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Ruin of Stars
(Mask of Shadows #2)
by
The thrilling conclusion to the Mask of Shadows duology that weaves a tale of magic, shadows, and most importantly, revenge.
As one of the Queen’s elite assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to hunt down the lords who killed their family. But Sal still has to figure out who the culprits are. They must enlist the help of some old friends and enemies ...more
As one of the Queen’s elite assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to hunt down the lords who killed their family. But Sal still has to figure out who the culprits are. They must enlist the help of some old friends and enemies ...more
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
August 28th 2018
by Sourcebooks Fire
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Jul 26, 2018
Sh3lly (grumpybookgrrrl.com)
added it
Mask of Shadows: ★★★★★
Well, I seriously hate to do this and am very sad, but DNF at 20%. No rating. I wanted so very much to like this after loving the first book, but this is dreadfully boring and slow. Also, I feel like the criticism the author got not portraying "gender fluid" Sal "right" caused a whole lot of extra writing about gender fluidity and kind of ruined it for me. :/ Sal inner dialogued so much about their gender identity. I don't like being told things over and over. Why can't it ...more
Well, I seriously hate to do this and am very sad, but DNF at 20%. No rating. I wanted so very much to like this after loving the first book, but this is dreadfully boring and slow. Also, I feel like the criticism the author got not portraying "gender fluid" Sal "right" caused a whole lot of extra writing about gender fluidity and kind of ruined it for me. :/ Sal inner dialogued so much about their gender identity. I don't like being told things over and over. Why can't it ...more

Sal can finally seek vengeance and retribution behind the mask of Opal. The seek and destroy mission is now a thing of reality and Sal will make them pay. But will the greater price be paid by Sal’s soul?
Enter the intriguing and dark world of Linsey Miller’s RUIN OF STARS as one young assassin will enter a world filled with deceit, magic and love, with little hope of coming out emotionally intact, just the last person standing. Is the magic of the world really gone or has it been hidden away, co ...more
Enter the intriguing and dark world of Linsey Miller’s RUIN OF STARS as one young assassin will enter a world filled with deceit, magic and love, with little hope of coming out emotionally intact, just the last person standing. Is the magic of the world really gone or has it been hidden away, co ...more

This is the second and last book in the Masks of Shadows series by Linsey Miller. It starts right off where the precious book ended, so it is a good idea to read them together. I did, and it made it morw enjoyable since the last book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger.
In this book I finally made sense of what happened at the end exactly. That is my major issue with this book, both books really: the action scenes are really confusing. It’s hard to keep track of what happens and who’s involved, an ...more
In this book I finally made sense of what happened at the end exactly. That is my major issue with this book, both books really: the action scenes are really confusing. It’s hard to keep track of what happens and who’s involved, an ...more

As a conclusion to this series, I think this one did a good job.
The book started almost right where book 1 ended. Sal, our heroine, is now Opal, one of the members of the Left Hand. And they're now have the means to take revenge to those who ruined their home. In short Sal got what they wanted since it was the reason why they auditioned to be Opal. But they still have to work on the real identities of the 5 culprits who go by aliases. They only know three of them and the book opens with Sal taki ...more
The book started almost right where book 1 ended. Sal, our heroine, is now Opal, one of the members of the Left Hand. And they're now have the means to take revenge to those who ruined their home. In short Sal got what they wanted since it was the reason why they auditioned to be Opal. But they still have to work on the real identities of the 5 culprits who go by aliases. They only know three of them and the book opens with Sal taki ...more

Mar 24, 2017
Jennymort ♔ Dark Lordette
marked it as to-read
Sequel to Mask of Shadows, about a gender fluid pickpocket. *cries*


I need this book. Like right now.


I need this book. Like right now.


4 stars
I quite enjoyed this duology as a whole, with a very satisfying ending. I, actually, preferred this book compared to the first one as it was not completely focused on one thing/ one plot, like it was in the first book.
Would I re-read this series in the future? Perhaps but not right away;
Would I read other books by this author? Maybe, depending if the plot sounds interesting...
I quite enjoyed this duology as a whole, with a very satisfying ending. I, actually, preferred this book compared to the first one as it was not completely focused on one thing/ one plot, like it was in the first book.
Would I re-read this series in the future? Perhaps but not right away;
Would I read other books by this author? Maybe, depending if the plot sounds interesting...

