First of all, there is a map!! Oh how I love fantasy books greeting me with a map of their world. It immediately gets me in the mood to devour it and dive into this strange new universe, and "The Mask of Mirrors" managed just that. And no, not just because of the map.

I haven't read any of the books by the two authors that make up the pen name of M.A. Carrick so I went into this without any big expectations, just intrigued by the plot synopsis. The writing style is lush and beautiful and managed to pull me right in. The world building is detailed and complex and makes the world truly come alive, although it is at times a little description-heavy. I was, at first, a little overwhelmed by all these new terms, but they Carrick put them all into context in a way that allowed me to understand them without having to read the glossary at the end of the book. It's just amazing writing, really. The setting is intriguing, there is magic too, though there isn't much focus on it at first.

All in all, I was reminded of the likes of "Six of Crows" and "The Lies of Locke Lamora" - lots of intrigue and clever plans. The story of Ren, a con artist trying to wiggle her way into a rich noble family, is clever and exciting and oh so very fun! The pacing is a little slow at first, but I actually didn't mind so much because of all these big and small things we learn about the city of Nadežra, the society and different cultures living there. I do love plots that might start small but then reveal themselves to be so much bigger than initially thought, so much more complex than out protagonist expected - and this is the case here. There are mysteries about disappearing children, fights for power and wealth, well-thought out cons and so much more.

The characters are multi-faceted and complex and they can't all be clearly divided into "good and bad". There is a grey morality in them that I adored, with crime lord Vargo (who I love, more of him please!!) being a perfect example of this. It makes these characters, in a way, more realistic, more grounded. And they are so diverse! LGBTQIA+ is entirely normalized in this world and there are characters of all sexualities, there is a transgender secondary character as well and the general understanding of gender seems to go beyond the binary thinking still prevalent in our society.
Ren is a great main protagonist with flaws and edges that I loved to follow on her journey. The other two, slightly minor, protagonists Grey and Vargo are super intriguing as well and I loved reading their perspectives. There are more perspectives too, but they can mostly be attributed to more secondary characters. All of the characters are fleshed-out with unique personalities and voices and I'm impressed that I didn't find any of them boring. It's a really strong cast that makes me want to dive right into the next book.

I had so much fun reading this and will definitely buy my own copy and pick up the next books in the (I think?) trilogy as soon as they're out. Definitely an early highlight of 2021.

This book encompasses everything the Epic Fantasy genre means to me. From the intricate descriptions of clothes to complex magic systems to unfamiliar cultures brimming with intrigue and rivalries. Ever since I've read Brandon Sanderson's 'The Final Empire' I have been waiting for a story like it. I wanted something more from Fantasy, not royals and secret heirs to kingdoms or powerful sorcerers in training, but a plethora of characters just living their everyday lives. 'The Mask of Mirrors' fulfils those expectations. A con-woman who never strays from her goal, a masked vigilante that M. A. Carrick expertly manage to keep enigmatic throughout the story, a crime lord that has many cards up his sleeve, and never plays them all. These characters make the city of Nadežra a colourful yet dangerous place to live. The narrative is immaculately crafted, and the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat, the various interactions between multiple characters spicing up the story. I will be eagerly waiting for a continuation to the epic start of 'Rook & Rose' trilogy.

I will be posting my review on Instagram on January 21st

The Mask of Mirrors has been on my radar for a while as a highly anticipated 2021 release and it certainly didn’t disappoint. In a quick Goodreads comment saved as a placeholder for the actual review, I said that it hit for me the perfect trifecta of characters-plot-worldbuilding. I stand by it now that a few weeks have passed since finishing the book.

Why did I enjoy it?

While urban fantasy is very much a specific subgenre, a contemporary subgenre, The Mask of Mirrors felt UF nonetheless. Set in a city (joining the niche segment of fantasy stories about up-to-no-good charismatic people conning their way through a city with canals), one of its main plots revolves around the in-world equivalent of a detective solving a mystery. It is one of the reasons for its delicious readability.

The other reason is…who can resist a con story? Ren is not your usual conwoman, though, she’s no unscrupulous rogue. While she doesn’t much mind lying her way into a noble family who has fallen into hard times, pretending to be their kin, she actually works hard for them. At one point I started rooting for her success not just because of the principle of the thing, but because she deserves to reap rewards. Ren wants safety, she wants stability. There’s genuine caring there, and not only for her sister (her co-conspirator), but also for her fake family. She’s very much the portrait of a reluctant criminal, even if she does it so well, and with so much flair.

Speaking of flair. Vargo. My favourite character. No-one has ever made moral bankruptcy look so sexy. He flirts his way through the crème de la crème of Nadežra’s society while ruthlessly ruling part of its underworld. He shows up to parties cosplaying a courtesan wearing not much more than body paint, and crafts complex magic like it’s nothing. It is, and I apologize for the literary technical term, unbearably hot. Joke aside (was I truly joking though? Mhh), it’s the type of character that’s in the shades of grey, that has their own mysterious agenda, and that steals every scene they are in.

There are other point of view characters and the switch between them is smooth and seamless.

Now to talk a bit about the worldbuilding (you know what else is smooth and seamless? My transitions). First of all, it is a queernorm world, which is always such a pleasure to read. Visible trans people! Same-sex marriages! It doesn’t fail to make me feel…lighter, happier. Don’t get me wrong, the class disparities and ethnic tensions are very much there and not a topic brushed aside just because yay queer rights, but still…The fact that a character makes another character a magical binder for his comfort is just a source of joy to me. I am of course very much not in my lane saying this, I’ll wait to read reviews from trans readers.

The world has almost a texture to it, it feels real, it feels intricate and multi-layered and complex. The descriptions (especially of clothing!) are amazing. And you feel the two authors really having fun with it all. There’s quite a few elements to absorb but nothing too heavy (believe me, if I can do it…). I loved how the magic was woven into every aspect of daily life. It’s mundane but it’s also mysterious. If you’ve read Sherwood Smith’s Inda (and you should), it has that same level of intricacy.

