The Mask of Mirrors (Rook and Rose #1) by M.A. Carrick
21 January 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: M.A.Carrick, Rook and Rose #1, The Mask of Mirrors
My Five word TL:DR Review : This was absolutely my catnip or I can’t wait for more
I absolutely loved this, it’s a sumptuous novel that took me places I really didn’t anticipate. I couldn’t help thinking of The Gentleman Bastard series whilst reading it but this is the female version of Locke that I hadn’t realised I needed in my life.
At a whopping (almost) 700 pages this might not be for everyone but it worked perfectly for me. A fantastic combination of solid worldbuilding, captivating characters and intriguing plot I just loved it Fast paced this may not be but nonetheless it won me over with ease.
Mask of Mirrors is a slow burn story that takes its own sweet time to build up the people and place before turning into a fairly dramatic and jaw dropping finale. And, there’s a reason for that. This is a story with plenty of characters, all with complicated names and in fact nicknames and an intricate plot that turns into a spider’s web of tangled threads and both these elements take time to become firmly rooted.
At the centre of the story is a character known as Ren (at least for the purpose of this review that’s the name I’m going to use) who, at the start of the story is embarking on her opening gambit to become part of one of the noble families of the city of Nadežra. Aided by Tess the two have planned a long con with much at stake. Ren’s beauty coupled with the stylish concoctions that Tess can whip up on a budget will not be enough though. Ren needs to make herself invaluable to the family. Unfortunately, in doing so not only does she become more deeply involved with surrounding characters, each with their own political or financial motivations but she also runs the risk of forming attachments. Basically, without giving too much away or going into the plot any further I can say that Ren is not the only person with something to gain and in fact her con is, relatively speaking, only a small fish in a larger pond.
I’m not sure if I have the right end of things with my assumptions about the setting but for me this story played out in an alternate Venice (maybe during the late renaissance although tbh I’m not a history buff so that could be completely off the mark) with nobles vying for power whilst the poor struggle against oppression. There is much talk about charters and merchants, skiffs, elaborate masks and fashion and all the names sound Italian. In terms of history. Following war between Vraszan and Nadežra, a peace treaty was signed pretty much leaving the Nadežra nobility in control. Five ruling families make up the Cinquerat (a controlling Council) with each family having a specific responsibility, for example Caerulet is responsible for anything relating to the military and also oversee the Vigil (known as the Hawks – the Vigil keep law and order). As you can imagine keeping in favour with these families is highly desirable for the other noble families. Magic is used in two ways. Items can be imbued, so for example, Ren’s make-up is imbued to make her disguises seem more polished and to last longer without smudging or wearing off. Numinatria is a form of geometry based magic whereby Inscriptors channel power using numbers and gods (this is greatly over-simplified on my part). There is a long history here and suspicion and unrest runs rife between the Vraszenians and the Nadežra, particularly surrounding different religions and traditions not to mention the Nadežra nobility ultimately controlling everything. I think you can see that there’s a lot to take on board and I’ve only barely scratched the surface here to be honest – but, I think the length of the book lends itself well to getting all the different clans and factions across and, just be aware there is both a glossary of often used terms and a very useful list of ‘Dramatis Personae’ which would be useful to check out before reading (can’t help thinking this would be more useful sitting at the start of the story though).
The key characters here are Ren and her two associates, the members of House Traementis (the family that Ren is hoping to infiltrate), the Rook, an unknown outlaw and hero of the poor folk, Grey Serrado, a captain of the Vigil who is investigating not only the continuing disappearance of a number of street children but also an explosion that caused the death of his brother and finally Derossi Vargo, a businessman keen to leave his dodgy past behind. Did I mention that this is a complex web.
What I really loved about this. Well, the attention to detail that gives a very strong sense of place. The writing flows well and dealing with such a lot of ideas, strange names, customs, etc, without the need to constantly dump huge swathes of information is impressive. I loved a number of the characters, including ones that are maybe a bit dodgy. It’s an impressive concept that is very well executed and managed to create for me, not only a jaw dropping moment of surprise about half way through but then went on to make my eyes pop out as things went from ‘what the hell’ to ‘all out crazy’. There is tension and intrigue, politics and backstabbing and it’s all played out against a fabulous backdrop with a degree of thought that is awe inspiring.
In terms of criticisms. Okay, I didn’t really have any but that doesn’t leave me immune to certain aspects that I would mention here. Firstly, this is not a book that you can rush through. I found myself rereading some chapters and that’s not a fault of the authors but lies at my own door because I was trying to read too fast without really absorbing the information I was being given. I can’t deny that sometimes the need to read quickly becomes very real when other review books are sitting in judgement of you but this is a book that needs your full attention and, no two ways about it, it isn’t a speedy read. Secondly, this is complicated and highly detailed. This is personally an aspect that I love but feel it deserves a mention because some people are not fond of this particular style so be aware.
