I loved this sequel to Ace of Shades. Just as fun of a read as the first book, it was refreshing to return to this world. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review. I will continue to look for books by Foody in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review of this book.

I was so excited to get the advanced review of this.

This book is book 2 to the series. The first book was Ace of Shades. This book was so amazing!!!!! That ending!!! The world building and development was very well done. I can not wait to see where the author goes from here. I do believe there will be one more book in this series.

I loved the characters of the story. I don't really want to give to much information because if you have not read book one, I don't want to spoil this book. I just highly suggest picking up this series.

This was such an incredible sequel to Ace of Shades. It had all the elements I loved about the first book and brought in some new twists that I wasn’t expecting!

I wasn't sure how to feel going into this book, I hadn't expected to enjoy Ace of Shades as much as I did, so I was a little nervous going into King of Fools but this book met all of my expectations.
I do think I enjoyed this book more than I did Ace of Shades, and I think there was a defiant improvement in the writing.
I'm happy to say that many of the issues I had with the previous book were resolved in King of Fools, the main one being how the magic system works were better explained. Even though the magic system wasn't explored very much in this book, I'm hoping that it was explored a little more in the next book.
The direction the author decided to take with some of the characters I found very interesting, and along with expanding the main characters, there were a number of side characters that were added that I found very interesting. Getting Jace's perspective and his storyline was very interesting even though his perspective was
One of my favorite characters in this series is Levi, and I once again adored him in this book, despite some of the choices he makes throughout the book. Even though they were questionable, I feel like every one of them was integrable to his character and shows that he is human.
I did like Enne more in this book than I did in Ace of Shades, her character growth I found to be more realistic and believable, and like Levi, she makes some questionable decisions. We didn't really delve much into Enne's past and her parents much in this book, I think it was only mentioned a handful of times in the book.
Everything that happened at the end of the book was completely unexpected, and I'm still in shock, and so sad that I have to wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens next.

I was excited to pick the sequel to Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, since I really enjoyed the  first one. I couldn't wait to be taken back to New Reynes to meet up with Enne and Levi again. Unfortunately, this sequel fell a bit short for me.

OK first off I have to ask, am I the only one that thought that this was a duology? I had to check on Goodreads and I was definitely wrong, book 3 comes out next year. I swear it started off as a duology though?  Ok moving on.

King of Fools starts right where Ace of Shades ended. The story follows Enne, a proper young lady that came to the city of New Reynes to find her missing mother. On our journey she meets Levi, a street lord and con man that will help her find the truth behind her mother's disappearance. In King of Fools, Enne and Levi will have to put everything on the line if they want to survive. I don't want to say to much about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything.  

I found this book a bit slow. It probably could've moved a bit faster in the first part but it picked up pace in the second part and towards the end the story it really started to pick up speed up and get more interesting. There were stretches of the story that definitely felt like filler and could've been taken out.  

In the Ace of Shades I was a bit on the fence about Enne. She seemed a bit blah to me and I didn't really get invested in her story that much. What I really enjoyed in King of Fools was her character arc Enne slowly transforms from the quiet proper girl to a formidable woman that is starting to play the game of New Reynes. Levi, on the other hand, seemed to stay stagnant and didn't show a lot of growth in this one. His attitude, sometimes,  towards certain characters didn't really appeal to me, and frustrated me quite a bit as well.

What really did it for me was the women in this story. From Lola - this knife collecting blood gazer, to Grace - who I can only describe as this badass assassin mathematician,  and last but not least - Tauck this spunky little firecracker ready to bomb the whole city. The number of kickass ladies in this book is amazing. Who doesn't like strong women doing it their way?

 In King of Fools, Amanda Foody adds the POV of Jac as he comes face to face with his demons when he is given a certain task. The depiction of his struggle to stay sober I thought was really well done and felt authentic. You can really sense him fighting to not go back down that road again.

In the end, I did enjoy King of Fools just not as much I was expecting to. I will definitely continue with the series cause I HAVE to know! There are still some mysteries about this bunch of misfits that I feel haven't been revealed yet, so I am looking forward to the third book in 2020.

