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behindpaperbacks's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Labyrinth's Heart is the final installment in the Rook & Rose trilogy and the authors really stuck the landing here.
While not spoiling too much, Vargo, Ren and Grey need to find a way to destroy the medaillons to break the Primordials' corruption of Nadezra. Meanwhile, an old enemy appears that threatens to topple Ren's charade, and Grey is desperately searching for a way to fix the Rook.
I absolutely adored this book. Although it felt like a behemoth at 688 pages, I could not put it down.
Whenever anthropologists write fantasy worlds, magic happens (no pun intended). We've seen it with Steven Erikson's Malazan series and we see it here. The city state of Nadezra is so well-thought out it actually feels like a real place. The blend of the Venetian-inspired City State with its noble houses of the Liganti opposed to the Slavic/ Romani inspired Vraszenian people continues to amaze me. In this final installment in the series, the authors really dig into the city's history, when after enduring two centuries of colonization and oppression, the conflict between the Liganti and Vraszenians finally escalates. The way the authors wrote Nadezra's culture, and how colonisation has impacted it, is just fascinating to me. Truly masterful writing, but if I go on too long about it, I'll start sounding like Alsius. With Ren now firmly being part of both worlds, the themes of class and prejudice were more prominent in this book than ever before. I will say the conclusion to that particular conflict felt maybe a tad rushed, but still satisfying overall with some beautiful full circle moments.
My one critique is that some chapters felt like filler and the book, like its predecessors, could have been a tad shorter. However, a lot of questions from the first two books get answered in a satisfying manner, and arcs that have been present throughout the series finally come to fruition. We also learn more about Vraszenian customs and culture, and about the Rook's past, which I have been dying to know about. Morever, there's more time spent in the Realm of Mind than ever before. I will say I still don't fully understand the magic systems (especially numinatria gives me a headache), but I do think the tarot-based patterning is utterly brilliant.
The character relationships were another aspect that carried the book for me. All our main characters have come such a long way since the first book and it was heartwarming to read. Ren, especially, has had an incredible journey from deceiving everyone and trusting only herself to building a real family. The theme of family, either found or blood, was one that the authors explored beautifully. As such Ren, Vargo and Grey's relationship was the heart of the book, and although my shipper heart is sad we didn't get a throuple, their relationship did reach its natural conclusion. However, Vargo and Alsius's bond took the spotlight in this book and really tugged at my heartstrings, moving me to tears at one point. Of course, I also love our supporting cast of Donaia, Guina, Tess and Tanaquis. I swear I have not been attached to a group of characters this much since reading Six of Crows.
All in all, the Rook & Rose series is one where once you finish the last page, you can't help but want to start it at the first page again. I'm sure Nadezra is a place I will return to over and over in the future. There couldn't have been a better conclusion to the series and I give Labyrinth's heart 5/5 stars. May you see the Face and not the Mask.
Rep: Bisexual main character, sapphic side characters, queernorm world, Romani-coded characters
Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
While not spoiling too much, Vargo, Ren and Grey need to find a way to destroy the medaillons to break the Primordials' corruption of Nadezra. Meanwhile, an old enemy appears that threatens to topple Ren's charade, and Grey is desperately searching for a way to fix the Rook.
I absolutely adored this book. Although it felt like a behemoth at 688 pages, I could not put it down.
Whenever anthropologists write fantasy worlds, magic happens (no pun intended). We've seen it with Steven Erikson's Malazan series and we see it here. The city state of Nadezra is so well-thought out it actually feels like a real place. The blend of the Venetian-inspired City State with its noble houses of the Liganti opposed to the Slavic/ Romani inspired Vraszenian people continues to amaze me. In this final installment in the series, the authors really dig into the city's history, when after enduring two centuries of colonization and oppression, the conflict between the Liganti and Vraszenians finally escalates. The way the authors wrote Nadezra's culture, and how colonisation has impacted it, is just fascinating to me. Truly masterful writing, but if I go on too long about it, I'll start sounding like Alsius. With Ren now firmly being part of both worlds, the themes of class and prejudice were more prominent in this book than ever before. I will say the conclusion to that particular conflict felt maybe a tad rushed, but still satisfying overall with some beautiful full circle moments.
My one critique is that some chapters felt like filler and the book, like its predecessors, could have been a tad shorter. However, a lot of questions from the first two books get answered in a satisfying manner, and arcs that have been present throughout the series finally come to fruition. We also learn more about Vraszenian customs and culture, and about the Rook's past, which I have been dying to know about. Morever, there's more time spent in the Realm of Mind than ever before. I will say I still don't fully understand the magic systems (especially numinatria gives me a headache), but I do think the tarot-based patterning is utterly brilliant.
The character relationships were another aspect that carried the book for me. All our main characters have come such a long way since the first book and it was heartwarming to read. Ren, especially, has had an incredible journey from deceiving everyone and trusting only herself to building a real family. The theme of family, either found or blood, was one that the authors explored beautifully. As such Ren, Vargo and Grey's relationship was the heart of the book, and although my shipper heart is sad we didn't get a throuple, their relationship did reach its natural conclusion. However, Vargo and Alsius's bond took the spotlight in this book and really tugged at my heartstrings, moving me to tears at one point. Of course, I also love our supporting cast of Donaia, Guina, Tess and Tanaquis. I swear I have not been attached to a group of characters this much since reading Six of Crows.
All in all, the Rook & Rose series is one where once you finish the last page, you can't help but want to start it at the first page again. I'm sure Nadezra is a place I will return to over and over in the future. There couldn't have been a better conclusion to the series and I give Labyrinth's heart 5/5 stars. May you see the Face and not the Mask.
Rep: Bisexual main character, sapphic side characters, queernorm world, Romani-coded characters
Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
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