The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen

The Liar’s Crown (Dominion, #1)

by Abigail Owen

Everything about Meren’s life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, she has only one purpose - to sacrifice her life for her beloved sister if death comes for her. Meren has lived under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead, their dominion under threat of eternal winter, and the sinister King Erebos has sent her sister a flower. The first seen in a thousand years. With that gift, he seeks to wed her. Untrusting, Meren does what she was born to do and secretly takes her sister’s place on the eve of the coronation.

Which is why, when a man made of shadow kidnaps the new queen… he gets Meren by mistake.

As Meren tries to escape, all the lies start to unravel. Not just her lies. The Shadow Ranger who took her has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields - other faces, hideous faces, that terrify her.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save them all is to kill Erebos. But to kill the king is to destroy the king, including the only good piece of his soul left - the Shadow Ranger who has stolen Meren’s heart.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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The Liar's Crown is the first novel in Abigail Owen's Dominions series. It's also one of the prettiest covers I've seen this year, so let's give credit where credit is due! This series is perfect for those hoping for a delightful (and dangerous) fantasy romp.

We've all heard the story – a royal family has twins, and to keep the peace, the second born is quickly squirreled away, never to be seen again. Or so they hope (that's never how it works out). Enter Meren, a twin and second-born daughter of her kingdom. She's spent her whole life hidden away from the world. Her only purpose, or so she's been raised to believe, is to die for her sister, should it be so required.

Naturally, playing stand-in for the princess (now queen) has its risks, which is why Meren ends up abducted instead of her precious sister. However, this kidnapping may be precisely what Meren needs if she ever hopes to learn the truth.

“I'd rather be scared of real monsters than something my logical brain tells me is mostly in my head”

So, let's start by discussing the elephant in the room. There are two main reasons why I picked up The Liar's Crown. First, the cover (it's stunning!). Second, I may be a wee bit obsessed with the Man in the Iron Mask, so anything that alludes to it will immediately get my attention.

The Liar's Crown is a perfect fantasy novel. It has magic (duh), danger, a brooding hero, a strong female lead, action, and a bit of romance. In other words, there's something for everyone. Better yet, the balance between all of these elements is perfectly done. Oh! Did I mention that there's fantasy politics? You guys know I'm a sucker for that.

At first, my brain kept wanting to make comparisons to my favorite classic. Then, my brain wanted to compare it to the Impostors series by Scot Westerfeld. However, neither of these comparisons stuck for long. The Liar's Crown is very much its own novel, with a strong personality resonating all the way through.

I think the thing I loved the most is how well the characters are written – especially Meren. She's really the perfect protagonist. Honestly, I would love to see her story unfold on the big (or small) screen. It'd be so much fun!

Thanks to Entangled: Teen and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 4 October, 2022: Reviewed