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A Knot of Lies and Rebellion
Emeuri dreams of becoming an attendant to a High Daughter in the Kingdom of Iridan — an impossible feat for a low-level worker like herself. But when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises for a chance to audition for the role, Emeuri clamors for the coveted spot alongside girls from every village. When she pulls off the unthinkable and wins, she sets off for the opulent kingdom with high hopes for a better life. However, she soon discovers life in Iridan is not what it seems.
Secrets hide in corners of the palatial estates. Ones that whisper of an opposition brewing beneath the pristine surface. A disruption to Sovereign Beck’s order could topple his meticulous hierarchy — a change that would ruin everything Emeuri has worked for. Yet, a hint of promise carries those whispers and Emeuri finds herself consumed with the idea of freedom from the only life she’s ever known. But as attendant to the sovereign’s niece, plus her growing attraction for the sovereign’s nephew, Emeuri’s treasonous behavior could cost her life.
After one of Emeuri’s letters home is intercepted, exposing the rebellion, Sovereign Beck sets out to make an example of her. With the one dream she’s had since childhood gone, Emeuri makes a dangerous escape to join the battle. However, when she becomes the top target for the sovereign, Emeuri’s quest for freedom may become her prison instead.
Secrets hide in corners of the palatial estates. Ones that whisper of an opposition brewing beneath the pristine surface. A disruption to Sovereign Beck’s order could topple his meticulous hierarchy — a change that would ruin everything Emeuri has worked for. Yet, a hint of promise carries those whispers and Emeuri finds herself consumed with the idea of freedom from the only life she’s ever known. But as attendant to the sovereign’s niece, plus her growing attraction for the sovereign’s nephew, Emeuri’s treasonous behavior could cost her life.
After one of Emeuri’s letters home is intercepted, exposing the rebellion, Sovereign Beck sets out to make an example of her. With the one dream she’s had since childhood gone, Emeuri makes a dangerous escape to join the battle. However, when she becomes the top target for the sovereign, Emeuri’s quest for freedom may become her prison instead.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2022
5 people are currently reading
1167 people want to read
About the author
J. Collette Smith
7 books36 followersCollette is a romance and fantasy author who grew up reading fantastical tales filled with happily-ever-afters. She turned her love of reading into a love of writing, and now spends her time creating stories of her own.
For updates on her books and promotions, check out her website at https://jcollettesmith.com. You can also follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jcollettesm... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjcolle... and Twitter: https://twitter.com/JColletteSmith
For updates on her books and promotions, check out her website at https://jcollettesmith.com. You can also follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jcollettesm... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjcolle... and Twitter: https://twitter.com/JColletteSmith
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 4, 2023
A rare rebellion story about a rebellion seeking to overthrow a brutal monarch and install a democracy. In fantasy, I far too often see rebellions that are just trying to replace a brutal monarch with a more benevolent one. As if a monarchy is a good system of government as long as the current monarch is benevolent. (Never mind that any monarch will eventually die and there is no way to ensure that all the future monarchs that follow will also be benevolent instead of cruel. Besides, I never really bought into the idea of the mythical benevolent and just monarch.)
The pacing was a bit slow at times and the story kind of got bogged down by detailed descriptions of fancy clothes, fancy events, fancy servant tasks, and other stuff I just found boring. Especially in the beginning. I found it a chore to get through some of these parts. But, things did pick up and there was plenty of action, fights, and suspense. Once things picked up, I did start to get a little invested. The plot also did manage to surprise me at times. The overall plot was pretty interesting.
I didn’t really get invested in the main romance. It felt rushed and underdeveloped. I didn’t particularly like the love interest. I liked a lot of the other characters, but most of them weren’t given that much development as they deserved. The friendships and other relationships seemed to suddenly turn deep overnight without enough development.
The main character was … erratic. Sometimes I kind of hated her. Sometimes I kind of liked her. Sometimes she made unbelievably stupid mistakes, seemed weak, or even came off narcissistic. Sometimes she seemed brave, bold, strong, skilled, loyal, selfless, and so full of anger, determination, and hope that she was a force of nature. She flip-flopped back and forth between these extremes and changes in her beliefs came off as too rushed to ring true. So, instead of this all coming off as genuine character growth of a strong female character coming into her own or as a strong female character with a vulnerable side, it simply came off as inconsistent characterization. By the end, she showed a lot of grit. But, frustratingly kept ending up in circumstances where the only possibility was for her role in events to be passive. It felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities for her character to be a stronger one.
The ending was bittersweet and hopeful. There were some continuity errors and some times where I thought characters made unrealistically ridiculous choices that made no sense. None of the continuity errors actually interfered with the integrity of the plot. However, the unrealistically poor choices made by experienced and supposedly competent characters really stretched the limits of my suspension of disbelief.
All in all, this book was a mixed bag. I love a good rebellion story. I found it really refreshing to find a rare example of a rebellion aiming to replace a dictatorship with a democracy instead of a so-called good dictatorship. This is especially rare in the fantasy genre. But, the execution of the story wasn’t the best.
WARNINGS: Death, violence, gore, blood, infanticide (off-page, mentioned)
I received a free eARC of this book via netGalley. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.
The pacing was a bit slow at times and the story kind of got bogged down by detailed descriptions of fancy clothes, fancy events, fancy servant tasks, and other stuff I just found boring. Especially in the beginning. I found it a chore to get through some of these parts. But, things did pick up and there was plenty of action, fights, and suspense. Once things picked up, I did start to get a little invested. The plot also did manage to surprise me at times. The overall plot was pretty interesting.
