---
product_id: 114096121
title: "The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Book 2)"
price: "€ 37.07"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/114096121-the-monster-baru-cormorant-the-masquerade-book-2
store_origin: FI
region: Finland
---

# The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Book 2)

**Price:** € 37.07
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## Description

desertcart.com: The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Book 2) eBook : Dickinson, Seth: Kindle Store

Review: A worthy follow up to the first book. - So, I binge-read this as soon as it came out. Probably be closer to a 4.5/5, but desertcart doesn't allow for half star ratings. There's just a little something that this book is missing that makes it as good as "The Traitor Baru Cormorant", its predecessor. I think what "Traitor" had was a bit more naïveté and thrilling joy of the idea of turning the Masquerade inside out. Though "Traitor" tackled serious themes and ended on a very somber note, there was a lot of joy to be found in the racing through the years (as Baru raced through the ranks and her plans). Which is not to say "Monster" isn't enjoyable or doesn't have its small, quiet and happy moments. It's just missing that little spark. But I do think in a way, that makes sense. Baru is really struggling in this book. She's deeply depressed and guilt-ridden, and her attempts to force it all down just makes her feel worse. Baru really is a monster in the eyes of herself and everyone around her. And that's what makes this book feel heavy, the knowledge that Baru's bright-eyed enthusiasm for rebellion is gone. The more time passes, the more sluggish Baru seems, almost forcing herself to continue with her plans if only because there is no reason not to. It's in stark contrast with the first book, where Baru was forcefully sincere in her desire to destroy the Masquerade. That being said, this book is still outstanding. It does suffer a bit from the so-called "middle book syndrome". But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Middle books are the vehicle to propel us from a journey's start to finish. If "Traitor" was exciting because it was the start of a new adventure, "Monster" is (the start of) a long, desperate struggle to get to the resolution. + The Characters: As with the first book, the story juggles a plethora of characters (of good, bad, and to be determined intentions). This is still very much Baru's book, Baru's story, but Dickinson decided in "Monster" to have the readers spend some time in other characters' shoes (both in the past and present), and I think it was a very good writing decision. It ups the political intrigue and makes conversations/pacts between characters all the more mysterious. Absolutely no one is to be trusted -- though, of course, Baru is the most hatred and least trusted of them all right now. The different POVs also serve to help flesh out previously-side-characters and make the world-building flourish. + Baru: I love her so much. She's truly a mess. And she remains my favorite character in the series. + Writing: Dickinson is an impeccable writer. What can I say? The different POVs are all unique and Baru's more fluid, stream-of-conscious type thoughts and dreams are quite striking. + Themes: Like before, Dickinson tackles a lot of serious themes in "Monster", primarily sexuality, gender, sexism, racism, and colonialism. One thing that I particularly enjoyed were the open discussions about sexuality, which are of course grounded in the book's universe but bear striking chords with our own reality. + Twists: My god. These are going to keep me wondering and turning over and over again in my head until the third book. The plot goes in some rather unexpected directions and there were some huge revelations in the last 1/3 of the book. There's really no major missteps here in Dickinson's second Masquerade novel. At times I did find the pacing to be a little slow, but not so much that it truly impacted my enjoyment. And that being said, I honestly can't think of anything I would have cut from the novel. I don't think slowness is truly a bad thing; the world-building is so rich, the political lines all so tangled, that they simply just beg to be expounded upon. At times though I was wishing that there could be a glossary to refresh us on all the characters, especially with the influx of new characters/cultures. (Maybe in book 3?) All in all, I went into this book with stupidly high expectations and was very pleased to come away feeling satisfied. I wish that I could sit down and read the next installment right now ...
Review: A good read, but definitely a middle novel. - It's hard to review this book honestly without spoilers, and explain why I'm giving it the rating I am, but here goes. While the writing is just as solid as in The Traitor Baru Cormorant, middle novels often have trouble both standing on their own and living up to the first. This feels like such a middle novel. A lot of new names, places, and cultures get introduced, and true to form they're all complex and interesting and feel like living, breathing places, but they sometimes also feel like worldbuilding for its own sake, without sharp relevance to the unfolding plot. On top of that, Baru seems to spend more time being acted upon than acting, and the pacing is a lot slower, which makes it feel like the stakes are lower, even as we're told that they're sharply escalated. The secondary characters become more interesting than Baru, at points. And the ending, honestly, is a giant middle-novel cliffhanger that doesn't resolve much of anything, other than that the pieces have been arranged on the board for the presumptive third novel in the series. I got to the end of The Traitor Baru Cormorant shell-shocked by the events and the conclusion of the novel. It stood on its own as one of my favorite books of the year, one I made all my friends read. While I enjoyed the ride on this one, I got to the end of it and thought "Oh, is that it? Well, I guess I'll have to wait to read the third one, then." The writing is great, the characterization all works, and the worldbuilding is some of the best in fantasy, but I feel like it falters on plotting and pacing. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first one.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B078X294FQ |
| Accessibility  | Learn more |
| Best Sellers Rank | #101,738 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #399 in Military Fantasy (Books) #623 in LGBTQ+ Fantasy (Kindle Store) #1,631 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Kindle Store) |
| Book 2 of 3  | The Masquerade |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,316) |
| Enhanced typesetting  | Enabled |
| File size  | 4.2 MB |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1466875135 |
| Language  | English |
| Page Flip  | Enabled |
| Print length  | 449 pages |
| Publication date  | October 30, 2018 |
| Publisher  | Tor Books |
| Screen Reader  | Supported |
| Word Wise  | Enabled |
| X-Ray  | Enabled |

