The Rook & Rose trilogy begins with The Mask of Mirrors ; here ’s a abbreviated verbal description for some context :
Renata Viraudax is a con artist who has get to the effervescent city of Nadezra — the metropolis of pipe dream — with one goal : to play tricks her way into a noble house and secure her luck and her sis ’s hereafter .
But as she ’s drawn into the elect world of House Traementis , she realizes her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her . And as corrupted magic begins to weave its way through Nadezra , the toxicant feuds of its blue blood and the shadowy danger of its poverty-stricken underbelly become knotty — with Ren at their nitty-gritty .
A glimpse of the cover; see the full illustration below.Image: Orbit
Take a expression at the full gorgeous cover , being revealed here on io9 for the first time — illustration byNekro(@nekroxiii on Twitter and Instagram ) , purpose by Lauren Panepinto — follow by an excerpt that introduces us to Ren in full faux - Lady modality , as well as the mystifying , gifted swordsman known as the Rook .
Suncross and Lacewater , Old Island : Suilun 4
Before she could recollect the better of it , Renata step forward . Her shoe came down on the brand of Mezzan ’s sword just as the Rook crouched to pick it up .
“ As I understand it , Altan Mezzan impart the player a hazard to support himself in an honourable duel , ” she said . “ for sure you may do no less . ”
The Rook straightened slow . Even close enough to touch , she could make out almost nothing through the darkness of his hood . The deeper shadows of his eyes , the line of his jaw ; like the stars , she saw more when she did n’t look forthwith . Then a gleaming of a smile issue forth into prospect .
In two hundred twelvemonth , no one had unmasked Nadežra ’s crook . consider him now , Ren was certain the hood was imbue to hide his face . The Rook could have been anyone : old or new , Liganti or Vraszenian or Nadežran . His vox vocalise masculine , but who knew where the legerdemain end ?
Though she could n’t see his eyes , she felt him assessing her , as surely as she was assessing him .
The Rook said , “ I could do less … or a good tidy sum more . ” Their audience was growing as people crowded to watch the scene , but his murmur was for her alone . Then it lifted up with jeer , for everyone to hear . “ But if I ’m to toy at noble games , should n’t I get a baronial ’s payoff for my hassle ? ”
She bent to piece up the sword , countenance it dangle from her gloved digit . “ What sort of reinforcement could a military personnel like you want ? ” It took every ounce of deceit she possess to make the question sound dismissive . What Mask have I offended , meeting the Rook as a Lady ?
“ A gentleman like me wants for little . ” The strong-armer dipped to the sword in her hand , then rose once more . “ But as they ’re such a treasure … I’ll take the alta ’s gloves . ”
Her finger tightened on the sword ’s hilt as the onlooker gasped . Most of those watch out were vulgar Nadežrans who worry little for Liganti ways ; a few of them laughed . The nobles of Sibiliat ’s company did n’t . People of timbre were not properly dress up in public without their gloves . By their light , the Rook might as well have demanded she peel .
“ A middling duel , ” Renata said , wrapping her hired hand carefully around the blade so she could offer the steel hilt - first . “ And if you pull ahead — then a single glove . ”
Her tone inculpate uncertainty . Inwardly she pray , I go for you ’re as unspoilt as the stories say .
“ Agreed . ” The Rook engage the hilt , sliding the flat of the blade along her palm like he think to cut his prize by early . “ I confide you ’ll remind me of the rules if I tramp . You noble make wide-eyed affair so complicated . ”
throw the blade , he tossed it to Mezzan and depict his own .
Mezzan caught it , his former swagger returning . “ I ’m more than able to school ooze - fucking trash like you . Do n’t worry , Alta Renata . I ’ll hand you his bonnet when I cut it off . ”
The Rook gnarl , “ She can make gloves out of it . Uniat . ” His vane swept down and up to a high-pitched stance as he utter the opening challenge . Mezzan ’s grin slipped . The Rook might take ignorance of noble rule , but he knew the right terms and strain for dueling .
“ Tuat , ” Mezzan spat in answer to the Rook ’s challenge , and barely eat up cutting his own salute before he attacked .
Ren hastily retreated . Within two heartbeats she know she had n’t gambled foolishly : The Rook drop down immediately from the straight - armed Liganti position into the lower Vraszenian one and met Mezzan ’s thrill without flinching , hedge the nobleman ’s thrusting with a few quick angles of his wrist . And he respected the rules of the game , passing up an chance to stomp on the arch of Mezzan ’s foot , the way Ren would have done in his piazza .
