I loved this story. From the moment I started reading I was hooked on the characters and their world. It was very 1800’s, Gangs of New York feel to me and I loved that vibe. I also like that the love/attraction element was more subtle and didn’t fully materialize in this book. Original characters and story, can’t wait for the next one!

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody 
Series: The Shadow Game
Format: ebook
Pages: 304
Published by Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 10th, 2018
Top 3 Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Steampunk
My rating: Set it on fire/If you have nothing else to read/you need to <b>read it/Run and buy it.</b>

<b>The City of Sin...</b>

"Don't reveal your emotions.
Trust no one.
Never find yourself lost."
If the discovery of New Reynes was slow at first, it quickly became addictive. Amanda Foody created here a dangerous and dark city, where secrets have more power than money and where you can lose your life before you know it. Imagine a world of smoke and poisons, songs and pistols, games and tricks... and there you are, in New Reynes. We enter it as tourists, just like Enne at the beginning of the book, cautious but curious. But as the book goes on, we become players. And the city plays a dangerous game! That is what Enne will learn, just as Levi, who thought he knew the city well. But what he knew was only the beginning, and a new game just started!

<b>A steampunk/magical vibe</b>

While reading this book, I felt like a mix of old Far West towns, steampunk, and magic. I won't lie, it also reminded me a lot of Six of Crows, sometimes a bit too much, but not enough to be a real bother. Like, there were similarities, but enough differences too.
In this world, people have two talents, inherited from their parents: a blood talent, stronger, and a split one, weaker. These talents can help them with their job, like being a math genius or making orbs (a part of what represent money in this world). Others can get you killed. During this book, we will discover more about each character's talents, as well as the most dangerous one. I really enjoyed the part magic had in this book, present, but not too much. Just enough to tip the balance and make things more interesting!

<b>Characters you can only love!</b>

I will be honest, at first, I hated Enne, I could not stand her, her thinking, her reactions. She was always crying and complaining. But then, she transforms through the book, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. She becomes so much more than what she was (or maybe, she just uncover it). And in the end, I loved her and I wanted to keep following her adventures. 
As for Levi, the second main character, I loved him from his first appearance. His doubts and his hopes, still so pure even after years in the City of Sin. He was great from the start, and stayed great all through the book!

" Her guidebook had been wrong about one thing: the most dangerous part of the City of Sin wasn't the beckoning of the card tables or the threat of the gangs. it was the allure of Levi Glaisyer's roguish smile."

We also meet Jac and Lola, sidekicks that I hope we will learn more about!
As for the enemies of our heroes, they are simply terrifying and ruthless! Their powers are dangerous and you'd better stay out of their way. Unfortunately for Enne and Levi, they have a third talent: to make powerful enemies!

<b>In a few words</b>

New Reynes was magical, dangerous and dark. It twists all souls that enter and we will follow how it changes sweet innocent Enne into something else, someone else. After a slow beginning where it was hard to really get into the world and the story, I was captivated by the plot, the characters and the City itself! The Shadow Game just started... and I can't wait for the next move!

Review published at abookandacup.wordpress.com on March 12th.

I had no idea Six of Crows and Caraval were seeing each other, but they were and this is their baby. I was totally mesmerized by the world of debauchery, seduction and mysterious card games within Ace of Shades and cannot wait to get more! This is one to check out.

The book starts off with Enne Salta travelling to New Reynes, the proclaimed "City of Sin" in search of her missing mother. Her only lead is the name of a street lord, Levi Glaisyer. From there, future lady-to-be Enne, is swept down a path that grows to feel increasingly outlandish, yet intimate, as the story continues. She uncovers secrets about her loved ones and herself she never believed possible.

