Labyrinth's Heart is the third and final book in the Rook & Rose series and one of my most anticipated books of 2023. One of the things about this trilogy is I love the characters. Vargo is definitely my favorite. His sassiness was so much fun to read. It is always so fun to come back to them. Also, the worldbuilding and magic systems were very unique. I mean Venetian inspired setting was so cool to read. The authors did an amazing job to describe the world. It was vivid in my head. Labyrinth's Heart is definitely the most strong book in this series. All characters grow and change and found their voice. The relationship between the characters became stronger too. I liked this series so much. I highly recommend this book if you like character-driven fantasy books, unique magic systems, slow-burn romance, and a very complex plot.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
5 Stars!

Synopsis: The trilogy’s final instalment. Ren, Arenza, Renata, The Rose, Grey, The Rook, Vargo, and the power of the primordials. It all comes together…or falls apart.

CW/TW: Death/Murder/Sacrifice/Violence/Racism/Abuse/others may be present.

Rep: Queernormative world | Queer/Bi/Sapphic/Lesbian side characters.

The Labyrinth’s Heart by MA Carrick is an absolutely amazing and satisfying conclusion to a magical and gorgeous trilogy. As this is the conclusion to a series I will keep this review short to avoid spoilers!

MA Carrick has crafted a satisfying and beautiful conclusion to what has been an utterly absorbing, emotional and captivating series. This finale continues to capture the what is at the absolute heart of this story (family) and does so in the best way possible amidst a compelling and twisty plot.

With Ren, Vargo and Grey on a mission to stop the ominous power corrupting their home, they struggle with who they can trust. And a new arrival makes things harder for Renata, who is already balancing several Masks. As the trio dedicate themselves to their mission, we get a compelling story of truth, lies, and secrets coming together to break and make bonds between characters. I absolutely loved the plot, the magic, the story, every element was engaging and compelling. The twists and turns, betrayals and new allies, to the multiple plots working to create explosive reveals. Everything came together so beautifully and we get some very satisfying conclusions that your heart will love.

Again, MA Carrick manages to whisk you away with their intense magic, we are now thoroughly embedded in this world and yet we are still learning more. Pattern continues to mesmerise us and play a crucial role, cultures clash and shine with their traditions, and family continues to be the heart and soul of the story. I adore the magic in this series, from pattern, to numinatra, to the Dream world and the Zylen, everything is so meticulously crafted and intertwines so well that you cannot help but marvel at the magical world the authors have created.

As I have said, family is at the heart and soul of this story, especially found and chosen family. Undeniably, this means that the characters truly make this book shine. It was an absolute delight to see the characters growth and progression in this book. I don’t want to spoil anything but the characters really do grow and shine and get endings they deserve and I loved it. Ren, Grey and Vargo all get endings that perfectly suited their characters and the relationships between them all become something much more. Our side characters also get endings that work well with the people they have become. I so badly want to tell you some of what happens but Spoilers! So I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out!

Overall, The Labyrinth’s Heart by MA Carrick is a heartfelt and stunning conclusion to a gorgeous series, one that truly shines a light on characters we have come to love and illuminates the importance of family – be it found, chosen or blood. All of this occurs against a backdrop of mesmerising magic. This is a series I won’t forget.

*I received an eARC from Orbit Books via #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thank you!

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My heart goes back and forth with this trilogy. I thought the first book was ok, but not really for me, so I didn't plan on reading the rest of the trilogy. However, I kept thinking about it for months, so when book 2 came out, I decided to give it a try. That was a good decision because I enjoyed it much more than the first one!
I was impatiently waiting for this last book to confirm my excellent impression of book 2, and couldn't wait to read "Labyrinth's Heart", but somehow I feel a little disappointed. I like where the story went, but it's a long book and it feels very long too, there were some pacing issues for me. It feels too slow, but too fast at the same time, and it's quite confusing. I had to take several breaks and almost DNF'ed.

All in all, the ending is satisfying, but like after book 1, I'm not sure where I stand. I'll probably revisit all three books in a few years, reading them one after the other without these huge time gaps between the publication dates, so that I can finally decide if I really enjoy them.

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

What a fantastic finale to this gorgeous trilogy!

