Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC! I will be reviewing and/or showcasing this book on my social media accounts when I can. Thanks again very much appreciated and looking forward to this book!

What a disappointment,

This book lacked depth for me and in some places it felt like reading a fan fiction. The first two book paid such close attention to detail and for whatever reason this installment just did not do the same. I was shocked.

This is officially the blueprint for the perfect fantasy trilogy. What an excellent finish to what is now one of my favorite fantasy series ever. The world in this series is endlessly fascinating, so deep and rich and full of life. There was no sophomore slump with the second book and the third book did not disappoint either. I love these characters so much and I am so sad to let them go!

This was a fantastic conclusion to a favorite series of mine. It is hard to mention anything specifically this far into a series but I can say with pretty strong confidence that if you are a fan of this series and love these characters you are in for a fantastic time!

This series has been such a treat to read. The way everything came together was absolutely perfection. I'll be thinking about this story and these characters for a long time to come.

Read this series for:
- secret identities
- political intrigue
- pretty lies
- high society drama
- vigilante energy
....& more!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness I can’t believe this series is over? What an amazing thrill ride of fantasy, romance, and mystery.

This was one of my most most anticipated reads and finales of the year. But unfortunately it failed to hit the mark. Now let me explain. I have been in a slump for most of the year and I thought this one would get me out of it. So i pushed through the book evn though I was not in the right mood for it. So I ended getting into an even worse slump. Not the book’s fault in anyway. It’s all on me. Coz the authors did full justice to the finale and the characters. It was absolutely as intricately plotted and expertly tied together as I expected it to be but unfortunately my mood didn’t cooperate. I am giving it a 3/5 for now but this is is a book I would definitely come around and reread again and I am pretty sure my rating will change drastically after that.

This series has been, in my humble opinion, extremely underrated. It’s complex, the characters are morally gray and flawed, and the world building is detailed and thorough, and the writing itself is very well done. This is what I consider a true fantasy novel. Ren is such an interesting character. I loved her arc and watching her overcome all of her struggles, both past and present.

This entire series was fantastic and such an adventure.

I loved the mixture of tarot and magic. A great and we’ll rounded ending.

I did find this info dumpy at times. I don’t mind this when it comes to world building but by book 3 I find this not necessary.

This was a fantastic book. I loved the first two in the series - the worldbuilding is so complete and extensive. I definitely had to google a refresher before reading this installment. I love all the characters, and everyone has dimension.

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.


I’m gonna be honest here…. This did not have an archive date set when I got it, so I thought I had time. Just now to realize it is gone… uh.. well.. sorry. Sure the books amazing though!

It felt so good to see what became Ren and the crew. I loved everything about this book. I would highly recommend this trilogy. If you are on the fence about it don’t be, just dive in head first.

Labyrinth's Heart is the final book in the Rook & Rose series. I'd been waiting for what felt like forever to read this one, and now I'm sad it's over. Many things come to a head, including the clash between the social classes. Loose ends are also tied up, even those I forgot about. There are so many things that happen in the series, but the part that lingered longest was the heartwarming end. Despite the deception at the heart of the plot, the story has always been about family and belonging. I was enveloped in warmth knowing Ren, Vargo, and Grey got the endings they deserved. I loved this series. Each book was a tome, but every page was worth it

This is one of my favourite fantasy series of all time now, and this finale capped off the trilogy in such an appropriate way! It was a joy to read and such a phenomenal ride. I would absolutely recommend the Rook & Rose to fans of intricate adult fantasy who love to be entertained!

It’s finally here. This is the finale to the Rook and Rose trilogy that follows the lives of a con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord who all become reluctant allies in the quest to save their city from a dangerous ancient magic. It’s set in a world that is reminiscent of Venize and New Orleans Orleans and I'm happy to say it wrapped up the story in a way that makes me super satisfied.
Full review on YouTube.

So I just finished Labyrinth’s Heart, the conclusion to the Rook & Rose trilogy, and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I read all 688 pages of it in one sitting, and had a really good time. On the other… well. I spent the first half of the novel convinced that I was going to be shouting from the rooftops about the truly thoughtful queernorm worldbuilding, the textiles, the flirty swordfights, the daring rooftop escapes, the tarot spreads, and above all my love for Vargo and his spider companion, but ultimately while I would still recommend the series, this volume left me a little dissatisfied.