## Images

![The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Book 2) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yTlh4VmYL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A worthy follow up to the first book.
*by M***E on November 2, 2018*

So, I binge-read this as soon as it came out. Probably be closer to a 4.5/5, but Amazon doesn't allow for half star ratings. There's just a little something that this book is missing that makes it as good as "The Traitor Baru Cormorant", its predecessor. I think what "Traitor" had was a bit more naïveté and thrilling joy of the idea of turning the Masquerade inside out. Though "Traitor" tackled serious themes and ended on a very somber note, there was a lot of joy to be found in the racing through the years (as Baru raced through the ranks and her plans). Which is not to say "Monster" isn't enjoyable or doesn't have its small, quiet and happy moments. It's just missing that little spark. But I do think in a way, that makes sense. Baru is really struggling in this book. She's deeply depressed and guilt-ridden, and her attempts to force it all down just makes her feel worse. Baru really is a monster in the eyes of herself and everyone around her. And that's what makes this book feel heavy, the knowledge that Baru's bright-eyed enthusiasm for rebellion is gone. The more time passes, the more sluggish Baru seems, almost forcing herself to continue with her plans if only because there is no reason not to. It's in stark contrast with the first book, where Baru was forcefully sincere in her desire to destroy the Masquerade. That being said, this book is still outstanding. It does suffer a bit from the so-called "middle book syndrome". But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Middle books are the vehicle to propel us from a journey's start to finish. If "Traitor" was exciting because it was the start of a new adventure, "Monster" is (the start of) a long, desperate struggle to get to the resolution. + The Characters: As with the first book, the story juggles a plethora of characters (of good, bad, and to be determined intentions). This is still very much Baru's book, Baru's story, but Dickinson decided in "Monster" to have the readers spend some time in other characters' shoes (both in the past and present), and I think it was a very good writing decision. It ups the political intrigue and makes conversations/pacts between characters all the more mysterious. Absolutely no one is to be trusted -- though, of course, Baru is the most hatred and least trusted of them all right now. The different POVs also serve to help flesh out previously-side-characters and make the world-building flourish. + Baru: I love her so much. She's truly a mess. And she remains my favorite character in the series. + Writing: Dickinson is an impeccable writer. What can I say? The different POVs are all unique and Baru's more fluid, stream-of-conscious type thoughts and dreams are quite striking. + Themes: Like before, Dickinson tackles a lot of serious themes in "Monster", primarily sexuality, gender, sexism, racism, and colonialism. One thing that I particularly enjoyed were the open discussions about sexuality, which are of course grounded in the book's universe but bear striking chords with our own reality. + Twists: My god. These are going to keep me wondering and turning over and over again in my head until the third book. The plot goes in some rather unexpected directions and there were some huge revelations in the last 1/3 of the book. There's really no major missteps here in Dickinson's second Masquerade novel. At times I did find the pacing to be a little slow, but not so much that it truly impacted my enjoyment. And that being said, I honestly can't think of anything I would have cut from the novel. I don't think slowness is truly a bad thing; the world-building is so rich, the political lines all so tangled, that they simply just beg to be expounded upon. At times though I was wishing that there could be a glossary to refresh us on all the characters, especially with the influx of new characters/cultures. (Maybe in book 3?) All in all, I went into this book with stupidly high expectations and was very pleased to come away feeling satisfied. I wish that I could sit down and read the next installment right now ...

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good read, but definitely a middle novel.
*by A***R on November 6, 2018*

It's hard to review this book honestly without spoilers, and explain why I'm giving it the rating I am, but here goes. While the writing is just as solid as in The Traitor Baru Cormorant, middle novels often have trouble both standing on their own and living up to the first. This feels like such a middle novel. A lot of new names, places, and cultures get introduced, and true to form they're all complex and interesting and feel like living, breathing places, but they sometimes also feel like worldbuilding for its own sake, without sharp relevance to the unfolding plot. On top of that, Baru seems to spend more time being acted upon than acting, and the pacing is a lot slower, which makes it feel like the stakes are lower, even as we're told that they're sharply escalated. The secondary characters become more interesting than Baru, at points. And the ending, honestly, is a giant middle-novel cliffhanger that doesn't resolve much of anything, other than that the pieces have been arranged on the board for the presumptive third novel in the series. I got to the end of The Traitor Baru Cormorant shell-shocked by the events and the conclusion of the novel. It stood on its own as one of my favorite books of the year, one I made all my friends read. While I enjoyed the ride on this one, I got to the end of it and thought "Oh, is that it? Well, I guess I'll have to wait to read the third one, then." The writing is great, the characterization all works, and the worldbuilding is some of the best in fantasy, but I feel like it falters on plotting and pacing. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first one.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A satisfying and engaging sequel
*by G***H on November 9, 2018*

It’s finally here! I was sold on Baru from Traitor, after getting absorbed into her subversive, scheming, emotional, thrilling story. Monster continues that smart writing which makes the characters seem real and driven by understandable causes, and which surprises with humor and horror and just plain marvelous plot complexity and world/culture building. You may find Monster feeling like one half of a larger book, though. It’s definitely a different journey from Traitor. But I enjoyed the experience and inhaled the book really quickly. I’d call the Masquerade series “hard fantasy” — similar to the idea of “hard sci-fi.” It’s brilliantly controlled in its premise and what is allowed to happen in the world. This brings a sense of deeper satisfaction — there’s less hand waving, and more, I would say, truly believable, true-to-human-experience fantasy. The characters don’t feel like NPCs, I mean. Anyway, read it! Read the whole series! It’ll punch your gut and scramble your noodles.

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*Product available on Desertcart Finland*
*Store origin: FI*
*Last updated: 2026-03-20*