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Liar’s Kingdom
Ell has spent years slaving away for her cruel stepfamily. So when Prince Bayard—who seems to have difficulty recognizing faces—shows up at her door with a glass slipper, Ell allows him to believe she danced with him at the ball. There’s just one Ell didn’t attend the ball and she’s never met the prince before in her life. But if it’s a choice between moving to the royal palace or staying home, Ell is willing to say anything to escape.
However, Ell finds that being royalty comes with its own problems. Bayard’s sister, the princess, has gone missing. The king is preparing for war against the fae. And Maxim, Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, appears to know Ell is lying.
If Ell wants to keep this life she’s stolen, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and rescue herself.
However, Ell finds that being royalty comes with its own problems. Bayard’s sister, the princess, has gone missing. The king is preparing for war against the fae. And Maxim, Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, appears to know Ell is lying.
If Ell wants to keep this life she’s stolen, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and rescue herself.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2025
28 people are currently reading
6630 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
March 9, 2025
Christine saw Stephanie Garber's nachos and added the best quality cheese to them.
My Ellain is not a liar!
She might be a fae sympathiser, a titled maid, a hair puller, a liar and a rat defender with oily hair, but she will never be a size 8 sleeper wearer!
My Ellain is not a liar!
She might be a fae sympathiser, a titled maid, a hair puller, a liar and a rat defender with oily hair, but she will never be a size 8 sleeper wearer!
June 27, 2024
This. Was. So. Freaking. GOOD! Thank you so much to the author for letting me read this early. It's clever, fun, and so empowering. It gave me Ella Enchanted vibes and I loved it so much!
July 4, 2024
This book had me with tears in my eyes at 1 AM, so happy about the ending.
January 9, 2025
What an incredibly brilliant retelling! One star off for the animal cruelty and because the romance kind of came out of nowhere.
Other than that, I loved the twists in this tale (her not being the girl, the prince’s face blindness) and the incorporation of the fae realm. I wish this had been a dual POV between Ell and Maxim for the second reason stated above- I think that would’ve given it a little something extra and still could have preserved the later surprises within his story as well.
Overall I highly recommend if you love the tale of Cinderella!
Other than that, I loved the twists in this tale (her not being the girl, the prince’s face blindness) and the incorporation of the fae realm. I wish this had been a dual POV between Ell and Maxim for the second reason stated above- I think that would’ve given it a little something extra and still could have preserved the later surprises within his story as well.
Overall I highly recommend if you love the tale of Cinderella!
December 31, 2024
Liar’s Kingdom is a Cinderella retelling with a unique spin - the prince finds a girl who fits the glass slipper and takes her away to the palace to be his bride, but little does he know this particular girl was never actually at the ball. She goes along with it and finds herself involved with fairies and political plots while struggling to maintain her lies.
For the first half of the book I was prepared to give it 4 stars, but I found that it kept getting more ridiculous as it went on. Things were just happening rapidly at the end and I was trying not to skim. The romance had potential but the development just wasn’t there. However it was an okay read overall with a nice happy ending and I think a younger audience may enjoy it more.
Thank you to Page Street Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For the first half of the book I was prepared to give it 4 stars, but I found that it kept getting more ridiculous as it went on. Things were just happening rapidly at the end and I was trying not to skim. The romance had potential but the development just wasn’t there. However it was an okay read overall with a nice happy ending and I think a younger audience may enjoy it more.
Thank you to Page Street Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2025
This book was such a fun surprise!
Ell’s been stuck under her awful stepfamily’s control forever, so when Prince Bayard shows up with a glass slipper, she jumps at the chance for a better life. Even though she never went to the ball (and has no idea who the prince even is), she lets him believe she’s the girl he’s looking for. But Bayard’s best friend, Maxim, isn’t buying it and seems to know she’s lying.
I absolutely loved this story! It’s got Cinderella vibes but totally flips the classic tale into something fresh and creative. The twists kept me turning the pages, and the ending was so satisfying!
The chemistry and tension between Ell and Maxim were such a highlight for me.
