A review by unapologetic_reviews
A Pocket of Lies by R.A. Sandpiper

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

R.A. Sandpiper's A Pocket of Lies is a fantasy book. The story follows Suri, a young woman navigating a world filled with gods, politics, and danger as she uncovers secrets about herself and her place in this complex world. There's not much romance in it, which I was very glad about. There's some smut, but it never happens within a love relationship.

The story takes place in a completely different world, one filled with old gods, new gods, poverty, wealthy rulers, kings, and regions with distinct politics. It's a very rich and immersive world. I really appreciated the depth and how distinct their culture felt. The characters wore different clothes, and even accents were mentioned at one point.

Let’s talk about the writing. It was... nice. Not too flowery, which I liked, but not too plain either. There were a few parts where I found it hard to understand what was happening, but this wasn’t consistent. Some fight scenes were very well done—I could picture them easily—but other scenes felt hazy for reasons I couldn’t quite pin down. Overall, though, the writing was enjoyable.

Now, onto the characters.

The main character is Suri. The story is written in past tense and third-person limited, which I really liked. And thank God there’s only one point of view! I can’t tell you how tired I am of multiple points of view—this trend has to stop.

At first, I wasn’t all that keen on Suri, but she grew on me. She’s 20, which is a nice change from the usual 15- or 16-year-old protagonists, though she’s still pretty young. She grew up in poverty, but you can tell right from the start that there’s something special about her. She’s very resilient, which makes sense given her circumstances.

For much of the story, Suri is thrown from one event to another, with little control over what’s happening. While this lack of agency can be frustrating, it’s understandable due to the circumstances. By the end, though, she starts to take control of her own destiny, which I appreciated. That said, she’s constantly in danger. At one point, I thought, “Is she ever going to catch a break?” I was honestly exhausted for her. Plus, there are stretches where she doesn’t get to eat, which made me feel even worse for her. As you can see, I grew to care for her. I felt her struggles, and I was with her the whole way. That’s a testament to how well her character was written.

There are plenty of other characters too. Some appear briefly, but they always feel distinct and memorable. None of them came across as stock characters. For example, there’s this one prince—well, there are several princes—but each feels unique. They all seem like real people, which speaks to the strength of the character building.

And yes, there’s a “shadow daddy” named Cole. I won’t spoil too much, but he plays a major role in the story. While having a shadow daddy might seem a bit cliché, Cole is well-written, and I didn’t mind it.

The plot is full of twists and turns, and I genuinely couldn’t predict where it was going, which is a huge plus since I usually can. While some parts might seem like they’ll fall into cliché territory, they don’t, which was refreshing. The story keeps you on your toes and is consistently exciting.

Overall, the book was very enjoyable. It’s fast-paced and a quick read. It didn’t hook me right from the beginning, but once I got to know Suri better, I was fully invested. Following her journey and seeing what she’d do next kept me turning the pages.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced fantasy with engaging characters and a world that feels alive, A Pocket of Lies is a must-read. It’s an exciting journey you won’t want to miss.