We’ve been blessed with many stories about colonialism in SFF recently. Off the top of my head, I can think of A Memory Called Empire, The Traitor Baru Cormorant, and the upcoming She Who Became the Sun and The Unbroken. As someone from a former European “protectorate”, these stories always have a particular impact on me. The Mask of Mirrors’ take on this theme is achingly familiar. The original population was pushed to the margins, their religious practices barely tolerated, their sacred magic seen as a party trick for bored aristocrats. Two POV characters have ties to these communities, and it’s interesting to see how they perceive them and how they’re perceived by them, how they code switch to gain information or trust. The ethnic tensions are also a major plot point.

The plot is…well, you know when you do sign up to go on a rollercoaster but you just didn’t expect it to be that wild? That. I’m not saying more, suffice to say that DMs have been sent to Travis (who read the book before me) and that they might have contained profanities in caps lock.

I am nearing the end of this review, and I realize that I haven’t mentioned the titular Rook! Which isn’t to say that he isn’t interesting. A masked vigilante duelling arrogant noblemen and serving justice for centuries? I…probably should edit the review to talk about him earlier. But the fact that I didn’t just goes to show how much is happening in this book, how many interesting aspects and themes and characters are vying for our attention as readers.

To conclude, The Mask of Mirrors is an intriguing and exciting opening act with show-stealing characters, mysteries, simmering tensions, and a worldbulding that is simply exquisite. Read it.

I’d hoped I would absolutely love this book but unfortunately I find it too convoluted and confusing for me to finish. It’s taken me such a long time to get to 12% that I’ve realised it would be a negative use of time to continue.

I absolutely love Ren. The character building and characters are all evidently well written but unfortunately I can’t seem to reach the book having great substance or magic.

Maybe in the future I’ll come back to this read, it’s definitely a gorgeous cover and seems to be well received and loved.

This is an incredible book. It has con artists, found family, politics, betrayals, secrets galore, class divides, racial tensions, magic...

It's huge and complex with a lot of layers and interwoven threads. You will need your wits about you reading this.

The characters are some of the best written characters I have ever read, every single one of them is sublime.

The magic systems are interesting and refreshing.

The details in this book are astounding and for me what really elevates it.

The beginning is a little info dumpy about things that don't need to be info dumped and there are things that I thought needed a little more explanation - time for one, I still have no idea when seventh sun is.

It works as a complete story with enough hooks to bring me back for book 2.

M.A. Carrick is a pseudonym for authors Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, and The Mask of Mirrors is their first book together. It’s high fantasy set in a world with magic, and it starts the Rook and Rose series.

The book is written by two anthropologists and it shows. Tremendous work has gone to creating a world with hundreds of details ranging from directions (earthwise/sunwise) and times of day (sun hours and earth hours) to rules of card games and duels. The various peoples living in the city of Nadežra have their unique cultures with different clothing, deities and even funeral habits, from nobility to street gangs. None of it is explained to the reader; there are no info dumps and the reader is left to learn everything as they go. Mostly it works well—much of it is intuitive and none of it is vital for following the story—but there was so much of it that it was exhausting at times. There is a map and a glossary, but they’re not very easy to use in an ebook.

Nadežra is a city ruled by conquerors, and the peace between the ruling (white) people and the (Romani-type) tribes whose holy town is occupied, is tenuous at best. No one is happy with the situation, and there are elements on both sides that have decided to do something about it—at the same time.

In the middle of this arrives Ren with her sister Tess. They are former street urchins who have escaped from their cruel gang lord several years earlier, and have now returned to Nadežra with a bold plan to infiltrate a noble family and get rich. It’s a long con based on Ren’s skills at pretence and lying and her knowledge about the family she’s about to dupe.

Things start very well and Ren makes a splash in the society. But in order to maintain her con, she is drawn into the affairs of nobility and crime lords alike. The only way out is forward and Ren isn’t about to give up. Not even when she realises that the entire city is at risk and she might be the person to destroy it.

The book is divided into four parts. The first two are mostly a set-up for the latter two, and they are very slow to read. There’s a lot going on, but no plot to follow. The narrative doesn’t carry the reader forward, and it’s difficult to figure out what is important to pay attention to. The chapters don’t have an action-sequence pattern, and often when a chapter ends with a call to action, nothing comes of it, or the action happens where the reader cannot see, making them feel let down. This applies to all the point of view characters. They show up at random intervals to do something that seems random, or their chapters exist only to introduce the character. Tess, for example, doesn’t have a plot-influencing role, but she has her own chapters.

This changes after the half point. The latter two parts have a coherent plot that sweeps the reader with it and doesn’t let go. Ren discovers several schemes to destroy the city, and instead of working on her con, she finds herself trying to save Nadežra. The reader is kept guessing to the end if and how she might be able to do it.

This is a book that relies very much on Ren’s character. She’s a survivor who is willing to do pretty much anything to keep herself and Tess safe. Her morals are questionable from the start, but she changes along the way. The con becomes less important after she comes to like the people she’s trying to dupe, and saving the town becomes a priority over the con—though she’s also doing it to save herself.

There are several other characters too, none of which are easy to get a hang of. Are they good or bad, love-interests or backstabbers, and will they play any role in the final? Some people that we spend a lot of time with in the first half disappear completely, making them a waste of reader’s time, and we never get to know the baddies. But the characters with their POV chapters are all interesting, with secrets that aren’t revealed in this first book—but at least we learn the biggest one, the identity of the Rook. I would’ve been really annoyed if I’d had to wait for that any longer than I did.

All in all, this was a very mixed reading experience. I was ready to give up several times during the first half, as the story didn’t seem to go anywhere. But then I read the latter half in two days. And I’m glad I persevered, as the pay-off was satisfying, and there were a couple of interesting twists saved for the last. It just didn’t need the almost seven hundred pages to get there. Ren ends up in a new place in life and it’ll be interesting to read where she’ll take her con from here.