If you’re into clever retellings, this one’s a must-read!
Big thanks to Page Street YA and Storygram Tours for the ARC!
Ell’s been stuck under her awful stepfamily’s control forever, so when Prince Bayard shows up with a glass slipper, she jumps at the chance for a better life. Even though she never went to the ball (and has no idea who the prince even is), she lets him believe she’s the girl he’s looking for. But Bayard’s best friend, Maxim, isn’t buying it and seems to know she’s lying.
I absolutely loved this story! It’s got Cinderella vibes but totally flips the classic tale into something fresh and creative. The twists kept me turning the pages, and the ending was so satisfying!
The chemistry and tension between Ell and Maxim were such a highlight for me.
If you’re into clever retellings, this one’s a must-read!
Big thanks to Page Street YA and Storygram Tours for the ARC!
January 12, 2025
Enchanting! I loved it!
February 5, 2025
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a retelling of Cinderella. I was pleasantly surprised by this dark retelling that’s twists a classic in with a tale of the fae. I enjoyed the inclusion of the fae in this story – particularly how their gifts were given, because it is a double edged sword.
Nothing in Ell’s new life at the palace is as it seems and everyone is hiding something – not just our girl. It has been a long time since I’ve had a despised character get what’s coming to them (and stays down… looking at you Jack Barlowe). I normally am not a fan of love triangles in books but this one was one of the better ones I’ve read. Maybe because it wasn’t a full on pining triangle. Maxim & Ell are both incredibly stubborn and unwilling to back down, I can see how that would shower all the sparks. My only wish is that they had more page time once they figured it out. Ell sticks by her decisions to the point of being nearly mulish, which made me love her all the more – totally doesn’t remind me of anyone I know.
“I think anywhere, no matter how lovely, would begin to feel like a cage if you could never leave it.”
The foreshadowing was a tiny bit heavy for my personal taste with some aspects of the plot. There were solid twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming at all that made up for the other bits. The just desserts in this book were spot on – I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I could see this book getting a prequel covering the parent’s tale or a sequel about what happens after the close of this book.
“This is not a flash in the pan, what’s between us. It’s the warm, crackling fireplace you return to when darkness falls and the night is cold.”
Many thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to be on the tour, to Page Street YA for yet another solid dark tale (you all know how to pick ‘em), and to Christine Calella for this great twist on a classic. If you love retellings of classics but on the darker side, then this book is for you.
Nothing in Ell’s new life at the palace is as it seems and everyone is hiding something – not just our girl. It has been a long time since I’ve had a despised character get what’s coming to them (and stays down… looking at you Jack Barlowe). I normally am not a fan of love triangles in books but this one was one of the better ones I’ve read. Maybe because it wasn’t a full on pining triangle. Maxim & Ell are both incredibly stubborn and unwilling to back down, I can see how that would shower all the sparks. My only wish is that they had more page time once they figured it out. Ell sticks by her decisions to the point of being nearly mulish, which made me love her all the more – totally doesn’t remind me of anyone I know.
“I think anywhere, no matter how lovely, would begin to feel like a cage if you could never leave it.”
The foreshadowing was a tiny bit heavy for my personal taste with some aspects of the plot. There were solid twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming at all that made up for the other bits. The just desserts in this book were spot on – I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I could see this book getting a prequel covering the parent’s tale or a sequel about what happens after the close of this book.
“This is not a flash in the pan, what’s between us. It’s the warm, crackling fireplace you return to when darkness falls and the night is cold.”
Many thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to be on the tour, to Page Street YA for yet another solid dark tale (you all know how to pick ‘em), and to Christine Calella for this great twist on a classic. If you love retellings of classics but on the darker side, then this book is for you.
December 9, 2024
I absolutely loved this retelling! This book was such a unique twist on the classic Cinderella tale. I loved this story and the characters within it. This was a book I didn’t want to put down and binge read it in a day. I appreciated the references to different Cinderella adaptions throughout the book as well as having its own original twist on the tale. This book had me smiling throughout the and I can’t recommend this book enough.
