3.5 stars. Slow to start but intriguing by the end. I'm definitely interested in where the next book will take me.

Ace of Spades was a dark, magic world where gang members run the streets of New Reyens. Terrorizing the city streets and also protecting the weak. In the city of sin this story follows Enne and Levi. Enne arrives in search of her long lost mother. She is also way in over her head.....There she meets tall dark and handsome Levi. Local con man extraordinare!

Together they fight off crime, and form a bond no one can destroy!

Enne was raised as a proper young lady, by her single mother. Even though her mother was always aloof and constantly travelling away from home, Enne loves her desperately. When Enne’s mother hasn’t been heard from in several days, she journeys from her high life to the slums across the water. Enne’s only lead to her mother is a local gang lord, Levi. Even though he is all she has, Enne doesn’t know whether or not to trust him or any of his contacts. She soon finds herself doing things she never thought she would and pushing her own accepted morals. However, it’s all worth it in the quest to find her mother, right? There are twists and turns at every plot point, with family secrets being uncovered along the way.
I had trouble warming up to the main characters. Enne was pompous and hard to connect to, while Levi seemed naïve in many regards. I can see many fantasy readers responding to this novel. It wasn’t for me though.

I did not finish this book. I just could not get into this book and did not enjoy the story (the bits that I got through). It had good action, but it just was not for me. The settings are lovely and descriptive, but the characters were not very engaging for me.

DNF I just couldn’t get into this one. Plot was good, characters didn’t quite work. I got lured by other books and lost interest.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I thought the writing, characters, and world building were all excellent, and I am looking forward to the sequel.

3.5...not quite a 4, but very enjoyable! The 2nd half was especially good; the first half was slow moving and hard to connect with. Glad I stuck with it! Lots of action, fast paced, and I was finally invested in the survival of the characters. I want the sequel!

5 Stars!!

I really enjoyed Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody, so when I saw Ace of Shades on NetGalley, I had to request it! While the story started out with quite a bit of action, it did take a few chapters to really draw me in and get me hooked.

Worldbuilding
One thing Amanda Foody does really well is creating completely unique and interesting worlds for her stories. From the very first page, the scene was set in an incredibly vivid manner and it was so easy to picture the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city. The most interesting piece for me, however, was the system of blood talents/skills. The idea that your talents are determined by your genealogy (blood), and that each person has a primary and secondary talent, was so interesting to me, and I loved the way that Foody wrote it into so many aspects of the story.

Characters
This is where I can see how Ace of Shades is being compared to the Dregs from Six of Crows. The characters are all fantastic. From the first moments of the story, we are introduced to a wide variety of different characters - not surprisingly all in their late teens/early twenties. From there, the cast of characters only continues to expand, drawing in more and more characters of various moralities and motives. This story is definitely strong on the relationships formed between characters and I would say that is another one of Foody's strong suits.

Writing & Plot
I am completely obsessed with Foody's writing style. She knows how to drop those foreshadowing hints, and keep the twists and turns coming, in order to sweep the reader away and into the story that she is telling. The pace is fantastic throughout the book. Every time I came to the end of a "Day" and was prepared to call it quits for the night, I was hooked into reading just a little further to see what happened next. At its heart, the story is a young girl's quest to find her missing mother. But it is so much more than that. The cons, traps, and ultimately the Shadow Game all serve to only up the stakes that much more for the characters that we quickly grew to know and love.

Overall, a fantastic story full of con artists and blood talents, set in a fantastical Las Vegas-esque city full of dark secrets and corruption, with just a little dash of good. I could hardly put it down!

I had difficulty getting into Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City. For whatever reason it just didn't work for me. Ace of Shades, on the other hand, was instantly enthralling and I read it all in one sitting. It's been compared a lot to Six of Crows and while I can see that comparison a little, I do want to say that this doesn't have quite the same pacing as Six of Crows. Whereas Six of Crows is a heist and that leads to a really fast pace, this is a con and it takes a little bit longer to build. I really loved Levi and Enne - I can't decide who's my favorite, but they're both really great characters. I especially liked seeing Enne come into her own throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.

Note: I got to read a Netgalley version of this book.

I'll admit that Enne didn't grab me much at first. She was, to put it mildly, annoying. It wasn't until she came into her own later on in the book that I found myself cheering her on.

Levi on the other hand was engaging from the start. His emotional journey was as strong as Enne's. I'm curious to see where his story goes in future.

New Reynes is richly described so that you truly feel like you're there with the sights and smells.

I really wanted to like this more! The hype for a book got me again. It took me about a month in a half to finish this book. That never happens! I did enjoy Daughter of the Burning City, so I was quite excited when this book came out.

I’m a very character driven reader and I just couldn’t connect with the characters in this book. if I’m being honest, it was a bit boring for me. There is a lot of info dumping going on here and I found the political aspect to be too much. There was a ton of backstory explained and how New Reynes came to be.