I think, this might be my favourite of the three books. I found this book to be much more cohesive and easy to get through than the previous two. There's much to wrap up and going into it I was a bit sceptical about how everything will play out but I need not worry as the culmination of each plot thread felt so well thought out and rewarding. The ending is definitely very neat in many aspects but there's plenty of emotional and vulnerable character moments that just hits right.

The characters and the bond between them, the found family aspect shined so brightly in this book. That along with its political plot, elusive magic systems, decadent vibes and so many relevant social themes, made this book and this series exceptional.

Labyrinth's Heart concludes what I consider a truly exceptional showcase of worldbuilding: Nadežra is such a realised location with a genuine sense of political and demographic complexity, and the magical side of things is also intricate and intriguing. Trying to keep track of names and terms was near impossible for me, but in many ways that only added to the realism. I think Ren is such a perfect symbolic and emotional heart of this narrative about negotiating different social worlds and backgrounds, and the supporting cast remains solid. There is a particular lack of momentum that slowed me down, with an episodic feel of each separate thread from the trilogy being neatly dealt with one at a time. I had the strange sense at points that I was reading a series of climaxes and even epilogues one after another; a weird experience for sure, although each narrative feels satisfying, with one exception. I'm personally not happy with how the narrative of the obviously autistic character progresses and is framed - too spoilery to outline, but I found it a bit hurtful how traits that seemed rooted in neurodivergence contributed to the drama. I struggle to see myself rereading these dense stories, but I am absolutely sold on the world and would happily revisit it.

4.5 stars

Labyrinth’s Heart is the long-awaited and highly-anticipated conclusion to the Rook & Rose series, which already established itself as one of my all-time favourites before even having a finale. Needless to say, I went into this book with extremely high expectations, equally nervous and excited. And somehow, this book managed to be everything I could ever have wished for, while also leaving me a tiny bit unsatisfied, let me explain.

Book 1, The Mask of Mirrors, started out as a relatively contained story about a cunning con artist infiltrating a (supposedly) wealthy noble house to secure a fortune for her and her sister. Yet things started to escalate quickly, and by now the story has developed into an epic quest where said con artist has teamed up with a dashing vigilante and an enigmatic crime lord turned noble to save their city from the dangerous and devastating magic. It’s epic, it’s thrilling, it’s dangerous yet also utterly delightful, but most of all, it’s full of love and heart.

While I love absolutely every aspect of this incredibly unique and refreshing fantasy series, it’s truly the characters who make this story so special to me. And oh, how wonderful it was to be back with all my faves.
They are all incredibly compelling to follow and I adored seeing how much they have grown over the course of the series. I also continue to be blown away by how strong each character's voice is in this series, which makes everyone just leap off the page with personality. There are a couple of characters with multiple personas and every time they switch, it’s almost unnerving how fully they transform on the page. These authors are just so incredibly gifted at creating complex characters that you can completely fall in love with, even if they might frustrate you at points. In that sense, they almost feel like siblings to me and I feel very, very deeply for all of them.

Speaking of siblings, the found family vibes in this series are absolutely unmatched. The development of all the rocky and complicated relationships is so beautiful to see and I was more than satisfied with how all of their storylines were wrapped up here. Though, now that these characters know all of each other’s secrets, I did somewhat miss that element of tension and intrigue that I adored in the earlier instalments, but then I also can’t deny that the strong bonds of trust and loyalty we got in return were just to die for.

I also really enjoyed exploring more of the Vraszenian culture in this instalment, because we had mostly been immersed in the Nadežran/Liganti high society with all the noble houses so far. Seeing certain characters go back to their roots and reconnect with their cultural heritage was so moving and brought me a lot of joy.
The way that the mystifying Vraszenian pattern magic and their gut wrenching history ended up playing a role in this finale was also a pleasant surprise and very cleverly written if you ask me. The series' core themes of colonialism, classism, belonging and family are brought home exquisitely in this finale, resulting in a very heartwarming and hopeful conclusion.

Now, with all this gushing, why didn’t I give this the full 5 stars that I wanted to give it deep in my heart, you ask?
Honestly, I think it just comes down to the fact that this finale was too perfect for my tastes, which I fully acknowledge sounds a bit like a weird complaint.
I like my stories to end on a bittersweet note, and while there are definitely heart wrenching moments and small losses, everything was just so extremely neatly wrapped up here that it almost felt a bit unbelievable. Every single storyline gets resolved in a satisfying and happy way, which is admittedly really damn impressive for a series that is SO complex and has such high stakes, yet I just wanted a bit more pain in the end.

