A compulsive read with just the right amount of monster

Sadie’s mother, the despised Liar of Red Valley, has just died and now the King’s Men are informing Sadie that the role has been passed down to her. Sadie tracks down her father and ancestors to find out more. But in doing so, her best friend’s brother is put in jeopardy and in order to save him, Sadie reveals an unexpected Truth, a secret, to the Undersherrif- the enemy of the King of Red Valley.

This secret might be the undoing of the King, the Liar, and whole town of Red Valley.

THE LIAR OF RED VALLEY-- by Walter Goodwater

When I was 48% through this story, I got that dreadful feeling where you realize your book has a finite end, and is not part of a series. (Yet? Mr. Goodwater, for the love of Liars and a cacophony of gods, let there be more works in this universe.)

This is my favourite kind of magical realism: we start with a solidly recognizable world with just a little divergence to learn about, adding details and complexities as you read on. No exposition just for the sake of teaching the readers about the world, instead we're figuring much of it out alongside Sadie.

In a small town in rural California, Sadie loses her mom and gains a complicated new life of unwished-for secrets and Lies. Magic, monsters, gods and a power struggle that threatens the very existence of Red Valley.

I was very much entranced by this book. Sadie is just the perfect mix of vulnerability and drive. The world building is incredibly easy to follow, but unique and addictive.

QUOTES:
- It looked mostly human, though its skin was gray like a corpse and its eyes black and open like a grave.
- Things moving in the dark water, older than time, harder than death. Eyes watching her, eyes all around her, eyes that could see through her, eyes that could consume her.

A Gothic feast for the reader!

Sadie has Inherited her mother's unique ability to make lies, become true. When her mother Dies of cancer the story really begins.

So many unique characters from the cringy laughing boys, to other monsters and strange folk.

The twists really grabbed me by surprise and the story is excellently written by an author who has a true gift with words.

An amazing story start to finish!

While an interesting read I did not love this one. As I couldn't get into the book. So this ending up being being a DNF.

The liar of Red Valley

[Blurb goes here]

There's a town in California, it's called Red Valley. A town where normality meets the improbable. I think it hard to pull a reader down the rabbit hole, to make him believe the plausibility of the supernatural. It's all on the writer. Goodwater paints a powerful and believable picture, one of magic, mystery and horror. After the first few pages, you're in. I won't go into detail, since I hate spoilers. My advice? Don't pass the opportunity to dive into this adventure. It is a great read.

Thank you for the free copy!

Thank you Rebellion and NetGalley for sending me ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

This is one of my new favorite books and i'm so happy i've read something interesting and worth my time. The story is set in Red Valley which is protected by the King, outside of it creatures and other <i>things </i>lurk . Liars have well- established business by telling lies in exchange for money. We follow Sadie after her moms death and her struggles as she accommodates to being a new Liar and keeper of secrets. Things go downhill from there and i mean that in a very best possible way. Lots of action, demonic boys, ancient creatures, claws and most importantly <b>magic</b> . There was not a single boring chapter and this is just the type of those books that leave you content and refreshed after reading them. It's like a candy but for your brain.

“People spend too much time fearing death when they should fear what comes after.”

The Liar of Red Valley was Rebellion Publishing’s lead title for fall 2021, so I was incredibly excited when I got an arc of this book. I haven’t read many ‘American Gothic’ novels, so I did not know what to expect when picking up this book. So what did I think about it?

This book takes place in the mysterious Red Valley, where nothing is as you would expect. Red Valley has for 200 years been ruled by The King and The Liar. The Liar has the ability to remake the world by covering up lies. However, each lie comes at a significant cost.

I have been having a difficult time summarising how I feel about this book due to it being absolutely insane yet so addictive. The Liar of Red Valley follows Sadie, the daughter of The Liar. As the story progresses, the reader starts to learn more about the mysterious King, the powerful Liar and the haunting River. Everyone in Red Valley follows three simple rules: “Do not trust the Liar, Do Not go in the River and Do not Cross the King.”

The main highlight of this book is the concept of The Liar. It is fascinating to learn about which lies people are covering and how these lies are shaping people’s future, and the history and fate of Red Valley. Moreover, Walter Goodwater blends philosophical ideas, magical realism and fantastical creatures, making the reading experience truly memorable. Reading this book reminded me of the movie The Cabin in the Woods.

The Liar of Red Valley is at times utterly absurd, but its relentless pace and plot twists will hook the reader. Goodwater creatively uses the concept of The Liar to set up some weird but entertaining plotlines. The Liar of Red Valley is an absurd action-packed work-of-art, with thought-provoking ideas, shocking plot twists and high stakes, making this book a page-turner!

Some readers will find the characters to be lacking depth. Goodwater is clearly prioritising exploring the ideas and concepts in this world. If you are looking for a book with beautiful relationships or complex and fleshed out characters, you won’t find it in this book. Moreover, the absurdity of Red Valley will probably not be appreciated by all readers.

The Liar of Red Valley is one of my most memorable reads of 2021. It is absurd, fun and addictive, but it is not for everyone. I had a really great time reading this book, which is why I will give this book a high rating. However, I can imagine that this book is a bit like marmite; either you hate it, or you will think it is brilliant.

4 / 5 stars

A special thanks to Rebellion Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.