Liar’s Kingdom
Christine Calella
Page Street YA
Published January 14, 2025
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Liar’s Kingdom
Ell has spent years slaving away for her cruel stepfamily. So when Prince Bayard—who seems to have difficulty recognizing faces—shows up at her door with a glass slipper, Ell allows him to believe she danced with him at the ball. There’s just one problem: Ell didn’t attend the ball and she’s never met the prince before in her life. But if it’s a choice between moving to the royal palace or staying home, Ell is willing to say anything to escape.
However, Ell finds that being royalty comes with its own problems. Bayard’s sister, the princess, has gone missing. The king is preparing for war against the fae. And Maxim, Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, appears to know Ell is lying.
If Ell wants to keep this life she’s stolen, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and rescue herself.
My Review
This reimagining of the popular fairytale places Cinderella at the center of the action. Instead of a passive girl whose goodness magically opens a path to royalty, the lead character drives her story forward.
Though at first Ell thinks of nothing beyond her escape from imprisonment in an abusive home, she soon forms a deep friendship and cares for the prince with face blindness. She cares for the girl who becomes her first lady-in-waiting and her maid, wanting to know their true feelings and thoughts and to protect them from a volatile king.
I like that Ell makes choices that change the course of the story and that she still has the internal goodness that Cinderella is so classically known for. I also liked how the prince’s face blindness is handled throughout the story. There were moments when the narrative could have erased this part of his character and instead chose a different path forward. I appreciated that.
The pacing of the book was a little bit uneven for me. The first half of the book sets up a lot of dominoes that fall in the second half of the book. I like the idea of that, but there were things in the second half of the story that felt like they happened fast. I felt like I was supposed to have put together all the clues from the first half of the story and then been expecting some of the things in the second half. The romance, in particular, seemed to happen quickly. I would have liked to see a little more development there.
Overall, though, Liar’s Kingdom is a fresh, inspired reimagining of the story of Cinderella. I loved how the author transformed some of the story elements and preserved the heart of the classic tale.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some limited use of profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex.
Spiritual Content
Some characters are fairies and have some ability to do magic. Other fantastical and dangerous creatures exist in the book, such as ogres and giant spiders.
Violent Content
Ell’s stepmother is violent and abusive toward her. Her stepsisters also participated in abusing her. Ell has violent urges in which she wants to strike out at someone but stops herself. A few scenes contain brief battle violence in which someone uses a sword or crossbow to injure or kill someone.
Drug Content
References to alcohol. Some characters appear under a spell and are unable to control their bodies or voices.
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