The book opens with a review of “The Story So Far” which is fantastic since it has actually been awhile since I read the last book and the world is so complex that it is easy to forget some of the details. And so we pick up the story with Ren, Grey and Vargo trying to figure out how to safely disposed of the medallions that have the power to restore the tyrant’s rule when united and corrupt the holder (and potentially curse the clan/family of that holder) … and the one person who could unravel Ren’s entire deception returns to House Traementis. Of course, no plan survives … well you know. In this case, the return to the city of Ren’s “mother” complicates everything as she threatens to reveal Ren’s secret to her ruination. While that simmers, Ren and friends hatch a plan to ship her and Grey despite their disparate stations. Despite all those spinning plates, the book gets off to a slow start as everything settles into a somewhat predictable story. Unfortunately most of the world building is done by now and the story has a little trouble holding my interest with just the characters (with the promise of a conclusion the primary motivation that pulls me through the first half) … and that makes it fairly easy to put down between chapters (so not a quick read). About halfway the pace picks up and the book is once again hard to put down as the story makes good progress to a very satisfying conclusion (with enough surprises and twists to keep the plot fun and the world interesting).

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#LabyrinthsHeart #Rook&Rose NetGalley

<i>I was granted an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>

Rook and Rose has been a really interesting series but one that I always feel like I should love more than I do. I don't know what it is exactly that leaves me on the outside looking in, but I always want more from it.

<b>The Magic:</b>
I think some of that stems from the magic system. Tarot based magic is a hard sell for me since it always feels so wishy washy and almost irrelevant (or at least unable to impact any given situation). The other magics here are a little more solid, but also not the magics the authors are interested in so I feel that they're really underdeveloped.

<b>The Pacing/Plot:</b>
I struggled the first 70% of this very long finale because it's not very plot-driven. And as a whole, I think I would recommend this series for character-driven readers, not plot-driven ones. Much of the time felt spent on worrying about outcomes that eventually happened anyway and were quickly/easily dealt with once they did (eg outing of secrets).

The book did pick up around the 80% mark, but there were so many different things happening that I didn't feel like there was a lot of weight given to any one.

<b>The Characters:</b>
There were some lovely character growth moments, but the cast has grown so large by this book that many of the characters I prefer to follow had barely any screentime in this entry.
Peabody and Vargo were probably my favourite bit. <3

<b>Overall:</b>
Ultimately I think that I can recommend the first book in the series-- it does a decent job wrapping up the contained story elements, you learn about the world and the characters, and that was when I felt the most depth, connection, and interest in the story.

But each subsequent novel felt less and less focused as they fray in multiple different directions the authors want to follow, and no single plot is strong enough to feel solid.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Orbit Books. All opinions are my own, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Spice Level: Medium (sex is mentioned but not much on page because there's no time with everything going on)
Violence Level: Medium
Representation: continues to represent people from the LGBTQ community and different races
Themes: Found family, love, sacrifice, redemption, fear

I got sucked into this world with the first book!

And it's such an interesting world, somewhat based on Venice with its waterways, masks, and boats.

In this one, you're going to get answers! Yay!
But seriously, there is so much going on, you've got to stay on your toes to keep track of the characters and situations between the ominous magic, the bickering ruling class, the somewhat Roma-like people, the cards, the masks, the numina, and monsters.

I adore the Rook and the Rose—so it was so much fun to see more of them.
I've never quite trusted Vargo all the way, but through this book you'll see more of him and his thoughts.
The spider is always intriguing.
Politics are convoluted.
Ren's adopted family is also complex. Her original family is still something she yearns for.

It is a fun ride through this complex and lush world.

I recommend it!

Happy reading!

4.5

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, as I have loved this series from the beginning, and wow what a conclusion! It’s hard to review the conclusion of a trilogy without spoilers, but I did love the way M.A. Carrick was able to build on the original plot of woman conning a noble house that we started the series with into a high stakes commentary on colonialism. That being said, I did struggle a bit with the pacing in this final book, which felt much more plot heavy than the previous books. That could be because our cast of characters has grown much larger so while the percentage of the book dealing with character interactions is the same, it is spread across more people making it feel lesser.

