This one is thick, somewhat slow to start but the prose kept me engaged. Very beautifully written.

World building and character development are solid.

All in all a very enjoyable read.

After reading YA fantasy it’s always so refreshing picking up an adult fantasy and falling into a complex story with interesting characters.

What I absolutely loved about this story was the fact that our characters weren’t perfect and cookie cutter. They did bad things but for good reasons and left me as a reader wondering whether I agreed with their actions or didn’t.

Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved the cast of characters in this book. They were interesting, well thought out, and unique to any characters I’ve seen before.

The world building in this story was also incredible. Everything was so interesting and rich and I found myself constantly wanting to learn more about the setting and environment.

The only negative I have for this book, and this was me searching for something negative to say, is the pacing. It felt a little slow at times, but being the first book in a series it was totally understandable.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot is full of twists and turns that had me so attached to the story! I thought the writing was beautiful, and created a lovely world that I was fully immersed in! The characters throughout the story are incredibly diverse, making this a strong LGBTQ story with so much acceptance. It was great!

I did think there were a few too many POVs throughout the story. It did feel a bit jumbled at times, however, as that is really my only complaint, I would highly recommend this for New Adult Fantasy readers!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Review: 5 Stars

Lately I’ve really been in the mood for epic fantasy, so I decided to give The Mask of Mirrors a shot. When I first heard about this book I was pretty excited because the main character is a thief attempting a long con. The premise sounded intriguing but initially I was intimidated by the fact that this book is nearly 700 pages. Luckily I found this story pretty easy to sink into and wound up enjoying every minute of the book.

The main character Ren was really fun to read about. She was a thief attempting a long con where she pretended to be a noble woman so that she could infiltrate a noble family as their long lost cousin. She was really witty and I loved that she was very morally grey. Ren had two siblings, Tess and Sedge, and I loved how they were fiercely protective of one another. I also really enjoyed the relationships that formed between Ren and the noble family she was pretending to be a part of. The bonds between the characters were so strong and really tugged at my heart at times.

This was a character driven book, but the plot was also amazing. The plot revolved along a long con, but there was also a lot of political maneuvering and several different plot lines, so there is a lot going on.The plot was an emotional roller-coaster and at times I was on the edge of my seat. The plot kept me guessing at who was behind which schemes and the identity of a masked vigilante called The Rook. The book is told from multiple points of view so you get to see things from multiple angles. There are a lot of characters and different noble houses and governing positions. While I didn’t have a hard time following it all there is a glossary and a list of important characters in the back if needed.

The world built in this book was rich and vivid. I felt that everything was described really well without info dumping. I got a full sense of the history of the city, the differing religions, the cultures and the conflicts between the Liganti and the Vrazenians. The magic system was pretty complex and while it wasn’t a main focus of the story I did think that it was pretty unique. Everything came together in a way that really brought the city of Nadezra to life.

The Mask Mirrors was a really cool fantasy with characters that I really loved and a world that felt incredibly real. There was so much scheming and political maneuvering that kept me guessing. The pacing wasn’t fast, but it was consistent and there were plenty of twists that I never saw coming. it did take me a bit to finish this one, but I enjoyed it every step of the way. If you enjoy books about cons of thieves you should check this book out.

This fantasy truly blew me away. With amazing characters, detailed world building and plot twists I never saw coming I did not want to put it down.

The character development was so well done. Much of the book is from Ren’s perspective. She is a con artist who is trying to infiltrate one of the noble houses but her plan isn’t as easy as she hoped. Ren is devious, clever, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect those she loves. While constantly facing new obstacles during the con I could not help but fall in love with her character. While most of the story was from her point of view, there were several other character perspectives as well. I particularly loved when the story was told from Grey and Vargo’s perspectives. Also, the Rook! A mysterious outlaw who tries to help the poor. I loved him and Ren’s obsession in trying to discover his identity.

Beyond fantastic characters, the world building was truly amazing with a complex systems of noble houses and gentry. Not only did the story provide details of the elite houses but it also really dove into the poverty and prejudices of this society. With all of those complexities there was yet another layer of detail with magic, patterns, and dream worlds. I was beyond impressed with this world.

I also thought the pacing was great. At first, getting an understanding of the world took a little time but once I understood the noble and magical systems a bit I found myself immersed in the story and needing to know what would happen next. There were several times when I was completely shocked. I love when a novel can pull me in and keep me guessing. Truly, there isn’t much I didn’t love about this book and I cannot wait to read the sequel to see where the Rook and Rose take me next.

