The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell

Mar 02, 2020 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-ebooks, arcs-and-review-copies

ARC provided by the publisherSaga Pressin exchange for an honest review.

The Kingdom of Liars is a solid debut thats quite challenging to get through at first, but the second half offers rewarding experience to those who read the novel to its completion.

Similar to many cases with debuts by an unknown author in the past, my interest to read The Kingdom of Liars, the first book in The Legacy of The Mercenary Kings series by Nick Martell, was sparked due to the gorgeous cover art by Bastien ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Lisa rated it liked it

Shelves: net-galley

My thanks to Gallery/Saga press, Netgalley and the author Nick Martell.
I did give up on this book. I was not jiving with any characters. Also, guns. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy shooting. That's how I was raised. Paper targets, and Tin cans! But, I truly don't like it when guns cross over into fantasy. Sure, I'll admit that I adore epic and grimdark fantasy. Still, as soon as guns are introduced I cringe. I'm just a sucker for swords and all. I love trebouchets. Yeah, that is likely the wrong ...more

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Mar 16, 2020 James Lafayette Tivendale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, freecopy

I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Kingdom of Liars in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Nick Martell and Gollancz for the opportunity.

The Kingdom of Liars, the first entry in The Legacy of the Mercenary King series, is the tale of Michael Kingman. He relays his story to us regarding the events that led him to be on trial as a King Killer, which he rather melodramatically refers to as "the greatest story ever told." Ten years prior to this, Michael's father was also I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Kingdom of Liars in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Nick Martell and Gollancz for the opportunity.

The Kingdom of Liars, the first entry in The Legacy of the Mercenary King series, is the tale of Michael Kingman. He relays his story to us regarding the events that led him to be on trial as a King Killer, which he rather melodramatically refers to as "the greatest story ever told." Ten years prior to this, Michael's father was also tried for regicide and he was executed. He murdered a Prince who was the son of the King that Michael is accused of assassinating. We find out much more about these events throughout the narrative and if/how they are related.

The Kingdom of Liars is told from Michael's first-person point of view perspective. We get to witness the city of Hollow as it is described by the narrator. As a Kingman - who have for generations acted as Right-Hand Men for the monarchs - Michael has the weight of his family's name and legacy on his shoulders. This has been made even more complicated as his family were branded traitors following his father's actions. Michael currently lives a mundane, dull existence. When not looking after his brain-addled mother he cons Low Nobels for whatever profit he can. Towards the beginning of The Kingdom of Liars, Michael crosses paths with two unique and eccentric individuals. An alcoholic yet extremely influential High Noble and a mysterious magic-wielding mercenary. He is offered opportunities to help his family live a stress-free life, and a possibility to investigate the details of his father's crime to see if he was innocent. Family and Legacy are the most important things to a Kingman.

The magic scheme presented here seemed pretty unique and interesting to learn about. Magic users are referred to as Fabricators. These skills tend to be found in the Royal or the Noble classes. There are many different types including combat, reinforcer, lightning, light, dark, shadow etc... The cost of using these powers is that the wielder will forfeit certain memories. Many magic users keep journals for this reason. Mages who overindulge can become Forgotten. These are zombie-like beings who are hollow shells of their former selves. Although he is uninitiated with his magical abilities, Michael himself has moments when he can't remember certain details or recall someone who insists that he knows them.

The time of the monarchy is shaky at best here as there is an open rebellion taking place in Hollow. Political unrest is rife. The Queen-in-Waiting is notably absent from court and the Corrupt Prince lives up to his name and has made it no secret he wishes to succeed his father. There are many factions, ranks and organisations in the city such as advocators, ravens, wardens, skeletons, and also mercenaries who are a law to themselves. The world-building is good and Hollow is well-crafted. I'd like to visit more of the world in the following entries as other cities are only briefly mentioned.

