I received this book for free from The Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lie by Natalia Jaster Series: Foolish Kingdoms #3
Published by CreateSpace on November 8, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Romance, LGBT
Pages: 393
Format: ARC
Source: The Author
Goodreads
Once upon a time, there lived a liar...
In the Kingdom of Autumn, Aspen is a girl of the trees.
She’s a girl who knows her way around a falsehood.
She’s the artful liar who steals from the Crown.Once upon a time, there lived a knight...
In the shadows of a castle, Aire is a man of the wind.
He’s a man who sees through Aspen’s treachery.
He’s the relentless knight who pursues her.Once upon a time, there lived two enemies...
In a fairytale woodland, a pair of mismatched souls are thrown together—only to find an unexpected bond. Both deceitful and passionate.
Well, I’m three for three now – ‘Lie’ by Natalia Jaster has managed to exceed my sky-high expectations! The first book ‘Trick’ stole my heart right from the beginning. ‘Dare’ took a little bit longer to warm up to but I was smitten by the end. ‘Lie’ however grabbed me by my shirt collar and refused to let go until I had admitted defeat. I was completely and utterly swept up in this tale – I can safely say now that Natalia Jaster is an auto-buy author for me.
This series is simply magical and I am so glad I stumbled upon it. I am eagerly anticipating the fourth (and final) book in the series but I will be very sad to let go of these wonderfully endearing characters. Still, it is not over yet! Here is my review of the third amazing entry in the Foolish Kingdoms series.
My Review of Lie by Natalia Jaster
‘Lie’ is a retelling of Pinocchio with a twist – the wooden boy is in fact a wooden girl – and her name is Aspen. Aspen is a girl brought to life by her wood-carver mother via magic. Stories abound in the Autumn Kingdom of magical acorns that hold the key to life itself. Aspen knows the truth behind these tales, her own humble beginnings are intrinsically tied to these legends. When someone she loves begins to ail, she knows her only chance could be to obtain one of these mythical acorns.
This timber girl is an accomplished liar and sometime thief. But when she absconds with something precious to the Crown; she finds herself in hot pursuit from a chivalrous and honest knight named Aire. Thrown together by circumstance; these two opposites initially clash but later find common ground.
However, their tremulous fledgling relationship will soon be put to the test when Aspen’s treachery is discovered. Will Aire ever forgive her? Can Aspen learn to accept things as they are and not what she wishes they could be?
Aspen and Aire: Opposites Attract
Honestly, I cannot think of any two character more polar opposites than Aspen and Aire. I’m not often convinced that two opposites can ever truly make a relationship work and yet, these two somehow seem to be the exception to that rule.
Aspen is not necessarily the most likable character. She is devious, selfish, confident and brazen. Yet, I found myself drawn to her almost instantly. I love how flawed she is and the fact that she owns her shortcomings. I also love the fact that she is no slim and slender heroine; she is curvy and she owns that too!
Aire is noble, kind, courteous and fair. He is exactly the type of character I normally find boring and self-righteous; priggish and stuffy. However, I love Aire almost as much as I love Aspen. In a lesser writer’s hand he could encapsulate all the characteristics I normally find insufferable but in Natalia Jaster’s capable hands, he becomes a well-rounded and swoon-worthy hero.
the other stuff
Like ‘Trick’ and ‘Dare’ before it, ‘Lie’ is another fine fantasy tale, full of wonder and endearing characters who steal your heart. I was so happy to see Nicu play such a massive role in this book. I adored his character as a small boy and he has grown up into an even more lovable young man. Lyrik was another intriguing character – I am looking forward to seeing more of his story. I would also be remiss not to mention Punk! Instead of a cricket, Aspen’s companion and sort-of conscience is a woodpecker. Punk is a darling creature and I loved her antics.
I also some getting some cameos from characters from previous books – it was an absolutely joy to see Poet and Briar again. I am very much looking forward to seeing them again in ‘Dream’ which is going to be Nicu’s story.
The writing is every bit as gorgeous as the first two books in the series. Natalia Jaster has an almost lyrical quality to her prose which is especially fitting for the fairy tale retelling theme. Aire’s speech patterns and tone are particularly formal and flow almost like a story or song. It could have been a distraction but I felt it gave the character a very strong voice and made his chapters feel very different from Aspen’s point of view.
to sum up
Overall, this was another beautiful and enthralling story. I love Aspen and Aire’s story and romance – it felt very natural and sweet. Equally fascinating (perhaps even more so) was the other love story bubbling away in the background. Cannot wait to see how that develops in the next book!
I cannot say enough good things about this series. I have well and truly become enamoured with the setting, the world-building, but most importantly with the amazing characters. Although I am eagerly awaiting the release of ‘Dream’, I am sad that this spells the end of this fantastic series. One things for sure though, I will be snapping up any other books/series by this author as soon as they are released!
for more of my reviews, click the below link:
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