#Derossi Vargo

[alychelms]

I've been threatening to do a Rook & Rose version of that one Twelfth Night production photo for a while now... so guess what I stayed up waaaaay too late last night, finishing!

[linovadraws]

"It'll be all right. We'll fix it." Somehow.

Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick is wall to wall great moments, but spider-dad and his crime lord son have me in a chokehold.

[airyfrasc]

The Mask of Mirrors, The Liar’s Knot (by M. A. Carrick)

A friend bought me the book The Mask of Mirrors for Christmas and I swear I didn’t emerge from it for three days straight. This is a SUMPTUOUS non-traditional European fantasy with some of the richest world building I’ve read in a while. The magic, the cultures, the history, the fashion, it all felt so tangible that I could mentally pop myself into Nadezhra pretty much from page one. It had the twisty-turny, political intrigue-y plot that really appeals to me - without the intense violence you might find in other series that often get recommended for their politically-driven plots. Secret identities, characters that make you feel things, a queer-norm society, truly detestable villains… I loved this book. So I had to draw the three main characters obv.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t find the sequel in stores anywhere! Had to order online, and gotta say, it was equally good or better than the first… The character moments in The Liar’s Knot felt like releasing a breath you’ve been holding for hours. You’ll know what I mean if you read it ☺️

Anyway, this series deserves way more hype than it has. I read a LOT of SFF and this one stood out to me as truly fantastic. If you love secret identities, slow (SLOW) burn romance, a puzzle-like plot, tarot, and general luxuriousness for your brain…. I beg you to pick up The Mask of Mirrors.

[winter2468]

Iascat: You have to apologize to them, Vargo.

Vargo: Fine! But I must warn you that this might make me a better, nicer person and that is NOT the man you fell in love with!

[loveless-arobee]

The answer to the question whether I will start writing now or spend more time drawing more characters is that I’ll draw another fanart for the Rook and Rose series. This time my boy Vargo, and his friend Iascat.

Vargo getting his long needed rest. He deserves it. And so does Iascat tbh.

I’m a very focused and hard working individual /j

And I am very normal about Vargo and Iascat and their relationship. You can see just how normal I am about them below the cut.

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

So, for those who wanna hear about what I have to say without knowing the context: Vargo, one of the main characters, is AroAllo and in a sexual relationship with Iascat. While their relationship starts of mutually using each other for getting what they want (sex and touch in Iascat’s case, and information for Vargo), they do become more like friends over the course of the books (especially the last one) while still keeping up the sexual side of their relationship.

And damn was it refreshing to see a sexual relationship that isn’t treated as a bad thing, or something that has to change to include romance later, or stop all together. No, it was treated as something completely neutral–just something that is there. At times even positive, dare I say!

And it is so awesome to see a relationship that’s based in sex, that only happened because of sex, represented as something good.

While Iascat’s sexuality is never confirmed, I like to think of him as AroAllo, too, for multiple reasons.

I think his wish to have a romantic relationship, while at the same time doing nothing to get one, is a very aromantic experience. And I assume a lot of this is coming from his aunt who has a very deep desire to have a romantic relationship, while her cursed medallion makes her basically unable to keep one up, while also making her desire for a relationship even stronger.

With how the medallions work, Iascat is probably also influenced it that same way, and his "desire for romance" is actually not really his own, but an extension of his aunt’s (because, well, Iascat is mostly treated as an extension of her by his aunt.)

The second reason is his actions. When his aunt is put under house arrest and he becomes head of his house, so is basically able to do what he want and seek out the romance he apparently wants, the first thing he does when he has time is fuck Vargo, of whom he knows that there’s no chance of romance.

That doesn’t shout alloromantic to me tbh.

And the only times he ever says or thinks anything about wanting a romantic relationship with Vargo, or anyone, is when he’s under the influence of his Tuat medallion.

Story-wise, he lets go of that desire and wish by destroying his medallion, yet keeps the sexual relationship with Vargo.

