Mistress of Lies: the sensual and sinister Sunday Times bestseller! (The Age of Blood, #1)

by K. M. Enright

'Politics, family, and desire weave a tangled web across a decadent, blood-soaked city in this stunning debut. Dark, dangerous, and entrancing!' Melissa Caruso

***Now a Sunday Times bestseller***

A villainous heroine finds herself plunged into a seductive world of power, politics and murder in the court of the vampire king in this bloodthirsty debut from an unmissable new voice in fantasy romance. Perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten and S.T. Gibson.

The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he's drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he's worked so hard to avoid - and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Blood Worker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan's plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.

Praise for Mistress of Lies:

'Dark and gripping, raw and beautifully imagined. With their stunning prose, compelling morally grey characters, inventive magic system, and knack for piercingly heartfelt moments amidst all the horror and intrigue, K.M. Enright is definitely one to watch' Thea Guanzon, author of The Hurricane Wars

'A stunning tale ripe with political scheming, fascinating magic, and deliciously complicated characters you can't help but root for. A decadent story that won't let you go' Sara Hashem, author of The Jasad Heir

'Mistress of Lies is dark, sexy, and twisty, the plot as winding and eerie as the streets of Aeravin itself. With compelling characters and a fresh take on blood magic, this book will seize you by the throat and hold your attention to the very end' Andrea Stewart, author of Bone Shard Daughter

'A blood-stained, heart wrenching romance balanced on the knife's edge of revolution. Luxurious and beautifully cruel' Andrew Joseph White, author of Hell Followed With Us

'A dark, delicate, beauty of a novel, with all the edges of sharpened steel' K.S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

'Glittering darkly with facets of magic, romance, and deep lore, Mistress of Lies is a seductive and blood-soaked jewel of a debut' Lyra Selene, author of A Feather So Black

'Lush and unrelenting, this complex political intrigue is an ode to those who will seize destiny in their own, bloodied hands' Lyndall Clipstone, author of Unholy Terrors

'Mistress of Lies is a honey trap of romance and royaltycore that leaves no corroded stone unturned when delving into the corruption at the heart of monarchy' Ladz, author of The Fealty of Monsters

'Sensual and sinister, Mistress of Lies had me by the throat' Gabriella Buba, author of Saints of Storm and Sorrow

'A cunning and clawed fantasy romance that will leave you breathless to the very end' S. A. MacLean, author of The Phoenix Keeper

'Captivating and deadly, Mistress of Lies enthralls from the very first page. Twisted through with the darkest of secrets. . . a powerful exploration of race, class and injustice' Laura R. Samotin, author of The Sins On Their Bones

• ISBN10: 0356524701
• ISBN13: 9780356524702
• Publish Date: 15 August 2024 (first published 13 August 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Shan LeClaire is a talented Blood Worker - the only thing holding her back is her father. She fixes problems and creates master plans, so naturally, her father can only be a problem for so long. Time moves on, and so do Shan’s plans for revenge and change.

Meanwhile, Samuel Hutchinson has been in hiding his whole life. He knows the “gift” in his blood is more like a curse and that horrible people would use it (and him) if they knew about it. Unfortunately, there’s another secret of his blood he’s been unaware of his whole life until Shan walked through his door.

My Review:

Oh. I’m torn. On the one hand, I really enjoyed Mistress of Lies. On the other hand, I do feel like it didn’t quite live up to its potential. Wait, let’s step back a moment. Mistress of Lies is a thrilling book of lies, deception, love, and blood magic. It’s dark and dangerous, and I can see why readers are talking about it.

This book consists of three perspectives, but the main two are Shan and Samuel. They counter each other nicely—one character is fully immersed in a world of blood magic, and the other is new but full of potential.

I loved things about this book and things that could have used a bit more work. For example, I loved how the main characters played against one another. Their back-and-forths did an excellent job of portraying multiple motivations (and how these can change over time).

Unfortunately, Mistress of Lies had a show/tell issue. One of the most prominent examples is Shan’s character. We’re told time and time again (seriously, I lost count) that Shan is a master plotter. But we never actually get to see her in action. At least not with any competency. Instead, we see her easily manipulated (both by the king and her own emotions). It almost felt like she was two characters.

All things said and done, Mistress of Lies is a decent read. Considering that this is a debut novel, it’s all the more solid. Personally, I intend to follow up on the sequel, as I want to see how the story ends.

Highlights:
Fantasy
Blood Magic
High Fantasy
Multiple POVs
LGBTQ+

Trigger Warnings:
Blood
Human Trafficking
Racism/Classism

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