All that said, I still consider this one of my all-time favourite series and I think M.A. Carrick accomplished exactly what they set out to do. They wanted to write a series that is the antithesis of grimdark, and they bloody well delivered on that.
I also liked that this final book almost felt a bit episodic in its storytelling, with each part wrapping up one of the unresolved story threads that were still left dangling. The pacing was spot-on, with intense moments with world-ending stakes being followed up with introspective and intimate moments that gave our characters all the resolution and closure they needed and deserved.
Both the internal conflicts of each character and the overarching external conflict concerning the city, the scheming noble houses, and the devastating numinatria magic were extremely compelling, and I think they were ultimately resolved in a masterful way.

I am more than grateful that this refreshing, diverse, queer-normative and utterly delightful story exists, and I will forever come back to this series when I need a good comfort read.
If you are looking for a character-driven high fantasy with a highly atmospheric and immersive Venetian-inspired city setting, an utterly loveable cast of characters with multiple personas, delightful found family vibes, multiple mystifying magic systems, cutthroat political intrigue, and some delicious dashes of slow-burn romance, then you have to pick up the Rook & Rose series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled for release on August 15, 2023.

This was probably my most anticipated release of this year. I loved the previous two novels in this trilogy and couldn’t wait to find out how everything ended up.

This conclusion did not disappoint. It was just as complex and multi-layered as the earlier books and the mixture of politics and magic was brilliant. The world building and intricacy of the magic systems is amazing.

I loved all three of the main characters although as they were more open with each other in this book, some of the sarky banter between them was missing. There was a major twist at the start of the story which I hadn’t seen coming and the plot continued to weave and wind all through the book leading to a brilliant conclusion.
This was a great finale to one of my favourite trilogies of recent years.

Huge thanks to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Book Group, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait for publication date so that I can complete my set of the actual books.

This series has been an unexpected hit with my students, particularly because of all the mystery and intrigue it builds. In this final book, you have a finale worthy of its' predecessors and a great conclusion to an underhyped series.

It would not be an exaggeration to say this was one of my most anticipated books of 2023. With anticipation of that level, there is a huge potential for disappointment. Could book three of the Rook and Rose possibly live up to how much I had loved the first two books in the series? Could it tie off the various threads that were up in the air after two six hundred page novels?
OF COURSE IT COULD.
I was blown away by this book. I had a truly fantastic time throughout. It not only polishes off the story in an incredibly satisfactory way it also manages to bring in new threats and plot points in a way that doesn't feel gratuitous. In a sea of mediocre final books Labyrinth's Heart is a complete and utter stand out.
What I wasn't expecting is how hard this book hit me emotionally. I spent the last third of the book quietly sobbing over my e-reader - a testament not only to how wonderfully this book is written but also to how the relationship between the reader and these characters has been masterfully handled throughout this entire trilogy.
One thing that struck me on this reread of the first two books and flowing through into this book was the way in which all the various magics and cultures (and sometimes an almagamation of the two) crash together and mix in this city. It's a fantastic way of making the world and the city feel incredibly rich and fits with the themes of the story perfectly.
For those wondering I would recommend doing a reread if you have the time just so you can enjoy that emotional arc the way I did but if you're wanting to dive right in there is a handy catch up at the start of the book so you can get going without needing 1200 pages of reread.
Overall I was astounded by this book and by the series as a whole. This has cemented this as one of my all time favourites and I will be recommending them to everyone in my life for the rest of forever. All I ask is more MA Carrick in the future please and thankyou.
I receieved a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My gratitude to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for a free eARC of "Labyrinth's Heart by M. A. Carrick.
The "Labyrinth's Heart" was one of my most anticipated books of the year as it is the conclusion to a beloved series, "Rook & Rose".
In this instalment not only we continue following the treads from "The Liar's Knot", but we get even more intrigues and plot developments. Unfortunately this meant that some character interactions and reflections had to suffer for lack of enough time on paper, most of all that between Grey and Vargo.
I was also disappointed by the two new villains, both acted as caricatures and I am not sure if both were necessary for the plot, except to elevate the heroine's status.
While I enjoyed the themes of belonging, what it means to be racially mixed, to stop biases, injustices and discrimination, this installment had way too may coincidences and I felt it hard to suspend my disbelief multiple times.
My love for both "The Mask of Mirrors" and "The Liar's Knot" and the fact that I already fell in love with the main characters and some secondary ones made me more tolerant towards this last volume of "Rook & Rose'.
I think this series is ideal for those that want to transit from Young Adult Fantasy to Adult Fantasy.

