Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Series: Standalone
No. of Pages: 352 pages

R E V I E W

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers.

Castle of Lies is a YA Fantasy which presents four different points of view: Thelia, Parsifal (Percy), Bayled, and Sapphire.

I admit– I like the book cover. The overall concept of the plot is intriguing and interesting. I like reading about elves and such. The setting is okay. I don’t have a problem with that because I can imagine the places inside and outside the castle. The writing style is cringe-worthy but it’s easy to read. I really expected some flaws because my copy is an e-ARC. So maybe with a lot of effort in editing, this book might work. I will probably read some of Burkhart’s novel in the future.

What I did not like that much are the characters. I did not see any character development in this novel except for Bayled. Thelia– the main character (I suppose), has a character development throughout the book but it seems like that development is ‘forced’. I did not feel a connection with any of the characters, so I don’t have a favorite character in this book. How I wish there is a point of view from Corene. I might understand her behavior if there is a brief introduction or something that is related to her because all I can feel about her is annoyance. I also don’t think the term ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ is appropriate for this plot.

Further, I think there’s a lot that is missing in this book as it is somewhat lacking in depth. I don’t know why there’s a mention of a secret tunnel for service crew when none of them seems to know there’s one. I would believe it if at least one of the crew (like the chef) went there to hide.

Overall, this book has potential because of its unusual concept but the characters and some parts of the plot are not well-developed. I thought it was good and very interesting but it did not really reach my expectations. I must have expected more because this is the first book I’ve read which includes a wide range of LGBTQ+. Nevertheless, I enjoyed a few parts of the story and this book could’ve been great.

If you want to try, go ahead and read. But I want to remind you, this book is not for me.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of rape and murder; incest; violence/gore; and excessive drinking

★★☆☆☆

S Y N O P S I S

Thelia isn’t in line to inherit the crown, but she’s been raised to take power however she can. She’s been friends with Princess Corene her whole life, and she’s scheming to marry Bayled, the heir to the throne. But her plans must change when an army of elves invades the kingdom. Thelia, her cousin Parsival, and Corene become trapped in the castle. An elf warrior, Sapphire, may be Thelia’s only hope of escape, but Sapphire has plans of their own. Meanwhile, an ancient magic is awakening within the castle, with the power to destroy the whole kingdom. Can Thelia find a way to protect her future–and her life?