Ace of Shades - Starts 1st January (Sofia, Amelie & Johanna)

[aarja, Founder & Groovy Thinker :D]

Starts: 1st Jan
Buddies: Sofia, Amelie & Johanna

[Amelie]

Hi guys! Happy New Year! I’m about to start the book now, and I was thinking that since the book is already divided into different sections called “days” maybe we could read each “day” per day, but combine “days 5-6” and “days 7-8” since they’re much shorter. What do you guys think? :)

[Johanna]

Sounds good!

EDIT: HAPPY NEW YEAR ^_^

[Amelie]

I’ve finished Day 1 now! (view spoiler)[I’m really enjoying the book so far! The magic system is really cool and I like the idea of all citizens having blood and split talents, which are either mundane or magical. The darker elements of the book with the street gangs are really interesting, and the established setting with danger lurking everywhere really makes the book so much more suspenseful and compelling. I’m really liking Levi and Enne’s characters so far. I love reading about Enne’s determination to find her mother, and her naive behaviour can be hilarious at times. Levi kinda reminds me of Kaz Brekker, especially with his scheming nature.

I hope that Levi will be able to help Enne find her mother, and Enne can help him pay off his debt. I kinda ship them together, and I’m glad they’ve bonded through their hardships and I feel so bad for them for being under Vianca’s control. I hope Enne and Levi will be freed from her control eventually. I really want to learn more about Enne’s mother since she seems to be deeply involved in the political happenings of the city, and I really hope she’ll be reunited with Enne. I’m also curious to learn more about The Shadow Game and if Enne and Levi might be forced to participate in it later on in the book. How are you guys finding the book? :) (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Amelie wrote: "Hi guys! Happy New Year! I’m about to start the book now, and I was thinking that since the book is already divided into different sections called “days” maybe we could read each “day” per day, but..."

Sounds good!

[Johanna]

I have finished Day 1 (view spoiler)[I also really love the atmosphere in this book and the world is really intriguing! I agree that the magic system is cool! But it would be really interesting to know what there is going on if some group has immortality as their talent and nobody should has it!

I love these different characters in the book, because there is several really scary/creepy characters and I really love how thrilling it makes everything! So dark and creepy to think this kind of world.

Our MCs are nice this far, although I feel it's a bit hard to believe Enne would show so much enotions if she has lived 17 years without showing them. But because it has only made scenes more interesting I can forgive it. I got also Kaz vibes!

I'm also glad they are now together in the same situation. They have so much struggles ahead but I'm hoping they find out some way to get solutions. I also hope Enne would find her mother and it's true that it might give her/them even more problems if they do (because there is this political aspect).

I really find this quite unique world/story and that makes everything so fascinating. Characters are also so likable and that's not always the case :D :D (hide spoiler)]

[karen]

Hello, I know you guys have started but can I join? You guys can keep reading and I'll catch up?

[Amelie]

Karen wrote: "Hello, I know you guys have started but can I join? You guys can keep reading and I'll catch up?"

Of course you can join! :)

[Johanna]

Welcome Karen :)

[Johanna]

I finished Day 2 :)

[Sofia]

