This book was giving me major Six of Crows vibes with a little bit of Caraval mixed in. It was honestly kind of hard for me to give up the Six of Crows comparisons which I think took a little away from the enjoyment of the book for me. I kept trying to compare Levi to Kaz and he was just not measuring up. I wanted Levi to be harder and more ruthless, but I can also kind of see why he wasn’t written that way.

Enne as a character was so hard for me to deal with at first. She’s scared of her own shadow, but at the same time she gets mad at Levi when he tells her that she’s going to get robbed or killed if she acts a certain way/goes to a certain part of the city. Sorry Enne, but the guy lives there and I’d believe him. I’m so tired of female protags trying to insist that they know better than the guy who is acting as their guide in a new city. This is something that I feel happens ALL THE TIME and it’s aggravating. After a while, though, I actually did start to really like Enne and I’m definitely on the Enne-train now. The Levi/Enne ship though? Not quite as on board. I’m just not convinced.

Secondary characters were interesting even if we didn’t get very much time with them. I feel like some of them could have been more developed, but the story is told from Enne and Levi’s perspectives so I understand why they weren’t. I hope in future books we get to know them a little bit more though.

The overall world building was pretty good. I was a little confused about some things because they have cars and pay phones? But then they pay for things with what’s called “volts” which are kept in these glass orbs. I just wasn’t exactly sure what kind of technology existed in this world. I feel like the reader needed to learn a little bit more about the world’s history than we were actually given. I really liked the concept of “talents”, though, being passed down by blood and how you can tell what someone’s talent is by their name.

Lastly, I thought the plot was good and well-paced. The hunt for Lourdes lasted an appropriate amount of time and I thought the characters were portrayed as realistically looking for her while also taking the time to do their normal every day duties like, you know, working and sleeping. I especially thought the ending was well-paced. A lot of times I get to the end of the book and I feel like 50 million things happen within two chapters. That did not happen in this book. I thought the Shadow Game was SO INTERESTING and felt like it was given the appropriate amount of time.

Overall, I think I would have liked this book a little more if I hadn’t already read Six of Crows, but I still quite liked it. I’m not sure what direction this series is going to take (seems like it might dive into the world’s politics?) but I’ll definitely be in line for the next book.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

I loved reading Ace of Shades and am very excited to read the rest of The Shadow Game.
Enne goes to look for her adopted mother in teh CIty of Sin New Reynes. Enne has been brought up in polite society and she needs help if she must navigate this new world. Here to help (?) is Levi, the head of one of the minor gangs. As they traverse the city which runs on a currency called volts, the two become entrapped with the most secretive game of the city, The Shadow Game.
I was instantly attracted to both characters. They were not one dimensional and you good see teh good and bad in each character. I loved teh world Foody has created. New Reynes is a labyrinth of casinos, forbidden markets, and a variety of hideouts for its citizens.
Also enrapturing is the culture of the world. Each person is born with a blood talent and a split talent. These decided your job and your place in society. They also lent you your name. Enne is a Salta a minor dancer who most people overlook. But sometimes a name isn't what it seems.
I recommend this series for an enjoyable ride that slips you out of your reality and into another. This is a great escape with a mostly solid story.

I really really wanted to like this book. I tried twice to pick it up and read it but both times it just didn't grab me. Right off the bat you're already bored. i felt there was too much information and not enough action. the cover is very pretty though. it was confusing and the characters were annoying.

Cons, casinos, magic, and mystery; Ace of Shades seems to have a little bit of something for everyone within its pages.

Just like Amanda Foody’s debut novel, this second release had an incredibly intriguing storyline. The Vegas-like world we were introduced to was well developed and quite enjoyable.

However, my issue lies within the details. The politics/history of New Reynes sometimes needed better explanations and at other times less information. It seems if you miss one little detail (which was very easy to do) then you’ll be confused for half of the book. I had this same issue with her first book, Daughter of the Burning City, as well.

The characters in this story were very fascinating though. We were introduced to several morally grey gang lords that you tended to root for. On the other hand, our main character was very reserved in the beginning. She rapidly went through a major development as she learned that in order to survive, she had to let go a bit.

The mystery element that carried this book along was a total let down. It was resolved in one quick sentence that didn’t give the readers or the characters any closure. Due to this, the story felt somewhat pointless until the big game towards the end that took place within one chapter.

Ultimately, this 408 page book seemed like a strategic way to introduce readers to this risqué world since it’ll so obviously become a series. By the end, I wasn’t all that impressed and just don’t think I’m the biggest fan of Foody’s writing style. I appreciate how imaginative she is, but the quantity of details needs to be worked on.

