Liar Witch

The Deadwood #2

by Marie Mistry

My name is Nilsa.

I am the Shadow of the Moon.

Born to end the life of the Eagle of Galmere.

And I have failed.

Ever since I left my pirates, things have gone from bad to worse. Now, stuck in the darkest part of the Claw—the mine that serves as a prison for supernaturals and humans alike—there's no way to return the sea and the men I've slowly begun to trust.

Instead I'm forced down into the depths of the earth, where ancient things lurk in dark, forgotten places. The key to my freedom is in dubious alliances with dangerous creatures. The only thing we have in common; we want to kill the Queen.

When I'm finally reunited with my pirates, will we be able to find my final mate and end the Queen's vile reign? Or will their vow to her and my secrets ruin everything?

This is a slow/medium burn reverse harem novel intended for readers aged 18 years and over. Book 2 of 3 in the Deadwood Series.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Vampires, Paranormal, Why Choose, Shapeshifters

398 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2021

About the author

Marie Mistry is a reality challenged reverse harem romance author whose books are full of pirates, magic, and spicy adventures. When she's not writing, you can usually find her curled up with a game or a book and a large cup of tea. She lives in a wonky cottage in Kent with her other half and a super sweet shepherd named Meg.

She'd love for you to join her Facebook reader group: Mistry’s Inc where she hangs out daily: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mistr...

Or check out her website: https://www.mariemistry.com

Reviews

[cha · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book didn't give me time to breathe it was packed full of action from the very first chapter, and then when I thought all was about to be well, it suddenly decided to just break my heart right then and there. CRUEL. I loved it, but CRUEL!!! 😩🫵🏼

also, the more I read, the more I fell in love with Kier. Idk why I'm always attracted to the ones who never talk, but I tried to make somebody else my favorite to break the pattern but I lost in the end. you'll understand when you meet Kier I swear 😩

my favorite part in this though??? the mate challenge!!!!

the whole Marisang & the sirens arc was WONDERFUL. the change in culture was fascinating and made the story even more intriguing. making Nilsa fight for her mate was glorious she was so badass 😭 she embarrassed a whole kingdom like it was just another day on the job. she was smart, ruthless, and cunning. the exact kind of person that DESERVERS to have a harem of men so devoted to her.

anyways....

if you have to sacrifice a child and subject him to possibly a lifetime of trauma from seeing his family member get annihilated, but in exchange, you get to save the entire world, end centuries worth of suffering... would you do it? I think I might be an awful person because my answer would be yes 😭

our fmc, Nilsa, definitely deserves whatever good things she has because she might be an assassin, but she draws the line at traumatizing children even though the world is quite literally on the line 😭 but hey, because of that, this book exists. so I can't complain.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like book 1 - easy to read and very addictive, plus all the men are such simps and have interesting personalities. Also some adorable little sisterly bonds!

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio: 5 stars for both Bridgetand Jake Boudreaux (narrating in duet form)

Book: 5 stars

Full series review:

So I didn’t take the time to write individual reviews because I read/listened to each book one after another immediately.

This series is amazing and I am so glad I picked it up! It was addictive from page one, and I loved Nilsa and her 6 mates! I would say if you liked Annette Marie’s “Guild Codex” and wanted Tori to get with all the guys rather than just one, this series gives the same vibes but is a RH!

Can’t wait to wait a few months to reread/relisten to this series again!

[BeingDaphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
This witch has a lot of men to manage lol for me the story lacks the emotional connection I am looking for between the love interests. Mainly focuses on the adventuring with some smut. But I couldn't feel the emotion from the couples. There is interesting backstory on the men but it is sooooo slow to be revealed i started getting bored. I want the author to hurry up!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since finishing the first book in this trilogy I was really looking forward to reading the second book. I was afraid for a little while that I wouldn't be able to order it any time soon, but then work granted me a bonus and that was enough to give myself the books I craved so much including this one and of course also the third one. And then it was a matter of waiting for the magical readathon to start so I could use it for one of the prompts!

Once more I fell in love with the rich world. Even though the biggest part of the book is set on a ship, we constantly feel how big the world is and how much it has to offer. To finish the task our heroine needs to complete, kill the Queen, she first has to find also her last mate. It's the start of a journey showing us some new parts of the world and having us meet some new characters and species. I can't wait until everything and everyone comes together!