I thought that Enne was stuck up and extremely naive. I thought she would grow on me as I kept reading but she never did. Levi was a bit reckless and came off different than what I thought. He didn’t come off as a gang leader in the slightest! He was super nice and I don’t believe he could ever run a gang! Now, I loved that he was a bisexual black man. It was great to see that representation, but that’s really where my liking him ends.

Now I did like the writing and there were some plot twists that I didn’t see coming. Also, I do have to give credit that it was an interesting world.

Overall, the writing was good and it did have some good moments, but I honestly don’t think I will continue with this series. Maybe if I didn't go into it with high hopes then I would have liked it more. It just didn't live up to my expectations for it.

I must admit that I jumped on the bandwagon and requested this book because everybody else was talking about how great it was. I tried and tried to get into the storyline, but it reminded me so much of another book about street kids that form a gang and take on the underworld (SoC cough*), which I also did not care for, that I just could not finish it. In my mind, I tried to separate these two stories but there was so much overlapping and similarities that I could not force my way through.
I did like the author's style of writing better than the other storyline previously mentioned. I just wished that I could read something new and fresh, especially since I also got this book in my Owl Crate subscription box.
I would recommend this book to fans that like the other book and anyone who likes books about street gangs and taking on the “underworld” that oppresses said street urchins. I apologize if this book was just not for me but I appreciate the opportunity to read it.
The cover is absolutely stunning and was the second reason I wanted to read this book.

Rating: 2/5



Genre: YA Fantasy



Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, child prostitution, trigger warnings for suicide and rape, violence, gore, gambling, drinking, and drug use and references)



Pages: 416



Author Website



Amazon Link



Disclaimer: None, I received this book in my BluBearBazaar April bag.



Synopsis: 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 where no one survives uncorrupted.



Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.



Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…



And she’ll need to play.





Oh boy, I feel like I lost all my earnings in a poker game. So, the good news about this new release is that this is an authentic young adult novel. It actually borders on new adult with all of the references this book has. This book does take place in a reimagined Las Vegas though so you kinda have to expect it going into this book. Anyways, I thought the premise behind this book was amazing and so intriguing. I loved Foody’s Daughter of the Burning City and I thought that she could bring her special brand of weirdness to this novel to make it a spectacular read.



However, I was mistaken. This book is really clunky, meaning that there is a whole lot of story in this book but with little plot to drive it forward. The characters are very one dimensional and I feel no connection to them. The events in this book are predictable and the romance is very awkward. The writing is all over the place and it tries so hard to emulate Six of Crows, but it falls flat on its face. I think the main problem with this book is the lack of world building we are presented with. The book is very confusing for the reader and there are things mentioned throughout this book that aren’t ever brought up again or are vague or foreign to the reader. The characters don’t have much of a personality and it lacks their own backstory to make the characters memorable. The book also alternates between POVs of Enne and Levi, both of whom make idiotic decisions constantly. For a street criminal and a “proper lady”, you’d think they’d have avoided many of the issues they both faced. The book also gives characters powers but does little to explain these powers and the magic behind them and gives characters plot conveniences to escape detection from our main characters. In short, this book is a hot mess and needed further editing before being presented to the world.



Verdict: Fold and go home while you’re on top or risk losing it all… in this book.

Unpopular opinion time! I honestly couldn't finish this. It started out fine but then it kind of was dragging on and I couldn't get into the story much more. It wasn't my cup of tea and many parts weren't really believable to me. Maybe in the future I will pick this back up and try reading it again but for now it's DNF.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book. The premise is interesting and rather unique, in my opinion. Enne's mother is missing after her last trip to New Reyes and leaves Enne only one clue. Find Levi. So, she goes to the City of Sin, where even those with the purest souls become tainted and dark. Which is precisely what happens to Enne.

CHARACTERS
Enne was raised by her mother to be a proper lady. So, it comes as a large surprise to her that the etiquette and manners she learned are essential to her survival in the City of Sin. They help her go from naive doll to badass crime lord. She gets to be elegant, charming AND scary. Levi is the youngest street lord in the city, bisexual, and caught up in a lethal game he needs Enne's help to get out of. Vianca is the donna of the city, highly influential with the talent to control and manipulate people. She uses her talent, called an omerta, to bind Enne to her will, making her a puppet. She's already had Levi in her clutches.

WORLD BUILDING
The magic system</b> is pretty interesting. Everyone has two talents which they inherit from their family and these talents can range from physical abilities like dancing/acrobatics and magical powers like flames and manipulation. Otherwise, I felt that there wasn't as much worldbuilding as I had hoped. The city made me think of New Vegas from the Fallout franchise, as it has large casinos with gangs (one casino is called the Gomorrah and is run by a gang called the Omertas), problems between the gangs and slums similar to the book. Not much info is given outside of the city though.

