M.A. Carrick have created the perfect trilogy. I honestly can't remember the last time I gave every single entry in a trilogy 5 stars but the Rook & Rose trilogy deserves that and more! I need this trilogy to get more hype on BookTok because I need fanart and fanfiction and just MORE! Ren, Grey, and Vargo are characters I won't soon forget and while I am sad that this is ending (I would have read at least another 3 books in this series!) I am glad that it goes out on a high note. I cannot praise this book, this trilogy, enough. From the insanely epic worldbuilding to the religion and magic to the characters - there isn't a single thing I found lacking. Fingers crossed that a special edition set will release someday because I NEED IT!

May you see the face and not the mask.

The finale to a fantastic fantasy series filled with romance, mystery, magic and so much more! A con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord all come together to not only save their city from dangerous ancient magic but to find an unlikely bond between friendship, romance, and family. Ren is now posed as the long lost daughter of a noble house, she's secured money for her sister and herself... and she had planned on vanishing without a backward glance until she became a con-artist and thief while juggling her other identity as a political rebel... and her other identity as the black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the city's own legendary Rook... who just happens to be the man she's fallen in love with. Grey, the once captain of the Vigil city guard and secret vigilante hero Rook, has now lost his Rook abilities and has left his job in the Vigil, yet he still will do anything to protect the city and the woman he loves as well as his new unlikely friendship with the crime lord Vargo. Vargo use to be a crime lord but now he, Grey, and Ren all hold magical coins that could destroy them all, they have to find a way to save the city from the dangerous magic that is threatening to tear it apart as well as the threats to their own lives as their own villains and secrets are coming out to destroy them. Ren has to find a way to finally confess the truth to the family she conned but now loves as her own and the fact that a person from her past has finally come to town and she demands Ren do what she wants or else.. while Grey has to find a way to continue as the Rook without the magical ghost in him and Vargo has to deal with his position in the city as well as the aftermath of the magical injuries he received and his partnership with his spider friend. This was such a fun and complex series to read. I loved the characters and their journey and getting to see them grow. Seriously this is a great series for fans of fantasy books with high politics and world building, filled with schemes, cons, magic and more!

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books, Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

It’s a little hard to review the final book in a trilogy without giving anything away but here are my thoughts on the series as a whole and Labyrinth’s Heart as its conclusion.

Right off the bat, this is now my favourite series of all time. It’s nerve wracking to read a final book when you’ve loved the first two books so much. What if it’s disappointing? What if it doesn’t end the way you want? I needn’t have worried. Labyrinth’s Heart was everything I was hoping it would be and it made my heart so happy. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, I really do think you will enjoy Labyrinth’s Heart.

This series begins with a con and we follow Ren (and many other characters) through the twists and turns of court politics, curses, political intrigue, masked vigilantes, magic, and rebellion. At the heart of this series though are the characters, and the relationships and bonds they form. It’s about families, born and made. This book really is the culmination of all the threads that were set up in Mask of Mirrors and Liar’s Knot. After following all these characters that I grew to love over the course of the two previous books, Labyrinth’s Heart wrapped everything up in exactly the way I wanted.

I know that no series is for everyone but this series is absolutely for me and, now that it’s complete, I will never stop recommending it!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

This is the third and final book in the Rook & Rose trilogy, which began with The Mask of Mirrors. Ren is confronted with an unexpected rival for society's attention: the person she has been pretending is her mother. She loves the family she has pretended is hers, in whose register her name is now inscribed--but what will those affections mean as her lies begin to unravel? Does that even matter, when the city she calls home strains under the weight of an ancient curse?

This series is lively, adventurous, and intricately plotted. In this installment, Ren learns more about her birth family, including the Vraszenian culture whose rituals she only half-remembers, if she ever learned them at all. The quest to lift the curse reveals ancient secrets, too, including the true nature of the murderous zlyzen. To protect her city and claim her true love, Ren will have to integrate all the fractured aspects of her self.