I didn’t really get invested in the main romance. It felt rushed and underdeveloped. I didn’t particularly like the love interest. I liked a lot of the other characters, but most of them weren’t given that much development as they deserved. The friendships and other relationships seemed to suddenly turn deep overnight without enough development.
The main character was … erratic. Sometimes I kind of hated her. Sometimes I kind of liked her. Sometimes she made unbelievably stupid mistakes, seemed weak, or even came off narcissistic. Sometimes she seemed brave, bold, strong, skilled, loyal, selfless, and so full of anger, determination, and hope that she was a force of nature. She flip-flopped back and forth between these extremes and changes in her beliefs came off as too rushed to ring true. So, instead of this all coming off as genuine character growth of a strong female character coming into her own or as a strong female character with a vulnerable side, it simply came off as inconsistent characterization. By the end, she showed a lot of grit. But, frustratingly kept ending up in circumstances where the only possibility was for her role in events to be passive. It felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities for her character to be a stronger one.
The ending was bittersweet and hopeful. There were some continuity errors and some times where I thought characters made unrealistically ridiculous choices that made no sense. None of the continuity errors actually interfered with the integrity of the plot. However, the unrealistically poor choices made by experienced and supposedly competent characters really stretched the limits of my suspension of disbelief.
All in all, this book was a mixed bag. I love a good rebellion story. I found it really refreshing to find a rare example of a rebellion aiming to replace a dictatorship with a democracy instead of a so-called good dictatorship. This is especially rare in the fantasy genre. But, the execution of the story wasn’t the best.
WARNINGS: Death, violence, gore, blood, infanticide (off-page, mentioned)
I received a free eARC of this book via netGalley. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.
January 24, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this eARC.
This was genuinely just your average fantasy rebellion story with nothing that made it special. The romance was even disappointing, which is something that may have bumped it up to 3 stars if only the author didn’t ruin it. Everything happened way too quickly and easily so it wasn’t even a well-developed rebellion story. Just disappointing and lackluster.
This was genuinely just your average fantasy rebellion story with nothing that made it special. The romance was even disappointing, which is something that may have bumped it up to 3 stars if only the author didn’t ruin it. Everything happened way too quickly and easily so it wasn’t even a well-developed rebellion story. Just disappointing and lackluster.
October 12, 2022
3.5/5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me the chance to read this! This book will be published by Indie Girl Press on 22 November 2022.
The cover, title and description of this book really drew me in. As a lover of fantasy fiction such as this, it was a no brainer for me; I read it over the course of a day, pretty quickly drawn into the world that the author had crafted. I can be quite particular about writing styles, and this one was comfortable from the very first page. Easy to read, but written well. The reader is really introduced to the setting and the world from the beginning, which was great - it meant that I was interested, eager to read more, and not bored as I waited for the story to get going.
I think fans of series such as Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon would enjoy this book. Indeed, I did enjoy it! The plot was exactly the kind of thing I like, and the characters were interesting enough; the development of some of them was fun to explore. The main character did irritate me sometimes with the decisions she made (or didn't make), but I think most protagonist's have their moments. The hint of forbidden romance themes throughout were nice, though not massively a focus (which could be good or bad, dependent upon what you are looking to get out of the story). All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
The reason I haven't rated it higher is mostly because it's nothing groundbreaking or new. The same plot elements have been used a lot over the years in this particular genre, and this story was no different. Always a class disparity, always an unscrupulous leader, always those members of society plotting to overthrow beneath the scenes. As I've said, I enjoy reading this genre, and I didn't expect anything different. I would read again, and I would read more by this author.
Secondly, I do think it felt a little rushed towards the end. The battle scene was good, for the most part, though it was incredibly chaotic and a little difficult to follow at times, with so much happening. But it all happened so quickly. There was no real build up, which I think this story would have benefited from - often stories like this come in a series, with three or more, and I think that is a tried and tested format that works. Maybe we don't NEED another series like this; but I think a lot of people (including me) would have enjoyed it all the same!
Apart from the pacing issue (sort of slow in parts, and then altogether all too sudden for me), however, it was a good read. I didn't dislike anything about it, really; it just didn't necessarily excite me or provide me with something new, hence 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me the chance to read this! This book will be published by Indie Girl Press on 22 November 2022.
The cover, title and description of this book really drew me in. As a lover of fantasy fiction such as this, it was a no brainer for me; I read it over the course of a day, pretty quickly drawn into the world that the author had crafted. I can be quite particular about writing styles, and this one was comfortable from the very first page. Easy to read, but written well. The reader is really introduced to the setting and the world from the beginning, which was great - it meant that I was interested, eager to read more, and not bored as I waited for the story to get going.
I think fans of series such as Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon would enjoy this book. Indeed, I did enjoy it! The plot was exactly the kind of thing I like, and the characters were interesting enough; the development of some of them was fun to explore. The main character did irritate me sometimes with the decisions she made (or didn't make), but I think most protagonist's have their moments. The hint of forbidden romance themes throughout were nice, though not massively a focus (which could be good or bad, dependent upon what you are looking to get out of the story). All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
The reason I haven't rated it higher is mostly because it's nothing groundbreaking or new. The same plot elements have been used a lot over the years in this particular genre, and this story was no different. Always a class disparity, always an unscrupulous leader, always those members of society plotting to overthrow beneath the scenes. As I've said, I enjoy reading this genre, and I didn't expect anything different. I would read again, and I would read more by this author.
