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The Language of Liars
A story of secrets, body jumping, and the power of language, The Language of Liars is a poignant, thought-provoking new masterpiece from award-winning author of The Water Outlaws S. L. Huang.
"Pitch-perfect science fiction about linguistics and consequences. This book destroyed me."—Yoon Ha Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Ninefox Gambit
A New Scientist Best of 2026 Pick and a Most Anticipated Pick for Literary Hub | Book Riot | Shelf Reflection
Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them.
And discover you've destroyed them.
In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.
Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them—the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. The species Ro's own small civilization, with its dwindling resources and withering reach, needs to know more about.
It will feel real, his elders impressed upon him. It will never be real.
But Ro's certainty runs deep: he will be different. Ro will not be an imposter hiding the truth of his past, because his heart will be one of them. He will be one of them.
To understand is to become. It never occurs to him that the mere act of understanding can destroy.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
"Pitch-perfect science fiction about linguistics and consequences. This book destroyed me."—Yoon Ha Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Ninefox Gambit
A New Scientist Best of 2026 Pick and a Most Anticipated Pick for Literary Hub | Book Riot | Shelf Reflection
Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them.
And discover you've destroyed them.
In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.
Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them—the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. The species Ro's own small civilization, with its dwindling resources and withering reach, needs to know more about.
It will feel real, his elders impressed upon him. It will never be real.
But Ro's certainty runs deep: he will be different. Ro will not be an imposter hiding the truth of his past, because his heart will be one of them. He will be one of them.
To understand is to become. It never occurs to him that the mere act of understanding can destroy.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2026
73 people are currently reading
10536 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
May 8, 2026
4.5 ⭐
When you talk about stories that pack a punch, The Language of Liars sure got me pretty good. And the fact that it's a slim 150 pages? Well, that just means the wallop was even more powerful.
I went into this not quite knowing what to expect. All this talk about language and linguistics means I can't help but compare it to another book that came out not too long ago. (If you know it, you know it.) That book was excruciating long and dull and preferred to beat the reader over the head with its simplistic messages. Was I in for the same treatment here?
Thankfully no. Though both tales centered around the insidiousness of colonialism and using language for power, the execution couldn't be more different. This story felt unique, innovative, and provocative, and it's exactly the sort of memorable tale I'm always searching for.
If you know me, you know I'm a bit of nut for science fiction. It's probably my favorite genre, and when done right, it encapsulates all that makes us human—our endless need for exploration and connection and compassion. And that's exactly what we get here. Our main character Ro isn't even human, yet his quest to understand different species and languages and cultures, as well as his moral dilemmas, couldn't be more relatable. (In fact, it reminded me a lot of Star Trek: The Next Generation, an old fav of mine.)
The way this story builds up is quite masterful, all reaching towards a climax that's about as striking as you could hope for. It's been a while since a story has so thoroughly and metaphorically beaten me up, so I'm definitely going to be remembering this for quite a while.
Regarding the length, I've been loving novellas more and more recently. The shorter format means we don't have any time to waste. There's no long winded worldbuilding, no getting stuck in the weeds. The more compact style of storytelling necessitates jumping straight into the good stuff, and in return, the narrative demands our upmost attention in order to follow along.
A quick note—there is a fair bit of linguistics jargon in here, especially in the beginning, but don't let that bog you down. You don't need to grasp all the technical terms in order to understand or appreciate the tale. Just try to power through it and you'll be richly rewarded. In fact, once I got through the initial pages, I read the rest of the book in one long inhale.
If you're a science fiction nut and the sort to enjoy a story that's both stimulating and brutal, don't let this one pass you by. I bet you're going to be remembering it for a long time too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
When you talk about stories that pack a punch, The Language of Liars sure got me pretty good. And the fact that it's a slim 150 pages? Well, that just means the wallop was even more powerful.
I went into this not quite knowing what to expect. All this talk about language and linguistics means I can't help but compare it to another book that came out not too long ago. (If you know it, you know it.) That book was excruciating long and dull and preferred to beat the reader over the head with its simplistic messages. Was I in for the same treatment here?
Thankfully no. Though both tales centered around the insidiousness of colonialism and using language for power, the execution couldn't be more different. This story felt unique, innovative, and provocative, and it's exactly the sort of memorable tale I'm always searching for.
If you know me, you know I'm a bit of nut for science fiction. It's probably my favorite genre, and when done right, it encapsulates all that makes us human—our endless need for exploration and connection and compassion. And that's exactly what we get here. Our main character Ro isn't even human, yet his quest to understand different species and languages and cultures, as well as his moral dilemmas, couldn't be more relatable. (In fact, it reminded me a lot of Star Trek: The Next Generation, an old fav of mine.)
The way this story builds up is quite masterful, all reaching towards a climax that's about as striking as you could hope for. It's been a while since a story has so thoroughly and metaphorically beaten me up, so I'm definitely going to be remembering this for quite a while.
Regarding the length, I've been loving novellas more and more recently. The shorter format means we don't have any time to waste. There's no long winded worldbuilding, no getting stuck in the weeds. The more compact style of storytelling necessitates jumping straight into the good stuff, and in return, the narrative demands our upmost attention in order to follow along.
A quick note—there is a fair bit of linguistics jargon in here, especially in the beginning, but don't let that bog you down. You don't need to grasp all the technical terms in order to understand or appreciate the tale. Just try to power through it and you'll be richly rewarded. In fact, once I got through the initial pages, I read the rest of the book in one long inhale.
