Synopsis:
The king of Yusan must die.
The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.
He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined . . . or sold.
And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness-from the hired hitman seeking atonement, and the lovely assassin who seeks freedom, to the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.
They can agree on murder.
They can agree on treachery.
But for these five killers – each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal – it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other . . . but only one can take the crown.
Let the best liar win.
Review:
Five notorious liars and killers in Yusan are mysteriously summoned to assassinate the tyrannical, immortal God King.
Whilst the plot is predictable and overdone in fantasy, the character dynamics are what makes it fun.
A poison maiden driven by the desire to free her sister from indentured servitude who is accompanied by the Count’s son.
A gruff, strongman for hire seeking redemption for past wrongs who is hired to protect a bubbly, thief who yearns for her father’s approval.
A banished prince and his lover, a charismatic royal spymaster seeking revenge for his family and people.
It’s an uneasy balance as each character is certain someone is out to get them. They can’t believe anyone could be anything but selfish and self-protective. Yet, they’re all trying to be better people on the inside.
Admittedly, it can initially feel overwhelming with the 6 POVs and some are noticeably more neglected.
As this is a romantasy, I was expecting the romance and the yearning and miscommunication that comes with that to annoyingly take over the plot. That never happened. It was a great balance of quiet feelings.
I do wish we were more immersed in the Korean-inspired fantasy world. I also wanted the fantastical element to be more explained rather than seemingly popping up when needed, although you do get more sense at the end due to revelations.
Overall, this was fun and I enjoyed the characters having to navigate plots, heists, and each other even if I wanted more from it.
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