Where to start? I LOVED this book, I was enmeshed, immersed - I was lost - in this beautifully strange and dark world. It was part historical-esque mystery and intrigue, with dreamy layers of dark folklore and magic added on. The setting is reminiscent of a historical Venice, injected with Eastern European Gypsy vibes, and implanted with the rookeries and docklands of a Victorian London.

I read so much that a story can often leave me within a day or two of reading it, but these characters and concepts are still swimming around in my head a week later. The culture, and shadowy dreams, and echos of strong personalities - they have all left an imprint that's not ready to fade yet. This is the kind of book I want to read with a group and then talk about for hours. I can't recommend it enough.

What starts out as a simple con (a talented pair of sisters impersonating their way into a noble life of privilege and wealth) quickly develops into a many character angled charade of intrigue, mystery with multiple view points and and contrasting needs and wants. The world building is intense and those who find themselves struggling with the details may find this overwhelming. There's a lot of terminology specific to this world and its society, along with its magic, but it works so well within the story and setting they've created that I welcomed this complete immersion in the culture.

The characters: Oh these characters! So so well done, and there are so many angles, and various loyalties and cross-loyalties, and clashing sides that everyone is a well drawn out complex character. There is one character death that shocked me (did not see that coming and definitely expected them to be around longer!), and overall the story is missing a bit of romanticism to balance out the harder characters - however that being said you can't go wrong with them: The Rook, a masked avenger, who proves his own motivations are more complicated than simply playing Robin Hood; Vargos, a man from the wrong side of the tracks who wields his power and beauty like a weapon (and has a Spider familiar - yes a spider), Grey Serrado, a young Captain who tries to police those who don't respect or want him, and our main lady Renata/Arenza/Ren who shows she's much much more than just an imposter looking for a free ride. Plus a Baba-Yaga-esque woman straight out of your worst nightmares along with a creepy semi-vampiric army hiding in a shadow world.

As for the magic, be patient, it only trickles in in the early phases of the story, like maybe you're not even sure there really is any major magical forces in this world- but give it some time, the trickle becomes a stream, which eventually becomes a flood midway through the story with one of the big moments/turning points. It's a wonderfully creative take on magic too, with two sort of competing sides/belief systems, including a complicated pattern magic (similar to tarot - but with really awesome card names like: The Face of Balance, The Mask of Chaos, Storm Against Stone, Jump at the Sun, and the Laughing Crow), which ties the "peasant" population to their old gods and dream worlds, alongside the Numinata of the ruling class and gentry, a combination of magically imbuing things and creating chalk circles of symbols to express various magic ("I have my compass, my edge, my chalk, myself. I need nothing more to know the Cosmos" being their motto).

This story should appeal to more than just fantasy fans, but to historical fiction and mystery fans as well. There's plenty of intrigue and action, as well as complicated world building and great characterization. That being said, those who want a simple straight forward high fantasy probably wont get too into this - and it is a commitment (close to 700), but one I would recommend the seasoned reader take.

All I can say is I CANNOT WAIT for the next one! My only complaint: Why oh why is this not coming out in hardcover?!?

While many aspects of this novel were intriguing, I found myself more confused than anything. So many names and unfamiliar terms to remember that everything either ran together or seemed wholly separate from the story. When it did come together, as in the moments when Tess and Ren were together, it lagged and was almost boring. Alternating between high action and boring scenes made the book difficult to read and made the story far less enjoyable than it should have been. I loved the concept of this novel and there was plenty of intrigue spread over the course of its telling that I am sad I couldn't enjoy the story more. However, I think upon its release, I may still buy the book and give the physical copy a try. Sometimes, for me, the medium matters as much as the story itself.
A glossary of terms would be helpful in following what's going on here.

Over all this was a very dense red. I was drawn to it for the magic and the writing was really good. Unfortunately there were so many characters, so many concepts, so much to keep track of. It's not that it was difficult it's just that it was all a bit much. This will go on my re-read list once it comes out so I can really take it all in. the worldbuilding was incredibly solid and it really sucked me in. It was just a lot to get through.

This started out strong, but quickly lost me around 250 pages in. There were so many concepts, complicated names, and secondary characters that weren’t introduced smoothly into the story so I often did not know who they were, mixed them up with others, or forgot what they were entirely. There was a lot of world building but it wasn’t explained well despite the level of detail.

Also the pacing of the plot was problematic. There were times where it plodded along and others where the action was non-stop.

Overall, I liked this fantasy. It could use some polishing but I await the next book.

