The Mask of Mirrors Published by Orbit on January 19, 2021 Source: ebook
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Dark Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Pages: 672
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Format: eBook
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"For those who like their revenge plots served with the intrigue of The Goblin Emperor, the colonial conflict of The City of Brass, the panache of Swordspoint, and the richly detailed settings of Guy Gavriel Kay." --Booklist (starred review) The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a darkly magical fantasy adventure in which a con artist returns to the city that betrayed her, determined to have her revenge--only to find that her fate might be to save it. This is your past, the good and the ill of it, and that which is neither . . .Arenza Lenskaya is a liar and a thief, a pattern-reader and a daughter of no clan. Raised in the slums of Nadezra, she fled that world to save her sister. This is your present, the good and the ill of it, and that which is neither . . .Renata Viraudax is a con artist recently arrived in Nadezra. She has one goal: to trick her way into a noble house and secure her fortune. This is your future, the good and the ill of it, and that which is neither . . .As corrupt nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the city of dreams, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled--with Ren at their heart. And if she cannot sort the truth from the lies, it will mean the destruction of all her worlds. Praise for The Mask of Mirrors:
"Utterly captivating." --S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
"This novel will catch hold of your dreams and keep you from sleeping." --Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Calculating Stars
"Ushers you into the fascinating city of Nadezra, replete with complex politics, intricate magic, and mysteries that readers will be racing to unravel." --Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
"A fantastically twisty read." --Fran Wilde, author of the Bone Universe trilogy
"Lush, engrossing, and full of mystery and dark magic, The Mask of Mirrors is sure to please fantasy readers looking to dial up the intrigue." --BookPage
"A tightly laced plot dripping with political intrigue. Carrick has built a strong foundation for things to come." --Publishers Weekly
Review
“A thread in the darkness, when everything was lost. A hand reaching down to draw her back from death.” The Mask of Mirrors is a debut adult fantasy novel that delivers an enticing read. I had to read this in small chunks as each chapter holds many details to be processed. Instead of writing the book in alternating character chapters, this dynamic duo of writers went a new to me tactic. Each chapter contains various characters in various parts of this world. It felt like a play where you cut to this scene and then fade to this character storyline. Once I got used to the format, it was easier to get lost in the story.
There is a lot to digest throughout the story, the basic plot if Ren has come back to the town where she grew up as a child of the street gangs, to take revenge on those who took everything from her. She wants to con her way into an upper-class family and can do so as she gathers info over how she plays a lady’s maid to an estranged relative. While masquerading as this long-lost relative, she encounters a person of legend named The Rook. The Rook is a hooded legend out to the right the wrongs of society. They are a magic system that is a bit hard to follow; parts of the story center around the belief of patterns told by cards, and their also a religious aspect.
As I read, I had to keep track of what is revealed as I read since this is the first book in the series. I don’t want to lose what I understood in my first read-through. A book that I would reread a few times to grasp all that is hiding within the pages. Set some time aside to read this one. It is not one you want to rush—it one that needs time to be digested.
About M. A. Carrick
M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan (author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland — including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross — and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
(And if you were wondering: Marie’s name is accented on the second syllable, mah-REE, and Alyc’s name is uh-LISS, “like a list of items without the T.” Marie is she/her, and Alyc is they/them.)
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| Overall: | 5 |