Read this if you like:
📖 Cinderella retellings
📖 Fairies & fae
📖 Lies & deception
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc, I loved it!
Read this if you like:
📖 Cinderella retellings
📖 Fairies & fae
📖 Lies & deception
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc, I loved it!
March 22, 2025
Oh my goodness! This was so good! I loved the Cinderella retelling with an evil fae twist! The narrator was incredible and I would 100% read another fairytale retelling by this author!
Thank you, Netgalley for the copy!
Thank you, Netgalley for the copy!
January 22, 2025
The best Cinderella retelling I’ve ever read. I’m sad this is a standalone because I would love more written in this world with these characters.
January 22, 2025
the best??? cinderella adaptation??? i've read since lunar chronicles???
also the musical references are top tier
thank you to Ms. Rieger for being the best book fairy :)
also the musical references are top tier
thank you to Ms. Rieger for being the best book fairy :)
April 26, 2025
Un RETELLING LIGERO de Cenicienta, con un toque de faes y un romance bastante instantáneo. Me entretuvo pero, sin más.
February 8, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella is a first person-POV YA retelling of Cinderella that asks ‘What if Cinderella lied about dancing with the prince and what if the prince had face blindness?’ When Prince Bayard and his best friend, Maxim, demand that Ell try on the glass slipper her two stepsisters have failed to fit into, the shoe fits like a dream. But Ell not only didn’t dance with the prince, she didn’t even attend the ball.
There’s been a post on Tumblr for years asking if the prince from the original fairy tale had face blindness because why else is he using a shoe to find the girl he fell in love with? I have no idea if Christine Calella saw that post or not and ideas cannot be copyrighted, so I’m more interested in how the idea was executed. I appreciated the execution a lot and the reasoning that was given for things that don’t make total sense in the original story when you take away fairy tale logic (namely, the reason why Cinderella has such small feet). I think many people who saw that post and wanted to read a whole novel with that premise would appreciate how these details play out and how much attention was paid to Prince Bayard not being able to recognize Ell immediately.
Ell and Maxim are the real slowburn romance arc here, with Maxim being a jerk in the beginning and fully aware Ell is lying because of his own ambitions. Ell struggles with her attraction to Maxim and tries to push herself to fall for Bayard, who is kind, opens up to her, and is willing to listen to her. Given the abusive environment Ell grew up in, it makes sense that she would try to force herself to be with someone who feels like a safe bet, someone who you know will treat you right, and to be cautious of someone who you feel you can’t trust at all. It takes time for Ell and Maxim to finally get to the point where they can be open with their feelings and that made a lot of sense with Ell’s history.
I think what really made this stand out to me as a fairy tale retelling was how the author’s note frames the story of Cinderella as a story of abuse. I fully agree with that assessment (though not every retelling has to handle this topic in the same way); Cinderella has always been a story of a young woman trapped in a bad situation and eventually finding love in spite of it. Calella doesn’t shy away from the fact that the stepmother is emotionally and physically abusive and how the stepsisters have contributed to the situation even if they might not be the instigators and how Ell is impacted by this treatment plus her actively trying to choose kindness when she can.
Content warning for depictions of child abuse
I would recommend this to fans of that original Tumblr post and readers looking for a YA Cinderella retelling that delves into the ramifications of child abuse on survivors
Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella is a first person-POV YA retelling of Cinderella that asks ‘What if Cinderella lied about dancing with the prince and what if the prince had face blindness?’ When Prince Bayard and his best friend, Maxim, demand that Ell try on the glass slipper her two stepsisters have failed to fit into, the shoe fits like a dream. But Ell not only didn’t dance with the prince, she didn’t even attend the ball.
