I enjoyed this book a lot. Sometimes I felt like I was never going to finish it, and the names were hard for me to pronounce, but I really liked it. ( )

This took a time to read, due to the intricate world-building and complex politics, but it was worth it! ( )

What a ride this book was! I mean, only by reading the blub I knew this was a book for me: a con artist, a vigilante and crime lord, plus magic? Count me in for the ride!

Ren was an absolute joy as a main character and I loved, loved, loved following her. She definitely has everything it takes to pull off such an elaborate con: she's incredibly smart and knows how to manipulate people, using her knowledge, beauty and talent for disguise to their full effect. She's also fiercely loyal, and I adored her relationship with her sister Tess. Multiple POVs alternate throughout the book, and I think that worked extremely well.

I ended up feeling really invested in all the key characters. Each of them had their share of dangerous secrets, and they were all extremely well-rounded and multilayered. Special shoutouts to Vargo, a crime lord trying to work his way into local nobility, and Serrado, the conflicted captain who wants to use the guards' resources to benefit the lower classes instead of the rich. I loved these two so much!

But this is just scratching the surface. In this book there are so. many. characters! The cast is extremely varied and diverse, and it got to the point where I really struggled to remember who everyone was (especially when some of the names look quite similar). I did find out that there was a character list at the end, which I hadn't realised up until I got there (joys of reading the e-arc version!), and I would have definitely consulted it frequently if I had! There was also a glossary, which again would have been very useful had I noticed its existence before getting to the end of the book, since I struggled with remembering a lot of this world's vocabulary. Definitely won't make that mistake again!

The world itself was beautifully built, with its complex society and history. I particularly liked that characters came from different backgrounds, and seeing the world through their eyes made it easier to understand the ethnic, religious and class conflict in the book. The local traditions were especially interesting, and so crucial to the plot, that it was a great pleasure to just learn more about them. The descriptions were quite detailed, which often was nice, but sometimes felt just a tad too long, and didn't really help the pace.

Now, the pace was where my biggest issue with this book was. I often have this problem with adult fantasy books, so it's most likely a case of "it's not you, it's me", but for a large part of the book it just felt as if I was stuck in a loop: it didn't matter how much I read in a sitting, I just wasn't moving forward. As I said, I loved the characters and I enjoyed spending time with them, and the plot was engaging, full of twists and turns and danger and revelations, but still... somehow the pace felt off. Again, this is most probably me rather than the book itself, but it took something away from the experience for me.

Overall, though, The Mask of Mirrors was a really great read. Filled with engaging characters, a complex world, lies, danger, magic and a gripping plot, it's the perfect companion in these long, cold winter days. I'll take the rest of this trilogy now, please and thank you, I need to know what Ren gets up to next!


I received an e-arc of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
( )

Ren is a young woman trying to con her way into an elite family. She runs into curses, extreme revolutionaries, bureaucracy, people from her past, and more. Told mostly from her point of view, with short forays into the minds of other characters.

Set in a lush and well-built multicultural fantasy world that was based on a friend's RPG campaign. The novel deals with themes of colonization, empire, and identity. There are many real-world analogs. Nadezra seems to be a stand-in for Venice; it is a city of islands and the residents love masks. The Rook is a Scarlet Pimpernel-like figure who has been attacking malicious nobles on behalf of the locals for over 200 years. There are multiple magic systems, including one reminiscent of Tarot cards I liked the mix of languages: the imperial elite use Latin/Italian words; the local language is more Eastern European, and another character seems Welsh.

I read this as a digital ARC that was missing illustrations, including maps. At least the appendices were included. I might read the next on in the series. I suspect it will have much more romance. ( )

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was a mixed bag for me. The opening story was engaging, and the authors clearly put a lot of effort into building this vibrant world. Still, lacking background information, crazy tonal shifts, and shoehorned in extraneous details made it very hard to follow all the way through.

Full review: https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-m-a-carrick-the-mask-of-mirrors/ ( )