Masks

by Karen Chance

Allyson Ryan (Narrator)

• ISBN10: 1494501996
• ISBN13: 9781494501990
• Publish Date: 30 May 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 January 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tantor Media, Inc
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 13 hours and 16 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Masks is the first and only novel (so far) written entirely from the perspective of Lord Mircea. Granted, this entire novel is also set before he became a lord. This is the tale of how he learned to be a proper political vampire.
Originally this was supposed to be a novella, but it ended up growing and growing until it became the novel it is today. It's absolutely perfect for those that adore Mircea, and wouldn't mind seeing a whole lot more of him.
Masks is numbered at 6.5 in the series, and you should probably read it at that time. Not because there will be spoilers – it's set far back in Mircea's past, after all – but because that'll be the moment when you'll be the most ready to learn about our leading character. Or at least, that is how it worked for me.
Because I’m doing a reread with a group of people (the Karen Chance Street Team – message me if you want to know more about it) I’m also going to include the discussion prompts we’ve been using. That will be at the end of the review, so if you’re curious, check it out.


Warnings: There are a lot of heavier tones in Masks. Baby vampires without masters are caught, rounded up, starved and abused, and eventually sold into slavery. There are the obvious elements that come with that, but in Mircea's case there are also several moments that bring more into it. Like sexual assault, or concerns about consent.
This may be hard to believe, but this was actually my first time reading Masks, despite having read most of the rest of the series several times. I guess I just missed a few of the side novellas/novels. Woops.
I have to say that I really enjoyed Masks. There were moments that made me uncomfortable – like those I mentioned in the warning up above – but I'm fairly certain that was intentional. Vampire life isn't pristine and perfect, much as they might prefer us to think of it that way. It's messy, violent, and frequently dangerous.
It was fun seeing an all-new Mircea. Though I'll confess I had trouble caring about well...most of the relationships shown here. Probably because I knew that they didn't stick around, or at least that they're not as relevant in present time.
But it was brilliant to see how Mircea's character formed over time. What he was forced to go through, and how much of his core personality survived his being turned (granted he was turned into a vampire through slightly different means than normal).
You can really see Karen Chance's history degree being used in this novel, possibly more so than any of the others. Those little extra details really added up, making the whole novel feel more real and alive.

Extra Comments:

Tarot Card: None mentioned

Favorite chapter/scene/plot point: The main fight scene at the end is probably my favorite, and not just for the fight. I loved the political schemes that were coming to fruition (or failing) there. All the effort that went into it.

Favorite quote: “But it never ceased to amaze him how he always assumed that his situation was unique. That no one else knew his pain, understood his loss. And yet, he continually had evidence of the contrary.”

MVP (not including Cassie): Well Cassie isn't in this one, so she couldn't be even if I wanted her to be. I'm going to assume not Mircea, because he is the main character here. I loved Antony and his determination despite the odds, so I'm going to go with him I think.

Favorite Political Quote: “Power is more than strength, Mircea. It takes more than that to be a leader. More of... whatever it is you have, and I don’t.”

Interesting bits I noticed this time 'round: First time reading! So everything I guess!

What further research did this book inspire (historical, mythological, etc): Nothing yet, but that'll probably change.

Unanswered questions: None


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[celinenyx]

There is a reason why I never read series out of order, and Masks proved that yet again. Though not part of the Cassandra Palmer narrative, Masks tells the story of Mircea, a recurring character in the series.

The story is set in fifteenth century Venice. Mircea is a masterless vampire, and therefore unprotected. When his luck runs out, he gets bought by an influential vampire to be a courtesan.

Usually I can pin-point the exact reason that ruins a book for me. It can be glaring plot holes, terrible characterisation or just butt-awkward writing. With Masks, I can only sum up some random elements that I didn't enjoy. The issue I had with this book was mostly that there weren't enough parts that I did like, rather then there being too many things I didn't like.

Masks doesn't make any concessions for readers unfamiliar with the Cassandra Palmer world. We meet Mircea, who is apparently a vampire, but never do we get any descriptions how a vampire looks. Do they have fangs? There are no mentions of fangs, but they do bite people. Are they sparkly? Pale? Or do they look like ordinary people? As someone that is new to the universe, I need those kinds of pointers to see the characters.

And it wasn't just visual input that I was missing. I had no idea what the limits of the vampires were. It is stressed at several points that a vampire needs a family to survive, but how this would work isn't explained. Why would Mircea go to Venice? It's said that this is the only "open port", but what does that mean? At no point he decides to get on a boat to some place different, so why would he go there at all?

I didn't care much for Mircea as a character. He mostly comes off as a rather selfish and odd guy. Maybe this is part of his vampire-ness, or that's just the way he is. The plot didn't engage me very much - plenty of key happenings are told as a flashback because Mircea was knocked out once again. His vampire friends seemed very fickle and childish, constantly bickering amongst themselves. Masks shows a rather depressing view of vampires: if we would all live centuries, this free for all oppressing kill-and-fuck-fest would be the result?

For fans of the Cassandra Palmer series, Masks might shed a light on the past of a beloved character. For readers unfamiliar with the world, this is not the place to start.