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Ace of Shades

(The Shadow Game #1)

Amanda Foody (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 8,320 ratings · 2,109 reviews

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city ...more

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Hardcover, 411 pages

Published April 10th 2018 by Harlequin Teen

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· 8,320 ratings · 2,109 reviews

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Oct 17, 2017 Emily May rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, 2018, arc, young-adult

Despite Enne’s flaws - namely that she was mucking annoying - she knew how to weasel in and out of a conversation.

You know what else is mucking annoying? Made up curse words like mucking! Fictional profanity almost always has me laughing (and not in a good way) but it was especially bad here because “mucking” is almost “fucking” but also hilariously… not.

But let's not get hung up on language. The bigger problem is that Ace of Shades is Six of Crows's shallower, less interesting sibling. It ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Emma Giordano rated it it was amazing

I LOOOOOOVED Ace of Shades so much. What an exhilarating, fantastical start to a fantasy series!

CW: violence, pedophilia (it’s totally condemned in the story)

I adore Amanda Foody’s writing style. It is so descriptive and easy to engage with. The entire time I felt as if I was traveling New Reynes alongside Enne and Levi. The world is extremely vivid and atmospheric. The history of the world was a tad difficult for me to retain at first because there’s quite a lot of info and it is ALL so I LOOOOOOVED Ace of Shades so much. What an exhilarating, fantastical start to a fantasy series!

CW: violence, pedophilia (it’s totally condemned in the story)

I adore Amanda Foody’s writing style. It is so descriptive and easy to engage with. The entire time I felt as if I was traveling New Reynes alongside Enne and Levi. The world is extremely vivid and atmospheric. The history of the world was a tad difficult for me to retain at first because there’s quite a lot of info and it is ALL so important, but I noticed a distinct improvement in worldbuilding as compared to the author’s debut. I personally consider Amanda Foody to be one of the most talented YA authors to have been published in the last two years.

The magic system/talents of this world were FASCINATING to me. Each person is gifted with two talents based on their family names. The talents extend anywhere from classic elemental magic to protection to dancing/acrobatics and even COUNTING. The variety among talents was very unique in my opinion and unlike many other magic systems, but I also enjoyed seeing the social view of different families associated with the same talent. (For example, Enne is a Salta which is a dancing talent, but Salta’s are considering among the lower class of dancing families therefore she is treated differently.) I found this system to be immensely complex and intriguing and I cannot wait to see it develop more throughout the sequel.

The characters were so wonderful and loveable. Enne has fantastic character development, transforming from a girl of etiquette and virtue to a rebel and ultimate BADASS in the City of Sin. Levi strikes an interesting balance between sweet and protective while committing some immoral acts against those he cares for. I love that we have a black bisexual protagonist, but even more, I love that we have a male lead that does not shy away from being fragile and scared. Lordes is another interesting character, as Enne’s adoptive, genderfluid mother who has gone missing. I was impressed to see how much development she was given despite being a non-active character in the story. The villains are another fantastic addition to the story – Although this is a fantasy story, I adored how they were terrifying for more human/realistic traits instead of possessing a stronger magical power. All around the characters were well-developed, intriguing, and addictive. I love them all and cannot wait to see more.

The only real critique I have for Ace of Shades is that there were a few moments where I had to sort of just accept facts of the story as true without fully understanding the basis. I wouldn’t necessarily consider them “holes” in the plot, I just wished they were a little bit better explained. I noticed a similar issue with the authors debut, but I feel Ace of Shades is more finely executed compared to it’s predecessor, so there is still progress that deserves to be noted! That being said, these moments are not deal breakers for me when it comes to reading and the positives of the story HEAVILY outweigh my minor critiques.

Overall, Ace of Shades was amazing. Please read it. I am totally obsessed with this story. Now excuse me while I spend the next year of my life anxiously awaiting book two.