I like to think that after all the shit in the books goes down and there’s something like peace, Iascat takes the time to think about what he actually wants without being controlled by magic; because his actions show something much different from his words, and he could see that he’s actually a lot like Vargo and likes what they have, and doesn’t actually want a romantic relationship like his aunt always demonstrated.

So, to conclude, he’s AroAllo to me and I won’t take any second opinions on that. It’s fact now. I’m definitely not projecting onto the man. Leave me alone /j

But yeah, I really enjoy that a sexual relationship is portrayed in a positive manner, and that an aromantic character is allowed to exist without constantly having to explain or defend himself. Vargo isn’t ever questioned, the people who know him a bit closer just learn rather quickly that he isn’t up for romance. And I love that.

It’s probably also what makes alloros so unable to understand that he’s aromantic, because he doesn’t have to outright say it constantly, or even ever.

What might have helped with that would be the conversation that Vargo and Iascat have about their relationship being on page. Though that would fuck over the pacing, and seem quite out of place, since it’s in the third book and they kinda have other problems to solve. The conversation is once referred to, and it becomes quite clear (to me, at least, as an aro), that during that conversation Vargo has made it clear to Iascat that romance wasn’t on the table, and Iascat accepted that.

So. While It’d have been cool to read how Vargo directly describes his emotions, and how Iascat reacts to that, it wouldn’t have fit the plot and pacing of the third book. I get that.

I cannot imagine that I only read these books because I wrote a rant in some TikTok comments about the lack of AroAllo rep and someone told me about it. I am forever grateful for that person, but also hate them because this book is occupying my mind so much more than any other book I’ve ever read. Normally books aren’t in my mind like this months after I read them. I cannot read a different book even if I want to.

So. Yay, AroAllo rep.

Thanks for reading my stupid rant, ig?

[opalmxthyst]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Rook & Rose - M. A. Carrick Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Ren/Grey Serrado (Rook & Rose), Ren/Grey Serrado/Derossi Vargo (Rook & Rose) Characters: Ren (Rook & Rose), Grey Serrado (Rook & Rose), Derossi Vargo Summary:

The primordials are gone from the world, and they are rebuilding a Nadežra that reflects all the people who live there. Vargo's no longer a nobleman, but he has a seat on the Setterat, and he can help change the city from more than the bottom up. He should be happy. But mostly, he's lonelier than he's been in more than a decade. Luckily, those closest to him have noticed, and Ren and Grey have some ideas about how to reconnect with him.

[anarchypumpkincowboy]

“If I’d known you were so keen to meet, I’d have thrown a ball in your honor and spared you having to deal with Tserdev.” “Making me compete with all the others who want a piece of you?” The Rook’s blade whispered free of its sheath. “I preferred a more intimate setting for our first dance.” “Lucky me,” Vargo said, keeping his voice falsely light. “But as flattered as I am by the attention, I fear I must decline.”

Y’all can see why I say they need to fuck right? They’d make for a great enemies to to lovers ship but also an enemies to reluctant allies who’re in a relationship with the same woman who wants them all to fuck ship

[lovelygoblin]

Derossi Vargo will say "I don't care about anyone, I only do things for my own gain because I'm a selfish man and all I desire is power," while he is pushing himself to the brink of death to save his friends, his town, and everyone inside its walls and I love that for him

[fyeahsmokinhot]

Took me 4 days of cancelling ALL my plans, & pretending to work, but finally finished both books of The Rook and The Rose.

The Liars Knot especially, was so engaging, I literally couldn't put it down! DEFINITELY the right decision to give Vargo more story.

Now, I have a single prayer: Can I have more Iascat??!! I mean him&Vargo, SHIP IT, but also just him as a character....that scene on the barge was sooo 😍 cute, I just want more of his babyboyness, but also him being badASS!!!