Some of the best aspects of this book were the world, its history and the way magic is handled. I LOVED the blood and split talent aspect and it opens a universe of possibilities when it comes to the types of talents that exist. Additionally I found the history and lore (eg. the Mizers) of the world very interesting and hope to learn more about volts, how magical talents came to be and how the Mizers fell. I mean how cool is it that the main form of currency is orbs filled with (essentially) electricity? Hellooooo Nikola Tesla. Speaking of that, I got a very strong vibe of a late 1800's-early 1900's setting and oh man am I here for it. Street gangs, mafia families, acrobatics shows, gambling dens, I live for fictional worlds that are painted so brightly and fascinating as this one.

I also got a kick out of Enne and her propriety at the start of this novel and the way she began to unwind and let go of her inhibitions as she became more comfortable being herself, rather than always putting on an act. Her horror at certain circumstances was humorous and the way she began to take control and feel good about herself was empowering. Her character grew by leaps and bound and I expect we have much more growth to come.

Then comes Levi, the best (and most precious) card dealer in the City of Sin. Seriously, I just want to bundle Levi's tortured, mischievous soul up in a blanket and carry him around with me. Levi's situation is a prime example of being between a rock and a hard place. Levi only wants what is best for those he feels responsible for, but he cannot do that if he cannot save himself first. I loved Levi's desire for greatness, yet never got the sense that he had lost his humanity. Oh - and Levi is a totally bi and a POC and I'm supporting you honey, keep up the good work. Really - what I need is for Enne and Levi to burn New Reynes to the ground together.

Overall, this is a really unique story with a great world and a fun cast of characters. I cannot say too much about the plot and search for Enne's mother without spoiling the story for you, so just take my word for it and check it out!

Also - where's mah fan art at!?

This was good, but I think it could have been so much better.
Parts I liked:
The overall story was very intriguing and I loved the whole gangster vibe it had going. The added magic line thrown in was really fun as well and I found myself very invested in the talent/split talent aspect of the story. It was definitely different and one that I really wanted to know more about.
I also really liked the characters. Levi was great and Enne didn't quite work for me until the end, but by the end I loved her and them together. She grew into her backbone and after what was revealed in the end I can't wait to see how she grows into her own. I think the will be a fierce character and can see her being in my top ten of all time favorites.
What I didn't like:
The history was too muddled. I wish the author would have told the history of her story in a straight forward way. It was incredibly hard to understand who was who for me and which side was the bad side. I found myself glossing over those parts because I just couldn't get a grasp on them. A glossary wouldv'e been fantastic to be honest. I think that may have been all I needed to keep it all straight. If though when the "game'" is talked about I still didn't know what it was until the very end which could have been the author keeping things as a surprise, but it bothered me and still does that i didn't know what she was talking about throughout the entire book. I also had a hard time understanding what volts were and how they worked. I think this whole concept is amazing, but for me I need a lot more information.
One other thing bothered me and that was the LGBTQ line. This book has been pushed and pushed as LGBTQ and while there is one scene with Levi that focuses on this that was basically it. He fell for Enne and that's great, but why even add the LGBTQ if you aren't going to commit to it. It felt like a really cheap way for the author to call her book diverse by throwing in a tiny scene. The rest of the book Levi is all up in Enne so for me this should not be pushed as a LGBTQ diversity book.

So while I did enjoy this and will certainly pick up the next installment I had quite a few major issues with it. I am hoping the next book works better for me because I really do find the idea very intriguing.

I have been seeing this book everywhere, and am glad I got a chance to read it! It is dark and clever, and though the story unfolds a little slowly, I didn't mind. The world-building is well done and the characters engaging. I would read more by this author in the future!

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Amanda Foody’s newest release, Ace of Shades! I was more than eager to read it once I got my hands on a copy as I had heard good things about her debut which I still need to read. This book was far different from what I was expecting, it was intriguing and full of mystery. Though some of the world politics were a little complicated and adding in magic and abilities it makes things a little harder to grasp as it wasn’t based on things I was familiar with. But other than those murky waters I found I quite enjoyed this one!