If you're a science fiction nut and the sort to enjoy a story that's both stimulating and brutal, don't let this one pass you by. I bet you're going to be remembering it for a long time too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
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April 14, 2026Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the audiobook via NetGalley.
This was a strong read for me. For such a short novella, there was a lot going on, but it still kept me interested the whole way through. I really liked how much it was doing with language, power, identity, and everything underneath the surface of the story. The ending also worked really well and brought it all together in a way that made it all land.
This was a strong read for me. For such a short novella, there was a lot going on, but it still kept me interested the whole way through. I really liked how much it was doing with language, power, identity, and everything underneath the surface of the story. The ending also worked really well and brought it all together in a way that made it all land.
September 8, 2025
The Language of Liars is, quite simply, a brilliant book. A fast paced and thoughtful linguistic deconstruction of the colonial mindset and enterprise. Its 'Get Out' meets 'Embassytown' with shades of 'Dune' while being something entirely its own. Incredibly clever and written with a love and reverence for the power of language, it will have you turning the pages in a frenzy to see what happens next. I inhaled it all in one sitting and you probably will too.
- Wole Talabi, author of SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON
(Official blurb based on an ARC)
- Wole Talabi, author of SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON
(Official blurb based on an ARC)
April 28, 2026
I don’t think I am clever enough to understand this.
I really enjoyed The Water Outlaws by this author. I love anything to do with linguistics.
So why did this utterly flop for me?
I just had no clue what was going on the whole way through. I got the overt themes of integration, learning, and colonisation: yet there were so many unexplained jargon thrown at me that it lacked any resonance. I also didn’t feel any emotional connection.
As a novella where I didn’t care about the characters or and the plot was overshadowed by overcomplicated concepts: this didn’t work for me.
Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.
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I really enjoyed The Water Outlaws by this author. I love anything to do with linguistics.
So why did this utterly flop for me?
I just had no clue what was going on the whole way through. I got the overt themes of integration, learning, and colonisation: yet there were so many unexplained jargon thrown at me that it lacked any resonance. I also didn’t feel any emotional connection.
As a novella where I didn’t care about the characters or and the plot was overshadowed by overcomplicated concepts: this didn’t work for me.
Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
May 7, 2026
Clever and incisive, with an unapologetically academic tone and razor-sharp emotional and thematic clarity. This isn’t just a story about colonization; it’s about the insidious erosion of culture, language, and tradition.
I loooved the way The Language of Liars really indulged in its focus on alien linguistics, particularly the pivotal theme of context: languages do not map directly onto one another. Everything is contextual. The way this permeates every interaction, leading all the way up until the climactic revelations, was brilliantly executed.
I kind of expected to come away from this book feeling like it had bitten off more than it could chew; World-building for not just one, but two completely different alien species, along with that heavy focus on linguistics, was really ambitious for such a short novella. But honestly? No threads were dropped, the ending was set up really well, and nothing ever felt muddled or confusing. I’m seriously impressed by how tightly executed this story was.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape media for the audio ARC. I really highly recommend the audiobook!
I loooved the way The Language of Liars really indulged in its focus on alien linguistics, particularly the pivotal theme of context: languages do not map directly onto one another. Everything is contextual. The way this permeates every interaction, leading all the way up until the climactic revelations, was brilliantly executed.
I kind of expected to come away from this book feeling like it had bitten off more than it could chew; World-building for not just one, but two completely different alien species, along with that heavy focus on linguistics, was really ambitious for such a short novella. But honestly? No threads were dropped, the ending was set up really well, and nothing ever felt muddled or confusing. I’m seriously impressed by how tightly executed this story was.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape media for the audio ARC. I really highly recommend the audiobook!
April 13, 2026
The Language of Liars is a spacey book that follows Ro, a linguist and a spy who has spent his life preparing to merge with a Star Eater.
This is a very promising and ambitious novella that plays with the power of language, but I was a little torn by the book. My main struggle was that I didn’t feel engaged with the story and struggled to follow it. I found Ro pretty boring and uninteresting, his whole thing was that he was curious and that he loves linguistics. Unfortunately, I realized early on that I don’t care about grammar, phonetics, and all the yada yada about linguistics.
The book focused a lot on world-building… but it didn’t focus on it enough. We get a lot of the language and enough of the context, but visually I didn’t know what the aliens, Star Eaters, or Pontos looked like. This affected the pacing. It was very slow, then too fast, then back to slow. Idk, I feel the story happened between heavy layers of morphosyntax and grammar, another layer of melodrama, and Ro’s boringness, I was just not too into it. 2.5 from me, rounded up cuz the language stuff was cool despite me not enjoying it. I did enjoyed how the book reflected on language and colonialism, I wish this had gotten more focus.
I wonder if this would have worked better if it were longer 🤔
*ARC received for free, this hasn’t influenced my rating.
This is a very promising and ambitious novella that plays with the power of language, but I was a little torn by the book. My main struggle was that I didn’t feel engaged with the story and struggled to follow it. I found Ro pretty boring and uninteresting, his whole thing was that he was curious and that he loves linguistics. Unfortunately, I realized early on that I don’t care about grammar, phonetics, and all the yada yada about linguistics.
The book focused a lot on world-building… but it didn’t focus on it enough. We get a lot of the language and enough of the context, but visually I didn’t know what the aliens, Star Eaters, or Pontos looked like. This affected the pacing. It was very slow, then too fast, then back to slow. Idk, I feel the story happened between heavy layers of morphosyntax and grammar, another layer of melodrama, and Ro’s boringness, I was just not too into it. 2.5 from me, rounded up cuz the language stuff was cool despite me not enjoying it. I did enjoyed how the book reflected on language and colonialism, I wish this had gotten more focus.
