Cursed at Birth

In the desert dominion of Aryd, twin princesses are born to the royal family. A sand nymph, under orders from the immortal King Eidolon of Tyndra, is sent to curse the heir, Tabra, but at the last moment, she switches the curse to the second-born, Meren. The twins' existence is kept secret: Tabra is raised as the future queen, while Meren is hidden away, destined to serve as her body double in times of danger. This fateful act sets the stage for a life of deception, sacrifice, and a struggle against a curse that will shape the fate of both sisters and their world.

The Hidden Twin

Meren grows up in obscurity, trained to mimic her sister and prepared to die in her place if necessary. She is restless, yearning for freedom, and sneaks out at night to taste life beyond her hovel. Her only solace is her friendship with Cain, a desert wanderer, who teaches her survival and offers a glimpse of a different life. But the threat of Eidolon, the king who has hunted and killed Aryd's queens for generations, looms ever closer, and Meren's existence remains a closely guarded secret.

Shadows in the Desert

Meren's secret excursions bring her into contact with a mysterious, powerful stranger—Reven, the Shadowraith—who seems to see through her disguises. When the queen dies and Tabra is to be crowned, Meren is drawn into palace intrigue and the threat of Eidolon's return. The kingdom is on edge, and Meren's role as decoy becomes more perilous as unrest grows and the king's shadowy agents draw near.

The Wrong Princess Stolen

On the eve of Tabra's coronation, Meren, disguised as her sister, is abducted by Reven, who believes he is stealing the queen. Reven is not Eidolon, but a shadowy figure with his own agenda—he needs the queen's help to save his people and his sinking homeland. Meren, mistaken for Tabra, is swept into a journey across dominions, pursued by enemies and forced to confront her own identity, power, and the curse that binds her fate to the king.

A Captive's Bargain

As Reven drags Meren through the wilds, she learns he is a Shadow—one of many shed by Eidolon to maintain his immortality. Reven is the last remnant of Eidolon's goodness, on the run from his creator and the darkness within himself. Meren and Reven's relationship shifts from captor and captive to reluctant allies, and then to something deeper, as they face monsters, soldiers, and the truth about the curse. Meren's sand magic, once hidden, becomes crucial to their survival.

The Shadowraith's Sanctuary

Reven brings Meren to the Shadowood, a secret sanctuary he has built for the Vanished—those stolen or fleeing from oppression. Here, Meren witnesses the cost of power and the hope of community. She meets Reven's allies, including Vos, Tziah, and Horus, and learns that the Shadowood is threatened by Eidolon's encroaching armies. Meren's presence, and her growing power, become both a beacon and a danger to the sanctuary.

Secrets and Revelations

Meren's true identity is exposed to Reven and the Shadowood's leaders. She is not the queen, but the cursed twin, and her sand magic is unique—she can create glass portals, a power Eidolon desperately seeks. Reven reveals his own origins: he is Eidolon's shadow, carrying the king's discarded evil within him. Together, they piece together Eidolon's plan: he needs a soul-powered queen to restore his immortality, and the curse was meant for Tabra, not Meren.

The King's True Face

Eidolon, ageless and ruthless, has manipulated generations to maintain his power. He has sent a magical amulet to Tabra, ensnaring her mind and will. As Meren and Reven race to save Tabra, they realize the king's armies are closing in on the Shadowood, and the curse is a key to his ultimate goal. Betrayals and shifting loyalties threaten to tear apart the fragile alliances Meren has built.

The Curse Unleashed

Eidolon's forces, aided by monstrous allies, breach the Shadowood's defenses. Meren, Reven, and their friends fight desperately to save the Vanished, using every ounce of magic and cunning. Meren creates a portal of glass, allowing many to escape, but the cost is high—Reven unleashes the full power of his shadows, sacrificing himself to save Meren and the others, and is overtaken by the darkness within.

The Battle for the Shadowood

In the aftermath of the battle, the Shadowood is destroyed, its people scattered. Meren is wracked with guilt and grief, but is determined to save her sister and confront Eidolon. Reven, now a prisoner of his own shadows, is lost to her. Meren's journey becomes one of redemption, as she musters her courage and power for a final confrontation.