There’s been a post on Tumblr for years asking if the prince from the original fairy tale had face blindness because why else is he using a shoe to find the girl he fell in love with? I have no idea if Christine Calella saw that post or not and ideas cannot be copyrighted, so I’m more interested in how the idea was executed. I appreciated the execution a lot and the reasoning that was given for things that don’t make total sense in the original story when you take away fairy tale logic (namely, the reason why Cinderella has such small feet). I think many people who saw that post and wanted to read a whole novel with that premise would appreciate how these details play out and how much attention was paid to Prince Bayard not being able to recognize Ell immediately.
Ell and Maxim are the real slowburn romance arc here, with Maxim being a jerk in the beginning and fully aware Ell is lying because of his own ambitions. Ell struggles with her attraction to Maxim and tries to push herself to fall for Bayard, who is kind, opens up to her, and is willing to listen to her. Given the abusive environment Ell grew up in, it makes sense that she would try to force herself to be with someone who feels like a safe bet, someone who you know will treat you right, and to be cautious of someone who you feel you can’t trust at all. It takes time for Ell and Maxim to finally get to the point where they can be open with their feelings and that made a lot of sense with Ell’s history.
I think what really made this stand out to me as a fairy tale retelling was how the author’s note frames the story of Cinderella as a story of abuse. I fully agree with that assessment (though not every retelling has to handle this topic in the same way); Cinderella has always been a story of a young woman trapped in a bad situation and eventually finding love in spite of it. Calella doesn’t shy away from the fact that the stepmother is emotionally and physically abusive and how the stepsisters have contributed to the situation even if they might not be the instigators and how Ell is impacted by this treatment plus her actively trying to choose kindness when she can.
Content warning for depictions of child abuse
I would recommend this to fans of that original Tumblr post and readers looking for a YA Cinderella retelling that delves into the ramifications of child abuse on survivors
January 21, 2025
I have never been a big fan of Cinderella, that has always been more up my mothers alley. However #LiarsKingdom by #ChristineCalella is an absolutely magnificent retelling of Cinderella.
Ellain has lived with her stepmother and stepsisters for years now being mistreated by them but one day her life takes a sharp turn. She finds herself lying to a sweet Prince named Baynard claiming to be the girl he danced the night away with at the ball, all because the glass slipper fits her absurdely small foot. His best friend however doesn't seem to buy it for a moment that she is the girl from the ball but Maxim finds himself in a position that he can't tell Baynard what he knows.
Elle finds herself at the mercy of her many towering lies with Maxim always lurking trying to find ways to expose the truth about her without getting himself caught as well.
Witth the King rallying troops to fight the fae that he claims are killing his people he sees an advantage in Ellain afterall she has a fairy godmother that she can call upon and set his plan into motion. Fae though are tricky creatures who use word play to their advantage. Soon all of them find themselves in a precarious position as a wronged Fae begins making deals to bring about the downfall of the kingdom that Elle has fallen so in love with.
When a Fae answers your call playing along with your lies its best to be aware, never forget that sometimes a viper waits in the darkness for a chance to strike and sometimes a slipper can make a glorious weapon.
I adored #Liar'sKingdom and plan on adding it to my collection of fairytale retellings as it has quickly become one of my favorites. I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #Liar'sKingdom by #ChristineCalella in return for a fair and honest review.
Ellain has lived with her stepmother and stepsisters for years now being mistreated by them but one day her life takes a sharp turn. She finds herself lying to a sweet Prince named Baynard claiming to be the girl he danced the night away with at the ball, all because the glass slipper fits her absurdely small foot. His best friend however doesn't seem to buy it for a moment that she is the girl from the ball but Maxim finds himself in a position that he can't tell Baynard what he knows.
Elle finds herself at the mercy of her many towering lies with Maxim always lurking trying to find ways to expose the truth about her without getting himself caught as well.
Witth the King rallying troops to fight the fae that he claims are killing his people he sees an advantage in Ellain afterall she has a fairy godmother that she can call upon and set his plan into motion. Fae though are tricky creatures who use word play to their advantage. Soon all of them find themselves in a precarious position as a wronged Fae begins making deals to bring about the downfall of the kingdom that Elle has fallen so in love with.
