Posts Tagged ‘Rook and Rose’

Cover Launch: LABYRINTH’S HEART by M.A. Carrick

Take your first look at the cover of Labyrinth’s Heart (US | UK) by M.A. Carrick and pick up your copy in August 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto; Cover Illustration by Nekro

“Lush, engrossing and full of mystery and dark magic” (BookPage), Labyrinth’s Heart (US | UK) is the thrilling conclusion to M. A. Carrick’s Rook & Rose trilogy, in which a con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord become reluctant allies in the quest to save their city from a dangerous ancient magic.

May you see the face and not the mask.

Ren came to Nadežra with a plan. She would pose as the long-lost daughter of the noble house Traementis. She would secure a fortune for herself and her sister. And she would vanish without a backward glance. She ought to have known that in the city of dreams, nothing is ever so simple.

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.

The Rook & Rose trilogy
The Mask of Mirrors (US | UK)
The Liar’s Knot (US | UK)
Labyrinth’s Heart (US | UK)

Acquisition Announcement: The Rook and Rose Series by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms

We are delighted to announce that Orbit has acquired a gorgeous new fantasy trilogy by M. A. Carrick, aka the brilliant writing duo of Marie Brennan, author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent Series, and Alyc Helms!

The Rook and Rose trilogy is a grand, richly textured, politically-charged story, which takes readers to magical Nadežra, whimsically known as the City of Dreams. Ren is a con artist seeking to pull off the ultimate scheme: tricking her way into one Nadežra’s noble houses to secure her fortune and her sister’s future. But as she’s drawn into the upper crust world of House Traementis, she realizes her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her, whether it’s the real identity of the legendary vigilante known as the Rook or the true motivations of a charming, enigmatic crime lord–and that the dark feuds of the nobility and the shadowed dangers of the city’s impoverished underbelly are far more tangled than she could ever have imagined.

Here are a few words from the authors themselves, and you can follow along their writing journey at https://macarrick.wordpress.com/ or on Twitter at @ma_carrick.

“In our defense, we were left unsupervised.

Two writers, who both also happen to be anthropologists. Who have known each other for nearly twenty years. Who share a love of intrigue, banter, flashy capers, relationships of not just the romantic kind (though that, too), and worldbuilding that goes so deep you should call your local gas company before you start digging.

We’d said for years that it might be fun to write something together. We’d even started poking desultorily at a list of tropes we each like, looking for commonalities. But it didn’t catch fire until the weekend Marie’s sister left town; by the time she came home, we had a whole trilogy planned.

We keep quoting The Princess Bride: fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles. Also con artists, vigilantes, crime lords, corrupt nobility, clothing Alyc wants to sew, a divinatory card deck Marie wants to create, magic of both the rational and intuitive kinds, and the best (and gaudiest) spider since Lucas.

And hope. That in a place poisoned by arrogance and greed, people can learn to trust each other, work together, and make things better.”

We’re thrilled to be publishing this series! The deal for three books was concluded by Orbit US editor Priyanka Krishnan with literary agents Paul Stevens (for Helms) and Eddie Schneider (for Brennan). Orbit UK editor Jenni Hill has secured UK rights.