WRITING
I've seen it compared to Caraval and I wouldn't dispute this. The writing is very similar and both books do transport you to a world of games and mystery. It also has similar purple prose, for example, "insert adjective] shades of [insert color]" and overused metaphors. The gambling metaphors in this book were driving me a bit mad because of how often they were used.

"Her guidebook claimed the City of Sin was a game. She'd made her first move."

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

"It was too late to fold-the city had brutally marked him a player tonight."

ROMANCE
The romance really didn't hook me, but I'm not one for romance anyway. Enne's and Levi's relationship start with the two of them disliking each other but having an obvious lust for one another, as they make sure to mention often. Their relationship changes when Enne is hooked by Vianca's omerta and they begin to understand each other. As they fall for each other, their fear of each other also grows.

LGBT
The only LGBT elements I noticed is that Levi is bisexual. He has a closet full of clothing left behind by women and men he's hooked up with and in one scene in which Levi drunkenly hooks up with a guy named "Dice." It's rather subtle, but still appreciated.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I liked the basic plot and characters and thought the pacing of the story was good, there were also parts I thought needed work. The world building was heavy-handed at best. Was it interesting? Yes. But it was also unnecessarily complicated and took away from the story. Perhaps a prologue with a brief explanation of how things used to be would have made the story read more smoothly. And, although I did find most of the characters interesting, I was surprised at times by their actions. I don’t think we ever really got to know these characters well enough. Maybe too much time was spent on world-building and not enough on character development?

This book had the potential for something great, but did not live up to it.

This was not the book for me. It felt like it stole pieces from other books and mashed them all together with new names. The main character was not appealing. She was annoying and I found myself thinking "really?!?!" multiple times about things she did. I thought the plot was kind of slow. The writing was just ok. Nothing special there. This book is pretty forgettable. I wasn't a fan of the made up swears either, but because they're made up it might be more easily found in a school library.

Book was alright read for me. I did like the story idea of it. It was slowish for my take. Will check out book two and see how the story progress. Thanks for giving me time to review this book for my blog. How to read more books from you guys down the road

Enne is leaving the comfort and safety of her finishing school to head to New Reynes, where street gangs control territories and gambling, sex and vice rule. She’s scared, but she doesn’t have much of a choice: her mother, who had been working as an underground reporter in New Reynes, has disappeared. And despite her naiveté, Enne is determined to find her. Luckily (or unluckily, as the case may be), she pretty quickly finds the person she believes can lead her to her mother: Levi Glaisyer. But Levi is no finishing school student - he’s a master gambler, con artist, and gang leader. While he decides to help Enne, his motivations are anything but pure – he needs Enne’s money, or his life is likely forfeit.
While a bit overstuffed, Ace of Shades ended up being an entertaining read. The main draw for me was the setting. We don’t see a ton of YA set in a Las Vegas type of world, and Foody played up a lot of the different types of entertainments and vices that the “City of Sin” (New Reynes also has this moniker) can offer. There are mafia dons and donnas, kind of lame street gangs (more on that in a bit), casinos of the luxurious and seedy variety, acrobatics and entertainment of the less…savory nature. My imagination was running wild as I pictured the different casinos, shady markets and shadowed meeting places.
Our characters are fine. Enne is a bit annoying at the beginning, but she really comes into her own later in the book. Even though the book is set over the short time period of ten days, a lot goes down in those ten days, so Enne’s development feels both realistic and earned. By the end, I was really rooting for her. Levi never really landed for me, especially since his relative incompetence and inability to do much of anything productive at all make his street gang leader status quite suspect. He’s a sweet kid with a rough past, and I might have bought him as someone fighting his way up in a gang, but was not sold on him as a leader of anything. By the end of the book, Enne is a lot more street smart and tough than he is! There’s a bit of a romance between the two, but it’s mostly (thankfully) relegated to the background.
Because of the setting, this book has some mature content, but for some fake cursing is employed. Characters are constantly saying “muck” and “shatz” and it pulled me out of the story every time. In addition to the fake cursing, while the worldbuilding is cool it is fairly complex (I haven’t even mentioned the magic, but there is a magic system) and not seamlessly integrated. The beginning had a few sections that, if not info dumps, were pretty close to it. Other than that though, the book was an enjoyable escapist (sex positive!) read.
Ace of Shades is not a debut, but at times the clunky worldbuilding and shallow characterizations made it feel as though it were. With that being said, it has a ton of promise, and I’m intrigued enough by the premise and Enne’s development to check out the sequel, which I suspect will be much better. Fans of YA fantasy looking for something a little different will find a lot to like here. 3 stars.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Negalley for providing me with an eARC for review consideration.

By golly and by geez, this book is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.
I mean. I honestly don't have words? I finished it two weeks and I'm just now able to formulate an opinion, ha!
Basically, this book is a masterpiece. Levi is my sweet soft beautiful boy, Enne's journey of self-understanding and empowerment was SO GOOD, and the setting, plot and idea behind this book are all rock-solid.
Big fan. Highly recommend!