When a Fae answers your call playing along with your lies its best to be aware, never forget that sometimes a viper waits in the darkness for a chance to strike and sometimes a slipper can make a glorious weapon.
I adored #Liar'sKingdom and plan on adding it to my collection of fairytale retellings as it has quickly become one of my favorites. I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #Liar'sKingdom by #ChristineCalella in return for a fair and honest review.
May 25, 2025
A favorite read of the year! Readers who loved the movie Ever After will love this! Much like Ever After, it features a gutsy Cinderella who is a champion of her fellow servants.
The gorgeous cover is what got me to pick this up (Page Street YA always absolutely kills it with their book cover designs), but the clever twist is what really sold me. Retellings have a tendency to veer too far in one direction or another; either they stay so close to the source material that it’s boring to read, or they deviate so wildly that they lose what made the original story so impactful. Liar’s Kingdom walks that line perfectly! Cinderella as a liar and imposter is a genius twist.
There was so much to love about Liar’s Kingdom. This had well written, complex characters, both human and animal (Jacques and Ermangarde, Ell’s pet rats, were so cute!). It also had a surprising amount of psychological depth, with privilege and class highlighted within the story, and it deals sensitively with the topic of abuse. I feel like Christine Calella might have had actual life experience with abuse, because some of the inner thoughts Ell has are so accurate to survivors’ thoughts. Or perhaps Calella did some in-depth research before writing.
And, impressively for a YA book, it was very difficult for me to predict what would happen next in the plot. There were all sorts of delightful moments in this that I didn’t expect!
I can’t believe that more readers haven’t picked this up. It’s so underrated. Highly recommend! And someone please get Christine Calella to write more retellings, because I would read anything that she writes in the future!
The gorgeous cover is what got me to pick this up (Page Street YA always absolutely kills it with their book cover designs), but the clever twist is what really sold me. Retellings have a tendency to veer too far in one direction or another; either they stay so close to the source material that it’s boring to read, or they deviate so wildly that they lose what made the original story so impactful. Liar’s Kingdom walks that line perfectly! Cinderella as a liar and imposter is a genius twist.
There was so much to love about Liar’s Kingdom. This had well written, complex characters, both human and animal (Jacques and Ermangarde, Ell’s pet rats, were so cute!). It also had a surprising amount of psychological depth, with privilege and class highlighted within the story, and it deals sensitively with the topic of abuse. I feel like Christine Calella might have had actual life experience with abuse, because some of the inner thoughts Ell has are so accurate to survivors’ thoughts. Or perhaps Calella did some in-depth research before writing.
And, impressively for a YA book, it was very difficult for me to predict what would happen next in the plot. There were all sorts of delightful moments in this that I didn’t expect!
I can’t believe that more readers haven’t picked this up. It’s so underrated. Highly recommend! And someone please get Christine Calella to write more retellings, because I would read anything that she writes in the future!
January 30, 2025
Liar's Kingdom is an intriguing fairytale retelling of Cinderella and it follows Ell who has nothing but a slave to her stepmother and her two stepsisters. Everyday she toils and puts in hard work into the chores of the household yet she is never appreciated. Then one day Prince Bayard arrives with a glass slipper and is in search of the princess who he danced with at the ball. When the slipper fits Ell perfectly, she is swept off her feet into the kingdom of comfort and luxury.
But here's the thing, Ell never went to the ball. She isn't the one that the prince is looking for. And when she tries to convey that, Bayard reveals something about him. And it turns out things were much bigger and perilous than Ell getting her happily ever after.
I listened to the audiobook and well I must say the narrator was superbly talented, bringing out emotions and expressions of the characters. In the book, I thought it was going to be a hilarious read but then as it delved deeper there were political pursuits, betrayals, cunning plots and more that saturated the storyline. The pacing was good although I felt it dragged a bit in the middle but then final chapters were filled with twists that made up for the same.
I think readers who have a knack for reading retellings with unique spins and multi-dimensional characters will absolutely enjoy this book. Definitely worth the reading time.
