Masquerade of Mirrors by Samantha Hartwood
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy
Pages: 592
Published: on 17th February, 2026
Format: Ebook
Source: Gifted
Add to Goodreads
Book Synopsis:
The only thing more dangerous than falling for a lie is falling for the liar.
Don’t look at the desert. Don’t think about the desert. Never step onto the sand. Taera has followed these rules her entire life—until he arrives.
Impossibly gorgeous, with a face masked in magic, Nikolai kidnaps Taera and drags her deep into the dunes. He says she’s powerful and needs to be trained…if she ever wants to see her family again.
Thrust into a deadly school of illusions and lies, Taera can’t trust anyone. Especially not her breathtaking, ruthless captor. Top student and notorious liar, his secrets run deeper than the sand. He’s her worst nightmare—and everything she craves.
The cutthroat Halls of Glass have a mind of their own. Trapped within their looping corridors, Taera is surrounded by hostile students and forced to rely on Nikolai.
Taera knows she shouldn’t fall for his illusions. But magic requires a partnership, and he’s the only mage who can handle her wild, untamed power.
And the only way he’ll help her is if she pretends to be his.
Book Review
*I received an ARC copy of this book, but all opinions are entirely my own and honest.
I’d never heard of this author before until they reached out to me asking if I wanted to be part of their ARC team for their debut novel. The cover caught my eye, the blurb drew me in, and I was immediately intrigued. I don’t normally read Dark Academia but I thought I would push myself out of my comfort zone… I’m so glad I did!
Considering this is the author’s debut, the writing is impressively strong. Hartwood does such a great job with the descriptions for the world-building of the desert, the Halls of Glass etc. The dialogue didn’t feel forced at all between the characters too. My only critique for thus book is that I would’ve liked a bit more lore regarding the desert and why people fear it…
There was good pace overall throughout the story. The opening was a little slow for me, but I was still intrigued by where the story was going. Once I reached the halfway point, the pace picked up a lot and I was even more hooked into the story. My only downside was that the ending felt a little rushed to me.
Out of the main characters, I much preferred the MMC to the FMC. I like the air or mystery and broodiness that Nikolai gave off. Although Taera is a good character, she isn’t my favourite. However, the slow-burn romance between the two of them was very enjoyable. And when I say slow-burn… I mean slooow burn (it’s so worth it though)! By the end of the book, I felt the main characters were well fleshed out. We got to uncover secrets about both of them which I did not see coming at all. The book is dual POV and I enjoyed this aspect but honestly, I would’ve more chapters from Nikolai.
The magic system is refreshingly unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read. I will admit that it was a little confusing to begin with trying to understand what the magic system is. However, as the story progressed, it started to make more sense. I think the author may have done this intentionally so that the reader is able to figure it out alongside the FMC. I personally liked trying to figure it out instead of knowing right from the beginning. It was a good choice as it helped the story to unfold.
If you are a fan of academia books with magic and a hint of spice, then I would suggest giving this one a read. This would also be great if you enjoy a good slow-burn, morally grey men and a dangerous setting!
Leave a Reply