Enne has come to New Reynes in order to find her mother who has been missing for some months now. She was left with a letter that says where she went and if she hadn’t returned to go to New Reynes and find a man named Levi, who would, hopefully, help Enne find her. When Enne does all this, she finds that New Reynes is a most dangerous place indeed. Trusting Levi to help her find her mother will be a great leap of faith.

Levi is the leader of The Irons, a local gang that works with gambling and whatnot. Though Levi is in a bit of a pickle himself as a deal to earn big money that his boss brought him in on is starting to go sour. He owes a lot of money to another man named Sedric Torren who runs his own casino and is notorious for getting what is owed to him. Basically, don’t cross Sedric, like Levi is about to. He has ten days to earn the money he needs to pay him back and helping Enne find her lost mother may just be the key to getting that money.

As I said, this world was a little more complex that I had anticipated. It was part fantasy, part steampunk almost what with the different kind of technology they used. I wouldn’t say it’s steampunk exactly, because steam and machines weren’t really a part of it, but that’s the feel I got from it and is the best word I could think of to describe it. Adding in the fact everyone is gifted with two kinds of abilities, you have the makings for a world not like our own.

There was a good deal of mystery to this one; what with trying to find Enne’s mother and then of course, another mystery pops up. One that wasn’t expected, though I admit I started making my own suspicions over things. The end results are inconclusive you could say, as while we did learn some things, the ending to this one leaves things a little unsettled, yet I wouldn’t say it was really much a of a cliffhanger, more like laying the foundation to what will likely build into an even bigger puzzle!

There was a bit of possible romance happening, but I was astonished to see that not much happens in that area. But I would think when the next book comes around we might finally get to see something between Enne and Levi!

Overall this book is leaving me feeling a bit puzzled over things and what happened, the hows and the whys…what will likely happen in the future to come. I am not sure of any of it. It was still a really decent read but I feel like while I am reading I shouldn’t be questioning things about how the world works. And yet, I found I never really quite grasped what goes on in this place. And when I can’t understand how things work, I can’t quite get into the story. Here, I did have a general understanding, but I’m all about the details. So while I understood enough, I still found that I only sort of liked this book. There were times when I was really enjoying myself, and perhaps I will have a great appreciation for things come the second book. I still liked this book, but I can’t say it was an immediate favorite. I definitely plan to check out the rest of this series and hopefully Amanda’s first book as well, so I’m not done yet!


Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars


Ace of Shades releases April 10, 2018

I truly enjoyed Ace of Shades, I went in not really knowing what the book was about. I didn't read Daughter of the Burning City, so I was unfamiliar with Amanda's writing. But I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed Ace of Shades. There were some flaws but by the end of the book, I was wishing for more.

My favorite part of the book was the setting. New Reynes is described very well and the reader can feel the struggle of the people in it. There is a clear class system and from the very beginning you know how the system stands out. Gangs profit by gambling and cheating others.
The power trope has been a frequent in many YA books of late, and Ace of Shades is no different. But while many books have only a select few carry a power, Ace of Shades shows that those powers determine your class. Everyone has two powers; their surname is the more powerful one and is called the Blood Talent. This talent is the one used to distinguish classed of talents. There were a few times when a person's blood talent determined who you could or couldn't interact with.

In the beginning, I wasn't too sure about the characters. My interest in them wavered my times at the start, but as the story progressed I was fully invested. The character development for both Enne and Levi turned them into very likable leads. I was fully invested in their story and hoped for a happier ending for them both.

Enne was the character I wavered the most on. I liked her in the beginning because I too would bring a “How to survive a new city” guidebook with me. I felt that by the end, Enne had the most character development to the point where I loved her more than anyone else. By the end of Ace of Shades Enne was a strong female character but still held onto her femininity. I think a lot of female leads are losing their vulnerable side and Enne was opposite in the beginning. Instead, she grew from a vulnerable girl who cried a little more than you'd want, but then grew into a badass woman who was willing to (willing to what?)

