A Confusing But Solid Fantasy

A story with a strong character journey, The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick held my interest

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Ren is a con artist, and she comes into town playing the long game of tricking a noble family to take her and her sister in, so that they’ll never be hungry or poor again. However, while her masquerade pulls her in deeper to the family, she finds she’s not the only one playing a game. With the fate of the city, the noble family, and herself on the line, she’ll find out there’s more to lose than a warm place to rest her head.

The imagery, the politics, and the intrigue in this book enticed me to give it a read. I liked the story and enjoyed the characters in it, but I wasn’t as clear on the world building as I would’ve liked. If it wasn’t integral to the plot, it wouldn’t have mattered, but because it was, I found myself a little disappointed at the end. I enjoyed it, but there was something lacking. For that and more, I gave it 3.75 stars.

The Plot

Ren is a con artist. She arrives in Nadezra to worm (or con) her way into a rich noble family and secure her and her sister’s future. Everything is going to plan until it doesn’t.

What Ren failed to realize is that there is more afoot in Nadezra than she thought and more lives at stake than just her home and her sister’s. Around every corner, her…