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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I had to make myself take it slowly with this book or I’d have read it in a day or less. Captivating and entirely unlike the Mercy Thompson or Alpha and Omega books. This is high fantasy instead of urban, and it is a lot of fun.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The narration was extremely soothing and the story was intriguing though a little weak.
Enjoyable but not as polished as the Mercy series where I discovered Briggs. I could see the seeds of Mercy in Aralorn's character and a development of the duality of magic, the gray area she writes so well. It was a good adventure.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A straightforward and enjoyable medieval fantasy. Masques' main protagonists are quite likable and fun but get hampered down a bit by some clunky writing possibly due to this being a revised version of one of the author's earliest works. Despite this, the plot unfolds at a natural and steady pace helping to make this an entertaining read.
Disclaimer: I read (listened to) the updated 2010 version which had been re-written and fleshed out considerably (according to the author's introduction), and was almost twice the length of the original 1993 release.
I really struggled to rate this one. It's so hard not to compare it to her Mercy Thompson series, which is a mistake because that really is in a class of its own. Not even the spin-off Alpha and Omega series compares to it, in truth. But it's hard not to at least compare writing styles since you know it's the same author, and this is definitely a more simplistic style. There is none of the complex layering and weaving of story threads, and not much in the way of mystery or intrigue. Really, it's just about a simple (if magical) girl, who has a friend who is sometimes a wolf, who has to try and stop an evil mage from taking over the world (insert cheesy echo sound effect here). It's a plot that has been wheeled out for fantasy novels many, many times before.
Except that this is Patricia Briggs we are talking about here, who is a master story teller and amazing at characterization. So although the plot shows little originality on the outside, once you get into the nitty gritty of it, there were many enjoyable aspects of the world-building and characters to savour. And a sweet and touching tentative romance.A lthough this part of the story is minimal, it really added to my enjoyment.
The main character we follow is Aralorn, who is a shapeshifter. She can become almost any shape but she has to train and memorize each new one to be able to do them instantly. Being able to switch between girl and mouse, or girl and goose at little more than a thought, helps no end in her job as a spy, which is how she becomes entangled in a powerplay between two opposing leaders.
Wolf is a very interesting character as well, with a rather hellish back story. As you don't find out exactly who is is until after the first quarter of the book (And I try never to mention things past that point in reviews lest I spoil the plot for you) I won't be able to say too much about him, other than that I liked him a lot, and was happy with the progress he made within this story. I would like to see even more progress in the next one, but I understand these things take time.
There are a few issues with the plot even with the rewrites that have been done but I'm not going to go over them. I'll leave that to others. What I will say is that I enjoyed the story, I particularly enjoyed the narrators work on the audiobook, and I grew to like Wolf and Aralorn enough to want to read the next book, Wolfsbane, which I am looking forward to starting very soon.
4 Stars! ★★★★
I really struggled to rate this one. It's so hard not to compare it to her Mercy Thompson series, which is a mistake because that really is in a class of its own. Not even the spin-off Alpha and Omega series compares to it, in truth. But it's hard not to at least compare writing styles since you know it's the same author, and this is definitely a more simplistic style. There is none of the complex layering and weaving of story threads, and not much in the way of mystery or intrigue. Really, it's just about a simple (if magical) girl, who has a friend who is sometimes a wolf, who has to try and stop an evil mage from taking over the world (insert cheesy echo sound effect here). It's a plot that has been wheeled out for fantasy novels many, many times before.
Except that this is Patricia Briggs we are talking about here, who is a master story teller and amazing at characterization. So although the plot shows little originality on the outside, once you get into the nitty gritty of it, there were many enjoyable aspects of the world-building and characters to savour. And a sweet and touching tentative romance.A lthough this part of the story is minimal, it really added to my enjoyment.
The main character we follow is Aralorn, who is a shapeshifter. She can become almost any shape but she has to train and memorize each new one to be able to do them instantly. Being able to switch between girl and mouse, or girl and goose at little more than a thought, helps no end in her job as a spy, which is how she becomes entangled in a powerplay between two opposing leaders.
Wolf is a very interesting character as well, with a rather hellish back story. As you don't find out exactly who is is until after the first quarter of the book (And I try never to mention things past that point in reviews lest I spoil the plot for you) I won't be able to say too much about him, other than that I liked him a lot, and was happy with the progress he made within this story. I would like to see even more progress in the next one, but I understand these things take time.
There are a few issues with the plot even with the rewrites that have been done but I'm not going to go over them. I'll leave that to others. What I will say is that I enjoyed the story, I particularly enjoyed the narrators work on the audiobook, and I grew to like Wolf and Aralorn enough to want to read the next book, Wolfsbane, which I am looking forward to starting very soon.
4 Stars! ★★★★
Patricia Briggs is a very successful novelist, known mostly for her urban fantasy series featuring the character Mercy Thompson. "Masques" was her first novel, first published in 1993 and now she has re-written it, smoothing out many of the first-time author clumsiness. I have not read that first version so I can't speak to the changes and improvements but the author herself, in the forward to this volume describes her love for that first novel and her great desire to make it better.
