The Liar's Key (The Red Queen's War #2)
By: Mark Lawrence
Website: https://www.marklawrence.buzz/
Release Date: June 2nd, 2015
Publisher: Ace
Series: The Red Queen's War
Award: David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2016), David Gemmell Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art (2016), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2015)
Rating:

Book number two in this series, The Liar’s Key, was fantastic. Really, you could stop reading the review there because if you enjoyed book one Prince of Fools then I know you’re already dying to jump into book two. If you haven’t read book one, go do that now. Thank me later.

We return to Prince Jalan Kendeth and Snorri ver Snagason who are still battling their way across the world to find a way to unbind themselves from one another they are also met with many foes who are seeking what they have -Loki’s key. The key, which will open the door to the underworld and the realm of death makes the two targets but they will not give up their possession without a fight. Snorri needs the key, after all, to bring his family back from the land of the dead.

Honestly I was very pleased to see that the pace, plot and characters were all still moving at a high speed, giving me no time to breathe as we jumped right back into the story and just kept moving forward. Yes there were moments of long travel lag time but really that was acceptable to me as we (the readers) need a chance to breathe sometime. It also allowed for secondary characters to develop more and give us a better sense of the ever changing world. Also, as for the secondary characters, Tuttugu is the best and I will always love that character.

Lastly, we all know I love quotes but when they speak universal truths beyond what it means to the character speaking I just have to put them in the review.

“There’s a simple joy in casting a rock into still waters and watching the ripples spread. It’s the thrill of destruction combined with the surety that all will be well again—everything as it was. A stone had fallen into my comfortable existence at court, so large that the waves washed me to the ends of the earth, but perhaps on my return I would find it as before, unchanged and waiting to receive me. Much of what men do in later life is just throwing stones, albeit bigger stones into different ponds.”

Well, there you have it. The Liar’s Key is amazing and you should really join me in this series.