The Kingdom of Liars is a pretty impressive debut release. It's an exciting, action-focused fantasy thriller with intriguing mystery elements included too. Some of the characters were really well realised and great to find out more about. A few, however, don't seem adequately fleshed out, but hopefully, this will change going forwards. The finale is stunning and I raced through the last eighty or so pages at a manic could-not-put-the-book-down pace. I didn't predict the outcome, twists, or resolutions at all which is always a plus. It was only during the final few pages that I realised why the series is called The Legacy of the Mercenary King. At the ending, it's fully revealed who the heroes and the villains are and I'm interested in what will happen next. There are some grand possibilities for this as a series and fine foundations have been set. The Kingdom of Liars isn't perfect, a lot of what is here you'd have read before but it is an enjoyable take on the genre and I flew through the 600 pages in a handful of days. Martell is an author whose career I'll be watching. ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Nils | nilsreviewsit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Dying wasnt new to me. I had an understanding that it would come for us all one day; all that differed was the time. It was oddly comforting in a way. It was the only time nobles, Royals, and commoners were the same. We all walked into the darkness in the end, meeting whatever waited for us. There were some days that I thought it would be the only time in my life I would be at peace.

The Kingdom of Liars is the upcoming debut by Nick Martell. This is one book that certainly starts off with a bang ‘Dying wasn’t new to me. I had an understanding that it would come for us all one day; all that differed was the time. It was oddly comforting in a way. It was the only time nobles, Royals, and commoners were the same. We all walked into the darkness in the end, meeting whatever waited for us. There were some days that I thought it would be the only time in my life I would be at peace.’

The Kingdom of Liars is the upcoming debut by Nick Martell. This is one book that certainly starts off with a bang as the story begins with Michael Kingman, our main protagonist, on trial for the murder of the King. What a way to start a story! I mean if that doesn’t hook a reader in, I don’t know what will! As the narrative unfolds we slowly begin to discover what has brought Michael to this point, we learn about his family’s reputation as traitors, and we are presented with a world where magic comes at a terrible cost.

From the opening chapter we are thrown into the middle of events. Much has happened in the land of Hollow; a once thriving place where a variety of citizens could live prosperously is now teetering on ruination. An all out rebellion is hatching, caused by the oppressive High Nobles and the Royalty’s rule, turning the people against them. At the centre of it all lies the Kingman family; protectors of the royal line, a once highly respected influential Noble name, that is now a disgrace. Michael’s father had been executed for the murder of the King’s son, and Michael seems to be following in his father’s wake. All is not as it seems though, and in a world where history can be forgotten and retold, can Michael uncover the truth to save not only himself from execution but also save his family’s legacy?

Now, I’m quite fond of books that blend genres, I think they can add an abundance of depth to a story. So I found myself highly impressed by the way Martell blended fantasy with the crime/thriller genre; it made for such a compelling story. This was much in the fashion of RJ Barker in his Wounded Kingdom trilogy; Martell even uses a first person narration, as Barker did too, and I think this worked perfectly to
thoroughly immerse the reader into the world and mystery. Throughout, we follow Michael as he picks up pieces to the puzzle surrounding his father’s supposed treason. We are right with him, making conclusions of our own, and facing a few jaw dropping twists along the way. This is a book that develops at break-neck speed, and leaves you continuously wanting more.

Honestly though, it did take me a while to warm to Michael. At first I found his character to be overly naive, even for his age, and he had a cocky air about him which, for me personally, made him slightly frustrating. Michael was a con artist; he’s shown cheating nobles in order to earn coin, having lost his families wealth after the execution of his father, this acts as his small scale revenge. During these beginning chapters, I found Michael was slightly over emotive at times, and rather impulsive. However as the story takes a dark turn, and Michael finally starts to see the bigger picture, when he realises that every action he takes could cost his family dearly, and when he recognises that he is the con artist who is being conned, well that’s when we see Michael naturally grow and truly shine. Martell, really won me over with Michael’s character arc, because by the end, I wholly admired him.
~
‘We’re all selfish monsters—the only difference is some of us are more honest about it than others.’
~
The Kingdom of Liars also includes a varied cast of characters, and I really enjoyed the way Martell built them all up; for good or ill he allowed each of them to come to life. The ones that most stood out to me were Kai, who was a blind, high noble friend to Michael, then there was Michael’s mother, who suffered memory loss, akin to Alzheimer’s disease, and notably many other characters represented different races and class. I feel this is definitely a novel that illustrates the dangers of privileged elitism, prejudices, and an overbearing government, which gravely mirrors some of the issues we still face today.