Day 1
(view spoiler)[This book is really good so far! I really liked Enne and Levi. I think that Enne is very determined which I like, and Levi sort of mysterious, but I like it. I agree that he definitely reminds me of Kaz. I thought that it was really cool that they have split talents based on their parents, and every last name is a different talent. I'm also interested to find out more about what the magic talents are because it hasn't talked much about that yet. I do feel really bad for both Enne and Levi though because they are oath-bound to Vianca (who I already hate), so I feel bad especially for Enne that she won't be able to go back to her normal life in Bellamy after the summer. Overall, I'm really enjoying this book so far, and excited to see what happens with Enne's hunt to find her mother! (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished Day 2! I agree the world and characters are really compelling, and I can’t wait to read on!(view spoiler)[I feel so bad for Levi and how he has resorted to stealing from his own gang to pay off Vianca’s debts. She’s so horrible and I hate how she’s using him. I also suspect that Enne’s not really a Salta since it’s been pointed out numerous times that her dance skills surpass that of a Salta, the Blood Gazer hinted that they might not be her true talents, and she turned out to be really good at acrobatics despite the fact it was her first time doing acrobatics. And even though her father’s talent is counting, Enne doesn’t seem to have much skill in that either. I’m curious to learn more about who her real parents are, and I wonder if Lourdes was hiding this information from her for her own safety. I also wonder if she’ll encounter the same blood gazer again. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Amelie wrote: "I’ve finished Day 2! I agree the world and characters are really compelling, and I can’t wait to read on![spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes it was interesting to follow how the situation in the gang started to be tighter! I started to wonder if she actually has some other talents before she started to wonder the same. It's clear she has different parents than she has thought. I really loved scenes in the cabaree/casino: they were so dark and smoky!! (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished Day 3 now! (view spoiler)[I was so proud of Enne for having the guts to confront Lola alone in search of answers, and I admire her courage. Now we have confirmation of who her true parents are too, and how one side of her family’s power is acrobatics. And her real name is Enne Dondelair Scordata!! I was surprised that she’s a Mizer though, she’s obviously in a lot more danger than we originally thought. I also think we’ll see Lola again in the book, especially now that she’s allied with Enne after swearing an oath to her. She might know more about Enne’s heritage which could be useful in uncovering the truth about Lourdes’ disappearance.

Also, now that it’s confirmed Enne is a Mizer, I wonder what the significance of the Mizer coin Enne wears is, and if it might hold some answers to the truth. I’m also curious to learn more about the Shadow Game, since Lourdes also had a Shadow card with her, so maybe she participated in the Shadow Game and was killed or had an encounter with the Phoenix Club?? And the fact that Enne is a Mizer makes more sense as to why Lourdes was a Mizer sympathiser too, so she might have been protecting Enne by taking her in! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Amelie wrote: "I’ve finished Day 3 now!"

I also finished Day 3! (view spoiler)[I wasn't so proud of Enne because that was so stupid thing to do :D If you think how dangerous it was on the streets and she took a gun that she doesn't even know how to use... It went well, but it was still stupid and could have ended badly.

I could see it coming that she would revealed to be one of Mizers but was hoping I would be surprised. But no :( It was quite obvious because her mother hadn't told who her birth parents were and she was so interested of Mizers.

Lola was a new intriguing character and it would be nice if she would appear more and spice the things up!

That speculation about the coin was interesting! We will see if that plays some part!! I'm so interested about the Shadow Game, it's so dark and intriguing thing!! Can't wait to hear more about it! Lourdes has to had some troubles with the Phoenix Club because she had the card. (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Day 2 and Day 3
(view spoiler)[I feel really bad for Enne and Levi the more I am reading the book. It is obvious that Vianca's oath is changing their lives in negative ways, and makes me really hate Vianca. I also feel bad for Levi, because he is having to go behind his gang's back to get enough money to pay his debt to Vianca. I'm also really liking Enne more. She is very courageous and brave and I admire that. For example, when she went to Lola's place all by herself, even though she had no idea how to use a gun. I found this brave, but it was also sort of stupid because it could have gone very badly. When Lola told her that she was a Mizer, I was very surprised! I had a feeling that she had a different talent, at least with counting, but I definitely never suspected her of being a Mizer. I am now curious about what her parents were like, especially if one was a Mizer because they might have been bad, but I also wonder how they died, and if it related to them being a Mizer and a Dondelair. I'm also curious to find out how Lourdes was related to taking care of Enne, and how Lourdes knew Enne's mother. I'm also interested in the coin. I'm still sort of confused about what the Shadow Game is, but I'm excited to learn more about it. (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished Day 4 now! (view spoiler)[I wasn’t expecting Reymond’s death and it’s clear that Sedric is behind this, and he seems to be in league with the Phoenix Club. I really want to learn more about the Shadow Game, it sounds really fascinating being a card game where invited players are killed. I want to know how Lourdes was involved with the Phoenix Club too. I’m so annoyed Vianca is wasting Levi’s money, but at least she agreed to pay off part of his debt. I can’t wait to read more about Lola, she seems like a really interesting character, and it’s kinda cool how Enne is in effect a gang lord now. I really hope we’ll see Enne’s powers be triggered! I agree it was pretty obvious she would have a different talent to what we were originally told, so I’m curious to see where the author will take things from there. I can definetely see romantic buildup in Levi and Enne’s relationship as well. I don’t really know how to feel about it, but I’m glad they can seek comfort with each other especially since they’re both suffering from Vianca’s control. Hopefully we’ll see some more action in the next section, and that Enne will uncover more info about her family history! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Amelie wrote: "I’ve finished Day 4 now! [spoilers removed]"