Because we do know that that's what's gonna happen eventually. In every possible way this book is namely an epic fantasy. And like a lot of epic fantasies it's quite clear that it's gonna end with a big war where everyone is gonna be involved and pick sides. I have to admit that those kinda finales are not my favorites, but I will enjoy the journey leading there and who knows, maybe Mistry can surprise me with how she writes her finale.

Mistry does show she's really talented when it comes to setting the atmosphere and describing action scenes in such a way that it's not just a boring who is where and does what with which leg and/or arm. Although this is an epic fantasy, with a rich world and loads of characters, the main characters are still at the centre of it all. I love that the different point of views help us to get to know everyone quite well and I'm curious how Mistry is gonna solve everything in only one more book.

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two is keeping the series strong. Nice slow burns for each of the harem guys, with some a little slower than others. Just the way I like it. One of the better reverse harem books I have read. There is so much going on with the plot, lots of adventure! Just a lot of fun!

[BookTrovert · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️ There was way too much over explaining, and I just lost interest.

[Allia Reads (semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughh, such a good plot with amazing characters, banter, and everything!!! Safe too! I did a safety review of the first book, but the safety info applies to the whole trilogy since there’s no OWD or anything like that. Also, we have two virgins confirmed with no prior history with women before Nilsa!!🥳

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Deadwood series is RH fantasy done so incredibly well. The world building in this series is truly well done and so detailed and the plot blossomed even more in this book, giving us new turns in the overall picture of what's happening. I love that the flow of the story takes us on a page-turning ride with many facets. We have the characters fighting for their lives against multiple enemies (and sometimes each other) while deepening romantic/emotional connections, but also working towards fulfilling a deeper purpose. Most of the characters' cards are on the table as this second book starts so we get some amazing relationship development. These are characters with broken pasts and flaws, but who are still good people at heart. There's still plenty of time for moments of humor and steam (oh the steam in this one) too.

There's not a main character in this series that I don't love wholeheartedly at this point, Nilsa and her guys just wow me. I love how Nilsa is growing and strengthening, but maintaining who she is at her core. She fights for her mates, whether it's supporting them with words or getting physical in a fight. We get to experience a siren mating challenge and Klaus just fits with the rest of the guys so well. There are still things to learn about some of the guys' pasts, but we do get more details on a few and hints at the others. There's more mate bonding to come and I'm excited for it! Plus, some of the, uh, physical connecting to come I think is going to be especially explosive.

We also get more progress towards taking down The Eagle, getting some ducks in a row so that hopefully take two is more successful. How that major part of the story is flowing feels very natural, each step that they're going through and the information (some super surprising) that is picked up to help them. I'm also hoping desperately that we get the stories of at least a couple of the side characters that I've also fallen in love with such as another young lunar witch and a certain siren princess. I love Ms. Mistry's writing style and character development and hopefully she'll continue to give us these fantastic stories for a long time to come. If you're reading this review and haven't picked up this series yet, don't sleep on it any longer!

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

~Minor spoiler alert

Started book 2 right away but……I’m 30% in and my attention is starting to wonder. Book 2 def has the sexy times that wasn’t in book 1. Sorry here’s the minor spoiler, Straight away in book 2 when she’s captured and tortured, I feel like the author could have gone into a little more detail there on what the torture was like etc. She’s complaining that she’s in sooooo much pain and not being able to heal but then at one point she’s like I can do this all day I was able to heal some (this is before she got the handcuffs off). Idk it was like the author yes was making her tough but then making her weak. But the weak was done annoyingly, her whining got a little on my nerves. Granted she’s only 25 but she’s suppose to be this super bada$$ assassin. Meh.

I just remembered about Klaus and the fight, ok I’m going back in to read to find out what happens there (maybe that will make me finish the book will see lol).

[Vee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 52%

I wanted to like it more than I liked it. The relationships felt a little forced and it was less so like she needed to be with these men and more so like she ‘might as well’.

[kaleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot is so amazing so this would be a 5 star read either way but the fact there is no past hookups showing up is what makes this a 10 star read😂 one of the guys is a virgin but literally no mention of the other guys sexual past what’s so ever. The only past we have for the guys is in the review I did of book one.

So far, this series has plenty surprised me. I’m always on the lookout for RH series that have zero OW drama or where there is a virgin hero and this one delivered.

