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lawbooks600's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Representation: Implied Brown character
Score: Six points out of ten.
One year ago, I read Astrid Scholte's debut, Four Dead Queens--a massive disappointment. One year later, it was time to read her latest book (at the time of writing,) League of Liars. However, it turned out to be equally underwhelming. I thought League of Liars was enjoyable until I picked out the flaws. I'm done with this author.
It starts with the first character I see, Cayder Broduck, studying to be a lawyer after magic, or edem, killed his mother. He seizes an opportunity to be a public defender's apprentice to learn every trick to dismantle arguments, as the blurb said. However, when Cayder meets his clients in the prison, Jay and Leta, they are not what they seem at first glance. League of Liars revolves around a mystery concerning who burnt a town to the ground. If it's not the suspect, then who is it? Unfortunately, nothing happens in League of Liars except the characters living their lives, creating a monotonous reading experience. I couldn't connect or relate to them. The worldbuilding doesn't exist, and the worst part is the magic system. Why is there a veil where all the edem comes from? How did it get here? Why hasn't the country the author set League of Liars set in progressed compared to others? There's no explanation for any of my questions. The conclusion is a cliffhanger and more action-packed than the rest of League of Liars. The sequel, Shadows of Truth, will arrive this year, but I don't want to read any more of the author's fictional compositions for now.
Score: Six points out of ten.
One year ago, I read Astrid Scholte's debut, Four Dead Queens--a massive disappointment. One year later, it was time to read her latest book (at the time of writing,) League of Liars. However, it turned out to be equally underwhelming. I thought League of Liars was enjoyable until I picked out the flaws. I'm done with this author.
It starts with the first character I see, Cayder Broduck, studying to be a lawyer after magic, or edem, killed his mother. He seizes an opportunity to be a public defender's apprentice to learn every trick to dismantle arguments, as the blurb said. However, when Cayder meets his clients in the prison, Jay and Leta, they are not what they seem at first glance. League of Liars revolves around a mystery concerning who burnt a town to the ground. If it's not the suspect, then who is it? Unfortunately, nothing happens in League of Liars except the characters living their lives, creating a monotonous reading experience. I couldn't connect or relate to them. The worldbuilding doesn't exist, and the worst part is the magic system. Why is there a veil where all the edem comes from? How did it get here? Why hasn't the country the author set League of Liars set in progressed compared to others? There's no explanation for any of my questions. The conclusion is a cliffhanger and more action-packed than the rest of League of Liars. The sequel, Shadows of Truth, will arrive this year, but I don't want to read any more of the author's fictional compositions for now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Full trigger warnings: Fire, death of parents and others in the past, near-death experience, imprisonment, murder, gun violencethenovelmaura's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really appreciate Penguin Teen sending me an eARC of this one! I'm a huge Astrid Scholte fan so it pains me to admit that this book didn't live up to my expectations. I suppose a part of it was the framing/marketing, since this is billed as a heist novel. The heist planning and execution only happened in the last 30% of the book, and it was pretty half-heartedly thrown together (Cayder is not on Kaz Brekker's level). The rest of the book was a legal drama, which was at times interesting but not exactly what I signed up for.
One thing I will say about Scholte is that all of her sci-fi/fantasy concepts are super intriguing and distinct from one another. I was so interested in edem and how their society was based around this weird time-magic (I do think the book could have used more world-building here). The characters were also well-written and their backgrounds were gradually revealed in a way that kept me turning pages. So there was a lot to like here in terms of characters and setting; I just wish the plot hadn't taken a backseat to everything else!
One thing I will say about Scholte is that all of her sci-fi/fantasy concepts are super intriguing and distinct from one another. I was so interested in edem and how their society was based around this weird time-magic (I do think the book could have used more world-building here). The characters were also well-written and their backgrounds were gradually revealed in a way that kept me turning pages. So there was a lot to like here in terms of characters and setting; I just wish the plot hadn't taken a backseat to everything else!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well...that was not really what I was expecting. I went in thinking it was going to be a magical heist novel, with action and magic and a morally grey crew. That definitely isn't what this book is, so just know that going in.
I had seen somewhere that this is being marketed as Six of Crows meets How To Get Away With Murder. Much of the book is focused on the trial of Cayder's sister. Which is fine, it just felt like it went on for too long. I wanted more action, more about the magical system, more about the world. And I didn't really get it.
The characters also kind of fell a bit flat for me. I do think they get better by the end, but I honestly didn't really feel much of a connection to any of them. And wiwth that ending, there better be another book. Because what? Such an abrupt, cliff hanger-esque ending. Like, I don't think this story ends there, but there's nothing indicating that there's going to be a second book.
All in all, if you're interested in magical court cases, this is definitely something that you'll enjoy! Just know that it's going to be a bit slower than you might expect.
