4.5/5 stars! This is the final book in the Rook & Rose trilogy. This epic fantasy series has held me captive since the very first page and I'm sad to see it go. I wouldn't call this a happy ending, as sacrifices are made to get to the final page, but Ren and Vargo did succeed in their mission to save the day.

When it comes to endings of trilogies, Labyrinth’s Heart is an extremely satisfying one.

Without spoiling the story: I really, really appreciated that not all ongoing problems and issues were solved simultaneously by some deus ex machina solution. There were things going on from the first book that were solved in a proper way in this part.

Character development was amazing in Labyrinth’s Heart, too. Characters went through so much in three books time, and they changed and developed accordingly.

I’m sad The Rook & Rose trilogy is over for me, but also happy that I got to experience it the first place. Amazing trilogy, highly recommend.

I was a bit obsessed by the cover: any time I started there was something in that mysterious image that stopped.
Than I decided to ignore it and enjoyed this fast paced and well plotted story, the last in an excellent trilogy.
Great world building, well rounded characters, a fascinating and gripping plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

An amazing conclusion to an amazing trilogy. Absolutely loved it!

*flails incoherently*

This series!!!! I can’t even. It’s SO FREAKING GOOD.

There was so much I didn’t see coming. When you get half way and you realise it’s wrapping up, I was like “wait there’s way too much book left oh no” but never fear as the authors are here to bring you more torment. Joy. I meant joy. 😂

But the characters MAKE this. The story getting wrapped up is great, but the CHARACTERS. Grey and Vargo give me joy. Tess being wonderful and adorable. The Trementis going through so much and being amazing. Ren getting to slowly shed all her skins. Ugh. I am a mess in love with fictional characters. Family and bonds is just at the heart of this in a way that it isn’t in book two (because they build on it to get here!) and I am just so happy about it.

The magic in this is so cool too, getting more into the primordials. And the HISTORY. Of an entire race of people?? There is just so much stuff I love it.

Yes this is a bit too well tied off and neat but I don’t care, it’s everything I wanted and more.

Happy. Read these books. 5 stars.

This was such a great and satisfying final book in what has been an excellent trilogy. As with the first two books, the first part focused more heavily on the political machinations within the society and then the more magical elements came to the fore in the latter part. I thought that the characters all had great arcs and that their individual stories concluded very well. I also thought the plot was really compelling throughout and that even here in the final book, the authors were able to throw up some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Overall, I have loved every minute of this series and I hope that these two authors collaborate in future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m so sad this series is over😩 an absolutely fantastic ending to this underrated trilogy. I’m going to miss Ren, Grey, Vargo & co!

Full of political intrigue, an interesting magic system, found family and a dash of romance. Diverse characters and full of LGTBQIA+ representation. Highly recommend this series!

Excellent conclusion! M.A. Carrick wrapped this trilogy up beautifully and I am so excited to reread and experience all the stuff I missed the first time around once again.

I have been excited for this book since the minute I finished The Liar’s Knot and it did not disappoint. Fans of the series will know what to expect - several cons, some very complicated relationships, and a cool magic system - but what I love about Rook & Rose is how it handles these concepts. The cons are many, and some of the twists are shocking (there was at least one major reveal I did not predict at all), but the real story is in what happens when the plots become unravelled and their architects are forced to work together without disguise to achieve a greater good. I really enjoyed the evolution of relationships, particularly the familial ties between Ren, Guina and Donaia, as well as the burgeoning bromance between Grey and Vargo.

A few of the loose ends were tied up too neatly, and there were a few scenes that I loved as a fan but weren't entirely necessary to bring the plot along, but I'm willing to forgive those sins because this series is so incredibly enjoyable. This series is large in terms of its world building and lore but is ultimately about the small moments of trust and friendship between our main characters, which makes it some of the most rewarding epic fantasy I've read in a long time.

Phenomenal! This is the last book in an exceptional fantasy trilogy. I reread the first two before commencing it is as the story is complex, multi-layered and has a cast of thousands. This was a totally satisfying conclusion. I am so impressed with this collaborative work and I really hope we see more from this writing duo. The world created was so rich and inclusive,but not one to be sped through. The characters were such a wonderful range and thoroughly explored. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I enjoyed this book just as I enjoyed the previous two. If you enjoy a slightly challenging and more complicated plot than this book series is for you!
Lots of twists and turns.