The Mask of Mirrors es la primera obra escrita a cuatro manos por dos autores que darán mucho que hablar: M. A. Carrick son, ni más ni menos, que Marie Brennan, la autora de The Memoirs of Lady Trent, y Alyc Helms, autore de la saga de Missy Masters. En sus obras por separado se nota que les apasiona la historia y la construcción de mundos, pero lo que han conseguido con The Mask of Mirrors (primera entrega de la saga Rook & Rose) y el mundo que desarrollan en esta novela es, simplemente, una obra de arte.
Los habitantes de una nación deben visitar su ciudad sagrada cada siete años para formar parte de la magia, hasta que llega un tirano extranjero y la cosa se complica. La nobleza descendiente de este tirano sigue reinando en la ciudad, mientras que las personas nativas se tienen que contentar con las migajas. Para subsistir forman bandas callejeras. En medio de este barullo de poderes, un legendario ladrón enmascarado se encarga de hacer pagar a la nobleza sus excesos. Pero ¿quién es y cómo es que lleva dos siglos en activo?
Sin embargo, lo primero que nos encontramos en The Mask of Mirrors es a una joven niña que, tras la pérdida de su madre, se une a una banda callejera. Pero tales son los maltratos que sufre que decide poner fin a su situación y envenena a la líder de la banda.
Marie Brennan y Alyc Helms consiguen alcanzar un equilibrio muy delicado con The Mask of Mirrors. En vez de ofrecer toda la información de golpe, sin dar tiempo a procesarla, nos la presentan a pinceladas de un modo natural. Estas pinceladas van creando un tapiz cada vez más completo hasta que, al fin, puedes ver la imagen entera sin perderte por el camino. El exceso de información no incomoda en ningún momento la lectura.
Pero esta saga, que promete ser extensa (The Mask of Mirrors cuenta con cerca de 700 páginas), es algo más que un conjunto de datos. Brennan y Helms incluyen representación LGBT en sus personajes, sin someterles a ningún tipo de discriminación. De hecho, los presentan con total naturalidad. Tampoco se cortan ni un pelo en mostrar los entresijos de la política y la policía. Preparan los escenarios, que podemos asociar con hechos reales, para mandar mensajes importantes, pero siempre con mano suave e hilándolos bien con los personajes y la trama de la novela. No en vano la mayor parte de los personajes son de clase baja, lo que no resta importancia a las diferencias claras entre las distintas facciones dentro de la clase alta.
Es habitual buscar últimamente en fantasía sistemas de magia con sentido y con un nivel casi científico, a la par que original. En este sentido, Helms y Brennan cumplen por partida doble al presentar dos sistemas de magia bien distintos y, al mismo tiempo, relacionados entre sí. Por un lado, tenemos la numinatria, basada en dibujos y los estudios científicos de las posiciones y las formas para propiciar que los dioses muevan la energía. Y, por otro, tenemos la lectura de cartas, basada más en la intuición; que se transmite de generación en generación. No cabe duda de que, en esta sociedad de clases, la numinatria tiene más renombre, pues es un estilo de magia muy occidental. Sin embargo, la numinatria es más rígida, mientras que la lectura de cartas habla de posibilidades.
Y, por si fuera poco, aparece de repente un tercer tipo de magia, que depende más de la persona. Consiste en concentrar una energía preternatural en aquello que tengas entre manos para conseguir que los objetos y las acciones adquieran más poder.
Aquí hay, en definitiva, magia para todos los gustos.
Sin embargo, toda esta construcción del mundo se quedaría coja sin unos personajes carismáticos que sostengan la trama. Y solo puedo decir que no hay ni uno solo en toda la novela que no tenga su carisma. Así, los tres protagonistas principales son Grey Serrado, un capitán de la guardia del pueblo oprimido al que consideran un traidor; Ren, una timadora que intenta abrirse paso en una casa noble y Vargo, el jefe de los bajos fondos que guarda muchos secretos. Alrededor de estos personajes se construye una red compleja de relaciones que van cambiando con el tiempo y que, a la vez, muestran capas y capas de la vida de los personajes. Pongamos, por ejemplo, a Leato, un joven noble de la casa Traementis que es, a la vez, amigo de Grey Serrado y objetivo de Ren. O Tess, la hermana de Ren que se hace pasar por su doncella, pero que también acaba relacionándose con Grey y Vargo. Todos ellos ocultan secretos y traumas del pasado que afectan, y mucho, a sus relaciones y esperanzas.
Lo único negativo que puedo decir de The Mask of Mirrors es que el final es atropellado, muy al estilo de las películas de acción, donde todo lo que se ha ido construyendo a lo largo del libro llega a un clímax más que esperado. Pero, al igual que en las buenas series que tienen asegurada otra temporada, al final encontramos un par de escenas que abren unas incógnitas que se desvelarán en las secuelas.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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I was really excited to read this one. Heist novels are a favourite of mine and that cover is just stunning!

Unfortunately, the reading experience was slow and not very enjoyable due to a few reasons.

The world-building, while impressive and well thought out, was given in the form of infodumps that made it hard to follow any ongoing dialogue that was interspersed with it. There were also times when certain info dumps were not really relevant to what was actually happening plot-wise in the story at a particular time.