Levi was someone I liked the more and more I saw him. I haven't read Six of Crows yet, but I do know that many people are comparing Levi to Kaz. I wouldn't know if he's similar or not, but I did enjoy him as a character. He was a great foil to Enne's personality. I hope to see more of his background and see him interact with other characters more. His relationship with Enne was a little clichéd at times, but I enjoyed their working together more than the romance.

While the start was a little slower, the more I read the more I was immersed in the City of the Sin. Enne ended up being a fantastic female heroine who became stronger the longer she was in New Reynes. Her friendship with Lola is something I hope Amanda explores more in the next installment. Overall, I was happy to read Ace of Shades and I will recommend it to anyone. I'm excited to see where Enne and Levi head next, and I see the many opportunities for each of them.

This is a solid book! It was engaging from start to finish, taking place over ten days, featuring a few central mysteries that get partly resolved by the end of the book. While I didn’t fall in love with this book, I don’t know that there’s anything specific I can point to that this book did wrong. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it.

First shout-out has to go to the worldbuilding, which is pretty damn cool! As far as I can tell, it’s set in a late 19th-early 20th century mash-up of London and…Italy? Maybe? Anyway, it’s a far cry from your usual pseudo-medieval setting; Foody’s City of Sin glitters with neon lights and seedy casinos. New Reynes is still suffering from the effects of a revolution that left the monarchy dead and replaced with a Republic; as it is, the city is still quite unstable. The magic system is built into bloodlines; everyone is born with two “talents” – ranging from acrobatics to fire manipulation – depending on their parents. Telling someone your family name essentially reveals your talent. I was really, really into this; it reminded me of old-school fantasy, but in a fresh setting.

The story begins when Enne Salta arrives in New Reynes, better known as the City of Sin, in search of her mother Lourdes, who has been missing for several months. Enne has little to go by, except for the last letter her mother sent, instructing her to seek out Levi Glaisyer, who turns out to be a young street lord in a very precarious situation of his own. Levi owes an exorbitant amount of money to one of the city’s mafia families, with payment due in ten days. When he and Enne meet, he promises to help her once she promises she’ll pay him. The story is told in both Enne and Levi’s POVs, in third person past, which was a refreshing change of pace from the usual first-person POV.

Both Enne and Levi are likable enough. For some reason, I keep seeing comparisons to Six of Crows, particularly to Kaz and Inej, but frankly I couldn’t see any similarities, and I think it’s to this book’s detriment that this comparison keeps being brought up! I don’t want to be comparing this to Six of Crows as I read; they are two completely different books with completely different characters. Frankly, Levi is no Kaz, which is not an insult to Levi’s character – they’re just two totally different people! In fact, the narrative makes it a point to establish that Levi is more kind and compassionate than other characters (including Enne!), so he’s pretty much Kaz’s opposite.

Enne is a very relatable heroine. She comes to New Reynes scared and clueless in search of the only family she has in the world. She is at various points scared and weepy and frustrated, but all her reactions make sense, so I was never irritated by her. Over the course of the ten days the novel takes place in she develops into a stronger, surer person, but it is not an abrupt character change. It’s not as though Enne suddenly becomes someone else, but existing aspects of her persona morph into more ruthless counterparts. I loved that about her.

Second shout-out is to the casual diversity in this novel; Levi is explicitly black and bisexual. Enne’s mother is said to be gay and genderfluid. There’s several casual mentions of people’s sexuality, which was super refreshing to see! Also, this isn’t anything to do with diversity per se, but I liked this book’s mature approach to sex. There’s an actual female masturbation scene here, and I literally don’t think I’ve ever seen that before in YA.

The inevitable romance did not make me want to bash my skull into a wall, so that’s good! I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. The plot was solid, particularly for the first book in a trilogy. There was a lot of introductory material that is clearly setting up for a trilogy, but it was handled smoothly.

Overall, a good book, and I’ll probably check out the sequel.