I love the world the authors paint in the Rook & Rose series. I read a lot of romantic fantasy, and a lot of queernorm fantasy specifically, and this might be the only series I know that manages to have a society with both gay marriage and hereditary nobility that holds up to inspection. M.A. Carrick (the pen name of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms) has taken the questions this raises and run with them, creating a convoluted contractual system of shifting loyalties and family ties that is so deeply integral to the plot that the ubiquity of queer relationships is never even a question. The political and economic aspects of the worldbuilding in Rook & Rose are just exquisite.

I found the magical worldbuilding to be a little much, with three (or four, or two, depending on how you count) different types of magic that all had, if not rules per se, complicated terminology to keep track of. If you love Sanderson-esque underpinnings for your fantasy, you’ll have a great time with this, but by the third novel I was just done keeping track of the implications of the elements.

Where Labyrinth’s Heart ultimately fell flat for me was the ending. It really felt like the book ended on page 450, and then just kept ending for chapter after chapter of mostly the same stuff over and over again. The whole series has been about family ties and the different ways they tether and shape those they bind, and for the last few chapters, I felt like I was getting the after school special version of a theme that had already been done, much more expertly, dozens of times earlier in the series.

THAT SAID

If you want a sweeping, complex political fantasy with fantastic worldbuilding, some really beautiful magic, a Batman x Catwoman romance, and hardcore found family themes? Read these books. They’re really good!

- - -

I could have done without basically everything that happened with Ren and her various clan ties, her ghost-dad, or Vargo adopting (and then un-adopting??) a daughter. Ren getting all the clans together to bring back Grey’s mostly-deceased ancestors was basically a repeat or her getting everyone together to destroy the Numinat, and I think Ren getting her birth family back at the last minute actually undercut the idea that the family she’s built herself is actually enough.

I was also frustrated by how little focus the conclusions to some of the big relationships got on the page. This was most frustrating with Vargo and Grey, who have been on an enemies-to-??? arc for the whole series that I think really needed more oomph at the very end. The first half of the novel was chock full of wonderful Vargo/Grey moments that had me kicking my feet, but then the big moments of Grey’s final secrets getting overturned were just sort of swept under the rug. After the previous novel spending so much time on who knew which secret identities and who knew that they knew and so on, I expected that to have more weight. And I’m sorry but if your dead brother shows up and tells you he forgives the man that killed him that needs some space to breathe before you go off swearing a blood brothership to said killer?

Also I’m mad that they didn’t kiss even once. Not every meaningful relationship needs to be romantic to be satisfying but you cannot tell me Vargo never even tried it with Grey. I spent 400 pages absolutely convinced that they were going to kiss any minute now and they just don’t address it? RUDE.

A satisfying ending for a wonderful cast of characters I couldn't help but to have grown attached to. I feel like so much has happened since the first book, and although it wasn't perfect along the way (the pacing throughout the trilogy was inconsistent, the plot was a little tangential at times..), the world building, the relationships that develop between characters, and the complexity and layers of plotting and information makes this series worth while. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and was glad that all loose ends were tied up. I think if this went through editing a couple more times to polish up certain parts and spruce up the writing a bit, this series could easily be a 5 star read. Overall, a great ending to a wild, twisty ride and I'm glad I found a new author to follow.

If one were to define the Rook & Rose series by M.A. Carrick (also known as the duo of Alyc Helms and Marie Brennan), two terms perhaps come to mind: Lies, and family. The first book, The Mask of Mirrors primarily focuses on the former, and its sequel The Liar's Knot the latter. This sets the stage for Labyrinth's Heart to weave both themes together into a solid, overall well-paced narrative.

But let's start from the beginning—the beginning of the end, that is. Ren, thief and noblewoman of House Traementis, faces an unwelcome diversion to her plans, as the woman of the daughter she's been masquerading as, Letillia ends up returning to Nadežra... and is well-aware of Ren's scheme against House Traementis. On top of that, you have Grey struggling with his purpose after defying the collective identity of the Rook stored within its hood to save Ren's life, plus the ever-present threat of Kaius Rex's medallions, imbued with Primordial power and designed to corrupt their wielders' hearts into desiring what they embody. All with the threat of Vrazenian uprising within Nadežra, as the Stadnem Anduske face a power struggle over how best to resist Liganti oppression.