Labyrinth’s Heart is described in the acknowledgments as a kraken of a book, it absolutely is and I loved every single meaty tentacle of it. Beyond the central characters it’s took me a while to remember who everyone was and what connection they had to which bit of which plot and how they all interconnected but I got there eventually. I wouldn’t be able to tell you any of the secondary characters names or title but I know who they are and what they represent and anyway it doesn’t much matter because our central band of adventures are shedding and swapping identities like nobodies business. I loved all of this, I loved how dense and complicated it all was, it didn’t feel like a chore to read and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by information I was happy to be swept along for the ride. I worried for that little spider throughout the entire thing. He could get lost or stomped on at any moment! There was just enough of everything, I loved it all such a satisfying conclusion to a beast of a trilogy.

Labyrinth's Heart
Rook and Rose, Book Three
by M. A. Carrick



Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy

What a fabulous trilogy this has been. Full of new ideas, interesting characters, a world that is so very different. Right from the start the idea of Pattern intrigued me and I'm so pleased the authors are planning to release a deck. ( I'd be even more pleased if I could afford it but such is life. One day. )
Ren has come such a long way, but she's not the only one. All the main characters are very different from how I first saw them.
Its a story that's hard to describe, hard to read occasionally, tested my brain, made me keep looking back to check facts and numbers, they are just not my thing so fascinating though the idea of Numinatra and the magic was it kind of went over my head at times. But Pattern, that's stayed with me and has been another constant thread throughout the story.
There are parts of the trilogy I still don't fully understand even having got to the end and its one of those where for me a rereading will show things I missed first time round.
The characters are amazing – but I have to say, noble though Grey is my heart is truly with Vargo. And Alsius of course ;-)
There's drama, danger, excitement, deaths and a few rebirths in the sense of people gone before that manage to connect. Its a very dense story, everything plays a part, every action is connected to some plot somewhere- and there are so many.
This was a fascinating read, will stay with me for some time. And I certainly will read all over again.

Stars: five, five all the way, a fabulous ending to a complex and intriguing trilogy.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

If you have been a fan of the Rose and Rook books so far, then this one will not disappoint. It is a wonderful conclusion to the story, and with so many twists and turns, it felt like I was in a maze myself, trying to find my way out. The story continues where the last finished, and we have such wonderful and dynamic characters, all working together for the betterment of all the people of the city.

As an ending, I thought it was marvellous, it was what we needed for the story, and in no way was I ever disappointed. Carrick never makes her characters do stupid things or make stupid decisions to fill any plot holes, and I admire her for that. The story is well-paced, never seeming to drag, and I do warn you it can get more than a little emotional at times.

I am sad it is over, but the journey was wonderful. A trilogy you need to pick up and read.

This book was everything I wanted. I can't believed I finished this series, I'm a mess, it was honestly SO GOOD. The ending was so satisfying, my heart is full, I sobbed at least 3 times, I feel so sad it's over, happy with how good it was and exhausted from everything that happened. There were so many layers of plot to end, so many mysteries to resolve, and the authors did all that in 600-ish pages. Labyrinth's Heart was full of emotional moments, with a big focus on the relationships, but also full of action and plot twists that made me gasp. This series is a masterpiece, my mind can't stop thinking about all the layers of complex plot and world-building, all the little details that made this trilogy so good and unique, so atmospheric and immersive. And HOW ON EARTH did the authors manage to write such a unique and impressive fantasy story? It was incredible. I'M SO SAD IT'S OVER. But so happy this book was everything I was expecting. AND MORE.

I'm gonna miss these characters so so much. Ren, Vargo, Grey.., I already miss them and I already want to reread these books, now that I know the ending. HELP 😂

Overall, this was an excellent conclusion to The Rook and Rose trilogy, and this series is on my top 3 favorite series of ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: Netgalley provided an arc for an honest review

This was a great conclusion that sadly never sailed to the heights of the previous two books.
Firstly I want to say this is a great book, and the first 2/3 was a 5 star read however I found a chunk of the final 3rd a little muddled which sadly has affected my final rating.
Firstly I wanna say the arcs our 3 leads went through in this book was amazing, and I'm so happy we got to see more interactions between 2/3 who hadn't interacted much until now. Ren will be an all time fav character as will Grey and Vargo, I loved them and there were many moments in the book where I nearly shed a cathartic tear, because there were so many air punching moments of joy.
M.A Carrick have this way with world building where I get a little confused for a chunk then it just clicks and I see this well laid world right in front of me. They are also fantastic writers and I keep having to remind myself that this was written by two people as the series has felt so cohesive.
I also wanna say for an almost 650 page book this was such an easy book to pick up and read, I devoured it over a few days ( bought an audio copy day 1 because I was in a physical slump) but if I didnt have plans I could easily have read this over two days, it was that captivating.
I think this book will definitely go up in my mind with time and distance (and perhaps a series reread) but currently it sits at a 4 star book, and an overall 5 stars for the series.
It really is a new fav series for me.

