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A Novel
by D. L. Soria
"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.
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.
"Soria's novel will grab readers right from the first page with her strong women characters and unexpected twists on a classic tale, as it alternates between the present and past, slowly revealing the real story and the depth of the characters. Fans of Marissa Meyer, Holly Black, and Rebecca Ross will enjoy this read." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Soria reinvents a classic fairytale to address physical, political, social, and economic abuse... . Fantasy fans will wish to explore this fascinating revisionist take on what really happens 'happily ever after.'" —Booklist (starred review)
"[A] savvy upending of a classic character ... a fun premise replete with espionage and just a touch of magic." —Publishers Weekly
"A standout fairy-tale retelling ... And unlike fairy tales, which have clean moral lessons, this book is unafraid of the deep complications and compromises people in positions of real power and influence sometimes have to make in order to do what's right." —Kirkus Reviews
"Thief Liar Lady is not your mother's Cinderella story! In D. L. Soria's delightful novel, Cinderella takes charge of her own destiny and lets nothing—not her stepmother nor her stepsisters nor even her charming prince—stand in her way. This is a most satisfying read!" —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"A fairy tale with a delightful con-artist twist, Thief Liar Lady is Cinderella as you've never seen her before—sly, subversive, and not at all demure." —Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of Damsel
This information about Thief Liar Lady was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
D. L. Soria is the author of Thief Liar Lady, Iron Cast, Beneath the Citadel, and Fire with Fire. She lives with a clingy cat and spends her time trying to come up with bios that make her sound kind of cool. She has yet to succeed.
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