Ace of Shades isn't a bad book - but it's not spectacular either. It makes the fatal mistake of trying to be something it isn't.
Ace of Shades needs to stick to it's own story - Enne Salta and Levi Glaisyer are great characters without trying to turn Levi into Kaz Brekker.
Because you can't just take a random teenager and voila, he's Kaz!
Drop the Six of Crows wanna-be attitude and Ace of Shades stands well enough on it's own.

Because Ace of Shades does have a lot going for it.

First - The world building

Oh my goodness - The City of Sin is incredibly detailed and rich. I felt like was in the city with Enne. From the Gambling dens and cabarets to the dark alleys, the city was diverse and immersive.
Also, I loved the metro system! I don't think I've ever read a steampunk book with a met system and I LOVED reading about these characters riding the cars.
The magic system is also really complex. Different talents mixing, with royal families carrying different talents. I LIKE IT.

Also, talents that you can use to control people??? Give me more

Mixed in with the magic & city is, of course, the crime. I want more with the crime families and street gangs. Honestly, that's what makes this book so intriguing. The Donna and Don and casino families.
I don't think I've ever read a YA Steampunk Family with such intense hierarchies of crime? I mean, Six of Crows had gangs, but I'm not sure how well they qualified as organized crime? Anyway, it was really a wild read with these crime families.

The Characters
Ace of Shades needs to spend a bit more time developing rich characters. Enne was great, but I felt like the rest of the ensemble were just meh. The descriptions of the characters didn't live up to how they acted. Their actions were difficult to understand.

Enne Salta was so fun to read. She's naive and funny. I know some people have complained about her naivety, but I thought it was refreshing. She alternates between prudish and shocked, and I like it. It reminds me of me if I was dropped in the middle of Vegas.

Levi Glaisyer - He's not Kaz. And his motivation to become a street lord makes NO SENSE. I was super annoyed with him as a character because he's trying so hard to be this street lord, and he doesn't match up to the job? Different characters say he's better than the rest of them, but I don't see it? It's confusing, conflicting messages.
Also, Levi is bisexual. Which is great, EXCEPT the way his sexuality is treated. He has intense platonic relationships with his guy friends. Definitely not romantic, but they are rich and strong friendships. Also, he sleeps with guys. So he only sleeps with the guys he uses? But he actually falls in love with a girl?
I don't like sexuality used that way. It feels like Levi's bisexuality is just exploited - like he can only develop real relationships with girls, and he just enjoys sleeping with guys. I HATE this narrative about bisexuals.

The plot
There are GREAT things happening with this plot. I want to read more, really I do.
But I also felt like there were weird things that just didn't make sense. Why Levi takes Enne to the Donna makes NO SENSE. (view spoiler)

I am very excited to see things play out in the second book. Ace of Shades ends with some major cliffhangers and I am excited to see where this series goes!

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Amanda Foody is on a quick path to being an all time favorite author of mine because at this point, she can do me no wrong!

After reading and loving Daughter of the Burning City, I was highly anticipating her second novel, Ace of sahdes. Here we are folks. It was glorious.

This book is literally too high quality for this world. I want to assimilate it into my being and find a way to apply all of Enne Saltas qualities and knowledge into my life. Who is Enna Salta, you ask? Oh, just the main character of this story WHO IS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT GIRLS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND ETHEREAL AND I AM A PILE OF INCOHERENT SEAWEED WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. So the plot consists of Enne who has traveled to the City of Sin in search of her adoptive mother who has gone missing. She's completely out of her element in this dark and gruesome world. A world that I found pretty similar to Six of Crows but honestly, FAR more brutal and intriguing. Enna eventually gets caught up with a street gang lord who surprised the heck out of me. I never thought I'd want to squeeze the cheeks of a character before..

All in all, this is a sweeping epic tale that has complex and detailed world-building that is seamlessly integrated into the story which I loved!! Sooo when can I get Amanda's next book?