I also believe one of the significant strengths of this novel lies in the magic system. In the first few chapters Martell throws us into the deep end as we are presented with a host of magic users, with very little explanation as to what their powers entailed. Again, I found this so compelling, I wanted to know so much more, and as the story developed, this was surely delivered. To briefly explain, within the book there are characters who are known as light, air, fire and even metal Fabricators, who wield their specific power. I don’t wish to divulge too much here, so what I’ll just say is that I was most impressed with the consequence each character faced should they over use their power. You see, uncontrolled use of Fabrications, or overuse could potentially lead to becoming a Forgotten: this is where piece by piece your memory is either partially or wholly wiped. Consequently, the central theme in the book is that of memories, and leaving a legacy which can never be erased; but what I loved the most was the concept of surviving in a world where even your own memories are fleeting and not to be trusted. How do you ever know what the truth is?

So, at its heart The Kingdom of Liars is a tale of family, loyalty and leaving a legacy that none shall forget. This is certainly a book that you won’t be able to put down, and will linger with you long after you’ve read the last page.

ARC provided by Gollancz in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. The Kingdom of Liars is out 7th May 2020.
...more

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Mar 19, 2020 Chelsea Humphrey rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, from-publisher

I'm between 3-3.5 stars on this one, due to the painfully slow first half followed by an incredible second act. While I do not claim to be the resident expert on fantasy novels of any kind, I feel like I have read enough at this point to have a general understanding of the various tropes and sub-genres that are popular. That said, I initially requested this book for 2 reasons: 1) I'm really enjoying reading more adult fantasy than YA fantasy this year and 2) Brandon Sanderson blurbed it, so DUH. ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Dave rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-have, netgalley-books, fantasy-all, fantasy-epic-fantasy-high

Martells Kingdom Of Liars is the first novel in a planned epic fantasy series, Legacy of the Mercenary Kings. It is a complex fantasy featuring a feudal court, a vicious rebellion, magical powers (fabrications), and court intrigue. The world-building is terrific, offering the reader a glimpse of a small corner of the universe, the Hollows, which despite the name which might lead you to think of forests and streams, is a feudal city of lords and ladies and a desperate underclass keyed up to Martells’ “Kingdom Of Liars” is the first novel in a planned epic fantasy series, “Legacy of the Mercenary Kings.” It is a complex fantasy featuring a feudal court, a vicious rebellion, magical powers (fabrications), and court intrigue. The world-building is terrific, offering the reader a glimpse of a small corner of the universe, the Hollows, which despite the name which might lead you to think of forests and streams, is a feudal city of lords and ladies and a desperate underclass keyed up to rebellion. Except for a brief journey into the forest to slay a wyvern, a legendary two-footed dragon-like creature with a deadly barbed tail, all the action takes place in the city. There are various “keeps” and castles and cathedrals and mercenaries to keep the populace in line. And, there is an ancient moon in the sky breaking apart with its haunted pieces falling to the city, often causing havoc.

The “magic” really takes a backseat to the story here and that’s unfortunate because it’s a fascinating part of this world and should take a more central place in future volumes in the series. The “magic” is called “fabrications,” consisting of light fabrications, dark fabrications, metal fabrications and more. These powers are hereditary and almost solely possessed by the nobles. There is of course a cost to their use and perhaps this is why they are rarely used in the story.

The cost of using fabrications is memory loss. The consequence is that the royals and the nobles all suffer from memory gaps, gaps they try to fill in with stories, with truth, with decrees. It is not evident till far into the book that the use of fabrications has led to confusion and mystery and people who sometimes don’t remember each other. The author could’ve done a better job of placing these issues front and center. It isn’t until late in the story that the reader realizes how big an issue the reliability-of truth becomes.

This is particularly true when one finally understands that the main character from whose point of view the story is told, Michael Kingman, is very much an unreliable narrator. This is so both because of the filling in of memory gaps and his youthful coming-of-age. Michael Kingman is not the powerful warrior that usually is the main character in these fantasy gigs. Rather, he is an unlikely hero, who is unsure if himself, childlike, Whiney, and easily manipulated. But, it is probably that he is just coming into his own skin, a nervous teenager growing up finally ten years after his father is tried and executed for murdering the king’s son. And now as our story begins Michael himself following in his father’s footsteps is in trial for murdering the king.