I also wish we could have explored the resolution of the series a bit more. There were some heartbreaking moments at the end, which is to be expected when you’ve spent nearly 2,000 pages with these characters; however, I think some things wrapped up too neatly and I would have liked to see more of the explanation and fallout of the climax in the wellspring and even the ritual before that.

While I have some qualms with this finale, I do adore this series and I look forward to rereading it. I imagine once my feelings have settled, my rating will move to a full 5 stars as it did with the first book. I hope Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms continue to write under M.A. Carrick, because I love the way they form culture and character groups. I loved how they wrote the different patterns of speech and beliefs between the Liganti and the Vraszenians, and how those Nadežrans who lived in between cultures were able to code switch. And the bits we got of other parts of the world were just tantalizing enough for me to want to see more in this world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel!

LOVED this conclusion to a long and complicated trilogy. Did things wrap up a bit too neatly for most of the plots and subplots? Yes, probably. The pacing could feel uneven at times-what seems to be the main conflict wraps up about 100 pages before the story ends, and while other pieces stepped in to fill its place it did throw me off a bit. These are my minor justifications for why I didn't give this five stars, BUT. SO emotionally satisfying; I teared up quite a few times while reading this. Ren, Grey, and Vargo are such a wonderful leading trio, and the extensive cast of supporting characters feel very real and fleshed-out. I don't often read epic fantasy (not entirely sure how to sort this genre-wise) because it can feel very overwhelming with the sheer scope. The authors do a great job in these books of tackling society-level issues but keeping the focus on a smaller scale, which keeps you honed in on the characters and their motivations and relationships. I had such a good time with this trilogy. Definitely recommended.

4.5/5
Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
"A chill washed through Ren as she dealt out the cards. Each one she turned over felt like an echo, the past reverberating into the present. "


I already miss Vargo and Alsius.....
Labyrinth's Heart is a wonderful conclusion to the Rook and Rose trilogy and if you had told me back at the beginning of this journey that I would be crying over a spider......well.....there you go!!
Marie and Alyc nail the dismount with this story that not only wraps up all the loose threads, but does so in ways that are very true to the characters we have come to know, love and in some cases, hate(looking at you Letilia). The medallions, the uprising, all the secrets and lies finally revealed and it's just a good time. There were certainly some surprises and bittersweet moments and it really is the relationships between the characters that gives this story its heart. Ren, Grey, Vargo and Alsius have become some of my favorites and I am so pleased we get happy endings!!!
"We will meet again when the road leads me home.......when the river meets the sea."

I’ve really enjoyed this series. Double checked after reading this one that I’d remembered to follow the author in Goodreads so I could see when they wrote their next book. This series wraps up nicely in a mere trilogy, though a long one. It’s at a sweet spot for me between too cozy and sweet and grim dark. There’s peril and intrigue but you know things are going to work out well enough so you can just enjoy the ride. The author does a good job with full fleshed characters and the setting is well fleshed enough I’d swear I smell the stagnant canal water. I’d recommend this series to someone who likes a touch of intrigue in their fantasy and doesn’t mind a few long descriptions of setting details like pretty dresses.

The triumphant finale of the Rook and Rose trilogy pulls not punches. Ren has nearly everything she wants - membership in the Traementis family, Sledge and Tess safe at her side, and Gray Serrado, who knows all of her lies and cons and loves her anyway. All that's left to ruin the mood are the medallions running amok and the return of Letecia, Renata's supposed mother. The tension rises as Ren's secrets become public knowledge and her carefully crafted plots fall apart, leaving Ren with only her allies and her smarts. The thrilling conclusion to the trilogy eschews easy answers in favor of letting Ren's true face show behind the masks, and giving her the chance to take on the world with the style and hope we've come to love. Read the whole series, be swept up in the romance and drama and the multiple layers of story, and find yourself with all artifice stripped away and yet more complex turns and twists in front of you.

Rating: Absolutely Loved It

Labyrinth's Heart is the conclusion to the Rook and Rose series, and it is one of my absolute favorite series of all-time. I think this is probably my least favorite of the three books, but it gave me all the emotions, and I really did love every second of it.

