Mistress of Lies is a fantastic first instalment in what promises to be a dark and delicious series.
Shan, Samuel and Isaac are complex, flawed, and deeply relatable characters, moulded and broken and moulded again by the worlds they live in and the choices they make.
Shan is the titular Mistress of Lies, gathering information and spinning a web in order to accomplish her goals. She plays the long, patient game to effect what she hopes is real change in their city and country, but for others, the long game is simply too distant. They take more radical action.
I really enjoyed Anton’s character arc, as well. Rich and privileged in all ways but the one that really matters – his inability to use magic. Because of that, despite his family name and its status, he is forever on the outside of society, an Unblooded. Only not like the other Unblooded, who are mostly poor and desperate and rapidly growing angry at how they are treated by the Blood Workers – the elite.
In a city of growing civil unrest and class tension, Shan, Samuel and Isaac are ostensibly working together – but in reality they’re all falling apart.
The romantic and sexual tension between the trio was incredibly well done, and added a great deal to the overall narrative, making the final plot twists that much more devastating.
K M Enright is a powerful new voice in fantasy and I could really go on and on about this one, but you should just read it yourselves – not only that, but today is publication day! Congratulations, I loved this book! ~ Anna
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