This book is positively sumptuous and given the ending I can’t wait to see what the second instalment brings. The Mask of Mirrors is a book that lived up to my expectations in every way, in fact I think it surpassed them by throwing in a couple of surprises that I didn’t see coming at all.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff
20 January 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, Empire of the Vampire, Jay Kristoff
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff – because VAMPIRES – okay, I had a spell a few years ago where vampire books were flooding the book stores and becoming something of a muchness. Having quietened down for a while I think I’m ready now for a good vampire book and check out this description below (it doesn’t yet have a final cover but I couldn’t resist using this when I saw the blurb):
“From holy cup comes holy light.
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the seven martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.”
Twenty-seven years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness.
Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life.
His tale spans years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michon, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. Most importantly, Gabriel will tell the story of the Grail—the legendary cup prophesied to bring an end to the eternal night, whose location is known to a single person: A smart-mouthed teenage urchin named Dior.
Their journey with a band of unlikely allies would see Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, and set the broken paragon on a road to redemption.
But now, the Grail is shattered. And with the cup of the Redeemer destroyed and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, what can bring an end to this undying empire?
Expected publication : September 2021
TTT: Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To
19 January 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books I meant to read in 2020, That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic :
Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To
Ten books that I meant to read – add another zero to this and it’s probably closer to the mark. Okay, maybe slight over exaggeration but not much of one. I didn’t read nearly as many books as I would usually do last year. I’m going to choose a selection of books that got beyond me during the course of the year which includes bought and review titles:
The Midnight Bargain by CL Polk
A Chorus of Fire by Brian D Anderson
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Feathertide by Beth Cartwright
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
The Island Child by Molly Aitken
Circe by Madeline Miller
Owl and the Tiger Thieves by Kristi Charish
Pawn’s Gambit (A Mortal Techniques novel) by Rob J Hayes #PawnsGambit #MortalTechniques
18 January 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #MortalTechniques, #PawnsGambit, A Mortal Techniques novel, Pawn's Gamit, Rob J Hayes
Today I’m very happy to be taking part in the blog tour for Pawn’s Gambit by Rob J Hayes. I’ve listed lots of information below so please check out the other blogs taking part and take a chance to look at the author bio.
Pawn’s Gambit is the second book in Rob Hayes’ Mortal Techniques series and it’s impressive. This isn’t my first book by this author and it certainly won’t be my last but what it shows beyond any doubt is that Hayes has some writing chops and he seems (unbelievably) to improve with each successive novel.
Never Die and Pawn’s Gambit are set in the same world but are two horses of a very different nature, although, they share a common thread. That of heros. I think I can confidently say that you could read this book as a standalone although I think personally it makes sense to start with the first. There are small references in here that readers of Never Die will enjoy but at the same time I have the feeling that the author is really going somewhere with this series. Like, yeah, you can read them alone, but also they’re going to collectively build into something fantastic.
So, Pawn’s Gambit is set in the same fantastic world as Never Dies but a few years down the line. We meet up with our central protagonist Yuu. Yuu is at a low point in her life. She has massive guilt for things that happened in her past and usually loses herself in a bottle by midday each day, although she’s still sharp enough to regularly beat anyone who wants to stand against her at chess. Each day is much the same as the last until one day a new pretender sits opposite, a young girl called Natsuko who turns Yuu’s world on its head again, and in using that phrase ‘turn on it’s head’ I’m also picturing one of those hourglass devices – because, put bluntly, the time is ticking.
Let’s go back to the beginning. Imagine, if you will, a pantheon of the Gods. The ruler of the Gods is currently the God of War, and you might be able to imagine the bloodshed he has wreaked upon his mortal worshippers during his time on the seat of power. But now, his fellow Gods have the opportunity to challenge him. Each may seek a champion who will, on the mortal world, seek relics on behalf of the God which they serve. The idea is that eventually a challenge will occur and perhaps a new God will sit upon the throne – one that doesn’t harvest lives but instead creates harmony? Maybe yes, maybe no – at the end of the day all the Gods have their own agenda. Let the games begin.
At its heart Pawn’s Gambit is a quest, All the champions are racing the clock to find the most relics and each is assisted by the God they’ve signed up with. Now, this isn’t the quick, all swords blazing thrill ride that Never Ride was. This is more a story of redemption and, whilst it’s not a slow burn, it certainly provides some character development that is impressive.
So, Yuu is a strategist. In a former life she was known as the Art of War although that is both a mask and a moniker that she left behind long ago. Natsuko is a God. The God of lost or forgotten things in fact. Sometimes a young girl, sometimes a crone. In spite of mutual distrust the two strike a deal.
Look, I’m basically not going to talk about the plot. It’s good. That’s all you need to know. Trust me on this if you please.
The Writing. Well, I just think Hayes gets better and better – the crazy thing is, I loved both of his books that I already read and so I can understand you might be thinking how reliable is this woman – how can things keep improving if they were already so good. Look, I’m not here to explain the laws of the universe but I can tell you that this author reinvents and improves himself on a continual basis and it’s fascinating and compelling. This is a book set in the same world as Never Dies, it has little shout outs which are great if you read the first book, but at the same time not necessary if you haven’t, but it has a totally different style and feel. The first is all fighting, furious paced and something of a thrill ride. The second is a game of strategy, with some incredibly thrilling individual set pieces that are both unique and gripping.