I finished also the Day 4!
(view spoiler)[I was also really surprised and even sad for what happened to Reymond, he was a nice character :( And he was powerful and could have been a help with problems!

I'm also so fascinated for the Shadow Game and I also started to wonder how they kill people in the game.

It's good that Levi has to pay now only 50 %!

Haha, I think it was almost a bit fun that she ended up to be a kind of gang lord :D It would be interesting to see what's going to happen with Lola!

I'm not usually really big fan of romance, because they used to be too obvious/insta or something like that but I like this kind of slow-burn romance and I feel the chemistry is great between Enne & Levi! (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7
(view spoiler)[Wow! A lot happened. I was definitely not expecting Reymond's death. I'm very interested in the Shadow Game now, but understand more about what it is now. I was also very happy when Vianca decided to give Levi half of the money, because it helped him out a lot, and it is probably likely that he will be able to pay the money now. I definitely feel sort of annoyed by Lola though. She was very useful in the library, but she is rude and racist to Enne, and she just wants to kill Enne because she's a Mizer. (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished Days 5-6! (view spoiler)[The information they discovered at the library was really interesting, especially when we learnt that Gabrielle, Enne’s mother, went into the Shadow Game and possibly survived. I think the dreams Enne keeps having about the hallway could be linked to the Shadow Game too, and I wonder if Enne will get invited into the game later on. I can’t wait to read about Enne’s encounter with Zula, and to see what she knows about Enne’s family. I was glad it was confirmed that the Mizer coin had its uses, and was a key to the Royal Bank. I’m curious to learn more about the significance of the objects Enne found there though. I also feel really bad for Levi for being burdened by Vianca’s oath and his debt to Sedric, and I wasn’t expecting Chez to challenge him and obtain ownership of the gang. It’s sad how he’s lost so much and blames himself for the hardships Enne and the gang have gone through, and I really hope he’ll be able to fix his problems and reconcile with the gang. (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Day 8 and Day 9
(view spoiler)[When Enne decided to go back to the Scrap Market, I felt like it was sort of stupid. She thankfully made it out alive, but there was no reason for her to go there, and it resulted in the death of a kid. I feel so bad for Enne and Levi because both beings in the Shadow Game must be extremely difficult, especially because Enne doesn't know how to play cards, and Levi's life is on the line. I feel that Enne was so nervous about killing Torren, that she didn't even consider that he might be trying to kill her, because it was pretty obvious that there was poison in the drink, and she probably feels guilty now that that is what caused Levi to go to the Shadow Game, but I was proud of her when she killed Torren because it was sort of funny that he didn't even notice that she took the bullet out of his gun, and then she injected him with the poison. As much as I'm worried for Levi and Enne, I am imagining that at least one of them will make it out alive because they are the main characters, but I will see. I'm so excited to finish this book and see what happens to them! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

I have now finished Day 9!

Sofia wrote: "Day 8 and Day 9
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Drinking that drink was so stupid... But it ended better than I expected. But now it's sooo thrilling to see how they survive! I think Enne wins because she's playing for Levi's life!! (hide spoiler)]

Amelie wrote: "I’ve finished Days 5-6! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[You were so right about that coin :D :D (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Finished!!