I was provided a copy of this book for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Chaima ✨ شيماء rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018, fiction, 2018-releases, fantasy, poc-rep, lgbtqia-rep, young-adult, boys-love-boys

a fantasy Vegas setting. magic. murder. an orphan girl wandering into the City of Sin. a black bisexual gang boss who gets asked why his closet is full of girl dresses and men clothes that don’t even fit him, and casually goes, “yeah well the boys and girls I sleep with sometimes leave their clothes behind what’s up”

you really do want to read this book.

(on a side note, I genuinely don't understand why this book keeps getting compared to six of crows. the only slight similarity is that both books ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 C.G. Drews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, best-of-2018, young-adult, epic-fantasy, read-2019, read-2018, reread

Right. So I've found my new book to be so utterly and absolutely OBSESSED WITH. I need at least four dozen heart eyes and sixty-two stars, is all I'm saying. This book is like an ode to Slytherin schemes and my little heart is just beating so fast. It's twisty and madly addictive and the characters are ones I absolutely love love love. I'm sobbing. Do not mind me. This is a good one.

(And yes I did like 540 status updates while reading it and I AM NOT ASHAMED.)

+ The first thing to know is that ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

to compare this to ‘six of crows’ has been a disservice to not only the reader, but to both books, as well. it sets an impossibly high standard, one that will only lead to disappointment. having seen a lot of negative reviews in regards to how this book was pitched and the comparisons made, i decided to go into this with a completely open mind and no expectations whatsoever - which i think is the only thing you can do in this particular situation. and it completely paid off because i quite liked ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, lgbtqiap, diverse-reads

When this book’s synopsis first started circulating the YA book community, I was unspeakably excited for it. A book about dangerous gangs and gambling, with a bi young man of color as one of the protagonists? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this book suffered the same problem I have with the author’s debut, Daughter of the Burning City—it has a lot of cool ideas at play, but the execution leaves a little bit to be desired.

The photograph of Luckluster Casino matched the stories of New Reynes: red

...more

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May 14, 2018 High Lady of The Night Court rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-read

This is one of the most interesting books I've read in this year. Its has the feel of Caraval and Six of Crows all mixed together with a hint of fantasy. AMAZING and maybe even going on my favorites list. I'm in shock I can't get over how great this book is. The whole concept is fascinating and kept my interest peaked at all times. The writing is amazing, the world is very well thought out and the City of Sin is one of the most exciting places I've read about. I like this more than Daughter of This is one of the most interesting books I've read in this year. Its has the feel of Caraval and Six of Crows all mixed together with a hint of fantasy. AMAZING and maybe even going on my favorites list. I'm in shock I can't get over how great this book is. The whole concept is fascinating and kept my interest peaked at all times. The writing is amazing, the world is very well thought out and the City of Sin is one of the most exciting places I've read about. I like this more than Daughter of The Burning City.

The plot picked up very quickly and maintained a pretty good pace. The book has a vibe of mystery about it and has a very engaging plot. The mystery was a major aspect of the book but the fantasy wasn't overshadowed and played a major role in maintaining the intrigue surrounding the story. I love the characters and how each of their personalities played a role in revealing more of the story. The book is written in two perspectives and both play a very important role as one person is intimately familiar with the City of Sin while the other knows nothing. So watching the story play out in the eyes of two people with very different life experiences enhances everything they go through in the book.

Enne once aimed to be the perfect lady and dreamed of her entrance to society, sounds very snobbish doesn't she, but she's actually a really fierce girl with a great personality. Enne was raised in Bellamy which is full of the most snobbish people in the world and is never taken notice of as she is neither rich nor talented. The only person she took comfort in was her adoptive mother who is now missing and Enne sets out to the City of Sin to find out what happened to the one person who was her family. But turns out her mother is not who she thought she was and was leading another life entirely. And that may not be the only thing her mother lied to her about.