I feel like this book really highlights all the growth in our three main characters. I think that we saw that to some extent in Liar's Knot, but in this one we really see how far they've come, especially Vargo. He will forever be my favorite character in these books, and I just want all the best for him.

I will say that the pacing was somewhat weird in this one. It reminded me a little bit of The Return of the King movie in that there were like 12 endings. It didn't bother me too much though because I was just enjoying spending time with my characters. I also think that we introduced too many strings in this last book when there were already a lot of loose ends to tie up, but ultimately it all came together and was a very satisfying conclusion.

I don't have a lot of additional specifics to share because most of my thoughts while reading this were AHHH FEELINGS with no real coherent review thoughts. Overall, the characters in this series are so well realized and are among my favorites in fantasy. I love the world, and I love that one of the magic systems is incredibly regulated and hard and the other is a little more wibbly wobbly and intuition based. This was just a really cool world and a fantastic adventure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series, and I will continue to dive into both authors' backlists. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Labyrinth's Heart releases on August 15, 2023.

Myth: 5/5

I’m pretty obsessed with Ren, Grey, and Vargo. They are such wonderfully complex characters. So many layers! Some are done through multiple characters (cough cough Ren has four personas) and others are just done through fantastic character work and motivation. I’d read about these three all day and was delighted with the conclusion to their story.

Magic: 4/5

I continued to find the magic systems difficult to track, but please, please, believe me, it doesn’t ruin the story or the characters at all. You just inherently have multiple magic systems in this society, and they are somewhat intertwined and have understandable similarities. The parts that make a difference in the story are crystal clear. It’s more like one of the magic systems uses a tarot-like reading, and I couldn’t, for the life of me track the various interpretations of the cards.

Overall: 5/5

For a big political drama with plenty of backstabbing, revolution, and societal change, this book has so much heart. I felt each time the characters took a moment to appreciate each other and how far they’d come, while in the midst of chaos and uphill battle of the conclusion to this epic story.

This was one of the first ARC books I applied for on NetGalley. I had no idea what I was doing and was clueless that this was the third book in a series. All I knew was it sounded interesting. As I entered the the worlds of Ren, Vargo, Grey, Tess, the Tremantis family and more I was captivated. With a unique magic and old world traditions it was something different than I had experienced before.

The third and final book did not disappoint. The looming threat of the primordials and if Ren would be caught in her deceptions. The stories of the Rook and the Black Rose as they filled the nights. Once again the characters of this book were well developed and had depth. One of my favorite characters was Arkady Bones, her wit and humor always kept the story light even in it's darkest moments.

Thank you Orbit!

So. This series as a whole was a ride! I personally don't think it's for beginners in fantasy, but not out of reach either. If you struggle with many names and what role a character plays, I find that having a sheet note on the side to help keep track is quite useful! The characters are fun to read and discovers. Ren is infuriating at times and Gray is a great character. The relationship between all the characters is also fun to read as it's well done. The authors are great but they would benefit from making the side stories into their own book. This trilogy should have been a 7 book series at least, so that we really get the tension between each conflicts and their resolutions and that each event is poignant and that we get time between each event to really grasp the intensity. The story could be expanded to a great A Song of Ice and Fire lookalike. Yeah, the authors are that good, they just needed more time and more books! Really happy that I got to read this in advance as I bought and read the books as they came out. Orbit is phenomenal at letting us discover amazing and quality books. And Netgalley is the greatest at letting us indulge in books in advance.

What is there to say about this book except it's as fantasy-filled and mind-bendingly beautiful as the cover is.


Having read both The Mask of Mirrors and The Liar's Knot the bar for Labyrint's Heart was set high, not only did our authors meet my expectations they exceeded them.

With such lush and beautiful scenery dancing around my head, we also had the conclusion of a story that had plagued my dreams, there were so many ways this could have gone but I think Ren and Rook ended up exactly where they were supposed to be.

I will admit that there is still a part of me that wants a fourth book, or even a prequel, I'm just not ready to let my favorite band of complex characters go just yet.