[Jade Kaawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

• the deadwood darling •

| paranormal romance | multiple POV | reverse harem | fated mates | pirates | quest | shifters | fae | sirens | mages | magic | witches | adventure | cliff hanger | spicy | familiar | vampires | slow burn romance |

This series is going down as an all-time favorite for me. This series is packed with witty banter, humor, spice, and adventure.

I love the pace of development and the overall speed of the plot. I really thought the main conflict would be over way too soon, but Marie Mistry really made this story so savory.

This is my first pirate romance and I love the vibes, especially the fact that it is a reverse harem (big fan, HUGE).

I think this story has really unique world-building and magic systems. I can’t say I have ever read a fantasy/paranormal romance quite like this one. There are so many magical races and different cultures in a world made of islands.

I adore this series and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Happy Reading, Friends xx

[Nadia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Boring

[Mel G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book was fan-fucking-tastic.
It’s shaping up to be one of my favourite RH series.
I’m mildly obsessed with the way Mistry portrays her characters and keeps us completely enthralled by constantly switching up the scenery.
I think my favourite part is the adventure vibes I’m getting from these books so far.
I love how this series incorporates so many fantastical elements: the open seas, the pirates, the witches, the goddesses, the shifters, the vampires, the fae, the mages, and the sirens and the relationships between them (and not just the romantic ones); the detail that goes into these aspects of the book are wonderfully done and skillfully interwoven.

Another thing I must praise with this series if the fact that the plot has different underlying levels to it.
It’s not just a one road map to the end.
There are many paths and layers to achieving the end goal and I’m really enjoying seeing the main characters navigate these waters, if you will.

Each of the men are mostly well-fleshed out.
I am happy that she’s getting the special and monumental moments with each of them individually and together.
I was so so excited about the progress that was made on this front during this book, especially with Val.
He’s hands down my favourite, partially because he’s so sarcastic and kinda rude with her but in a way that makes the reader laugh and understand that he’s just in denial about how much she makes him feel.
I also appreciate how she hasn’t just up and had sex with every one of them yet; a good and drawn out slow burn is just what the doctor ordered for me and this series is delivering.

I’m excited to see what happens with Noster and his beast and get a bit more backstory there.
I’m also eager to see Kier have his curse broken and the events that will occur following this event.
But above all, I’m salivating at the thought of Nilsa and Val finally coming to terms with what they mean to each other; we got a tiny delicious taste of this in the current book but I just know things will be absolutely heated between them in the next one and it’s going to be explosive.

I really enjoy the side characters like Elsie and Cassie, I would love to read a bit more about them or even get some books following their journey; I mean how cool and controversial would it be if Elsie the solar witch had a harem!? Ugh kinda goes against everything in their coven but it would be so cute to see her get spoiled and loved.

Anyways, this book was really well-written through and through and I consumed it in the blink of an eye.
I absolutely have nothing bad to say about this book hence the high rating I’ve given it.
Such a spicy, fun, adventurous, and captivating series thus far.

~5 stars~

[Mackenzie Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Liar Witch’ picks up right where ‘Traitor Witch’ left off, diving deeper into the mystery, magic, and romance that made the first book so compelling. The stakes are higher, the relationships more intense, and the secrets even more dangerous. This instalment builds beautifully on the foundations of the first book, delivering a thrilling continuation that keeps you hooked.

Plot: ★★★★☆
The story expands in exciting ways, revealing more about the world and Nilsa’s past while raising even more questions. The pacing is solid, with plenty of action, intrigue, and emotional moments to keep things interesting. There are some twists that really took me by surprise, and the tension - both in the plot and between the characters - remains deliciously high.

Character: ★★★★☆
Character development is one of the strongest aspects of this book. Nilsa continues to be a fantastic protagonist, still strong and determined but now faced with even greater challenges that force her to grow. The pirate crew also gets more development, allowing us to see different sides of them beyond their initial roles. The dynamics between Nilsa and the crew shift as relationships deepen, power struggles intensify, and secrets come to light. The slow-burn romance and trust-building are incredibly well done.

Setting: ★★★★☆
This book expands the world beyond just the ship, introducing new locations that add depth and richness to the setting. The descriptions continue to be immersive without overwhelming, making it easy to visualize each new place. The world building is subtle yet effective, giving a strong sense of atmosphere.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
It’s impossible not to get drawn in - there’s so much happening, and the story never feels slow or predictable. The mix of adventure, danger, and romance makes it a gripping read, and the way the plot unfolds keeps you constantly wondering what will happen next.