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free, electronic ARC to review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
DNF at 60%
I wanted to like this book, but I just could NOT get into this. The first book, Mask of Shadows, was amazing! I was pretty excited to get this sequel, but I was pretty let down.
The story itself isn't that bad. It's a continuation of the previous book and explains a lot of backstory. Unfortunately, the writing is not amazing this time around. Many scenes have been to ...more
DNF at 60%
I wanted to like this book, but I just could NOT get into this. The first book, Mask of Shadows, was amazing! I was pretty excited to get this sequel, but I was pretty let down.
The story itself isn't that bad. It's a continuation of the previous book and explains a lot of backstory. Unfortunately, the writing is not amazing this time around. Many scenes have been to ...more

is...is there a possible way to give this MORE than 5 stars? because 5 stars certainly isnt enough.
i literally just finished and i still cant believe what i just read. im still so RAW from this book. so much of it just ruined me that im having trouble putting my love for these books into words.
i am 100% going to be rereading this, and then a review will be up.
thank you to the team @ sourcebooks fire for sending the arc to me. it means the world to me.
reread 7/28/18: GODDAMNIT WHY DO I DO THIS T ...more
i literally just finished and i still cant believe what i just read. im still so RAW from this book. so much of it just ruined me that im having trouble putting my love for these books into words.
i am 100% going to be rereading this, and then a review will be up.
thank you to the team @ sourcebooks fire for sending the arc to me. it means the world to me.
reread 7/28/18: GODDAMNIT WHY DO I DO THIS T ...more

Quick Summary:
The conclusion to the Mask of Shadows starts off not long after the first book ended. After winning the competition and becoming one of the Queen’s elite assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to discover who killed their family and hunt them down. While enlisting the help of some old friends and even some enemies Sal realizes there's something terribly wrong in the north. Talk of the return of shadows, missing children, and magic abounds. As Sal takes out t ...more
The conclusion to the Mask of Shadows starts off not long after the first book ended. After winning the competition and becoming one of the Queen’s elite assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to discover who killed their family and hunt them down. While enlisting the help of some old friends and even some enemies Sal realizes there's something terribly wrong in the north. Talk of the return of shadows, missing children, and magic abounds. As Sal takes out t ...more

Aug 07, 2018
♠️ Tabi ♠️
marked it as to-read
oh hey this is actually coming out pretty soon so yay for that!

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I wish I could say I enjoyed Ruin of Stars as much as I enjoyed Mask of Shadows.
Unfortunately, I didn't. In Miller's debut novel, we are introduced to Sal, a genderfluid thief who auditions to become a part of the Queen's Left Hand, a group of assassins who work for her, particularly for Opal. Sal hopes that with their success, they can get cl ...more
I wish I could say I enjoyed Ruin of Stars as much as I enjoyed Mask of Shadows.
Unfortunately, I didn't. In Miller's debut novel, we are introduced to Sal, a genderfluid thief who auditions to become a part of the Queen's Left Hand, a group of assassins who work for her, particularly for Opal. Sal hopes that with their success, they can get cl ...more

After reading Mask of Shadows I wasn’t sure if I would read the sequel. It was one of those books that I enjoyed while I was reading it but when I looked back to write my review I realized it had some issues with writing style and plot. Ultimately I decided to give the sequel a try because I heard good reviews and it is only a duology.
I only made it 50% of the way through Ruin of Stars before giving up. I found the writing had not matured and dialogue even more confusing than the first book. It ...more
I only made it 50% of the way through Ruin of Stars before giving up. I found the writing had not matured and dialogue even more confusing than the first book. It ...more

I couldn't finish this book. And I really wanted to like it, because the last sequel in a book I read didn't do so well, either.
I'll start by stating that the whole "relation between chara and surroundings" def improved. I could better visualize where Sallot was in different scenes.
That being said, I only stuck around for less than 30 chapters.
The gender-fluidity is nice and all, but then it starts getting beat over your head. Sallot constantly mentions it, and as another review states, it'd be ...more
I'll start by stating that the whole "relation between chara and surroundings" def improved. I could better visualize where Sallot was in different scenes.
That being said, I only stuck around for less than 30 chapters.
The gender-fluidity is nice and all, but then it starts getting beat over your head. Sallot constantly mentions it, and as another review states, it'd be ...more

Holy baldy-eyed cats. So much love for this book. My heart aches.

