The Mask of Mirrors

• Author: M.A. Carrick
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: January 21, 2021
• Publisher: Orbit
• Series: Rook & Rose #1

Thank you to Orbit and Angela Man for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, death of a child, murder, grief, gore, death of a parent, drugging

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD. MAGIC FAVORS THE LIARS.

Ren is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadežra with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister’s future.

But her masquerade is just one of many. And as corrupt nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the City of Dreams, the poisonous feuds of its nobility and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled…with Ren at their heart.

The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a dazzling and darkly magical fantasy adventure by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, writing together as M.A. Carrick.

If you’re like me, and have ever wondered what it would be like if The Lies of Locke Lamora was rewritten with the two main characters as females, this is the book for you. It’s kind of like The Lies of Locke Lamora meets Six of Crows, while still maintaining a completely unique style, somehow. I am incredibly glad that I buddy read this with Julie @ One Book More, because she kept me motivated to read faster and provided so much insight (and funny memes) during our discussions.

To start with, the beginning of the book is extremely slow-paced. We’re getting introduced to a bunch of characters, in various strata of society in Nadežra. Since Ren is basically a gutter rat, she moves easily through that element, although she also passes in high society as Renata Viraudax, and plays another role, Arenza Lenskaya, a pattern (cards similar to tarot cards) reader. In addition, we get introduced to a number of different plot threads, many of which seem unconnected. It seems a bit confusing at first, at least it was for us, until we were able to get the characters and plot threads straight in our heads. This gif best described us for much of the first quarter of the book:

Ren is such an intriguing character. She’s been raised as a con artist her entire life, but her cons have always involved short-term roles. Playing a role for such a long period of time starts to wear on her, and we start to see Ren take on different attributes based on the character she is playing—almost as if she is almost starting to become that person, and blurring the boundaries between who she really is, and who she is pretending to be. The longer it goes on, the more Ren seems to struggle with an identity crisis, yet she never loses her instincts for survival.

The side characters are equally intriguing, and they never felt like they were there for filler, even the smallest characters. From Ren’s sister, Tess; to the characters in House Traementis, Donaia, Leato, and Giuna; the group of friends that Leato hangs out with; Vargo, the local crime lord attempting to go legit; Grey, the captain of the local police; and the characters belonging to other main houses, every single one felt fully fleshed out and as if they were there serving a purpose and moving the story along. I was so invested in all of the characters—some I loved and some I despised, but I developed strong feelings about all of the characters.

Now to discuss the world-building, which was incredible. This is a very detailed world, with characters of two different nationalities living in close proximity, and prejudice between the two. The Vraszenians are oppressed and looked down upon amongst the Nadežrans, although they are the ones that have a connection to pattern reading, a talent that is valued among many Nadežrans. We get to see the prejudice firsthand, especially in Grey’s chapters, when he explains how he can’t progress any further in the Hawks because he’s Vraszenian, and the way that people act towards him. He also gets flak from his own people, who see him as a turncoat. One thing that I picked up on about this world that I love to see is that it is queer-normative, and I honestly wish that this was seen more often in books.

Once I got past the slowness of the beginning, the pace picked up rather quickly. There was a lot of manipulation and maneuvering, and it felt like the pieces were being moved into place for some serious action. And the action did pick up in the second half of the book, but especially in the last quarter. Things got hectic and I couldn’t stop reading, wondering what was going to happen next. This is another one of those times where I’m thrilled that I have the entire series lined up (thanks Orbit and Angela!) just waiting to be buddy read. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got book 2 to dive into. If I can make one suggestion? Okay, two. First, don’t give up at the slowness of the beginning, because it gets better. Second, make sure you have at least the next book lined up, because after the cliffhanger ending, you’re going to want to dive in immediately.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 17

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