Fantasy, Featured, Romance

‘Thief Liar Lady’ by D.L Soria Book Review

By Alissa S.

4 minute read

Thief Liar Lady by D.L Soria Book Review

“Happily ever after” is a myth! A princess controls her own story

A new twist on the Cinderella story

You know the story. Well, you know the story that Lady Aislinn and her stepfamily dreamed up in order to raise her profile to get her married to Prince Everett. In reality, the whole sordid tale was spawned by Aislinn’s stepmother, Seraphina, who has been training all three of the young women in the house to be expert con artists specializing in illegal magic. Seraphina’s goal to secure wealth and security dovetails nicely with Aislinn’s true purpose, which has very little to do with gold and everything to do with a dangerous political prisoner.

Here’s my take:

Fairy-tale retellings are my favorite trope, and while I loved the story, the romance plotline is almost secondary, so this is not for someone who wants hot and heavy from the very first page. “Cinderella” is not a particularly meaty fairy tale, and I love how the author fleshed out the characters and details spawned from a three-night romance. I particularly enjoyed all of the behind-the-scenes political intrigue, and I thought it was a genius idea to have the Cinderella figure in the story be behind the entire wicked stepmother story.

Twists and turns abound in this intriguing tale that features a myriad of strong female figures and a princess who is firmly in charge of her own destiny. And while most fairy tales have in-your-face lessons about morality, this book has much more subtle messages about the things people in power have to do in order to make things right and protect the people and things that they truly care about.

This is a must-read if you are a fan of Marissa Meyer’s chaste fairy tales or if you love Naomi Novak!

Find this romantic anti-fairy tale story here:

Rave Reviews and Awards on Thief Liar Lady by D.L Soria:

“Full of intrigue and star-crossed romance, Thief Liar Lady takes everyone’s favorite girl in glass slippers and transforms her into a spellbinding heroine of legend. This is a twisty, romantic fantasy that is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Alix E. Harrow.” —New York Times bestselling author Ashley Poston

“D. L. Soria casts a spell of intrigue and romance on every page. By turns sharp and sweet, Thief Liar Lady is a lustrous fairy tale treat.” –Alyssa Wees, author of Nocturne and The Waking Forest

” Thief Liar Lady is a dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic. You’ve never seen Cinderella like this before–and you won’t be able to look away.” –Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch

“Soria’s novel will grab readers right from the first page with her strong women characters and unexpected twists on a classic tale, as it alternates between the present and past, slowly revealing the real story and the depth of the characters. Fans of Marissa Meyer, Holly Black, and Rebecca Ross will enjoy this read.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Soria reinvents a classic fairytale to address physical, political, social, and economic abuse. . . . Fantasy fans will wish to explore this fascinating revisionist take on what really happens ‘happily ever after.'” — Booklist (starred review)

“[A] savvy upending of a classic character . . . a fun premise replete with espionage and just a touch of magic.” —Publishers Weekly

“A standout fairy-tale retelling . . . And unlike fairy tales, which have clean moral lessons, this book is unafraid of the deep complications and compromises people in positions of real power and influence sometimes have to make in order to do what’s right.” —Kirkus Reviews

Learn more on D.L Soria:

Destiny (D.L.) Soria writes novels chock-full of magic, mystery, and tons of clever banter. She has an Instagram, but it is mostly just pictures of her clingy cat!

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