I seem to have picked up quite a few books in multi-author series lately, and here I am with another one, H.L. Day’s King of Lies, which is part of the eight book Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction series a set of dystopian romances (which can be read in any order) set in a world in which a mysterious, chemically engineered red rain has infected millions with a virus that turns them into mindless savages. While the subject matter is certainly dark, the author balances that out with lighter moments of humour and builds a strong emotional connection between the leads, showing the resilience of the human spirit even at the worst of times. The story is tense and full of danger and there is a fair amount of on-page violence (although no more than you’ll find in many romantic suspense novels and probably less than in most zombie-type TV shows), but I wouldn’t call King of Lies a ‘dark romance’, although some of the other books in the series do seem to fall into that category.

After a short prologue told through the eyes of a teenaged girl, the story proper beings seventy-six years after the events she relates, and we find a young man by the name of Tobias Breeze addressing a crowd somewhere in Birmingham. He’s standing outside in the red rain while the onlookers huddle beneath the overhang of the side of a building, telling them about a miracle drug that not only nullifies the effects of the rain but which can also prevent an infection from reaching the point at which an infected person will turn. He’s got them in the palm of his hand as he talks about newly discovered biological agents and government cover-ups – and then reveals an injector pen, one of many he stole from his former place of work and is willing to share with them. For a price.

Because Tobias Breeze is an alias, and he – real name August Stoll – is a conman, selling nothing but lies and false hope. He does what he must to get by – just like everyone else in this new, crazy world – and doesn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt over how he goes about it. It isn’t his fault that people’s greed and gullibility makes them such easy targets, and the way he sees it, the people he cons should thank him for teaching them not to be so trusting.

One of those watching the demonstration is Keaton Levine, who was recently discharged from the army after being bitten fending off a ‘biter’ attack. Even though he wasn’t fully turned that doesn’t mean he’s immune – he carries the virus in his blood and any subsequent exposure to it could push him over the edge; and the military has no use for a man who can’t risk being caught in the rain. He’s angry and bitter about being discarded like so much rubbish, but he knows his days are likely numbered and decides to spend whatever time is left to him tracking down and exacting revenge on the bastard responsible for his sister’s death. The suppressants won’t cure him, but they will at least mean he can travel without too much risk of turning completely.

The trouble is, Keaton doesn’t have any money. He decides to sneak into Breeze’s room when he’s sleeping and force him to tell him where his stash is – but he hadn’t counted on the other man setting a trap, turning the tables and putting a knife to his throat. It turns out he had noticed Keaton following him earlier in the day and had been waiting for him to make some kind of move. Breeze’s easy charm is gone, replaced by cold, hard anger; unsurprisingly, he kicks Keaton out – but doesn’t think that’s the last he’ll see of him.

And August is right. It isn’t long after he leaves the guesthouse before Keaton falls into step beside him and won’t take “fuck off” as an answer to his request for some suppressants. Realising he isn’t going to get rid of his unwanted companion easily, August decides to keep the con going for a bit longer; he’ll take the guy somewhere remote then dump him and move on to his next job.

King of Lies is a fast-paced, tightly-plotted story that played out in my head like an episode of a gritty TV series – full of action, danger and suspense with enough dark humour and snark to lighten the mood and keep things from becoming too bleak. There’s never a dull moment as August and Keaton find trouble – at one point with a psychopathic genius scientist who is both hilarious and incredibly disturbing – and realise they have no alternative but to rely on each other if they’re going to survive.

Keaton is probably the easier to like of the two, at least to start with. He can seem a little naïve at times, but he’s far from stupid; he’s loyal and kind, and that he’s managed to remain essentially decent and to retain his belief in goodness despite the horrible things he’s had to see and do is quite something. But I’m always here for a smart-mouthed bad-boy, so August stole the show for me. He’s morally grey for sure; he’s whip-smart, mercurial, and charming – and it’s hard not to admire his adaptability and quick-thinking, even when he’s lying through his teeth and behaving like a total shit. We find out, late in the book, that he has very specific motivations for his grifting; there’s no attempt to excuse it, but we do at least get to understand why he does it, and he does grow as a person over the course of the novel.

The chemistry between the pair crackles from the get-go, and their growing mutual attraction, the slow reveal of their backstories, and the way they come to let down their guards with each other are all very well-written. It’s true that their relationship begins with lies and manipulation, and that the move from antagonists-who-just-want-to-survive to two guys who-want-to-survive together happens over a short period of time, but it absolutely works. The harsh realities of living in a world that’s so broken, the danger, the close proximity, the humour and the banter – it all contributes to a dawning realisation that they really can trust one another and to a steadily growing affection and sense of ‘rightness’ when they’re together.

There’s a small secondary cast, the stand-out being August’s formidable grandmother, Caroline, who clearly adores him and who he obviously adores right back – and I really liked the way her character brings us full-circle. King of Lies is an exciting and thoroughly entertaining dystopian adventure yarn with a fast-moving plot, plenty of humour, a satisfying romance and a hard-won HEA. I enjoyed it a great deal and am happy to recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different.