If you're looking for a book that will set your imagination on fire, this is it. If you're looking for a book that is as deep and thought-provoking as it is beautiful, this is it. If you're just looking for a series to lose yourself in for a while (Let's be honest they're big books) this is your book.

This book kept me glued to the pages, so much mystery and magic, so many roles our characters play, the complexity of the story, all of it is just fantastic and I loved it.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Mask of Mirrors and The Liar's Knot became two of my favorite fantasy books as soon as I finished reading them, and Labyrinth's Heart cements the Rook & Rose series as one of my favorite fantasy series. The authors M.A. Carrick really nailed the conclusion on this epic fantasy series.

I can't say enough about how much I love Ren, who is selfish, kind, generous, smart, and so special. She is so lost at the beginning of this series, and to see where she ends up is incredibly gratifying. I will always love a character who never stops trying, who despite all odds against them will do whatever it takes to help people.

Grey and Vargo, the other two heroes of the story, are similarly fleshed out and get beautiful character arcs and growth. I admit I have higher standards regarding male characters in books, and I was very glad at how much I loved Grey and Vargo by the end of the series.

The relationships between the three are the main focal point of the story, and each one was unique and so great. I would have never guessed when I read the Mask of Mirrors where they would all end up.

The many many side characters are some of the best I've read, and they all had their own small arcs that made me invested in them.

The world building in this series was damn impressive, and so unique. You can see how much care was invested into building the cultures of the people in the world.

One issue I did have with the series, and this book especially, was that I would sometimes become confused by the "magic" system. There are two main ones in the books, pattern and numinatra, and the number of different cards and layouts and ways that pattern were used got confusing to me. It didn't effect my enjoyment of the book, but I don't always mind missing those details in a story like this.

This trilogy has become an instant classic to me, and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone looking for an epic fantasy.

Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Labyrinth's Heart is the third and final book in the epic fantasy "Rook and Rose" series by M.A. Carrick (a pen name for the combined work of authors Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms), which began with The Mask of Mirrors (my review here) and continued with The Liar's Knot (my review here). The series has aspects of a Fantasy of Manners (dealing with nobles, duelists, assignments, secret identities and claims of family) but also deals with major conflicts in a city caused by multiple conflicting magic systems and the remains of empire and colonialism in a city still kinda ruled by its onetime conquerors. There's a lot going on, and honestly I found it resulted in a first book that was kind of confusing in the end...but also it resulted in a second book that I absolutely loved, as protagonist Ren - a con artist who tried to con her way into a noble family - winds up struggling with lies, finding family and loves where she never expected, and having to deal with powers of gods and those far more dangerous than gods wielded by those seeking Power for their own sake. The main characters in this series have been really really good, even as many of the minor characters are forgettable and resulted in me never remembering how to distinguish one such character from another.

Labyrinth's Heart is somewhere in the middle of the two books: on one hand, the book features tremendous character work, as long running plot threads get resolved and our characters have to come to terms with what is left when their lies and deceptions are revealed, and whether the relationships they have grown in the meantime can survive. Our main protagonist Ren, as well as secondary protagonist's Grey and Vargo, remains fantastic and the other characters who have been major parts of this series remain really strong as they deal with the new developments....and have to deal with what happens when the city of Nadežra face a series of important developments - the powers of the Medallions belonging to the heretical god (Primordial) of desire being in the hands of nobles who ostensibly are working together to destroy them...but may instead find themselves tempted; the uprising of the Vraszenian people who originally settled Nadežra against the outside Liganti nobles who have remained in control since the Tyrant was overthrown; and the coming of the most holy of days, when the magical wellspring at the center of the Vraszenian religion comes into physical being. The result is truly excellent character work as these characters deal with issues of love, family, and revolution....but on the other hand, the plot winds up resolving with a series of repeated climaxes that don't quite satisfy as well as how book 2 came together. Still, the character work in this trilogy is so good that I find it too hard to care that certain aspects of the plot are a little confusing and might not satisfy...as other parts and characters satisfy immensely.