But, the best part of Pawn’s Gambit. Well, I say the best part but always bear in mind that I’m a sucker for the long game which is definitely a factor here, is the characters. The potential that is explored and the variety. Hayes seems to be a master of gathering together the most unlikely contingent of characters and making them gel together in a way you couldn’t conceive and then making them into something more.
Anyway, at this moment, apart from the fact that I clearly loved this book I’m struggling to decide which I like more. At the end of the day I don’t think one is better than the other. These are two entirely different beasts. both full of captivating scenes, shocks and heart. One fast paced and furious. The other a mind game that, don’t get me wrong has plenty of action, but that builds to a grand finale of brains against brawn.
Seriously, people, read Hayes. That is all.
My rating – 5 of 5 stars
Blog Tour:
- Novel Notions – review
- Grimmedian – review
- Out of this World sff reviews – review
- The Book Prescription – review
- Realms of My MInd
- Maxine’s Obsessions
- Grimdark Magazine
- Fantasy Book Critic
Official release date: 26th January 2021
Website : http://www.robjhayes.co.uk/default.htmWinner of Mark Lawrence’s 3rd Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) with Where Loyalties Lie
Rob J. Hayes was born somewhere south of the cockney wastelands in a small town called Basingstoke. He grew up with all the usual boy toys including Lego, Star Wars figures (complete with working lightsaber action) and plenty of Transformers. Playing with these toys inspired his imagination and as soon as he was old enough he started playing with swords… OK, wooden sticks.
At the age of fourteen he started writing but, like most fourteen year old boys, everything had to be either a vampire, a werewolf, or have superpowers. Thankfully, like most fourteen year old boys, he eventually grew up… a bit.
After four years at University studying Zoology and three years working for a string of high street banks as a desk jockey/keyboard monkey, Rob ran away to live on a desert island in Fiji for three months. It was there he re-discovered his love of writing and, more specifically, of writing fantasy.
When he’s not madly scribbling his next epic, Rob has a variety of hobbies that, unsurprisingly, are fantasy themed. He regularly plays card games based on the A Game of Thrones and the Netrunner universes and attends tournaments throughout the UK. Rob also enjoys Airsofting: the act of running around a forest with fake guns shooting (being shot by) his friends.
A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Loved it. History and Ghosts
A Skinful of Shadows is my second Hardinge book and to date this is an author with a 100% track record because both this and Deeplight were excellent. Without doubt I will be checking out more backlist books from this author and in fact have a copy of The Lie Tree already lined up.
A Skinful of Shadows is an excellent historical story of ghosts and possession set during the turbulent times of the English Civil War. We make the acquaintance of Makepeace as she is but a child and learning some hard lessons from her mother which usually consist of enduring a night on her own in the local cemetery. Makepeace’s mother is not the softest of women but she has her reasons and in spite of the harshness has Makepeace’s best interests at heart.
Makepeace and her mother live a quiet life in a small puritan village, you could be forgiven for thinking they’re in hiding as they keep a low profile and Makepeace knows nothing of her own father or other family members however tension is building, as Makepeace gets older she is less inclined to accept her mother’s lack of answers or punishing nighttime spooky training sessions. The two argue and tragedy follows. In fairly quick succession Makepeace finds herself alone, still searching for answers and vulnerable and this is when her troubles really begin.
I won’t say more about the story as part of the joy is discovering this strange tale without prior knowledge.
What really worked well for me in no particular order.
Makepeace is a great, sympathetic and easy to like narrator. She’s clever and flexible, quick witted and generous, both in terms of the way she treats others but also with the information she shares with the reader. It’s remarkably easy to get on board with her story and in fact I felt myself anxious to return at every opportunity, desperate in fact to see where Makepeace’s unusual story would take me next. In fact characters are something that Hardinge excels at and there is a superb cast here all replete with their own motivations. One character in particular steals the show and I wish I could say more but it would be such a spoiler so my lips are sealed.
The story itself is a wonderful combination of history and fantasy and the speculative elements are included with such a deft and subtle hand that the concept comes across as horribly plausible. Set in turbulent times when the wrong decision could make or break a family’s reputation scheming runs rife, blackmail is not unheard of and ruthless people will be, well, ruthless.
I love the way Hardinge writes. She is a wonderful storyteller with a way of spinning words that lure you in in the most deceptively easy way. Here she manages to create tension at the same time as providing a convincing backdrop and she quite simply made me love the characters and care very much what happened to them.
I have to hand it to this author. I’ve only read two of her books but they were so completely different that it leaves me thinking that Hardinge’s imagination knows no bounds. What’s also really impressive is that she has a penchant for standalone novels which is such a breath of fresh air.
I bought an audible copy and highly recommend it – the narration was absolutely wonderful
I can’t wait to pick up my next Hardinge novel and I suggest if you enjoy speculative fiction this is an author you should read.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
