Book Review of Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

 Name of Book:

Author:

ISBN:

Publisher:

Part of a Series: Rook and Rose (prequels are THE MASK OF MIRRORS, and THE LIAR'S KNOT) 

Type of book: Fantasy, LGBtQ romances, marriages, found family, connections, real family, forgiveness, Venice based city, Roma based people, magic 

Year it was published:

Summary:

Characters:

Main characters are Ren, Vargo and Grey. They did have quite a bit character growth from first and second books. While in first and second book Ren was willing to use people as tools, at least if they aren't her siblings, in this one she grew up and expanded her circle of family a lot. She also realized of the precarious position that she is caught in between Vrazsenian world and the world of Gentry. I think out of all the characters, Vargo also had amazing growth. A bit like Ren, he was out for himself and saw connections as sort of weaknesses. He also (understandably) refused to share himself with others and allowed people to make false conclusions. In this one, he begins to care about others, even if it is very difficult and has made a lot of unexpected friends and family. I am not quite sure about Grey because for me he seemed to always be a background character (which is weird because he is one of the main characters.) I also think Grey has grown up throughout the trilogy because he has had to face a lot of the past about himself, known and unknown, and he has had to make conscious choices about his actions. There are secondarry characters but it feels as if they barely get any attention when compare them to main characters. 

Theme:

While growth is difficult it can lead to awards

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative, namely from Ren's, Vargo' and Grey's points of views. What was also amazing to me is how quickly I got sucked into the story and despite the page length, it didn't feel long. (Seriously, the pacing is just amazing.) One does have to read the previous two books of the series, THE MASK OF MIRRORS and THE LIAR'S KNOT. (Just realized that the titles of the books refer to the tarot like cards of the series, and both give hints as to the focus, namely that first is of Ren and second belongs to Vargo, thus third is Grey.) What did bother me a little is the language that a certain group spoke. Considering that Vrazsenians are possibly based on either Roma people or Eastern European nations (I read that the author listened to Russian folk music while writing the series), I would expect that the primal tongue would be based on either those two branches instead of Middle English. It was jarring for me to already have impression of Vrazsenians in my head and hear them speak Middle English. 

Author Information:

Opinion:

I can't believe I have to say goodbye to this wonderful series. Reading this was quite a bit like returning to the first fantasy series I've read in a long time, namely Hostage of Empire Trilogy by S.C. Emmett. I think I expected a lot of focus on Grey, namely because I determined that he is supposed to be on the cover with the purple mask, although symbols of rose threw me off (my 9 year old and I determined that the character has to be male based on features) and while there is that a bit, I think most of the book is focused on Ren and Vargo. What I think I loved about the series is the amazing world building that was done throughout the series, and that the reader lives a year and a half in the world of Nadezra, witnessing the interplay of cultures and holidays that make up Nadezra. In terms of one the plot points I might have to re-read the previous books because I was confused by the main plot, namely the fights between one of the leaders for Vrazsenian control of the city. The book is definitely a pleasant roller coaster with amazing revelations about quite a number of things. And yes, lots of character growth for Ren, Vargo and Grey. (For those hoping it would be a MFM, sorry to burst bubble but it doesn't happen...and yes I am one of those who was hoping for MFM relationship.) Having said that, I know that if I get a chance to read the authors' latest work, it will be the first on my TBR. 

This was given for review

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)