Mistress of Lies is a story about blood working, love and sacrifice. It’s also a story about choice and rebellion. I ended up falling into this book and it’s one I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. Keep reading this book review of Mistress of Lies for my full thoughts.
Summary
The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.
Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he’s drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he’s worked so hard to avoid – and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.
Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan’s plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This multiple POV debut is captivating. What started out as a book about siblings, choice, and destiny turned into a book about love and rebellion. A huge question in Mistress of Lies is legacy. Based our talents, or lack thereof, are we destined for that life? Is there nothing we can do to change our fate? For the world of Mistress of Lies it’s one dedicated to classes, to the Blood Workers and Unblooded. And like a true society invested in keeping another down, that can only go on for so long before change comes. It’s inevitable.
But how will it happen? Mistress of Lies becomes about how one can rebel. Is it about a gradual shift? A raging inferno? This is a slow burning theme, but I loved the way it’s explored and you can tell it’s only going to age like fine wine. It’s also deeply committed to exploring choices. If we are descendants of monsters, of those so willing to enact their will, to crave power, are we destined to do so as well? How do we stop ourselves from falling into those well worn tracks? I loved witnessing Samuel’s character journey as he contends with the power in his veins and the impacts of his choices. So much lies in his gentle hands, but will his gentleness, his goodness, survive?
Overall,
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
I would obviously also love Shan and the ways she has been honed. She was raised as a sharp blade, an expert in investigating pressure points. But how can she toe the line between protecting the ones she loves and trying to change the rules of their games? By the end, I was completely invested in Mistress of Lies. In the ways these characters are going to be thoroughly tested, broken down, and forced to contend with all their limitations.
Find Mistress of Lies on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.