But she was a former river rat , and he was the Rook . He could be brutal when necessary — find Egliadas ’s broken wrist — but it was his flair that won him the hearts of the common sept . He danced out of the track of Mezzan ’s thrusts with a little lacing pace , and when Mezzan made the mistake of rushing him , the Rook maltreat in to come across it , lock away them physical structure - to - body in a brief , circle waltz . Only a fleet leaning of his forefront prevented Mezzan ’s spit from flying into his hood , and he permit go just in metre to avoid an elbow to the jaw .
The hood turned toward Ren . “ Remind me , alta — are elbows permitted ? ”
“ They are not , ” she said , suppress a laugh .
“ I thought not . ” The hint of his blade rapped Mezzan ’s branch hard , right where the spunk ran between skin and off-white . “ take care your style , boy . ”
The blow and the words were both calculated to enrage . But the increasing wildness of Mezzan ’s attacks only left him vulnerable . Almost too fast for Ren to follow , the confidential information of the Rook ’s steel snake through the looping safeguard of Mezzan ’s rapier and wrenched it from his hand . Metal grated as the hilt slid down the Rook ’s vane ; he twirl the trapped weapon system in a full round like a baby with a toy , then tilted his hand so Mezzan ’s sword flew clearly .
It flashed through the open air and go under without a trace in the waters of the canal .
“ I believe that ’s Ninat , ” the Rook said to Mezzan , who was gaping after his vane . “ Do you resign ? ”
“ I do not . Sibiliat , your brand ! ” Mezzan entangle , thrusting one hand out .
“ But I thought being demilitarize was a readable exit under the rules . ” The Rook ill-treat back , placing himself by the wall of the bridge . “ Alta , you ’re the closest we have to an arbitrator . Will you call Ninat ? ”
She perpetrate herself back into fiber , relax from the deadpan posture she ’d held during the affaire d’honneur . “ Assuming the rules are like those of Seteris , then yes , to be disarmed is to be defeated . Ninat . ”
Sibiliat had n’t moved to aid Mezzan . He take a step toward the Rook , hands curled into fists . “ That rapier was imbued by the swordsmith Vicadrius herself . There is n’t another like it in Nadežra ! ”
The Rook sheathed his blade . “ Then by all means , go after it . ”
Renata saw the move coming . So did the Rook ; she surmise he ’d invited it . When Mezzan bill , the Rook faded out of the way and applied boot to ass . The squawk provided the extra momentum want to institutionalise Mezzan flying over the rails and into the duct .
“ Though I believe it landed on the other side of the bridge . You might want to check there , ” the Rook called down over the laughter and cheers from the onlookers . He hopped onto the runway and bowed .
Then he turned to Renata . “ Now we see whether you , like our local nobility , will break in the rules when it suit you . I conceive you owe me a glove . ”
The cheers around them turn to whistles and hoots . Bondiro had recovered enough to shelter Renata from the crew ’s position with his height . “ I ’ll give up my glove , alta , ” he said , hit to strip it off . “ You should n’t be harassed by this kinless motherfucker . ”
She stopped him with a nappy handclasp of her head . “ I gave my discussion . I shall keep it . ”
step around Bondiro , she tugged on the fingertips of her left glove with clear , measured movement . Not flirtatious ; cold . She needed the other nobles to empathize with her , to see her as sharing in Mezzan ’s troubles rather than enjoy his mortification . Her mitt slipped complimentary , and she folded it into a small , neat packet . Tess will vote down me . Gloves were a pain to sew .
Renata support the folded baseball glove up in her mere hand , for all the crowd to see . “ Since you enjoy putting thing into canals so much , ” she said — and shake off .
Perhaps he ’d been expecting that , too . Or perhaps he was the Rook , and a two - hundred - year bequest of support against the powers that ruled Nadežra was more than a match for a bit of pettiness . His manus shoot out and take hold of the glove as neatly as if Renata meant for him to do it . Then he twitch it undefended and brought it to his mouth as though it still covered her helping hand , breathing profoundly .
“ A shame to destroy a all right odour with duct water , do n’t you imagine ? ” He pucker the glove into his coat and bet down to the canal , where Mezzan was splashing and sputtering . “ Indestor . Next time you think to beat anyone , remember this night — and know that any injury you give to someone , the Rook will repay in variety . ”
Three strides along the railing grant him enough momentum to catch the eaves of a roof and get around himself atop it . A flash subsequently , he was gone .
Excerpt from The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick reprinted by permission . Copyright Orbit .
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick will be release in January 2021 ; you may pre - place a copyhere .
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