The Kingmans are a noble family, set to be juxtaposed to the Royals themselves, a counterweight to keep them in check. They are supposed to be loyal and the king’s confidants. But Michael, who is now a petty thief in the streets, has grown up these long years with the brand of traitor. He doesn’t know if he should join the rebellion or prove what he believes is his father’s innocence.

There are so many great dramatic elements here. However, as an epic fantasy read, it just misses being great and is a bit uneven. It would’ve helped to know better at the start what was at stake and where things were going. The story takes the reader in many different pathways of courtly intrigue and one often lost sight of where things were heading and why things were important. But fantasy works these days are very complex, no simple quests for the holy grail, no simple mission to throw a ring in a pit of fire in a world where it’s always clear who is good and who is evil. ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 James Islington rated it it was amazing

More a quick recommendation than a proper review, but this is another debut Ive enjoyed recently! I initially gave The Kingdom of Liars a shot because the core concept (memory as a cost for using magic) sounded fascinating, and while that didnt play out exactly as I expectedits a more a danger for those who overuse their magic, rather than an everyday costits still used to good effect, and the smartly plotted story was more than enough to keep me engaged. Theres great worldbuilding, characters ...more

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Jan 22, 2020 Jeremy Szal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2020, blurbed

In my blurb for this book, I called it, "a richly rewarding fantasy that seethes with mysteries, fused with a mindscrew of a magic system". At the risk of becoming a self-quoting tosser: it really is that good.

You won't find dragons and oaths and tales of heroism here, not in the traditional sense. Here, the storytelling revolves around the idea that using magic makes you suffer from memory loss. As a result, the central narrative revolves around people lying and deceiving and misleading ...more

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Mar 04, 2020 Logan rated it really liked it

A fantasy debut full of twists, mystery and reveals. Honestly, this book was very unpredictable for me; I really didn't know where things would end up and it had me guessing right up until the very end. The plot twists were my favorite part of this book.
The magic reminded me a bit of Brandon Sanderson with its unique naming system and the very real cost of magic use. The idea of memories was explored a lot in this book and I found this theme to be extremely interesting. I haven't read many books ...more

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Feb 25, 2020 Ria the Reader rated it liked it

Heavy in politics, lots of rebellions, death, and intrigue. After a while I lost interest though that's through no fault of the books. Michael Kingman is a fascinating character and I will be seeing where this story goes later on. DNF at 54%.

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Dec 26, 2019 Ellie Manning rated it it was amazing

A wonderful fantasy novel, by debut author Nick Martell, that I couldn't put down!

Michael Kingman, branded a traitor for the crimes of his father, has a family legacy to live up to and a past to confront to do it. In a world where the nobility can use magic at the price of their memories, Michael must face the political corruption of the High Nobility of the Hollows in order to find the truth about his family, and himself. But who's memories can he trust, if not his own?

Pub date 05/05/20.

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Feb 06, 2020 Abi (The Knights Who Say Book) rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, spies-thieves-and-assassins, arcs, young-adult, series-i-won-t-be-continuing

This wasn't good. I would have DNF'd it at 3% based on the bad writing, but it was an ARC from netgalley and I didn't want an unfinished book on my record, so I persevered in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't.

The characters were not fleshed out. There were quite a few of them not more than a book could handle, mind you, so that's not really an excuse and none of them got enough focus for me to actually care about them. Michael, the main character, is constantly telling you how much This wasn't good. I would have DNF'd it at 3% based on the bad writing, but it was an ARC from netgalley and I didn't want an unfinished book on my record, so I persevered in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't.

The characters were not fleshed out. There were quite a few of them — not more than a book could handle, mind you, so that's not really an excuse — and none of them got enough focus for me to actually care about them. Michael, the main character, is constantly telling you how much he cares about his friends and how taking care of them is all he cares about, but there's maybe two scenes total that have any genuine sense of camaraderie or warmth. Otherwise, it's just his word as the narrator, or stiff, hackneyed dialogue between him and these "friends."