3.5/5
Date Reviewed: 25 August 2018
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I received an eARC for Mask of Shadows and finished it, I really enjoyed it and was excited for the next book. I knew that Ruin of Stars had to be better. What we have in the first book, we got in this book and even more. However, did the new stuff added into ...more
Date Reviewed: 25 August 2018
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I received an eARC for Mask of Shadows and finished it, I really enjoyed it and was excited for the next book. I knew that Ruin of Stars had to be better. What we have in the first book, we got in this book and even more. However, did the new stuff added into ...more

I received an ARC from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
I'm struggling with how to rate this, its between and 2 and a 3. I really loved Mask of Shadows, but I was kind of underwhelmed with the conclusion. I expected alot more action, but I felt like it took too long to get to the ending. The plot too far to long to develop and the pace was just too slow for my liking.
I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, mainly because they all have multiple names. This took me tw ...more
I'm struggling with how to rate this, its between and 2 and a 3. I really loved Mask of Shadows, but I was kind of underwhelmed with the conclusion. I expected alot more action, but I felt like it took too long to get to the ending. The plot too far to long to develop and the pace was just too slow for my liking.
I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, mainly because they all have multiple names. This took me tw ...more

I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
The action-packed ending to this duology had everything I love in a good fantasy; amazing characters, mysteries unveiled the wonderful Sal to root for and a finale which I didn't expect, yet I loved all the same.
With Sal trying to find the rest of the conspirators who want to destroy the Queen and hell-bent over revenge, they will have to deal with more than just their torturous past. ...more
The action-packed ending to this duology had everything I love in a good fantasy; amazing characters, mysteries unveiled the wonderful Sal to root for and a finale which I didn't expect, yet I loved all the same.
With Sal trying to find the rest of the conspirators who want to destroy the Queen and hell-bent over revenge, they will have to deal with more than just their torturous past. ...more

A copy of this novel was provided by New South Books for review.
Mask of Shadows is hands down one of my absolute favourite books. I read it for the first time last year and fell in love, and I re-read it in preparation for its sequel – Ruin of Stars. In all honesty, I hadn’t any real fear that Ruin of Stars would disappoint, but I am happy to report that it most certainly lived up to its predecessor.
Though I must mention that Ruin of Stars is vastly different to Mask of Shadows. Mask of Shadows ...more
Mask of Shadows is hands down one of my absolute favourite books. I read it for the first time last year and fell in love, and I re-read it in preparation for its sequel – Ruin of Stars. In all honesty, I hadn’t any real fear that Ruin of Stars would disappoint, but I am happy to report that it most certainly lived up to its predecessor.
Though I must mention that Ruin of Stars is vastly different to Mask of Shadows. Mask of Shadows ...more

DNF @ 76%, although I skimmed the rest of it. This book was such a disappointment considering how much I enjoyed the first book.
This one seemed much more sloppily written due to:
1) Glaring errors like using “their” instead of “there” and instances of missing entire words or punctuation.
2) Inconsistency. Characters would be doing one thing, be described one way, or be in one place, but then they would abruptly be doing something else, be described differently, or be located elsewhere in space wi ...more
This one seemed much more sloppily written due to:
1) Glaring errors like using “their” instead of “there” and instances of missing entire words or punctuation.
2) Inconsistency. Characters would be doing one thing, be described one way, or be in one place, but then they would abruptly be doing something else, be described differently, or be located elsewhere in space wi ...more

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire. I very much enjoyed Mask of Shadows and its representation of a genderfluid main character in a kickass fantasy world, plus assassins (I have a problem, clearly. But there are so many, who’s counting?). There was a lot of fangirl screeching when I was approved for this title. There are spoilers ahead for Mask of Shadows. Trigger warnings: blood, death, violence.
Sal has earned their place as Opal on the Queen’s Lef ...more
Sal has earned their place as Opal on the Queen’s Lef ...more

** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes were taken from the advanced readers copy and as such may not be accurate or present in the final version**
I desperately wanted to love this book because Mask of Shadows was one of my favourites from 2017. It wasn't perfect by any means, but these books carry such an important and relevant message that I ju ...more
“Mercy’s dead,” I whispered. “... You killed mercy, but vengeance remains.”
I desperately wanted to love this book because Mask of Shadows was one of my favourites from 2017. It wasn't perfect by any means, but these books carry such an important and relevant message that I ju ...more

As Opal, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and most importantly the ability to hunt the lords who killed their family. But Sal has to figure out who the culprits are before putting them down. Which means trying to ignore the fact that Elise is being kept a virtual prisoner, and that the queen may have ulterior motives. And the tales coming out of north are baffling. Talk of dark spirits, missing children, and magic abound. As Sal heads north toward their ruined homeland and the lords who dest
...more

*I WAS SENT A PHYSICAL ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
Firstly, I want to apologize for not posting this sooner. I thought I had already posted it, but it turns out that I completely forgot to hit "Publish". Secondly, Y'all don't understand how excited for this book I was. After reading and loving the first book, Mask of Shadows, I knew I had to get the next and last installment to the duology. Linsey Miller has never failed to amaze me, and this book was no different than ...more
Firstly, I want to apologize for not posting this sooner. I thought I had already posted it, but it turns out that I completely forgot to hit "Publish". Secondly, Y'all don't understand how excited for this book I was. After reading and loving the first book, Mask of Shadows, I knew I had to get the next and last installment to the duology. Linsey Miller has never failed to amaze me, and this book was no different than ...more

Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller (3ish ⭐)
.
I have mixed feelings about this book which is why I rated it 3ish stars. It’s somewhere between 3 and 3.5.l. This is one that I’ll have to section between what I liked and didn’t like.
.
THE GOOD: let’s start with the good. Despite the rating, there were definitely elements I enjoyed! First off, so. many. queers. I have to say I’m always fond of more queers. It’s a selling point. Second, there’s more Maud. Which I’m a fan of, she’s feisty and honest and str ...more
.
I have mixed feelings about this book which is why I rated it 3ish stars. It’s somewhere between 3 and 3.5.l. This is one that I’ll have to section between what I liked and didn’t like.
.
THE GOOD: let’s start with the good. Despite the rating, there were definitely elements I enjoyed! First off, so. many. queers. I have to say I’m always fond of more queers. It’s a selling point. Second, there’s more Maud. Which I’m a fan of, she’s feisty and honest and str ...more

Having won the position of Opal, Sal now works for the queen. In the meantime, though, they are also pursuing their own agenda of revenge on those responsible for their family’s death. The Queen sends Opal on a mission: discover why children have been disappearing. Kill those responsible. Sal works to uncover this mystery as they also discover that revenge isn’t always as good as it seems.
This is a well-written fantasy epic that fits in perfectly with the multi-hundred page tomes I devoured as a ...more
This is a well-written fantasy epic that fits in perfectly with the multi-hundred page tomes I devoured as a ...more

This sequel went more in-depth on some of the things I felt were lacking in the first book, like exploring a little more of what gender and sexuality variance exists in this world and how it’s handled in different cultures, plus showing us more of the Nacean culture and what Sallot has lost as well as what they can regain. I still think the world-building and the story could be richer, and some of the exposition is a little clunky, but for the sake of my 13yo self who would have swooned utterly
...more
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A wayward biology student from Arkansas, Linsey has previously worked as a crime lab intern, neuroscience lab assistant, and pharmacy technician. Her debut novel MASK OF SHADOWS is the first in a fantasy duology coming in September 2017 from Sourcebooks Fire. She can be found writing about science and magic anywhere there is coffee.
Other books in the series
Mask of Shadows
(2 books)
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“Well.’ Maud handed me a bandage. 'That was the most foolish thing you’ve ever done.’
'Don’t joke. We both know it isn’t.”
—
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More quotes…
'Don’t joke. We both know it isn’t.”