ACE OF SHADES ended up being a surprise read for me last year, one that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. It was full of crackling energy and a cast of characters I couldn't wait to read the further adventures of. However, KING OF FOOLS fails to spark the same level of exultation as its predecessor. Rather than devouring each page with anticipation, it was almost a chore to keep going at parts. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the world that the author has created. I am wholly invested in it and plan to stick it out until the end, but after such a strong start to the series, I can't help but feel a bit let down with this second installment.

This was everything I hoped it would be. Amanda Foody isn't afraid to make certain decisions, and I love that. I'm so excited to see how this series concludes. I love all these characters, and as an accounting major who loves cats, I want to join the girl gang

*Spoiler free, I'm not really sure how many stars*

I adored Ace Of Shades. It was the gangster book I didn't know I needed. I was a little wary going into this book, since it sounded like the world was going to be expanding and I was worried about everything getting convoluted and confusing. Though, this book turned out to be something I love very deeply. Trigger warnings: addiction, mentions of self-harm, violence

King Of Fools is absolutely spectacular. The world is expanded into something incredible, new, amazing characters are introduced, and the story becomes something darker, deeper, and fantastic.

In Ace Of Shades, there are so many characters. I knew there would be new ones introduced and I was worried about keeping track of them and just liking them in general. Boy, have I fallen in love them. The new characters are all kinds of amazing. They add so much to the story. The add to the plot. They added to my overall enjoyment of the book. They are all so, so lovable and I adore them.

This book is complicated. Really, really complicated. The plot relies heavily on the politic climate of New Reynes and you have to understand those to understand what's happening in the book. Honestly, I don't understand how I got a grip on them. Foody makes sure to explain everything so thoroughly every time politics are discussed, so the main, important, points are really driven home. Levi and Enne are also  "huh?" when it comes to politics, which I think helped ease my confusion haha. Economics are also introduced, but don't worry! It's actually fascinating and it is presented in the same way as politics. Foody somehow managed to get me to understand everything that was happening. And it didn't require major information dumps or stretches where I was helplessly lost, which I think is an amazing feat. It was also really interesting and didn't take away from the rest of the book. All this to say, the author did this part of the story amazingly haha.

I wasn't expecting the plot to take the turns that it did. The world got a lot darker than I was expecting, but I like where it went. It's twisty and I honestly could not guess what was going to happen. This book takes a better look at New Reynes, the history behind it, and what every character wants their place in it to be.

While every single character had their own character arc and development, I loved Enne's a whole lot. She accepts who she is. She's a lady and she's a gangster. And she will not apologize for being either. I loved watching her throughout this book and how she handled everything. I love her gang. And her gang has cats! And it's awesome! Her gang is also filled with girls who like to eat sweets, wear pink, and paint their nails while they run everything, which was absolutely awesome.

The writing was also something I really, really enjoyed. It's incredibly strong and I just really enjoyed it. 

Alright, there was one plot point that I'm having a hard time untangling my emotions about. It's heartbreaking. The kind of heartbreaking that I know which book I can have an answer for the question "What was the most heartbreaking book you've read?" when I do tags now. I don't know if I like it. I don't know exactly how I feel. I think the thing that's hard for me to wrap my head around is that it wasn't presented well. I think this plot point fits and I can make sense of it. It fits into the story and makes sense with everything that has happened. I just don't like how the other character's reacted to it. It doesn't fit with who and how they are. It was too fast. So, I think the confusing thing for me was sorting out that this was decision that works, but it wasn't written to the best of it's ability. And there are also lingering questions about it that weren't answered at the end of this book, but might come up in the third, which made this even more confusing haha. And yes, I am being incredibly vague cause I want to avoid spoilers!

I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance aspects of this book, but that is really just personal preference!

All in all, this book was incredible. It elevated everything that Ace Of Shades had and made it something incredible. I know the twists aren't over and I'm ready to see this world turned upside down once again in the third book.

To answer an earlier question of mine will I regret reading this book as early as I did? Omfg!!! Yes I do!!!!

No spoiler review

This book is definitely without a doubt the climax of the series so much happens it’s insane... girl gangs are bad ass is all I have to say on that subject matter. Also Enne and Levi the chemistry between this two is just like how it was in the first book the slow burn that honestly makes you want to scream and push this two idiots towards one another but not only that the additional POV we got in this series is honestly phenomenal but my heart hurts after that ending..... I won’t say much but I wanted to toss my tablet across the room at a certain scene towards the end..... the epilogue was insane and I’m now on the edge of my seat waiting for book three... this book honestly captivated me so much more then the first book did I couldn’t put it down.

"The hero of one story is the villain of someone else's. It's all just a matter of who wins."

This book picks up right where ACE OF SHADES left off. And right from the get-go things are intense.

I just want to say that Amanda really stepped up her writing game in this book. The dialogue was excellent and there were so many lines that were beautiful constructed. If you like books like VICIOUS, then you'll enjoy KING OF FOOLS.

So in this book we are given three POVs:

Levi:
A bisexual disaster. My poor boy just needs a vacation and some painkillers. Always dapper. Can smirk the pants off anyone. Definitely would want to grab a drink and play Tropps with him (which he would promptly make of fun of me for ordering something sweet and then take all my money because I'm terrible at cards).

Enne:
A finishing school dropout. Newest street lord. Always dressed for success. Don't mess with a woman in pearls. I want to join her girl gang (seriously though, is she taking applications?).

Jac:
The sweetest friend. Looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll. Chain smoker. All around stand up guy. Can he be my new best friend (and tell me who his tattoo artist is)?!

So what is this story about?
It's all about legends. How do they start? How do you become one? What goes into making a legend? Why would you want to be one? What drives these legends to stay around for years to come? Also it's about Levi and Enne and Jac and a ton of other side characters who I adore.

The neat thing about KING OF FOOLS is that it takes place over the course of months while ACE OF SHADES lasted only ten days. Which was really cool to see that Amanda can nail storytelling for a short or long time span.

Also this book has so many almost kiss scenes I feel like Amanda coined the term herself!

The character arcs were pretty stellar. And I absolutely adored the additions of new characters (like Grace and Tock). This truly is the girl gang book of my dreams.

Overall I really loved this book! The pacing. The characters. The writing style. The new threats. Especially THAT ENDING.

I couldn't put this book down! I have been highly anticipating this book since reading ace of shades and it did not disappoint.! I loved this world Amanda has created and the characters, I hate and love them at the same time. And that ending..... oh my god!

A phenomenal masterpiece featuring fabulous and lethal girls, political intrigue, and delicious writing. I devoured this book in one setting. Enne and Levi's romance is well-rendered and authentic. The new characters are lovely as well.