As a main character, I did not prefer Michael over the other characters. The story is at least cognizant of the fact that he's kind of whiny and makes stupid decisions. But when I can't find any reason to like him, whininess and dumbness go from acceptable character flaws to defining traits that I can't stand.

The writing style is to blame for these problems and all the others. The dialogue falls very short of both realism and cleverness; there's nothing enjoyable to it or the descriptions of the setting. Actions are choppy and disconnected, and Michael's reasoning never makes any sense.

This book hates reasoning. It hates explaining things. It hates setting up literally anything in advance. Worldbuilding is done on the fly as things happen, never in advance (which is especially bad in a story with a central mystery, because you have no chance to pick up clues as a reader when you don't know basic things about how the magic works). And backstory is given on the fly too. If Michael has an enemy, for example, you find that out when he happens to run into that enemy, and not a moment before.

It feels like a first draft: like the author is pantsing his way through it, figuring out what he wants to happen in the story, and hasn't yet gone back to rewrite it so that everything properly leads up to what he ends up deciding should happen. And that does not make for a good plot.

This book needs another round of rewriting. It could be better then, since there there are already some interesting worldbuilding elements, like the shattered moon and fallible memories, and maybe one and a half good plot twists too. But as it stands now, I had to force myself through every chapter of this book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Rusty rated it liked it

I received a free eARC of this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Well, that was a disappointment. The overarching story was good. A young man who believes his father was wrongfully executed for killing the prince 10 years ago seeks to find out the truth when the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, the product was messy. I kept writing it off as an unreliable narrator, but the actions that Michael takes don't make sense. If he has been conning nobles for years and surviving in this ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Lynn Amundsen rated it it was amazing

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell is a fun ride. It starts with the anti-hero, Michael Kingman. You will quickly learn to love this exasperating guy with a huge chip on his shoulder and an overreaching sense of responsibility for everyone he cares about. The author creates an elaborate world where very little can be trusted, the use of magic destroys memory and even the written word is distorted by corruption. The ending is mind blowing, I honestly usually can guess the direction a book is ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Adeel rated it it was amazing

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell was a superb fantasy debut that I had my attention from start to finish. Each time I flicked through a page, I just kept on going and everything around me didn't matter because this book had me in a bookish headlock that I didn't want to get out of 😂. This was highly aided by the combination of fantasy and mystery. At no point did I know what was going to happen which was so refreshing!

The story begins with the main character of Michael Kingman on trial for ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 Anne Monteith rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, netgalley-reviews

This is the authors debut novel and while the story shows great promise theres need for improvement. Since this was an ARC, I did not want to DNF, but its taken me over a month to finally slog my way through to the end.

The protagonist is not very likable and makes so many stupid mistakes that you wonder how hes managed to survive even given the fact that the king would execute anyone who kills him unless he has ordered his death. The world building needs a lot of work, there are son many ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Metaphorosis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2020-rev

2 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Michael Kingman is the son of a traitor, but also the descendant of a family that made the kingdom what it is. Trying to find a place in society, he stumbles onto a mystery that may explain much about his executed father.

Review
I generally ignore blurbs, but every now and then, if it's from an author I like, one catches my attention. Sometimes, that's a mistake. I picked up Nick Martell's The Kingdom of Liars mostly for its interesting premise that magic costs ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Nick Martell is currently reading it · (Review from the author)

First off, let me say right off the bat that Im biased. I wrote THE KINGDOM OF LIARS primarily during my last two years of college. I sold the novel in January 2018. And now, about two and half years later, the book will finally be available for everyone to read.

When I wrote THE KINGDOM OF LIARS, my goal was to tell the story of what would happen if a legendary family had a morally questionable child that crumbled under the pressure of emulating his ancestors. Because hasnt anyone ever wondered ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Francisca Pinto rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalleyarcs

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
And so sorry but I think this book is not for me.
My first and worst problem is I don't care what is happening with the characters, all the family problem is boring and the characters are boring and the problem is boring.... The Kingman family are in disgrace when David Kingman (the father), kill the little prince of the kingdom and then, he dies executed.
The Kingman family is threaten like traitors and Michael are trying with ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Whitney rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, royalty

I enjoyed this book. The world-building was interesting and the narrator's story was engaging.

