The Broken Binding Fantasy Sub #7: February-March-April 2025
In January, the final book of an ongoing series from my Fantasy subscription with The Broken Binding landed on my doormat – which can only mean one thing: a new series announcement has been mader.
Those reveals always feel like a little treat, because TBB’s choices are anything but predictable. Of the six series I’ve received so far, three were complete unknowns, two were wildly popular titles that have been lingering on my TBR for far too long, and one was an old-school epic fantasy that every fan simply must read.
What would they pull out of their hat this time?
The newly announced series turned out to be Rook & Rose by M.A. Carrick – the pseudonym of writing duo Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms.
A fairly modern trilogy, completed in 2023, and one that has been languishing on my TBR since the very first whispers of its release. After the initial hype surrounding book one, things quieted down a bit, and the series slowly faded into the background. But thanks to TBB and a rereading of the synopsis of book one, my curiosity has been reignited.
Ren is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadežra with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister’s future.
But as she’s drawn into the elite world of House Traementis, she realizes her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her. And as nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the City of Dreams, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled…with Ren at their heart.
The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a dazzling and darkly magical fantasy adventure by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, writing together as M. A. Carrick.
The Broken Binding promised completely new cover art for their edition of the trilogy, created by @pgm.99, as well as endpaper illustrations by @nord_sol and @hoanglapdoan, plus black-and-white interior illustrations by @jessichenliu. A quick scroll through their Instagram pages, and yep – these were shaping up to be absolutely stunning editions!
As The Broken Binding keeps growing, I suspect we might not be getting these gorgeous book gifts forever, simply because it may become unmanageable. That’s why I keep photographing each book I receive before unwrapping it.
I actually liked the original covers of this series, but they felt a bit generic. What @pgm.99 created for these editions? Absolutely breathtaking! Such gorgeous illustrations, and I love that the original typeface was more or less retained. These covers only fuel my excitement for the story – they look glamorous, mysterious, and thrilling!
The hardcovers themselves give a little nod to the original covers, especially with the colour choices and the gold foil on book one. Such a nice touch!
Whew, the sprayed edges on these books are once again top-tier!
And those endpapers by @nord_sol and @hoanglapdoan? I have zero complaints – they add so much to the overall feel of the books and once again get me hyped to finally dive into this series.
My Tier 1 set also comes with a signature from both authors in each book. Each copy is also numbered – mine are number 325 of the 1500 printed copies. That gives it that extra touch of exclusivity.
As you could see on the package photo: each book came with a matching bookmark. Always a nice bonus!
Another gem of a set from The Broken Binding. Despite the fact that several artists contributed to the whole, the end result still feels like a perfectly coordinated collection. No loose sand, but a well-thought-out whole.
No notes from me – except: wow.
Now I just need to find the time to dive in! Have you read Rook & Rose, or is it still on your TBR? Let me know – I’m curious to hear what others thought of it!
Cheers,
Charlotte