Levi is the Iron Lord. He makes his living leading the Irons, who are one of the three gangs in the City of Sin. He knows nearly everything there is to know about the city but his life is not as simple as it would seem. He was dragged into a scam that is most likely going to get him killed and in working his way to save his life he hasn't been able to benefit the gang he is supposed to lead.

Both Enne and Levi are going to work toward their goals but as they do so they both get dragged into something they may not be able to get out of.

The fantasy element of this book is that every person has 2 talents one blood talent and one split talent. The blood talent is stronger and the split talent is usually weaker. And the talents can be like singing, dancing, acrobatics, and some rare ones can be magical like being able to summon a fire or cast a
I wish I was in this world because about right nowthe only talents I seem to have are all related to books.

This is an absolutely amazing story and I urge you to try it. I give this book 5 stars and CAN'T WAIT for the next one.

"People do not play this game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose." ...more

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Apr 21, 2018 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was ok

Shelves: own, young-adult, fantasy-all

I was so glad to get this book in my Owlcrate! Click on link below picture to see the unboxing.

THE STUFF

Well, I'm freaking bummed! I loved Daughter of the Burning City but this book didn't do it for me. Oh well, hopefully I will love her next book like I did her debut book!

Happy Reading!

Mel ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 Elise (TheBookishActress) rated it it was ok

Shelves: elise-reads-audiobooks, books-released-2018, gen-sff-high-fantasy, 2-star, z-read-in-2019, wasted-potential

it is with a heavy heart I must announce that I just don’t care about anything that happened in this book.

All you know are stories, Enne told herself. And not all stories are true.

I should start this off by acknowledging that this book is built on a lot of good ideas. Ace of Shades takes place in what is described as a city of sin, a sort of Old Vegas meets Venice. There’s enemies to lovers, a very diverse cast (the book’s romantic interest is black & bisexual), an intriguing magic ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Chelsea Humphrey rated it it was ok

Shelves: from-publisher, netgalley

2.5 STARS

No one is more disappointed than I am that this rating is anything less than 5 STARS. I went in wholly expecting to adore this story; the cover is gorgeous and the comparisons to Six Of Crows had me cautiously fangirling over this book from the moment I knew of it's existence. Throw in the fact that I absolutely loved Daughter Of The Burning City last year and I was completely sold. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me.

I'm not here to deter anyone from picking this up, as I ...more

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Apr 11, 2018 Melanie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018, lgbtqiap, young-adult, buddy-reads, fantasy, magic, signed, subscription-box-owlcrate

“The City of Sin was a game, but not everyone was a player.”

Ace of Shades was for sure not what I was expecting. Some said it was like one of my favorite series of all time, Six of Crows, but I didn’t see that. A lot of people said it had a setting like the city I live in currently, Vegas, and I suppose I see it, but it is a stretch and for sure a very big fantastical interpretation and based on every stereotype you think of when you think of Vegas (which are mostly all untrue). I mean, ...more

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May 28, 2018 ✨ jamieson ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: bi-mc, mystery, m-m, series-to-complete, young-adult, series, lgbtqiap, fantasy, suspense, 2018-reads

she was a pistol wrapped in silk.
she was a blade disguised as a girl

alright alright alright listen up, listen here. This book is a whole lotta fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it! In fact I'm eagerly awaiting the official release so I can read a completed physical edition.

WHAT IS ACE OF SHADES?
a dark, complex, fantasy world where gangs run the streets and lure unsuspecting visitors into their gambling parlours, where crime rules and turf wars brew and at the heart of it all, a deadly history no ...more

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Apr 11, 2018 Caz (littlebookowl) rated it liked it

Shelves: owned

Rating: 3.5 stars

I will be doing a full spoiler-free review soon!

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Jul 12, 2019 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: eh, diverse, reviewed, dark, ya, fantasy, couldn-t-wait-to-read, unpopular-opinion, 1-and-a-half-stars

Fun fact about me: I need to stop reading books solely because they’re compared to Six of Crows.

It invariably results in disappointment.