Heist stories require a balance of things going smoothly and things going wayyy off course from whatever heist plan was concocted. At least I would prefer such a balance to keep me engaged in the story. This book did not have balance and every hurdle was overcome with a trump card to the point that I stopped being excited about any hiccup or challenge that the protagonist faced because I knew for a fact that she would succeed anyway.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 2.5/5

Con artists and heists have always been a weakness for me and when I realised The Mask Of Mirrors deals with something similar, I was very very excited to read it. The book didn’t disappoint but it wasn’t a full five star read either.
Ren is a con artist who’s pretending to be a long lost cousin of the House Traementis in the hopes of getting added to their register and finally being safe. But little does she realise that trying to align with house Traementis might have brought her more danger than she bargained for.
The story moves forward with multiple povs and tackling multiple parallel plot lines that all converge at the end. I enjoyed all the different povs and as is usually the case, I didn’t find myself wanting to be done with certain povs and skimming to reach others. Every character was well fleshed out and full of so much intrigue and mystery even while showing some astonishing depth that I find myself missing them eventhough I have only just finished the book.
The world was interesting and very elaborate. Loved loved loved the queer rep and how straight was not the norm as far as sexuality was concerned in this fictional world. There were a lot of things I loved about the world but I was disappointed to see so little actual world building. Only need to know facts for plot advancement were shared and I wish the authors hadn’t shown quite so much restraint and wish there was more info dumping along the way. A glossary was provided but flipping back and forth on the app was very difficult and that greatly affected the first half of the book. The slow pace, although expected, didn’t help matters either.
The magic system, again, although intriguing, suffered the same fate. With little to no info given in the course of the story, I am only left with half an understanding of how exactly it’s supposed to work.
A high fantasy’s success relies on the uniqueness of its world and magic system, but if it’s not explained properly to the readers, it does take away some of the joy. This is in fact my only major problem with the book. My investment in the characters were the only thing that pulled me through the lacklustre first half.
The second does a better job with the pace and provides more insight into the world and the magic system. Just enough to keep you hooked. I hope we get more in the future instalments.
Parts 3 and 4 are action packed and full of surprises. We finally see all the different plot lines connecting to each other and the twists were all pretty well executed. I could predict some of them but some came out of nowhere. The second half had me completely gripped and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I cannot wait to read on further because even with the rocky start, this book definitely made its mark on me. I would definitely recommend it to readers who are patient enough to get through a slightly confusing first half. It definitely pays off at the end.

<i>the mask of mirrors </i> has some elements that could have made it a great book — identity hijinks, politicking, religious diversity driving different magical systems — but they seemed either under- or over-utilized and I feel the end result is lackluster at best.

- the worldbuilding is dense, and you can tell that the authors cared & knew a whole lot about it, but it doesn’t really pull you in and captivate with its inner logic, it just showers you in detail, unevenly distributed. even before i got to the afterworld, i kept mentally comparing it to a lovingly thought-through setting for a dnd campaign, where the story itself rambles along as something secondary, and its enjoyment value as a co-creation exercise is higher than that for an outsider observer/reader (and guess what, it had started as a story about secondary characters in a dnd game which grew into a trilogy but, i feel, has missed some important checks and balances on the way). what i’m trying to say is, there is a lot of information the authors have about the world, but it’s not introduced in a way that would make me care about the story. the descriptions of how the world operated was not administered in a way that supports the story well: the amounts of info and the timing of when it was doled out was confusing at best and disengaging at most.

- the rule of convenience. SO MUCH OF THAT. okay, in a novel about conmen you expect a measure of contrivances that allow them to sneak around and get the right information in the right time. there is that, and then there is how the protagonist is doing everything flawlessly on the first try operating on very little information, and at ANY POINT she can use not!tarot cards to tell her what’s going on! isn’t that convenient. she can just tell the future when it’s plot o’clock, and you will learn about it via a not!tarot deck with its own names and detailed symbolism that has its own wikipedia that i cannot be bothered to follow. the informed competence of the protagonist’s work grows wobblier the larger her impact on the story lines grow, and at some point I actually stopped caring about the explanations I was being offered. it doesn’t matter. she will solve it brilliantly no matter what the challenge is, everyone will be hopelessly charmed, and my eyes will glaze over yet another dnd wb wikipedia download.

- along with uneven infodumps on worldbuilding, the pacing of events is terribly counterintuitive, and worse — the wb and pacing do not underpin each other. they just exist on some parallel levels — which is not a problem if you already know a metric ton about the world and would find it enjoyable no matter what happens, but kinda makes the reading experience rather putdownable. at some point in the middle of the book the most exciting action activity is an astrologer tries to solve a dream crime, which is a stand-in for a political intrigue at that point. (i disliked dream sequences about as much as not!tarots, and i disliked not!tarot a lot).

- for a queernormative world, there is sure a lot of dudes with whom our girl protagonist has chemistry, and most of the queer courting has taken place for manipulating the recipients of attention.

- the book takes itself so seriously god. a little humour and ability to find enjoyment in the absurdity of what was going on could have brought some levity and energy into the slog, but everything was very unironic.

#TheMaskofMirrors was reviewed as an ARC, thanks to #NetGalley & the publishes for providing a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Mask of Mirrors follows con artist Renata whose plan is to infiltrate a noble house as a long-lost cousin. The plot sounds interesting and I was very excited to read this book. However I'm afraid that even if it's a good book, it wasn't for me.

I found the pacing extremely slow especially in the first half of the book (parts 1 and 2), I almost gave up a few times. Fortunately the pacing picked up in parts 3 and 4 or I would really have given up. The book could have been at least 100-200 pages shorter, especially as it's the start of a trilogy.

There were a lot of descriptions throughout the book and many proper nouns/names thrown in at the beginning which were confusing. I saw in other reviews that there's a glossary at the end, I think it would have been better to move it at the beginning, especially in the ebook version. A magic system was also introduced but only halfway through the book and with everything else happening, all the characters and plot lines, I felt it was too late and too confusing as well.

My favourite character was Grey and I would have preferred to read more from his point of view. Vargo was also interesting as a "villain turned good but has he really", I'd have liked to see more of what's on his mind. I liked Renata at first but the more I read, the more she annoyed me. She manages and manipulates everything and everyone perfectly, the issues she encounters are solved very (too) quickly and easily.

I really liked the queer representation. No fuss about it or special mention, being queer is accepted and normalised (as it should!)

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher who kindly provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DRC provided by Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: queer secondary and tertiary characters, tertiary characters with disabilities, tertiary characters of colour.