I had seen somewhere that this is being marketed as Six of Crows meets How To Get Away With Murder. Much of the book is focused on the trial of Cayder's sister. Which is fine, it just felt like it went on for too long. I wanted more action, more about the magical system, more about the world. And I didn't really get it.
The characters also kind of fell a bit flat for me. I do think they get better by the end, but I honestly didn't really feel much of a connection to any of them. And wiwth that ending, there better be another book. Because what? Such an abrupt, cliff hanger-esque ending. Like, I don't think this story ends there, but there's nothing indicating that there's going to be a second book.
All in all, if you're interested in magical court cases, this is definitely something that you'll enjoy! Just know that it's going to be a bit slower than you might expect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
melaniereadsbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this arc.
When Cayder's sister is arrested for using illegal magic, he has to find a way to save her from life in prison and runs into a bigger conspiracy than he thought he would have to fight.
I really liked the magical aspects of this book; it had a really cool and unique magic system. I loved the ideas behind that system and am excited to be able to learn more about it in future books(?) as what happens with this extradimensional magic is explored more.
The characters were all...fine. I wasn't really attached to any of them and I don't think that character development was one of the strong suits of this book. There is a bit of a "heist" aspect when they break out of prison, but that is really only a small part of the book. Most of it was legal things and background.
The writing style is good, but I just wasn't really invested in the characters.
When Cayder's sister is arrested for using illegal magic, he has to find a way to save her from life in prison and runs into a bigger conspiracy than he thought he would have to fight.
I really liked the magical aspects of this book; it had a really cool and unique magic system. I loved the ideas behind that system and am excited to be able to learn more about it in future books(?) as what happens with this extradimensional magic is explored more.
The characters were all...fine. I wasn't really attached to any of them and I don't think that character development was one of the strong suits of this book. There is a bit of a "heist" aspect when they break out of prison, but that is really only a small part of the book. Most of it was legal things and background.
The writing style is good, but I just wasn't really invested in the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
therese_nook68's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I had high hopes for this book based off of what it’s compared to but in terms of Six of Crows, the portion is only there close to the end, almost 70% of the way through and HTGAWM is almost non-existent.
I do think that there is a lot of potential with this series and this book, the characters are compelling and I was invested in the world building and the mystery. Unfortunately, the pacing wasn’t it. It was definitely slow-paced to say the least, but we don’t necessarily pass the synopsis until about 68% of the way through and it also doesn’t pick up until that point either. For a book with so much world building, I still felt like I was missing a lot of information by the end.
I do think that there is a lot of potential with this series and this book, the characters are compelling and I was invested in the world building and the mystery. Unfortunately, the pacing wasn’t it. It was definitely slow-paced to say the least, but we don’t necessarily pass the synopsis until about 68% of the way through and it also doesn’t pick up until that point either. For a book with so much world building, I still felt like I was missing a lot of information by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
alli_the_bookaholic13's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an eARC for an honest review.
Wow. This book was not what I was expecting, and I have to say I really hope there will be a sequel because I have so many questions after the end!
I found that the book started out pretty slowly. I was expecting it to be focused on the plan to break the people out of prison, but that plan didn’t even come to the characters until 68% into the book. When I got the about halfway through I found that it picked up for me. I was more interested in what was happening, and I was excited to get answers. I liked the planning for the prison break, and the last 15% of the book was super exciting and fast-paced.
The characters were good. Cayder was frustrating at times, but I liked how the author portrayed his struggles between what he believed and what he was faced with. Leta was really interesting, and I would have liked more of Jey. Kema was kind of just there for the most part, and Elle was interesting but I didn’t feel like I knew her enough to be super invested in her story. The book is primarily first person in Cayder’s POV, but it does flip to third person for the other characters.
I thought the world building was decent, and the writing style was easy enough to follow. I had more questions in the end than I did at the beginning, though, so I’m hoping there’s a sequel that will eventually provide answers.
Overall I liked how the story played out. I liked the interactions between the characters, but I wouldn’t say this has found family vibes. The ending felt like it was setting up for them to develop the found family vibes, but I didn’t feel like it was there yet. If that’s what you like from Six of Crowd, be warned. This book was more about the law and a murder trial than about a heist and found family.
Wow. This book was not what I was expecting, and I have to say I really hope there will be a sequel because I have so many questions after the end!
I found that the book started out pretty slowly. I was expecting it to be focused on the plan to break the people out of prison, but that plan didn’t even come to the characters until 68% into the book. When I got the about halfway through I found that it picked up for me. I was more interested in what was happening, and I was excited to get answers. I liked the planning for the prison break, and the last 15% of the book was super exciting and fast-paced.