This sets the stage for a dizzying tangle of plot upon plot where the protagonist trio of Ren, Grey and Vargo have to navigate multiple threats not just to themselves, but also to the city as a whole. This doesn't mean that the book is plot-first, however. Like the previous book, Labyrinth's Heart takes its time to give characters their just due—and it really shows. From the scenes of Ren having to figure out a way around Letillia's narcissistic tendencies, to Tanaquis opening up about her personal life, to Grey and Vargo going from erstwhile enemies to begrudging allies and friends, the book is full of great character interactions. I loved it, and more than anyone else I think Ren really shines here, as she's best as a character without agency, trying to figure out how to slip past the proverbial net. That tension, and Letillia being a remarkably loathsome character makes for a lot of fun reading.

Earlier on, I mentioned lies and family, and how they're blended together into Labyrinth's Heart. Specifically, how the bonds between family rely on honesty and doing away with deceit, and how it affects all three of our main characters. With Ren, this most obviously manifests itself with House Traementis, but really, those concepts are also explored within Grey and Vargo's narratives, by bringing up how families are bonded by love and mutual affection, and the necessary compromise of honesty or keeping your loved ones in the dark, and how tenuous the balance between both poles can be. This provides yet another level of narrative intrigue, all the way from Ren's relationship with Traementis, to Vargo's relationship with his knots, up to a massive plot reveal at the end—all revolving around lies and the requirement of honesty for mutual bonds to flourish. I think M.A. Carrick do admirably well in making one reflect on the complicated knots that weave family together.

Speaking of family, M.A. Carrick also do their best to ask us: What is it that defines 'family', and what's the importance of honesty in forging those bonds? From the bonds of shared blood to simply shared triumphs and griefs, the book outdoes The Liar's Knot in exploring how families are created and maintained. It is incredibly self-indulgent in the most positive way I can word it, in that it genuinely gives time and space for good character moments without entirely divorcing them from the plot and narrative (which is more than I can say for some other books I've read this year, but I digress).

As much as I love this book however, I can't say it's perfect. I think overall, there are far too many plot threads to juggle, and it ends up with some parts of the narrative feeling a little weaker. For example, the entire subplot with Grey's family felt slightly out of place. I think it could have worked with more buildup from the previous book, but the conflict and resolution entirely starts and ends within this book, and while more background on Grey's life is always welcome, it does feel jarring when there's Primordials, a city uprising and Liganti politics to handle. Additionally, there were some extended scenes and chapters of more self-indulgent character moments, which I loved but felt they were... misplaced? Ren meeting her biological extended family was great, but it also feels oddly weaved into the threat of the Stadnem Anduske looming in later chapters.

Regardless, I feel that those are minor quibbles to what's a very satisfying conclusion to this trilogy. I've definitely enjoyed this book loads! Start from The Mask of Mirrors, if you haven't already.

I just finished this series and I'm a complete mess. I was a little scared starting because these were three very chunky books but I have to say the world building and the detailed imagery are some of the best. The second book didn’t suffer from middle book syndrome. It was so good from start to finish! The ending was so satisfying, my heart is full! This is an absolute gem of family true and found! I couldn’t be happier with how Labyrinth’s Heart ended!

I can’t say much more without giving away any parts of the plot. There was so much going on but the way the authors intertwined everything was amazing! If you’re looking for a very long and amazing trilogy this is the one for you!

2.75 stars

I feel like this may be an unpopular opinion, but I think that despite the first book being such a pleasant read for me, the series overall is only just average to me. There are some really great moments throughout this book, but I feel like those few select moments are a result of threads or relationships that started in the first book. I really don't know where the disconnect is for me exactly, and I don't know if it's because it's a book written by two authors, but something about the pacing of this book in particular just does not work for me at all. A lot of plot points seem to be underdeveloped, and yet other moments feel dragged out. It almost feels like each individual plotline and relationship was written separately, and then haphazardly pieced together afterwards to create this book.

I also just personally don't like series that tie everything up in a pretty little bow, and I felt like this book was definitely very guilty of this. In my opinion, The magic system definitely was abused quite a bit to be able to solve every problem that came up, and as a result, the stakes just weren't there for me. I do know that this is just my personal taste though, so your mileage may vary.

Overall, I think the series is okay. The ideas and the world are interesting, and a lot of the characters are very lovable, but while I'd happily reread The Mask of Mirrors again, I highly doubt I'll be rereading the second and third books again. This isn't a bad book or a bad series by any means - in fact, I would actually recommend the audiobooks as I think the narrator does a fantastic job - but it's just one that I think has much more potential than it ended up delivering.