There are a ton of balls in the air here, and I can't guarantee that every one will land in the spot a particular reader hopes for. I was somewhat frustrated with a plot strand involving Ren's adopted cousin Tanaquis, a scholar obsessed with understanding the connections between the academic magic of inscription and the Tarot-like Vraszenian pattern decks. The plot depends on Ren taking a dismissive attitude towards Tanaquis's admittedly significant weirdness, and though Ren eventually regrets her actions, the whole thing rings a bit oddly if you're naturally inclined to be most sympathetic to Tanaquis (I studied math and Latin, I think we all know where my interests lie). I would have liked to know more about the fate of Ren's other cousin Giuna's exciting flirtation, too. We do learn the identity of Ren's father--it's even weirder than I suspected, and I've read my share of eighteenth-century novels--as well as all sorts of things about the history of the shadowy Rook.

If you're already reading this series, Labyrinth's Heart will give you lots to think about. If you haven't found it yet, it's well worth finding Mask of Mirrors and embarking on the journey.

How to start this review? I guess two things first: the first two books in this series are among my favorite books ever and also I am quite critical of series endings. So at once it’s not possible for me to write an unbiased review (is it ever tho) and also my anxiety around starting this and it not living up to the hype I built in my head was *massive*
But omg did it ever!!

First: one of my biggest criticisms of modern fantasy is how many books try to do it all, be character focused, have a ton of worldbuilding, and also juggle a dozen different plotlines. This book/series is one of the few that just manage to do it all!

The characters: loved the arcs in this one, the personal growth, the relationships developing!! It was all done so beautifully.
The worldbuilding: given exactly the love to detail that I’ve come to expect from the authors.
And the plot: this was what I was most scared about bc there were at least 3 bigger plotlines (Renata‘s identity, the medallions and the Anduske) left to wrap up plus a handful of smaller ones and I couldn’t see how they could all be wrapped up without some feeling rushed. But none of them did!! All of them were given exactly the amount they needed, and if a plotlines was ignored for a few chapters, it made sense why it was that way. By the end everything that needed to be wrapped up to some degree was.
The only somewhat negative thing I can say about this book is that some of the personal stories and some of the plotlines maybe wrapped a slight bit too neatly. Personally I didn’t really mind tho bc after all that is why I read stories, to have them come to a satisfying ending.

WOW there's a lot that happens in this book! I loved all the different threads (give me a series of competitions for a boon any day), and while it felt like some of the different events didn't relate to each other very much, that setup allowed for all the things to happen without confusing the reader as to which character is involved in which plot at this moment.

I LOVED the developing relationships and friendships between the characters. Vargo's in particular were really satisfying. Vargo is such an interesting character - through much of the first book, I was really uncertain about him, with his morality on the really questionable side of gray and his doubtful loyalties. But his character arc - both him learning to trust and count on other people, and the reader learning his backstory - definitely leaves me rooting for him.

I really liked the lead-up and the character twist at the end. There were clues there about who was going to mess things up with the Primordials, but they were subtle enough, and done with finesse, so that I was still surprised at the reveal. I really like that setup, and it's so frequently done much too heavy-handedly. The foreshadowing and reveal were done masterfully here.

5/5 stars

Stunning conclusion to the rook and the rose trilogy. I really appreciated how there was a synopsis of the previous two books in the beginning, as this trilogy definitely has a complicated plot and many characters to keep track of.

I absolutely love the magic system, especially pattern, and the world building with the different social groups and the tension between them in Nadezra. The authors also wrapped up each of the plot lines by the end of the book, which I was pleasantly surprised by as there were many threads to wrap up.

Although there were many high stakes and tense moments throughout the book, there were quite a few lighthearted moments, and the growth these characters experience through the course of the series, especially Grey, Rook, and Varro was delightful to read about.

Labyrinth’s Heart was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2023 and I was certainly not let down. Readers of my reviews will know I’ve continually sang praises for this series thanks to it’s certain core trio of Ren, Grey, and Vargo and in this book, we finally get their end game!

Those who’ve followed this series will know the metaphorical Sword of Damocles that’s been hanging over Ren’s head in the name of Lady Renata’s ‘mother’ and Ren’s former mistress, Letilia, finally coming home to roost. Although she’s worked her way into House Traementis and Donatella’s trust, the stakes for Ren’s deception are now higher than ever to maintain the life she’s built for herself and her friends. I loved that despite the stakes, there’s an aspect of comedy through the entire situation, as no one actually likes Letilia. Both Grey and Vargo offer to take her out early on in no-so-subtle ways, and even Dontella’s of half a mind to just kick Letilia to the curb.

