King of Masks

Queen of Faces #2

by Petra Lord

Anabelle Gage emerged from the ashes of Paragon Academy having done the impossible—slaying the infamous Black Wraith, and stealing her body. As Caimor and Shenten race toward all-out war, Ana will risk everything to save her loved ones caught in the crossfire. Her friend Korin has been imprisoned by a vicious Shenti warlord, and only has days to live. To save him from execution, Ana and her allies must cross rising seas and withstand enemies on all sides.

Across the ocean, Nell Ebbridge is reunited with her father, Caimor's ruthless king, and find herself torn between her duty and her feelings for Ana. As she draws closer to dark truths, Nell must decide who she is willing to become—and who she is willing to sacrifice.

Krakens prowl the seas and ancient horrors stir beneath the waves. As armies clash and loyalties fracture, Ana and Nell are set on a devastating collision course.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dark Academia, Queer, Romance, LGBT, Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 26, 2027

Reviews

[Ashra]

ohhhhh yes i want to read

[labibliofille]

When THEY asked ME to read this early copy of King of Masks you bet your butt I screamed and hopped on the opportunity IMMEDIATELY!! I can't wait!!!!

[Alice]

4.5 ⭐️ Petra Lord look I just wanna talk about the WHIPLASH I experienced reading this book. A really strong second instalment in this series, I could not have predicted any of it 👏

[Ally]

Got an arc from work

I love how this deepened character complexities and relationships from the first one, I love how no one here is really GOOD even when pursuit of DOING GOOD, and I love how much advancement happened here, when second books in trilogies can sometimes lull. The only thing I didn't love was how long I'll have to wait for the next book after an ending like that!

Because my god I have absolutely no idea what’s gonna happen with Nell/Wes. I’m kinda scared to find out because their character development is going in directions I was not expecting but holy shit. I am glad we’re watching everyone get more extremist/present less government apologia in real time, that was my hope for the series. This book did throw a LOT of one off characters with names and titles that I had trouble keeping straight, but it didn’t inhibit my enjoyment too much.

[Abby]

I don't think anyone understands how much Korin and Nima mean to me right now

King of Masks is the second book in a dark YA fantasy trilogy featuring a magical school, body-swapping, and a world divided by war. I enjoyed book 1, but book 2 completely blew me away, and I know book 3 is going to destroy me. This book completely skips the second-book-syndrome, instead diving into a deeper, darker, and more complex plot than before. Again, I have to praise the worldbuilding for being so fresh and enjoyable to learn about. It's rare that a book has me asking for more lore drops, but the magic system is so incredibly and delightfully complex with the combination of Codexes, forms of magic, gods, body-swapping, historical curses, etc. This book explores the world outside Paragon Academy, meaning some characters venture closer to home, and we get more exposure to other manifestations of magic in this world.

Having survived the impossible, Anabelle Gage now inhabits the body of Khaiovhe, and she intends to wield its authority to save her friend from certain death. Best-case scenario, she makes a few allies; worst, she adds to her growing list of enemies. Meanwhile, Nell Ebbridge has reclaimed her old body, and with it, the responsibility of taking down the girl she once loved, all while her father lurks over her shoulder. It's hard to describe the plot of this book without spoiling anything, but it's action-packed from start to finish, and it isn't the kind of book that pulls its punches; these characters do not have plot armor. The first half has more of a heist feel, while the second leans more into politics (again, being vague for spoiler purposes). There are plenty of twists to keep readers guessing until the end, and the suspense lives on every single page. I would've easily consumed this book in a sitting or two if life hadn't gotten in the way. The middle section did get a bit tedious at times just because the constant tension could get a bit exhausting, but I did appreciate that I never really wanted to put the book down. Also, fair warning, this is a trilogy, and the ending had me staring at the wall for a little while, so...make of that what you will.

This is one of those rare series where I don't think I can truly hate any of the characters (well, maybe there's one...I think we all hate Adam Weaver). In book 1, I thought Ana was a cool protagonist but wasn't too overly hyped about her. Book 2 completely changed that; Ana is genuinely one of the coolest main characters I've had the joy of reading about all year, and a lot of it stems from how deserved her arc truly feels. Every power, every strength she has is warranted, and I love seeing her grow into who she is now. Ori was a favorite on my latest reread of book 1, but I think she dropped a bit here just because she didn't play the same unique role. That being said, I still appreciate what she brings to Queen Sulphur. Nell is one of those characters that I despise for some reasons and love for others; she's so complex, and I just know whenever she's on the page, there will be drama. I was also very intrigued by many of the side characters that either receive more page time or appear for the first time in this book. Seeing Nell interact with Samuel improved my opinion of him in some ways, though I still have messy feelings about him. The newer side characters all have super cool designs, like the Corpse King and Songbird (even their names are amazing). By far, though, my favorites are Korin and Nima. Korin was my favorite character in book 1, and my opinion has not shifted. In fact, I think this book has deepened my favoritism. And Nima? They already had impeccable character designs and banter, and with this book, their emotional connection with Korin only grows deeper. I need fanart of these characters immediately, and I think they may be one of my favorite character groups of the whole year.

