least share the bare minimum!
3)The Mystery. Shan and Samuel have to solve the gruesome murders of not magical people. And I was there for it. But they don’t really investigate. We have a couple of scenes dedicated to it and nothing more. And yet, this investigation is central to the plot in more than one way. Also, the King, who tasked them to solve it, keeps things from them and then he got mad because they weren’t able to solve it. Well… duh!
4)We are told a lot of things but we don’t really see them. Shan starts strong and she is a great character, but as the book progresses she becomes less brilliant and cold, in the beginning, we see a really strong girl who is going to take the world by storm, and slowly she disappears and becomes a leaf in the current. We are told about the investigation but we don’t see it. We have an amazing net of spies, but we don’t get to see a lot of it, either. Sure, we get more scenes in which Shan is the Sparrow, but I was hoping for more.

All in all, this book has a lot of potential, but it is not properly exploited. And the more I read the less content with the book as a whole I became, and by the end of it I was highly dissatisfied with it. And this makes rating it hard, because the book per se is not bad, and if you go in expecting only a romantasy without a lot of expectations, I think that this book will deliver (also, we have some good rep here), but personally, I didn’t enjoy it, and I am deeply disappointed so… it is hard to try and be objective. I think I will go with 3 stars, but barely.

I went into this book knowing little to nothing about it other than it was a fantasy and vampires, and it really turned out to be so much more!

The story takes place between two POVs, that’s of a Shan, the talented daughter of a nobleman with a talent for blood-working (this worlds magic), and Samuel, a poor unblooded man with a hidden dark power that he has been surprising his whole life. When Shan, through her network of informants, discovers another secret about Samuel that changes his life, Samuel finds himself suddenly surrounded by the wealthy blood workers he has spent his life avoiding and hating.

While Shan is working towards her own secret goals and agendas to work her way back into societies good graces while also attempting to build the foundations to change society, Samuel is trying to master his hidden power and acclimatise to his new identity. But this isn’t all about Shan and Sam, there is also Issac, the King’s Royal Blood Worker, a man that they both seem to be drawn to but is utterly ingrained into the royal world they both hate.

The three of them find themselves working together to try and help Samuel adjust to his new life and power, while also each struggling with their secrets, societal pressures placed upon them, and trying to find a serial killer who is horrifically unaliving unblooded civilians. With a country on the edge of a rebellion and a king demanding Shan and Samuel find this killer to prevent the uprising, it’s safe to say the stakes are high.

I didn’t see the plot twist coming, which isn’t something that happens to me too often, so that was a great surprise and had me on the edge of my seat! Also, while I’m not usually a fan of a love triangle, the way that this was one was written and explored was truly engaging and unique, and the confusion and conflicted feelings between the three really built an undercurrent of tension that ran underneath the whole plot.

At the core of this book is a political narrative that circles around inequality and the abuse of power by people of privilege. I love the way that this book addresses sexuality and gender identity, their is no taboo about being part of the lgbtqia+ community, it just is, the people are who they are and there are no questions asked.

I really did enjoy this book, and look forward to finding out how events will transpire in the next book!

4.5 stars
This was such a gripping dark fantasy with amazing representation and morally grey characters. Full of political intrigue, blood magic and messy family dynamics I could not put this one down and I'm already desperate for the next book!

These characters were so well written and had so much depth. Each had their own flaws but that only made me love them more and had me rooting for them even when I shouldn't have been! I also like that we got multiple POVs as I really feel like we got to know these characters better and understand their motives. I thought the romance was done quite well, it didn't feel rushed and I liked how these three characters found themselves together.

The world-building was done excellently and I loved the blood magic and vampire element of it all. It was such a fresh take on it and I loved learning more about it. Overall this was a addictive and amazing character-driven story which I really recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Date Released: August 13 (US) August 15 (UK) 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: August 16, 2024
Ratings: 2⭐️

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This might be one of my disappointing reads of 2024 in terms of my most anticipated releases.

Don't get me wrong, the concept or premise really is promising and something that I really want to read. However, the execution is just not it.

The plot progress is almost nonexistent to me? It feels that it just stayed the same, and nothing really happened at all because instead of SHOWING, it stuck to TELLING us. It's quite frustrating because the whole vampire or magic system is something I find really interesting, and as a reader who likes to have an in-depth showing of the fantasy elements, it is indeed a let down.

Other than that, the writing I'm so sorry to say that the writing is lacking as well. It was very slow to my liking. I feel so bad not liking this 😭

On the character developments, another let down for me. I find them superficial at all, quite pretentious in many ways. Especially for Shan, considering the characters was supposed to be some kind of cunning, the character seemed to be not at all. There's nothing really endearing about her, and it's just sad because the start really was promising to me.

Sam and Isaak, as well. Honestly, I could not connect to them. There's nothing really happening in the pairing. The developments aren't there at all.

Another thing, Aberforth?? REALLY? I just couldn't take this name seriously.

I'm not even going to talk about the ending.