The characters were good. Cayder was frustrating at times, but I liked how the author portrayed his struggles between what he believed and what he was faced with. Leta was really interesting, and I would have liked more of Jey. Kema was kind of just there for the most part, and Elle was interesting but I didn’t feel like I knew her enough to be super invested in her story. The book is primarily first person in Cayder’s POV, but it does flip to third person for the other characters.
I thought the world building was decent, and the writing style was easy enough to follow. I had more questions in the end than I did at the beginning, though, so I’m hoping there’s a sequel that will eventually provide answers.
Overall I liked how the story played out. I liked the interactions between the characters, but I wouldn’t say this has found family vibes. The ending felt like it was setting up for them to develop the found family vibes, but I didn’t feel like it was there yet. If that’s what you like from Six of Crowd, be warned. This book was more about the law and a murder trial than about a heist and found family.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Murder, and Death
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was fun but I think the comparisons to Six of Crows are hurting this book by giving people the wrong impression about this book. There is no heist. And honestly the synopsis has a huge spoiler about the book so... 🙃
League of Liars follows four teenagers: Cayder Broduck, a young man who wants to become a public defender and knows his apprenticeship under one of the premier public defenders can make his dreams come true. The other three main characters are prisoners of Vardean, a high security prison. One of them is Cayder's sister, Leta. Cayder doesn't know how his sister has been accused of mass murder, but he's determined to find out what really happened. As Cayder gets caught up in these three cases, he finds surprising connections and treachery.
I really enjoyed this story. I found all the court politics and trials fascinating. The magic system was kind of confusing but I was curious nonetheless. I really want to know if there will be a sequel because this was 100% set up for one and even ends on a cliffhanger (of sorts) so...powers that be please make it happen.
Cayder was all right. I liked him well enough even though he was quite stubborn. But I really enjoyed his character growth throughout this. He uncovers a shit ton of info throughout this novel and the way his actions change were really amazing. I loved Leta and I always wanted to know more about her character. Even though this book is multi POV with four narrators, Cayder and his journey is the focal point. We get to know Eleanor, Jey and Leta well, but their arcs are not as complete as Cayder's was in this one. Regardless I really came to like them all. Though Cayder's estranged childhood best friend, Kema, was my absolute favorite.
Lastly, I really enjoyed the parallels of discovering how frustrating injustice is and seeing a system you thought worked and was good fall to corruption. The themes in this book definitely parallel 2020-2021 and the things we've seen happen in the US justice system.
Rep: white male cishet MC, white female cishet MC, white female cishet MC (royalty), vegetarian male cishet MC (I think Jey is white but I don't remember), BIPOC sapphic female side character, BIPOC male side character (lawyer).
CWs: Imprisonment, forced institutionalization, corruption of trial process, grief, death of parent, violence. Moderate: fire, mass murder (whole town dies), murder, fascist government regime attempting to take over.
This was fun but I think the comparisons to Six of Crows are hurting this book by giving people the wrong impression about this book. There is no heist. And honestly the synopsis has a huge spoiler about the book so... 🙃
League of Liars follows four teenagers: Cayder Broduck, a young man who wants to become a public defender and knows his apprenticeship under one of the premier public defenders can make his dreams come true. The other three main characters are prisoners of Vardean, a high security prison. One of them is Cayder's sister, Leta. Cayder doesn't know how his sister has been accused of mass murder, but he's determined to find out what really happened. As Cayder gets caught up in these three cases, he finds surprising connections and treachery.
I really enjoyed this story. I found all the court politics and trials fascinating. The magic system was kind of confusing but I was curious nonetheless. I really want to know if there will be a sequel because this was 100% set up for one and even ends on a cliffhanger (of sorts) so...powers that be please make it happen.
Cayder was all right. I liked him well enough even though he was quite stubborn. But I really enjoyed his character growth throughout this. He uncovers a shit ton of info throughout this novel and the way his actions change were really amazing. I loved Leta and I always wanted to know more about her character. Even though this book is multi POV with four narrators, Cayder and his journey is the focal point. We get to know Eleanor, Jey and Leta well, but their arcs are not as complete as Cayder's was in this one. Regardless I really came to like them all. Though Cayder's estranged childhood best friend, Kema, was my absolute favorite.
Lastly, I really enjoyed the parallels of discovering how frustrating injustice is and seeing a system you thought worked and was good fall to corruption. The themes in this book definitely parallel 2020-2021 and the things we've seen happen in the US justice system.
Rep: white male cishet MC, white female cishet MC, white female cishet MC (royalty), vegetarian male cishet MC (I think Jey is white but I don't remember), BIPOC sapphic female side character, BIPOC male side character (lawyer).
CWs: Imprisonment, forced institutionalization, corruption of trial process, grief, death of parent, violence. Moderate: fire, mass murder (whole town dies), murder, fascist government regime attempting to take over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
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