The Portal of Glass

Meren and Reven, both wounded and changed, infiltrate the palace to save Tabra before her wedding to Eidolon. The curse, the amulet, and the king's manipulations have left Tabra a shell of herself. Meren's sand magic and Reven's shadow powers are pushed to their limits as they battle Eidolon and his monstrous creations in a throne room transformed into a battlefield of light and darkness.

Sacrifice and Betrayal

Reven, realizing that as Eidolon's shadow he is the king's last hope for immortality, sacrifices himself to destroy the king's power. Meren, using her magic, saves Tabra and escapes through a portal, but is left behind as the glass shatters. Eidolon, bound to Meren by the curse, captures her, and Tabra is left weakened and changed by the king's influence.

The Queen's Gambit

Meren, now forced to impersonate Tabra as queen, must navigate a court filled with enemies and spies. Eidolon, furious at the loss of his shadows and immortality, plots his next move. Meren's only hope lies in her allies—Cain, Achlys, and the survivors of the Shadowood—and in the possibility that Reven, against all odds, may still live.

The Wedding and the War

As Meren plays her most dangerous role yet, the kingdom teeters between rebellion and submission. Eidolon's grip tightens, and the threat of war looms. Meren's love for Reven, her loyalty to her sister, and her duty to her people are all tested as she prepares for a final reckoning with the king.

The Heart of Shadows

In the aftermath, Meren and Reven are separated—she, a queen in a gilded cage; he, wounded and fighting the darkness within. Both are changed by sacrifice and love, bound by the curse and their shared struggle. The story ends with hope: Meren, now a queen in her own right, plots to free herself and her people, while Reven, alive and healing, vows to return for her.

The Aftermath and the Throne

The dominions are forever changed. Meren, once a hidden twin, now sits on the throne, her power and resolve forged by suffering and love. Eidolon, stripped of his shadows and immortality, remains a threat, but the balance of power has shifted. The curse, the portals, and the legacy of the Shadowraith will shape the future of Aryd and all the dominions.

Characters

Meren (Mereneith Evangeline XII)

Meren is the second-born princess of Aryd, raised in secrecy as her sister's body double and cursed at birth by a sand nymph. Intelligent, resourceful, and fiercely independent, she struggles with feelings of inadequacy and a longing for freedom. Her sand magic, initially hidden, becomes a source of power and hope. Meren's journey is one of self-discovery, as she transforms from a pawn in others' games to a queen in her own right. Her relationships—with her sister Tabra, her friend Cain, and especially with Reven—are marked by loyalty, sacrifice, and a deep yearning for love and belonging. Meren's psychological arc is defined by her struggle to claim her own identity and agency in a world that would use her as a tool or a sacrifice.

Reven (The Shadowraith)

Reven is a living shadow, shed from King Eidolon as part of the king's quest for immortality. He is both a part of Eidolon and his opposite—the last remnant of the king's goodness, haunted by the evil of the other Shadows within him. Reven is powerful, brooding, and tormented by his origins, yet he is also compassionate and self-sacrificing. His sanctuary, the Shadowood, is a testament to his desire to protect the lost and the vulnerable. Reven's relationship with Meren is transformative for both: she becomes his anchor to humanity, and he, her path to self-acceptance. Reven's psychological struggle is with the darkness inside him and the fear that he is doomed to become the monster he was created from.

Tabra

Tabra is Meren's identical twin, raised as the heir to Aryd's throne. Kind, gentle, and sheltered, she is the intended target of Eidolon's curse and manipulation. Tabra's arc is one of tragic vulnerability: she is ensnared by Eidolon's magical amulet, her will and identity eroded as she is prepared for sacrifice. Her relationship with Meren is central—she is both the reason for Meren's sacrifices and, ultimately, a victim of the same forces. Tabra's psychological journey is marked by the loss of agency and the hope for rescue and restoration.

Eidolon

Eidolon is the ageless, ruthless ruler of Tyndra, sustained by shedding his Shadows and stealing the power of Aryd's queens. Charismatic and terrifying, he is both a literal and symbolic embodiment of evil, manipulation, and the hunger for control. Eidolon's psychological makeup is defined by his inability to accept mortality, his willingness to sacrifice others for his own ends, and his obsession with the soul powers of Aryd's royal line. He is both the external antagonist and the internal shadow that haunts Reven and Meren.