On the grander side, our main trio have been hunting for ways, with little success, to destroy the medallions plaguing Nadežra’s nobility, and its city. It’s been almost a year and a half since I read the last book, so to be fully honest, I didn’t fully follow the more epic fantasy elements of the plot. There’s an extremely helpful ‘The Plot So Far’ at the beginning of the book that summarizes, well, the plot so far. Without it I would have been truly lost. With it, I followed just enough of the various factions, powerplays, and numinatira/patterning to enjoy the reading the characters experiencing the story.

As usual, the series’s main draw and biggest strength lies in it’s characters. I’m obliged to have a dedicated Vargo!!!!!!!!!! paragraph in every review and of course this one is no exception. In book 3, we really get the see his inner struggles and much more of his street rat origins. The suave, vaguely dangerous, fashionable nobleman is still there, but it’s balanced by his rougher edges. I loved father-son relationship we get between him and Peabody, the bantering and clear affection between these two is so sweet.

Of course, we also get the culmination of Ren and Grey’s stories too. If book two was the two of them juggling their many identities and separate lives, book three is where they all coalesce into just ‘Ren” and “Grey’. Again, while it’s been too long to follow the story fully, I loved how intricate the depiction of religion and the different cultures Ren and Grey move through are written. The worldbuilding of this book is so tightly tied to the identity of these characters and it’s truly incredible to read.

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. A fantastic ending to one of my favorite epic fantasy series in recent times, where all three of the main trio get their happy endings.

Exciting conclusion to the trilogy, where all the contending groups—divided by ethnicity and power—fight for control of the city as the protagonists fight to destroy the magic chains that have turned the city’s rulers bad for generations. The main trio has very strong threesome energy, sigh.

I tried so hard…and so did this book. But we both failed. This book was trying to accomplish too much, had too many side plots that didn’t get fully fleshed out and so many things that weren’t explained. A real bummer for the ending of this series.

Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for trusting me with an advance copy of Labyrinth’s Heart in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered M.A. Carrick’s series “Rook & Rose” last summer and devoured the first two books. Labyrinth’s Heart is the book that drew me to arc reading and reviewing. My love of this series and desire to promote it to other fellow readers led me to take a chance on requesting it. So, seriously, Orbit Books, my most deepest and heartfelt thanks in taking a chance on a new voice to the Book Review world.

The final installment in the Rook & Rose trilogy picks up right where we left off in The Liar’s Knot. Actions and choices have consequences, and our merry crew of cuffs, hawks, slip-knots, con artists, and crime boss are very quickly faced with those consequences.

The first chapter draws us welcoming back into this rich, enchanting world M.A. Carrick has masterfully created with rich prose and unique world building. They remind us of the key players and where they currently stand in this world and then, without delay, we are dropped mercilessly into the cold deep waters of “oh shit”, which continues to pile on, digging us deeper into the holes our main characters have dug for themselves. We fall right along side them, the tale gripping us into sharing their emotions, their fears, their concerns, their strength and weaknesses, through every single trial the final installment of their story throws at us.

And yet, the characters are still as beloved as they ever were in the first two installments. (Minus one, but for spoiler reasons I won’t mention who they are. The character is written excellently to grate on nerves.) Their stories soar higher and dip lower than previously, forcing satisfying closings to the turblulent tangle that has been every single character arc. The plot moves with force, lulling when needing to, but always keeping you strapped in for the roller coaster ride. It’s fun. It’s invigorating. It’s heart pounding. It’s wild and I never wanted to get off it.

The moments of patterning and dreaming are just as mystical and magical as before. I absolutely caught myself holding my breath as Ren once again delves into the Dream for answers. Standing alongside the other characters and watching her pattern never failed to give rise to goose pimples along my arms. I will never stop praising M.A. Carrick for this beautiful and unique magic system they have dreamed up, based on tarot. It tugs on my own connection to tarot and tangles me up tighter in my connection to Ren as her story continues to be woven before my eyes.