I liked that the world wasn't completely fleshed out because the main character didn't understand that much of it. He was completely confined to his city with no world view at all. The city he lived in also seemed incredibly isolationist. However, the main character also seemed to be stuck in a loop, with no real understanding of the city he lived it, which didn't really make sense, as we are told he I enjoyed this book. The world-building was interesting and the narrator's story was engaging.

I liked that the world wasn't completely fleshed out because the main character didn't understand that much of it. He was completely confined to his city with no world view at all. The city he lived in also seemed incredibly isolationist. However, the main character also seemed to be stuck in a loop, with no real understanding of the city he lived it, which didn't really make sense, as we are told he relied on understanding that city for income. We, the readers, saw none of the city's structure, except what the most wealthy and privileged were doing. Although the main character spoke of living through many hardships, it never really felt like he did. He had one primary thing to pay for (which fell all on him for some reason) and more than enough money to buy extra things. He didn't ever seem in real danger, except at the end. For the most part his friends seemed to be getting along just fine. The push for one of them to move seemed a bit contrived, since he could have just waited a tiny bit longer and would have been fine. The upward mobility in society seemed really strange. With poor and middle class people very quickly jumping multiple ranks to socialize with the elite. If there was some means where this was happening, the author never said. The main character seemed extremely naive and trusting, even at the end, (view spoiler)

All that said, what we saw of the world was really interesting, and I'd like to see more beyond the bounds of the city, which is where the next book is probably going (hopefully). I like the city-state setup a lot, it's something I don't see often enough in fantasy books! (view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Aly rated it it was ok

Shelves: age-adult

2.25/5

I thought the story itself was actually interesting, but I found this to just be boring. At least for me, it took a lot for me to actually care for anyone. The story felt so slow that it was almost dragging. Michael is an alright MC, but he definitely needs more fleshing out for me to actually feel anything for him. The side characters I can't even say anything about. In my opinion, the characters weren't catching my attention. Paired with the slowness of the book, I was really not a fan.

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Mar 31, 2020 Claire Mac marked it as to-read

arc provided in exchange for an honest review

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Mar 03, 2020 Edward Cox rated it it was amazing

Michael Kingman is a dangerous liar. He cant be trusted, you should not like him under any circumstances whatsoever, and he deserves his execution for high treason...doesnt he?

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell is a roaringly good romp. The story is a little different, the world is full of intrigue and mystery, the characters are human and flawed, and the twists and turns are unpredictable. The book is out from Gollancz in May 2020, and its a debut everyone should watch out for. Marvellous ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Steve rated it liked it

"Were all selfish monstersthe only difference is some of us are more honest about it than others."

Synopsis: Michael Kingman is heir to a legacy of betrayal. After his father's appartent murder of the King's son, his once-powerful family are forced to live in disgrace and servitude. Ten years later, Michael is scraping by in the streets, moving from one con to the next like a common grifter. When an opportunity presents itself for him to rejoin the upper class and to clear his family's "We’re all selfish monsters—the only difference is some of us are more honest about it than others."

Synopsis: Michael Kingman is heir to a legacy of betrayal. After his father's appartent murder of the King's son, his once-powerful family are forced to live in disgrace and servitude. Ten years later, Michael is scraping by in the streets, moving from one con to the next like a common grifter. When an opportunity presents itself for him to rejoin the upper class and to clear his family's reputation, Michael seizes it... but power comes at a cost. Will Michael reclaim his lost legacy, or will he lose his very identity trying?

I'll start by thanking Gallery/Saga press for the opportunity to review an early copy of this novel! It's always a pleasure to have such opportunities, both to enjoy a good read and to offer some promotion to authors.

The Kingdom of Liars begins in medias res, with the "trial" of Michael Kingman, and does not really take the time to slow down. I am inclined to enjoy this pace, as it keeps one reading steadily and makes for an enjoyable reading experience. As I'll discuss below, however, this does at time let the reader down.