Honestly I think it’d be fairer for publishers to stop comparing every. Single. Dark YA fantasy to Six of Crows, but APPARENTLY that’s not going to happen so. Looks like the responsibility lies on me.

My life is so hard.

BUT THIS BOOK IS COMPLETELY A KNOCKOFF OF SIX OF CROWS.

(Emphasis on the word knockoff.)

This is a dark YA fantasy where a ragtag crew of diverse ...more

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Mar 21, 2018 megs_bookrack rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-read

Welcome to New Reynes, a self-proclaimed 'City of Sin'.

((Ahem, magical Las Vegas))

Sheltered and innocent, Enne Salta, arrives in the city to search for her adoptive mother, Lourdes, who has gone missing. Her only clue, a name: Levi Glaisyer.

It doesn't take Enne long to track down Levi and the fun begins. Swept up into his world, she feels in over her head but despite her initial culture shock, she finds New Reynes bringing her to life in ways she has never felt before.

Within the city, Enne ...more

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May 19, 2018 Lia rated it really liked it

Shelves: period-aus-past, magic-wizards-spells

Levi stood up and reached for his hat on the table.
“Where are you going?” Enne asked.
“Out. There are volts to make and people to cheat.”
He flashed her a smile. She was lucky he hadn’t cheated her.
He was feeling sentimental today.

Attempt #2 of reading this book didn't disappoint.
I'm kind of relieved to announce that, with a cover and a premise like that, Amanda Foody's Ace of Shades delievers what it promises.
Nothing more and nothing less than that, but it surely give its reader what the ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Candace Robinson added it

So if Six of Crows gave birth to a baby, this would be that baby. I thought Ace of Shades was a great start to the series. I really liked these characters. Enne and Levi are no Kaz and Inej, but I still loved them and their distinct personalities, especially Enne's cookie eating fetish!

The world building was unique, and the author's writing drew me in right away. Plus, talk of game cards, acrobatics, and magic, I was then completely sold. The book's romance is more on the side, but I was annoyed ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Lola rated it did not like it

New Reynes is the City of Sin with lots of casinos and shady activity…

So Las Vegas? ACE OF SHADES is not as original as it thinks it is.

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Mar 21, 2018 Natalie Monroe rated it it was ok

Shelves: not-as-good-as-i-expected, great-concept-poor-execution, boooring, when-sparks-don-t-fly, derp-moments, your-spesual-is-showing, lgbtqia-if-you-squint

“Ten days.

Ten days to figure out how to beat his enemies at their own game.”

Kaz Brekker would have so much fun with Levi Glaisyer. He'd fleece Levi dry, then convince him Halloween pumpkins are a good investment in December.

“Ten days.

Ten days to figure out how to beat his enemies at their own game.”

Kaz Brekker would have so much fun with Levi Glaisyer. He'd fleece Levi dry, then convince him Halloween pumpkins are a good investment in December.

Look, in the olden days, a kinder, softer Natalie might have given Ace of Shades 3 stars. There's nothing overtly offensive about it. The writing's decent (if a bit tryhard at times), there are clear stakes, okay world-building—all in all, a solid YA fantasy. But these days, thesis deadlines are squeezing my fun-meter dry and when I sit down with a book to relax, I expect to be transported.

I paid for a good time in the City of Sin and I didn't get it.

Ace of Shades is very obviously inspired by Six of Crows, but falls completely flat where Crows soared. I can't buy Levi being a street lord at 17. He's too youthful, too inexperienced. Kaz, despite his age, was depicted as wise beyond his years and fully capable of commanding a gang. Levi actually acts his age, which is fine except his whole backstory falls apart. He should've been knocked down ages ago.

