We at THP can’t go a month without sharing the latest YA fantasy on our shelves! Jessica S. Olson’s new book, Den of Liars, has magic, a years-long fight between brothers, and a girl caught between them in a dangerous game of lying.
Den of Liars follows Lola St. James, who has been working alongside Enzo, the leader of the Tentacles and more commonly known as the Thief. But when a heist ends in Lola joining the Liar’s Dice Tournament, she meets the Thief’s brother, who soon upends everything she thought she knew about her past. And about the Thief.
A gripping romantic fantasy about trust and deception, this book kept us on our toes! Here are three of our favorite things about Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson!
Book Overview: Den of Liars
Content warnings: death, murder, violence, assault, manipulation, kidnapping, forced captivity, bodies, weapons, vomiting, attempted poisoning (Read at your discretion!)
Summary: Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament—a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets—made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a price: Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart.
Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief’s mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.
Lola’s Backstory
Buckle in for the ride because Lola’s backstory in Den of Liars is absolutely wild. After her father loses in the Liar’s Dice Tournament, he also loses his biggest secret: her existence. She gets kidnapped at age 15, then promptly rescued by the Thief under the condition that she gives him her heart. But not in the way you may think. They share her heart, which holds both their souls and life force. They can feel when the other’s in distress, and their connection holds strong, even in the midst of an earth-shattering betrayal.
The Game
Imagine a competition between thieves, gamblers, sinners, and anyone else with secrets to hide. They must bargain their biggest secret in order to enter the Liar’s Dice Tournament, knowing their fate is in the Liar’s hands. Should they lose, the Liar can choose to reveal their secret publicly or keep it locked in his vault for another day. The winner gets to keep their secret, along with an Unbreakable Lie they could use to make sure no one hears of it. We didn’t know what to expect from the challenges, but let’s just say we wouldn’t make it past the first round.
Angst-Filled Romance
The thing about Den of Liars is that there isn’t quite a love triangle between Lola, the Thief, and the Liar. And we kind of love that. Lola and the Thief have been close friends for years, and they know each other best. (Or so we think.) Her connection to the Liar, on the other hand, is a push-pull romance full of angst. Both of them can’t help the lies they tell. And neither one can trust the other. It doesn’t help that the brothers have hated each other ever since they got their magic. We’re curious to see how this trio of conflicts develops in the sequel.
The first book in a duology, Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson has the makings of a solid series starter: complex, morally gray characters, changing worldviews, and of course, a twist ending.
Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson comes out July 1st, and you can order a copy of it here!
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