I love this series, this book stuck the landing, and my heart is so full.

First, some practical things:
* The book starts with a recap of the most important events that happened in books 1 and 2.
* However, it doesn't go into details when it comes to the relationships Ren has with side characters or the political implications.
* My advice would be to binge read this series if you're someone who doesn't always remember the smaller details from previous installments.

The characters and the relationships are a huge part of why I love this series so much, and I was more than satisfied with all the developments on those fronts. In hindsight, one of the central themes in Rook & Rose is Ren's longing for family, and I am so happy with the (found) family she ends up with by the end. Whenever Ren, Vargo, and Grey interacted, I would instantly melt from all the fuzzy, warm feelings I'd get. I honestly can't ask for more.

Without going into too many details, I think this third book still manages to deliver a couple of unexpected surprises, while also tying up loose ends. It's a very tidy conclusion—there are a lot of happy endings, with a sprinkling of bittersweet moments, and I can understand that some people might find it a bit too neat for the complexity of the trilogy as a whole. I didn't mind at all, though.

Easily on of my most stanticipated books of the year and Labyrinth's Heart DELIVERS

I was lucky enough to get an eARC and I luxuriated in it. The Rook and Rose books are not single sitting books, definitely not when you keep putting it down because you just don't want it to be over and to have to leave an incredible, vibrant, diverse cast of characters with whom you have fallen utterly in love with.

I can always feel fully immersed in Nadezera and Helms and Brennan throw the reader right back in and start exploding bombs in Ren, Grey, Vargo's faces immediately as Ren's supposed "mother" Letila arrives kick starting a mad cap, tender, funny and sometimes heartbreaking adventure that doesn't stop twisting, surprising and upsetting the carefully laid plans until the very last with a reveal that scrapes it's claws through your heart.

Also I cried over a spider. I ABHOR SPIDERS. And yet I was crying. And not in terror.

This is an outstanding that doesn't just stick the landing, it does a somersault and doesn't wobble. I'm going to mis Ren, Grey, Vargo, Donia, Tess, Giuna, Sedge, Arkady and the rest so much.

And if you're an Audiobook fan, I listened to most of the first two and the narrator is superb.

So go and immerse yourself in a brilliant, magical, vicious and lavish world that'll have you planning a Venetian holiday immediately - you won't regret it.

I can't tell you how much I have loved this series! It's one I can see some readers struggling with, at times the plot does seem to meander a little and there are definitely scenes that are not relevant to the overall story line, but the authors created a bunch of characters and a world that I will definitely find myself returning too. I'm not even going to attempt to sum up the plot, so straight into the review I go.

Ren, Renata Traementis, Arenza Lensky, The Black Rose... whichever mask Ren decides to wear she absolutely kicks ass in this book and I found myself thoroughly invested in her journey. She is someone who has clawed her way from nothing to someone who has a family, multiple families indeed with friends and people who would fight and risk their own lives for her, but there is still a part of her that can't believe it, doesn't think she deserves it and while in the first two books we see her trying to keep people more at arms length, in Labyrinths Heart, Ren has no choice but to seek help from those who love her, something that makes her stronger and more willing and able to fight. It's not an easy journey, but one filled with danger and plenty of emotions, and it's only with the help of Grey and Vargo that Ren is finally able to shed her masks and become herself.

Speaking of Grey and Vargo, this trio have my whole heart. The banter, the snarky remarks, I loved it all and, despite them having plenty of demons in their closets as well as history they would rather forget, they all come together to save their city. This series has always focused on relationships, the different ways in which people tie themselves together and these three have certainly been at the forefront of that. Through the series we have slowly seen Grey and Vargo form a sort of truce, mainly due to their mutual love for Ren, despite Vargo being responsible for Grey's brothers death, and there was a certain scene in this book that absolutely broke me... in fact there were multiple scenes that broke me because it's not just our main trio's relationships that are tested and focused on, but all that Ren has made as her time wearing her multiple masks, and not everyone takes her Con and deception as well as others.

