Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick starting on June 15, 2024.


Happy Reading!

^_^

Schedule:
1. The Mask of Mirrors (April 15) [link]
2. The Liar’s Knot (May 15) [link]
3. Labyrinth's Heart (Jun 15)

audio: No free/subscription copies
ebook: No free/subscription copies

A little behind on buddy reads this month but this is next up once I finish my current physical read (hopefully in the next day or two). Really excited to finish up this trilogy!

Oh wow I never realized I didn’t comment on this one. Not even once lol.

I read it last week. I found it harder to follow than the other 2. Just all the in world terminology was just too much in this one.

Everything coming to a head, I guess... the terminology was piling up in book 2, too, I think, but I was just along for the ride...

Haven't started this yet, might not get to it until next week...

Finally getting started with this one! Unfortunately won't have a ton of reading time the next day or two but hopefully will get a little in.

Through just the prologue (view spoiler)[Ooh fun to see a flashback to see the previous Rook! (hide spoiler)]

I am currently zooming through this and it has been fun listening while busy... sadly means I have not been taking notes... I do remember one bookmark though, way before Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[OMG, the "mom" shows up?? She is so annoying!! I really want to see her downfall... on the other hand, we know that Ren's identity has to come out sooner rather than later. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 22 (view spoiler)[I hate that the "mom" was exposed Ren, but I guess she needed that push. I'm glad it's all out in the open. I enjoyed the trials, and Grey winning--and getting to officially court Ren... but we didn't get any time to enjoy that victory, since the reveal came right on its heels.

I'm glad they reconciled, and it's been interesting seeing all of the cultural tension--it honestly went over my head in the previous books. I've also been enjoying Alcius's plotline--cool getting to see him human in the dream world!

And now the medallions are all taken care of... and dealing with aftermath... (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[I especially thought the ending lines wrapped up really well--you could tell it was the last lines of the story.

I'm glad that everyone survived--there were a few points where I thought Vargo would sacrifice himself, or that we would lose Alcius for good... Tanaquis at least... Everything tied up with a bow, really.

There were a LOT of plotlines and characters moving around through this book--series, really. Very busy. I thought the reveal of Ren's parentage was a heart-warming plotline, though I kind of wish her father's line had been explored more. All in all, fun series. (hide spoiler)]

My reading mood is all over the place right now, so I've started a bunch of audiobooks of varying sound quality...

Started this on the drive home from work today, and immediately was back into the story, thanks to a nice little recap... new problems arise from the get-go... this should be interesting...

I've started 4-5 books in the past 2 days now, I think (finished 1, so only 4 open... that's 2-4x the amount I usually am in the middle of...

Finally got a chance to sit down and actually start this one! I'm only 16 pages in but I already love being back in this world. This series has one of my favorite fantasy settings of all time.
(view spoiler)[Also oh my god I was not expecting Letilia to actually show up! (hide spoiler)]

I know! I was shocked.... (view spoiler)[for some reason, I thought she was dead, not just far away... (hide spoiler)]

I'm almost done with this one now... got back to it last night / this morning, and just zoomed through... took a nap and finishing the last 2hrs...

I'd have said this was one of the best resolved and tied together books/trilogies I'd read in a long time, hours ago... also full of surprising twists and turns for a finale, with all the plotlines mentioned above regarding (view spoiler)[Ren's faked mom showing up (hide spoiler)]... but really, in hindsight, how could you call the trilogy 100% resolved if that DIDN'T happen at some point and get sorted out, really?... otherwise it would have been a dangling plotline/threat, right?...

Nirkatze wrote: "I know! I was shocked.... [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[are you guys confusing the woman whose daughter she pretended to be (who she was a maid for and stole some jewelry and learned some facts), with the crime boss they were linked to before that that Ren stabbed (who turned out to still be lingering as a vengeful ghost in The Dream, and they mostly dealt with in book 1-2?)

I feel like you are... both are dangerous women from Ren's past, real, semi-real, and fake... (hide spoiler)]

No--Always knew it was the (view spoiler)[fake mom. I just thought she was dead. It's been a month! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[ I am loving the trial storyline of this one! It's a trope I love and I'm excited to see how it pans out in regards to its effects on the larger politics of the story (hide spoiler)]

This one was so good... finished it and loved it...

midway through chapter 9 (view spoiler)[okay like I knew Grey was going to win...because like obviously....but I was getting a little nervous about so I was very relieved when it actually happened.

I also can't say I'm shocked that this pushed Letilia over the edge to blurt out the secrets. Ren's pretty cunning, but she was bound to be wrong eventually lol (hide spoiler)]

That chapter was both satisfying and frustrating... (view spoiler)[grasping the laurels of victory with no time to enjoy them--and have their reasons burned to ash before they could come to fruit... (hide spoiler)]

Ch 16:(view spoiler)[ Aww the reunion between Ren and Donaia and Giuna was so nice. I'm glad Ren filled them in on everything that has been happening so they can be involved as well (hide spoiler)]

ch 17: (view spoiler)[oh my gosh i love the we're brothers now ceremony Vargo and Grey did. How far they've come (hide spoiler)]

Finished! 5 stars! I loved this one! And the whole series. IT was a really good wrap up to the series. There were so many things moving around in the series and the authors really did a great job addressing everything and not really leaving any loose ends

right?... impressive

So, this is a thing... The Sea Beyond

Hm. Historical fantasy set in the Spanish Golden Age inspired by Fae. Sounds interesting. Supposed to be a duology though. I'd rather wait.

Yea... Its not coming out until next summer... Just learned about it from someone who just read Mask of Mirrors, and this seemed the best place to mention its existence... When we read the trilogy there was no news of continued collaboration between the authors that wrote this ..

I'm glad you're keeping an eye on it! I appreciate all the work you do with your upcoming releases tracker...