I found the novel to be a good read, nothing too sophisticated, and not so "literate" that it becomes boring. The heroine, Aralorn, is a shape-shifter and a spy and along with her companion, Wolf, she gets in several adventures during the course of this novel. The plot is fairly straight-forward and includes some intrigue, fights, and romance. I would recommend this for readers who like their fantasy light, their characters endearing, and appreciate follow-on novels in a series.
I found the novel to be a good read, nothing too sophisticated, and not so "literate" that it becomes boring. The heroine, Aralorn, is a shape-shifter and a spy and along with her companion, Wolf, she gets in several adventures during the course of this novel. The plot is fairly straight-forward and includes some intrigue, fights, and romance. I would recommend this for readers who like their fantasy light, their characters endearing, and appreciate follow-on novels in a series.
Loveable characters:
Yes
I've read this a few times over the years and it still holds up imo. I know Patty herself has admitted this is not the best thing ever written, and its definitely clunky and ends too abruptly but lol I have definitely read worse. There is just something about this I LOVE. The character relationships and world building are great; it all kinda has this lived-in feel. She has a way of writing that just makes me feel so comfortable.
I was excited to start a new series from one of my favorite authors, Patricia Briggs, and I have to say I was not disappointed at all. I am really impressed. Even her early work is incredible.
Aralorn is a mercenary turned spy who is tasked to spy on the most powerful wizard, or the ae'magi. But this seemingly kind wizard is anything but. To take him down once and for all Aralorn must rely on Wolf, a mysterious companion that comes and goes as he pleases. Hidden in a valley with a runaway king, Wolf, and others who aren't under the magical influence of the evil wizard Aralorn must find a way to stop the wizard before he becomes too powerful.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting a lot and at the same time I was expecting it to be amazing. In my copy of this book Briggs left an introduction explaining the beginning of her career and how this book plays a role in it. This book has been published twice, once in the early 90s, and a second time more recently. I have the newer, revised version.
I felt that while reading this that it wasn't a Briggs story. The writing and setting and just everything about it wasn't what I have come to expect, but that means nothing about the quality if the work. I thought that this was an amazing story. The characters were the only thing that I found were very close to the character style that Briggs currently has; meaning they were extremely awesome, well-written, cool characters that a reader falls in love and cares deeply about. The setting was new and fun for Briggs. I wouldn't have expected an old-world castle feel from her, but not only did it work, but it was awesome. The details were perfect and I got some great laughs put of the perfectly-timed humor. The conflicts between the characters and the main plot were awesome, as well. This book just captured me, I was lost in this world and on the edge of my seat! The end had my so full of anxiety I almost couldn't do it! I was so nervous! An extremely vivid movie, is what this book read like. The end was so perfect-well-written, paced, and the anxious energy of the characters came off the page and almost consumed me. I am still recovering. I am so excited to read the next in this series and whatever Briggs throws at me because I know it is going to be good! Briggs is a master-crafter at bookery and has proved herself to be an insanely incredible author. Her books are worth every moment, and multiple re-readings!
Aralorn is a mercenary turned spy who is tasked to spy on the most powerful wizard, or the ae'magi. But this seemingly kind wizard is anything but. To take him down once and for all Aralorn must rely on Wolf, a mysterious companion that comes and goes as he pleases. Hidden in a valley with a runaway king, Wolf, and others who aren't under the magical influence of the evil wizard Aralorn must find a way to stop the wizard before he becomes too powerful.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting a lot and at the same time I was expecting it to be amazing. In my copy of this book Briggs left an introduction explaining the beginning of her career and how this book plays a role in it. This book has been published twice, once in the early 90s, and a second time more recently. I have the newer, revised version.
I felt that while reading this that it wasn't a Briggs story. The writing and setting and just everything about it wasn't what I have come to expect, but that means nothing about the quality if the work. I thought that this was an amazing story. The characters were the only thing that I found were very close to the character style that Briggs currently has; meaning they were extremely awesome, well-written, cool characters that a reader falls in love and cares deeply about. The setting was new and fun for Briggs. I wouldn't have expected an old-world castle feel from her, but not only did it work, but it was awesome. The details were perfect and I got some great laughs put of the perfectly-timed humor. The conflicts between the characters and the main plot were awesome, as well. This book just captured me, I was lost in this world and on the edge of my seat! The end had my so full of anxiety I almost couldn't do it! I was so nervous! An extremely vivid movie, is what this book read like. The end was so perfect-well-written, paced, and the anxious energy of the characters came off the page and almost consumed me. I am still recovering. I am so excited to read the next in this series and whatever Briggs throws at me because I know it is going to be good! Briggs is a master-crafter at bookery and has proved herself to be an insanely incredible author. Her books are worth every moment, and multiple re-readings!
Definitely a first book, but fun to read for sure.