One of the things that I've loved learning about through this series is Pattern, the magic system used by the Nadezrans. It's such an intricate magic system and, even at the end of this book, I still don't think I had my head fully around it but that just made it so much more magical. All of the magic in this book, be it Pattern, numinatra, even the dream world and the Zylen play such a huge part in this story, and with it bringing plenty of danger and emotions. As I said above, this isn't going to be for everyone. The magic, especially Pattern seemingly has few rules nor limits and it's something we learn about alongside Ren, seeing her reach new heights every time she uses it. It's more intuitive than logical, Ren sometimes just knowing what to do due to a sense rather than any kind of knowledge, but it does add it's own kind of magic as well as suspense to the story.

Despite there being so many big events through this series, it's the characters that shine through and they are what kept me so invested in the story. While there are plenty of twists and turns to deal with our main plot, and a large part of the book does focus on this, the authors also spend a large amount of time simply focusing on the characters, allowing them time and events separate from the danger and darkness spreading through the city, allowing them moments of happiness. There are multiple scenes and moments in this book that add nothing to the main plot other that fleshing out the already well built characters but boy did I love them all the same. It's so rare for fantasy books to allow their characters moments like this. In most they would be seen as distracting away from the main plot, but the authors write their characters so incredibly well that you hope for these scenes, you live for seeing them live normal lives alongside trying to save their City and honestly, some of my favourite, and more emotional scenes in the book were ones that were taken away from the danger and deception of the main story.

Nothing I could say would do this series justice. Is it necessarily well plotted? Was the pacing the best? No, but boy did I love it all the same. It's one of the most well fleshed out fantasy series I think I've ever read, allowing us time with the characters outside of the main story without taking anything away from the plot, giving us a magic system, plot and world to get our teeth stuck into, and characters that own my whole heart. I will definitely be returning to this world and am so glad that the authors wrote a final book like this that didn't just show our MC's saving their city, but allowing us to see the after the main event, following them building it back up and showing how it has become a different, but hopefully better city than it was before.

Labyrinth's Heart is the final installment in the Rook & Rose trilogy and the authors really stuck the landing here.

While not spoiling too much, Vargo, Ren and Grey need to find a way to destroy the medaillons to break the Primordials' corruption of Nadezra. Meanwhile, an old enemy appears that threatens to topple Ren's charade, and Grey is desperately searching for a way to fix the Rook.

I absolutely adored this book. Although it felt like a behemoth at 688 pages, I could not put it down.

Whenever anthropologists write fantasy worlds, magic happens (no pun intended). We've seen it with Steven Erikson's Malazan series and we see it here. The city state of Nadezra is so well-thought out it actually feels like a real place. The blend of the Venetian-inspired City State with its noble houses of the Liganti opposed to the Slavic/ Romani inspired Vraszenian people continues to amaze me. In this final installment in the series, the authors really dig into the city's history, when after enduring two centuries of colonization and oppression, the conflict between the Liganti and Vraszenians finally escalates. The way the authors wrote Nadezra's culture, and how colonisation has impacted it, is just fascinating to me. Truly masterful writing, but if I go on too long about it, I'll start sounding like Alsius. With Ren now firmly being part of both worlds, the themes of class and prejudice were more prominent in this book than ever before. I will say the conclusion to that particular conflict felt maybe a tad rushed, but still satisfying overall with some beautiful full circle moments.

My one critique is that some chapters felt like filler and the book, like its predecessors, could have been a tad shorter. However, a lot of questions from the first two books get answered in a satisfying manner, and arcs that have been present throughout the series finally come to fruition. We also learn more about Vraszenian customs and culture, and about the Rook's past, which I have been dying to know about. Morever, there's more time spent in the Realm of Mind than ever before. I will say I still don't fully understand the magic systems (especially numinatria gives me a headache), but I do think the tarot-based patterning is utterly brilliant.

The character relationships were another aspect that carried the book for me. All our main characters have come such a long way since the first book and it was heartwarming to read. Ren, especially, has had an incredible journey from deceiving everyone and trusting only herself to building a real family. The theme of family, either found or blood, was one that the authors explored beautifully. As such Ren, Vargo and Grey's relationship was the heart of the book, and although my shipper heart is sad we didn't get a throuple, their relationship did reach its natural conclusion. However, Vargo and Alsius's bond took the spotlight in this book and really tugged at my heartstrings, moving me to tears at one point. Of course, I also love our supporting cast of Donaia, Guina, Tess and Tanaquis. I swear I have not been attached to a group of characters this much since reading Six of Crows.

All in all, the Rook & Rose series is one where once you finish the last page, you can't help but want to start it at the first page again. I'm sure Nadezra is a place I will return to over and over in the future. There couldn't have been a better conclusion to the series and I give Labyrinth's heart 5/5 stars. May you see the Face and not the Mask.