I wonder if this would have worked better if it were longer 🤔
*ARC received for free, this hasn’t influenced my rating.
Read
April 22, 2026This was truly awesome, one of the best novellas altogether in the past few years as far as I'm concerned. The protagonist, Ro is a nonhuman sentient being of a species that lives underground, and he is training to become a capital-L Linguist. These Linguists learn the language of the Star Eaters, a mysterious species without whom space travel would break down. Once a Linguist understands the Star Eater language well enough, they get transported into the Star Eater's mind with a mind jump. The idea is that this would let people of other species spy on the Star Eaters. At least this is what Ro thinks at the very beginning of the story, but nothing goes as planned.
I'm not going to spoil this for you, you'll have to read it for yourself. This is one of those rare stories which have a very well-thought-out idea behind them (not described above), but which at the same time manage to be emotionally resonant. There is everything in this. Sadness. Fury. Incalculable desolation. Even procrastination, confusion, unmooredness.
I am a small-l linguist and I thought it was great as a story about language and communication, too; but it's so much more. It's also about... not precisely colonialism, but to get into this would be spoilery, so let's just say really adverse cultural interactions.
Last year I bounced off of a lot of the Tordotcom novellas, and I was starting to wonder if the entire imprint was going in a direction that's just not for me - but this one was very precisely for me. It was also heartbreaking, so there's that. But I think the world needs this story; I definitely needed it.
___
Source of the book: Print ARC from publisher (thank you!)
(Dates read are inaccurate, I read this one a while ago)
I'm not going to spoil this for you, you'll have to read it for yourself. This is one of those rare stories which have a very well-thought-out idea behind them (not described above), but which at the same time manage to be emotionally resonant. There is everything in this. Sadness. Fury. Incalculable desolation. Even procrastination, confusion, unmooredness.
I am a small-l linguist and I thought it was great as a story about language and communication, too; but it's so much more. It's also about... not precisely colonialism, but to get into this would be spoilery, so let's just say really adverse cultural interactions.
Last year I bounced off of a lot of the Tordotcom novellas, and I was starting to wonder if the entire imprint was going in a direction that's just not for me - but this one was very precisely for me. It was also heartbreaking, so there's that. But I think the world needs this story; I definitely needed it.
___
Source of the book: Print ARC from publisher (thank you!)
(Dates read are inaccurate, I read this one a while ago)
October 2, 2025
I want to ask for a sequel, but I would also understand if Huang left this as is. I thought I knew where this book was going, but the twist is what made this book four stars. Even though I'm left silently staring at the wall, that was beautifully and brutally done.
April 13, 2026
me: *finishes my syntax problem set after four hours* great, time to relax!
me: *goes on a walk and starts audiobook full of linguistic theory* ah, relaxing!
Ro has spent his whole life studying the remarkably complex language of the Star Eaters with the hope that one day he will be able to jump into one of their minds and use the intel to solve the problem of why the species—who mine a resource crucial for interstellar travel—have been steadily dying out. When he manages the jump, Ro finds a civilization more confounding than he could have imagined, but he will risk discovery for information because the lives of countless species are at stake.
Jokes aside, holy crap, this novella packs a serious punch. Linguistics nerds will enjoy Ro's analyses of the Star Eater language. I fear it will go over everyone else's heads but it's not crucial that you understand everything he's talking about, and as a Linguistics major I ate it up. I was a little confused on some of the detail of Ro's motivation early on but it's not too hard to fill in the gaps later on. The story is well-paced and not overly-dense or bogged down by a bunch of in-universe language. Even the weird bits are pretty easy to follow. It's really hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, but I'll just say that the twist got me and I really appreciate the messaging that Huang is conveying about linguistic inquiry, particularly when it's being done for the wrong reasons, as someone in the field.
This is my first of S. L. Huang's books but I'll be sure to check out their backlist because, boy, this book is smart and a slap in the face at the same time!
Thank you to S. L. Huang and Dreamscape Lore for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
me: *goes on a walk and starts audiobook full of linguistic theory* ah, relaxing!
Ro has spent his whole life studying the remarkably complex language of the Star Eaters with the hope that one day he will be able to jump into one of their minds and use the intel to solve the problem of why the species—who mine a resource crucial for interstellar travel—have been steadily dying out. When he manages the jump, Ro finds a civilization more confounding than he could have imagined, but he will risk discovery for information because the lives of countless species are at stake.
Jokes aside, holy crap, this novella packs a serious punch. Linguistics nerds will enjoy Ro's analyses of the Star Eater language. I fear it will go over everyone else's heads but it's not crucial that you understand everything he's talking about, and as a Linguistics major I ate it up. I was a little confused on some of the detail of Ro's motivation early on but it's not too hard to fill in the gaps later on. The story is well-paced and not overly-dense or bogged down by a bunch of in-universe language. Even the weird bits are pretty easy to follow. It's really hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, but I'll just say that the twist got me and I really appreciate the messaging that Huang is conveying about linguistic inquiry, particularly when it's being done for the wrong reasons, as someone in the field.
This is my first of S. L. Huang's books but I'll be sure to check out their backlist because, boy, this book is smart and a slap in the face at the same time!
