Book Review of The Liars Knot by M.A. Carrick

 Name of Book: The Liar's Knot

Author: M.A. Carrick

ISBN: 9780356515182

Publisher: Orbit

Part of a Series: The Rook and the Rose (prequel The Mask of Mirrors, sequel Labyrinth's Heart)

Type of book: Fantasy, con, nobility, Italy based setting, masks, fortune telling, lack of trust, changes, lives, mysteries, numbers, magic, past

Year it was published: 2021

Summary:

Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us.

In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He'll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he's built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free...

Characters:

Main characters would definitely be Ren, Vargo and Grey. Ren is a con artist who is now having to juggle multiple masks and identities at once; that of Renata, a sophisticated impoverished noblewoman, Arenza, a clanless szorza (fortuneteller) and Rose, a vigilante helper to the famous Rook. Having so many identities, along with being herself is tiring for Ren, but she does grow more vulnerable and trustworthy, in particular to Vargo and Grey. Vargo was perhaps the most intriguing character in the story, as the readers learn about the mysterious helper and watch him grow up from being selfish to somewhat selfless. Grey also went through some change, in particular deciding to reveal an important secret to Ren and maybe even Vargo. Definitely excited about 3rd book.     

Theme:

It's important to change and grow 

Plot:

The story is written in third person narrative from a myriad of characters points of view, namely Ren, Vargo and Grey and time was over six or so months. While the previous book was the setup for this deep and complex world, in this one we explore our beloved characters a lot more, even getting to know a lot of background information, in particular about Vargo and Grey. ( We learn a lot about Ren in first book) We also see Vargo and Grey grow as characters, gaining understanding and making a lot of surprising decisions. Ren to me remains a bit of  a static character in this book, although she also makes quite a bit surprising choices as well. And yes, reading a previous book is a must. In previous book, I felt that some parts were overly detailed. I am happy to say that in second one the issue is fixed. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan(author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland — including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross — and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Opinion:

Reading this book felt like coming home, back to scandals, manipulations, and the slow build of suspense and magic. For me the first half seemed a bit boring and it felt as if it had little to no end goals. ( I also found the whole gang clans to be confusing?) The second half definitely picked up and became a lot more engrossing and exciting. Having said that, I will definitely pick up and read the conclusion, The Labyrinths Heart. 

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.)