Liar's Test - by Ambelin Kwaymullina

About the Book

In a competition where seven girls from different guilds vie for the throne, Bell Silverleaf, a reluctant fifteen-year-old contender with a hidden talent for deception, intends to win and overthrow the kingdom, but finds she is not the only competitor with secret plans.

Book Synopsis

A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...

I didn't want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.

Bell Silverleaf is a liar.

It's how she's survived. It's how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now--thanks to some political maneuvering--Bell is in the Queen's Test. She's one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she'll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.

But Bell doesn't know how much she's been lied to. She's part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she's facing much bigger dangers than the Queen's Test. She's up against the gods themselves.

Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.

Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.

Review Quotes

"Intriguing and layered worldbuilding that draws on the author's Australian Indigenous culture steals the show in this serpentine fantasy adventure." --Publishers Weekly

"Tucked into a twisty, fast-paced narrative that explores legacies of colonialism are subtle messages about the ever-changing, symbiotic web of life. Intriguing and imaginative." --Kirkus Reviews

"Kwaymullina spins a fabulous, otherworldly mythology around the dominant gods, the world they invaded, and Treesinger culture. Bell is a sarcastic, personable narrator, a smart-mouthed Chosen One who discovers friends in unexpected places and learns to acknowledge the pain beneath her own tough-girl exterior." --Bulletin

"A survival story that tackles huge issues, while simultaneously existing as a fantasy romp with a main character who is endearingly honest--at least, as far as the reader is concerned." --Booklist

"Fans of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen and Marissa Meyer's Cinder will be enthralled by this adventure of rebellion and the quest for freedom." --School Library Journal

About the Author

AMBELIN KWAYMULLINA is an Aboriginal writer and artist who comes from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She tells stories across a range of forms, including picture books, novels, essays and poetry. She is a previous winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award and the Aurealis Award. You can read more about Ambelin and her work at akauthor.com.au.