Thank you to S. L. Huang and Dreamscape Lore for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
May 9, 2026
One of the finest Science Fictional works that grapples with deep linguistics that I've read, bouncing up onto the level of China Mieville's Embassytown for me. Like that book, The Language of Liars isn't just about language gaps and struggling to understand each other better. It's about the things misunderstandings have enabled, and secrets buried by allegedly advanced societies. At once approachable for new readers and chewy for veterans of SF reading, just about anybody should give this book a shot.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the copy.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the copy.
April 24, 2026
4.5 stars
The nitty-gritty: A high stakes, emotional tale that explores language and communication between species, The Language of Liars is both thrilling and heart-wrenching.
The Language of Liars is a beautifully written science fiction story about communication and how powerful language can be—in both good and bad ways. S.L. Huang uses linguistics to explore the different ways words are used among different cultures, in this case, alien beings. I was fascinated by this idea, and while I’m certainly not a linguist myself, and I didn’t completely understand all of the terms the author used, Huang’s story and characters made this book not only accessible, but engaging on an emotional level. I was rooting for Ro, the main character, who finds himself caught up in something so big that the future of the galaxy might be at stake.
The story is set in a world full of many different alien species. Ro is a Ponto Linguist whose greatest desire is to learn how to “jump” into the body of a Star Eater, a mysterious, dying species who is able to sense and mine a critical compound called meridian, without which space travel wouldn’t be possible. Jumping requires detailed knowledge of the Star Eaters’ use of language, but none of his teachers think Ro is smart or talented enough to actually do it.
So no one is more surprised than Ro when he suddenly finds himself part of a Star Eater colony, inhabiting the body of an individual Star Eater. He jumped successfully, and now he must integrate into the society, learn how to mine meridian, and send reports of his findings back to Orro, his home planet.
Unfortunately, Ro didn’t study hard enough and finds himself struggling to communicate with the Star Eaters, but it isn’t until he has his first meeting with a Ponto representative that he realizes things are not as he thought. All Ro wants to do is learn about the Star Eaters and play a part in discovering why they haven’t been able to reproduce, but he’s horrified to receive orders that don’t line up with his benign, curious nature.
This is a short book full of big ideas, but I can’t imagine it being any longer. Huang deftly conveys all the necessary information without any filler, which results in a fascinating story about an alien race on the brink of extinction and the young Ponto who is determined to save them. Despite being thrown into a completely alien world (there are no humans in this story) and floundering a bit in the beginning, it didn’t take long to sympathize with Ro, whose enthusiasm for the Star Eater’s linguistics and history is contagious. I loved the epistolary snippets at the beginning of each chapter that add an extra richness to the world-building, especially a timeline showing various political factions making decisions for the Star Eaters, which was actually horrifying.
The Star Eaters seem to be little more than slaves, who work in shifts round the clock mining meridian and following a mantra they’ve perhaps been spoon fed—”Work is life”---while controlled by Overseers, huge snake like creatures who keep everyone in line. Ro experiences this first hand and is shocked by some of the things he sees. It’s at this point that his perception of the Star Eaters begins to change.
The real emotional impact of the story comes near the end, when Ro makes a linguistical breakthrough that changes everything. The implications of Ro’s discovery are heartbreaking to say the least, but luckily Huang ends her story on a hopeful note that brought tears to my eyes.
The Language of Liars was a wonderful surprise, don’t miss it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: A high stakes, emotional tale that explores language and communication between species, The Language of Liars is both thrilling and heart-wrenching.
The Language of Liars is a beautifully written science fiction story about communication and how powerful language can be—in both good and bad ways. S.L. Huang uses linguistics to explore the different ways words are used among different cultures, in this case, alien beings. I was fascinated by this idea, and while I’m certainly not a linguist myself, and I didn’t completely understand all of the terms the author used, Huang’s story and characters made this book not only accessible, but engaging on an emotional level. I was rooting for Ro, the main character, who finds himself caught up in something so big that the future of the galaxy might be at stake.
The story is set in a world full of many different alien species. Ro is a Ponto Linguist whose greatest desire is to learn how to “jump” into the body of a Star Eater, a mysterious, dying species who is able to sense and mine a critical compound called meridian, without which space travel wouldn’t be possible. Jumping requires detailed knowledge of the Star Eaters’ use of language, but none of his teachers think Ro is smart or talented enough to actually do it.
So no one is more surprised than Ro when he suddenly finds himself part of a Star Eater colony, inhabiting the body of an individual Star Eater. He jumped successfully, and now he must integrate into the society, learn how to mine meridian, and send reports of his findings back to Orro, his home planet.
Unfortunately, Ro didn’t study hard enough and finds himself struggling to communicate with the Star Eaters, but it isn’t until he has his first meeting with a Ponto representative that he realizes things are not as he thought. All Ro wants to do is learn about the Star Eaters and play a part in discovering why they haven’t been able to reproduce, but he’s horrified to receive orders that don’t line up with his benign, curious nature.
This is a short book full of big ideas, but I can’t imagine it being any longer. Huang deftly conveys all the necessary information without any filler, which results in a fascinating story about an alien race on the brink of extinction and the young Ponto who is determined to save them. Despite being thrown into a completely alien world (there are no humans in this story) and floundering a bit in the beginning, it didn’t take long to sympathize with Ro, whose enthusiasm for the Star Eater’s linguistics and history is contagious. I loved the epistolary snippets at the beginning of each chapter that add an extra richness to the world-building, especially a timeline showing various political factions making decisions for the Star Eaters, which was actually horrifying.
The Star Eaters seem to be little more than slaves, who work in shifts round the clock mining meridian and following a mantra they’ve perhaps been spoon fed—”Work is life”---while controlled by Overseers, huge snake like creatures who keep everyone in line. Ro experiences this first hand and is shocked by some of the things he sees. It’s at this point that his perception of the Star Eaters begins to change.
