This was quite an enjoyable read, AND THAT ENDING!!! WHY IS THE SEQUEL NOT A THING?!?! I need the sequel so desperately, but it's not being published for some reason! ARGHHH!!!

Anyways, this book was really good! I love these characters, and it was a joy to revisit them. Not to mention I really love Elizabeth C Bunce's writing style. And the world is so complex and well developed. And SO much character depth! No one felt two dimensional. Oh and this book was very gripping. I couldn't put it down!

It was however a bit predictable. I couldn't quite figure out who the murderer was, but it also wasn't exactly shocking. And the rest of the twists? I completely saw coming.

I literally guessed that Tegen was alive from... ummm... I don't know... THE FIRST CHAPTER OF BOOK ONE!!!

Still though, this was a pretty great book! I would definitely highly recommend this series. ( )

Not quite as great as the first one - the big emotional and philosophical challenges for Digger in that were replaced by romantic entanglements in this one, which didn't quite have the same oomph. She remains a great heroine though, full of skills and decisions and realistic uncertainties, and I'm very interested in how the world and her personal situation has been set up for a third book. (Though I can't find anything about one scheduled, it's a very open ending.) ( )

Liar’s Moon is an excellent follow-up to StarCrossed. I loved the mystery, the twists and turns, and the layered worldbuilding. Although I missed some of the characters from the first book, especially Prince Wierolf, I enjoyed getting to know Durrel, Raffin, Lord Ragn, Koya, Cwalo, and the rest of the supporting cast. Also, the tense scenes between Digger and her estranged brother Werne were perhaps the most compelling parts of the entire novel.

One element that I really liked about StarCrossed was that the mystery took center stage without any romance to distract from the main plot. But Liar’s Moon doesn’t stick to that formula. While the mystery is still the main focus of the story, there is also a strong romantic subplot. At first, I didn’t particularly like Durrel as a love interest. He seems to have a thing for damsels in distress, like he always needs to save and protect the women in his life. But Digger is by no means a girl who needs (or wants) saving; she’s the hero of her own story. It wasn’t until Durrel finally seemed to accept this that I started to warm up to him. Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with the romantic angle, but it didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Lastly, I cannot end this review without addressing the ending of Liar’s Moon. (No spoilers.) The publisher has dropped the rest of the Thief Errant series, and it’s unclear when, if ever, the third book will be published. On the plus side, Liar’s Moon is a self-contained story. The mystery and all the major plot threads are wrapped up, and we do find out what happens with Wierolf’s army. (If we hadn’t, I’d have thrown the book across the room.) However, the very last page of the novel introduces a major twist that has the potential to make Digger’s life very interesting and awkward. I can’t say I like this development, but since I may never read the continuation of the story, I’m choosing to simply ignore the last page. Please don’t let the ending stop you from reading Liar’s Moon; as long as you disregard the random final scene that has no bearing on the novel’s plot, you’ll definitely find this book satisfying.

I will conclude with a sincere plea to publishers everywhere: please, someone, publish the rest of this amazing series. I cannot describe how excited I would be for another chance to spend time in this fantastic setting with characters I’ve grown to love. This is a great series, and it deserves the chance to play out. ( )

Very rarely do I say the sequel in a series is better than its predecessor, but here it is ladies and gentlemen, Liars Moon! What a fantastic book, filled with murder, rebellion, secrets, fantasy and romance! Absolutely perfect and with a cliff hanger that will leave you crying for more! ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Great Fantasy book filled with beautiful world-building, a sweet romance, and wonderful developed characters.

Opening Sentence: I’d have gotten away if that little guard hadn’t cracked me in the eye.

The Review:

Digger has been back in Gerse for a few months now and she has fallen back into to her old ways. She is still very skilled at pick pocketing, and very rarely gets caught but one night she is arrested and thrown into a cell with someone she knows. It turns out that Lord Durrel Decath has been accused of murdering his wife and it looks like he is going to be executed for it. Digger doesn’t know a lot about Durrel, but he showed her great kindness when she needed it most and she feels that it is her duty to try and help prove him innocent. She knows that he is a good man and when he tells her he didn’t do it she believes him. She is soon released from prison and she starts to investigate what happened the night Talth Ceid was murdered. As she digs deeper she starts to gather clues that don’t add up. She finds traces of magic at the crime scene, and she finds out that Talth was doing a lot of illegal business dealings with some pretty shady people. The suspects start to pile up and Digger doesn’t know who she can trust, but if she wants to clear Durrel’s name she will have to get to the bottom of it before it’s too late.

Meanwhile the city of Gerse is in turmoil. Prince Wierolf has finally decided to fight for his right to the crown, and a major rebellion has risen up all around the city. Anyone with magic is running, trying to escape the green guards and anyone that is sympathetic to Wierolf has to be extremely careful. Everyone has to say they are loyal to the king or they won’t live to see another day. Digger wants to do whatever she can to help the Prince and her friends so she does what she does best: Lies, steals, and spies to get information for the rebellion.

I just adore Digger. She has such a great voice throughout the book. She is very strong and independent, but she also has a very soft side to her. I also loved that she has a brain in her head, she is very clever and she thinks things through before she acts. I feel that so many characters just go with the flow and don’t think at all, that is not the case with Digger. She is loyal, almost to a fault to people she feels are her friends or those she is indebted to. She hates the only family member she has left, but she is willing to help a man she hardly knows because he showed her the same kindness at one point. She is very passionate and I love seeing how she grows as a person throughout the book. She was a really easy character to connect with and I can’t wait to read more of her story.

Lord Durrel Decath is quite dreamy. He has the biggest heart. If he sees someone in need he always tries to help, even total strangers. Unfortunately, that has gotten him in a lot of trouble in the past and it has landed him in his current position as well. He is a noble to the core and very brave. He is very active in trying to find out what happened to his wife even though he hated her. He starts to develop a very soft spot for cute little Digger and it is really sweet. I love their chemistry, and I found their romance felt very real. I loved Durrel, he is genuinely a really good person and a great character.

Honestly, this book was so good. It had everything in it: a fascinating world, a great cast of characters, adorable romance, good action, and a really fun plot. Every time I would put the book down, I would find myself thinking about it and wanting to read it again. The story was so interesting and there were some twists and turns throughout it that kept me pleasantly surprised. The one thing that did drive me a little nuts was there was a terrible cliffhanger at the end, and as of right now there is no release date for the third book, so I have no idea how long I will have to wait to read it. Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy book.

Notable Scene:

My head pounded brutally, and I felt disoriented. In my confusion, my cell mate looked almost familiar.

“That’s a nasty gash,” he said, reaching for my face. I knocked his grubby hand away. “Easy,” he said. “I won’t hurt you, but you need to relax so I can see what they’ve done to you. You must have put up quite a fight; they don’t usually come in quite so … used up. Here, sit up into the light.”

Warily I let him draw me forward to a plain frame table and benches in the middle of the cell. Something about the smooth curve of his jaw, the bend of his neck as he leaned over me … I winced, trying to shake my head.

“What’s your name?” he said.

I paused, considering. Who should I be this time? Maybe I could play this – and my wealthy cell mate – to my advantage. Boy or girl? Would tears help? I sat forward and pulled off my hat, letting my braided hair, coiled round my head, show I was a girl.

“ I don’t believe it.” My companion held up the candle. “Am I delirious?”

“Not unless we both are,” I said. Because I was looking into the haunted eyes of Durrel Decath, a young man who’d saved my life.

FTC Advisory: Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic provided me with a copy of Liar’s Moon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )