Thief Liar Lady
A Novel
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
“Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift—until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairytale reimagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.
“A dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch
I’m not who you think I am.
My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen—as the rumors insisted—in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.
My stepsisters and I had been trained for this—to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we wanted in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.
But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince—the wrong prince—distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created . . . and that could prove fatal.
There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Soria makes her adult debut (after the YA novel Fire with Fire, written as Destiny Soria) with a clever if occasionally slogging twist on "Cinderella." Ash Vincent, an orphaned scullery maid, hatches a plan with her stepfamily to con her way into becoming princess and thus secure fortunes for her stepsisters. She infiltrates the royal court of Solis as dazzling but demure Lady Aislinn under strict orders to charm Prince Everett, keeping him wrapped around her finger through illegal magic. But Aislinn has her own agenda, and things become increasingly precarious as war looms between Solis and neighboring country Eloria. Meanwhile, her growing feelings for and dangerous flirtations with Everett's best friend, the Elorian hostage prince, threaten to derail Aislinn's plans. As her careful lies slowly unravel, Aislinn becomes torn morally and romantically as she struggles to balance her two identities. It's a fun premise replete with espionage and just a touch of magic, but the plot is bogged down by overly involved political scheming and the ending is disappointingly rushed. Still, fans of retold fairy tales will be drawn in by this savvy upending of a classic character.