The real emotional impact of the story comes near the end, when Ro makes a linguistical breakthrough that changes everything. The implications of Ro’s discovery are heartbreaking to say the least, but luckily Huang ends her story on a hopeful note that brought tears to my eyes.
The Language of Liars was a wonderful surprise, don’t miss it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
April 26, 2026
4,5/5
Saw some things coming but anyway great great novella about aliens and language
Saw some things coming but anyway great great novella about aliens and language
April 23, 2026
I’m not really sure why this is labeled as sci-fi when it's very clearly a fantasy, or maybe sci-fantasy if you really want to stretch it.
The rushed, disorganized execution didn't do the premise any justice, and the tone was oddly New Adult/YA with a "chosen one"-esque MMC.
I think the central idea would have translated into an excellent full-length fantasy novel, maybe even a duology, with more intentional, methodical development and cleaner world building. Instead, we got what felt like the first draft of an outline for said novel, reconfigured into a novella format. If it hadn't been so short, I would have DNFd it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The rushed, disorganized execution didn't do the premise any justice, and the tone was oddly New Adult/YA with a "chosen one"-esque MMC.
I think the central idea would have translated into an excellent full-length fantasy novel, maybe even a duology, with more intentional, methodical development and cleaner world building. Instead, we got what felt like the first draft of an outline for said novel, reconfigured into a novella format. If it hadn't been so short, I would have DNFd it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.
I loved this book. It's amazing. The narration was great, and the concept was RIGHT up my alley. Like, what do you mean, this is a book about linguistics as a tool of imperialism?? And the author has at least partially created a conlang with super cool grammatical concepts that are SO intriguing?? Do you live in my head Ms Huang.
I took a bunch of notes while reading it that I think sum up perfectly how happy I was while reading it, and I'll just paste them here for full authenticity.
- aourgh this slaps... brief discussions of dehumanisation through linguistic othering vs forcing normative humanity on a clearly non-human entitity as a form of anthropocentrism/anthroposuperiority and ignoring their stated lack of preference as an act patronisation my beloved
(quick editing note: YES I know that Ro isn't human either but this still applies.)
- AIURGH the economic value of reproduction and the pressure and blame put on individuals/the group "in control" of reproduction as endangering the fate of everyone, while neglecting historical abuse and systemic improvements and seeing this group not as equals but as a resource that needs to be controlled. sl huang ur mind....
- "we left them with nothing, then we wondered why they stayed" WAAAAAAAAAA
- official guidelines vs defacto everyday abuse and intimidation...
So, as you can tell, I very much liked this book, and had lots of thoughts WHILE READING which frequently (depending on the book), I just read something and focus on reading, and get the Smart Thoughts afterwards. Not with this one. I need someone to also read this book and discuss it with me and fully geek out about it. Going to text my friends and be like "hey read this book I want to yell about it". This was SOOOO GOOD and the plot twist at the end... ugh S. L. Huang your MIND. While this is a very short read, it manages to pack SO much into it and really inspire thoughts and discussions and that alone is already a massive skill. And then it was actually super well written and engaging? Bye I'm off reading every single other work by her (and apparently I have already read As the last I may know and really enjoyed it, so this is on brand).
I recommend this to literally everyone and will go out of my way to bully my friends into reading it. That's both a promise and a threat.
I loved this book. It's amazing. The narration was great, and the concept was RIGHT up my alley. Like, what do you mean, this is a book about linguistics as a tool of imperialism?? And the author has at least partially created a conlang with super cool grammatical concepts that are SO intriguing?? Do you live in my head Ms Huang.
I took a bunch of notes while reading it that I think sum up perfectly how happy I was while reading it, and I'll just paste them here for full authenticity.
- aourgh this slaps... brief discussions of dehumanisation through linguistic othering vs forcing normative humanity on a clearly non-human entitity as a form of anthropocentrism/anthroposuperiority and ignoring their stated lack of preference as an act patronisation my beloved
(quick editing note: YES I know that Ro isn't human either but this still applies.)
- AIURGH the economic value of reproduction and the pressure and blame put on individuals/the group "in control" of reproduction as endangering the fate of everyone, while neglecting historical abuse and systemic improvements and seeing this group not as equals but as a resource that needs to be controlled. sl huang ur mind....
- "we left them with nothing, then we wondered why they stayed" WAAAAAAAAAA
- official guidelines vs defacto everyday abuse and intimidation...
So, as you can tell, I very much liked this book, and had lots of thoughts WHILE READING which frequently (depending on the book), I just read something and focus on reading, and get the Smart Thoughts afterwards. Not with this one. I need someone to also read this book and discuss it with me and fully geek out about it. Going to text my friends and be like "hey read this book I want to yell about it". This was SOOOO GOOD and the plot twist at the end... ugh S. L. Huang your MIND. While this is a very short read, it manages to pack SO much into it and really inspire thoughts and discussions and that alone is already a massive skill. And then it was actually super well written and engaging? Bye I'm off reading every single other work by her (and apparently I have already read As the last I may know and really enjoyed it, so this is on brand).
I recommend this to literally everyone and will go out of my way to bully my friends into reading it. That's both a promise and a threat.
April 27, 2026
One of my anticipated new releases for this year. In The Language of Liars, young Ro is training as a linguist in a galaxy dependent on the enigmatic Star Eaters, who are the only species who can extract a vital metal. But Ro has a secret task—use his skill at linguistics to jump into the mind of a Star Eater and act as a spy for his small and precarious species.