Let's start with some good points! I found the premise of the story quite interesting. I love a good redemption arc, and the protagonist's desire to vindicate his family is admirable and believable. The fact that Michael (our first-person narrator/protagonist) does not readily believe that his father may have been innocent of his crimes is refreshing, and helps sell the unraveling of the mystery presented; our hero is a reluctant one, and this helps balance the 1st person narrative with some introspection. I wasn't entirely enamored of the supporting cast, but Michael's friend Kai was a standout, as was his sister Gwen. These characters felt fleshed-out, and easier to picture; they were also a pleasure to read. My only criticism of the character development is that everyone felt, to some extent, over-impulsive; there are a lot of snap decisions made in this novel which I found jarring! Otherwise, I enjoyed the different personalities Michael is forced to contend with.

The complex setting of this novel deals with numerous factions, both within and outside of the monarchical political structure, and also features a unique magic system which trades memories as currency. Let's start with the magic: users of magic are called "Fabricators", and it is accepted that everyone has a single specialization. Magical power is something inherited, and those with the skills are generally more valued in society. There are fire fabricators, steel fabricators, light fabricators, dark fabricators... the system appears to be based on classical Elements. The variety of this is staggering, and several characters employ these powers with spectacular results. I am not at all surprised that Brandon Sanderson called this "An excellent fantasy debut", as the complex magic system seems like something he'd sink his teeth into. Now, magic in this world comes at a cost: use of a fabricator's powers can result in memory loss, and overuse of one's powers will result in one becoming a "forgotten" (essentially, an amnesiac). That about covers magic! For political factions, we have the corrupt monarchy/nobility (traditionally supported by the now-disgraced Kingman family), the mercenaries (so powerful that they are free to act with impunity), and the rebels. The scale of this story's components is so immense that at times the precious few details blaze by... and this is where I get a bit grumpy.

While I am all for a rich and layered setting, I sometimes feel that a certain amount of exposition is not just beneficial, but mandatory as well. What I mean by this is that there can only be a certain amount of glossing over details before one starts to lose interest. There are numerous examples of Fabricators at work in the text, as well as attempts to explain what they do, as though it is a clearly explained art/magic system... but this is then left ambiguous. Where does magic come from? How does it work exactly? Is memory loss guaranteed, or an effect of overuse? All of these things and more are glossed over. Similarly, mercenaries are made out as feared, near-mystical figures of immense power, capable of toppling an entire government when angered. If that is so, then why are they mercenaries at all? Why work for others? The setting is rich, and the world is large, but it feels as though there is insufficient plumbing of the depths. I suspect that this will take place more in the sequel, but it can be a hard sell for some.

I don't mean to imply that the novel was not an enjoyable read: it absolutely was. I just happen to be a very attentive reader, and I crave lore. If you dangle all those pieces of bait in front of me, there had better be a payoff! To me, the payoff in The Kingdom of Liars ended up being the flow of the narrative and the fast-paced journey it takes its reader as secrets of Michael's past are slowly and meticulously unraveled. This was an enjoyable and creative story, and my criticisms only reinforce this statement: I am absolutely invested in where this is going, and I want to know more about everything. The Kingdom of Liars releases May 5, 2020, so mark it in your calendar and make sure to give this one a try.

Happy reading! ...more

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Mar 03, 2020 Xerxes rated it it was amazing

This is what Game of Thrones would look like, if it had a sense of an moral compass and heroism. This is what my intepretation of this fantastic novel is. It comes at a whopping 608 pages or so. This is what fantasy books should be in my opinion. I have seen a boy become a man by the end of this book. If I had to summarise it in one sentence, that describes everything that is for this book.

The details of distinguishing between the high and low nobles, the Ravens and the Fabricators, the This is what Game of Thrones would look like, if it had a sense of an moral compass and heroism. This is what my intepretation of this fantastic novel is. It comes at a whopping 608 pages or so. This is what fantasy books should be in my opinion. I have seen a boy become a man by the end of this book. If I had to summarise it in one sentence, that describes everything that is for this book.

