Rook & Rose
#1374.16 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2021–2023 Reading commitment Medium M.A. Carrick Last reviewed 2026-08-19
Overview
Written under the shared pen name M.A. Carrick, the joint byline of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms. A complete trilogy of intrigue fantasy set in the city of Nadezra, following a con artist posing as a lost noble heir.
Epic fantasy, Fantasy of manners · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Rook & Rose Marie Brennan, Alyc Helms
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Mask of Mirrors | 2021 | 1 | core | 4.00 (15,057 ratings) |
 | The Liar's Knot | 2022 | 2 | core | 4.42 (7,698 ratings) |
 | Labyrinth's Heart | 2023 | 3 | core | 4.25 (5,254 ratings) |
Written under the shared pen name M.A. Carrick. A complete trilogy of intrigue fantasy set in the city of Nadezra. No award recognition could be confirmed from any primary source checked; not registered as an AWD record.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Rook & Rose? Rook & Rose's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Rook & Rose? Publication order, starting with The Mask of Mirrors. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Rook & Rose finished? Complete (2021–2023).
- How much reading does Rook & Rose take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~1,947 pages).
- How is Rook & Rose ranked? #137 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 28,009 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #137?
Ranked #137 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.16 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (28,009 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 4.00 to 4.42.
- Less than 0.01 behind #136, The Green Man (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 3 books · Complete · 28k ratings · Ranks #137 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Mask of Mirrors (2021)
- The Liar's Knot (2022)
- Labyrinth's Heart (2023)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No award recognition could be confirmed for this trilogy from any primary source checked.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Rook & Rose and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Ash and Sand Grimdark / Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.30
- The Codex Alera Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.30
- The Daevabad Trilogy Epic fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.29
- The Broken Earth Epic fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.29
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.16 across 28,009 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Rook & Rose (M.A. Carrick) as a new universe accepted 2026-08-19
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- macarrick.com (authors' own site) Tier 1
- Wikipedia (English) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-19
Rule: Core Canon = all 3 novels: The Mask of Mirrors (2021), The Liar's Knot (2022), and Labyrinth's Heart (2023).