This is another tordotcom novella, and the plot fit perfectly at its length, neither stretched nor compressed. The main character Ro is from an alien species (claws, fur, mostly quadrupedal), but he feels very young, equivalent to his late teens at most. It's his naivete and raw enthusiasm for the art of linguistics that leads him to bumble through a much darker plot than he's suited to. But without spoiling anything, in the end it's Ro's innocence that allows him to discover what no one else could. Ro's world is comprised entirely of alien species without recognizable humanoids, which is a fun choice. We don't get a clear view of the culture, since unreliable Ro was not paying attention in the non-linguistics lectures. But the glimpses we get through Ro's point of view of a civilization precariously balanced on the brink of war are sharply drawn.
A meditation on greed, cultural erasure, and the meaning of language. Not a word is wasted here, and I'd say A Language of Liars is one of the better novellas I've read in a while.
This is another tordotcom novella, and the plot fit perfectly at its length, neither stretched nor compressed. The main character Ro is from an alien species (claws, fur, mostly quadrupedal), but he feels very young, equivalent to his late teens at most. It's his naivete and raw enthusiasm for the art of linguistics that leads him to bumble through a much darker plot than he's suited to. But without spoiling anything, in the end it's Ro's innocence that allows him to discover what no one else could. Ro's world is comprised entirely of alien species without recognizable humanoids, which is a fun choice. We don't get a clear view of the culture, since unreliable Ro was not paying attention in the non-linguistics lectures. But the glimpses we get through Ro's point of view of a civilization precariously balanced on the brink of war are sharply drawn.
A meditation on greed, cultural erasure, and the meaning of language. Not a word is wasted here, and I'd say A Language of Liars is one of the better novellas I've read in a while.
April 30, 2026
3’75/5
First of all, thank you netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity of listening to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Following this audiobook was at first kind of hard. I got lost easily, but after the 60% mark, it was addicting!
Narration style is very academic, which makes sense. It’s plot twists and relationships portrayed feel so realistic, and social commentary is well engrained in the story. It doesn’t take you out: the author has made sure it makes sense in the world she has created.
Audiobook wise, the narration is top tier. I have absolutely no notes (and I tend to have a hard time following audiobooks)!
If you like science fiction, languages and social commentary, this book is definitely for you! :)
First of all, thank you netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity of listening to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Following this audiobook was at first kind of hard. I got lost easily, but after the 60% mark, it was addicting!
Narration style is very academic, which makes sense. It’s plot twists and relationships portrayed feel so realistic, and social commentary is well engrained in the story. It doesn’t take you out: the author has made sure it makes sense in the world she has created.
Audiobook wise, the narration is top tier. I have absolutely no notes (and I tend to have a hard time following audiobooks)!
If you like science fiction, languages and social commentary, this book is definitely for you! :)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely adored this story of aliens, language, and understanding! It's so rare to see a SciFi setting without humans, and following Ro as his life as a Ponto and then as a Star Eater was absolutely delightful.
The mystery around the Star Eaters, and the plot around language, jumping, and trying to understand Star Eater culture, was super super cool.
I also loved the worldbuilding and the multiple alien species, most of which we only get a small glimpse of.
Ro was a fascinating protagonist too, with how he is maybe a bit too interested in liguistics, and while he is not the bravest, he is certainly not a coward either.
It's a short read, which worked wonderfully for the plot, though I found myself wishing for more, if only because I didn't want to leave this setting behind. I also want to know what happens next!!!
The final plot twist was done very well - it was foreshadowed enough for me to have suspected it, but still not so obvious that I was sure of my suspicion, and the way tension was held throughout the story was great, too.
As always, Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job at bringing the characters and plot alive with her voice.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
The mystery around the Star Eaters, and the plot around language, jumping, and trying to understand Star Eater culture, was super super cool.
I also loved the worldbuilding and the multiple alien species, most of which we only get a small glimpse of.
Ro was a fascinating protagonist too, with how he is maybe a bit too interested in liguistics, and while he is not the bravest, he is certainly not a coward either.
It's a short read, which worked wonderfully for the plot, though I found myself wishing for more, if only because I didn't want to leave this setting behind. I also want to know what happens next!!!
The final plot twist was done very well - it was foreshadowed enough for me to have suspected it, but still not so obvious that I was sure of my suspicion, and the way tension was held throughout the story was great, too.
As always, Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job at bringing the characters and plot alive with her voice.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Want to Read
September 29, 2025this book is so high on my anticipated reads of 2026 I swear to god
April 23, 2026
3.5 stars
A really imaginative and entertaining read. As an anthropology major, I especially loved the linguistic elements. Language plays a large role once the main character inhabits the mind of a Star Eater. That said, I did get bogged down at times and had to reread certain sections to fully grasp what was going on.
Beyond the language aspect, our main character has essentially become a spy and there’s this constant sense of danger. We don’t want him to get caught, but it gradually becomes clear that things aren’t what they initially seem and that colonization has played a large role in what’s become of the Star Eaters. Overall, despite some minor frustrations with the main character and the occasional wordiness, I enjoyed this strange little tale.
A really imaginative and entertaining read. As an anthropology major, I especially loved the linguistic elements. Language plays a large role once the main character inhabits the mind of a Star Eater. That said, I did get bogged down at times and had to reread certain sections to fully grasp what was going on.