Secondly, I do think it felt a little rushed towards the end. The battle scene was good, for the most part, though it was incredibly chaotic and a little difficult to follow at times, with so much happening. But it all happened so quickly. There was no real build up, which I think this story would have benefited from - often stories like this come in a series, with three or more, and I think that is a tried and tested format that works. Maybe we don't NEED another series like this; but I think a lot of people (including me) would have enjoyed it all the same!
Apart from the pacing issue (sort of slow in parts, and then altogether all too sudden for me), however, it was a good read. I didn't dislike anything about it, really; it just didn't necessarily excite me or provide me with something new, hence 3.5 stars.
November 4, 2022
eARC copy provided by NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.
Star Rating: 3.7/5⭐
A quick-moving fantasy set in a kingdom with a strict caste-system. Emeuri is a very stubborn FMC of the lower class who competes for (and wins) the opportunity to become an attendant to a high daughter. Being an attendant is a great honor and could lead to essentially advancing to middle class.
Being thrust into the high class world of Iridan is a bit of a shock for Emeuri, and she gets to see for herself the massive disparity between the lower class and the elites. Any mistakes could send her straight back home, disgraced.
Despite the gravity of her situation, Emeuri really presses her luck as far as mistakes go and is rather cavalier about the entire thing. I found myself getting irritated at her for all the little things she clearly did wrong. She was constantly in her head about how this whole thing was such a big deal and how failure wasn't an option, but made mistakes that were avoidable or took actions that were downright obstinate. Which, I get that the whole point of the book is rebelling, but at the point in the story where she wasn't part of the opposition and didn't want to go against the grain because of the consequences, it seemed out of character. Now, that did have a part to play as her actions sort of lead her to become part of the opposition to the sovereign, so I can't fault that too much.
The story is fast paced, and even more so once we hit a tipping point at about 60% of the way through. The last 30-40% is a mad dash to the end, which I think conveys the desperation of the characters beautifully as they throw themselves against the unfair establishment. The descriptions are well-written and very vivid, and I didn't find myself getting bored at any point in the story.
As far as romance goes, there are hints of it, but it's definitely not the main focus of the story, and only comes into play a bit as motivation for Emeuri.
Overall, if you liked Red Rising by Pierce Brown or Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for the rebellion against unfair hierarchies, but want all of that in one book with a very stubborn FMC, give this one a shot. It'll scratch that itch without stretching it over 3-5 books.
Star Rating: 3.7/5⭐
A quick-moving fantasy set in a kingdom with a strict caste-system. Emeuri is a very stubborn FMC of the lower class who competes for (and wins) the opportunity to become an attendant to a high daughter. Being an attendant is a great honor and could lead to essentially advancing to middle class.
Being thrust into the high class world of Iridan is a bit of a shock for Emeuri, and she gets to see for herself the massive disparity between the lower class and the elites. Any mistakes could send her straight back home, disgraced.
Despite the gravity of her situation, Emeuri really presses her luck as far as mistakes go and is rather cavalier about the entire thing. I found myself getting irritated at her for all the little things she clearly did wrong. She was constantly in her head about how this whole thing was such a big deal and how failure wasn't an option, but made mistakes that were avoidable or took actions that were downright obstinate. Which, I get that the whole point of the book is rebelling, but at the point in the story where she wasn't part of the opposition and didn't want to go against the grain because of the consequences, it seemed out of character. Now, that did have a part to play as her actions sort of lead her to become part of the opposition to the sovereign, so I can't fault that too much.
The story is fast paced, and even more so once we hit a tipping point at about 60% of the way through. The last 30-40% is a mad dash to the end, which I think conveys the desperation of the characters beautifully as they throw themselves against the unfair establishment. The descriptions are well-written and very vivid, and I didn't find myself getting bored at any point in the story.
As far as romance goes, there are hints of it, but it's definitely not the main focus of the story, and only comes into play a bit as motivation for Emeuri.
Overall, if you liked Red Rising by Pierce Brown or Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for the rebellion against unfair hierarchies, but want all of that in one book with a very stubborn FMC, give this one a shot. It'll scratch that itch without stretching it over 3-5 books.
November 12, 2022
I cannot, in many words, describe how I dislike the female lead of this book. This is the first for me this year, encountering someone as pretentiously independent yet all throughout annoying kind of character. I am all for female power and all but Emeuri is just the kind of character who is unnecessarily rude, rebellious, overrates her emotions and useless.
The premise of the story and how Emeuri was introduced was so promising. However, once she started joining the other casts, it became pretty obvious that her role on the story is to assume a figurehead of someone who is witty and can think on her toes pretty quick. What she did was to make mistakes over mistakes that honestly, I have to skip paragraphs just to proceed to a scene where another thought/character is involved.
The plot became predictable by Chapter 5 and though this is an attempt to introduce a political theme and the gores of war, the lack of transition variations made it difficult to appreciate the story as a whole. You can only describe blood in so many words and then couple that up with a female lead whose first contribution to the fight is nausea 😮💨 The supposed touch to romance was also unnecessary and lacklustre. Like, how can you start with flirting and then full blown Romeo and Juliet confession in a span of a week? Heck even the flirting lasted for one horse ride 😳 😭 ..then the death scene 🙄 The characterizations were not evwn fully developed but they died, lol
The premise of the story and how Emeuri was introduced was so promising. However, once she started joining the other casts, it became pretty obvious that her role on the story is to assume a figurehead of someone who is witty and can think on her toes pretty quick. What she did was to make mistakes over mistakes that honestly, I have to skip paragraphs just to proceed to a scene where another thought/character is involved.