I thought this was going to be a slower read for me, but I was very wrong. This story drew me in right away once I met Ren and Tess. The strengths of their character was plain to see from the get go and I loved them immediately. The world building was very detailed and in depth, just adding layers to an already rich story. The magic system was very interesting and well described. There wasn’t a lot of romance, but there is the hint of more to come. The characters themselves were all amazingly well done. Very well fleshed out and I actually enjoyed reading about all of them, which to be honest, doesn’t always happen. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue, but also a wonderful amount of suspense and action. This is the first book I have read of either of these authors, but that’s something I plan to remedy very soon. I would definitely consider this to be an epic fantasy, but at over 800 pages it honestly didn’t seem long enough. I’m going to buy this book as soon as it comes out and will eagerly be awaiting the next instalment. I was very impressed by this book.

I will be posting this review two weeks before the release as requested in the approval email. I will be posting it to goodreads, Twitter, and the blog I have linked below.

This book was just on the right side of Interesting but skirted Boring frequently. The writing was solid. The world building was done well. The characters were almost all dimensional and most were decidedly gray... like I like them... then why was I not completely won over? If a book was able to woo on technical aspects alone then The Mask of Mirrors would be a no brainer BUT, for some reason, it just didn't wow me. Then there was the Magic. The Magics were sporadically mentioned yet not explained until much later in the book if at all... confuuuusing! SO between the vague Magic system and the boggling names and terms, I spent a lot of my time second guessing or inferring. I inferred so much that I feared I might be making up a completely different story. The worst part, all of these things had me debating the merits of skimming. I know, I know... skimming = no bueno (especially when reviewing an ARC) BUT the pacing + confusing terms/names = silly confused faces + wandering attention. Surely not a recipe for success but still... not horrific.

Overall:
This book was, unfortunately, only middle of the road Meh. I tried, I truly did, but I found it difficult to care what happened with the various intermingling plots/subplots and when I say subplots I mean Subplots with a capital S. There were side hustles aplenty. I really liked 2 secondary characters, Leato and Tess but the rest were... again... Meh. Please excuse my descriptor repetition, something which normally would irk me, BUT it's succinct AND apt so I thought it bared repeating. That might sound rough, and for that I apologize, but even though it ticked off all of the technical boxes, it just didn't compel me or demand my undivided attention. It might be a 5 star read for others but for this gal, it was more of a drip than the tidal wave I was hoping for after reading the synopsis.

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

A very intriguing story full of mystery. A cross between court of miracles and six of crows. If you enjoyed those two I believe you will enjoy this book.

At first I’ll admit I was confused with all the names and different words used to describe the different groups of people. If felt like a lot of info dump and was a little overwhelming. About halfway through I feel like it all started coming together and by 3/4 of the way I was soaking up every word like a sponge as fast as I could.

There was enough action to keep things moving through the political parts that seemed to drag a little. Not enough romance for my liking ... I kept waiting for something to happen for our main character... but since it is a series maybe that comes later.

All in all I would recommend the book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and M.A. Carrick for the advanced copy. This is a voluntary review.

This started out strong, but quickly lost me around 250 pages in. There were so many concepts, complicated names, and secondary characters that weren’t introduced smoothly into the story so I often did not know who they were, mixed them up with others, or forgot what they were entirely. There was a lot of world building but it wasn’t explained well despite the level of detail. I was overwhelmed reading and just couldn’t get past the sheer volume of information unfortunately. However, the writing was quite good and I would like to read more from this author down the road.

Despite the info, the base plot was quite simple, it was just imbued with many layers of politics and societal expectations. I am really interested in the concept of the story, and perhaps after a few revisions this could be a unique gem of a fantasy.

This is a lush, well written fantasy. I became engaged in this world quickly. The characters were interesting and relateable.

However, it took me some time to sort out and distinguish the secondary characters. I don't know if that's the fault of the author or my memory.

Also the pacing of the plot was problematic. There were times where it plodded along and others where the action was non-stop.

Overall, I liked this fantasy. It could use some polishing but I await the next book.

I was given a free ARC by Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Very promising plot. It sort of delivers but because I was drawn to the plot, it was the only thing keeping me going. The characters were alright but they weren’t totally memorable. I feel that with some more drafts and edits this could become a solid read.

This was a great start to a fantasy series. I can't wait to see what happens in the next novel. This novel is filled with magic, intrigue, and great characters. The writing was lush and atmospheric. I was just instantly transported to the world in this novel. We follow two characters, Arenza and Renata who are each unique in their own way. If you love magic, political intrigue, characters you will be invested in, and fantasy novels, you should read this.

This story presented itself with so much promise. But it was interesting at best. The plot and characters felt like they were in the stages of an early draft, not a finished, polished story.