Could I also have more Giuna and Tess? And OH-MY-GODD Varuni!!!!!! ❤️

[asexualbookbird]

tagged by @libraryspectre which i have been DREADING and I was RIGHT this was SO HARD so im doing EIGHT characters instead of five and yall will have to CHOOSE

anyway. TUMBLR CHOOSE ONE OF MY TOP FIVE EIGHT FAVORITE CHARACTERS

no secret ninth option choose one even if its just on Vibes

I tag: @bigcats-birds-and-books @alloreli @logarithmicpanda @eriadu-in-the-wildwood and @timetravelbypen forgive me if any of yall have done this already i have the memory of a fruit fly

HAVE FUN

[qqueenofhades]

what’s rook and rose, do i need to read it

kristen likes book

Kristen. Kristen I am disappoint. How have you possibly missed ALL THE SCREAMING I have done about this before??? Shame. SHAME.

Anyway, this is book one of Rook and Rose:

The other two are The Liar's Knot (book 2) and Labyrinth's Heart (book 3). I waited very impatiently for Labyrinth's Heart (it came out last August) and then descended into a fit of unhinged screaming that had SO many of my followers go "okay I'll read it" and then "oh no." It is an epic fantasy trilogy filled with so many things I love:

Fat Ass Books (each one is 600+ pages);

An incredible and well-built world that's basically Magical Venice (the authors are both anthropologists);

A unique and interesting magic system;

Excellent writing;

Complex political and social intrigue;

GARBAGE DISASTER BISEXUAL MEN (DEROSSI VARGO MY MOST BELOVED) WHO ARE APPROPRIATELY GAGA OVER THEIR TOUGH BADASS LADIES;

Sass!

Costumed vigilante anti-imperial superheroes!

An OT3 which made me lose my ever living mind in steadily less coherent increments, especially during book 3!

The occasional Absolutely Mad Lad plot development that left me wondering wtf had just happened but also enjoying it;

AND SO MUCH MORE!

The end result of all this screaming, apparently, was that unbeknownst to me until this very morning, when they reblogged something from me, I went WAIT A WHOLE ASS SECOND, and then went WAIT WHAT, is that one of the co-authors of the trilogy follows me here on ye olde Tumblr. To which I say: OH NO and also, I REGRET NOTHING.

So yes. Read it. Readdddddd ittttttt. The end.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Who's is That Face in the Mask?

So, it's rare when I pick up a book on the strength of a YouTube video, and honestly even rarer that I enjoy books selected based on that criteria. However, since Marie Brennan is one half of MA Carrick and the book is often described via *that* quote from The Princess Bride (and no, I'm not specifying even though Princess Bride is all *that* quote depending on context), I had hope. After all, I loved the Lady Trent memoirs and The Princess Bride. And folks, this book did not disappoint. Let's talk The Mask of Mirrors.

What do you get when hundreds of years of colonization mixes with a rogue vigilante for the oppressed population and a con woman who sets out for money but comes up with found family? Youu get some stunningly well written characters, intrigue that I frankly preferred to A Song of Ice and Fire, and just beautifully nuanced worldbuilding.

Ren--or Renata Viraudax or Arenza, depending on the day and location--grew up as a dirt-poor half-Vrazenian kid who was completely disconnected from her mother's people in a city colonized by the Liganti. She was a gang member under the objectively abusive Ondrakja until she watched Ondrakja beat her brother to death. Next thing we know, Ren has poisoned her Fagin and made off for another country with her sister, Tess. They end up serving in the household of Letilia--a disgraced member of House Traemantis.

Fast forward a few years, and Letilia being an absolutely irredeemable human gives Ren the idea to con the remaining members of House Traemantis in Nadezera. Mother and daughter are sufficiently estranged that Letilia won't out Ren, but other actors in the city might.