The plot became predictable by Chapter 5 and though this is an attempt to introduce a political theme and the gores of war, the lack of transition variations made it difficult to appreciate the story as a whole. You can only describe blood in so many words and then couple that up with a female lead whose first contribution to the fight is nausea 😮💨 The supposed touch to romance was also unnecessary and lacklustre. Like, how can you start with flirting and then full blown Romeo and Juliet confession in a span of a week? Heck even the flirting lasted for one horse ride 😳 😭 ..then the death scene 🙄 The characterizations were not evwn fully developed but they died, lol
November 3, 2022
A knot of Lies and Rebellion
Earc: NetGalley
Publisher: Indie Girl Press
Publication Date: 22 Nov 2022
Genre :Sci Fiction and Fantasy, Teens and young adults
I had a hard time getting sucked into the novel because the plot moved quite slowly at first. This was mostly caused by the activities leading up to Emeuri's visit to the palace. Though the book really took off around the 30% mark! Emeuri, a low-level employee who is hired to serve as a High Daughter's attendant, is the main character of J. Collette Smith's novel A Knot of Lies and Rebellion. She learns, however, that life in Iridan is not precisely as it looks when she is at the palace.
There isn't a lot of romance in this novel; in fact, I'd say it takes a backseat to the main plot, which I found to be rather enjoyable. By the time the book's climactic showdown arrived, I had been utterly immersed in the characters because they were so well-developed and multifaceted. I read this enjoyable fantasy book in about two days. It reminded me a lot of contemporary fantasy stand-alone books that frequently feature fae. Although there were no supernatural beings in this, there was a split fantasy world with a hierarchy, a main character who felt outcast and wanted to prove herself, as well as a forbidden relationship.
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #scifictionandfantasy #youngadults
Earc: NetGalley
Publisher: Indie Girl Press
Publication Date: 22 Nov 2022
Genre :Sci Fiction and Fantasy, Teens and young adults
I had a hard time getting sucked into the novel because the plot moved quite slowly at first. This was mostly caused by the activities leading up to Emeuri's visit to the palace. Though the book really took off around the 30% mark! Emeuri, a low-level employee who is hired to serve as a High Daughter's attendant, is the main character of J. Collette Smith's novel A Knot of Lies and Rebellion. She learns, however, that life in Iridan is not precisely as it looks when she is at the palace.
There isn't a lot of romance in this novel; in fact, I'd say it takes a backseat to the main plot, which I found to be rather enjoyable. By the time the book's climactic showdown arrived, I had been utterly immersed in the characters because they were so well-developed and multifaceted. I read this enjoyable fantasy book in about two days. It reminded me a lot of contemporary fantasy stand-alone books that frequently feature fae. Although there were no supernatural beings in this, there was a split fantasy world with a hierarchy, a main character who felt outcast and wanted to prove herself, as well as a forbidden relationship.
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #scifictionandfantasy #youngadults
October 21, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the story flowed really well. At no time did I feel I wanted to put it down.
If you are wanting this to be a full on love story, I can assure you it is not. There were many tragedies throughout the story, so many instances where Emeuri could have lost her position as attendant to Lunal who was herself was a breath away from being caught out with her secret rendezvous after dark. When friendships began only to be questioned at a later stage.
The descriptions of the fight scenes were well done and the behaviours of the many characters very believeable and there were quite a few "oh no!" moments throughout.
There were twists, intrigues and heartbreaks but they in no way detract from the book. I now feel I will have to read the previous book by this Author and I will definitely recommend this one and am happy to give 5*.
Thanks to Negalley and Author J. Collette Smith for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book on 21/10/2022.
If you are wanting this to be a full on love story, I can assure you it is not. There were many tragedies throughout the story, so many instances where Emeuri could have lost her position as attendant to Lunal who was herself was a breath away from being caught out with her secret rendezvous after dark. When friendships began only to be questioned at a later stage.
The descriptions of the fight scenes were well done and the behaviours of the many characters very believeable and there were quite a few "oh no!" moments throughout.
There were twists, intrigues and heartbreaks but they in no way detract from the book. I now feel I will have to read the previous book by this Author and I will definitely recommend this one and am happy to give 5*.
Thanks to Negalley and Author J. Collette Smith for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book on 21/10/2022.
October 28, 2022
3.5/4 star
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC copy of this book
This was a fun fantasy read that took me around two days. It felt very familiar to many of the recent fantasy stand alone novels that usually include some kind of fae. There was no paranormal creatures in this but we did have a divided fantasy land with a hierarchy, a down trodden main character who has a desire to prove herself, and a forbidden romance.
If you like elise kova I would say the writing style and story type felt rather similar to some of her writing with a little less romance.
There isn't a huge amount of romance in this book, I would certainly say that element takes more of a back seat to the main plot which I enjoyed. The characters were well developed and multifactoral, and I was thoroughly invested in them by the final show down of the book.
Overall this isn't anything especially unique but certainly very enjoyable and well written !
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC copy of this book
This was a fun fantasy read that took me around two days. It felt very familiar to many of the recent fantasy stand alone novels that usually include some kind of fae. There was no paranormal creatures in this but we did have a divided fantasy land with a hierarchy, a down trodden main character who has a desire to prove herself, and a forbidden romance.
If you like elise kova I would say the writing style and story type felt rather similar to some of her writing with a little less romance.