The romance has the finesse of a Donald Trump speech. I had the same issue with Descendant of the Crane. The hero/heroine notes that the other party looks attractive, but gee whiz, I’m certainly not going to fall for him/her! Nosiree, there’s more important business afoot! Then several chapters later, they’re pawing at each other in a broom closet. Where’s the slow burn from friendship to love? Or if it’s enemies-to-lovers, the hatred to grudging respect to tentative friendship to angsty love? I'd prefer slow uncertain development rather than the literary equivalent of a topic sentence.

Also, the guidebook excerpts in front of every section are cool, but makes no sense when you actually think about it. Guidebooks are meant to promote tourism and bring in capital. Those excerpts just warn people away. Have fun building a new bridge with your meager treasury.

Points for Levi being bisexual, though the primary romance is heterosexual so make of that what you will. ...more

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Aug 15, 2017 Korrina (OwlCrate) rated it it was amazing

Very interesting story, quite unlike anything else I've read before. Really enjoyed my time reading this one.

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Dec 23, 2019 Helena of Eretz ✰ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, high-fantasy, hardback, favourites

The reviews put me off reading this book at first and now I’m so frustrated because I’ve been denying myself such a good book for ages!!!

This was so unexpectedly good! A prim and proper finishing school girl meets a rough and ambitious street lord and I SHIP IT SO MUCH! I loved the 1920s Las Vegas-esque setting and the magic system and ahhh so good!

I can’t wait to jump into book two. If anyone fears it being a Six of Crows knockoff - as the other reviews claim - have no fear. There aren’t ...more

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Jan 21, 2018 Silvia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dual-pov, favorite, sent-for-review, fantasy, magic, best-worldbuilding, ya, ya-fantasy, arc, i-ll-go-down-with-this-ship

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via Edelweiss for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH this book was such a pleasant surprise!!! I haven't read the author's debut yet so I didn't know what to expect, but now I'm looking forward to both continuing the series and keeping an eye out for whatever else she published (as well as reading DotBC).

Worldbuilding

The story takes place in New Reynes, a town split in two, and specifically almost ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Lily ☁️ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, book-series, young-adult, first-in-series

2 1/2 stars

I solemnly swear that I shall read this without any thoughts lingering on Six of Crows, as in: sans bias.

Blog Bloglovin’ Tumblr Instagram ...more

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May 06, 2018 Nadhira Satria rated it did not like it

Shelves: shitty-as-hell, dont-get-the-hype, bisexual-rep

bleh too slow

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May 13, 2018 Hamad rated it it was ok

Recommended to Hamad by: Lily ☁️

Shelves: e-books, dnf, 2018-reads, buddy-reads, recommendations

A BR with Lily!

Sadly DNF @ page 150
I almost finished day 2 but I can't continue this book, let alone a whole trilogy!
I had one thought while reading this: that it sounded like it was written by an accountant. Guess what? It is! I came here to check the author, only to find out that she has an M.A degree in accountancy and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature.

You know that I like to support new and trending authors but the writing style just is not for me, if you are like me and read this ...more

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Mar 13, 2018 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves, 2018-reads, 5-stars, swoony-swoony, book-subscritpions, book-series, characters-i-loved, my-heart-hurts, lgbtqa

ALL OF THE STARS!

"Some say the City of Sin is a game, so before you arrive - ask yourself, dear reader, how much are you prepared to lose?"
- The City of Sin, a guidebook: Where To Go and Where Not To

MY GOD, this. This was goooooooooooooood! I am so happy, I've been waiting for this for the such a long time. I really enjoyed Amanda Foody and Daughter of the Burning City, so Ace of Shades was highly anticipated for me. I was so nervous going into this, because every time I desperately want to like ...more

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May 01, 2019 Mads rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtq-rep, awesome-female-characters

The characters were great but what really made me love this book was the setting. The whole idea that if you went into the City of Sin, you would come out corrupted or not leave at all. Just so fucking cool.