"If I'm not home in two months, I'm dead." These were the last words Lourdes, had spoken to Enne Salta before she left for New Reynes, The City of Sin. Four months after Lourdes departure, Enne sets off with a guide book to the city in hopes of finding her mother before her debut. Enne, a proper young lady, had been preparing her whole life for her debut and title of lady, something she wanted more than anything...except finding her mother. Unaware of Lourdes secret life in New Reynes; Enne unexpectedly finds herself thrown into danger in a city filled with political upheaval, corruption, and lies. With the help of Levi Glaisyer, a street lord and con man, she will set out to find answers, resist the corruption of the city, and make it out alive.

Ace of Shades is the first book in a fresh new YA series set in a time of street gangs but with an exciting element of magical fantasy. What I really enjoyed about this novel was the unique blend of historical and fantasy elements. Talents and abilities are bestowed by bloodlines from both parents which also somewhat determine class; however some individuals have abilities that fall outside of normal human capabilities. New Reynes, a city of corruption has a long history of revolution and war between the different criminal bosses that control the different zones. Although this first novel was action packed, it focuses mostly on introducing the characters and the history of the city while Enne gains allies for the upcoming novels. I'm excited to see what surprises the other books in the series will hold as well as getting to know more about the main characters introduced. This is definitely a series I would suggest checking out and is sure to be a top pick for 2018.

***I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

This book started out as a 1 or 2 star for me but gradually at about 50% or so it moved up to a 3 star. It still wasn't great but it wasn't a, 'I would DNF this if it wasn't an ARC/BR.'

I liked Enne more towards the end of the book when she grew a spine. I'm very interested in her powers and seeing how she makes volts. I still don't understand why people need volts but I've given up on learning why.

I liked Levi alright. I appreciated that he was Bi. That seems to be a trend with the ARCs I've received this year and I think it's going to be the trend of 2018. LGBT with a emphasis on B.

I had a hard time picturing him as young and black though. Particularly at the beginning. I though he would be 40 or so. About Enne's mother's age. I even though we might be her father until I learned he is the same age as her!

I was sad that they didn't end up together. I have a feeling this will be a slow romance. I did enjoy the scene where Levi made out with the Dice boy though. That was hot and I'm not sad that he ended up kissing him instead of Enne. :P

I'm not sure how I feel about Lola or Jac. I'm glad that Jac is loyal but he seems to have a lot of issues. Same with Lola. It doesn't seem like the book took place over 10 days! O.o

The truth about Enne's talents and parents was a shock! I couldn't believe she was a Mitzer! I still don't understand what a Mitzer is though. :S

Overall not bad. Could definitely have been improved though. I felt like I was thrown into an interesting series but started at the second or third book. A lot needs explaining.


*** I don't have a blog so I'm not sure what to do about this part:

Send us your review within NetGalley including the name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted, a link (for blog/online reviews), and the run date for when the review will be posted/published.

I did obviously send you my review and I'm going to post it on Goodreads. It will be on there indefinitely. ^-^

When this book was first announced in 2017 I was over the moon excited. I had read Foody’s debut, Daughter of the Burning City, and had fallen in love and was very much looking forward to getting my hands on more of Foody’s work. So many of the early reviews were absolutely beaming about Ace of Shades and I wanted in on the action. When my eARC request finally came through, I dove right on in.

Characters

In Ace of Shades we really follow two main characters, Enne and Levi. Enne finds herself in the City of Sin looking for her adoptive mother, Lourdes, who has gone missing and was last known to be there in New Reynes. When she arrives she is a wholesome, naive youth with very proper etiquette. She quickly finds herself embroiled with the street lord Levi and his gang. Levi, with the promise of a massive payment from Enne, agrees to help her find Lourdes.

For 3/4 of this book I absolutely could not stand Enne. She was naive and childish and had all the personality of a wet fish. Also, miraculously, everything seems to go her way. Isn’t that nice? How annoying. When you are a silly little thing meandering around in a place called the City of Sin you should get into a lot more trouble than this precious flower did. However, I will say that in the last quarter of the book her character really bloomed. Enne leaves her childish ways behind and becomes someone fascinating.