There isn't a huge amount of romance in this book, I would certainly say that element takes more of a back seat to the main plot which I enjoyed. The characters were well developed and multifactoral, and I was thoroughly invested in them by the final show down of the book.
Overall this isn't anything especially unique but certainly very enjoyable and well written !
October 27, 2022
Oo so the main reason I read this book was because the blurb caught my eye big time. I wasn't familiar with the author so I said why not. Happy I gave this book a chance. Absolutely loved it. Couldn't put it down. 5 star book. Highly recommend it.
December 10, 2022
Intriguing read. I enjoyed the social and fantasy elements. The book started at a slow pace but soon picked up and I was completely immersed. Would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
June 13, 2023
This book was an absolute delight! I couldn't put it down. The story was captivating, the characters were compelling, and the world-building was superb. I highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers.
December 19, 2022
Excellent read
Well written with great world building, a strong heroine carries a story that strikes a balance between fantasy and reality.
Well written with great world building, a strong heroine carries a story that strikes a balance between fantasy and reality.
December 15, 2022
A Knot of Lies and Rebellion by J. Collette Smith tries to tell an inspiring story of a power hungry sovereign being overthrown, but falls flat in its delivery.
In order to secure a better future for herself and her family, Emeuri's biggest dream is to become an attendant to one of this season's debutant Ladies. The first scene, her audition, was dynamic with engaging dialogue and a character that was quick to come up with solutions to problems, but it went downhill from there.
Emeuri present herself as a stubborn yet determined girl, when really she's flighty at best. She reminds herself, and the readers, that she must be a good attendant to give herself and her family a better future but she constantly risks that future even before she goes off to join the rebellion.
As for the rest of the cast, some are more complex than others. I was most intrigued by Kes, Lunal, and Alixe, while I appreciated Beck appearing powerful yet welcoming at first before revealing just how authoritative he is as the book went on. I didn't think Jax or Moran stood out all that much, in fact they are very similar in both their characters and their roles.
As far as character development, Lunal's was the only one that stood out. Emeuri finds herself in situations (both traumatic and not) that don't have much of an impact by the end, while the others were even more marginal.
The fundamental problem with the plot was that it tried to do too much for its length. Emeuri is supposed to mingle on the fringes of high society, fall in love, join a rebellion, defeat the sovereign, and install a new government all in the span of 326 pages. As such, sequences that should have taken chapters and chapters to impact both the main characters and the readers are rushed through, which left me unsatisfied and unable to connect with much happening.
For the next section of the review, I will be going into spoilers regarding the second half of the book, even the climax of the story:
My first major issue with this book was that the goodreads blurb for the Kindle edition gave most of the story away. Instead of keeping it vague the last paragraph goes as far as saying that Emeuri's family is captured which happens in the last 20% of the book. While the book itself is formulaic and a captured family can be expected to a certain extent, putting it in the blurb robbed the story of its tension since I knew what was coming.
My second major issue is that the story lacks continuity during two glaring and very important scenes and here is where I'll be going into a lot of detail because if I caught this, an editor definitely should have:
- The first has to do with the plot twist. Within this society, twins are seen as abominations and the second one born gets banished to a wasteland to die. While Emeuri is training, she learns that her friend Kes was a twin and she also learns that Sovereign Beck was one. However, when the second leader of the rebellion is revealed to be the sovereign's twin, Emeuri doesn't remember what Kes told her and describes the encounter as if it was the very first time she's heard of the banished twin.
- The second has to do with a major character's death. While getting rescued, Moran dies from an arrow to the neck. It's written as a poignant scene where he says goodbye to his loved ones before passing. Later, when Emeuri remembers this she states he was killed from an arrow to the chest.
I'll admit I did skim parts of the book so there could be more continuity errors, but these two jumped out at me immediately, and they are both integral to the plot itself so they should have been caught.
A Knot of Lies and Rebellion by J. Collette Smith has an intriguing premise that overpromised and underdelivered. The book's flaws add up to an unsatisfying read while the glaring mistakes just left me with a bad impression overall.
In order to secure a better future for herself and her family, Emeuri's biggest dream is to become an attendant to one of this season's debutant Ladies. The first scene, her audition, was dynamic with engaging dialogue and a character that was quick to come up with solutions to problems, but it went downhill from there.
Emeuri present herself as a stubborn yet determined girl, when really she's flighty at best. She reminds herself, and the readers, that she must be a good attendant to give herself and her family a better future but she constantly risks that future even before she goes off to join the rebellion.
As for the rest of the cast, some are more complex than others. I was most intrigued by Kes, Lunal, and Alixe, while I appreciated Beck appearing powerful yet welcoming at first before revealing just how authoritative he is as the book went on. I didn't think Jax or Moran stood out all that much, in fact they are very similar in both their characters and their roles.
As far as character development, Lunal's was the only one that stood out. Emeuri finds herself in situations (both traumatic and not) that don't have much of an impact by the end, while the others were even more marginal.
The fundamental problem with the plot was that it tried to do too much for its length. Emeuri is supposed to mingle on the fringes of high society, fall in love, join a rebellion, defeat the sovereign, and install a new government all in the span of 326 pages. As such, sequences that should have taken chapters and chapters to impact both the main characters and the readers are rushed through, which left me unsatisfied and unable to connect with much happening.