This was a really good book, the Six of Crows Aesthetic was so strong????? Full review on my blog.
Enne Salta lives in this old-fashioned world (there’s cars, basic phones, subways, smog, skyscrapers, no internet) where everyone is born with two “talents,” one from each parent. The stronger talent is known as your blood talent, the recessive is called the split talent. Your talents are either Talents of Aptitude (like dancing or arithmetic, boring, anyone can learn these eventually) or Talent of Mysteries (I.E MAGIC). These talents were SO COOL, some people had literal powers of seduction or could detect every lie, it was so imaginative and I loved it.

Also, the currency is electricity???? You can carry it in your skin, or in orbs, and just….sldkjskljds how different?????

When her mother goes missing it’s up to Enne to go into the City of Sin and see about it. Under the influence of teenage gang lord Levi Glaisyer, sweet precious proper Enne gets. that. job. done

Ace of Spades, by author Amanda Foody, is the first installment in the authors The Shadow Game series. Foody is also the author of Daughter of the Burning City. One could call this story a mash-up of House of the Rising Sun meets Six of Crows. Foody takes readers to the infamous City of Sin (New Reynes) with the story of Erienne "Enne" Salta, a 17-year old lady-to-be orphan who must brave rowdy casinos, magic, street gangs, Ponzi schemes gone wrong, and a mire of dangerous politics as she searches for her missing foster mother, Lourdes Alfero, using Lourdes rules of survival and a trusty hand book.

"Avaric, pride and lust; these are all modest desires. What the City of Sin truly craves is destruction" - The City of Sin, a Guidebook: Where to Go and Where No To.

Foody explores the classic themes of seeking the truth and finding where you belong, all set against a rich and evocative fantasy backdrop. Foody alternates her story through two very different characters; Enne Salta, who I mentioned before. Enne, from Bellamy, is armed only with a letter her foster mother left her after going missing 4 weeks ago telling her to find Levi Glaisyer, and 17-year old Levi Glaisyer, a gang leader, a card dealer & card shark, a lover of both men and women apparently, and someone who is just one scheme away from owning the streets and having everything he's ever wanted.

In New Reynes, Enne can't trust anyone. Not Levi, who leads her into the devil's own den where she finds herself bound to a crime leader and forced to work while searching for her foster mother. Not Vianca Augustine, head of the Augustine Crime family who has a fetish for all things Mizer, and certainly not Sedric Torren, the man who may have a connection to a group that has risen out of the Shadows and may possibly be the most dangerous person Enne will face in New Reynes. Enne must also explore her blood talent that derives from her parents. Parents she never knew.

This is a story that features some interesting ideas. Mizers, who apparently were overthrown 25 years ago, monarchists, Talents o Mysteries, and Talents of Aptitude, volts, which one uses as a payment method, and orbs. All kidding aside, this story is twisted, strange, bizarre, and really shouldn't be compared with Six of Crows. Levi surely has nothing on Kez Brekker, and neither does his so called crew. One could say that Levi's crew, minus Jac, is pretty much non-existent and not even in play for most of the story. The only other characters that really matter in the long run outside of Enne and Levi, are Lola Sanguick, and Zula Slyk. I enjoyed Enne's character development. From the green and innocent girl who arrives in New Reynes, to the girl who has a whole lot of encouraging growth in a positive direction.

"She’d faced the witch. She’d poisoned the wolf. She’d strolled into the land of death with her head held high and left it a lord. She was an impossible player in a fixed game, the only person not playing to win."

I genuinely cried when my lovely friend Sheila told me she'd managed to grab me an ARC of Ace of Shades at ALAMW. Naturally, the day it arrived my Netgalley request--which had been sitting in the dreaded "pending limbo"--finally got approved. #WelcomeToMyLife. But hey that meant I had a digital copy to read on the go, so I wasn't complaining!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2018, and having read it I can say it was everything I wanted it to be and more.

Amanda Foody totally out did herself. The City of Sin comes alive on the page, the characters breathe, and in typical Foody Fashion the interactions and dialogue are phenomenal.

Enne is introduced as a wee naive lass, but quickly (to her own horror) proves to possess exactly the brand of double edged darkness a person needs to survive in New Reynes. And Levi, my poor, darling Levi, is an overly charming burnt cinnamon roll whose ambition has landed him in some seriously dark water with no rescue line in sight.

Here's a thing I don't get to say very often: Ace of Shades also has a properly unique magic system. WHAT? I know. I don't want to give too much away, because it is so much fun to explore and learn about as the book goes on. I will say the magic is lineage based and while it plays a role in the story, it isn't the primary focus, which I really loved. Most of the main cast don't even have magical talents. Most fantasy focuses heavily on its worlds' magic systems, but in Ace it's just a piece. Not everyone has it, it plays a role in the political history of the city, and it certainly has a role to play in the plot, but it isn't the center point of the world or the book.