Have you ever dnf'ed a series in the last book?
I'm thinking about it right now with Labyrinth's Heart. Actually, I've paused it now and read two other books since then.
Of course, since it's the third in the series, it's hard for me to say what it's about. The first book starts with Ren coming to town with her sister to sneak into the Traementis family as a con artist, pretending to be a cousin.
The first two books were a lot about the main characters and their relationships with each other, their backgrounds and motivations. I liked that a lot. Another part of the book was politics and three different magic systems. The politics were a bit confusing to me from the first book because there are an enormous number of characters. The three magic systems are soft magic systems, which is always harder for me to grasp. Now in the third part, however, it's much less about the characters themselves and much more about politics and magic. About 60% of the way through the book I just couldn't bring myself to read it anymore. Magic and politics became too confusing for me and everything is moving too fast. I don't know yet if I will continue reading at some point. Probably not. But I won't rule it out.

A satisfying conclusion to a brilliant trilogy full of intricate world building and richly imagined characters. There is a LOT to keep track of and I was definitely grateful for the recap at the start - more of these, please! So helpful when you have big gaps between complex fantasy novels.

I've got to say, while I liked where the story went for the most part, Labyrinth's Heart is a long book and it feels long.

I'm the kind of reader who likes the books I consume to be chunky because that means things get fleshed out properly if I'm lucky.

But dear god.

I had to take breaks.

There was a lot going on here, we've got the medallions, Ren and Grey's romance, Letilla (hate her. Hate her so much), Lower Bank Vs Upper. Lots of threads to be tied up.

And I couldn't remember who half the people were😭

Ren's family tree is insane. Actually, insane. And while it's nice that she got to meet, and connect, and keep all these people, part of me feels like it's too much.

Too many things easily resolved. Not enough broken hearts for the end of a fantasy trilogy.

What did the main character's really lose?

Not a lot. I felt like I lost some enjoyment though. The stakes just didn't get high enough and no real harm befell anyone. Yes, there were injuries, and betrayals, and losses (of a sort), but where was the drama??

Labyrinth's Heart didn't have the drama of the first and second books.

But the Rose ought to have her Rook.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

Rejoice: there is a recap of the events leading up to this book, because, admittedly, there is a lot to remember.
This has been one of my most anticipated since book 2 released so I squealed when I received the arc!

This is an epic conclusion wrapping up everything Ren has been trying to cultivate with what at first started as a con.

She has finally achieved a sense of belonging, semi-stability, friendship, love, identity, community, and family… then her ‘mother’, Letilia, comes to the city to threaten her deception and throw a wedge between Ren and everything she has built.

You're not broken until you agree you are.
Oh, did I miss the teasing and banter between our main trio! Our guy Vargo steps up to fake court Renata so that Grey can win her hand by winning the hearts of the Upper and Lower citizens through a trial set up by Renata and friends so they can marry without scandal.

Throughout it all, they’re trying to discover where the remaining medallions are and how they can destroy them.

”Wanted: Survivor of Event Nobody Talks About? Seeking Man in Possession of Lead Disc and Thoughts of Death? Show Us Yours; We’ll Show You Ours?”

This book has so many high points that there’s barely a chance to breathe. Just when you think everything is resolved but notice there’s still chunk of the book left, Carrick surprises with another revelation, another riot, another betrayal, another mystery.

Sedge was getting tired of problems he couldn't solve by beating them up.

Rankings:
Mask of Mirrors: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Liar’s Knot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Labyrinth’s Heart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A pretty satisfying ending to a trilogy that has kept my attention. Carrick has a pretty wonderful way with words and I'm very curious to see what they do next.