For the next section of the review, I will be going into spoilers regarding the second half of the book, even the climax of the story:
My first major issue with this book was that the goodreads blurb for the Kindle edition gave most of the story away. Instead of keeping it vague the last paragraph goes as far as saying that Emeuri's family is captured which happens in the last 20% of the book. While the book itself is formulaic and a captured family can be expected to a certain extent, putting it in the blurb robbed the story of its tension since I knew what was coming.
My second major issue is that the story lacks continuity during two glaring and very important scenes and here is where I'll be going into a lot of detail because if I caught this, an editor definitely should have:
- The first has to do with the plot twist. Within this society, twins are seen as abominations and the second one born gets banished to a wasteland to die. While Emeuri is training, she learns that her friend Kes was a twin and she also learns that Sovereign Beck was one. However, when the second leader of the rebellion is revealed to be the sovereign's twin, Emeuri doesn't remember what Kes told her and describes the encounter as if it was the very first time she's heard of the banished twin.
- The second has to do with a major character's death. While getting rescued, Moran dies from an arrow to the neck. It's written as a poignant scene where he says goodbye to his loved ones before passing. Later, when Emeuri remembers this she states he was killed from an arrow to the chest.
I'll admit I did skim parts of the book so there could be more continuity errors, but these two jumped out at me immediately, and they are both integral to the plot itself so they should have been caught.
A Knot of Lies and Rebellion by J. Collette Smith has an intriguing premise that overpromised and underdelivered. The book's flaws add up to an unsatisfying read while the glaring mistakes just left me with a bad impression overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2022
A Knot of Lies and Rebellion
Fantasy
J. Collette Smith
⭐️⭐️.5
The premise of this book really made me curious but when I started reading, it was quite slow and descriptions were often repetitive.
There were also some weird word choices, almost like synonyms had been googled but they didn't quite fit. For example the word gulped instead of gasped, faded instead of feigned. "There were scratches on his cheek, red and whelping" and "...let out a loud whelp" both use the word whelp when it means something else and it's wrong in each context.
Every time this happened it pulled me out of the story and made it harder for me to become engaged again.
To be completely honest, I found the FMC, Emeuri, annoying. She's dreamed of being an attendant her whole life but doesn't know what it involves. I get that her character is meant to be feisty and strong but I only got the impression that she was stubborn, made stupid mistakes often, didn't listen half of the time and only thought about herself and what she wanted. I preferred the side characters and their roles.
There was only a little world building so I would've liked more. I found myself skipping paragraphs here and there to get through this book.
I'm sure some readers will like this but I doubt I'll remember much of this book in a day or so.
*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Fantasy
J. Collette Smith
⭐️⭐️.5
The premise of this book really made me curious but when I started reading, it was quite slow and descriptions were often repetitive.
There were also some weird word choices, almost like synonyms had been googled but they didn't quite fit. For example the word gulped instead of gasped, faded instead of feigned. "There were scratches on his cheek, red and whelping" and "...let out a loud whelp" both use the word whelp when it means something else and it's wrong in each context.
Every time this happened it pulled me out of the story and made it harder for me to become engaged again.
To be completely honest, I found the FMC, Emeuri, annoying. She's dreamed of being an attendant her whole life but doesn't know what it involves. I get that her character is meant to be feisty and strong but I only got the impression that she was stubborn, made stupid mistakes often, didn't listen half of the time and only thought about herself and what she wanted. I preferred the side characters and their roles.
There was only a little world building so I would've liked more. I found myself skipping paragraphs here and there to get through this book.
I'm sure some readers will like this but I doubt I'll remember much of this book in a day or so.
*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
November 4, 2022
⭐️2.5/5 stars.
While I did not enjoy this story, I think some fans of The Selection series may actually like it. It felt a little like the Selection, but if it was through the maid’s point of view. The writing style was sort of similar too.
I think the world building was also interesting, I just thought the main character wasn’t great. I don’t know if I thought someone else should have been the protagonist or if it was just the character fell flat. For most of the story, it felt like the plot was happening to and around her, that she didn’t really have an active role. And when she did try to have an active role, it felt forced, not quite believable with the character development we’ve previously seen.
I thought the ideas and concepts in this story were good and could have serious potential, but it may have needed to be developed a little more. Also, there were a handful of times were sentences or similar ideas just reworded were repeated within a few pages of each other.
Again, I really think this story had a good, marketable idea and I saw where the story was trying to go, it may have just needed a little more time developing.
Still, I think there are people who will find this book and enjoy it. I just sadly wasn’t one.
Thank you to the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing the ARC for my honest review.
While I did not enjoy this story, I think some fans of The Selection series may actually like it. It felt a little like the Selection, but if it was through the maid’s point of view. The writing style was sort of similar too.
I think the world building was also interesting, I just thought the main character wasn’t great. I don’t know if I thought someone else should have been the protagonist or if it was just the character fell flat. For most of the story, it felt like the plot was happening to and around her, that she didn’t really have an active role. And when she did try to have an active role, it felt forced, not quite believable with the character development we’ve previously seen.
I thought the ideas and concepts in this story were good and could have serious potential, but it may have needed to be developed a little more. Also, there were a handful of times were sentences or similar ideas just reworded were repeated within a few pages of each other.
Again, I really think this story had a good, marketable idea and I saw where the story was trying to go, it may have just needed a little more time developing.
Still, I think there are people who will find this book and enjoy it. I just sadly wasn’t one.
Thank you to the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing the ARC for my honest review.
November 16, 2022
Please note: I have read the ARC copy. However, all the opinions and views are my own as any other review I make.
Very slight spoilers, please beware.