Readability: ★★★★☆
Marie Mistry’s writing is just as smooth and engaging as in the first book. The dialogue feels natural, the descriptions are vivid, and the emotional beats hit hard. It’s easy to get swept up in the story, making it a book you won’t want to put down.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
This book delivers exactly what I hoped for - a strong continuation of the story with more intrigue, more character depth, and more tension. If you loved ‘Traitor Witch’, ‘Liar Witch’ will absolutely keep you hooked. It’s a thrilling, seductive read that sets up even more excitement for what’s to come in the series.

‘Liar Witch’ is an excellent sequel that deepens the plot, strengthens the character arcs, and expands the world in all the right ways. Marie Mistry continues to weave an addictive tale of magic, betrayal, and romance.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series so far! The whole concept of this book is pretty unique. I feel like I haven’t read anything similar.

Nilsa is a Lunar Witch, and the Shadow of the moon. She meets a group of misfit pirates in book 1 and seeks passage (you’ll have to read to find out why they cross paths, don’t want to spoil it!).

Nilsa is a kick butt main character! And probably my favorite female main character!

Nilsa’s group of pirates consists of:

Valorean - mage; broody, grump
Casimir - shifter; jokester
Noster - shifter/seer; shy, bookworm
Rysen - vampire; overprotective teddy bear
Kier - fae; quiet, stoic, serious
Klaus - siren; charmer

I love all of the characters individually! You know the writing is good when they have such defining personalities!

- pirates
- witches
- magic
- fated mates
- reverse harem

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. The story and pace flow perfectly. The interactions between characters and they way their relationships grow are spot on. And, the grumpy captain... still perfectly grumpy. He makes me laugh so much. The banter between him and Nilsa is hilarious. 🤣
I'm really not sure which guy I love more, grumpy Val, adorable Cas, sweet Nos possessive Rysen, secretive Kier, or the very hot Klaus. Honestly, they're all great together, and I'm loving Nilsa's adventure and badass attitude.

☠️ Paranormal romance
☠️ Why-choose
☠️ Pirates
☠️ Fated mates
☠️ Spice

* I can't wait to read book three.

🔞 Aimed at mature audiences. Content warning can be found at the beginning of the book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

AGAIN WITH THE CLIFFHANGER. 🫠🫠🫠

The pieces of this story just keep going and going to make me never want to stop. I am so excited for the next book that I don’t want to wait for the audio but I have to because I’m weird like that.

[Aaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant. just brilliant. opals monologue is always a delight to read. her luttle found family including elsie reva and cassandra its all very heartwarming. i also enjoy how shes at different paces with each of her guys and even though its still a medium burn it isnt too agonising.

[Vanessa Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so goooood. I don't want it to finish. Finally a truly badass FMC! I love Nilsa aaaaa

[Amanda Hiebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Star Review

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely enjoyed this far more than the one prior. A bit more action and story to it

[evie ☻︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHAT THE FUCK

[Kay H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one did not suffer from second book syndrome - it had me just as hooked as the first. I hadn't felt this connected to a fantasy romance in a while, so it felt good to be back in the saddle.

[Noemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm completely in love with this series. Book 2 immersed me in the story even more than book 1 and I don't know how I will be able to wait for book 3.

Nilsa has found out more truths about herself and what the Queen and the Goddesses require from her. However, to fulfil the Goddess' mission she has first to save her siren mate from an arranged marriage and get more allies in her war against the Queen.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good.

In fact it was quite addicting. I'm really enjoying this series and the characters are addictive.

[Cayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yarr! I am in my pirate RH phase.

This has the story moving solidly along. Still like the harem with their individual personality's.

Little predictable but good.

I liked Kier a bit more in this one...think he took top spot. Thought Val was going to be more satisfying but still seems like that is gonna go a bit longer.

Still like the twins and hoping we get some more on their deal.

Reysen kinda fell off this book. Siren guy kinda a after thought too this book.

[dumbells · Rating 2 out of 5]

The steaks were NOT high with this one... I know, I know.... super odd. It is a high fantasy multi books story with perils that abound for the main characters and yet... they did not hit their mark.


