Read the Prologue to Jessica S. Olsen’s Latest YA Fantasy, Den of Liars

Den of Liars is the first half of a thrilling new YA fantasy duology from the author of A Forgery of Roses that features magic, high-stakes deception, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and no small amount of dangerous secrets. A coming of age story where the stakes are life and death, Lola’s journey to confront her past and find herself wrestles with identity and loyalty, even as the narrative twists in ways you’ll never see coming. 

Lola St. James is not just any thief; she’s a legend in the shadows. Rescued by the enigmatic leader of the Tentacles after her father’s perilous gamble, Lola, now known as Astra, shares a unique bond with her savior—their hearts beat as one. But when a risky heist goes awry, she must enter the Liar’s Dice Tournament, a game where secrets are as dangerous as weapons and competitors gamble with their deepest fears.

Here’s how the publisher describes the story. 

Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament―a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets―made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a price: Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief’s mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.

Den of Liars officially hit shelves today, but if you need some convincing that this story is for you, we’ve got the prologue for you to dive into right now. 

PROLOGUE 

The Thief came for her heart in the night. 

He rippled through the wall of that windowless basement and found Magnolia St. James exactly where he expected. Huddled in the corner, lit only by a sliver of light from the bottom of a locked door. She blinked up at him through swollen, bruised eyes. Blood crusted her pale cheeks, caked in her gold-spun hair, dripped from her chin. 

He expected her to be afraid, but she did not shrink back. Her gaze trailed along the glowing voratium hoops in his eyebrows, dropped to the matching studs in his nose and lips, traced the rings cuffing his ears, and finally settled on the glittering black octopus wrapped around his left wrist like a bracelet.

She did not ask who he was. Instead, she cocked her head toward the door. “They’ll be back soon, so whatever you intend to steal, you’d better make it quick.” 

A murmur of gruff voices argued in the other room. Apparently, Magnus St. James, the girl’s father, hadn’t taken the bait and come to rescue her. The Thief couldn’t entirely hide his satisfied smile. 

Everything was going according to plan. 

“I say we put a bullet through her brain,” one man barked. “Send a message.” 

“And bring the wrath of the St. James empire down on our heads?” another shot back. 

“Snatching her in the first place should have done that,” the first retorted. “The other families are as finished with St. James as we are. This move would win Salazar every ally we’d need to finally take him down.” 

The Thief met her eyes. Blood accentuated their azure color, a blue as vivid as the heart of a flame. And how they blazed. A whipping icefire that burned past the fear that kept her cowering in the corner. 

Perhaps she was just as lethal as he hoped. 

“They’re going to kill me.” Her voice did not waver, but her hands quivered like the wings of a butterfly skewered to a wall. 

“Not if you come with me,” the Thief said softly. 

“You’re one of the Devious,” she said. “You don’t help people.” 

“I might. Many believe me starblessed, that my power was a gift from the gods.” 

She jutted out her chin. “I believe you want something.” 

“Clever girl.” 

“Last time I checked, thieves weren’t in the business of making trades.” 

He almost laughed. “Quite true. But what I want is not something I can steal. It must be given willingly.” 

“And what do you want?” 

“Your heart.” 

The corners of the girl’s eyes tightened. “My heart?” “Not your physical heart, of course; I’m not a monster.” He cocked his head, smiled at his own joke. If this girl had truly been raised by the most infamous street lord Aethera had ever known, then she had seen her fair share of monstrosity. 

“I’ve heard you steal the starlight in people’s souls,” she whispered. “Is that what you mean?” 

“Yes. I want the soullight of your heart. Its capacity to feel. To love. To care.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “To hurt.” 

There. Quick as lightning, he saw it. A flash of agony so acute it spat sparks in her gaze. He had her.

 She opened her mouth, but before she could ask him how or why or what, the doorknob rattled. 

“Do we have a deal?” the Thief asked, extending a hand. 

The lock mechanism in the door clicked. The sound of the second bolt being thrown back resounded like a punch. She stared at the Thief’s outstretched fingers. “What do I get in return?” 

“Rescue,” he said. “And, as long as your heart is mine, protection.” 

“Take it.” She grasped his hand so hard his knuckles cracked. “I don’t want it anymore.” 

So as the door swung open, he lifted the only voratium pendant hanging from his neck that did not yet glow and pressed it to the bare skin above her collar. It vibrated as he called forth his power. 

“Hey! How’d you get in here?” A burly man with a thick mustache raised his pistol. 

The Thief grinned. “Magic.” 

By the time the gun fired, the Thief and the girl had already vanished. 

Nothing but a pair of shadows, they prowled like wraiths through the city. The voratium fragment between their fingers pulsed violet blue, and the Thief sighed as it thrummed a steady thump-thump, thump-thump against his skin. 

One heart, two souls, for as long as the girl would live. 

He only prayed he wouldn’t need it that long.

Den of Liars is available now wherever books are sold. 

Lacy Baugher Milas is the TV and Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB