The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1)

What a lovely surprise. I think I saw this on sale and got it, not expecting anything other than ye olde alternate world fantasy with pseudo-Western Europe trappings.Not that. This is an extremely well developed fantasy based on a bit of Western Europe, but also some Eastern, possibly Turkish? And some other stuff thrown in, too. There are competeing, well developed magic styles based on two competing cultures (This is a city occupied by invaders who are now nobility), there are layers of society in this city, and there is great backstory and mystery around our main characters.We are following Ren and her sworn-sister into the city where she is masquerading as the long lost cousin of one of the noble families. She will flirt, manipulate, trade and do anything in her power to not be poor, and slowly her horrific backstory is revealed as to why she doesn't want to be poor, why she has certain skills, why she and her sworn sister are so seemingly lost.At the same time we find out about a robin hood like character called the Rook-- part of the fun is figuring out who of the main male characters in Ren's life the Rook is. I was wrong twice!The other fun part is that there is an original kind of Tarot cards that Ren and the occupied culture uses for divining. It's super well developed and complex. If you like that kind of thing you're going to love this.I am definitely reading on even without romance (there's flirting but nothing really romancey) because while the Rook is revealed at the end, I want to see Rook and Ren in action together, I want to find out why Vargo has a ghost riding him, and I want to see more political machinations.I finally looked up MA Carrick and realized it was pseudonym for a team of authors who write under that name, one of which, Marie Brennan, whose work I've read and enjoyed before. Very cool.

I think this series is going to be a very good fantasy series... Some things I liked was the character development, especially Ren, captain Gray, and Vargo. The mystery of it all was captivating, and the story is intricate. Some things I did not like were how complicated the names were for everything and everyone which I found VERY distracting, this books plot is SOOO SLOW. I mean it at times was hard to keep going, and lastly the magic system was not explained enough and I found confusing and although it's a big part of the story I ended up just dismissing it because there was no context of it all. Overall, I do believe this book is just a stage setter for the series and am hoping that the next one is as captivating as this one but much more clear.

This book is TWISTY. I have a lot of thoughts, but this plot unfolds like a spiderweb; I’m sure I’m going to be sorting through the threads for some time to come. That being said, this is a beautiful book. The feeling within its pages are captured brilliantly by the cover art, so definitely feel free to judge this book in particular by its cover. The world that’s been built here is a piece of art in its own right, and the characters are diverse, complex, and endlessly interesting. Before you decide whether or not this is for you, some points to consider:1. This book is GAY AS HECK. I counted at least one character for every letter in LGBTQIA, and I loved it. Sexuality and gender identity is so casual in this book, and it’s glorious. None of the characters really question anyone else’s sexuality; all differences are accounted for and accepted as a regular part of society. I want more books like this. And, honestly, I want more reality like this.2. This is NOT A YA BOOK. It seems for some reason that it’s being pushed into that category, but it is without question an adult fantasy novel. The plot is complex, the writing is complex, the themes are definitely more mature than a typical YA read, and I imagine those who are used to reading YA would feel like they’re slogging through mud. The terminology and in-world language use alone make this a tough book to get into. I was almost 50% through the book before I felt like I was mostly familiar with it. The authors do NOT hold your hand here—you’ve just got to keep going and figure it out along the way (or I guess use the glossary in the back, but if you’re anything like me, you probably got to about the 65% mark before you even realized it was there). While I certainly don’t think young readers are incapable of figuring it out or being able to handle the violence, sex, and language that goes along with the adult label, I wouldn’t suggest it to someone who isn’t already an avid reader.3. POV jumps around a lot. There is seemingly no limit to whose mind we could end up in next. Each chapter is broken into sections, and each section is another POV. Sometimes it’s the same character two sections in a row—usually it’s our main character when this happens, who goes by several different names and is just delightful—but if this is the case, it’s usually a difference of time and/or setting that separates the sections. The sections aren’t labeled with whose head we’re in, just the date and location—again, in the in-world language, so this labeling system means absolutely nothing to you at the beginning of the book.If you’re okay with all of that, definitely give this book a try. It’s a little slow going at first, which I attribute mostly to trying to get your bearings in-world with very little help from the authors, but once you find them it’s hard to put down. There are a lot of themes within this book that apply very heavily to the present day real world, and you certainly won’t feel like you’ve wasted the time spent with your nose in this book.Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

Going into the story, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect - just that it was the book picked for my bookclub read-along and it was a fantasy read with a gorgeous cover.Once I started it, I realised it was a fascinating story about Con artists, masked vigilantes, political intrigue, dynamic sword fights, seductive and witty dialogue, and a unique magic system - everything that rendered it a mesmerising read!Our protagonist, Ren comes to the city of Nadežra with one goal in mind: to con her way into House Traementis, one of the city’s noble and prestigious houses, and to secure her and her sister’s futures. However, as Ren gets to know the family, she finds herself rather attached. She also realises that she’s not the only one hiding her true identity. Soon, Ren’s life becomes entangled within the politics and feuds of the city’s aristocrats. There’s also her landlord, Vargo and Captain Grey Serrado - both with their own deep secrets and complications. Not to mention the super mysterious Rook!Then there’s the problem of a new, corrupt drug that has emerged in the underworld - bringing alive all the nightmare creatures from children’s fairytales and threatening the city with dark magic turmoil - which Ren also has to navigate through.A truly stunning story! The authors have done a remarkable job at creating this extremely detailed, complex world and although it did take me a while to understand it all, I was left completely by awe by the end.The City of Nadežra is dazzling. The vivid descriptions, the dynamic characters, the dialogue and even the fashion was enthralling!The plot is complicated and some aspects completely caught me off guard. I was glad that I did the read along, as the TWW bookclub commentary really kept me on track and helped me process all the complex pieces of the narrative. It took me a while to get through the book but I’m so glad I did - It’s truly a brilliant read!I look forward to reading the second book in the series. If you are a fan of complex fantasy fiction, The Mask of Mirrors (the Rook & Rose trilogy) is definitely one to check out.NB: I started this book on audiobook but really struggled with the lacklustre narration and awful accents. Once I stated reading the physical book, I felt it all made more sense. However, this is my personal preference. I usually love audiobooks but very fussy with narrators.

I’m not gonna lie, this book has a steep learning curve. The authors throw you into this fascinating, but complicated web of a city (Nadežra), full of rich cultures, politics, noble houses, a masked vigilante, crime lords and magic. There is a lot - and I mean a lot - to learn and the authors don’t hold your hand. The numerous names and titles were confusing at first and didn’t help.The setting is reminiscent of Venice but saying that simplifies it way too much. There are influences from many different cultures and it all comes together into something that feels new, unique and real. I immediately fell in love with the city. In General, the world is beautifully rich and alive, partly due to its complexity; and the same is true for its politics, the magic and the characters.I instantly connected with the main character (and enjoyed most of the other POV characters), which kept me engaged throughout the first part of the book, while I still struggled to remember/understand all the names and relationships between the characters. Ren, the main protagonist, is a former street kid returning to the city with an elaborate con. She pretends to be a long lost relative of one of the noble houses in an attempt to gain their trust, influence and ultimately their money. She is clever, resourceful, charismatic and very good at lying/manipulating people and it all makes sense given what she went through. Her arc throughout the book is beautiful and very believable. Most of the protagonists are not “classically” good (Ren obviously included, given her profession), but rather varying shades of grey. However, I still sympathised with most of them. I think the characters, together with the beautifully created world are the two high points of the novel!The book is slow and very dense; a lot of things are happening and not all of them seem connected to the main story in the beginning. And while all this might sound negative, it wasn’t, at least not for me. I read this book slower than I normally do, but I was always looking forward to picking it up again and to continue the story.There is little action, but Magic does play an important part, especially in the second half of the book. I didn’t even touch on the magic systems yet. There are different types of magic in the world, but much of it is still shrouded in mystery, which is part of what makes it intriguing in my opinion.The tension and the stakes are raised markedly after the midpoint of the story and at that point I was completely and utterly hooked and couldn’t stop reading. The book has a satisfying ending, but at the same time keeps me hooked for the sequel.**TL;TR: I highly recommend the book to everyone that is not deterred by a slower pace, enjoys intelligent main characters, a diverse and rich world and an intricate plot. I thought it was excellent!**

This book surprised me how good it is! With original plot and magic system, can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Given the extremely high reviews I had read on almost every platform, I thought I'd find something fresh and entertaining. Unfortunately, I dragged myself to page 505 and, then, I had to drop it. There were too many scenes and too many details: a 630-page book that could have been a 350-page novel. The interesting topics such as the magic system, the supernatural forces and deities were left behind until the end and, even then, they were not deepened as much as they could have been. A huge missed opportunity!

The story is told from a number of points in the third person but the main characters are Ren, the woman trying to con her way into high society, Donaia, the matriarch of the Traementis family that Ren is trying to con, Grey, a captain in the Virgil trying to find out the truth about Ren and Vargo, a crime lord trying to buy his way into the nobility.All the characters, both main and secondary, have ulterior motives hidden behind their metaphorical masks as well as a long term con which makes the book so much fun to read. The characters are deliciously grey yet I found myself somehow rooting for them all except for the obvious villain of the piece.Rook, a masked and hooded crusader is a welcome addition and the mystery of his identity is well played out in the book (although it did turn out to be the person I hoped it would be). I loved the hint of attraction between him and Ren. Ren’s growth from the cynical conwoman to someone willing to fight for the people she has begun to care about is well written and I cant wait to see how her story plays out in the next book.There are plenty of sword fights, magic, peril and intrigue to satisfy most fantasy fans and I loved the fact that there was no gore, sexual violence or torture.My only gripe is the length of the book ( I felt it could have been a bit shorter), but I imagine most people will love the fact that it is a tomb of a book.