Levi, on the other hand, is dull from start to finish. He has found himself owing a great deal of money to a powerful man and that is his only focus. That’s cool, I can understand that being your obsessive when you life is on the line. But, lo and behold, a pretty face comes along and he becomes smitten. He is still concerned about the money but he is more worried about wilting that precious flower and protecting her and it really ground my gears. Levi had nothing going for him.

Plot (some spoilers)

The plot is actually pretty interesting. If you read the blurb at the top, you’d know that the story takes place in a seedy city known for gambling and gang violence. In my head I automatically pictured a run down version of Vegas. Enne goes to this city looking for her mother who went missing there. She gets caught up in some of the gang violence, indentured to a essentially a mob boss, nearly murdered on multiple occasions, and ends up finding very little information about Lourdes all the while being taken advantage of by the city.

While the plot is interesting, Enne’s reactions to what happens to her is what turns it a little on the dull side. She cries, goes and finds help, and makes a general mess of things. In a nutshell, the general plot was interesting but the characters moving through that plot needed some zing.

Overall

This book was interesting and had fairly unique subject matter. There is a whole magic system etc which felt fresh, not recycled, and that is always nice. The other thing I want to mention is the ending. This is the first book in a trilogy, I believe, but everything felt rather wrapped up there at the end. I wasn’t left with the nagging feeling of wanting to know more of what could happen because the main plot line had been more or less resolved. I just didn’t care what more happened.

It was just so structured, as if nothing spontaneous could possibly happen. That made the story as rigid as a nun in a catholic school. If the characters had been anywhere in the realm of likable this would have been a very good book. As it is, I feel like I can’t give it more than a 3/5.

If you're a fan of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows series, read no further. Just go now and pre-order this book. Immersive world-building, mesmerizing, flawed, diverse characters, life or death stakes - all done masterfully.

The setting of New Reynes, the City of Sin, is a character unto itself in this book - I felt as if I were experiencing the dark, narrow streets, enticing smells of street vendors, and threats lurking around every corner. The guidebook references at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining and give subtle hints at what's to come.

Although she may fool you initially, Enne Salta is almost as badass as V.E. Schwab's Delilah Bard. An unexpected strong resolve and nerves of steel hide behind her 'proper young lady' exterior - don't underestimate her. Levi is pulled in several directions, makes questionable choices, struggles to do the right thing - and could charm a snake.

Ace of Shades offers a fast-paced plot, gangs, casinos, rogues, intrigue, mystery, romance, and magic - and it's one of my top YA fantasy reads. The second book couldn't come soon enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

In her <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2218538676?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1">review</a>, Cinda Williams Chima described this book as "<i>Six of Crows</i> meets 'House of the Rising Sun,'" and that's honestly the best description I've seen. I'm a huge fan of both of those things, so this should have been a total winner for me. Ultimately, though, <i>Ace of Shades</i> was too trope-y for me to rate it as highly as I did <i>Jade City</i>, which is one of the best gangster books I've ever read.

First things first, <i>Ace of Shades</i> has a killer premise: a gang leader and a lady-in-training get caught up in a mysterious card game which might cost them their lives. New Reynes has a distinct inspired-by-New Orleans vibe, with its old warm charm, big casinos, and reputation as a "City of Sin." And the different gangs and magic systems had a very <i>Six of Crows</i>-type feel. Overall, I liked a worldbuilding a lot, though I did have questions (Public telephones? That feels a little too modern, idk).

The plot is also fast-paced and moves us through the story (and the city) in a way that keeps you turning the pages. I was definitely never bored. If I weren't in school, I could have finished this book in a day or two.