Magic, a con artist, a vigilante, deceptions, a little flirting, revenge and so much adventure in this book! This is the first book in the Rook & Rose trilogy and introduces us to our protagonists: Ren, a con artist trying to make a place for herself and her family while running from her past, Grey, a Hawk Captain (guard) who is trying to find his brother’s murderer and hiding a secret, Vargo, a manipulative and extremely charming crime lord who is willing to do anything to get what he wants and is also hiding a very dark secret, and of course, Rook, the legendary vigilante who keeps running into Ren and going on capers with her, but who is he really? Ren has taken a new identity to try and con her way into a wealthy home all the while magic runs loose and children go missing and she finds herself in constant danger of being discovered or manipulated for someone else’s game. I really had so much fun reading this book and can’t wait to see where the story goes. The book is very visual and creates such a mood, theres music, magic, culture, and the entire book just emulates courtly Venice. This was such an experience and I really loved Ren as a protagonist. She has to be constantly on her feet and use her wit to get out of tricky situations while donning various disguises and identities. And I swoon for vigilante + con artist capers and flirting, they just work for me. I can’t wait to see where Rook and Ren go and how they both deal with all their secrets and plots. This book has so much, seriously, GO READ IT!

*Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed the concept of this story and the overall character building that happened. I loved the variety of influences that were apparent in this story and the setting of the book. The writing was enjoyable and engaging. But man, the pacing of this book was rough. The first 100 or so pages felt really slow and drawn out and it took me a while to power my way through them. A lot of information felt like it was being dumped on me without necessarily adding to the plot in the moment and felt like I was just wading through information at that point. The second half of the book was definitely stronger, but if you're a reader who really struggles through slow beginnings, this might not be the best fit for you.

I really, really wanted to love this book. It started off strong and I loved the characters, but it just wasn't for me. There was a lot of exposition in the first 100 pages or so, and it was hard to keep track of all the character names, places, and concepts mentioned. It felt like too much exposition but not enough actual information at the same time.
I really enjoyed the basic concept, that a regular lady is trying to con her way into a noble house, but it got to a point where it felt so bogged down by sideplots about cleaning a river and other intrigues that I was having a hard time keeping track of what was what, and I just couldn't finish it.
Ultimately, the concept is great and the characterization was amazing! I love the main character and the side characters all really stand out. I wanted to finish this book for the main character's sake but I was just getting confused and wasn't excited to read it anymore.
I just don't think this was the book for me. Someone else may love it, but ultimately I just couldn't get past the first 200 pages.

The cover... Gorgeous. This is super important because a cheap or ugly looking cover could be the difference between a reader picking it up or moving over it.

I read this quickly! It was just too good to put down. Well written.

Interesting concept for the book. It would have read smoothly with more sound names. Overall all the book is predictable with unique names and a old story in a new setting.

You know those books you read in one sitting because the IDEA of putting it down would be similar to removing your heart from your chest??

This book hands down saved 2020 for me and I’m so sorry to everyone who has to wait till 2021 to read it. It was beautiful and so well written that from basically the first chapter I decided I was HAPPILY along for the ride.

I’m desperately unhappy I have to wait for more but so content I stumbled onto this book! Highly suggest it !

If I had to describe the recipe for Mask of Mirrors, it would look something like this:
- Take Six of Crows (+ grishaverse) as the basis, and add...
- The police and street force of Beka Cooper
- The vaguely-Romani influences + child-napping of His Dark Materials
- The Blue Spirit from Avatar
- A dash of courtly Venice

Overall, this was a strong first book in the new Rook & Rose series, and I am definitely planning on reading the second one. The aesthetics of the city and the magical clothing Ren wears, combined with the political aspects of the story, made me keep turning the pages.

However, the overabundance of terminology, magic semantics, and politics without much backstory that we get--particularly in the first chapters--made me almost DNF the book. It was just so many terms, some of which aren't explained until over 50% of the way through the book. Some of which aren't explained, period.

Like City of Brass, the story focuses on one city's ethnic divides based on subjugated vs. colonizers, but the different ethnic groups are a bit murky. At first, it seems the three classes of citizens are divided strictly on racial lines, with distinctions being drawn between those of mixed races, and two other groups. But later on, this seems to not be the case. It also doesn't help that 2/3 main groups have quite similar-looking names. The terminology for each group within the city also seems to want to be heavily influenced by "real" societies, namely Italian and Romanian(?). But, there's a lot that's hard to pronounce in one's head and hard to figure out. I'm hoping the map that final readers will have will help with this, as trying to sort out the city is hard enough, let alone sort out the 2-3 other countries/regions that are mentioned (I think one seems to be Francophone-inspired, and another, Welsh).

I think this shows promise, for sure, and the political aspects of the story really caught my attention, but I would love to see the different magic systems (particularly the "numinatria"--which is numbers, but also gods, but also shapes) fleshed out and explained a bit more in future installments.

Other things of note:
- lgbt+ themes throughout, with one sub-culture having what appears to be trans characters
- No real romance to focus on, but hints at some to come
- A bit of a dark academia feel, for those who enjoyed Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
- If you want Nina from grishaverse but sweet, this is the niche book for you