First of all, elephant in the room, ALL the supernatural characters in this book are immortal. Even the witches turn immortal when they turn 25. And the main threat and badie of this whole series is a human queen... I know, I know... It should make for an interesting David vs Goliath story, some 7 various characters with varying superpowers vs the corrupted and vial queen and her armies and some supernatural forces she has managed to coerce and buy to be under her thumb. And yet... the steaks were not there. For the one simple reason: ALL the main characters were immortal. The main h even dies by drowning at some point and there is mention of various battles on the ship with unknown other pirates where there is a throw-away comment from one of the mates about how they don't want to screw in the head of the other mate, again.... So while it all sounds incredibly traumatic it seems not even decantation means permanent death for these characters... So where are exactly the stakes? Oh the main h is deathly scared of water and it takes her like 3 books to kind of get over that... other than that she is just suped up to the heavens and back.... Aside from the immortal overpowered h she is also super on board with the whole multiple mates thing and the reader doesn't experience so much sympathy for her exile from her future home among the witches what with being accused of 2 murders she didn't do, for the main reason that she flees immediately into the arms of her 5 mates and gets some more awesome powers along the way anytime she steps on any part of solid ground. So, I ask again, where are the stakes?

They keep talking about how impenetrable the fortress is where the queen resides and how only the shadow witch can make it though and off her, and her mates are under some Faustian deal with the queen where they can't move against her so our Mary Sue h has to do all these dare-devil acts to keep on striking blows against the queen and her forces while they stand on the sidelines, all worried about her and cheering her on like good little mates. It "should" be super empowering but yet again, I see no stakes here? These mofos are all IMPORTAL. By book 3 we learn to break queen's hold on her mates all they gotta do is die. Which our h is super against cuz she has grown attached to them, awww. But then again, what is the problem? They are IMMORTAL. They have died many times before in some battle or another as they are centuries old. Cast a spell on them all at the same time for a quick death all at the same time, the bargain with the queen is broken and they can all join the h in the rising battle against the queen. Instead she wastes time waffling over that needed sacrifice and trying to beat her fear of water while unnamed people continue to be subjugated and further oppresses by the evil queen. I believe so.

We as a reader never get a real glimpse at what goes on under the rain of the queen. There is a lot of telling about what the queen does to acquire her immortality by torturing other supernatural races and keeping them in dungeons kidnapped and all that, but we never get a proper view as to how far the queens kingdom extends and who are all the players... It's all just thrown in there as a plot point for the h and her mates to struggle against and don't seem as a properly established essence of the story.

The heroine and their compatriots vs the big bad. Instead the h just spends all this time on the boat. We get changing POWs from the mates so I guess we can the understanding that they are different people and their own separate entity and not just wallpaper and cheers-squad for the overpowered h. The author has to go through some drastic methods to keep them all separate, giving one a temper, making another a shifter and blind with foresight power and a twin water shifter, another dude is a vampire, another one is an exiled fae with a curse on him and a Scottish accent, and a mermaid who wears a kilt and has a British accents. Cuz you get it, they are all different. If their species were not enough to differentiate them enough their accents are there to drive the point. On and they are all some sort of royalties in their right, cuz nothing but the best for our suped-up h. And she embraces their mate bond super enthusiastically cuz witches have harems and it's just on brand for them, so the only drama is in her getting to know them all, trusting them and breaking them out of some personal hold-ups they might have, curses and that Faustian deal they have with the queen. Which is no problem for her cuz she is their mate and finding one's mate kid of solves all their blind spots and some species specific weak points they might have. Again I ask, where are the steaks?

All of this lack of steaks and wrong focus on the boat and inane battles with some other battles instead of getting to know some of the queen forces to feel the looming danger she might pose made the whole 3 books sound kind of flat and felt boring to get through in between brief spouts of new characters showing up along the story. Everything in between was just filler till some other character is introduced and made the reader think 'well that is interesting' and that interesting thing never pops-up again cuz we switch to a different POW and just hove to trudge through their mundane stuff as well till we get to the interesting bit again and get cut off with a different POW again.

A lot of bating and switching being done by the author here to make her story seem interesting, but not actually building the interesting bits for the reader to get engaged in. So it just ended up sound one note and made me lose interest in the characters pretty early on.

[LunaLibro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

So, this book was highly anticipated and I finally got around to reading and oh wow what a disappointment for me. The beginning part where she’s trying to escape was fairly interesting but once she gets reunited with her men, it draaaaaaaaaagged oooooon. And in this book we finally get to see her have sex with pretty much everyone except for Val. Val is my favorite guy of the harem and I liked we got a little backstory with him, but, I was getting tired of their arguing. Like it was getting very childish. I’m going to hold off for a while before reading the final third book.