Masquerade of Mirrors

Book 1 in the Halls of Glass series

by Samantha Hartwood

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.

Masquerade of Mirrors is a fast-paced, slow-burn fantasy romance. Taera and Nikolai’s story is for readers who love crackling chemistry, daring escape plans, and as many lies as truths.

~ Tropes ~

He’s her captor ~ School of illusion magic ~ Uniquely intimate magic system ~ Only one bed (a couple times…) ~ Morally grey MMC ~  Fake relationship ~ Touch her and pain ~ Enemies to lovers ~ Forced proximity ~  Masquerade Ball ~  FPN – Dual POV ~ Slow burn with spice  ~ She discovers her power ~ Forbidden quests and deadly secrets ~ Dangerous fun and games ~ “F*ck it” moment ~  Standalone/First in Series ~ Mysterious, manipulative, dangerous MMC with a dark secret ~  Fiercely courageous FMC who doesn’t immediately fall into his lap

Book Links

Goodreads ~ StoryGraph ~ Fable ~ Instagram ~ Threads ~Facebook – Website

This book is intended for adults. For a full list of content warnings, click here.