*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: The Mask of Mirrors
Author: M.A. Carrick
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: January 19, 2021
ISBN: 9780136539678
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Ren is a liar and a thief, a pattern-reader and a daughter of no clan. Raised in the slums of Nadežra, she fled that world to save her sister. Now, she has returned with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister’s future. But in the city of dreams, her masquerade is just one of many. Enigmatic crime lord Derossi Vargo, stony captain of the guard Grey Serrado, dashing heir Leato Traementis, and the legendary vigilante known as the Rook all have secrets that could unravel her own. And as corrupt nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the city of dreams, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled—with Ren at their heart.
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Magic, violence, deception, self-interest, and more entwine the pages of The Mask of Mirrors together in a fast-paced, heart-in-your-throat fantasy novel. This society is rife with dangers and despair. Those with wealth are able to pay for the finer things in life, but even they are not exempt from the violence and drugs that plague the streets of their city. The streets are over run with crime and gangs move forward the agendas of their bosses. Few are to be trusted.
At the heart of this chaos is Ren, a trickster herself. Not all is as it seems in this city of masks. Born into nothing, she’s got nothing but the head on her shoulders, a talent for reading others, her sister, and a few close friends to help see her through. Her aim is to make a better life for herself, but this can only, in her view, come at the deception of others. Why not seek out wealth from those who already have it?
M. A. Carrick has built a world that is small but intensely complex. There is more to this place than just what the eye can perceive. Evil lurks at every corner. It buzzes with magic and the supernatural and there are mysteries behind every corner. Exciting, twisting, and brilliant, this dreamlike world with have you hooked from page one.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 