Book Review: The Liar’s Knot (Rook and Rose, #2) by M.A. Carrick
Cover art illustrated by Nekro XIII
The Liar’s Knot by M.A. Carrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Rook and Rose (Book #2 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 688 pages (Kindle edition)
Word Count: 215,000 words
Publish date: 9th December 2021 by Orbit
The Liar’s Knot took its time to get its gear running, but the moment it started, the M.A. Carrick duo proved why this is a stronger installment than its predecessor.
I would be lying if I said I did not struggle with the first half of The Liar’s Knot, the second book in the Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick. After the development and setup established in The Mask of Mirrors, I certainly thought The Liar’s Knot would not encounter the same issue the first installment did. However, it did. There were several moments in the first 300 pages where I honestly thought of quitting the series. I am thankful I persevered. If you initially struggled with The Liar’s Knot like I did, the only recommendation I can give is the same one I gave in The Mask of Mirrors. Try to reach the second half of The Liar’s Knot. There’s a lot of setup and groundwork required to be prepared for the second half to shine, and that’s exactly what M.A. Carrick did.
“If you can’t even have a good cry with your friends without worrying about your secrets getting out, I’m thinking you need more crying, more friends, and fewer secrets.”
There was a lot of setup and groundwork required to be prepared for the second half to shine, and that is what M.A. Carrick did. In The Mask of Mirrors, almost the entire story is told from the perspective of Ren/Renata/Arenza. This isn’t the case anymore. As Carrick increased the stakes and scope of the series, it was mandatory for them to include more POV characters in the equation. This isn’t to say the new POV characters are brand-new characters to the series, though. They are characters we knew already from the first book. Mainly Derossi Vargo and Grey Serrado. And in return, the themes of identities, lies, truth, love, and family were exposed more in the narrative. The first half was a super slow burn development to ensure the story in the second half could become compelling. While I still feel this book and series (so far) are longer than they should be, I can’t help but admit I was thoroughly hooked by the second half portion of The Liar’s Knot. For statistic, it took me 12 days of reading to go through the first half of the novel, and then merely 2 days to finish the second half. The differences is staggering.
“If you cannot trust yourself, then trust me. My feelings for you go far beyond mere wanting… and I’ve never heard that love is a Primordial’s domain.”
The most impressive thing about The Liar’s Knot is genuinely the development of the core characters of the series. Ren, Grey, and Vargo received substantial character development here, and I’ve grown to care about them so much more than The Mask of Mirrors. As their respective burden gets bigger and more dangerous, they soon realize the consequences of their lies and the importance of the few people who care about them. Their vulnerability is laid bare. Friendships and compromises need to be made for them to survive. I didn’t even care about Vargo in the first book. But in The Liar’s Knot, it is an entirely different story. We also learned more about the background of the three main characters, plus the main conflict to resolve in the final novel of the series. The ending of The Liar’s Knot provided an exciting development for the readers to follow, and I will read the final book for sure.
“It can be difficult to understand what we truly desires; often we settle for distractions and substitutes. But remember that you cannot reach your destination by looking at a map. You must walk the path.”
In world-building, character development, and stakes, The Liar’s Knot did everything better than The Mask of Mirrors. The first half of the novel was indeed a struggle for me to read, but the payoff was worth the perseverance. I’m hoping Labyrinth’s Heart will deliver a satisfying conclusion for the trilogy. If you’re a fan of political fantasy with a lot of scheming, lies, deep and detailed world-building, and setting, I believe there’s no harm in giving the Rook and Rose trilogy an attempt. The clever con artist, legendary vigilante, and dashing crime lord of Nadezra might just steal your heart.
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