Rating: 2.5 🌟
Plot twist: 1🌟
Ah... I don't really like to give negative reviews, especially for ARC but that book just didn't do it for me.. I'm sorry.
I found the writing style kind of strange, some sentences were not cohesive, or they were written in a very weird order.
The book sounded very promising, however, it became painfully predictive in the first few chapters. And it kinda went on flat, not much plot there...
The FMC was... confusing? I think that's the kindest word I can say to describe her.
The romance in the book was average, the FMC kinda crushed on the MMC after barely exchanging 3 words, I'm all for love at first sight but that didn't feel like it.
There is some hope in the plot and storyline but it just wasn't executed properly. It pains me to say it, but this is probably one of the worst fantasy book I have read this year. :(
However, I'm open to read other books from the author, purely as I'm interested to see if there was a hiccup with this book and editing, or it's something else all together.
Very slight spoilers, please beware.
Rating: 2.5 🌟
Plot twist: 1🌟
Ah... I don't really like to give negative reviews, especially for ARC but that book just didn't do it for me.. I'm sorry.
I found the writing style kind of strange, some sentences were not cohesive, or they were written in a very weird order.
The book sounded very promising, however, it became painfully predictive in the first few chapters. And it kinda went on flat, not much plot there...
The FMC was... confusing? I think that's the kindest word I can say to describe her.
The romance in the book was average, the FMC kinda crushed on the MMC after barely exchanging 3 words, I'm all for love at first sight but that didn't feel like it.
There is some hope in the plot and storyline but it just wasn't executed properly. It pains me to say it, but this is probably one of the worst fantasy book I have read this year. :(
However, I'm open to read other books from the author, purely as I'm interested to see if there was a hiccup with this book and editing, or it's something else all together.
November 17, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Indie Girl Press for allowing me to read the eARC of A Knot of Lies and Rebellion in exchange for my honest review.
I feel bad giving a review of a book I couldn't finish, but there was something about this book I couldn't get into. The main character was written in a way that just made me unable to connect with her or her struggles. I didn't' find myself believing the romance that seemed to blossom overnight.
There were moments in the parts I read where the writing really did shine, but unfortunately I just couldn't connect with the book.
I feel bad giving a review of a book I couldn't finish, but there was something about this book I couldn't get into. The main character was written in a way that just made me unable to connect with her or her struggles. I didn't' find myself believing the romance that seemed to blossom overnight.
There were moments in the parts I read where the writing really did shine, but unfortunately I just couldn't connect with the book.
June 30, 2023
I originally did not finish this book, finding the writing to be a bit flat, the pacing a bit chaotic, and the characters a bit typical. As I found myself without internet for a few days, I only had this left on my kindle and curiosity got the better of me and I ended up re-reading and finishing the book! I can’t believe I passed this over before, I feel like I was just being pretentious! I’m so happy that I was able to give this a second chance, because it deserved it and I will look forward to reading more from this author!
February 3, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital Arc n exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book. The premise was really good and the first 5 chapters were very engaging but after that I did not feel any connection with the story.
I didn’t really liked the FMC and I just feel like I was expecting more since the premise looked really promising.
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book. The premise was really good and the first 5 chapters were very engaging but after that I did not feel any connection with the story.
I didn’t really liked the FMC and I just feel like I was expecting more since the premise looked really promising.
November 28, 2022
I honestly tried to give this book a chance and I just couldn’t get past the main lead’s behavior. She proved time and again that she always doubted herself and finally in the end believed in herself. It does have a happy ending but this book did not hit the mark for me. This is solely my opinion.
January 19, 2023
Oh that book and I, we aren't friends. I was unable to bond in any way with the protagonist. The idea of the book sounded really gret but the overall story lacked. It was not executed well enough. I can't really analyze the story much because I didn't get very far.
October 8, 2023
3.5 stars I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I really liked that this was a stand alone (at least I think it is) that seems so rare in fantasies. I am not a big fantasy reader but I found this one fun and consumable.
Read
September 15, 2022Freedom comes at a price.
This story is perfect for fantasy readers who love heroines willing to fight for what's right, epic battles, and forbidden romance.
This story is perfect for fantasy readers who love heroines willing to fight for what's right, epic battles, and forbidden romance.
January 3, 2023
This was one of those nothing new kind of books. The story was good but nothing to really write home about. I did enjoy it and it was worth the read.
November 18, 2022
I was given a copy of this earc thanks to netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
There was some tabbing issues with the format of this book. We would be in the middle of a sentence and it would break off like a new paragraph was forming. It happened quite often. Maybe an editor can fix this before release date?
This was an easy low fantasy read. While the main character Emueri started out strong, she really fell flat for me by the end. Usually there is character growth, this was a character decline. I’ve never read about a more useless character. She failed at everything she did. It was frustrating to read her pov throughout this book.
Her whole purpose in the beginning was to give her family a better life. She talked about it all the time. She is supposed to serve a high daughter, she’s given multiple warnings and threats (specifically to stay away from a certain boy). But when said pretty boy looks her way, she’s like “meh. Hell with it.” Like… family isn’t so important anymore?? She was supposed to be a selfless character, but only when she felt like it? I didn’t get it.
The romance aspect of it felt rushed and very shallow. No real roots here. He’s pretty. And has nice eyes. So…
The rebellion seemed like a joke. They told her all the secrets without a care in the world. *insert confused face* They didn’t even know her! But here’s all the secret information that’s been in the works for years.. it didn’t make sense. She never even played a real role in the rebellion besides make more mistakes and get in the way. They all acted like she was someone of importance when she was not. She was just a hindrance at every turn. I can’t name everything she did that irritated me without spoilers so I’ll refrain.