*Grateful to Netgalley for the copy.*
But here's the thing, Ell never went to the ball. She isn't the one that the prince is looking for. And when she tries to convey that, Bayard reveals something about him. And it turns out things were much bigger and perilous than Ell getting her happily ever after.
I listened to the audiobook and well I must say the narrator was superbly talented, bringing out emotions and expressions of the characters. In the book, I thought it was going to be a hilarious read but then as it delved deeper there were political pursuits, betrayals, cunning plots and more that saturated the storyline. The pacing was good although I felt it dragged a bit in the middle but then final chapters were filled with twists that made up for the same.
I think readers who have a knack for reading retellings with unique spins and multi-dimensional characters will absolutely enjoy this book. Definitely worth the reading time.
*Grateful to Netgalley for the copy.*
January 13, 2025
This was a really unique retelling of Cinderella. I loved that the prince is looking for the mysterious girl and that Ell says it’s her but it really wasn’t her. The whole story hinging on lies upon lies made for a twisty tale that felt familiar but brand new. I thought Ell was a great main character. She’s definitely a bit of a morally grey Cinderella which was a nice change. She was kind and courageous but also resourceful and willing to lie and do what ever she needed to escape her evil step mother. The romance was okay. Kind of on the cutest forced type but this story could have had no romance and it would have been just as enjoyable. The side characters really helped bring this story to life. I also appreciated the authors note at the beginning. That while this is a darker story there is a HEA.
Overall I think fans of Cinderella that are looking for a unique fast paced YA fantasy with lots of twists will love this one.
Also spoiler… but the animal companion deaths were rough. There needs to be a more specific trigger warning at the beginning stating it outright. I just found the death’s to be unnecessary. I get that it’s a harsh world but for YA it felt too much.
Thank you Page Street YA for gifting me an ARC
Overall I think fans of Cinderella that are looking for a unique fast paced YA fantasy with lots of twists will love this one.
Also spoiler… but the animal companion deaths were rough. There needs to be a more specific trigger warning at the beginning stating it outright. I just found the death’s to be unnecessary. I get that it’s a harsh world but for YA it felt too much.
Thank you Page Street YA for gifting me an ARC
February 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Liar’s Kingdom is a creative, exciting YA fantasy reimagining of Cinderella with fascinating characters and a propulsive plot.
I had a wonderful time with this one. I adored Ell’s strength and personality. The characters and character development were so much fun and well-written. Christine’s reimagining presented the tale of Cinderella in a new and thrilling light, incorporating classic elements from the story with a unique twist. I loved the magical settings and court intrigue. The bargains and magic were brilliantly crafted, and the romance was addictive. Christine’s prose was beautiful and witty, and the story's pacing was great. I thoroughly enjoyed Liar’s Kingdom and cannot wait to read what Christine writes next!
Helen Laser was a fantastic narrator. She captured the magic and mysteriousness of the story with her emotions and depth. Her voice fit Ell beautifully, and the accents she used were excellent. She made the story even more immersive and powerful. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!
Liar’s Kingdom is a creative, exciting YA fantasy reimagining of Cinderella with fascinating characters and a propulsive plot.
I had a wonderful time with this one. I adored Ell’s strength and personality. The characters and character development were so much fun and well-written. Christine’s reimagining presented the tale of Cinderella in a new and thrilling light, incorporating classic elements from the story with a unique twist. I loved the magical settings and court intrigue. The bargains and magic were brilliantly crafted, and the romance was addictive. Christine’s prose was beautiful and witty, and the story's pacing was great. I thoroughly enjoyed Liar’s Kingdom and cannot wait to read what Christine writes next!
Helen Laser was a fantastic narrator. She captured the magic and mysteriousness of the story with her emotions and depth. Her voice fit Ell beautifully, and the accents she used were excellent. She made the story even more immersive and powerful. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!
February 26, 2025
I’m a sucker for any form of fairytale retelling and this book looked right up my alley with its fierce cover.
