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A review by christinecc
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A really good time, with oodles of worldbuilding and (be still my heart) swashbuckling with masked heroics and hidden identities. And a LOT of costume description, which warms my little fashion-loving heart. A little long on the whole but I don't mind the long stay in this world.
"The Mask of Mirrors" is basically a long-con where Ren and her friends try to con her way into being adopted by a noble family. Seems like a reasonable plan to be eternally provided for, right? Right. What they don't plan on is stumbling on a city-wide political scheme involving magic, pseudo-tarot cards, acid dreams, and the return of a villain from long ago. Plus my favorite part: multiple identities and masked swordsman who is delightfully reminiscent of Féval and Orczy's swashbuckling heroes. Or, you know, the Dread Pirate Roberts. Depends what canon you're into, but you get the idea. (I also like to imagine there's a HINT of Georgette Heyer's Black Moth. Especially given all the description the male characters' clothing gets.)
Recommended if you want a long stay in a fantasy world with twists galore and intricate magic. Sometimes it's a lot to absorb, but the key is to pace yourself and let the details wash over you like so much jargon. (The Master and Commander series prepared me well. You think I know how a sailboat works? Absolutely not. The thingy rope hangs on the thingy mast. I get the gist. Same applies here, although the authors do hold the reader's hand a bit more than that.)
Excited for the sequel!
"The Mask of Mirrors" is basically a long-con where Ren and her friends try to con her way into being adopted by a noble family. Seems like a reasonable plan to be eternally provided for, right? Right. What they don't plan on is stumbling on a city-wide political scheme involving magic, pseudo-tarot cards, acid dreams, and the return of a villain from long ago. Plus my favorite part: multiple identities and masked swordsman who is delightfully reminiscent of Féval and Orczy's swashbuckling heroes. Or, you know, the Dread Pirate Roberts. Depends what canon you're into, but you get the idea. (I also like to imagine there's a HINT of Georgette Heyer's Black Moth. Especially given all the description the male characters' clothing gets.)
Recommended if you want a long stay in a fantasy world with twists galore and intricate magic. Sometimes it's a lot to absorb, but the key is to pace yourself and let the details wash over you like so much jargon. (The Master and Commander series prepared me well. You think I know how a sailboat works? Absolutely not. The thingy rope hangs on the thingy mast. I get the gist. Same applies here, although the authors do hold the reader's hand a bit more than that.)
Excited for the sequel!