Where <i>Ace of Shades</i> fell apart for me was the characters. I recognize that this is personal taste, but if you're going to write a book about criminals, I feel like you really have to *go* there. It's repeated multiple times that Levi is a good person - he rarely cheats people, unless he has to; he's never killed anyone, unlike the other gang leaders; and one of the other characters constantly tells him that Levi is better than the others. While it's hard to buy that a 17-year-old could be a gang leader, a problem both <i>Ace of Shades</i> and <i>Six of Crows</i> shares, at least Kaz Brekker *felt* like he could get the job done. Levi never comes across as formidable, and honestly, I was shocked that <spoiler>Chez or one of the others didn't challenge him earlier</spoiler>. This is something I thought Fonda Lee did very well in <i>Jade City</i>, especially in the character of Hilo: he's horrible; we see the terrible, violent things he does <u>from page one</u>, but we love him anyway. I wanted Amanda Foody to trust us a little more, give Levi a sharper edge, and let us fall for him anyway.

A second problem I had was the trope-y feel. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but <i>Ace of Shades</i> has a distinct YA flavor to it that I'm finding interests me less and less. For one, the romance (though admittedly never taking over the plot) feels both superfluous and inevitable. While <spoiler> Levi and Enne never admit their feelings for each other</spoiler>, we know they will in book 2. There's no surprise here. Nor was there any real tension, in my eyes. I wanted to feel like it's possible they might not get together, but as is so common in YA books, the romance seems sealed from the first chapter.

So in the end, while <i>Ace of Shades</i> is a fast read with interesting worldbuilding, I just didn't think it was as good of a book as other mobster-led stories I've read, notably the aforementioned <i>Six of Crows</i> and <i>Jade City</i>. I'd still recommend this one, though only to those who are hungry for more of Ketterdam and Kaz, and don't mind if the story doesn't quite live up to its inevitable comparison.

OH👏HELL👏YES!👏

This book was not even on my radar. I didn't love Daughter of the Burning City so I wasn't going to touch this but my interest peaked after I saw the cover. Getting this ARC means I am definitely buying it where as I wouldn't have before.

The romance is so good and slow burning! I can't stand most insta-loves...especially in situations like this one so thank you for writing it like this! Similarly, I loved the frienemy-ships between Enne and basically everyone in the City of Sin.

I want to know more about the gang system and conflicts/politics of it in the sequels.

It's pretty fast paced and you're guessing for basically the entire thing. Think Six of Crows with some Anastasia and Oceans Ten.

My only complaint was the explanation of the Shadow Game. I honestly just couldn't understand what the rules were or how Enne was able to do everything she did once she got to the Club.

I am so here for the sequel too! Oh! That ending made my stomach inhale and then lurch when I realized that was it...that I had to wait for the next book now.

I blew through this book in 24 hours and have no regrets about spending my time like that

While it’s not technically a villain origin story, “Ace of Shades” offers the rare opportunity to watch a character who is the very definition of innocence thrown into the unforgiving world of lies, greed, betrayal and sin with little hope of survival but with the determination to come out on top.

This book follows Enne, a sheltered young woman desperately searching for her mother in the city of sin with nothing more to go on than a letter offering up a man, Levi who might be able to help but who also happens to have problems of his own and while their two stories intertwine, they are forced to trust each other and work together in order to find the answers Enne so desperately craves and work to keep each other alive.

This is a world that blends the allure of magic and the temptation of sin creating a dark and seedy atmosphere that draws you in while following these characters as they try to survive and establish a reputation that will allow them to advance in the world far better than any gambling den or dance hall would allow while offering the underlying political tension that could start a new war if secrets that were thought to be buried manage to make themselves known with the smallest slip of the tongue.

Fans of ‘Six of Crows’ will love this book as it shows the importance of loyalty and the dangers of pulling off the impossible with a horde of enemies lurking in the shadows and a game of chance that you won’t survive losing.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Ace of Shades is a masterpiece of a book. The worldbuilding, the writing, the characters, and the plot are all phenomenal and I am so excited to see where the next book takes them all. It's wonderful and refreshingly diverse, clearly influenced by Six of Crows and Spirited Away but with its own delightful spin. I simultaneously didn't want to put it down, and wanted to stop reading it so I wouldn't finish it.