What if Cinderella(Ell) never met the prince but used to the confusion to escape her evil stepmother and spoiled step sisters? We all know that lies always find a way of coming to light and that when push comes to shove, Ell will have to roll up her sleeves and save herself.
I honestly really enjoyed this book. It does retread already worn paths but for sure has enough pleasant surprises and charm to make it a solid tale about strength and the willingness to fight for yourself.
The Narrator Helen Laser brought this story to life with an amazing voice that brought our protagonist and her world to life.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes! If you are like me and love fairytale retellings with new twists and turns you’ll devour this book like I did.
4⭐️
I’d like to thank the amazing folks at NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio copy of this book. You both are the best.
What if Cinderella(Ell) never met the prince but used to the confusion to escape her evil stepmother and spoiled step sisters? We all know that lies always find a way of coming to light and that when push comes to shove, Ell will have to roll up her sleeves and save herself.
I honestly really enjoyed this book. It does retread already worn paths but for sure has enough pleasant surprises and charm to make it a solid tale about strength and the willingness to fight for yourself.
The Narrator Helen Laser brought this story to life with an amazing voice that brought our protagonist and her world to life.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes! If you are like me and love fairytale retellings with new twists and turns you’ll devour this book like I did.
4⭐️
I’d like to thank the amazing folks at NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio copy of this book. You both are the best.
February 11, 2025
Cute Cinderella retelling with lots of action and just a tad bit of romance. Loved it.
January 17, 2025
Actual Rating: 3.5⭐
An incredibly clever twist brings a refreshing take to a classic fairy tale!
This tale has a lot more darker elements like The Brothers Grimm's version, which might be sensitive to some readers. I highly suggest checking out the content warnings below before diving in.
I thoroughly enjoyed following Ell’s journey from the beginning to the end.
Watching her character grow after enduring so much grief, hatred and cruelty was truly inspiring. She emerged as the bigger person, learning an important lesson in forgiveness.
The friendships she forms with her maid and two other unexpected characters were one of my favorite parts from the story. Initially suspicious, these characters ultimately prove to be allies, adding depth to the story.
However, the romance element left much to be desired. It felt forced and rushed, appearing abruptly in the last few pages.
The story would have been just as strong without this last-minute addition.
Overall, this was fun and fast-paced read that concluded with a satisfying ending for both the human kingdom and the Fae kingdom.
The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and each unexpected event throughout the story took me by surprise until the final battle!
I would keep an eye out for more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: death, animal death, animal cruelty, physical abuse
An incredibly clever twist brings a refreshing take to a classic fairy tale!
This tale has a lot more darker elements like The Brothers Grimm's version, which might be sensitive to some readers. I highly suggest checking out the content warnings below before diving in.
I thoroughly enjoyed following Ell’s journey from the beginning to the end.
Watching her character grow after enduring so much grief, hatred and cruelty was truly inspiring. She emerged as the bigger person, learning an important lesson in forgiveness.
The friendships she forms with her maid and two other unexpected characters were one of my favorite parts from the story. Initially suspicious, these characters ultimately prove to be allies, adding depth to the story.
However, the romance element left much to be desired. It felt forced and rushed, appearing abruptly in the last few pages.
The story would have been just as strong without this last-minute addition.
Overall, this was fun and fast-paced read that concluded with a satisfying ending for both the human kingdom and the Fae kingdom.
The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and each unexpected event throughout the story took me by surprise until the final battle!
I would keep an eye out for more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: death, animal death, animal cruelty, physical abuse
May 25, 2025
3⭐
This was so average and a bit forgettable that I forgot I read this last month🫡. The premise got me hooked, I'm always a sucker for a fairytale retelling. I'll give it points for being unique because I did enjoy reading it. The first part was a bit long but still intriguing, but the second half was rushed, and the plot got a bit convoluted. I also disliked the love interest; he was a bit of a jerk, and the romance was insta-love. They went from having a rivalry 80% of the book to confessing love.😑
This was so average and a bit forgettable that I forgot I read this last month🫡. The premise got me hooked, I'm always a sucker for a fairytale retelling. I'll give it points for being unique because I did enjoy reading it. The first part was a bit long but still intriguing, but the second half was rushed, and the plot got a bit convoluted. I also disliked the love interest; he was a bit of a jerk, and the romance was insta-love. They went from having a rivalry 80% of the book to confessing love.😑
March 15, 2025
rat babies immediately bumped the rating up, but please work on the romance next time because i was not even sure who the love interest was until he confessed..