Note: Spoilers are unavoidable for books 1 and 2 in this series. But if you want to remain unspoiled and are simply trying to decide whether or not to start or continue this series, the rest of this review concludes that my recommendation is to absolutely give this series and this book a try, as this ending to the trilogy works really really well.



Plot Summary:
Since Ren, Vargo and Grey managed to stop Ghiscolo Acrenix's plot to combine the Medallions and recreate the chain of the Tyrant, which would've granted him power enough to once again control Nadežra under an unstoppable iron fist. But doing so has not ended the threats that the Medallions pose, as now 10 of their 11 bearers know fully well what they hold and the power they contain...and while they may have pledged to not use them until they can be destroyed, the power of the Medallions - the power of the Primordial of Desire - may be too alluring for their new holders to ignore. Even worse the efforts of the three of them, as well as Alsius and Tanaquis, have been unable to find a way to destroy the medallions without sacrificing their wielder's lives...and their efforts in stopping Ghiscolo have broken the power of the Rook. The poison of the medallions, with one now held by Grey, Vargo and Ren each, is only going to further seep into their lives, making the question all their actions and desires, and what destruction they might even inadvertantly unleash.

It's not all that bad, mind you, as Ren now has claimed a true friendship with Vargo and a true romantic love with Grey, the likes of which she never could've imagined in the past. The same is true of Tess and Pavlin, as well as several of their other friends. There is a happiness there such that Ren could never have imagined obtaining when she began her con, to the point where she's almost ready to confess the truth to her new family in House Traementis, particularly her adopted mother Donaia and her adopted sister Giuna.

And then the worst thing possible happens: Letilia, the former Traementis and Donaia's sister whom Ren has falsely claimed to be her real mother, returns to the city, intent on blackmailing Ren with the truth to get what she wants: her place back in a noble house. It's the worst possible time for Ren's identity to be in danger of exposure as the Stadnem Anudske, the Vraszenian revolutionaries, are still in civil war over how to fight back against the Liganti rulers of the city...and the violent and dangerous Branek is now poised to seize its full power with the help of a manipulative and dangerous person from Grey's past, his fraud of a szorsa grandmother.

In the wake of all of this, it will take all of Ren's skill with Pattern, all of Vargo & Alsius' skill with inscription, and all of Grey's abilities as a former masked vigilante to try to prevent the city and everything they've gained - friends, family and love - from going up in flames, and for them all to see the Face rather than the Mask......


Okay that's a MOUTHFUL of a plot summary, which is necessary I swear because Labyrinth's Heart is trying to handle a LOT of plot threads and character developments. As you might expect from things teased in the last book, we deal in large part with what really happened in Grey's past to result in he and his brother fleeing his family, just like the prior book deal with the past of Vargo and Alsius, but there's so much more than that going on here. You have Ren, Grey and Vargo dealing with the medallions - their corruption, their temptations, and how to eliminate them; you have the trio dealing with the threat of exposure of their secrets and whether the relationships they've built through those deceptions can survive when those deceptions become revealed; and you have them trying to deal with a revolution by the Vraszenian people who were conquered by the Liganti and remain unjust oppressed by the Liganti nobles...a revolution that all of them know is at least a little just - with Ren having her feet in both the Liganti world through Traementis and in the Vraszenian world through her mother, her gift of pattern and her role as the Black Rose - but also which could harm so many innocent people and others they care about if launched recklessly.

The result of all of this is that the book often winds up discarding minor plot threads and characters who you would expect otherwise to turn out to be important, such that for example one major possible antagonist suffers a crucial symbolic defeat halfway through and then completely disappears from the book thereafter. The book also deals with a number of climactic moments that never really come together - whereas the prior book had a single climax that sort of resolved all of the running threads, here you have a number of parallel threads that don't quite intertwine, so you wind up with one climax, then a bit of cooldown and then another climax for a different plot thread, followed by another cooldown and aftermath period, followed by one more final climax to finish it all. It's a LOT and it can sometimes feel a bit disorienting, as the authors have very much created a world and plot that is kind of too big to be fully explored in every way, so most readers and fans will probably have some characters and ideas that they wish would've been followed up on but for which the authors just don't have the time (for me it's a new character who gets into a fun relationship with an old one, who shows up early and then mostly stays out of the way).

