Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

A Mercenary King Rises in The Kingdom of Liars

The Kingdom of Liars is simultaneously the start of a new series (The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings) and the debut novel of Nick Martell. It’s an epic fantasy full of magic, politics, intrigue, and desperation to make a name for oneself.

Michael’s family name is Kingman. Once upon a time, that meant something positive. But after his father’s actions, it has become a name met with scorn and venom. After having to grow up under that shadow, Michael has had enough.

Now, he’s set to find out the truth of what happened that night. All while saving the name of his family and forging a new path for himself. But along the way, he’ll have to dive into a world of magic and politics.

Writing

The Kingdom of Liars is a hefty, six hundred and eight-page novel. That gives us plenty of time to get to know the world and the main characters. Understandably, this world is full of details, schemes, and expansive magical systems.

The plight of the Kingman family is not something that most of us will have personally experienced, yet the way it is told makes it all feel real and poignant. Their pain feels real, and thus, Michael’s character comes to life – even if readers probably won’t agree with all of the decisions he makes along the way.

Michael’s story starts rough and raw, full of angst and pain. But by the end, it evolves into something more as Michael forges a new path for himself. Something is fascinating in that tale. Something familiar, but in a good way.

The politics and magics of this world were an immediate draw for me, as was the longer form of storytelling. This is quickly becoming a series worth watching as they delve further into the history and future of the Hollows.

Development

The Kingdom of Liars is admittedly a novel that starts a bit more slowly than one might expect. Then again, it likely didn’t feel the need to rush forward. Thus, getting into the story and the characters involved took me a little while.

That being said, the pace picks up significantly slightly before the halfway mark, and it doesn’t slow until the end (arguably not even then). The dramatic shift carries more impact thanks to the worldbuilding the first half of the novel focuses on.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the blend, though I wish it was slightly better balanced. I think the entire journey is worth reading for more than one reason. The character development of the three Kingman children, but mainly Michael, is fascinating – and will surely be memorable.

Conclusion

The Kingdom of Liars was ultimately a whirlwind of a read, introducing us to a world full of magic and politics. It’s a complex story with plenty of twists and turns to throw at the readers. The magical system alone was fascinating and became all the more so as new elements were introduced. However, I’m hoping that future novels will reveal even more about the magical system of the world.

I’ll grant that this is probably not a novel for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m actively looking forward to the next novel in the series.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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