March 14, 2025
ALC 🎧 Book Review 🤍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a fun retelling!!
Once I started listening, I couldn’t stop 🎧
Helen Laser did an amazing job doing all the different voices, I especially enjoyed the step sisters. This was a truly captivating & entertaining audio.
I ate this up in a day lol. All the characters were so fun & the storyline kept you on your toes w/ all the twists & twists & twists lol. An enjoyable listen from start to finish 🤍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a fun retelling!!
Once I started listening, I couldn’t stop 🎧
Helen Laser did an amazing job doing all the different voices, I especially enjoyed the step sisters. This was a truly captivating & entertaining audio.
I ate this up in a day lol. All the characters were so fun & the storyline kept you on your toes w/ all the twists & twists & twists lol. An enjoyable listen from start to finish 🤍
January 18, 2025
Thank you to TBR Beyond Tours and the author for an e-copy of the novel and including me on this tour! Here are my thoughts.
The story begins and we’ve heard it many times before. The prince comes and places the perfect fitting glass-slipper on Ell’s foot, finding his true love. Except there is one little problem, Ell was never at the ball, so she can’t be the prince’s true love. Ell decides to play along anyway to escape her evil family, only to learn the kingdom is in dire danger and the pressures on royalty are much more than she expected.
Retellings are so fun. I love when an author has the crazy “what-if” thoughts and rolls with them. Retelling fairytales in particular hits that nostalgia feel but provides a new story too. Liar’s Kingdom provided a well thought out entertaining read with tons of fantastic characters. As is the usual with me, it was some of the supporting characters that made me excited to get back to reading this one!
The plot was filled with unique magic and some stressful dynamics and situations. And what fairy tale is complete without some sort of love story, in this case, a love triangle, but with a little more unexpected characters thrown in the mix.
Liar’s Kingdom is a great novel to curl up with this winter. It’s cozy, lighthearted and fun with lots of high stakes!
The story begins and we’ve heard it many times before. The prince comes and places the perfect fitting glass-slipper on Ell’s foot, finding his true love. Except there is one little problem, Ell was never at the ball, so she can’t be the prince’s true love. Ell decides to play along anyway to escape her evil family, only to learn the kingdom is in dire danger and the pressures on royalty are much more than she expected.
Retellings are so fun. I love when an author has the crazy “what-if” thoughts and rolls with them. Retelling fairytales in particular hits that nostalgia feel but provides a new story too. Liar’s Kingdom provided a well thought out entertaining read with tons of fantastic characters. As is the usual with me, it was some of the supporting characters that made me excited to get back to reading this one!
The plot was filled with unique magic and some stressful dynamics and situations. And what fairy tale is complete without some sort of love story, in this case, a love triangle, but with a little more unexpected characters thrown in the mix.
Liar’s Kingdom is a great novel to curl up with this winter. It’s cozy, lighthearted and fun with lots of high stakes!
September 17, 2025
DNF @ 164 pages.
Perhaps it’s me, but this was just not interesting enough to hold my attention. I love the premise, but I went days without picking it up and realized I just didn’t care to find out where the story went.
Perhaps it’s me, but this was just not interesting enough to hold my attention. I love the premise, but I went days without picking it up and realized I just didn’t care to find out where the story went.
November 16, 2025
Entertaining and perfect pacing
March 23, 2025
Very nice! It suffered a little bit from everything-has-to-happen-within-a-single-week, which is never my favourite, but I understood why it was true for this plot. All in all definitely an interesting retelling, with an interesting take on Cinderella.
February 6, 2025
This is the version of Cinderella I will remember.
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