Title: The Mask of Mirrors
Author: M.A. Carrick
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
(Hachette Book Group)
Date published: January 21, 2021

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

Fortune favors the bold. Magic favors the liars.

Ren is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadežra with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister’s future.

But as she’s drawn into the elite world of House Traementis, she realizes her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her. And as nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the City of Dreams, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled…with Ren at their heart.

The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a dazzling and darkly magical fantasy adventure by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, writing together as M. A. Carrick.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Where do I begin with The Mask of Mirrors? It’s been a while since I’ve read an adult high fantasy book, and with the length of this book, I was looking forward to being spirited away on quite the epic adventure..and that’s exactly what happened! It took me a few chapters to get my footing, as is the case with any new high fantasy world. But once I understood the world and magic system a little better, I was happily pulled into the streets of Nadežra.

You might think that I exaggerate, but I’m very serious! I felt as if I walked those streets alongside the characters. And oh the characters! They were diverse and complex and I keep thinking about them even days after finishing The Mask of Mirrors. The cultures in this book were also so rich! I also enjoyed the way the culture was tied to magic.

The magic in general was also a joy to read about. It was integrated into the everyday lives of the characters so nicely! I didn’t even realize I was being taught about how the magic system works when I was actually being instructed because the authors were so subtle about it! I will say that the magic is somehow quite unique despite using some elements that I’ve encountered before.

The Mask of Shadows made me laugh and cry! And even though this book is quite long–at 630 pages–when I finished…I found that it wasn’t enough! I’m not sure how I will be able to make it until this December when the sequel, The Liar’s Knot, comes out! But at least I don’t have to wait a year or more! I loved everything about The Mask of Mirrors and I need more!

⤖ 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.

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let’s Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? And if so, what did you think? If you haven’t read it yet, is it on your TBR? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!