LEAGUE OF LIARS
WILL THE TRUTH SET THEM FREE?
In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and caught up with the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.
Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal—to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.
But when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension—where all magic comes from.
League of Liars is a dark and twisty mystery set in a richly-drawn world where nothing is as it seems, rife with magic, villains and danger.
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The sequel SHADOWS OF TRUTH will be released in March 2024.
Publishers
North America - Putnam (Penguin Random House)
Australia/NZ - Allen & Unwin
France - Editions Casterman
Spain - Ediciones Kiwi
Russia - Eksmo Kids
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Praise for League of Liars
“Full of dark intrigue and a thrilling mystery that will ensnare you until the end, League of Liars is everything I love in a story. From its phenomenal crew of misfits you can’t help but root for, to its immersive and enchanting world building, Scholte’s latest will have you savoring every page.”
—Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth
“League of Liars has everything you want in your next favorite thriller, from razor-sharp pacing to unforgettable characters and of course, the fresh and immersive world building you’ve come to know and love from Astrid Scholte. Don’t miss this twisty, heart-pounding fantasy!”
—Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of the Reign of the Fallen series
“Bursting with originality and mile-a-minute action, the twists, turns and thrills kept coming!”
—Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising
"League of Liars is a thrilling page-turner with enough suspense to keep readers guessing right up until the very end!"
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- Lynette Noni, author of The Prison Healer
Awards
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Shortlisted for the Aurealis Award: Best Young Adult Novel (2022)
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Longlisted for the Vortext Prize 2023
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Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Young Adult Books
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Book Shimmy Semi Finalist for Most Anticipated 2022 release.
“The plot is twisty in satisfying ways . . . [and with] romances, one steamy and one cozy, a fabulous setting, and complex, nuanced characters—what else could one want for a winter night’s reading?” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Expansive and original worldbuilding. . . A smart, suspenseful adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Scholte runs from strength to strength. . . League of Liars is a rare book . . . It's a twisty, dark and intriguing mystery with a unique magic system and morally-gray characters.”
—Jessica Kramer, The Chronicle newspaper
“Intriguing fresh spin on a the YA fantasy thriller.”
—Kylie Northover, The Age newspaper
“Scholte has once again crafted a read-in-one-sitting thriller that satiates the desire for magic and fantasy while unravelling mystery upon mystery. It’s the perfect blend of suspense and drama, in which no one can be trusted and nothing is as simple as it seems."
—Jess Gately, The AU Review
“Think Law & Order meets Six of Crows in Astrid Scholte’s new title, League of Liars – a truly refreshing take on the tried-and-true fantasy genre. This book has everything for YA Fantasy fans, including jailbreaks, secrets, dark magic, mystery & intriguing courtroom drama – a truly captivating page turner for your TBR pile!”
—Hsu, Dymocks Category Manager