Is she the lady Renata, come to town to make amends with her aunt after her mother broke with the family many years ago? Is she Arenza the fortune-teller? Or is she Ren, who grew up in a gang of thieves, escaping that life after she poisoned the head?
Well, she's all three, and she works very hard to make sure nobody knows that. Taking up a residence and buying frivolities to keep up appearances, Ren and her sworn-sister posting-as-maid Tess must look like they have been born to a noble and wealthy household, even as they can barely afford food and Tess has to remake Renata's dresses almost every day. Renata works to weasel herself into her 'aunt's affections by making herself useful in the trade and politics of the city, while getting more and more obsessed with the vigilante known as the Rook.
There are class politics, religious persecution, and rising tension between the natives of the area and the people who conquered them centuries ago.

The world was rich, varied, and entertaining. I liked the numinatra (magic stuff). I liked how not everything was spelled out like the reader is a moron, instead it was brought up in description and conversation so you gradually (but quickly) understand by context. (Another reviewer mentions that the magic and religion only show up later and when convenient, but I disagree, I'm pretty sure they are talking about them from the very beginning.)

I had some trouble keeping the houses, the classes and races, the religion, and other names straight. The one lady who does astrology and stuff—they kept calling her by different names! Even within the same scene. So cruel. Part of that I can blame my memory, part I can praise the detail in the book, and part I blame the authors for not clarifying more. I could keep the main cast clear because they're around a lot, but all the rest of them only pop up every now and then, not sure how I'm supposed to remember who they are (especially when they are referred to by their name OR their title OR something else).

The fact there are gay/trans/whatever people is a couple times thrust in-yo-face like 'aren't we great because of our varied culture' but for the most part I was pleased at how it was integrated into the world as if it were normal (e.g. casually mentions the lady sitting next to her wife or whatnot).

While I was throughly entertained for the entire book, which is rather long, I was dissatisfied with the ending. To be clear, it ends in a good place. Some questions are answered, some conflicts resolved. It ties up part of the story with clear room for sequels. And yet.
There was a reveal that was no reveal because duh, another reveal that was a surprise to Ren but not to the reader, another 'reveal' that the characters reacted dramatically to although I couldn't figure out why... Ren accepts things told to her without questioning them, she makes inexplicable judgements, Vargo behaves entirely out of character, and for some reason although the ghost always knows what's going on, he doesn't appear to in the ending scene. What happened to the care that I saw in the rest of the story? It was too forced and too inexplicable.
Also, maybe I'm alone, but can I express how much I do not like Grey? How boring and flat can a person be? Especially when surrounded by the rest of the lively, vibrant cast of the book. His name is apt. I was disappointed time and time again when he came up as a main character, when I'd much rather spend time with Ren or Vargo.
Vargo is the best character, no doubt. I want to read the sequel and yet I am afraid it's going to ruin everything.

I enjoy reading Marie Brennan and think M.A. Carrick is a good partnership. I look forward to more from the pair.

Overall a very solid 3.75 fantasy novel with an incredible world-building, family drama, city-history, and stories of individual influential families and an act of revenge, which may not even succeed.
I sincerely enjoyed the backstory and whole world-building and character escalations, personal drama woven into family-drama, and never-ending thirst and desire for power.
Such a human desire and that desire may force you to lie, con people, manipulate the whole city and try to revenge...
But when everyone has that thirst, things may be more complicated and escalate quicker than anticipated.

Plot: 3 stars
Worldbuilding: 5 stars
Character development: 3 stars

DNF
While I was immensely excited for getting approved for this book, that did not last long. The struggle with this book is real, I understand that this is an adult fantasy and it differs a lot from how an YA fantasy reads and yet I could not finish it even after trying to pick it up after few breaks

I think it has a great magic system, plot and fleshed up characters BUT while trying to build a rather massive and intricate world, the plot and pace took the very last seat. I had pushed myself to 55% and yet anything barely happened so far and given that magnum opus nature of the world and hard to pronounce typical Adult fantasy names its quite easy to lose thread of what actually was happening and add a snail pace to it to make it even harder to enjoy it. i truly wish I loved the book, I would have definitely pushed myself if the book is paced better

While I might come back to it in the future, I certainly has to move on from it for the time being! The star rating is for the world building

This is an excellent piece of young adult fiction; full of intrigue, depth, and masterful writing. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read they cannot put down.

