Thief Liar Lady

Description

“Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift—until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairytale reimagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.

“A dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch

I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen—as the rumors insisted—in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this—to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we wanted in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince—the wrong prince—distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created . . . and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.“This amazing retelling of Cinderella presents varied magics, a new view of old enemies and royal rule, magical enchantment, and battles between oppressors and the conquered. What a breathtaking view!”—Tamora Pierce

“Thief Liar Lady is not your mother’s Cinderella story! In D. L. Soria’s delightful novel, Cinderella takes charge of her own destiny and lets nothing—not her stepmother nor her stepsisters nor even her charming prince—stand in her way. This is a most satisfying read!”—Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“A fairy tale with a delightful con-artist twist, Thief Liar Lady is Cinderella as you’ve never seen her before—sly, subversive, and not at all demure.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of Damsel

“Full of intrigue and star-crossed romance, Thief Liar Lady takes everyone’s favorite girl in glass slippers and transforms her into a spellbinding heroine of legend. This is a twisty, romantic fantasy that is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Alix E. Harrow.”—New York Times bestselling author Ashley Poston

“D. L. Soria casts a spell of intrigue and romance on every page. By turns sharp and sweet, Thief Liar Lady is a lustrous fairy tale treat.”—Alyssa Wees, author of Nocturne and The Waking Forest

“Thief Liar Lady is a dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic. You’ve never seen Cinderella like this before—and you won’t be able to look away.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch

“Soria’s novel will grab readers right from the first page with her strong women characters and unexpected twists on a classic tale, as it alternates between the present and past, slowly revealing the real story and the depth of the characters. Fans of Marissa Meyer, Holly Black, and Rebecca Ross will enjoy this read.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Soria reinvents a classic fairytale to address physical, political, social, and economic abuse. . . . Fantasy fans will wish to explore this fascinating revisionist take on what really happens ‘happily ever after.’”—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] savvy upending of a classic character . . . a fun premise replete with espionage and just a touch of magic.”—Publishers Weekly

“A standout fairy-tale retelling . . . And unlike fairy tales, which have clean moral lessons, this book is unafraid of the deep complications and compromises people in positions of real power and influence sometimes have to make in order to do what’s right.”—Kirkus ReviewsD. L. Soria is the author of Thief Liar Lady, Iron Cast, Beneath the Citadel, and Fire with Fire. She lives with a clingy cat and spends her time trying to come up with bios that make her sound kind of cool. She has yet to succeed.CHAPTER ONE

I never thought the tale of my daring escape from servitude into the glittering world of the royal palace could be boring, but after the hundredth telling it had begun to lose its shine. I was seriously considering stabbing myself in the leg with a fork as an excuse to leave the dinner party early. The only problem was that I really liked the gown I was wearing, and I knew from experience that removing bloodstains from silk was a pain in the ass.

Instead I had to school my expression while Lord Hollish to my left expounded on the story that the poets were already calling the Romance of the Century. The embellishments being woven into my adventure with every new iteration were reaching the realm of the ludicrous. I couldn’t think of a bigger waste of magic than turning a pumpkin into a carriage, although mice into horses was a close second. And apparently my shoes had been made of glass. How impractical.

I curved my lips with a fetchingly sweet smile and cast a glance toward the star-crossed lover of my magical tale, Prince Everett of Solis. He was grinning broadly when he met my eyes, somehow not yet bored by our epic love story. With his charming dimples and warm, open countenance, he was much more dashing than his elder brother, and kinder too, which I’d never stopped being grateful for. As for me, I’d been told by my stepmother on numerous occasions that my genuine smile made me appear less genuine than my fake one did. “Devious” was the exact term that Seraphina had used. Ah well. I was practiced enough at my fake smile that it didn’t matter much.

The noblewoman across the table from Lord Hollish clapped her hands together in glee.

“How magical,” she said, with too much vim to be entirely sober. She was a regular in the queen’s sewing circle, but her name escaped me. Tasia or Tansy or something. “Lady Aislinn, you must tell us how your shoes did not break.”

“I’m very light on my feet,” I said, my eyes demurely downcast.

“I can attest to that,” said Everett, jumping to my rescue. He knew how much I disliked the attention, though the reason was much different than he imagined. “She is grace itself when she dances, like the fey of old.”

I didn’t have to fake modest embarrassment at his praise; a flush rose in my cheeks. Everett certainly had a way with words. He was thirty-three and a fine statesman. His brother the king was already making good use of him as an ambassador. All the more reason for me to embed myself in these people’s hearts as a symbol of everything bright and beautiful, which meant letting the ridiculous tale of my and Everett’s whirlwind courtship continue to grow from a starry-eyed story into a legendary romance.

Maybe that’s wishful thinking. It’s equally possible that I was merely a novelty. A fine topic of gossip until Everett came to his senses and realized that—second-born or not—the royal prince of Solis marrying a nobody was simply untenable. Even if I was technically a blueblood on my father’s side.

