Now, she is Ren, con-artist and thief. But she is also Renata, the celebrated Traementis heir. She is Arenza, the mysterious pattern-reader and political rebel. And she is the Black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the legendary Rook.
Even with the help of Grey Serrado and Derossi Vargo, it is too many masks for one person to wear. And as the dark magic the three of them helped unleash builds to storm that could tear the very fabric of the city apart, it’s only a matter of time before one of the masks slips—and everything comes crashing down around them.
As always, I seem to have a long(ish) list of trilogies/series I need to complete, but I really wanted to prioritize LABYRINTH’S HEART, the finale to the wildly imaginative ROOK & ROSE trilogy by M. A. Carrick.
I’m honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to get this review started…these are big, complex books. But I think what I’ve loved so much about these books is that, however intricate the worldbuilding gets, however dizzying the magic is…it always comes back to the incredible & thoughtfully written cast of characters.
The supporting cast of characters in these books is superb (I think I may have begged the authors for an Arkady Bones spinoff novel at some point, I dunno, don’t judge me), but the three main characters (Ren, Grey, and Vargo) are some of my very favorites in all of fantasy.
I just love what the authors did with Ren’s character throughout the trilogy. We slowly get to know the real Ren, while watching her fully embody four completely different personas. This also really takes a toll on Ren over the course of these books, so it was really nice to see her and Grey settle into an actual proper romance in LABYRINTH’S HEART. There’s been plenty of pining & romance in the series so far, but I’d say the finale is far and away the most romantic of the three!
This one also has some family DRAMA, oof… anyone who might feel uncomfortable reading about some deeply passive-aggressive parental treatment, be forewarned.
LABYRINTH’S HEART is also the book that kind of dismantles everything we thought we knew about the Rook, with Grey seemingly disconnected from what it means to wear the mask. I’ve always loved the way that aspect of these books has felt so much like a superhero comic, but with all the grandeur of a lush fantasy story. This book takes a real hard look at what the Rook means to this world, and the price paid by whomever wears the mask.
I’ve been trying to write this review through some challenging days & it’s gonna have to be enough. I gave it my best! But these books are big, sprawling, complex, and not always easy to describe.
That said, I really think the ROOK & ROSE trilogy has tremendously wide appeal…I know the fact that they are all CHONK-MONSTERS when it comes to page count can be a little intimidating. I’ve felt that myself. But I really think these books would appeal to folks who gravitate towards any subgenre of fantasy.
The writing in these books is fucking gorgeous, and you just get completely swept up and carried away by this world. The trilogy as a whole is definitely one of my all-time favorites…oof, I just loved everything about all of these books!
Also, like I did with THE MASK OF MIRRORS, I listened to some of the chapters in LABYRINTH’S HEART on audiobook, and was again completely spellbound by the outrageously talented Nikki Massoud! Her ability to switch between multiple different accents on the fly is incredible, and she really breathes so much life into these characters! If you’re an audiobook fan at all, I can’t recommend the ROOK & ROSE audiobooks enough…SO AMAZING!
Huge thanks to Orbit for sending a copy my way!!
Grimdark Dad 
I’ve heard the audiobooks are amazing, makes me a tiny bit sad I didn’t experience them that way! But this series is one of my favorite of all time, love it so much.
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