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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Aralorn has always known that the dull life of a polished noblewoman was not for her, leading her to abandon her birthright for a life as a mercenary. Aralorn finds herself spying on the ae'Magi, a mage with the power to magically manipulate peoples' feelings. Sensing danger, she returns home to discover that the spymaster, Ren, doesn't seem to remember sending her after the ae'Magi, and close friends of her defend the dangerous mage with unusual fervor. Aralorn realizes that the ae'Magi is in the process of spelling everyone into his loyalty. She joins a small camp of resistance, but how long will they be able to stand against someone so powerful?
I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs's paranormal novels, but had a bad experience with her traditional fantasy novel, The Hobs Bargain. As a result, I've been nervous about picking up any more of her fantasy works. Then I heard the story behind Masques, and found myself intrigued. Originally published in 1993, Masques was Briggs's first novel, and incredibly unsuccessful, resulting in it's sequel to never be published. Her recent success in the paranormal field has given her a second chance to bring both of Aralorn's novels to us. The version of Masques published in 2010 is not a mere reprint, but a complete reworking of the original story. The 2010 version of Masques presents ideas of a younger, less experienced Briggs, with a more mature perspective.
The result is a novel that is admittedly rougher than some of her more recent efforts. The novel begins awkwardly, and remains uneven for the first seventy pages. The ending it too abrupt (a fault that even Briggs's most recent novels still have). The story is not as polished as some of the Mercy books. At the same time, there is plenty to enjoy about this novel. Masques is one of those stories that hinges on the success of a few key elements, the likability of the main characters, and the chemistry between the female and male lead (Aralorn and Wolf). This is fortunately an area in which Briggs succeeds with flying colors. Aralorn is a great heroine, a mercenary and storyteller with an interesting back story. Wolf is a complex leading man, with a great story to follow. The romantic tension between the two is great, and some of the most satisfying scenes are when the two are just talking. The villain (the ae'Magi) is admittedly far from complex, but at least he is formidable. The ability to make someone feel loyalty and love when they don't is rather terrifying.
In the 2010 introduction to Masques, Briggs's admits that this a flawed novel, but there's plenty to keep you reading. The leads are likable, the setting is interesting, and once you get into the story, the book reads very fast. I suspect that I will pick up the sequel, Wolfsbane, in the future.
I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs's paranormal novels, but had a bad experience with her traditional fantasy novel, The Hobs Bargain. As a result, I've been nervous about picking up any more of her fantasy works. Then I heard the story behind Masques, and found myself intrigued. Originally published in 1993, Masques was Briggs's first novel, and incredibly unsuccessful, resulting in it's sequel to never be published. Her recent success in the paranormal field has given her a second chance to bring both of Aralorn's novels to us. The version of Masques published in 2010 is not a mere reprint, but a complete reworking of the original story. The 2010 version of Masques presents ideas of a younger, less experienced Briggs, with a more mature perspective.
The result is a novel that is admittedly rougher than some of her more recent efforts. The novel begins awkwardly, and remains uneven for the first seventy pages. The ending it too abrupt (a fault that even Briggs's most recent novels still have). The story is not as polished as some of the Mercy books. At the same time, there is plenty to enjoy about this novel. Masques is one of those stories that hinges on the success of a few key elements, the likability of the main characters, and the chemistry between the female and male lead (Aralorn and Wolf). This is fortunately an area in which Briggs succeeds with flying colors. Aralorn is a great heroine, a mercenary and storyteller with an interesting back story. Wolf is a complex leading man, with a great story to follow. The romantic tension between the two is great, and some of the most satisfying scenes are when the two are just talking. The villain (the ae'Magi) is admittedly far from complex, but at least he is formidable. The ability to make someone feel loyalty and love when they don't is rather terrifying.
In the 2010 introduction to Masques, Briggs's admits that this a flawed novel, but there's plenty to keep you reading. The leads are likable, the setting is interesting, and once you get into the story, the book reads very fast. I suspect that I will pick up the sequel, Wolfsbane, in the future.
I love Patricia Briggs, her Mercy Thompson books are great fun. But this just didn't do it for me. She would probably have been better served to leave it as it was and never re-publish it or do a complete re-write. I finally tossed it last night after struggling through the first 70 pages and hoping it would eventually grab me. But no, it did not happen. It felt a little like bad fanfiction.
Ma chronique de ce livre, certainement l'une des plus belles découvertes que j'ai pu faire !
https://motsinsatiables.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/masques-patricia-briggs/
https://motsinsatiables.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/masques-patricia-briggs/
I am amazed that when this book first came out it didnt sell but I guess things just need some editing before they become great. I fully recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and some romance mixed in one. I'm def going to read Wolfsbane as soon as I can get my hands on it.
3.5 stars. Not her best book, it seemed like it may have been one if her first books. It was entertaining, just lacking a little of her normal style like in the mercy books.
This first novel by Briggs makes a fascinating comparison to the updated version, published in the Fall 2010. Largely rewritten on the same framework, it provides a wealth of insight into Briggs' maturation as an author!
This little mini series is the only other books of Patricia Briggs' that I've read besides her Mercy Thompson series. I liked the story a lot. I was surprised. I've tried to read other stories by Patricia Briggs and nothing caught my attention quite like Mercy Thompson.