Content Warnings: death, torture, classism, elitism, drug use.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick, joint pen name of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, is a slow-paced, fantasy novel, filled with twists, double-crossings and magic.

Ren and her sworn sister, Tess, have a plan. They will infiltrate Nadežra’s nobility and finally obtain enough wealth to live stably. What they do not know, though, is that they are not the only con artists in the game.

I am on the fence in regards to the book as I could not create a connection with any of the characters and that has somewhat dwindled my appreciation of the novel. I am not saying they are not good or great characters, but they missed that je-ne-sais-quoi that made me love them to the moon and back, that made me root for them and curse anyone that would hurt them. The slowness of the narration and the plot, also, did not help. I am still keen on knowing how the story proceeds, though.

Two aspects of the book I quite liked were the very queer ambience and the interesting, but a tad confusing —to me, at least —magic system. In this fantasy world, being queer is undoubtedly accepted and it does not create any sort of hindrance in the society. The world M. A. Carrick created is a setting all fantasy authors, old and new, should definitely take a look at. I am tired of reading fantasy novels in which queerphobia and heteronormativity still reign supreme, but simultaneously, I am relieved there are authors out there, like M. A. Carrick, that cater to a diverse group of readers.

I optimistically expect even more queerness and diverse characters in the second instalment.

The Mask of Mirrors is the perfect start to a new fantasy series. The world-building was excellent and detailed perfectly. The story unfolded at what some might consider a very slow pace, but it suited me and the plot was intriguing and fresh. I loved that characters and felt they were fully developed.

Ren is the main character with a plan to con her way into the Treamentis household as a supposed niece. Things are not always as they seem though and when children go missing the danger begins.

This book is quite long but a joy to read and the writing style drew me in immediately. The descriptions are beautifully done, although I must admit, some were a little too drawn out. The dialogue is engaging and each character has a story to tell. The plot is layered with numerous subplots unfolding to create the buildup. The story in itself is atmospheric and it was easy to connect with the characters.

The main character is Ren and the majority of the story is told from her point of view, but there are some additional POVs throughout. There are numerous obstacles placed in Ren's way and each household seems to have its own deadly secret. There's also Rook the mysterious vigilante and his identity is only revealed at the end of the book.

The plot is so well done for this book and as the reveals are uncovered towards the end, be prepared for the emotional impact which sets everything up so wonderfully for the next book.

May you see the Face, not the Mask‘
quotes may not be exact, and are from an eARC so may change/differ in published copy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
4.5 GLORIOUS STARS!

Synopsis: Ren, orphan, skilled con artist and thief, has set her sights on the Treamentis Household. Assuming the identity of Alta Renata, niece to the head of House Treamentis, Ren intends to con her way into the family securing saftey and wealth for her and her sister, Tess. But High Society comes with risks of its own, and every Household seems to have its secrets. When children start going missing and deadly plots begin to emerge, Ren finds herself right in the middle of this dangerous web. If that wasn’t enough vigilante, The Rook, prowls the streets, targeting the rich, bringing the justice their wealth protects them from. Ren must fight for survival and maintain her cover, but when everyone is wearing their own masks of deceit, navigating High Society has never been more dangerous.

CW/TW: Death/abuse/passing mentions of rape/grief/imprisonment/murder/others may also be presence that I have missed.

The Mask Of Mirrors, by M.A. Carrick (The pseudonym for the pair of authors Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms) is a beautiful, clever and thrilling read. To add to the discourse surrounding this book I should say that this is an ADULT fantasy novel NOT YA – people have asked about this, and I have seen it mis-categorised, so I thought I’d point this out because it is, conventionally, Adult Fantasy. To draw comparisons, I would liken this book to The Lies Of Locke Lamora, in terms of the elaborate cons and clever plots, though that is where my comparison ends because this book is a very unique read and wholly its own – but readers of Lamora will likely enjoy this so that’s the audience I would recommend this to! Also, just to add – I DESPERATELY want the mask that is on the cover of this book, I mean just Look At It 😍 (in fact I also want Renata’s entire wardrobe… because I definitely have places to wear such outfits…)

Anyway let’s get into the review!

The Writing Style/Narrative. So this book is almost 700 pages long, and yet I flew through it. MA Carrick’s writing style is incredibly easy to read and the prose is fluid, and yet the prose maintained its depth and mesmerising descriptions – the balance between easy to read and beautifully descriptive prose is a difficult one to achieve but Carrick does so flawlessly. The writing is beautiful, from the descriptions of the food, to the clothes, to the buildings, it is rich and detailed, truly bringing this world and the character’s to life. Not only are the descriptions captivating, the dialogue is witty and engaging, the character’s thoughts are compelling and realistic, and the information about the world is introduced organically and naturally (no dreaded info-dumps, we learn things in a subtle and realistic way). Moreover, the prose is cleverly crafted, perfectly creating suspense and mystery without becoming confusing – the multiple sub-plots kept up the pace and came together wonderfully to create a bigger more shocking picture. It is atmospheric and emotional – perfectly combining tragedy, wit, comedy, and smarts – allowing you to fully engage with the characters and truly connect and feel for them.

The primary narrative the story is told from is Ren’s. But this book has multiple POV’s, with chapters from most (if not all) of the main cast. The multiple POV’s was incredibly effective for this story, perfectly supporting the multiple subplots and primary plot. Each narrative gave us insight into different aspects of this world – including the difference in positions between the different people, and allowed a significant amount of insight into each of the characters without giving anything away. Ren, the main character, has the most time on her narrative – and with good reason. I actually enjoyed the chapters from every single perspective (which is rare), but Ren’s were some of my favourite as she shifted between her three personas. The multiple POV as also incredibly effective for the con storyline, partly because we could see how easily the other characters did or did not fall for it, and also because we could learn of any hurdles that Ren would face before she did – building tension and maintaining engagement. I only wish we had had more of Grey.