(view spoiler)[I really loved quite unique magical system in this book and the dark & violent city with many smoky scenes. Pacing was good, there weren't many actionless days and the story was thrilling! I liked this slow-burn romance, even though I felt there was a bit suddenly so many scenes where our MCs thought about their attraction to each others and that wasn't the best part in this book. But there was still so much more! There were surprises, really thrilling scenes (I loved scenes where Enne was with Torrent) althought that card play was a bit anticlimax for me. I thought the game were something more and long-lasting, card play wasn't really thrilling to follow :D :D But the ending was really good, if I'm right there would be Vianca's son in the next book :D (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished as well! (view spoiler)[I also really enjoyed it, there was great world-building, and I also loved how dark and mysterious everything was especially with the magic system put in place. The environment was incredibly atmospheric, and it’s obvious a lot of thought was put into this book. I really liked the romance, and how the author really took the time to develop it without rushing things. I really want to learn more about the extent of Enne’s powers as a Mizer, and how things will pan out now that she and Levi are wanted criminals, and Levi has been forced into hiding. I love how much stronger Enne has become in adapting to the dark, threatening environment in the city, and I thought her character growth was done really well.

I agree about the game, I was a bit underwhelmed, I was expecting them to be sucked into hallways again and have to fight their way out, not for them to simply play a card game, but perhaps there will be more action-packed scenes in the next books since the Phoenix Club are still after Enne and Levi. I hope Levi will regain his status as the Iron Lord, I feel so bad for him for losing so much. The ending was pretty dramatic, and it’s made me more curious to read the next book too. Maybe we could do a buddy read of it, I really enjoyed discussing with both of you :) (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Amelie wrote:

(view spoiler)[Yes I have to agree that Enne's development was well done! This was really enjoyable story. I'm so glad to BR this with you (both!). It was so nice that I wasn't the only one who expected a bit more from the game :D But you might be right - again - and those doors and hallway has some part in next book! I would love to BR the next one :) I checked that it's something I have to buy as an e-book so it's available. (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[Wow! This book was so good. I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the book and found it interesting that it was both dark and magical. I also agree that the game was a bit underwhelming because I agree I thought there would be more action, and not just playing a card game where someone's life is on the line. I agree that I feel very bad for Levi, because he lost so much, and hope he gains at least some of it back in the next book. I'm very curious to see what happens in the next book! I would also love to do a buddy read for the next one. Whenever you are free I would be happy to do it. I can put a hold on it at my library, and it should come in within the next week or so. Thank you both so much, I had a lot of fun doing this buddy read together! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

Ok, great! Should we start the next book on the 20th Jan?? :)

[Johanna]

That's fine for me :)

[Sofia]

Yeah, that works!

[Sofia]

Should I request a thread for the next book, or are we going to continue it on this thread (if that's allowed)?

[Johanna]

I think the new thread would be great

[Sofia]

Ok. I'll request a thread now.

[Sofia]

Ok, so Aarja said that we will use the same thread that we are on now, but she will just change it to a series thread. So, starting o January 20th, we will just continue to use this thread.

[Amelie]

Ok, great! I’m looking forward to it!! :)

[Amelie]

Hey guys! I’m about to start King of Fools, so should we read one epigraph each day? :)

[Johanna]

Hey, sounds good :)

[Sofia]

Yeah, sounds good. I'm going to start King of Fools tonight :)

[Johanna]

I have now read one epigraph!

[Amelie]

I’ve read the first epigraph as well! (view spoiler)[I like how we’re seeing the stakes climb higher than ever with the beginning signs of another street war involving Levi and Enne who are both wanted criminals now. I found it interesting how Levi has allied himself with Harrison so he has another shot at rebuilding the Iron gang, and how Enne is going to create her own street gang. The struggles each of the characters are facing are captured really well, and I feel bad for them all. Levi has lost so much but is desperate to rebuild the Iron gang and fulfil his dreams for power and status, Enne has lost everything from her previous life and no longer knows who she really is, and Jac has given up so much to help Levi accomplish his dreams. But it was great that we got Jac’s perspective along with Levi and Enne’s, and I can’t wait to read on. Also, the idea of Enne running her own gang with Lola is really cool, and she has changed and become so much stronger since the beginning of the first book! :D (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Amelie wrote: "I’ve read the first epigraph as well! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes this book is more complicated already, there is so much going on. It doesn't look good that Levi made a deal with Harrison and Jac doesn't know about it. And because that deal has consequences, it's Jac who has to go to work with the gang who make business with drugs... The other side of the deal just look too perfect and it's hard to believe everything goes fine. Levi's craving for power and status is something I wonder if it's can be a good thing. If he gets all he want: does it change him somehow? Jac has indeed become one of the most important characters because his actions makes the deal success or not! (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Epigraph 1
(view spoiler)[I agree that this book is already quite complicated! I was surprised that Levi made a deal with Harrison, and I have a feeling it will end badly. It also shows that in this scenario, Levi cared more about himself than his best friend. Now that Enne is creating her own street gang too, it seems like they are sort of being forced to be rivals, without even realizing it. Everything is more intense and surreal now, because they both are wanted criminals now, so it means that they have to be even more secretive than they were before. Overall, this was a great start to the book. I felt like it jumped right into the action, which I really appreciated. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Sofia wrote: "Epigraph 1
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I so agree: this continues from that exact point where we were left!! (hide spoiler)]