The details of distinguishing between the high and low nobles, the Ravens and the Fabricators, the Archivists is so painstainkingly done to every single detail, this was a labour of love done by Nick Martell. Michael Kingman is a character that you would expect to be a coward, a person that knows nothing. A man that’s too afflicted from his past. A man that runs from his past. A man that needs to discover the truth of what afflicts him the most.

I would call this under a category of a good mix of grim-dark fantasy combined with heroic fantasy. That’s what I think the novel represents in my opinion. Gwen in my opinion needed more scenes with Michael. I also wanted to see even more scenes of King Issac, to better understand his motivations, and more scenes of the Corrupt Prince, who I felt needed a few more scenes in there. But you can’t fit everything in this whopping debut. Without spoiling too much, I also wanted Michael to go towards his mother a lot more. I feel as if the mother holds more clues than she’s revealing.

Dormet is officially one of my favorite characters along with Dark. I do not know why, but if you read on, you’ll figure why. You will feature loss throughout this novel, and you will cry. The way in which Nick demonstrates loss is honorable, though it does have Game of Thrones tendancies some times. There is so much power and political intrigue I cannot understand how Michael Kingman must navigate through all this when his father was branded as a traitor. Sirash is a great character, and yet Trey…has a past that he must come to grips with.

If I were to compare this to any fantasy novel out there that has a similar genre, it would be Mark Lawrence’s the Broken Empire. The characters are similar, and both are running from a past rather than taking course of their own lives. You know I’ve always loved fantasy novels which focus on the under-dog. And Michael Kingman is just that. There were so many emotional scenes in this novel that it is better you read it. I cannot express this into words. I found this an awesome read. The writing and prose is sharp. I want more novels that show the underdog. That show the under-dog rising through society to take his or her steps. I want more novels like this.

This is a brilliant, dazzling novel that will have you be emotional within hours of reading this book. It’s that fantastic. The writing, the dialogue, everything is on point. It is not easy to create an emotional scene, and Nick has done a fab job of making this. Nick, you’ve made me a fan. I am impressed, and I loved this. Please keep writing more awesome and bad-ass content like this. ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 Anne Monteith rated it it was ok

This is the authors debut novel and while the story shows great promise theres need for improvement. Since this was an ARC, I did not want to DNF, but its taken me over a month to finally slog my way through to the end.

The protagonist is not very likable and makes so many stupid mistakes that you wonder how hes managed to survive even given the fact that the king would execute anyone who kills him unless he has ordered his death. The world building needs a lot of work, there are son many ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Jenna R rated it really liked it

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Nick Martell's The Kingdom of Liars is a solid debut fantasy that is part murder mystery, part comedy of errors and all magic. Readers follow Michael Kingman, youngest son of a prince killer who wears the brand for his father's treason on his neck. Michael finds out that his father may not have been as guilty as it seems, and is dragged into deal after deal on his quest for the truth.

One thing ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Rosie Rizk rated it really liked it

Shelves: great, hooked, developed-characters, surprise-twists, self-discovery

Instead of killing the children of the man who killed his own son, quid pro quo, the king branded the traitor's kids, and tossed them out into a world that now hated the children of their fallen hero. Until the day his father was tried as a murderer, Michael grew up on stories of his family's great legacy of heroism. Years later, Michael hates his father for ruining their legacy, but still struggles to come to terms with his own place in a society that hates him for his father's deeds. When he ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Monika Dinesh rated it really liked it

I rarely read fantasy, but I really liked the unique magic usage, and how magicians are called Fabricators. This fantasy novel is action-packed, thrilling, lot of characters (which seemed confusing in the beginning). The Kingdom of Liars is the first book in the "Legend of Mercenary King" series. The story took off slow, but it was interesting throughout. The ending was epic. Even though I guessed who would-be heroes and villains, I liked how they were magically revealed in the end. Very apt for ...more

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Mar 27, 2020 Mallory rated it it was amazing

Michael Kingsman's father was found guilty of killing the prince when Michael was just a child and his life was never the same. Michael and his siblings are marked as traitors and attempt to find a way to accept their father's crimes and live their lives. This world is beautifully written and has a unique twist to the magic present - every time . you use a spell you risk losing memory - something small like what you had for breakfast or something bigger like your past, your family, or how to use ...more

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