Other Reasons to Read Ace of Shades:
- Charming AF bi man of color LI
- Normalization of women exploring themselves because some ladies masturbate too y'all
- The slowest of all slow burn romances. Seriously. The wick on this is a mile long. (CURSE YOU FOODY)
- Basically 1920s gangsters but instead of sending you to sleep with the fishes they force you to bet your life on a card game no one ever wins
- Some of the most original and thorough world building I've seen in ages.

It's a fairly quick paced read that leaves you desperate for answers, and for every answer it gives you you end up with two more questions. By the end you'll be begging for the sequel and sobbing with the rest of us while Amanda makes tea out of our tears.

The cover and description were enough to make me so excited to read! The world building and characters are wonderful! Very diverse YA fantasy that deal with various aspects of sexuality, drug addiction, gambling, mild torture, violence, crime, and pedophilia. So it is probably not suitable for younger teens.

ACTUAL RATING 4.5 Stars

"If I'm not home in two months, I'm dead."

WHOA! What a way to start out with a bang! Am I right? The opening line of ACE OF SHADES instantly had me wondering what had happened and what was to come. Welcome to the city of sin, is right.

"Playing nice is the same as losing in this city."

Going into the book, I wasn't expecting the amount of world building that took place. There was nothing in the synopsis to make me think otherwise. So despite my desire for wanting to read and know more, I had a bit of trouble getting into the story at first. After getting the hang of who was who, what "time era" we were looking at (picture the 1920's and Dick Tracy, this is at least the visual that I got), things started to move along quicker for me.

"They say the city is a game, only the reckless play."

The characters in this book posses blood talents, one inherited from each side, and are passed down from family to family. I thought this was a really neat way to give the characters powers or talents, one I haven't seen before, but it took some time to remember all the details.

"Sometimes we're not who we want to be because we're supposed to be something else."

Amanda Foody created such a diverse and unique world. I really enjoyed the the two main characters, watching the romance build and she did a superb job of keeping me on my toes during the whole book.

"...respect and fear were two sides of the same card."

I read Daughter of the Burning City, at the end of the year and it was probably one of my top 10 reads of 2017. Amanda captured all my favorite things about fiction into one in that book: Fantasy, Murder, Mystery and Suspense. So to say I was looking forward to reading ACE OF SHADES would be an understatement. Despite my slow start, I adored this book and cannot wait to read the rest of this series. The ending left me wanting more but wasn't such a terrible cliffhanger that I'll die without book 2 immediately. Overall this book was fantastic, it definitely did not disappoint, if you're looking for fresh fantasy novel with diverse characters and a lot of fun, I highly recommend picking this one up.

"Secrets were the deadliest of weapons."

Drunk Review:

So, this book falls into a lot of the typical YA fantasy tropes, but tbh, i didn’t hate it. I will say that Foody really isn’t shy about sex. She talks about female masturbation… twice. Which I was pumped about. I think this is a unique story with seriously slow-burning romance.

Characters: So Enne is an awesome woman. She starts off as a *scarequotes* Lady, and struggles with that but i could totally see her shift in believeable ways. Levi… Levi was Levi. My little bisexual child. I say child because he kind of acts like one. Idk… I related to him bot not nearly as much as Enne. ALSO, i love the female frienship that develops. Also, also, Vianca is terrifying.

Plot: So pacing issues were a Thing. However, I will say there are several what the fuck moments. The good kind. At one point i screamed out loud “in the FACE?!” My notes are all over the place with this one.

Writing Style: Her writing is good. If you liked Daughter of the Burning City it’s a similar style.

World Building: I really, and I mean REALLY, loved the magic system in this. The bloodlines etc.

DNF at 25% - fake swearing, so-so worldbuilding, too many "missy" references and too little reason to care about any of the characters.

ARC provided by publisher.

Although Ace of Shades got off to a slow start, I loved how this book played with my expectations. The story eventually sucked me in so that when I turned the last page I wasn’t ready for it to be over. I started to get an idea of the shape of the overarching plot by the end of the book and I’m so excited to see what happens next!

Foody brought the world to life brilliantly, I could see everything so vividly. Also, this story would translate beautifully to screen. And I want to try some of those drinks. I thought that the magic system was interesting. Having an individual’s name be indicative of their talent was a unique twist. However, I was a bit confused as to the various levels within each talent. I also wanted more information about the magic system in general so I’m looking forward to seeing it explored further in future installments.

The characters were so very morally gray and I loved it. Enne was an interesting protagonist. I enjoyed her journey in this book. In general, the book was a lot darker than I had expected from a YA novel. I personally loved it but some of the themes may be a bit too dark for younger readers. The one negative of the novel for me was the time frame because it felt a bit rushed. In my head, the action took much longer than 10 days. However, I could understand why Foody went with a shorter time frame.