There was a lot of repetition. Scenes were over dramatic and cheesy. Like the author was overselling us the story. I didn’t feel anything for these characters sadly.
The final battle scene was like a circus show. It was so scattered and bizarre. Very random. And the the ending. Wah wah wahhh. It had potential but just fell flat for me. I think my biggest problem is I didn’t like the MC.
Overall nothing new or groundbreaking in this book.
2.5 stars
There was some tabbing issues with the format of this book. We would be in the middle of a sentence and it would break off like a new paragraph was forming. It happened quite often. Maybe an editor can fix this before release date?
This was an easy low fantasy read. While the main character Emueri started out strong, she really fell flat for me by the end. Usually there is character growth, this was a character decline. I’ve never read about a more useless character. She failed at everything she did. It was frustrating to read her pov throughout this book.
Her whole purpose in the beginning was to give her family a better life. She talked about it all the time. She is supposed to serve a high daughter, she’s given multiple warnings and threats (specifically to stay away from a certain boy). But when said pretty boy looks her way, she’s like “meh. Hell with it.” Like… family isn’t so important anymore?? She was supposed to be a selfless character, but only when she felt like it? I didn’t get it.
The romance aspect of it felt rushed and very shallow. No real roots here. He’s pretty. And has nice eyes. So…
The rebellion seemed like a joke. They told her all the secrets without a care in the world. *insert confused face* They didn’t even know her! But here’s all the secret information that’s been in the works for years.. it didn’t make sense. She never even played a real role in the rebellion besides make more mistakes and get in the way. They all acted like she was someone of importance when she was not. She was just a hindrance at every turn. I can’t name everything she did that irritated me without spoilers so I’ll refrain.
There was a lot of repetition. Scenes were over dramatic and cheesy. Like the author was overselling us the story. I didn’t feel anything for these characters sadly.
The final battle scene was like a circus show. It was so scattered and bizarre. Very random. And the the ending. Wah wah wahhh. It had potential but just fell flat for me. I think my biggest problem is I didn’t like the MC.
Overall nothing new or groundbreaking in this book.
2.5 stars
March 16, 2025
I like the idea behind this story! I think A Knot of Lies and Rebellion has potential, but ultimately, this story ended up being a 1.5-star read for me.
My biggest issue is with the writing style. I don't like how it tells (rather than shows) what the characters think. I also don't like how stilted some of the characters' conversations are. An example is when the main character's father says, "Let's enjoy the delicious meal your mother has been preparing all afternoon. It is rare we get to enjoy such a luxury."
Unfortunately, this kind of awkward dialogue is a recurring issue throughout the book.
I also struggled to get through all of the prepositional phrases. An example is the line, "As we neared the mountain in which the sovereign's castle was perched, a soft glow emanated from the trees lining the trail we were following."
This clunky sentence is written in passive voice and has several prepositional phrases. They make it harder to follow along with who is doing what.
And then there's the characters. In the beginning, I found Emeuri (the main character) likable. She wanted a better life for her family, and she trained to be a debutant's assistant so her family would have new opportunities. I admired her hardworking spirit and determination to make her family proud.
Buttttt, Emeuri becomes a walking disaster the second she's brought to the city. I've never read a book with such a negative character arc. Emeuri makes stupid mistakes, doesn't listen, and makes poor decisions that put her in harm's way. It's infuriating to read, and I honestly didn't care what happened to her by the end of the novel.
While I didn't connect with the main character or the writing style, I did appreciate the idea behind this story. I'm rating it 1.5-stars, but I can see this story appealing to readers who enjoy fantasy books with rebellions, class divides, and romantic subplots.
I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My biggest issue is with the writing style. I don't like how it tells (rather than shows) what the characters think. I also don't like how stilted some of the characters' conversations are. An example is when the main character's father says, "Let's enjoy the delicious meal your mother has been preparing all afternoon. It is rare we get to enjoy such a luxury."
Unfortunately, this kind of awkward dialogue is a recurring issue throughout the book.
I also struggled to get through all of the prepositional phrases. An example is the line, "As we neared the mountain in which the sovereign's castle was perched, a soft glow emanated from the trees lining the trail we were following."
This clunky sentence is written in passive voice and has several prepositional phrases. They make it harder to follow along with who is doing what.
And then there's the characters. In the beginning, I found Emeuri (the main character) likable. She wanted a better life for her family, and she trained to be a debutant's assistant so her family would have new opportunities. I admired her hardworking spirit and determination to make her family proud.
Buttttt, Emeuri becomes a walking disaster the second she's brought to the city. I've never read a book with such a negative character arc. Emeuri makes stupid mistakes, doesn't listen, and makes poor decisions that put her in harm's way. It's infuriating to read, and I honestly didn't care what happened to her by the end of the novel.
While I didn't connect with the main character or the writing style, I did appreciate the idea behind this story. I'm rating it 1.5-stars, but I can see this story appealing to readers who enjoy fantasy books with rebellions, class divides, and romantic subplots.
I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 8, 2023
I had high hopes for this at the beginning but the story never really took off for me and felt rushed and disjointed by the end. The MC felt flat with small bursts of fire that fizzled quickly and her relationship with her love interest was just not developed enough to even be relevant to the story. Final battle scene was all over the place and the end was your typical, sappy conclusion.
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