Those actors include Grey Serrado, captain of the Vigil (read police force) and Vrazenian slip-knot (read traitor to his people because he assimilated into Liganti society. He is running himself ragged trying to sort out why street kids keep dying of insomnia, track down the mysterious Rook, and running petty errands for the Liganti nobility. He does not get help from the rampant vanity and nepotism in the Vigil ranks, nor the racism of most Liganti hawks. Add to that his deep grief for his brother's recent murder and Grey needs a hug and a paid vacation.

Then there is Vargo Derossi, crime lord extraordinaire with an eye toward becoming too powerful to be ignored and choosing to pretend to go legitimate to achieve the dream. He is charming and deadly all at once, has someone else in his head, has a pet spider named Peabody, and some serious germophobia. Whether he is caught in Ren's con or she is caught in his web is an open question for most of this book. Vargo is 100% unanswered questions, and every single one is dangerous to ask and even more dangerous not to know the answer to. Especially since he is also SUSPICIOUSLY competent at numinatria...

We of course cannot neglect Donaia, Leato, and Giuna Tremantis. This remnant of a once proud family are an unusual bunch, but they're also different enough that watching their personalities mesh and clas ended up being one of my favorite things about this book.

Beyond the character work, the worldbuilding in this book is first-class. The Vrazenians and Liganti are culturally and visually distinct at a glance, and then for those who care to stay and look harder, there is depth and nuance. Both cultures feel real and vibrant, which makes the all-too-clear harms of oppression and colonization, as well as the messiness of navigating mixed-heritage identities, all the sharper.

It also highlights the different magic systems, religions, and ways of knowing and relating to your community based on those cultural differences. Patterning and numinatria are both valid, but neither quite likes the other and thy don't cross cultural lines. The Rook is a folk hero to the Vrazenians and a half-mythical, pain-in-the-ass vigilante to the Liganti. Even fashion is sharply divided.

Overall, the Princess Bride comparison is apt, but perhaps also mixed with some Leverage and some Batman. I loved this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two.

[linovadraws]

Just thinking about a man and his spider who is also his dad

[kazz-brekker]

my fellow kaz brekker fans while waiting for sab renewal/soc spinoff announcement i IMPLORE you to go read the rook & rose trilogy by m.a. carrick. the first book is called the mask of mirrors and among other things (swashbuckling masked vigilantes, secret societies up to no good, long cons to infiltrate the rich and steal all their money) it also features my other favorite crime lord, derossi vargo, well-dressed possessor of both a sword cane and a pet spider, who is literally always scheming and double-crossing people and is also very tightly wound and secretive and has hidden childhood trauma around disease

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: “Lush, engrossing and full of mystery and dark magic" (BookPage), Labyrinth's Heart 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.

Review:

The finale to a fantastic fantasy series filled with romance, mystery, magic and so much more! A con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord all come together to not only save their city from dangerous ancient magic but to find an unlikely bond between friendship, romance, and family. Ren is now posed as the long lost daughter of a noble house, she's secured money for her sister and herself... and she had planned on vanishing without a backward glance until she became a con-artist and thief while juggling her other identity as a political rebel... and her other identity as the black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the city's own legendary Rook... who just happens to be the man she's fallen in love with. Grey, the once captain of the Vigil city guard and secret vigilante hero Rook, has now lost his Rook abilities and has left his job in the Vigil, yet he still will do anything to protect the city and the woman he loves as well as his new unlikely friendship with the crime lord Vargo. Vargo use to be a crime lord but now he, Grey, and Ren all hold magical coins that could destroy them all, they have to find a way to save the city from the dangerous magic that is threatening to tear it apart as well as the threats to their own lives as their own villains and secrets are coming out to destroy them. Ren has to find a way to finally confess the truth to the family she conned but now loves as her own and the fact that a person from her past has finally come to town and she demands Ren do what she wants or else.. while Grey has to find a way to continue as the Rook without the magical ghost in him and Vargo has to deal with his position in the city as well as the aftermath of the magical injuries he received and his partnership with his spider friend. This was such a fun and complex series to read. I loved the characters and their journey and getting to see them grow. Seriously this is a great series for fans of fantasy books with high politics and world building, filled with schemes, cons, magic and more!