The Plot/Story. The main strand of the story starts with Ren assuming the identity of Alta Renata, niece of Donaia (head of the Treamentis Household). This is an elaborate, long term con and I loved every single minute of it. From the detail of the imbued makeup, to the careful deliberation over outfits, to the controlled responses and tricky maneuvers between threats and hurdles – if you want a complex, elaborate con then this is the book for you because it was brilliant. Ren has three identities; Ren (as close to who she really is as she can be), Renata (noble Alta), and Arenza (Pattern reader) which made her POV very exciting to read as she switched between her identities in order to succeed in her con and secure a fortune to protect her and her sister.

Of course, where is the fun in a con if it all goes perfectly? Ren faces numerous obstacles, and must navigate them. But threats to her identity end up lower down the list than first expected when Vraszen children start going missing, the mystery of Grey’s brother’s death keeps popping up, and the High Society household are keeping deadly secrets, not to mentions the former criminal turned businessman, Vargo, seems to want Renata on his side. I honestly loved all of the subplots that carefully entwined to create a complex overall story. It was engaging and compelling, and the reveals were shocking and surprising. On top of the plots we have the mystery of The Rook, who is the masked vigilant? The only reveal that didn’t overly shock me was the Rook reveal at the end, however, the book has enough twists and turns that enough of them are shocking that you will be surprised and heartbroken (honestly, why are you hurting me like this…)!

The ending did actually shock me, aside from The Rook’s part. The book ends with a handful of reveals carefully uncovered, but also with some secrets still safely kept. Both elements surprised me, and when you read it you will know WHY IT HURTS SO MUCH, and sets up wonderfully for what I can only imagine will be an explosive sequel because a LOT of routes, surprises and secrets await us and the characters in the next installment. I loved every aspect of the plot, from the con, to Grey looking for the children, to the more magical but deadly secrets being kept.

The WorldBuilding. The worldbuilding in this is beautifully done, the world is rich and has a strong history, all of which is explored in a subtle way and organically, almost feeling like the world building is light – until you think about it. This book takes place in the city of Nadezra (though the world is larger with Ren pretending to be Renata from Seterin) and is brilliantly built. The ruling, High Society members, are Liganti – fair skinned, wealthy and oppressive. The Vraszen members of Nadezra are oppressed, left in poverty and are not accepted into the upper ranks of society. Those who have parents from both often end up shunned, and are unlikely to be accepted by the nobility. The conflict between the Vraszen and Liganti is core part of their society and its corruption, the two have different beliefs in Gods and magic and see eye to eye on very little if anything at all. However, despite the racial conflict, the cast is broad with Vraszen MC’s as well as Liganti, and characters with parents from both.

However, despite this divide people who are both Liganti and Vraszen have normalised being LGBTQ+, which was incredibly refreshing – it is simply just another element to a person. Another thing I adored about this was that family and heirs work differently because of it! This is often ignored or a point of conflict in fantasy, when characters are LGBTQ and accepted, it often poses problems about their heirs. But OOOH not here! This book has CHOSEN FAMILY as a crucial element. Blood is important, but family is also made through contracts, if you are added to the house register then you are family. If you are unable to produce a biological heir, guess what – the Houses openly endorse adoption (so long as it is from their ranks). I very rarely, if ever, read fantasy that tackles this in such a way – it was refreshing to see a wide cast of LGBTQ+ characters without their gender/sexuality being a point of conflict. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the representation but the way chosen family is dealt with was a nice touch to the world, and the inclusivity came across as positive.

Other elements of the world were equally fascinating. Firstly the legal system, the ‘Council’ is the head of the system but the Hawks are the police force, so to speak. The Hawks, mostly Liganti, though our MC Grey is Vraszen and a Hawk, are suppose to enforce order – but, of course, the powerful houses have them at their beck and call. The world is carefully crafted and carefully considers the use of the law/legal systems it has in sustaining the oppression and injustice pervading this city. The Rook is born from this injustice, exacting his own on those too powerful and wealthy to be punished adequately (but he doesn’t kill – Batman type vigilante but without good old Gordon on his side). Instead The Rook honourably enforces justice on the wealthy and is therefore looked up to by the Vraszen, especially the children on the streets.

The High Society itself is made up of multiple Houses, each prestigious, Alta houses being superior to the Delta nobles. The Houses take family seriously, as well as their wealth, and ally among themselves. This of course leaves lots of Houses against each other and is the perfect breeding ground for the deadly secrets that lie beneath their perfect lives.

Then we have the Gods, the magic and all that is in-between. We get little insights throughout the book that build a big picture of the Religion that exists in this city. The primary thing we learn is the Gods have a duality, represented by the Face and the Mask, Benevolence and Malevolence. This is a complex and rich system that was fascinating and lent itself to some brilliant world-building overall. Duality is such a key feature of this book, and I ADORED it, from the deities to the characters themselves – everything comes down to duality, to the mask we show the world, and the face that lies beneath. – I truly loved this. There is so much more than what I have said from the importance of dreams, to the pattern readings to numinati – there are so many strands and such a rich world of magic that I can’t talk about it all without spoiling the book!

Oh and as a side note!! You will LOVE the duels, because what better way is there to settle disagreements?!! Uniat! Tuat! Ninat!

The Characters. So, as you know, this has a broad and diverse cast! And the characters are just so fantastic, flawed, complex and morally grey! I loved so many of the characters, with Vargo being one of the best in the book. Not only did I love the characters, but I also loved their relationships (apart from the budding romance between Renata and Leato – I know they weren’t actually first cousins but Leato believed they were and I just couldn’t… I was much more for Ren and The Rook – oof the tension! and in reality Renata and Vargo had more chemistry as well… i’m sorry Leato I loved his character though.) But aside from that, the relationships were expertly done, form the found/chosen family, to the friendships, to the flirting and the hatred – all of it was very well crafted. Not only that, the characters themselves all have their own struggles and conflicts to deal with (also going back to the duality of the book) making it feel more real and believable.

The cast is actually quite large… so I’m going to focus on a few characters specifically.