And yet, somehow, Labyrinth's Heart really works in its most important elements - its main characters and themes. Primarily here, as we have for much of the series, we have the theme of family, as Ren finds herself with ties to so many families that she never could've imagined between Grey's family, the Traementis family, and the Vraszenian people she once believed to be a past she could never returnt to, with her mother been cut out of their threads. We also have these themes with Grey, who has to deal with the family his brother once took him and fled from, and with Vargo, who has to deal with his new connections to Ren and Grey as well as how closely he's become not onl to Alsius, but his most trusted supporters like Varuni and Sedge. The events of this book, without spoiling too much, throw all of those newfound family threads into jeopardy, and the book manages to showcase how the characters can fight to keep those threads alive even in the face of betrayal, hardship and suffering, and how doing so can result in the happiness they all never thought they'd find. And this works just so so well and I loved it so much: a couple of chapters near the end, when a certain character connects with a family they never believed was possible, are chapters I've reread multiple times because the sheer joy is so so delightful.

Which is not to shortchange the other themes and how effective they are here as well. We deal with the seductiveness of power, the disastrous effects of isolation and being taken for granted, the way frauds can cause substantial damage through greedy manipulation, and more. Notably a recurring theme here is the cost of sins in the past, ones which have caused tremendous damage and which require forgiveness in order to be moved past...a forgiveness that is naturally incredibly hard to actually give, because such sins represent horrifying nightmares even for those in the present. And of course there's the sin of colonialism and empire and how to move past it in a way that doesn't simply put the oppressed into the role of the oppressor but rather finds a path by which both sides can move forward while also making amends for the crimes imposed upon the oppressed. This book does do a pretty great job going through these themes, and does so in interesting ways.

Again, the plot structure and everything involved can sometimes here get overwhelming, and there were certain characters who would be referenced who I could not tell apart...and yet to be honest, I couldn't care too much. Reading Labyrinth's Heart was too often a joy in seeing the characters again, seeing how they've changed and how they've gotten through both old adversities and new ones, and how they've forged bonds and happinesses through those efforts, and it ended in such a way that I was immensely satisfied with how it wrapped up the stories of all my favorites. If you've been reading this series already, you'll want to read this book to finish it off. And if you haven't yet started this series and are somehow reading this review now (or read book 1 and stopped rather than continuing to book 2), well, I hope this review encourages you to give it a try, even if the first book is the weakest in the series.

A very enjoyable end to the trilogy. I do wish I had reread the second book before this one because I forgot quite a few details over the last year. That said, I also really appreciate the summary provided at the beginning of the book.

If you enjoyed the first two books, you are going to enjoy this one. If you had deep, passionate beliefs about actions certain characters should or shouldn't do, I can see spots where you might be disappointed. But I thought this was a good time and I'm pleased with how it wrapped up.

For those of us who have been waiting for the finale of the Rook and Rose trilogy, I have good news for your future. If you’re looking for the bad, or that which is neither, you won’t find it here. Marie Brennan & Alyc Helms (collectively known as M. A. Carrick) absolutely nailed the landing.

Past here: BEWARE OF SPOILERS for the first 2 books.

The story begins (not a spoiler because it’s literally in the first few pages) when who should show up in Nadezra but none other than Letilia Traementis, loudly and publicly delighted to be reunited with her *darling daughter* Renata. Letilia is determined to reclaim her place in Nadezran high society, and who better to grease the wheels than Renata Veraudux Treamentis? With, naturally, the threat of consequences if Ren doesn’t help her to the best of her abilities.

While trying to manage Letilia, Ren also is agonizing over when and how to admit everything to Donaia and Giuna. She’s sick of having to sneak around with Grey, and wants to embrace him publicly - which would be an enormous scandal for a Liganti noblewoman to be involved with a Vraszenian. Grey is struggling with the destruction of the Rook triggered by his unwillingness to sacrifice Ren to destroy the medallions. The Vraszenians in general, and the Stadnem Anduske in particular, are getting restive in advance of the approaching Great Dream.

