Lie or Die: Blood Moon

Lie or Die #2

by A.J. Clack

Former Lie or Die survivor Kass Kennedy is blackmailed into competing in the reality TV sequel, Blood Moon. Lured to a mysterious location, Kass discovers that the contestants will go to extreme lengths for fame, fortune, and revenge and that far from being on the run, the Lie or Die killer has prepared a deadly comeback. Kass has just three nights of the blood moon to identify the Werewolves and save her friends.

Lie or Die was just a rehearsal. Reality TV just got darker.

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

Audible Audio

Published November 20, 2025

Reviews

[*~Tia•°']

Omg that was so good but so sad. WHY DID RHODRI HAVE TO DIE DUDE OMGGG. I cried when she was grieving and imagining him there with her like AHHH. The writing style was perfection, a bit slow at times, it only really picked up the pace at page 200 onwards and I wasn't that compelled to pick it up. I loved how it was set in the old castle and all the medieval vibes and the wolves. So cool!! Did it feel like a money grab? Yes. Was it still so good? Yes. Do I need another book because of that ending? Yes. Yes I do. I need to know what happened to the Investor and what the space rocket is, "the dragon is flying" or something. At the middle everyone in this book was pmo so much I crashed out. Didn't suspect max being a double agent kind of thing. I knew not to trust Billy or Faith, so glad Faith died like yayayay. Rhodri and Kass were so cute at the start omds. Them in the car... AHH. Didn't think Arti was working for Skye of the Investor. Didn't think Ravi was lying about being Amaras dad. Didn't see Lewis as the alpha werewolf at all. The amount of people that have died in this book and lie or die is insane like wth. I loved this though! I've never played werewolf before but I want to now!! Much better than the first book and really hope there's a third book.

[Cara Casaol]

I absolutely love this book so so so much! It’s so sad tho, but I hope there’ll be another book. One of my favs:)

[Janina Clark]

Amazing!

[Sky]

I think I do like this less than the first book, but only a little. It's an easy read and the plot is pretty fun (though the twists were predictable), but Kass this time around was just pretty insufferable and I just couldn't stand her perspective.


Characters, most of the main cast are ofc the survivors from the first, minus a couple, and most of them feel pretty similar. Trauma has changed them, so I did expect them to be different... But Rhodri and Kass just felt really out of character and I just wanted to slam their heads together to make them make sense.

The new cast were pretty fun mostly, ofc the ones that die fast are quite flat but I did enjoy the depth a couple had such as King John. Mei I loved a lot, but I do wish there was more to her. It's incredibly easy to tell who's going to live and die based on how fleshed out their character is, and you can probably very accurately tell the order just based on that too. 


The gameshow plot was very fun. Take over a massive castle, huge dragon, etc. Really fun setting and mostly fun trials - though there's not many of them. The character plots though.. I think can just be summed up as the miscommunication trope to the max. That does partially come with what the plot is but like idk, at least trust who you came in with ffs. You all know what's on the line, plan beforehand and trust each other in the game. They're all fucking idiots. The survivors of the last book were directly responsible for *multiple* deaths this game, not part of the game but purely down to how fucking stupid they were. 


Pretty juvenile writing as well, the first book had that feeling too but idk if it's because of the above but this did feel more juvenile. Which was a big contrast to all the gore and the sex scene. The sex scene alone felt really out of place/sudden and like.. really? That's the only way you could think to say "yeah, this is a serious relationship" between *teens* in that situation especially?


It is very much a book where suspension of disbelief is required, since this one is even more not within reality than the first. Not in explicit fantasy, but more like.. this isn't really how reality works lol. But that can be pretty fun, and this certainly plays it well imo. I just know some people don't like when a book is set as reality but is really far fetched.

[Wyatt Creed Reads]

An explosive sequel that ups the ante and takes what felt like a traitors style story into more of a squid game one.

Picking up pretty much where book 1 left off, our main characters are blackmailed back into playing Lie or Die: Blood moon an extreme game of werewolf that promises to provide deadly challenges, fatal consequences and new twists that will blow your mind.

There was a point in this book where I was plodding along happily enjoying where things were going then BAM shock, twist and then the giant ball of stone was released and now I’m exceedingly tired from reading in the early hours of the morning.