[Amelie]

I’ve finished the second epigraph now. (view spoiler)[It’s funny how Levi craves to have power and is willing to sacrifice anything to fulfil his dreams, while Enne has power but never wanted it in the first place. Their relationship is complicated and it’s a shame Levi has pushed her away to protect her even though they’re both caught up in similar problems and it might be easier if they worked together. I’m curious to see how they’ll each build up their own gangs, and what Jac will do to gather information for Harrison. It’s really cool how Enne is running a female-only gang, and how she recruited Grace. Grace’s hostility towards Enne reminds me of Lola’s initial reaction towards her, and I hope they’ll become a bit closer later on in the book. Also, when Bryce touched Enne he seemed to sense her power, and I wonder if he knows about her identity. I’m also curious to see if Levi and Enne will actually meet with the other Street Lords, and how the war situation will unravel. (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Epigraph 2
(view spoiler)[I agree Amelie that it is quite ironic that Levi craves power and will sacrifice anything for it, while Enne has the power that she doesn't want. I also agree that I think Levi is making it harder for himself by pushing away Enne, because she could really be helpful. I agree that Grace's reaction definitely reminded me of when Enne first met Lola, so I think it will turn out well because now Lola is very helpful. I am curious to see how they will do this without Vianca finding out, especially Levi. Thankfully for him, Vianca is pushing him away and is more focused on Enne, and Enne doesn't know Levi's secrets, which was definitely smart of him. I am excited to see how both Levi and Enne will build their own gangs, and what will come out of it! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Epigraph 2
(view spoiler)[There wasn't extremely much happening. I hope and believe this is going to be more thrilling and have more action soon. I like this little flirting Levi has with Narinda (or what his name was :D) (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Sofia wrote: "Epigraph 2
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I felt Grace was too much like Lola was in the beginning, I think it would have been nice to see more variation in the characters. Even Tock was quite similar. (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Epigraph 3
(view spoiler)[Well this part was quite interesting! I was surprised by Grace's idea of basically having a stock market for the gangs because I would have never thought of that, but it seems like a genius plan to me. I wasn't surprised that most of the gang leaders didn't accept it though, because it just doesn't seem like something a lot of people would understand. I am also excited that Enne is creating her own gang. I think it will make her less dependent on Levi, and make her more confident. I am also excited to see who else decides to join her gang, because I have a feeling a lot of people won't, mainly because it very different from a traditional gang. Overall, I like where this is headed. I am excited to see what happens next! (hide spoiler)]

[Sofia]

Johanna wrote: "Sofia wrote: "Epigraph 2
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree Johanna. It felt like both Tock, Lola, and Grace, are all very similar. I was hoping for some more diversity in their personalities, so hopefully, any new characters will be like that. My only thought is that they may become more unique as the book goes on, and we start to get to know them better. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Sofia wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Sofia wrote: "Epigraph 2
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Yes I'm sure you are right :)

[Johanna]

Sofia wrote: "Epigraph 3
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I didn't really get how they were building this stock market. You should have something that produces profit, then you can sell stocks and give stock holders some part of the profit. But... They don't have anything?? I have to say this plan only confused me, because if I understood it right it was something stupid and unbelievable... (hide spoiler)]