The Liar’s Crown

Dominion (Owen), Book 1

By: Abigail Owen

Narrated by: Luis Moreno, Samara Naeymi

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's summary

Paste Magazine Pick for Best New YA Books of August 2022

“An addictive, action-packed, scorcher of a read!” ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël

Some shadows protect you…others will kill you in this dazzling new fantasy series from award-winning author Abigail Owen.

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose―to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift―an eerily familiar gift―and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.

As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields―other faces, identities that threaten my very life.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.

©2022 Abigail Owen (P)2022 Recorded Books

Fantastic Plot!

Great book, awesome audio performance. Absolutely worth the credits! I always worry when choosing my monthly book but if you like a great story with a good bit of spice, this is your jam:)

soooooo good!

This book is so worth the listen.. the narrators are amazing and the story is so different and yet familiar. You really fall in love with these characters. and their story. so much angst that has you rooting for the heart mates in the story.. I hope we get another book soon!

What a surprise!

I loved this book! If you are a Sara J mass fan this is definitely for you! I would have liked a little bit more background and maybe we will get that with the next pack and I can’t wait

The fantasy world and character development

I enjoyed the world created in this fantasy, the writing was subpar with a lot of repetitiveness.
However I am curious to see what happens next so I will continue this series to see how this plays out.

I enjoyed the concept of 2 twin princesses, one who will protect her sister as his her duty but then is kidnapped And has to protect both their identities while trying to escape. I love the characters they were relatible and at times so funny in the way they reacted with each other. I loved her stronge snarky attitude to him and his almost infatuated exasperation with her.
Not sure if I would necessarily recommend this yet or not.

Great story and performance

Great story and well performed. Very enjoyable listen. Much better character arc than anticipated. Impressive range of voices as well.

clever

A new take, I enjoyed this first book and is excited for the next book. I am a reader/ listener of books. this one is different and unique. there is romance but not crazy in your face while not feeling teen like.

Love this book!

I love this book! Royals, secrets, hate to love, forced proximity, falling for the captor, etc. The banter between Meren and Reven is perfection! Can't wait to see where their story goes from here!

I'm pretty sure I've read this at least 3 times 😂 I read it and then reread it before The Stolen Throne and now it's been too long between books so I'm rereading to prepare for The Shadows Rule All. Each time I read it I find more things to love!

Stupid sexual parts

It would’ve been a decent story with interesting characters and travel and land without the overt too frequent references to adolescent/ young adult shivers and tinglings sexual feelings. Then one chapter is the whole thing describing their sex act which is just over the top. I also don’t like the fact that it didn’t end and now one would be led to read the second book. No thanks.

A wonderful start to an epic fantasy

This book. Wow. Just wow. It needs more than 5 stars. This masterful tale hooks you in from the first word, grabs you by the throat and keeps you captive until the last syllable. Phew. This is the first book in a trilogy so be prepared for the resolution of some small story arcs but also for no resolution of the main story arc. Meren lives in squalor as a nobody but she is the secret identical twin of Tabra, the princess of Aryd. Meren’s purpose in life is to serve as a replacement for her sister in times of danger and there’s always danger for their family. Eidolon, the immortal king of Tyndra,, has been killing off Arydan queens for generations. Meren does have secret acts of disobedience that are just for her. Reven, the Shadowraith, has his own secrets including the ability to manipulate shadows. When Meren takes Tabra’s place at the coronation to protect her, it is Meren that Reven kidnaps. As Meren tries to escape from him, secrets are revealed and nothing is what it seems. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - intrigue, fighting, dangerous situations, end of the world scenarios, paranormal creatures, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, secrets, mystical coincidences, snark, laughs, and unexpected plots twists. While this is a YA fantasy, is also a deeply emotional book. At its heart, it’s a story of stunted, damaged and bruised but not broken people who find their way together by owning their choices, recognizing their scars, finding their strength, embracing life, and deciding to be the best version of themselves. It’s a story about the power of choice. The book is well written, has characters with a lot of depth, plenty of witty dialogue, and an engaging storyline. The adventure of Meren and Reven will give you all the feels - laughing, crying, swooning, gasping, cringing, teeth gritting, and cheering. I am super excited to read the next book in this series.

Luis Moreno and Samara Naeymi did a phenomenal job narrating and breathing life into the story and the characters with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly. While the story is written as a single POV, this is a duet recording. Listening to the narration added beautiful dimension to an already fantastic story.

Freaking good!

This story is so good! I love the characters, the world, the plot, the performance - everything. I mean it's got a youthful nature to it, but it was so well written I was entertained the whole time. The narrator really suits the character too. She brings her to life!