Ace of Shades was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It has high-stakes card games, political intrigue, dark magic, and morally gray characters galore. I’d recommend this one if you’re looking for a darker YA fantasy.

The cover of this book really drew me in, and a friend of mine had such high praise for this book. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it!

(Look at the cover. Isn't it pretty? And that tagline! So dramatic - I like it :D)

Okay, to quote myself, "holy guacamole, Ace of Shades is so good. I'm already (impatiently) waiting for the next book. Don't tell anyone but I think this is even better than Six of Crows!"

When reading Six of Crows, it took me so long to get into the story. I had no idea what was going on, I thought Kaz was an old man, I didn't know Inej was female - I was so confused. When I reached 38% I finally started understanding what is happening. The incredibleness of the later parts of the book made up for it... but yeah.

Ace of Shades is equally brilliant - but the fact that it was so easy to understand made it even better. I was hooked from the moment I started reading the book, and that's something that rarely happens!

"What? This city?" He inhaled deeply through his nose. "That's the smell of opportunity. And maybe a little piss."

The world building was unique and amazing - New Reynes, "The City of Sin", is filled with casinos, street gangs, and scary clubs, and it's a really interesting place. I loved everything about it - from the history of the city, to the currency <3 A revolution happened not long ago and the royal family was executed (and I would love to know more about that, since Enne's history is connected to it) and the people use volts (orbs of electricity) to pay for stuff - how cool is that?

She was a blade disguised as a girl.

In the first chapter, we are introduced to Enne Salta, a dancer, who wears dresses and has really good manners. Amber @ The Literary Phoenix mentioned Enne in the guest post she wrote for my blog last December, and when I saw her description of Enne, I already knew I was going to love her. As Amber mentioned in one of her posts, girly girls don't appear a lot in YA fiction anymore. In many YA novels, girly girls are portrayed as weak, gigglish and dumb. Enne is girly and badass, and I hope to see more girls like Enne in YA books.

And Levi! Sweet, warm Levi. He is tough on the outside, but inside, he's a softie <3 At first, he agrees to help Enne only because he wants his money, but as the two get to know each other better, Levi's feelings for Enne grow, and helps her not because of what he will receive in return, but because he really cares about Enne. The two of them are so adorable, and I hope to see more Lenne (Envi? Do they have a ship name?) moments in the second book of The Shadow Game.

Overall rating

★★★★★

OMG THIS BOOK. <3 Everything about this is super amazing, and I loved it so much! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series (also, Amanda Foody said she's working on some Ace of Shades short stories, and I can't wait to read those as well). The book's coming out on April 10 in the US, AND on May 17 in the UK. Go pre-order it now because it's. So. Good.

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 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.

REVIEW

This book is insanely good and I need to buy a physical copy ASAP! The world was so interesting and unique. All the characters are likeable. Also, that cover is absolutely phenomenal. This book is full of action and intrigue.

I've been looking forward to this book for a while now! ACE OF SHADES is the first installment of a trilogy, so I can imagine there is a lot more to be seen and discovered in New Reynes, or The City of Sin.

Levi and Enne are the main characters and I just want more. Levi is obviously bisexual, and there is some nice representation there. Enne can be quite emotional, but she's also determined and brave in some pretty horrible situations.

Foody has created an interesting concept of "sinful" cities and places. Knowing this the reader knows that the characters are going to experience pain, but she also weaves in the importance of loyalty and friendship.

I wanted to love this book but it didn't capture my attention the way that Daughter of the Burning City did - I gave up about 5 chapters in. The backdrop just was as dark and mysterious as the former book, which was what I loved most, even though that seemed to be the intention. And Enne wasn't a character I could connect with at all. She was insufferable and a little bland, definitely not someone I could see caring about long term. Levi was slightly better but couldn't help be connect to Enne, which would have been necessary to continue.

This was just as compelling as Amanda Foody’s first book, Daughter of the Burning City, and the world was just as well developed. It was so completely different, though, and it kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. I loved the characters and I can’t wait for the rest of the series!!

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 think the main reason I didn't enjoy this was purely based on reading preferences and nothing actually harmful from the book itself. Ace Of Shades has some awesome representation and an intriguing premise, but I think maybe I was a little too old to appreciate this level of YA. In fact, even though some of the content was slightly unsettling, I think the younger side of YA may enjoy this more than those closer to the NA age. The language used felt on the immature side, and I just found myself constantly zoning out or dozing off while reading this. I was bored. There, I said it. Again, I definitely think this is just a matter of opinion and I genuinely wish any and all readers more success with this book than I had.