Cain

Cain is a desert wanderer, Meren's childhood friend and first love. Brave, skilled, and steadfast, he represents the life Meren might have had—one of freedom and belonging. Cain's devotion to Meren is unwavering, but he is ultimately unable to save her from the larger forces at play. His psychological arc is one of acceptance and letting go, as he realizes Meren's destiny lies beyond the desert and his protection.

Vos

Vos is a former general of Tyndra, now a leader in the Shadowood. Cunning, strategic, and fiercely loyal to Reven, he is both a foil and a complement to the Shadowraith. Vos's role is to challenge Reven, support the sanctuary, and provide a grounded perspective amid the chaos. His psychological journey is one of redemption and the search for a new purpose after betrayal.

Tziah

Tziah is a mute girl from Mariana with a deadly power—her voice can incapacitate or kill. She is a leader in the Shadowood, marked by resilience and compassion. Tziah's relationship with Vos is protective and familial. Her psychological arc is one of healing and finding a place of belonging after loss.

Horus

Horus is a former wanderer, now a leader in the Shadowood. Lacking magical power, he compensates with skill, courage, and loyalty. Horus represents the ordinary people caught in the crossfire of magical wars, and his psychological journey is one of finding worth and purpose beyond inherited power.

Achlys

Achlys is Tabra's handmaiden and secret lover, a source of comfort and support for both sisters. She is perceptive, brave, and self-sacrificing, caught between duty and love. Achlys's psychological arc is one of grief, resilience, and the hope for reunion.

The Sand Nymph

The sand nymph is the magical being who curses Meren at birth, setting the story in motion. Torn between duty to Eidolon and her own conscience, she represents the power of choice and the unforeseen consequences of defiance. Her actions echo throughout the narrative, shaping the destinies of the twins and the fate of the dominions.

Plot Devices

Dual Identity and Body Double

The central device is the existence of royal twins—one to rule, one to serve as a secret body double. This structure allows for themes of identity, sacrifice, and the tension between fate and agency. Meren's hidden life and her role as decoy drive the plot's twists and the psychological complexity of her character.

The Curse and Magical Inheritance

The curse placed on Meren at birth is both a literal and symbolic shackle, binding her fate to Eidolon and setting the stakes for the entire story. The inheritance of sand and soul magic, and the unique ability to create glass portals, are plot engines that propel the action and deepen the world-building.

The Shadowraith and Shedding Shadows

Eidolon's method of achieving immortality—shedding his Shadows, each a fragment of himself—serves as both a narrative engine and a metaphor for the loss of humanity in the pursuit of power. Reven, as the last and best of these Shadows, embodies the struggle between good and evil within and the possibility of redemption.

The False Rescue and the True Enemy

Meren's kidnapping by Reven, who believes she is the queen, sets off a chain of mistaken identities, betrayals, and shifting loyalties. The device of the "wrong princess" stolen allows for exploration of agency, self-worth, and the power of choice.

The Glass Portal

The creation and use of glass portals is both a literal means of escape and a symbol of transformation. Meren's ability to make portals is the key to survival, but also the reason she is hunted. The portal scenes are climactic moments of tension, sacrifice, and revelation.

Sacrifice and the Power of Love

The narrative structure builds toward acts of sacrifice—Reven's self-destruction to defeat Eidolon, Meren's willingness to risk everything for her sister and her people. Love, both romantic and familial, is the force that enables characters to transcend their curses and roles.

Foreshadowing and Mirrored Motifs

The story is rich with foreshadowing—visions, repeated warnings, and mirrored events (such as the sand nymph's curse, the use of amulets, and the recurring theme of twins and doubles). These motifs reinforce the psychological depth and the sense of destiny at play.

Analysis

The Liar's Crown is a lush, psychologically rich fantasy that interrogates the nature of identity, sacrifice, and power through the lens of twin sisters bound by a curse and a kingdom haunted by shadows. Abigail Owen crafts a world where the personal and the political are inseparable, and where the struggle for agency is both internal and external. The novel's central device—the hidden twin, forced to live and die for another—serves as a powerful metaphor for the ways women are often asked to erase themselves for the sake of family, tradition, or survival. The relationship between Meren an

Last updated: May 7, 2025