Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright
Published by Hachette UK
Age Group: Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Authors, LGBTQIA+ Authors, Bisexual Characters, Mental Health Representation, Queer Characters, Transgender Characters, Blood Magic, Compulsion, Dark Fantasy, Gothic Fantasy, Diverse Representation, Magic Users, Royalty Characters, Villain Characters, Family Drama, Found Family, Supernatural, Trauma, Vampires
Series: The Age of Blood #1
My Rating:
Published on: 13th August 2024
Pages: 464
Disability Representation: Trauma.
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones
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A villainous heroine finds herself plunged into a seductive world of power, politics and murder in the court of the vampire king in this bloodthirsty trans vampire romance from an unmissable new voice in fantasy.

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 Blood Worker 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.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright starts as it means to go on; bloody and vicious. In a world where blood magic users rule, power is currency, and Shan’s father stands in the way of hers. Once close to the Eternal King, the ruler of Dameral, his life descended into paranoia, and he became violent toward his wife and children. Assassinating him gives Shan a chance to step out of the shadows and into the elite society of Blood Workers. It will give her the power she needs to take down their corrupt society from the inside. For years, she’s cultivated a network of spies amongst the Unblooded, those born without magic in their veins, and she’s ready to play her trump card.

Samuel knows he is different and hides amongst the Unblooded, keeping a terrible secret. Stumbling over a dead body brings him more attention than expected, and when Shan enters his life, he learns more about who he is. He’s her key to the Eternal King, and when he learns she intends to burn the whole rotten system to the ground, he decides he may as well join her. 

Together, they step into the Eternal King’s orbit, catching his attention more than intended when the King orders them to find out the identity of the murderer plaguing their city. It seems to be an impossible task, and as they get closer to identifying the killer, both Samuel and Shan will learn things they can’t unlearn.

For the most part, I loved Mistress of Lies. It had everything that I’m looking for in a fantasy novel: creative and unique world-building, complex characters, twists and turns that you don’t see coming and stakes that actually feel dangerous. Too often, I find that the heroes can thwart the villain a bit too easily, whereas in this one, the author makes them work for every success.

I’ve read a lot of vampire fiction over the years, and it was nice to see a different take on the genre. The details about blood magic were fascinating, and Enright follows the possibilities to their darkest conclusions. This is not a book for the squeamish, and be sure to check out the author’s content warnings if that’s you.

The one part that I disliked about Mistress of Lies was the character of Samuel. I felt that he was a little too weak and, at times, pathetic. On the one hand, it was interesting to have a male main character who didn’t rely on strength. I just felt that the whole woe is me routine got a little too repetitive. By the end of the book, he seemed to have grown, and I’m curious to see where Enright takes him in the next one.

About K. M. Enright

K. M. Enright is a Filipino-American writer of fantasy romance. When not writing, he can be found playing too many video games, cooking, or listening to Broadway musicals. He currently lives in New Jersey with his spouse and their black cat, Zuko.

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Thanks for reading my book review for Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright! The sequel, Lord of Ruin, is out now.

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