Overall, I wish the execution was much better. More showing. The plot is more consistent. Writing more captivating. Characters are more dimensional and likeable.

Thank you, Orbit books, for the e-arc opportunity via Netgalley.

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for a review copy.

This opens really strongly and is decently intriguing for the first half with a murder mystery and court politics swirling around the characters and I was enjoying it well enough however it is let down by a messy ending and a magic system that didn't really add up.

Thank you Little Brown Book Group UK /Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for the purpose of leaving an honest review.

Mistress of Lies is a dark fantasy, murder mystery with a subplot of romance (poly) and a sprinkle of politics.

The main fantasy elements that can be found in this novel are vampires and blood magic, it was the blood magic that drew me to this book and whilst I wasn’t completely disappointed, I wish it could have been developed more.

However, I will say that this author has taken a different approach to vampires (blood workers) and has made them more interesting due to this approach.

The world building was excellent which I would expect for the first book in this world.

I enjoyed this novel but my main criticism would be that the murder mystery aspects was push aside and replayed with romance between the three main characters, this occurs for a substantial amount of this book.

I did struggle to get through this book but that could be a me issue, I was hooked on the first few chapters but felt like it dragged until we got to end, which was equally as captivating as the beginning of this book.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I will read the sequel to see where things go after that ending.

Although this book has very little in common with it, this first installment reminded me a lot of the “Boneshard Daughter”, perhaps due to a similar family dynamic. Shan, coming from an aristocratic family of bloodworkers, is trying to reestablish the name and fortune of her family - and she has all the right cards to make this happen. When she hears about Samuel and his powers she knows the last piece of her complex plan has been finally found. It finally can be set it motion.
This book has a significant romantic plot, even if at times it is hard to distinguish if it is really romance or just infatuation - said this given the age of the characters this is all quite understandable.
The bloodworking aspect of the magic system is intriguing and while a little vague, all in all very enjoyable. I will surely continue reading the following volumes (is it a duology or a trilogy?). I wholeheartedly agree with the opening notes of K. M. Enright - choosing to make this book equally about Shan and Samuel was absolutely the right choice. Both characters are so rich, deep and relatable that it would have been an injustice to put one of them in the shadows of the other.

Mistress of Lies is a fantastic first instalment in what promises to be a dark and delicious series.
Shan, Samuel and Isaac are complex, flawed, and deeply relatable characters, moulded and broken and moulded again by the worlds they live in and the choices they make.
Shan is the titular Mistress of Lies, gathering information and spinning a web in order to accomplish her goals. She plays the long, patient game to effect what she hopes is real change in their city and country, but for others, the long game is simply too distant. They take more radical action.
I really enjoyed Anton's character arc, as well. Rich and privileged in all ways but the one that really matters - his inability to use magic. Because of that, despite his family name and its status, he is forever on the outside of society, an Unblooded. Only not like the other Unblooded, who are mostly poor and desperate and rapidly growing angry at how they are treated by the Blood Workers - the elite.
In a city of growing civil unrest and class tension, Shan, Samuel and Isaac are ostensibly working together - but in reality they're all falling apart.
The romantic and sexual tension between the trio was incredibly well done, and added a great deal to the overall narrative, making the final plot twists that much more devastating.
I loved this!

I really wanted to love this book and I was so drawn in by the first few chapters that I maintained high hopes for a while. However, I found it difficult to connect with Shan, which is disappointing because normally I love an unlikeable but likeable main character! Aside from that, the book was heavier on political intrigue than I'd expected and that's not normally my bag.

The first chapter was one of the strongest I've read in a while, and I did enjoy the writing, the representation and the premise, but unfortunately I think it's just a case of this book not being right for me.

Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright has an intriguing premise; vampires, magic and some revenge and romance thrown in for good measure. Shan, one of the main characters, has spent her life trying to perfect her skills and become powerful enough to protect her brother from their father which she ultimately achieves. I thought that the premise was interesting as it weaves the more fantastical elements with the more "real" political elements really well. I did feel like more could have been written about Shan's background, how she acquires her network of spies and apart from her revenge on her father, what her real motives were. Maybe there will be more about this in further books? I hope so. I do feel also that a lot of action happened "off page" rather than us going along with the characters. I will say that the world-building was good and the story does reel you in. I am really hoping that the characters have more growth in further books and some questions that you are left with at the end will be answered. I felt that the pace of the narrative was a little off and I would've liked the action to move a little faster but maybe if more of the action had taken place "on-page" that might have helped. However, the political/vampire trope was a fresh one for me. Often we see "courts" but the political aspects feel rushed but in this story, it did help round out the world. I did really enjoy K. M. Enright's writing and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I thought I would like this more.... Don't get me wrong, the rep is great, and I'm all in for the Poly side of the story!
But, its also a lot of politics, so if you love it go ahead, was a tad too much for my taste.
Also, I found the story to be slightly too slow... It was dragging at times.

So... Will I read what's coming next? ABSOLUTELY, but I wasn't as flashed as I expected to be.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for access to the ebook against an honest review.*