Okay now for the characters. I was living for Enne's character development. How she went from a tentative, shy "good" girl to a street smart badass was incredible. Levi is so sweet and the perfect combination of confident and clever. And the antagonists tho- I was lowkey scared of them which ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 joanna ☽ the little brown fairy rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dark-stuff, stabby-stab-stab, hmmmm, ya-fantasy

Do not believe their smiles. Do not stray into their lairs. Or you may never come out again.

3.75 stars. if you just want to know if this book is like six of crows, click here.

This is one of those books which I got really, really excited for, even when it wasn't released yet. Normally, I don't let a book’s popularity affect my reading -- or if it does, it's in a positive way, like how I anticipated The Cruel Prince forever and, truthfully, probably loved it just a little more because of the ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 julianna ➹ rated it it was amazing

Recommended to julianna ➹ by: ilsa ➹

Shelves: queer-rep-read, diverse-read, poc-rep-read, physical-arc, full-review, on-my-shelf, favorites, share-review, 2018-favs

1. Ace of Shades
2. King of Fools
3. Untitled

my immediate thoughts during and after finishing this book were, "how dare i not read this sooner" in case any of you were wondering

the only bad part of my experience reading this was seeing the right side get smaller and realizing that this would eventually end.

I had previously enjoyed the author's debut, Daughter of the Burning City but wow I did not realize that her later book would become one of my all-time favorites.

"...it smells foul."

"What?

...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Carrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody is the first book of the young adult fantasy The Shadow Game series. I saw a lot of comparisons to Six of Crows before I began to read this one and my first hope was that it wouldn’t have that same slow pace as Six of Crows but of course, yes, it did. They are rather similar in having that slow build, darker young adult tale.

The book begins as Enne Salta arrives in New Reynes or what is better known as the City of Sin. Enne’s adoptive mother had often visited New Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody is the first book of the young adult fantasy The Shadow Game series. I saw a lot of comparisons to Six of Crows before I began to read this one and my first hope was that it wouldn’t have that same slow pace as Six of Crows but of course, yes, it did. They are rather similar in having that slow build, darker young adult tale.

The book begins as Enne Salta arrives in New Reynes or what is better known as the City of Sin. Enne’s adoptive mother had often visited New Reynes claiming to be seeing friends and with Enne busy with school she never questioned until now. Enne had been told if her mother didn’t return in two months something would be wrong and if she needed help to contact Levi Glaisyer.

When Enne tracks down Levi she doesn’t understand how her mother could direct her to this street lord and con man. But with Levi being her only connection in New Reynes to her mother she has no choice but try to convince him to help her find her mother. With Levi owing a great debt of his own he sees Enne as a means of making what he owes and goes along with her quest even though he’s sure her mother is already dead.

Now of course I’ve already said the slow pace within this series is one that I struggle with quite often. I knew there’s a story buried within the pages but it’s just tough holding my attention with any slow build novel. The story was what I expected though as I went along, think Las Vegas but darker (or at least darker than advertised to tourists) and give it a magical side and we have Ace of Shades.

This wasn’t bad by any means but it also didn’t shock or wow me just yet either. I would have also like a bit more depth given to things as it went along which with the length and pace I was surprised to find it lacking on occasion. So while I see some absolutely loving this one for me it was just an alright start to the series with of course a bit of a cliffhanger to lead readers into the second book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody - Restarting September 14th 2019	174	146	Oct 01, 2019 09:01PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Foody - Ace of Shades [July 1, 2019]	18	13	Jul 26, 2019 04:45AM
Paying for Sex	1	8	Jun 11, 2019 01:36AM
Bookalicious Book...: Buddy Reading: Ace of Shades [JULY]	1	5	May 06, 2019 04:27PM
The Wandering YA ...: Ace of Shades	1	13	Aug 03, 2018 03:59AM

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About Amanda Foody

Amanda Foody

1,276 followers

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After a double life as an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, she now spends her free time brewing and fermenting foods much more easily obtained at her local grocery store. She lives in Philadelphia, PA with a hoard of books guarded by the most vicious of feline companions, Jelly Bean.

She is ...more