The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick (Review) – Flavia the Bibliophile

Title: The Liar’s Knot
Author: M.A. Carrick
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Date published: December 9, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us.

In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He’ll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he’s built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free…

⤖ My Review ⬻

While it was a bit slow for me to get into, I loved the first book in the Rook & Rose series, The Mask of Mirrors. So when the opportunity came along to read and review the sequel, The Liar’s Knot, I didn’t hesitate for a second! Even knowing my past experiences with the middle books in triogies (assuming the Rook & Rose series will be a trilogy), I couldn’t help myself.

I was very happy to return to the city I came to love in the first book. That was, in fact, one of the main things that I loved about The Liar’s Knot. I love when a setting stands out to me so much that I firstly notice it, secondly remember it between the releases of books, and thirdly (and most importantly) love it and look forward to returning to it.

I was also, of course, happy to be reunited with some of my favourite characters that I first met in The Mask of Mirrors. My love for the setting and characters is actually what got me through the first half of The Liar’s Knot, as I found the plot to be rather slow during that portion.

But once things picked up, it was definitely fun and exciting—I was on the edge of my seat! Something I had been hoping for since the first book also happened, which made me very happy. The first book is still my favourite in the series, but just barely. Plus, I have a feeling The Liar’s Knot was more of a ramp up for the third book—which I will definitely be reading!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan (author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland — including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross — and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.