M.C. Rising’s The First Liar offers a compelling fusion of contemporary thriller and classical mythology, weaving a narrative that is both imaginative and thought-provoking. The story follows Tori Jaecar, a software engineer grappling with personal loss and disillusionment in her professional life. Her journey takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses her boss’s murder and is rescued by Vince Lenoir, a part-time monster hunter. Together, they uncover a hidden world where legendary Greek villains have infiltrated modern America, threatening to revert humanity to a bygone era. 

Rising’s narrative stands out for its inventive premise, blending the mundane aspects of urban life with the grandeur of mythological conflict. The characters are well-developed, with Tori’s internal struggles and Vince’s enigmatic persona adding depth to the unfolding drama. The prose is engaging, and the pacing maintains a steady momentum, keeping readers invested in the protagonists’ quest.

While the novel excels in creativity, there are moments where the integration of mythological elements could benefit from more nuanced exploration. Additionally, certain plot developments may stretch plausibility, requiring a suspension of disbelief. However, these aspects do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. 

In conclusion, The First Liar is a noteworthy addition to the genre, offering a fresh take on mythological themes within a modern setting. It is recommended for readers seeking a thriller that combines action, introspection, and a touch of the fantastical.

This book was my first dnf in a long time, as I DNF’ed at 33%

The First Liar is about Tori, a software engineer that gets thrown into a world of monsters and monster hunters when she witnesses her boss’ death.

And while I loved the idea for this story, the writing is just tough to get into.
The story is extremely telling, to the point where it reads like a first draft almost. The characters become flat and the worldbuilding messy, because we are told everything that’s happening instead of seeing them.
I really believe there is a great world somewhere in that book, but you just can’t find it.

The main character is protected by some pretty heavy plot armor, and quite annoying imo. She fully believes she ‘has trained for monster hunting’ after training for a month, and actually gets annoyed that a person who has years of experience wins every time they spar? Like girl, get a grip on reality.
As for the other characters, I couldn’t tell you their personalities. There’s the one we’ve been told drinks, the one we’ve been told is barely there and the one we’ve been told that heals. But because we’re are not shown these interactions, it is difficult to actually feel empathy for any of these characters, the main character included.

Overall, 1/5 stars because there is great idea buried in there, the book just needed some edits to make the writing more engaging.

"Legendary beasts. Heroes returned from the afterlife. Prophecy, fate, destiny, and now gods."


The story throws together an odd collection of characters chasing after mythological beings - “Monsters”. It is kind of tongue-n-cheek Percy Jackson meets a parody of American Gods. I couldn’t decide if this was supposed to be cozy supernatural or YA fantasy.

"Tell me, how do you feel about road trips, jiu-jitsu, and ghost stories?"
- Roy's recruiting pitch


The story begins with mousy Tori, who can’t stand up for herself. She has the epitome of the misogynistic boss, James. In the first few pages he basically tells her to smile more and infers that women are better off making sandwiches instead of suggestions. So when James is murdered in a hit and run, you would think she would be relieved. But no, she chases down the culprit. Maybe not the best idea when she finds herself hanging between two streetlights and at his mercy. Luckily, a “muscle-car-hero” enters the fray, saving her life.

This near-death experience surely put things into perspective, right? Ah, that would be a no. Tori decides that if this vigilante is going after the murderer, she is calling shotgun!

Our villain, Orion, isn’t your typical hit and run driver. He’s a mythical bad guy with Hell hounds. Okay, so they are just really big mastiffs that can regenerate - but same thing right? Suddenly, Tori, who is finally being recognized at work, decides to take a sabbatical to join three men she just met to chase monsters. Now if this were Sam & Dean Winchester, I could totally get it. But it’s a young, chain-smoking-rebel-with-a-cause (Vince), a protective, parental-type senior (Brooks), and an attractive but enigmatic charmer (Roy). In order to be a part of their team, Tori offers up a clue to what Orion is after, and offers herself up as bait.

From here, our cast of characters chase after Orion while also trying to discover what he is up to and how his plans involve the President. Along the way, our ragtag heroes land themselves in life or death situations, while managing to recruit new people along the way. There doesn’t appear to be a plan and they continually fail at getting any closer to discovering Orion’s endgame. But hey, they survive. This is no easy feat given that they are confronted with a new monster and their inevitable demise seemingly in every chapter. Okay, maybe not every chapter, but enough that I'm beginning to lose track of all the monsters.

Two-thirds in, it feels a bit directionless. Chapters end abruptly and then the characters are in totally different situation in the next. Frequently, I thought I must have dosed off and missed something while reading this book. Only to thumb back through the pages and sigh, "Nope, no plausible explanation or leading events given." Even our lead character expresses her confusion...

Tori was beginning to feel like she was watching a soap opera out of order. She hated soap operas."


If you want a light-hearted frolic involving supernatural and mythological beings, then this may be the read for you. For me, it was a rudderless boat on the ocean, drifting aimlessly which prompted the question, "Are we there yet?"

This was a really interesting premise and had been on my tbr. I liked both Percy Jackson and American Gods and this seemed in line with those titles. Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. There were snippets of real insight from the main character, but the events of the book seemed to take place without any natural linkage to what had happened prior. The character development seemed ad hoc and every time it happened took me out of the story. For example, on page 113 I still did not know whether the FMC brother was older or younger, I knew he had died but not why it had impacted the FMC or what feelings it gave her when the memory was invoked. Whenever he was mentioned it just added an unknown instead of emotional complexity.
I also had a really hard time with the age of Vincent and all subsequent developments of his character once it is revealed that he is only 19. (That math comes from he started working with Roy and Brooks when he was 14 and then he tells Tori he has known them longer than anyone, going on 5 years now). The fact he is 19 gave me the ick when he and Tori are flirting (maybe?) since she has already graduated college and has been working. And definitely gave me the ick when he flirts with the TV anchor Grace and for some unknown reason their first meeting flirtation results in them running off and playing while at News Channel 4, which seems unbelievable that would happen but also, how old are news anchors? I don’t think age compatible with 19.
Overall, I had a really hard time understanding the motivations behind what the characters were doing. It seemed this got worse as the book went on and ultimately my DNF point was when Grace (who also is started to be referred to as “the Lavender Lady” for no clear reason a few pages back) and Tori are trying to escape the labyrinth and there is this several sentence aside of a fox escaping the woods that is completely non sequitor. That is where I stopped reading. I would be interested in re-reading if this gets revised. I do think the premise is cool and Greek mythology and monsters never get old. I did not write a review on Goodreads because there are currently only 3 others and my honest review of this book is 1 or 2 stars and I didn’t want to tank their average on the off-chance this gets revised.

If you like a heavy dose of monsters, gods and Greek mythology following an epic adventure then The First Liar is for you.

It follows a group of unlikely friends battling to stop villains before the world is forever changed focusing on relationships and dynamics between the characters and monsters without any real romance.

The book is jam packed with characters and tales of monsters so get ready to emerge yourself in all things gods and monsters.

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Attacked by a myth absolutely killed me. Definitely good comedy which I love in a book especially fantasy because it helps keep the casual fun too. Tori is definitely a girl that's had this desire to fight since forever and I love to see how well she gets into it plus I love the slightly awkward stages. If you love a slice of comedy and a slice of fantasy this is definitely the type you'd love. It's a great read, not for me in the long run but fantastic for mythology lovers like fans of percy like myself, I'd recommend it for sure so please give it a go! #NetGallery