I really enjoyed this reprinted edition of Briggs' first novel. I know that there were scenes added and edited for clarification's sake, but the story itself remains the same.
Aralorn is a strong-willed independant woman who's able to take care of herself. I like the friendship between herself and Wolf. You can definitely see the beginnings of the Pack, that she writes about now, with his character.
I enjoyed the opening prologue that shows how Wolf and Aralorn meet. I understand that that scene was not originally in the novel. While it's not essential to the story I do think it adds to their relationship for the readers to know where everything started for them and how. It also sets up Wolf's backstory a little, even though there's still mystery there about who he is.
I would be interested to know what other scenes were not in the originally released story just to compare.
I would like to have known more about Aralorn's life in Sianim. She goes back there breifly after her job at the Umagi's home. I would have liked to know more about her relationships there since they impact her later on in the story. I really didn't feel the connection there.
Overall I thought that this was a good story. It ended in just a way that made it a standalone book, but there were still some things that could have been expanded upon so it was good that Patricia Briggs finally gets to release the sequel.
I really enjoyed this reprinted edition of Briggs' first novel. I know that there were scenes added and edited for clarification's sake, but the story itself remains the same.
Aralorn is a strong-willed independant woman who's able to take care of herself. I like the friendship between herself and Wolf. You can definitely see the beginnings of the Pack, that she writes about now, with his character.
I enjoyed the opening prologue that shows how Wolf and Aralorn meet. I understand that that scene was not originally in the novel. While it's not essential to the story I do think it adds to their relationship for the readers to know where everything started for them and how. It also sets up Wolf's backstory a little, even though there's still mystery there about who he is.
I would be interested to know what other scenes were not in the originally released story just to compare.
I would like to have known more about Aralorn's life in Sianim. She goes back there breifly after her job at the Umagi's home. I would have liked to know more about her relationships there since they impact her later on in the story. I really didn't feel the connection there.
Overall I thought that this was a good story. It ended in just a way that made it a standalone book, but there were still some things that could have been expanded upon so it was good that Patricia Briggs finally gets to release the sequel.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I wouldn't recommend this one due to content issues (mostly of the violent, sexual [no explicit scenes, but a lot of implications/questionable situations], and [if this bothers you] magical variety), but I personally thought it was well-done and I really enjoyed the characters, their relationships, and the worldbuilding.
It was also really predictable, but with the author's foreword and with the characters and everything else to tide it over, I didn't mind terribly.
I wouldn't recommend this one due to content issues (mostly of the violent, sexual [no explicit scenes, but a lot of implications/questionable situations], and [if this bothers you] magical variety), but I personally thought it was well-done and I really enjoyed the characters, their relationships, and the worldbuilding.
It was also really predictable, but with the author's foreword and with the characters and everything else to tide it over, I didn't mind terribly.
Definitely a first book. While the characters are flushed out, Briggs uses rather elementary techniques such as just blatantly not telling the reader about a character's past to keep him/her intrigued. While the relationship between Aralorn and Wolf is fun, the all-too-perfect responses (both verbal and non-verbal) get a little old. Right along with the simple characters comes a simple plot leading to a not-so-climatic climax. There was all this build up about how the ae-Magi is evil, terrible, and will be so difficult to beat, but the final battle is barely a dip in the pool. I didn't appreciate that, but I'm glad Briggs acknowledged this as a first novel with many mistakes in her introduction. With that knowledge, I am definitely inclined to pick up a later novel (even the sequel). I can see where there was room for improvement in this novel, and I'd love to find out if Briggs was able to grow as a writer.
This is one of Ms. Brigg's earliest books, and it shows. Although the writing quality here is already better than most of what's out there, serious plot holes, unexplained details abound. The characters are cardboard and vague--they do not arise into individuals, and cannot exist independent of their background, the way characters do in her more mature work. I.e. Mercy.
Sianim is a fairy tale world, complete with wizards, shapechangers, and a supvervillain who does terrible things to children. The heroine is courageous, humorous, effortlessly charismatic, and can defend herself against all kinds of danger. The hero is "tortured," can work unheard-of amount of magic, and is more dangerous than any amount of secondary monster creatures. However, he turns into blubber in front of the arch-villain. And speaking of the arch-villain... when a villain's primary aspect is charisma and beauty and laughter and charm, and he is always described as such whenever he appears, you need to put in some realistically gruesome details in order to establish his villain status.
Also, the ending was "not with a bang, but a whimper."
However! despite those flaws, this book is still better than many of the crap floating around out there. I say it's worth a casual read when you have nothing better to do.
Sianim is a fairy tale world, complete with wizards, shapechangers, and a supvervillain who does terrible things to children. The heroine is courageous, humorous, effortlessly charismatic, and can defend herself against all kinds of danger. The hero is "tortured," can work unheard-of amount of magic, and is more dangerous than any amount of secondary monster creatures. However, he turns into blubber in front of the arch-villain. And speaking of the arch-villain... when a villain's primary aspect is charisma and beauty and laughter and charm, and he is always described as such whenever he appears, you need to put in some realistically gruesome details in order to establish his villain status.
Also, the ending was "not with a bang, but a whimper."
However! despite those flaws, this book is still better than many of the crap floating around out there. I say it's worth a casual read when you have nothing better to do.