Den of Liars (The Devious #1)

Secrets are a magical casino’s house currency in this vibrant duology opener from Olson (A Forgery of Roses). Nobody in the city of Aethera knows that crime boss Magnus St. James has a daughter, Magnolia—until he stakes the information in an enchanted dice tournament at the Liar’s Den Casino and loses. With the truth aired, Magnus’s rivals kidnap Magnolia, a 15-year-old dancer who’s described as having a lazy eye. But Magnus won’t negotiate for her return, so Magnolia brokers her own freedom by teaming up with the eponymous Liar’s infamous brother, the Thief. The Thief needs to break a curse—cast upon him by the Liar—which forces him to “pilfer physical form from someone else’s existence” in order to be corporeal. In exchange for his help escaping her captors, Magnolia will share her heart until he can find a fix. Four years of dead ends later, Magnolia—now using the name Lola—enters the Liar’s latest tournament so she can search his casino for clues. Attraction sparks between Lola and the Liar, leaving her conflicted about deceiving him, but she isn’t the only one with a hidden agenda. Though murky worldbuilding and florid prose pepper Olson’s kaleidoscopic narrative, clever plotting, witty banter, and emotionally complex, intersectionally diverse characters earns readers’ investment. Ages 13–up. Agent: Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis. (July)