I think that Mark Lawrence is a talented writer. He has a gift of creating vivid characters, complex plot lines, and a very real world. I have enjoyed reading his many books and will continue to read what he puts out. However, The Liar's Key was not a book that I especially enjoyed.

Like I mentioned above, it has nothing to do with the lack of ability. The reason that I did not like The Liar's Key was mostly for Jorg. This saddens me to say this. I enjoyed reading about him in the first book. I enjoyed his growth and was disheartened to see it slide away at the end. However, I figured it was a tool being utilized by Lawrence for the second book. It was, but it took me almost the whole book to see how and even then it did not counteract all the lack of love for Jorg that I developed up to that point.

I think the biggest issue I had with the book is that it is told entirely through Jorg's third person perspective. Jorg does not like himself much, and he portrays himself in the worst possible way. Other characters see the hidden value in his character. Without that perspective we are left with the worst version of himself. It is a coward and a womanizer. Even when he does great things it is ruined by his own personal monologue.

Also, by telling the story from only Jorg's perspective most of the key moments are missed. In the first book Jorg was pulled along to all the key moments. In the second Jorg is outside them all, only learning the briefest glances from when Snorri tells him about them.