Oh yeah, and those medallions drawing on primordial spirits of chaos are still all over the city with no one knowing how to destroy them.

Everything is, once again, a terrible tangle. It’s got everything you know and love about the Rook and Rose trilogy, though this entry tends more towards the political maneuvering and away from the swashbuckling compared to earlier volumes. There’s excitement, and romance, and truly *delightful* flirtations, and an obscene twelve year old.

I don’t want to give much away, but I will share this. My favorite scenes in this series have generally been the moments when characters decide to be *honest* with each other and share what they’ve been hiding. That continues here, as expected, but probably my favorite moment of all is when the lies and deceptions have gotten *so* tangled that one character reveals a major secret to another simply because *they lost track of who knew it and who did not.* I love it.

As for the actual ending: extremely satisfying all around.

Highly, highly recommended.

I’ve been waiting on this stunning finale to the Rook & Rose trilogy for what feels like forever! Labyrinth’s Heart picks up shortly after the events of the second book, The Liar’s Knot, and begins with Ren, Grey, and Vargo trying to figure out how to destroy the necklaces that once gave power to Kaius Rex. This is the biggest plot arc of the book, though by far not the only one and not even necessarily my favorite plot arc.
This trilogy was wonderfully complex and full of thrilling subterfuge and just the right amount of noble politics. I’m actually having a bit of difficulty figuring out what precisely to say about it that isn’t full of spoilers and actually gives you some insight into what was so awesome about it. Mostly because I want to gush specifically about spoilery things!
Let’s break this down into the things I liked. First of all, this has a found family aspect that is just truly wonderful. Ren has Tess and Sedge, who were her adopted siblings but now she has a much larger network, including Grey, Vargo, and the Traementis family and they’re all so supportive! My next favorite thing? There’s a fantastic series of trials organized by Ren and Faella to bring the city together and also so that Grey might win Renata’s favor and ask for her hand in marriage. The trials were very fun and the best part was that Grey and Vargo end up in a humorous, reluctant friendship. Possibly one of the most satisfying parts was that Letilia, ever a threat to Ren’s identity and security, is dealt with once and for all.
I can’t say there’s anything in particular that I didn’t like about Labyrinth’s Heart. It was, all around, a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that I’ve greatly enjoyed over the last few years. It has one of my favorite magic systems - a blend of the Vraszenian tarot-like magic, and a more scientifically inclined magic based on symbols and star alignments practiced by the Liganti nobility. This book is not without its emotional ups and downs, but it’s largely a hopeful book and I can safely report it has a happy ending that neatly wraps up all the plot threads.
I’d highly recommend the Rook & Rose series for folks looking for lovable rogues, noble intrigue, a bit of romance, and fantastic fashion choices. I mean really, does Vargo always have to be the best dressed person in the room? Also, I will forever love Mr. Peabody.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (And series). It’s an interesting story with absolutely fantastic characters. And the relationships that the characters build are amazing. even better? A lot are friendships. Plus there is cool magic. I would definitely recommend this series.

Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick is the third and final installment of the Rook & Rose Trilogy. Thank you to the publisher, the authors, and netgalley for the chance to review this book!

spoiler free review!

The Rook & Rose Trilogy is truly one of my favorite series, like literally ever. High fantasy with lots of politics, heists, found family, and a super unique magic system is truly just so good in books. The final installment of this trilogy gave us everything that we could have wanted from the series.

This book is emotional, intriguing, and perfect for people who want a six of crows style book but at a higher level of fantasy. I really loved how the relationships and friendships develop throughout this story, it felt so real. This book is immersive and makes you feel like you're actually in the story itself.

I can't get over how beautiful and unique the world building and magic systems are in this book. Tarot and astrology are already cool enough, but to see them be brought to life even more in a fantasy setting??? AMAZING. They both truly enhanced the story progression of this series.

I think the ending to this book was a perfect wrap up of the series as a whole. It didn't leave me with unanswered questions or a sense of "why didn't the author touch on this", I was very happy with the way this book finished out. I already want to reread the series.