The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Liar's Knot by M. A. Carrick

The Liar’s Knot is the second book in Rook & Rose trilogy, and what a wonderful book it is. It started strong and didn’t really have empty moments despite its considerable length. It wasn’t non-stop action, but unlike in the first book, every scene mattered, building towards the finale.

The book begins soon after the first ended. Ren, the street urchin turned a self-made noblewoman, is adopted to the family she’s been conning, bringing her ruse to a conclusion she didn’t see coming. And she’s made the heir too, at least until her new cousin comes to age.

As far as Ren is concerned, the con is over and she’s taking her new duties seriously. That doesn’t mean she’ll go confessing the truth to her new family. And as far as the legal system of Nadežra is concerned, she now is who she claims to be, no matter the truth.

Alta Renata isn’t Ren’s only disguise though. She still goes about as the fortune-teller Arenza, and in this persona she grows close to Captain Grey Serrado and his family. And then there’s the masked vigilante Rose, whose job is to protect the original people of Nadežra.

The secrets aren’t easy to maintain though, especially since Grey has his own secret persona to maintain. Grey and Rook have a mission to free Nadežra of the influence of cursed medallions. But he’s not the only one after them. Derossi Vargo, the criminal turned aristocrat, is interested in them too.

Vargo and Ren are invited to a secret society that seem to control the medallions, and the three need to come together to best the most important players of Nadežra. Not an easy task, considering the hatred Grey feels for Vargo and the secrets between them.

The story had many layers that unfolded slowly. The number of players was kept smaller than in the first book, making it easier to keep tabs on them. There were fewer point of view characters too, though some side characters, like Ren’s sister Tess, had random chapters. There were a couple of side plots, like a backlash against the original tribes of Nadežra, which affected Grey and Rose both, and the aristocrats moving against Ren to uncover her secrets. Everything fit together organically though, creating a compelling whole.

There’s romance building between Ren and Grey, and while I expected it, it’s such slow-burn that it probably could’ve waited. Ren’s volatile relationship with Vargo works better and the emotions between them feel more real. I’ll be rooting for Vargo in the last book, if not for Ren’s lover, then as the winner of the masquerade that is Nadežra’s politics. I’m eagerly waiting for the conclusion.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.