K. M. Enright
At a glance
A villainous, bloodthirsty heroine finds herself plunged into the dangerous world of power, politics and murder in the court of the vampire king in this dark romantic fantasy debut.
Fate is a cruel mistress.
The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.
Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he's drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he's worked so hard to avoid – and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.
Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Blood Worker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan's plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.
"Mistress of Lies is a dark, twisting fantasy that grabs you by the throat with claws and refuses to let you go– a blood-stained, heart wrenching romance balanced on the knife’s edge of revolution. Luxurious and beautifully cruel."
- Andrew Joseph White, NYT bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us
"[A] riveting and remarkably assured dark fantasy debut. Enright’s richly atmospheric prose immerses readers in a meticulously crafted world, where familiar vampire tropes are skillfully subverted. The high-stakes romance subplot, featuring a polyamorous relationship and trans representation, adds depth and tension to the narrative. Calling to mind the works of both Anne Rice and V.E. Schwab, this tale of magic, murder, and ambition will captivate fans of dark, political fantasy."
- Publishers Weekly (Starred🌟)
"Mistress of Lies held me captive from the very first page. What a story—dark and gripping, raw and beautifully imagined. With their stunning prose, compelling morally gray characters, inventive magic system, and knack for piercingly heartfelt moments amidst all the horror and intrigue, K.M. Enright is definitely one to watch."
- Thea Guanzon, USA Today, New York Times, and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars
It should have been more difficult to assassinate her father.
Not in the actual execution of it: that Shan had prepared for. Her father was a powerful Blood Worker and had once been considered the brightest of his generation. That had been many years ago, though, and Lord Antonin LeClaire had fallen quite far indeed. But still, he had guards, magical wards and a lifetime of training at his disposal. And she had accounted for all these things.
No, there should have been something—anything—in her heart that railed against this. Despite everything he had done over the two decades of her life, patricide was still the most despicable of all crimes; it ought to twist her stomach and fill her with guilt. She shouldn’t relish this kill, shouldn’t feel this boundless relief.
But she did.
She was a shattered, broken thing, and this only proved it.
Her father lifted the glass to his mouth, the amber whisky sloshing in the finely cut glass, and took another deep drink as he shifted through the papers in front of him. Shan watched as he licked his lips, taking in more of the poison that would give her power over him.
It was a potent poison, frightfully expensive, but she had learned long ago that secrets were worth far more than coin. It had taken…
