The Liar's Knot

By: M. A. Carrick

Narrated by: Nikki Massoud

A clever con artist, a legendary vigilante, and a dashing crime lord must fight to free their city from the clutches of a dark and ancient magic in the second novel of M. A. Carrick's “utterly captivating” Rook & Rose trilogy (S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass).

Trust is the thread that binds. And the rope that hangs.

In Nadežra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power and influence among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He'll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he's built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of darkness that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than wits and knives to cut themselves free.

©2021 Bryn Neuenschwander and Alyc Helms (P)2022 Orbit

Critic reviews

"Utterly captivating. Carrick spins an exciting web of mystery, magic, and political treachery in a richly drawn and innovative world." (S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass)

Phenominal.

The writing, the intrigue, the character development, the world, and the narrator's performance. All simply phenomenal.

The plot built upon threads left over from the first boo and introduced more for the next, the growing mystery in the background was fun to follow, the expansion and growth of so many characters was moving, and the narrator's commitment to the tone of the writing and personalities of the characters was amazing.
Though I will say the narrator seems to be at odds with words of French origin.

10/10

I loved the first book, but was struggling sitting down to read the second book since it’s a lot of names and words I can’t pronounce. So I got the audiobook, and the narrator made me love this book even more! Pick up the audiobooks if you are reading this series!

Wonderful book, DELIGHTFUL audiobook!!

The audiobook performance is an absolute DELIGHT, the narrator breathes so much personality and life into each character that it feels effortless to track the long roster of intertwined characters, since I know exactly who is speaking the second they open their mouth.

I will be absolutely inconsolable if they change narrators for the next book!!

The plot and characters are also an absolute treat - A con artist, a crime lord, and a phantom theif twisted into political machinations hinging on magical espionage, in a world with an internally consistent and interconnected magic system, where all characters are assumed bisexual until proven otherwise.

Stick with it

I struggled getting through the first book until all the action happened in the last 10% of the book. It is much more evenly distributed in this book and the plot be plotting.

Outstanding! Don’t miss this series.

All around excellent. A very satisfying read and a great performance. This book is better than the first, albeit by a narrow margine.
The complexity of the world and amazing and the characters are great. The pacing is perfect.
I cannot stop wondering how two people write something like this together.
Thank you.

Even better

Last year Mask of Mirrors was in my top three favorite for the year and this one is even better. We really get to know Vargo and his “spirit “ and I absolutely love him. Well written, great story that kept me interested and entertained the whole way through. I hope the author has many more books to come.

Great Fantasy

All the characters are multidimensional and the story is compelling. I will listen more than once and wait eagerly for the next in the series.

I can't wait for the next installment!

I'm dying to know what is next for these characters! this series is so cool!

Love love love these characters

I just binged this book over 3 days. Excellent follow-up to the first. I love dark and urban fantasy but sometimes the “against the odds” stories where everything goes wrong all the time is draining to read. This series has a nice blend of setbacks and success. It’s really fun seeing how the clever characters improvise and plan and juggle through the main arc as well as the various masks all the characters wear. Can’t wait for the next book!

In love

I am in love. In love with this book. In love with the authors. I need more. I cannot believe that this book is finished. I am not going to be able to wait until the third book comes out. I need more. Absolutely love. Want want want. The characters, the plot, the descriptions, the dresses, the foods, the everything… Beautiful. Masterpiece.