Emily thought magic only existed in the books in her mother’s shop. When a handsome stranger enlists her help to uncover who tried to kill the princess of another world, she learns those books she loved to read were more than just stories. She discovers the Four Regions – a realm where magical creatures escaped human persecution. Emily also discovers the power, passion, and friendships she had … always secretly craved.
The determined demon who guides her.
The irresistible vampire who entices her.
The excitable demoness who supports her.
The quiet elf who understands her.
Now Emily must unmask a murderer while wearing a mask herself, resisting a growing temptation that could ruin her newfound family.
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While fantasy is not my normal genre to read because intense world-building really throws me off, I really enjoyed Mask and the magical world created by Andrea Fink.
Emily is whisked away from the human world to one full of magic, demons, vampires, and elves to help save her sister’s life (who she’d never met). At first, Emily is not thrilled about being taken from the real world to save someone she doesn’t know, or necessarily believe to be real. As her journey continues, she finds herself never wanting to leave.
This book had tons of great themes and elements – strong female lead, found family, mystery, lots of twists and turns. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
Overall, this was a good book. The beginning third, probably, is a lot of world building that just feels like an info dump. But pressing on beyond that, when the story really gets moving and then we get to the climax and conclusion, it’s much better developed as an overall tale.
Emily is whisked away from the human realm by someone claiming he needs her help to save her sister, who she never knew she had. She is taken to this fairytale realm, full of demons, vampires, dwarves, and all kinds of other fantastical creatures that she never knew were real, only to learn that she herself is not fully human, and has magic of her own. But humans aren’t welcome in this realm, which was created to protect magical creatures from humans in the first place, so Emily feels less than welcome, and finds it difficult to feel motivated to help, especially for a sister she never even knew she had. Meanwhile, she finds herself drawn to her sister’s fiance, as well as the mysterious vampire that he has helping him in this endeavor.
Emily didn’t have much in her life in the human world. Her mother passed away from cancer a few years prior, and she didn’t have any really close friends or family to speak of otherwise. So as she develops friendships and feelings for those trying to help her save her sister, the thought of returning home becomes less and less appealing. But the fae laws only allow one child to stay, while the second is usually “disposed of”, since they were twins, so staying doesn’t seem to be an option for her. Despite that, she is determined to save her sister. As the mysteries are revealed, there are a few unexpected twists, and the story is able to keep you on your toes and guessing a bit through to the end. There are a few loose ends left open for a continuing story, but for these characters, there is some level of resolution, a happy for now that will lead them onto the next book.
A quick, exciting, and fantastic read!
If you’re an easily-distracted fantasy lover like me, this is the book for you.
I love fantasy, but picking up a 500+ page novel can be daunting, especially when I have a long TBR list and so little time to read. Since most fantasy novels tend to be longer and more drug out, I was so excited to discover this gem of a book.
Quick and to-the-point, Andrea Fink doesn’t waste any time dragging out the plot. The reader is thrust into this magical land as fast as Emily was, and gets to watch as she navigates a unique world full of magic, demons, vampires, elves, and someone that might be trying to kill her.
Overall, Fink has managed to pack excellent world building, intriguing characters, and loads of suspense into a short, fast-paced novel that quickly became the world I couldn’t wait to escape into at the end of a long day.
So give it a read, it’s worth it!