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books, Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[keytoyourhearts]

Review of The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick (2021), 1st book of the Rook & Rose series

SYNOPSIS:

Ren goes by many names: Alta Renata Viraudax, Arenza Lenskaya, Renyi.  Though she wears many masks, the face of Ren below them all is the same: a con artist.  Her latest con is to infiltrate the noble House Traementis, posing as a long-lost cousin, to steal a cut of their fortune.  Fate has other plans for her, as she is swiftly swept up in the political intrigue of Nadezra, a city colonized and lorded over by the Laganti while the founding Vraszenians are left to fight over their scraps.  Along the way, she meets Derossi Vargo, a “reformed” crime lord; Grey Serrado, a Vraszenian Captain in the city Vigil; and the Rook, a masked vigilante fighting against the corruption that runs rampant among the city’s elite.  All is not what it seems, however, as an unknown force threatens it all, harnessing the power of dreams and nightmares.

See my full review and rating below the cut!

RATING: 5/5 STARS

MY THOUGHTS:

The Mask of Mirrors is an impressively and intricately woven tale of intrigue with many mysteries to be had.  The author team, made up of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, had such a strong hold of my attention, I could barely put it down.  After I was able to tear myself away, I was so enraptured that I found myself puzzling through this novel even when I was not reading it!  I cannot wait to get my hands on the second one.

TAGS: fantasy, political/court intrigue, magic & alchemy

CW: graphic depiction of injury & death, violence, drug-use, drugging, colonialism, discrimination, rioting & police brutality, sexual content, pseudo-incest (fake cousins), mentions of SA, infantilization of someone with a disability

RECOMMENDATION: I would recommend this book to any reader with an interest in fantasy and intrigue who would like a solid introduction into something with more mystery.  This novel has it all; there’s even a little sprinkle of romance!

THE GOOD:

The mysteries strewn throughout the pages are numerous and interwoven in such a way that, while I had no issue keeping them straight, I found that I had the desire to stop and write out my thoughts and predictions regarding their solutions.  And I was pleasantly surprised to be incorrect with each one!  Looking back on them having finished reading, I distinctly remember small details that foreshadow revelations being sprinkled throughout.

The character of the Rook was just plain fun, and I loved every second of every scene they were a part of.  I found myself falling for each trick the authors used to lead me into guessing the identity of the Rook, and I knew that I was.  The reveal was a shock to me, but it made complete sense; the hints were all there.

The ending was so satisfying, everything was wrapped up in a neat bow…until the true source of conflict was revealed, effectively setting up the overarching plot for the remaining books in the series.

I also loved how the cadence of dialogue changed between accents and languages.  I found it to be a clever way to show the language had changed, without the actual text needing to (italicized, etc.).

THE BAD:

First, a small nitpick.  What day is it?  What time is it??  There was no explanation I could find for the calendar system until the glossary…at the end of the book.  Even then, I’m still not sure I completely understand it without it being in context.

Here’s another common critique: Ren is a Mary-Sue.  She has a tragic backstory, she is always being described as pretty and charismatic, she never seems to fail at anything, she is incredibly clever, and everyone seems to forgive her for everything so easily.  In all honesty, I did not mind it that much, but it was pretty blatant.

My biggest gripe with this book is the “cousins” romance plot.  Sure, Ren is not actually related to Leato and is only pretending, but everyone believes them to be cousins and even plays matchmaker between them.  It’s even stated that if two characters who swore a familial bond were to sleep together, it would be considered incestuous but not cousins?  What?

Lastly, a character dubbed as a “dawn child” was introduced briefly near the end.  From the context and physical description, I believe she is meant to be a girl with Down syndrome.  Unfortunately, she is immediately infantilized for it, and I believe it carries on into the next book, if not further.  In a book with such incredible diversity and representation throughout, I was disappointed to read this.