A review by charlottereadshistory
Mask of Duplicity by Julia Brannan

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I had downloaded Mask of Duplicity during a trial of Kindle Unlimited and then totally forgotten about it for about a year, but I’m really glad I revisited it in my library. 

Mask of Duplicity is a fast-paced novel set in the run up to the Jacobite rising - and is one of six books in the series. Diana Gabaldon herself lends praise to the book but I found so far the parallels to the Outlander series are mostly just the setting. 

The book from its cover looks like a stereotypical historical romance but there’s definitely more to it as readers will not get their ‘happy ever after’ so soon in a six book series. Brannan takes care with the historical setting, the political intrigue between the Royalists and the Jacobites as well as familial struggles between Beth and her half-brother Richard, who is a satisfyingly awful baddie. 

The storyline has echoes of the Scarlet Pimpernel - given the name of the book this would hardly be surprising to most readers however I must have been feeling particularly dense that week as I was totally taken in and wasn’t expecting the twist for most of the book! 

I must point out a content warning of a one-off SA that was graphic. 

Brannan is not creating new ground with this book, but it’s a ripping yarn told well and I whizzed through it happily and bought the second book straight away as I had to know what happened next. If you are a Kindle Unlimited user, I am pretty sure the whole series is included
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