The conclusion is a triumphant, masterful, and satisfying conclusion to a trilogy I absolutely love and will pick up over and over again. And yes, I did cry. Multiple times. M.A. Carrick deserve this 5 star rating over and over again.

Thank you M.A. Carrick and Orbit Books for this masterpiece trilogy.

I thought the conclusion of this trilogy was an entirely satisfying ending for the long journey we've gone on with these characters. One thing M.A. Carrick mentioned in their blog was The Rook & Rose series being the antithesis of grimdark, and I think that's certainly true to some degree. Was it the most tightly plotted story? Was the pacing totally consistent? Was every scene necessary to move the story forward? Was it the best prose I've ever read? No. But it was utterly enjoyable, the characters and their interactions were delightful, and by the end I felt like I'd received the answers to all my questions in a satisfactory manner.
Someone wrote in their (less than positive) review that this installment felt like fanfiction, and I can actually see what they mean. There were a lot of scenes/character moments that indulged the readers (and probably the writers), but they weren't distracting or badly written, so I fail to see the problem with this. I feel like most readers are left wishing for more of those scenes after finishing a series anyway.
Labyrinth's Heart is an emotional but ultimately feel-good ending to an entertaining, twisty story! I loved the emphasis on relationships, found (and true) family, and deep, loving friendships. Ren and Vargo as besties was the friendship I didn't know I needed back when I shipped them in book 1 (and 2, lol). Alsius and Vargo's deep friendship/father-son relationship was so sweet; I had been bracing myself for a sad ending for them but was surprised and pleased with how that turned out. Lastly and most importantly, Grey and Vargo's bromance was perfect and precious.
But there were so many other emotional journeys that characters took and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This series will be a regular re-read for me, and I hope we see more from M.A. Carrick!

Labyrinth's Heart was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I absolutely loved the first two books in the series and was looking forward to getting to see more of these characters.

The biggest strength of the first two books was the balance of politics and character/plot development, with a sprinkle of magic to move it along. While the books were slow paced, they moved at an even pace and developed things in a consistent cadence across the books that made me hooked.

Unfortunately, I do not think that this book was plotted nearly as well as the first two. My main issues with it are:
- I found the pacing to be very inconsistent. Some parts that ultimately had little to no effect on the story felt like they dragged on, but some scenes had way too much going on and didn't give the reader enough time to process going on. This made the reveals extremely anticlimactic.
- There was way too much time spent on the magic as opposed to the characters. Adding the fact that this is a soft magic system, this made my eyes glaze over in scenes in which I wanted scheming but I got hand waving about how a certain magic was performed. I wish we had spent less time with the actual magic and more time with them all being morally grey human beings.
- I loved bits and pieces of Vargo's character development, but he was previously my favorite character and he kind of felt like he had the personality of a wet paper towel in this book. It doesn't feel like he did very much on his own and was just a vessel to move Ren forward. His reaction to finding out who the Rook was, and then the way he revealed he knew who the Rook was, was also very anti-climactic and out of character.
- I wish that the plot about Tanaquis had been fleshed out much more. That was the most interesting part but we barely got to see any of it until the end of the book.
- I feel like characters just "got over" things that should have been very shocking way too easily without any conflict.

I did like how some plot lines ended, like Tess', but ultimately this book fell flat for me compared to the previous two.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

What a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy!

As with the previous books, the characters are well written with strengths and flaws and growth across the story. I loved seeing the next steps for not only Ren, Grey, and Vargo but also the Traementis, Tess, Sedge, and all the other complex supporting characters. The nuance and detail written into these characters is one of the greatest strengths of the series, including it's conclusion.

I've felt like each book provided readers with more detail and understanding of the two fascinating and complex magic systems. I loved the focus on pattern in this book in particular.

Each book in the series has given us more backstory on each of the three main characters (tying into the character who is illustrated on the cover). This book, as expected, gives us more about Grey's history as well as the Vraszenians and their culture.

The story introduces several new subplots while moving the overarching plot from the previous two books forward. There was one plot involving Ren that added some unexpected fun. As with the first two books, there are multiple plot threads occurring simultaneously across the story which weave together beautifully at the end.