A burst of laughter at the end of the table caught my attention. Queen Mariana was radiant with a smile as everyone around her laughed uproariously. Her wheat-brown hair was woven with strands of tiny pearls tonight, and her forest-green dress, trimmed with creamy lace appliqué, draped elegantly off her lily-white shoulders. She lifted her wineglass for a sip, and I saw that she’d laid her right hand, gently and unobtrusively, onto her husband’s. Whatever the joke had been, King Ryland didn’t seem amused, but that was to be expected. The king wasn’t known for his levity.

I stared for a moment too long. Ryland’s glare locked onto me, and his frown deepened. I dropped my gaze quickly. Out of everyone of consequence in the palace, the king was the only one who had yet to warm to me. I poked at my vegetables with my fork, calculating how much lustre I had left. Only three vials. Possibly enough to soothe Ryland’s suspicions of me for a few days, but that was hardly worth it. I would have to meet with Seraphina soon and see about replenishing my stock. My stepmother wouldn’t be happy about it, but at this point losing control of the delicate balance I’d created would prove fatal.

“Lady Aislinn, what do you think?” asked Lord Hollish.

I set down my fork and looked up. Everyone at our end of the table was watching me expectantly. Damn it. I needed to get better at scheming and conversing at the same time.

“I beg your pardon.” I dabbed my napkin at the corner of my mouth. “I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.”

“That’s all right,” said Lady Ta-something (what was her name?). “It wasn’t terribly interesting.”

A good-natured laugh rippled through the guests, but I just took a sip of wine. Hollish owned one of the largest lustre factories in the city, and it was safer not to risk antagonizing him if I could help it. Wealth and power were two things I always tried to keep on my side.

Judging from the venom-laced smile that Lord Hollish was currently leveling at the drunk Lady . . . ​Tallia, he was the sort of man who kept a precise tally of enemies and allies. Not that she noticed. She had already launched into some rambling anecdote about her own experience at the ball. Seeing as it didn’t involve any magic pumpkins or royal proposals, no one else was terribly interested.

“I must say, Aislinn.” Lord Hollish turned to me with a tone that was much too familiar. “It’s refreshing to have new blood around here, and you’re such a lovely girl, I’m sure you’ll do quite well in the palace.”

A tad condescending, especially considering who I was about to marry. Hollish reached over and patted my thigh in an intimate gesture he could claim was fatherly if I were to raise a fuss. I’m sure it was only coincidence that he’d timed it while Everett was distracted by conversation with someone else. I didn’t raise a fuss. Lady Aislinn never did.

“That’s so kind of you, my lord,” I said, clasping his hand between both of mine in gratitude—and so that I could move it discreetly but firmly away from my lap. Before I released him, I flicked open his diamond cuff link and palmed it. “I’m lucky to have made so many wonderful friends here.”

Lord Hollish beamed at me. I smiled prettily back and thought about how satisfying it would be to plunge my fork into his beady eye. An even more effective way to end the dinner party. I rolled his cuff link between my fingers. I didn’t have a way to pawn it right now, but it never hurt to stay sharp. I waited until Hollish’s attention was claimed by the lady on his other side, then surreptitiously flicked the cuff link into his gravy. Maybe he would choke on it.

Lady Tallia was still meandering through her story, which I was beginning to fear didn’t have a point. Even so, it was vastly preferable to Lord Hollish’s conversation. I nodded and made affirming noises in all the right places, and even managed to get a word in edgewise to compliment the gown she’d worn on the third night of the ball. I didn’t have any idea what she’d worn, but she was too drunk to consider that and only launched into a new story about her seamstress.

To call those royal dinner parties exhausting would be a comical understatement, but I had no choice but to partake. I had to give everyone the dazzling, perfect Lady Aislinn that they had created with their stories of magic and romance. I took another sip of my wine—I never let myself have more than a single glass during a meal—and noticed that Everett was watching me from across the table. He mouthed something when he caught my eye. I love you.

Despite myself, I blushed again. He was too charming for his own good. The sort of charisma that was bred from a lifetime free of uncertainty and self-doubt, from the unwavering assurance given to him ever since he was in his cradle that he was inestimably precious. But it was more than that. He was generous with his confidence, gifting it to others as easily as a handshake. If I wasn’t careful, I sometimes caught myself falling prey to his benevolent trap.

You’re nobody. Seraphina’s words were a refrain in my head, drowning out the blissful promises that Everett gave with every gentle smile, every enamored glance. Only a nobody can be anything they want.

And everything depended on me being a princess.US

Additional information

Weight	11.2 oz
Dimensions	0.8700 × 5.4700 × 8.2300 in
Imprint	Del Rey
Format	General Trade
ISBN-13	09780593358078
ISBN-10	0593358074
Author	D. L. Soria
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC010000, FIC027030
Subjects	gifts for her, fantasy books, fantasy romance, romance book, love story, Summer reads, gifts for women, FIC027030, romantasy, romance novel, fairytale, literary gifts, Fantasy novel, romance novels, fantasy novels, adventure books, science fiction and fantasy books, fantasy romance books, cinderella book, feminist fairy tales, romance books, feminist, feminism, adventure, magic, romance, love, fairy tales, fantasy, fairy tale, princess, summer reading, epic fantasy, thief, fairy tale books, beach reads, cinderella, fantasy books for adults, FIC010000