Blog Tour: Masks and Mirrors by Sue Duff (Sara’s review)

Masks and Mirrors (Book Two: The Weir Chronicles) 
written by Sue Duff
published by Crosswinds Publishing, 2015

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange  for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: Oh yes I sure did! This was everything I was hoping for in the sequel to Fade to Black!

I am Love LOVE LOVING the Weir lore and background, and I am liking Jaered more and more every page that I read about him! In Fade to Black, I found him (and his mystery) mostly annoying and inconsequential to the plot, but now that we are finally starting to see how the rebels play a larger part in the fate of earth I am all about him! I want to know more about his family, his past, and how he got hooked up with the rebels!

Much like Ian and Rayne, I felt a bit unfulfilled by the developments of the love story in Masks and Mirrors. So, at first, I thought that the lovers that couldn’t touch was a cool idea but in reality it got a little old, and kinda awkward. It will be interesting to see how that gets resolved.

***Spoiler Alert*** I totally called it about the wolf/dog. From the moment we met the wolf in Fade to Black, I knew that there would be a thing with Ian and Channeling that would move the plot forward. I loved this development and wished that there would have been more of it in the story. I loved all the plot points with this aspect of the story in it! ***End Spoiler Alert***

The characters in Masks and Mirrors are solid and well thought out, and the plot is complex enough to keep you interested but not so convoluted that you can’t figure it out. I am also very much admiring the small threads that are being drawn out from the plots in Fade to Black that seemed unimportant at the time and are now becoming crucial. I find it skillful! Duff’s cast of characters have a life of their own and I have caught myself wondering “What was he thinking?” or “Why did he do that?” as though they were real people.

One of the things about Duff that I admire is that she doesn’t shy away from letting characters die when the story calls for it. Sometimes an author (especially in fantasy genres where you can ‘magic’ someone back to life) will attempt to save everyone so they live happily ever after. That occasionally leaves too much suspension of belief to be willing. The deaths that occur in both Fade to Black and Masks and Mirrors are necessary, purposeful, and appropriately affect the characters and the plot moving forwards. This was quite well done.

 

Would I recommend it: I would absolutely recommend Masks and Mirrors, and I will certainly be keeping a look out for the next book in the series because I NEED to know what happens next! OMG, what was written on the paper that burned up what is the deal with Eve! The suspense may kill me . . .

 Visit Ms. Duff’s tour page!

 

About the book – from Goodreads: Ian Black’s commitment to safeguarding Earth has come at a price. His career as an illusionist is at a standstill and attending to the planet’s needs has distanced him from his best friend, his guardians, and the woman he loves. When presented with an opportunity to perform, Ian seizes the chance. But moments before he takes the stage, Ian encounters the mysterious Jaered and a rebel force fighting to protect Earth alongside the Weir.

Jaered is determined to stop a malevolent Weir from releasing a drug capable of wiping out the last vestiges of their race and plunging Earth into self-destruction. But when Jaered is willing to sacrifice an innocent child to obtain the drug for himself, Ian risks everything to uncover the secrets of the rebel forces and their true intentions for Earth’s survival.

About the author: Sue has been writing since high school but never became serious about it until a skiing accident laid her up for an entire summer and she turned on the word processor to combat the boredom. A couple years later, her first urban fantasy novel, Fade to Black, was a finalist in the RMFW Colorado Gold Writing Contest. By day, she’s a dedicated speech-language therapist in an inner city school district to pay the bills but her life as a writer is her true passion and the creative outlet keeps her sane.

Sue is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and The Pikes Peak Writers. Her creativity extends into her garden and the culinary arts. She is the second oldest of six girls with an avid reader mom and her dad, the family’s single drop of testosterone in a sea of estrogen. Fate thought it hilarious to give her a son but maternal instincts swing both ways and she didn’t break the little bugger. She lives in Colorado with her miniature dachshund, Snickers and hears from her son, Jonathan whenever he needs something.

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