Ren/Renata/Arenza. Our magnificent, ingenious con artist who places her family above all else, specifically Tess – her sister. Ren, having been orphaned, was enticed into a knot (a gang) only to learn of the cruelty of their leader. After escaping Ren and Tess stuck together. Ren, wanting to protect Tess (who is fabulous in her own right and I want her to make my clothes!) by securing a fortune for her – and this is where the con begins. Ren is clever, quick, witty, charming and completely takes on the persona she is playing. However, she is not perfect, she can become self-absorbed in her cons and detached, selfish at times (though it was born from necessity and survival). Ren is a complex character but a brilliant one, perfectly morally grey, and I loved her POV.

Grey. Our Vraszen Hawk, balancing between two worlds, fully accepted by neither. Plagued by the death of his brother, and blaming The Rook, Grey seems cold and distant. But he has a heart of gold and does his best to help his people in the small position of power he clawed his way into. I really loved Grey’s character the more th book went on, and enjoyed his POV, I just wish we had had a bit more of his chapters. Grey is smart, righteous but a tad rigid and set in his ways- but he is loyal and his charm comes through.

Leato. Heir to House Treamentis, he seems aloof and childish, but he will do anything to protect his family. Leato is a sweet character who I loved. He was also, however, charming and clever in his own way – fiercely protective of his sister and loyal. However, he has a bad reputation, but there is more than meets the eye.

Vargo. One of the best characters in the book, this criminal turned legitimate businessman will charm you despite his dark past. A curious character with a voice in his head, and a brain far too clever than it should be. Vargo is intelligent, tricky, and charming – he always has a plan and no-one else ever seems to know what it is. He is a witty character, who is a constant mystery, he seems to want to do good things for the city, and yet he has an air of un-trustworthiness. Vargo is hard to explain, but when you read the book you will know why he is one of the best characters in it! (Ooh and for added charm, his cane, and his companion Peabody was a brilliant touch!) This character has a flair for the dramatic but knows when to lay low.

The Rook. Mysterious Vigilante… need I say more? I LOVED The Rook, from the first encounter The Rook will leave such an impression on that you’ll be craving more of his presence. Honestly, while I was certain of his identity by the end of the book, at first I was frantically guessing and suspicious of everyone! The Rooks scene’s were all brilliant, he comes off as witty, charming, and certain – skilled and intelligent. Another character who is difficult to talk about and explain, but trust me – you will love this vigilante and his impressive sword skills. I cannot wait for book 2 just so I get more of this character!

Overall. This was a brilliant fantasy, with excellent world building, brillian characters and a fantastically complex and mysterious plot. This is one of those books that you will want up on the big screen, cinematic in all its glory (but also do not want because we all know adaptations are often…well…). But oh to see THE BEAUTIFUL costumes, the characters, the magic, the city on screen would be amazing.

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley (#orbitbooks #littlebrownbooksuk) in exchange for an honest review! – Thankyou!!*

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown/Orbit books for providing me with an arc in exchange for honest feedbacks.

Mask of Mirrors tells you about Ren who was a con artist trying to sneak in and be one of noble family member l, Traementis. However, after pretending to be the long lost cousin, she accidently trapped deeply into aristrocracy games and dangerous yet complicated magic. Hence, she has just set her foot into more wild world beyond her imagination

Going into thw world building, I can say pretty good in terms of imagination. Totally reminds you the days we still had aristrocracy in the world. I believe 17/18th century is fits to imagine for the background of this book.

The characters are also built likely good enough. Many characters are introduced and normal for this kind of political story. Their names also reminds me of Eastern Europian people's name. They are created very well, interesting and excited to get know all of those characters.

However, this book is way too long as if I'm reading two books at the same time. It took me 2-3 weeks to finish because the pages are at almost 700 pages. Plus, the story pacing is so slow. I almost want to DNF but I still give chances because some parts are good. I even do skimming since I wanna read real quick.When I reached to the second half, things getting look interesting but I easily get lost. Too many who what wheres happening.

This book can be categorize as New Adult. It can be lovable but try to make things lesser (some of it).

I really wanted to love this book, and it did start strong. Ren is a con-woman trying to fool her way into an old and powerful family. Except that like her, the family have secrets of their own...

I loved all the characters to begin with, and I thought that the setting was richly imagined. However, before I knew it I was 300 pages into the book and only maybe a 30 of those pages actually contained something that moved the plot along.

I finished it, because I wanted to give a fair review. And the pacing did pick up marginally towards the end, but not enough to rescue it.

Overall, Mask of Mirrors has the bones of a great fantasy, but I felt the meat of it was too long winded and poorly paced.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest.

I'm still trying to figure out where I would place this book. On the one hand, some really wonderful characters, but on the other things overly simplified. I can't imagine that Donaia accepted Ren so quickly after the ring was returned; on one hand, I understand that some part of her was looking for an ally, but the other feels weird. The curse on the house was also lifted shockingly quickly and I don't think we really needed Sedge to come back at all; he was much more interesting when he was dead. And as charming as Leato was, I did not miss him. However, we did also have a large number of characters who I want to see more of like Sibiliat and Tess (who really is treated too much like a maid). I genuinely did not see who the Rook was at all. Vargo has so much potential as a character and I think all that insight into him trying to be good can go either way in the next book.
For now, I think I'll stick to three stars, but I may reevaluate after the next book comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown/ Orbit books for providing me with an arc.

Mask of Mirrors follows Ren, an orphaned con artist masquerading as a noble to secure a better future for herself and her sister. Posing as a long lost cousin to house Traementis, she’s pulled into the cutthroat world that is Nadezran aristocracy and tangled into a nefarious plot of dangerous magic. She thought she was prepared but what she finds was anything but expected.

Let’s start with the world building. It’s very richly imagined. The political system is complex. The various cities and islands are fleshed out but all in all it was solid. What I loved most however, and what always cinches a world for me is the culture created by the author which in this case I loved. There was a pagan inspired religion, folklore, superstitions and more and I loved every last bit. Nadezra had this whole Venetian vibe to it and reminded me of Venice with all the canals and importance placed on masks.