Make no mistake this is a YA murder mystery with strong adult themes but you are drawn into the world creating inside the games, if the first book felt like a true to form modern murder mystery this was it’s closely related true to form horror sequel and it was bloody brilliant.

The twists and turns kept me turning pages, the characters my investment in them kept me tense and on edge and the story unfolded in a way that was satisfying and resolute.

A.J Clack has become a new favourite of mine and her books will always be on my radar and I’m excited to see what she drops next.

Highly recommended.

[Rosanna Zillwood]

This book I felt was surprisingly different from the first book and I was pleased although I thought the ending of this book was better (and a lot more heartbreaking) the beginning was a lot slower and more repetitive.

For the most part, I loved the book, I read it quickly and really enjoyed the thrill and overall fast paced story, although it was a bit predictable at first. The recurring characters were nice but it felt really unrealistic that so many repeating characters or characters related to those in the first book would make it into the blood moon game. It wasn't a major hole but just something I noticed.

I do love the message of reality TV and how bad for mental health it can be as well as how audiences can be desensitized to the people on screen

Overall, despite all the criticism I have given it in this review, I did really enjoy the book and I loved the action and horror and I did not expect that ending.

[Kat Colangelo]

I really loved the concept of the reality TV element in this book and thought it was executed incredibly well. It added such a gripping and entertaining layer to the story.

Since it continues directly from Lie or Die, the beginning felt a little slow while everything was being set back up, but once it found its pace, I was completely invested again.

The twists throughout kept me turning the pages and constantly wanting to know what would happen next. And the ending? Absolutely loved it.
The mix of characters was another highlight, just like a real reality TV show, there’s such a range of personalities that make the dynamics interesting and unpredictable.

Overall, a really engaging read that kept me hooked.

[Sue H H.]

I couldn't wait to return to the sinister underworld of reality TV in this stunning sequel to original YA thriller Lie or Die!
Having barely escaped with her life, Kass Kennedy is blackmailed into competing in follow up game, Blood Moon. Swapping the TV studio for an ominous Welsh castle full of dark secrets and deadly challenges, this time the stakes are even higher - and it's not just herself she has to save ...
A cleverly plotted heart racing ride, packed with unpredictable twists and turns and culminating in a shocking climax which will leave you reeling and desperate for more from AJ Clack.

[Nikki]

Great sequel so Lie or Die. The outdoor setting around a castle makes it all seem darker. Really fastpaced with a great mix of characters, some you'll love, some hate, and some you won't be sure about. 😍📖😍

[Rey]

As Lie of Die was an amazing, cant put down read; so was Blood Moon. It became my commute book for a week and had me in tears at the end, save for the strange looks I got for crying on the bus I wouldn't change a thing.

[Megan Phillips]

great book overall engaging and a thrilling read a little predictable in places and still a good read even if I didn't read the first novel in the series woops

[Becca ♡ PrettyLittleMemoirs]

Kass is still recovering from the events of Lie or Die. Losing people right in front of her, being duped by mastermind Skye, and feeling the guilt of death in her hands, has taken it’s toll. She doesn’t know what she’d do without her best friend Lewis and new-love Rhodri. Thea, her other best friend who had reeled her into the first Lie or Die game, Mafia, has gone off-grid after suffering her own trauma from the events of the game. Everything is heading toward rehabilitation for Kass and friends, though Skye is still on the run. That’s until a box gets delivered to her house—the initiation of a new game, Werewolf, coming with a warning and a life hanging in the balance if she should decline.

Suddenly, Kass is thrust back into the twisted games that she knows must be Skye’s doing. Werewolf is nothing and everything like Mafia. Now there are peasants and werewolves, hierarchy and motives. Though the look might be different on surface level, the games are just as eerily threatening and treacherous. With Lewis and Rhodri, plus a variety of other familiar faces vowing revenge against Skye, the game begins. The players thought they knew how the game worked after the last, but the tables have very much turned when they realise all is not what it—or who—it seems. The threats and the wolves are real, and Kass finds herself in enemy territory, faced with a startling revelation when her life and heart is on the line—in this game, you can’t trust anyone. And she’s finding out that the hard way…

