A Soldier And A Liar

Lai Cathwell is good at keeping secrets. As a Nyte, a supernaturally gifted teenager who is feared and shunned by the ungifted, this skill is essential to survival. Orchestrating her own imprisonment to escape military duty has only honed her ability to deceive others. But when rebels start attacking the city, Lai is dragged back into the fight with a new team of Nytes. Thrown together with Jay, a self-conscious perfectionist consumed by the desire to be accepted; Al, a short-tempered fighter lying for the sake of revenge; and Erik, an amnesiac hell-bent on finding his memories and his place in the world, Lai realizes she’s facing an entirely different kind of challenge—one that might just be impossible. But if this team can't learn to work together, the entire sector will be plunged into war.

A Soldier And A Liar by Caitlin Lochner - release date February 19, 2019

I absolutely loved the way this book was written!!! On top of the intriguing plot and fascinating characters that the author created there was something about the way this book was woven together that made me love every second of it! I had so much fun getting lost in the world that Lochner created. Each of the characters in the book felt so real with all of their detailed pasts, ambitions, and emotion. I also really loved how she used the powers that she granted each of the narrators to aid her in telling the story, it really added a whole new level to the book. 

This book is told through the first person view's of both Lai Cathwell, a telepath who is keeping a lot of secrets from her fellow Nytes and the readers, and Jay Kitahara, the leader of an elite Nyte team who is unable to get the group to cooperate despite his best efforts. Reading in the first person for two different characters was never a problem so don't let that discourage any potential readers. It is really fun to watch as these two learn to work together and trust each other and to see how they navigate the challenges placed before them. There is a cute bond between them, so I would definitely ship them, but there is nothing that gets in the way of the plot. One character that I want to learn more about is Al and I hope there is room for that side of the story in the next book (because this book will most certainly have a sequel).

There was a lot to love packed into every page of this book. I found that the author was creative in what types of powers she gave each of her Nyte characters. Instead of sticking to the stereotypical powers she got creative with powers like shadow manipulation, the ability to read emotions, and seeing the past and the future. There wasn't a single thing I can think of that I disliked about this book, though I will complain that I don't already have the sequel in my hands and ready to be read!

There is no question that this book deserves 5/5 stars. It was the perfect combination of sci-fi and fantasy and would be suitable for readers who enjoy either. It took me 6 days to read. I wasn't sure what type of book this was going to be when I first picked it up, but from the first page until the last I loved the whole thing!

~ Alyse :)

Reviewed on February 19, 2019