VERY MINOR SPOILER 👇🏽
My absolute favourite aspect of the book was the masks. There’s a scene early on where our MC Ren is at a mask stall thinking about how she’s always wanted one. And all I can say is girl, I relate.

The characters were brilliant. From Ren in both her personas, to Grey, the Vraszenian vigil, Hook our mysterious vigilante ;) and Varda the charming crime Lord turned entrepreneur. There wasn’t a dull moment. They were all interesting, unique and had a charisma that leaked through the pages of the book. Or the ones of the kindle as was the case.

Despite mostly enjoying this book in the end, there was a lot that I didn’t enjoy. Which for a book with 600+ pages isn’t ideal. For one thing there’s the pacing.

It was very very s l o w.

There were moments where I was forcing myself to continue reading and resisting the urge to skim. This did get better in the second half of the book where more began to happen. But seriously, it was a struggle to keep reading because I knew if I put it down there was a chance I may not pick it up again. I knew good stuff was coming but the journey there was maddening. The world was also slightly too complex. A lot of information was imported to us for a single book and with almost all the names and places and basically everything being made up or renamed it was hard to keep track of everything. For example fortune telling or fate was know as patterns. A lot of these changes were superfluous and while they started out charming. They became annoying quickly. I could never give you a proper summary because I simply can’t remember terms and names well enough.

I’d recommend this for fans of Six of Crows. It’s similar albeit darker.

The Mask of Mirrors is an incredibly fun rollercoaster ride. It has con artists, vigilantes, a brewing war between nobility and the lower class, an interesting (although very confusing) magic system with its own pantheon, great characters and characters you love to hate, and so much more.

We follow Ren, a street rat turned con artist, who tries to lie her way into one of the noble houses, house Traementis. As she is drawn into the bureaucracy and theatre of the nobel class, Ren realizes a dark magic is finding its way through the city, Nadezra, that could impact not only her con, but the city and its denizens itself.

As Ren tries to figure out what is going on, she runs into the Rook - a vigilante and childhood hero, Grey Serrado - a hawk of the Vigil, Derossi Vargo - a criminal turned legit, and Leato Traementis - heir to the Traementis house. With both their help and them working against her, Ren tries to figure out what this dark magic is, and how it ties to her. All the while holding up her con and lies.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Mask of Mirrors. After about the halfway mark, it was very difficult to put the book down at all. I loved the characters, the city of Nadezra and all its different cultures and rituals, there were red herrings everywhere, and it was fun to see how Ren would navigate her way through two different worlds at the same time.

The world building was done quite well, though it could have expanded a bit more for my taste. One thing that really bothered me, however, was the magic system and everything surrounding it. It sounded really cool, but it was very, very difficult for me to understand. Some words were used for multiple different things (like a number, a deity, a meaning, et cetera all being connected to the same word), and some deities (or numbers, meanings, et cetera) then had an additional side to it (The Face and the Mask side). You probably don’t understand what I’m trying to say at all, and that’s mostly because the magic system was so hard to understand, I literally have no idea how to start explaining it.

Despite how confusing the magic system is, I could still follow the story pretty well. Which could be considered both a good and a bad thing (how important is the magic system in its current form, if I don’t have to understand it to follow the story / despite the magic system being confusing, I could still understand the story. Take your pick). Luckily, I wasn’t bothered by it too much, which made the book a lot more enjoyable than it could’ve been.

The book built up to a great ending, where the stakes really become clear and the reveals are, although some quite obvious, interesting enough to keep me wanting more. All in all, I really, really enjoyed The Mask of Mirrors, and I’m very excited to see what happens in the second book.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for approving my request for this eArc! (I just about fainted seeing Little, Brown in my inbox!)

Wheeeeeeew what a read. You know when you read a book and you just aren't sure of it to begin with? You're like "okay so this sounds wayyyyyy up my fantastical street of dragons, fae males with impressive wingspans, magical fruit trees, fallen angels, vampires, dreamers, Knights Radiant, clairvoyants and ExtraOrdinary people... but where is this going?" This is how I felt for about 50% of this book.

Now don't get me wrong, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, slow-paced books are sometimes so perfectly put together it absolutely doesn't matter that the pace may be a little bit off. Sometimes though, you just want a book that packs such a punch that it sends you into an immediate book hangover. And I kind of expected that from this book. It completely made it up in the last 40% though, I loved the ending and I am now obsessed with seeing where this goes.

The Plot... I loved loved loved the plot, it was so fun learning about Ren and her life experiences. She, like most con-artists (and main characters in fantasy books, lets be real) has not had the best life and has led most of her life trying to make the best of a shit situation. Then there was the secondary plot about a masked vigilante which I found quite interesting. Love vigilantes!

The Setting... oh man, this setting was one of my favourites in a while. It felt at both sumptuous and seedy at once. It was all golden shiny gilt frames and crumbling buildings, shiny rich people dragging their gorgeous bright clothes on grimy roads, polluted rivers mixed in with pure clean turquoise water, the pure magic of dreams and hopes being used for monetary gain... It reminded me of Venice with a seedy twist. It was so interesting!

The Writing... I quite enjoyed the writing, it definitely got the point across when it wanted to but this is also where I feel like it failed a little. It started off well and I was instantly hooked. However, there was a point in the book, somewhere near the start (maybe 5 chapters in) where it felt like the story had slowed all the way down. What I think it was meant to do was get us as invested in certain characters (a specific character maybe) and their fate... and while I think I understand that was the intention all it did was bore me. It picked right up again at 50% and I devoured it from that point on.

What I didn't like... The pacing, that bit where I got bored at could have easily been interspersed between things happening in other parts of the story, perhaps different POV chapters from those close to Ren would have been interesting or those with sneaky plans!

Three words to describe Mask of Mirrors... Glamorous, Magical, Corrupt