King of Masks is the sequel to Queen of Faces and the second book in a gritty, dark YA fantasy trilogy that will rip out your heart a hundred times and then some.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.5/5

[Chloe Heary]

This would have been five stars but there is a huge, massive, GLARING continuity error that annoyed me so much I took a star off

[ReadingOceanside]

An explosive sequel with heart-pounding tension and loyalties that twist as unexpectedly as the magic. There are devastating secrets unmasked, allegiances tested, and a war stoked into a ravaging flame as the threat of rising tides looms ever closer.

I adore this series. It’s one of my favourite that I’ve read in a long time. I was so invested after the incredible writing of book 1, and care for these characters as if they were real-life friends.

Petra did such a good job of gradually building the relationship between Wes and Ana in book 1 that their dynamic in this book hurts excruciatingly more; their anakin and obi-won rivalry and final face-off was devastating. The whole book you are desperate for them to be back together and then dealt the earth-shattering card of them being on different sides of a deadly war…It hurt that Ana and Wes were separated for most of this book, (I LOVED their dynamic in book 1!) and I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL BOOK 3 DROPS AND THEY CAN FINALLY BE IN THE SAME ROOM AGAIN !!! That last chapter with them interacting made my heart ache. There’s so much trust to rebuild again now. I mean, Wes literally tried to kill Ana, it made me absolutely sob to see them reach that point. Even if they hate each other now, at least they will be forced to talk ?:( I am praying for sweet moments again in book 3, I miss their snark and hilarity.

Something that really struck me with this sequel is how excellently Petra portrayed the way in which someone can become radicalised in an extremist view; often not even because they agree with the leader’s views, but because the crumbs of pride and recognition they receive in return for carrying out their leader’s orders sates their affection-starved mind. It’s important as a society that we recognise the vulnerability of loneliness, and how it can make it easier for someone to be indoctrinated and manipulated. This feels incredibly relevant in the current social and political climate.

Oh Wes:( Seeing a trans character forced to be in a body they aren’t comfortable in, to please their family, made me hurt. Just like in the first book, it was blatantly obvious that there is no love in Wes’ family. It was more important to his mum that Wes upholds a fake image, than for him to be happy. And then for him to find out his one anchor of support in his fiancé was also a manipulation by his family.. the rage I felt on behalf of him and was glad he killed his fiancé and mum.

Petra continues to portray the cruelty of imperialism and colonialism with heart-wrenching rawness. When the oppressor writes the story, how do we get a truthful account of the atrocities they have committed, when they will always write themselves in a favourable light? The Babel curse is horrific; that someone chose to delete an entire nation of people’s language is a cruelty I cannot fathom. The fact they couldn’t even think or speak. As humans our communication is VITAL, and to take that from someone is unthinkable. It reminded me of times in history when certain (white) countries have tried to eradicate entire religions, people, and queer stories. Adding to this was the way Carriwitch used his power throughout their takeover to make groups of the opposition blind themselves and perform in ways meant to embarrass them. Humiliation has been a tool used by oppressors for centuries and an inhumane way to treat people they consider lesser.

The Dark Elders are something from a horror novel! I was so impressed by the descriptions (that made me grimace and want to cover my eyes!). Their parasitic nature and ability to hide from the host was intriguing, and far scarier than if they had been traditional monsters. As a horror enjoyer I really liked what they added to the story, although I imagine they may be too gruesome and dark for some readers. My heart broke for Jun and it physically HURT when Nima helped him realise what he is. My god I sobbed. Poor Jun and poor Nima. I really hope they can find eachother and find peace in book 3:(

Ana had wonderful character development in this book. You should have seen the way I cheered out loud when Ana triple bluffed and even tricked Wes, who knows how her brain strategises. Ana’s cleverness continues to prevail and crown her as one of the most tactical, badass and likeable protagonists, who you genuinely root for and are continuously surprised by.

I think this did what middle books should, with some questions answered, but many more raised. I continue to love this series and am DESPERATE for book three! It has taken me a few weeks to write this review since finishing the book, mostly because I needed to sit with the groundbreaking way that it ended! I will continue to recommend this book to my friends on booksta and my customers in the bookshop! This series means a lot to me, and I continue to feel proud and hopeful that such a queer, trans fantasy is taking the book world by storm <3

[Nancy]

I feel like there's not much I can say lest I risk spoilers--and you most certainly do not want to be spoiled for this book. It's chocked full of twists and turns, tension and action. Our morally grey characters continue to make morally grey choices; they are all a mess and it's a great. The plot moves forward, the world expands, and we're definitely in the dark middle chapter of this story. (The question is whether there will be any light at the end of the tunnel?) I loved this book, but also: I hate it here. And the wait for the finale is going to be excruciating. ARC provided by NetGalley.