Gilded Lies

The Immortal Grimm Brothers' Guide to Sociopathic Princesses, Book 5

By: M.J. Padgett

Narrated by: Amy J Gozelski

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Not all Grimm Brothers’ tales are famous, a fact Larkin Gregory knows all too well considering her little kingdom of Liliental is all but forgotten. When her siblings disappear one by one, the victims of a sinister plot, Larkin sets out to find them at all costs. With the help of an amnesiac price, a set of journals, a mysterious trunk, and an inner monster she never knew she had, Larkin hops a plane to Germany determined to save her siblings from the clutches of evil - even if she can’t remember anything from her supposed former life in a fairy tale kingdom. From the very beginning, things go all wrong. Kidnappings, mythical magic spells, wolf shifters, evil half-siblings, and all manner of nasty creatures threaten Larkin’s survival, but she refuses to give up her search until her sisters and brother are safe with her again. As her memories of a life long ago resurface, Larkin must learn to navigate both the past and the present to ensure she has a future.

©2019 Melissa Padgett (P)2020 Melissa Padgett

Entering Realm of Unknown Characters- So Good!!

Parents- PG13 just due to normal fantasy violence, great for middle school readers and up
Language- clean
Violence- PG13- normal to genre, nothing overly graphic
Sexual Content- PG- there's romance and kissing but it's kept very clean

This one has elements of a fairy tale or possibly two that are unknown to me. You have a group of 4 dragon protectors story and I think maybe Repunzle.... It's hard to say because this author takes them and completely recreates them into something else and the hair isn't an element of the story so I'm really not sure. There's so much going on in this one it is not an easy book to put down. These books definitely need to be read in order as they build off of each other. I've really been enjoying this uniquely re-crafted, twisted fairy tale series; it has mystery, drama, romance, magic, shifters and so much more they each keep you invested and wanting more. I don't know if it's part of the actual book or not but I do think it would be super helpful to have a diagram of the characters and their relationships/positions as well as a map of the kingdoms, as the stories have built off of each other there's enough people involved that at times it can be hard to keep track. I know some Audiobook come with digital files with images and other visual aids that are usually a part of the book.

Narrator- 4⭐ Did a great job and was fun and easy to listen to, I did feel it was a bit slow but found normal speaking rate at 1.3x speed.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Bittersweet!!

Gilded Lies begins with a poem that is hauntingly prophetic. It's a highlight for me with its foreshadowing. This series just keeps getting better, and this installment is a bit edgier and darker as it moves the plot forward. There's also a sense of sadness as the story begins with the memory of how two childhood sweethearts, Ulrich and Larkin, were separated by circumstances, and parents, into a life neither one wanted, but accepted. What doesn't sit well with me is that Ulrich was forced to marry another woman and he still thinks about her too often for my tastes. His beloved Larkin has come to Germany to find her missing family and Ulrich is on a mission to find Larkin to share his story. Together they have to find answers to the mysteries of what happened the last time they confronted evil. And evil is still with them as they face-off with lying family and a biological mother who isn't who or what she seems. Wolves, dragons, dragon-wolves and more become predators and protectors. It's a happy for now ending for Ulrich and Larkin since their journey isn't over.
The narration is beautifully done by Amy Golzeski. Her well-modulated, perfectly-paced voice brought the story to life.

Askew Fairytale

I enjoyed book 5 of "The Immortal Grimm Brothers' Guide to Sociopathic Princesses" a lot. The author has creatively re-written a fairytale and made the story exciting and new. Larkin Gregory made the decision to go and find out what happened to her siblings. On the journey, Larkin encountered mythical creatures, magical spells, and many dangers. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Amy J Gozelski's narration was fine. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.