Beyond the language aspect, our main character has essentially become a spy and there’s this constant sense of danger. We don’t want him to get caught, but it gradually becomes clear that things aren’t what they initially seem and that colonization has played a large role in what’s become of the Star Eaters. Overall, despite some minor frustrations with the main character and the occasional wordiness, I enjoyed this strange little tale.
April 27, 2026
My first 5 star novella of the year!!! (Only second 5/5 ⭐️ of the year!)
We follow Ro, an alien in a civilization unrecognizable and curiously devoid of humans, he is an alien linguist and asked to become a spy and replace the consciousness inside a mysterious and crucial creature that allows for travel between the stars. It is his people’s hope that with the insights Ro learns we can figure out why these creatures are no longer reproducing. Not only is this very philosophical story but its surprisingly accessible and packs in a gut-punch of ending! You simply must pick it up IMO.
We follow Ro, an alien in a civilization unrecognizable and curiously devoid of humans, he is an alien linguist and asked to become a spy and replace the consciousness inside a mysterious and crucial creature that allows for travel between the stars. It is his people’s hope that with the insights Ro learns we can figure out why these creatures are no longer reproducing. Not only is this very philosophical story but its surprisingly accessible and packs in a gut-punch of ending! You simply must pick it up IMO.
Want to Read
March 27, 2026Novella: to be published Apr 21. $13 Kindle.
Excerpt: https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-l...
Excerpt: https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-l...
April 13, 2026
Leave it to SL Huang to take a rather bizarre premise and turn it into a devastating and poignant analysis of cultural erasure, genocide, and the myth of the “contented slave” all packaged up under the unique colonist mindset of academic study.
There’s a lot of kind of weird minutiae at the beginning about how our MC’s race of people communicate and their cultural obsession with linguistics. I think that probably could have been trimmed down a bit more, particularly when Ro doesn’t end up following the traditional path to the jump anyway.
Where things really pick up steam is when Ro, a trained linguist and (sort of?) spy begins struggling to assimilate. Peppered with little multimedia anecdotes about “well if the conditions are so bad, surely some of the Star Eaters would complain directly, wouldn’t they?”, Ro’s absolute bafflement at the conditions for the Star Eaters (which he is now infiltrating) and his own unexpected inability to properly assimilate start to ring warning bells. And this is where things get juicy and where the real poignancy lies.
Sure, it’s a tiny novella, only 4 hours and change of an audiobook (deftly narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, who is a personal favorite narrator of mine), but it’s certainly relevant in an era when cultures, communities, and entire civilizations are being erased under the ever watchful eye of the world at large…
{Thank you RB Lore for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
There’s a lot of kind of weird minutiae at the beginning about how our MC’s race of people communicate and their cultural obsession with linguistics. I think that probably could have been trimmed down a bit more, particularly when Ro doesn’t end up following the traditional path to the jump anyway.
Where things really pick up steam is when Ro, a trained linguist and (sort of?) spy begins struggling to assimilate. Peppered with little multimedia anecdotes about “well if the conditions are so bad, surely some of the Star Eaters would complain directly, wouldn’t they?”, Ro’s absolute bafflement at the conditions for the Star Eaters (which he is now infiltrating) and his own unexpected inability to properly assimilate start to ring warning bells. And this is where things get juicy and where the real poignancy lies.
Sure, it’s a tiny novella, only 4 hours and change of an audiobook (deftly narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, who is a personal favorite narrator of mine), but it’s certainly relevant in an era when cultures, communities, and entire civilizations are being erased under the ever watchful eye of the world at large…
{Thank you RB Lore for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
April 13, 2026
This e-ARC was provided by the published via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
How far would you go in the name of knowledge?
Ro spent his whole life learning another language and immersing himself in another culture, the Star-eaters’, so that he could understand them better than anyone else. But does he really ? All of his work was dedicated toward one thing: the jump. He wants to study the Star-eaters’ habits, their way of living. But what happens when he realizes that his whole life was based on a lie?
This book focuses heavily on linguistics, which is what made me want to read it in the first place, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ro has a strong and intricate knowledge of the Star-eaters’ language, and he was always analyzing the potential meanings of sentences. His actions rely almost entirely on hypothesis; he doesn’t have evidence to back up what he says, but he believes it with his whole heart. His thought process is really interesting. I liked his character development; he didn’t ignore things that challenged his worldview and his upbriging, and instead tried to find out the truth.
I will definitely reread this book!
How far would you go in the name of knowledge?
Ro spent his whole life learning another language and immersing himself in another culture, the Star-eaters’, so that he could understand them better than anyone else. But does he really ? All of his work was dedicated toward one thing: the jump. He wants to study the Star-eaters’ habits, their way of living. But what happens when he realizes that his whole life was based on a lie?
This book focuses heavily on linguistics, which is what made me want to read it in the first place, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ro has a strong and intricate knowledge of the Star-eaters’ language, and he was always analyzing the potential meanings of sentences. His actions rely almost entirely on hypothesis; he doesn’t have evidence to back up what he says, but he believes it with his whole heart. His thought process is really interesting. I liked his character development; he didn’t ignore things that challenged his worldview and his upbriging, and instead tried to find out the truth.
I will definitely reread this book!
April 24, 2026
There are no humans in this book. It's alien civilizations all the way down.
Those civilizations need a race called the Star Eaters to mine the product that allows traveling immense distances to connect the galactic civilizations. (So far, so Dune.)
But...our young linguist Ro achieves something rarely done, a projection into a Star Eater's body for study...or so he thinks. He means to help his world Orro understand the Star Eaters and advance linguistic and social knowledge. But his masters have other ideas...
In a way, this is a typical story of an innocent stranger in a strange land, trying to go native but finding a conflict between his current existence and his native culture. But the story expands toward the end to be so much more, and resonate greatly with the concerns of today and the crimes of yesterday.
This novella is the perfect length to tell the story enough to pack a punch at the end. Other authors may have stretched it out, but it's fine as it is, and kudos to the author and publisher for knowing this.
Those civilizations need a race called the Star Eaters to mine the product that allows traveling immense distances to connect the galactic civilizations. (So far, so Dune.)
But...our young linguist Ro achieves something rarely done, a projection into a Star Eater's body for study...or so he thinks. He means to help his world Orro understand the Star Eaters and advance linguistic and social knowledge. But his masters have other ideas...
In a way, this is a typical story of an innocent stranger in a strange land, trying to go native but finding a conflict between his current existence and his native culture. But the story expands toward the end to be so much more, and resonate greatly with the concerns of today and the crimes of yesterday.
This novella is the perfect length to tell the story enough to pack a punch at the end. Other authors may have stretched it out, but it's fine as it is, and kudos to the author and publisher for knowing this.
April 30, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Lore, and S.L. Huang for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. The cover and title drew me in, and the narrator sold this ALC for me. The narrator Emily Woo Zeller was pleasant and easily understood with no accent. she did a great job with expressing the different emotions from all the characters. From mad, sad, curious, disappointed. I think this book would make a great cartoon. It was a bit heavy in subject matter for someone not familiar with Sci-Fi or language/ linguistics. I’m not sure how accurate the wording is but I did feel like I was learning with a hint of fiction mixed it. Since it was such a short book I would recommend for those looking for a Space Opera.
April 17, 2026
A furry student of languages has the chance to "jump" into another species to study them and master the nuances of their speech. The only catch is that, in doing so, they inhabit the body of someone of that target species, in effect replacing them. But this furry species has not sent THAT many jumpers, and they are learning incredible things about that other species, so it's worth it, right?
This is a high-concept book with an interesting premise and a big reveal. The story itself is on the slow side, with lots of details about the grammar of the species under study and what a particular tilt of the head means. In the end, it's a thoughtful story (it could have been a little shorter) that packs a punch. The audiobook narration is excellent.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheLanguageofLiars for review purposes. Publication date: 21 April 2026.
This is a high-concept book with an interesting premise and a big reveal. The story itself is on the slow side, with lots of details about the grammar of the species under study and what a particular tilt of the head means. In the end, it's a thoughtful story (it could have been a little shorter) that packs a punch. The audiobook narration is excellent.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheLanguageofLiars for review purposes. Publication date: 21 April 2026.
April 23, 2026
This is a cleverly plotted and well written novella, and every SF fan should have it on their reading list.
It isn't perfect. It can be a bit slow and I got a bit impatient with Ro's somewhat ineffectual thrashing around, and it's a one trick story i.e. it's all about the twist ending. I confess I didn't anticipate the ending, though in retrospect Huang gave us plenty of clues and I'm sure lots of you will guess it.
The world building is all hints with little detail, but that's inevitable in such a short work and it added to my fascination with Huang's universe. It's nicely done though, and left me musing on lots of aspects of the story, which is usually a sign that it has hit its mark. I'm not sure the ending is totally plausible, but whatever. The linguistic theory passed me by, but that's not a problem as it's effectively just part of the scenery.
Overall it didn't quite make five stars for me, but I'm feeling generous so I rounded it up. It's a great story and you should read it.
It isn't perfect. It can be a bit slow and I got a bit impatient with Ro's somewhat ineffectual thrashing around, and it's a one trick story i.e. it's all about the twist ending. I confess I didn't anticipate the ending, though in retrospect Huang gave us plenty of clues and I'm sure lots of you will guess it.
The world building is all hints with little detail, but that's inevitable in such a short work and it added to my fascination with Huang's universe. It's nicely done though, and left me musing on lots of aspects of the story, which is usually a sign that it has hit its mark. I'm not sure the ending is totally plausible, but whatever. The linguistic theory passed me by, but that's not a problem as it's effectively just part of the scenery.
Overall it didn't quite make five stars for me, but I'm feeling generous so I rounded it up. It's a great story and you should read it.
April 30, 2026
So basically this is alien freaky friday, where one alien (Jamie Lee Curtis) is able to jump into another aliens body (Lindsay Lohan) in order to better understand Lindsay’s culture. Except, in this book, Jamie Lee jumping into Lindsay’s body actually kills Lindsay (sorry gworl).
This was a thought provoking critique on how even the most well meaning people who attempt to learn about and integrate into a different culture, ultimately end up corrupting that culture.
Super valid but also I still want to move to Thailand!! SORRY!!!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 dead alien Lindsay Lohan stars
This was a thought provoking critique on how even the most well meaning people who attempt to learn about and integrate into a different culture, ultimately end up corrupting that culture.
Super valid but also I still want to move to Thailand!! SORRY!!!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 dead alien Lindsay Lohan stars
May 5, 2026
Wow I didn’t see that twist coming and I loved it. I love when authors aren’t afraid to make things dark and depressing.
I appreciate the unique premise and way it was written. It was so fascinating and I had to work to get it a bit.
I just wish this was a full length novel.
I appreciate the unique premise and way it was written. It was so fascinating and I had to work to get it a bit.
I just wish this was a full length novel.
April 27, 2026
This took some crazy twists and turns! Very interesting space species’ lore, and surprisingly sorrowful read. Recommend to everyone!
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