Sumptuous writing. Exquisite attention to detail, especially of the fashions. Full of mystery, betrayal, and magic. Told through multiple point of views. I found this to be a very enjoyable read.

The Mask of Mirrors is a very slow burn fantasy that involves a lot of conning and scheming. It follows our main character, Ren, who is pretending to be a long lost cousin of a house of nobility in order to gain access to their notoriety and money. In actuality, she is a girl who pulled con jobs for an abusive lady, who she killed. She comes back 5 years after leaving that life to con her way into a house of nobility. The fantasy part of this novel regards a nightmare world and drug use.

I can give the author credit that the world building was very intricate and well done. The character work was also great. There wasn't a character in this book that I didn't like. They were all intriguing and some of them I fell in love with.

However, this book needed serious editing. It could have been 250 pages shorter and the story wouldn't have changed. The first interesting thing that happened was 50% into the book. That's a rather long way to go for the story to start.

If you like conning and slow burns, this would be a book for you. I would have definitely enjoyed it more had it not been so long.

The Mask of Mirrors is a multiple point of view story that elegantly weaves a clever con artist into the magic and mystery of a corrupt city.

Ren is a former street thief turned con artist. She's crafted several versions of herself to navigate Nadezra, a city that offers wealth and status as easily as death. Having seen first hand how the divide between the poor and the nobility can alter one's life, Ren is determined to make something of herself by attempting to pull off the longest con of her life: convincing one of the city's most well-known families that she's their long-lost relative.

Succeeding in such a plan would grant Ren--as well as her kind and loyal best friend--a chance at a secure, comfortable life. Time is of the essence, though, as the city's elite are suspicious, the city's watch are watching, the crime lords are intrigued, and the masked vigilante known as The Rook may or may not be aware of Ren's true identity. Amidst it all, a looming, dangerous magic threatens everyone and everything Ren knows.

Though not just Ren's story, Mask of Mirror's feels small in size, as all of the point of views are closely connected. It creates a more personal feel, where the reader is forced to pay attention to every expression every character makes, every word spoken, and every bit of information left unsaid. It also, however, means it can take awhile to grow accustomed to who is who, since most fantasy novels with a bigger cast are more spread out, allowing readers to distinguish characters not just by who they are, but where they are, and the various differences that come along with that.

Once acclimated to The Mask of Mirror's setting, the reader has to try and understand what isn't understood by the characters: the magic. It creates a very intricate story, but one that borders perhaps on overly complex. It's not so extreme as to turn potential readers away. It does, however, mean that one might not want to go into this story casually, as it may require a bit more time and effort to fully appreciate.

Well, that was a ride. First, this book is absolutely fantastic and a must-read. I was hooked from the beginning (who doesn't love a long con? And that cover is *gorgeous.*) and things just kept getting more interesting from there. For nearly 700 pages I was completely enthralled and on the edge of my seat. There were some plot twists I definitely didn't see coming and such richness and depth to the world and characters that it felt real. I can't wait to read the next one.

There is a lot of exploration of morally grey characters here (I mean, our main POV is a street rat pulling a long con on the nobility by worming her way into their lives) - but what she finds is not what she expected. And as the political sands shift around her, and she struggles to keep her assumed identities separate, she finds herself struggling with who she can trust.

The magic system is based on pattern - Tarot cards, essentially - and is complex and the cards are woven into the story beautifully.

Also! There is no difference between how same sex and opposite sex relationships are approached and I found it very refreshing.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for providing an e-arc to review.

This was a wild ride of mystery, double crossing, and just the perfect amount of sneaking back and forth. I read this thanks to net galley, and immediately followed up by listening to it via audible. Great story, great narration.

An immersive and entertaining new start to a series that is bound to be exciting for many fantasy readers. The authors present an intriguing, albeit slow-paced tale full of magic, politics, and culture, headed by a compelling cast of characters. Though multiple POVs are not typically my jam, I enjoyed getting to know each and every character in The Mask of Mirrors. I will say that the world-building process was a bit slow for me and I wished the story moved at a faster pace at times. That being said, this was a solid read and the gorgeous writing will keep me returning to the sequel. I'm excited to see what this author duo has in store for readers.