Overall, Lie or Die: Blood Moon was sharply smart, entirely enrapturing from start-to-finish. Just like it’s predecessor, I was hooked from the get-go, pulled into the dark and wicked games that were twisty and cut-throat. A. J. Clack has a way of modernising and reinventing games, adding another tantalising layer of mystery and anticipation, whilst playing into the reality TV feel we all know and love. Kass is a character that I cannot help but root for, and there were so many times she showed bravery and rich character development, shaping her even more as this heroine I love to support. The wavering lines of trust, misdirection and friendship are rife and powerfully riveting in this stunning sequel, and I think that fans of thrilling mysteries that make you question everyone and everything will eat this up, just as I did. I cannot wait to read more from A. J. Clack—this has cemented that she’s a firm favourite for me.

[Sifa Poulton]

I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

BLOOD MOON is an action packed, deadly sequel.

The game played here is an extreme version of werewolf - with a total wipe-out style (but deadlier!) twist. I really liked how some of the extra cards from werewolf were drawn into the game, mostly through the vehicle of "advantages" that players could win. It added extra tension to relationships and gave the more selfish characters extra incentives not to work as a team.

Reality TV is (according to its proponents) supposed to be about social experiments to look at group dynamics (I don't think actually ends up being the case!) The extreme circumstances of BLOOD MOON and the different incentives for the characters means that the book, at least, does use it to explore the ways we react under pressure and the tug between selfishness and helping others - how large scale characters can think, what the trust incentives are, and whether we're willing to potentially disadvantage ourselves in service of helping the most people.

I was initially very surprised that A. J. Clack was writing a direct sequel to LIE OR DIE>/a>. Kass and co have survived the game and how likely was it going to be that there could possibly be another deadly game? BLOOD MOON manages to give you a believable set of circumstances in which this happens - rich people wanting to see a reality show that's truly dangerous. It means there's the money for the show and also a reason for there to be a second book.

The book also uses this as an indictment on society for how divorced we can be from suffering. As much as violence is often portrayed in TV and movies - and often used as a major selling point - we are desensitised to it.

Given how this book ends, I suspect there will be a third book. Kass certainly would like revenge for what she's dealt with and it would be nice if those behind it all were forced to face justice.

[Ian]

After the cliffhanger at the end of Book 1 I knew that I needed to continue the story so I picked up Book 2 right away just to see what would happen next and I never in my wildest dreams would have predicted what awaited me as the story unfolded over the course of the book. This is an action-packed deadly sequel.

Kass is still recovering from the events of Lie or Die, losing people directly in front of her and learning of Sky’s discerption and for anyone it would have been a lot but especially for a teenager, but the gang are starting to recover and move on from the trauma. However, this all gets cranked up a level when a mystery box gets delivered to Kass with an invitation to a new game, Werewolf and a warning and a friend’s life is hanging in the balance. It’s an invitation that must not be turned down.

Kass is suddenly thrown into the cruel games that is all of Skye’s making. Whilst the name is different the games are still the same dispersion, lies and treacherous games that must be played. Whilst the New Players thought they knew how the game worked after the last, but the tables have very much turned when they realise all is not what it—or who—it seems. The threats and the wolves are real, and things have been cranked up to 1000. It’s an intense read.

A.J. Clack has written a sharp book that keeps you on the edge of your seat with every page turn you just want more, and you don’t know the twists that are to come and trust me they are unpredictable. The wavering lines of trust, misdirection and friendship are rife and powerfully riveting in this stunning sequel, I can’t wait to see what Clack writes next.

[DJBookgirl]

Thank you so much to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely bloody (literally) brilliant.

I loved book one but my oh my book two had me screaming NOOOO. HOW COULD YOU.

PERFECT TWISTY THRILLER.

I'm not going to add spoilers but once again I'll say HOW COULD YOU 😭

I loved the nod to Big brother, The Traitors and also The Hunger Games.

If you like games in thrillers/trials you'll love this.

[bookworm_becca87]

I loved Lie or Die (which I picked in a book shop based on the cover, with no prior knowledge of the book) so I was super excited to be approved for this eARC and I most definitely was not left disappointed.
It’s very difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers. But if you love The Hunger Games and Squid Game you’ll love this book.

[Kat Ellis]

A brilliant sequel where the stakes are higher and the twists are even twistier!