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

5 out of 5, knocked it out of the park!

This was everything I wanted it to be and more. This book is equally as magical and engaging as the first 2 in the series, if you loved them you will love this one too.

The world and magic that was laid out by this series was so complex and fascinating, I hope that we continue to get more stories in this world.

I love the characters in this series so much, they are so well realized and have such complex relationships. Thinking about how far they’ve came from book 1 to where they are at the end is amazing.

I didn’t see the twist coming, but looking back the clues were definitely there along the way. I can’t wait to reread the series now that it is complete.

First off, I love when a series starts the third book with a brief summary of what happened in other books. As someone who often forgets important plot points, it was nice to have a little recap to remind me of what happened in a gentle way. I say gentle because I forgot how confusing this world can be sometimes. The different terms and way things are pronounced throws off my brain while reading and I easily mix people and other things up. While there is a glossary, it’s hard to switch back and forth in an ebook format.

I also felt the pacing of this book was off. The first book in this series is definitely slow-paced, with the authors introducing us to the world. However, this book seemed like it had enough plot to be separated into 3 other books. There were so much happening, with many different plots and subplots, that it felt like none of the plots got enough development. For example, I would have liked to see more of the trials to win a favor of Ren. The last third of this book also felt extremely rushed and seemed like the authors were throwing everything in the story so as to not have to write a fourth book. I think having this same plot spread over two books would have helped the over-simplification of some of the plot points as well as the general pacing of this book.

The magic in this world and the relationships between characters is definitely where this book shines. The magic is always interesting, to see Ren learn more about pattern and really grow into her own ability to draw the cards. Plus, I liked seeing how some things were tied up (like the zylzen, the link between the Primordials, and how pattern fits into everything). The relationships in this book were also a highlight. Seeing everyone come to terms with other people, including various secrets, and seeing the mixed feelings toward people, made the characters feel more real. There is no all good or all evil character; everyone has nuance and complexities to them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Labyrinth’s Heart is the much anticipated conclusion of the Rook & Rose trilogy. What an incredible journey it has been! I appreciated the recap at the beginning, because so many story threads come together in this book. The Rook & Rose series has such deep magical world-building and history. It is so impressive how much intricate culture is created and utilized as part of the plot.

One thing I love about M.A. Carrick’s writing is the lovable and complicated characters. Ren, Tess, Vargo, Grey, and so many more characters utterly stole my heart. Even those with a smaller role to play felt so distinct and real. Readers who love morally gray characters who will do anything for the people they love must read this trilogy!

In Labyrinth’s Heart, dark secrets are revealed and alliances must be forged to control an old magic that threatens their world. The magical and non-magical politics are always fascinating. Carrick weaves politics into many story threads and yet it all flows very smoothly. They are masterful at spinning a multitude of stories together into one cohesive story thread. With so many threads to conclude, at times the pacing varied but overall felt strong.

I did not want this book to end! I loved my time with these characters and the magnificent world of the Rook & Rose series. I can't wait to see what M.A. Carrick writes next! Readers who enjoy excellent & morally gray characters, intense magical world-building, and satisfying conclusions should check this series out.

Thank you so much to M.A. Carrick, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

An amazing finale to the Rook and Rose series, LABYRINTH'S HEART picks up where we last left off and leaves us with a gripping plot and excellent resolution.

A great ending to a great series, and kept me hooked all the way through. The rhetoric is wonderful, and the world building (as with the other 2 in this series) is top notch. Where the book really shines is the character development: you really feel invested in their trials and tribulations.

Some of the twists at the end caught me by surprise (in a good way), and I also didn’t feel like any threads were left hanging. Would recommend this whole series!

I have loved this entire trilogy (and can I just say how great it is to start a trilogy and have it actually get finished?). This books was satisfying on so many levels, as everyone gets their happy ending, more or less.

There is a lot going on in this book though, and I think there were maybe too many massive events. You keep thinking, okay, that's the big conflict resolved but then oops! there's another mess that needs to be fixed. But it does all make sense within the world that this book lives in.

This is a trilogy I'll reread over the years, I'm quite sure.