Sadly, I had to DNF this at 15%. In the 100 pages I read, I found the plot to move at snails pace and the writing to be super dense, which could mean I'm too dumb to comprehend this fantasy world. I couldn't do this for 650+ pages. I also didn't understand what was going on and felt lotst

I did not finish The Mask of Mirrors. I read about ten percent of this book. I just could not get into the story and did not wish to continue reading. The world and information was very extensive and felt like it was dumped on me. There was just so much going on from the start. It wouldn't hold my attention.
I am intrigued by the world so I may go back and read another day.

I read about 35% of this book. I wish I knew the length before requesting a copy! Pros include the in-depth worldbuilding, slow build of the storyline (incl. interweaving of multiple POVs and and plot threads), and the charming characters. Cons include all the pros (well, maybe not the characters). This is a book for a particular type of reader. In non-pandemic times, I might have been able to finish it (I am a little bummed I don't get to learn the Rook's identity...) but at 30% I felt like I was at the 75% mark and couldn't imagine how much more of the story I would have had to push through. Length aside, this is an entertaining fantasy read that I'll keep in mind when asked for recommendations.

I admit, I was completely blindsided by this book. I’d initially picked this up because several blogging friends seemed extremely excited. While my own initial interest was rather middling from just the summary, I’m so glad I listen to friends with better judgement. A fun heist story that gradually evolves into something much greater, extremely charismatic if morally-questionable character, and a fantastic fashion sense.

What first stood out to me as I read was this book’s, and the authors’, impeccable fashion sense. Clothing, styles, trends, and fabric qualities, have long been an aspect of palace and political dramas, but Mask of Mirrors really takes that aspect to a new degree of focus. Fashion is a deciding factor in Renata’s first impression upon Nadežra Upper Society and it becomes a recurring factor in how decisions are influenced and made. Carrick describe the various outfits with a delightful sartorial flair, and though my aphantasia prevents me from actually visualizing any of the outfits, I reveled in the descriptions of colors and textures as I read.

Of course, the characters under those clothes were equally engaging. Our primary protagonist, Renata, an orphan gutter thief attempting to con her into the lineage of one of Nadežra’s noble houses, has streaks of pragmatism with a drive to seize what she believes the city owes her. Through bold fashion statements and witty conversations, following Renata’s moves through Nadežra high society was a ton of fun.

It’s been four paragraphs. I can stop holding back now. Mask of Mirrors has my new favorite questionably villainous morally gray character in Vargo. Crime lord gone legal (maybe), man with hella fashion sense, and secretly a highly talented magic user, I have never read one introduction of a character and gone, yup, him, he’s the one, new problematic fave. Kaz Brekker stans, I beg you to read this book, you will love him. For the large part, he acts as an ally to Renata, but there’s always a looming aura of “he will definitely cross you the moment it’s convenient”. He’s charismatic, polite, even flirtatious at times. Overall a great character. 10/10. This review is very unbiased.

Moving back to more serious topics, namely worldbuilding, Carrick have built up a city that feels thrumming with life. We traverse through the noble upper echelon of House Traementisw, the grungier underbelly of Vargo and Renata’s childhoods, and all areas in between. There’s a slow exploration of growing racial tensions due to the city’s colonizing history, the card-based magic, and the mirror-like dream world it seems to stem from. While the worldbuilding is fairly dense, it was always engaging, truly bringing the world of Nadežra to life.

If there was one thing I disliked, it’s that there’s a big secret that gets teased throughout this book. As a friend and I were reading, we were texting each other back and forth trying to guess what was behind said secret. We have never wanted to not know the big reveal of a secret more than when we finished this book.

Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. A fantastic, extremely charismatic set of characters including one of my new all time favorites in Vargo, deeply explored Venetian-inspired city worldbuilding, a casually queer setting, and all the sartorial flair a fashion fan could dream of.

It is no secret that The Mask of Mirror is a beautifully written book. The world building is in a league of it's own and all the different characters and groups/gangs really give the writing that extra depth and complexity that will usually cause me to just fall into a book and rarely come up for anything more than air. But for some reason I had a harder time than usual really getting myself into this story, I really wanted to love this book and given it's superb writing I'm not entirely sure just what it was that wasn't doing it for me. I am 100% NOT saying that this is a bad book in any way just maybe not for me.