For my full review follow this link: https://extraordinarystardust.blogspot.com/2019/06/review-king-of-fools-shadow-game-2.html

Sometimes sequels are underwhelming or not as good as the first book. NOT this time. King of Fools was even better than Ace of Shades (and I really enjoyed Ace of Shades). Amanda Foody broke my heart with this book. King of Fools is the second novel in The Shadow Game Trilogy and I loved this book more than Ace of Shades!! The stakes were higher, the characters we met in book one have grown and changed so much and seeing them come face to face with bigger threats and more challenging problems is as exciting as it is nerve wracking. (I just want all my favs to survive and be happy). Enne STEPS UP HER GAME in this book and my love for her and her story has been tripled. This book is packet with reveals and twists and we get to meet a whole bunch of new characters (that you’re all going to love!!).

“Because the hero of one story is the villain of someone else’s. It’s all just a matter of who wins.”

King of Fools by Amanda Foody is the second book in her The Shadow Game trilogy. Second books in trilogies often tend to suffer from second-book-syndrome but this one felt like a totally different book compared to the first book. The first book felt more like its own original story and the second book just expands on the story and the consequences of the events of the first book.

At the end of Ace of Shades, Enne and Levi both survive the shadow game and as a result, they are both wanted for murder. They both must survive not getting caught and they need to build up successful gangs on the north side of New Reynes. They’re gambling with everything they have which could either cause their downfall or gain them the freedom they desire from the one who practically owns them.

The world of New Reynes is reintroduced to us through this story and the folklore surrounding the city of New Reynes is brought in. We get to see more of the darker parts of the city and the people who live in it. We also get to see a lot more of the South side and learn more about the political goings on.

The story moves from a hunt for someone and more to the survival and becoming who you are. We get to see more about the power dynamic and how the power shifts between characters as they move in a game without any real rules. It keeps you on the edge of your seat to see who is going to pull through to the very end. The book is so full of events and complicated plot points and even if you aren’t completely hooked onto the plot, the characters are so interesting that you have to keep reading.

Speaking of the characters, we get three POVs in this book (Enne, Levi, and Jac). In Ace of Shades, we get to see Enne grow a lot over the ten days that she is in the City of Sin, and we see the results of that. Enne gets to form her own girl gang filled with a variety of girls who all show amazing girl power.

Whilst Enne changed a lot in the first book, Levi’s character development is a lot slower and becomes clearer in this book. His development is often the result of something that happens and he learns after he regrets doing something that had consequences he didn’t like. It’s realistic even if it is frustrating at times.

Jac’s POV was an interesting addition to the story as we get to see an outside perspective to show us Levi’s flaws and developments as well as Enne’s. Jac also got his own storyline and his own agenda which were very enjoyable as well as sometimes terrifying to read about.

All the relationships between the characters in the first book and the new ones, fully evolve in this one and are more front and center in this book. Getting three POVs really helped with the character development and we get to see how all their individual plots and plans come together. Amanda Foody really expanded the story and the world of New Reynes in this book and she shows how you can create characters that almost seem real.

King of Fools is a book about ambition, loss and vengeance. It’s about luck, games, gambling, murder, manipulation and death. It’s painful, ruthless, complicated and extravagant. It’s a great sequel with an intense plot filled with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more.

This sequel to Ace of Shades was fast paced and intense. There were many new characters as well as new subplots.

This story added a political scene to New Reynes, on top of the many gangs. It was another layer to the story, where the politicians were competing for their seat alongside the gang fights.

There were so many new characters and relationships that it was difficult to keep track of sometimes. Everyone seemed to think one way but act another, so you couldn’t really tell who was being honest. Each person also has a talent, which sometimes had to be kept a secret. It was a little confusing at times, but I had figured it out by the end.

The ending of the book dropped a bunch of bombshells. Even when I thought it was over, there were still more revelations to come. I’m curious to see what happens next.

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love the world of New Reynes and the creativity of the characters, gangs, and traits. Levi and Enne are so different, yet fit each other perfectly. The characters growth and regression in this book was astounding. You as the reader get to experience love, heartbreak, hardships, and struggles with mental health and "being enough." You want to dislike characters for their faults and back stabbing, but Amanda provides so much insight you understand why they did what they did. It tips your moral scale. Jac's perspective spread so much light on his struggles and identity which was not apparent in Ace of Shades. To see him grow and become one of my favorite characters was interesting -- and heart wrenching.

Anything telling of the plot would spoil the book, as so much is happening in this story line. The story is packed with twists and turns one would not expect throughout the novel with a explosive ending, which leave the reader on the edge. Like really Amanda Foody? You had to leave us hanging? King of Fools is about luck, love, lust, murder, and good and bad.

However, the advanced readers arc did have some formatting issues that took away from my reading experience a little. I plan to pick this up on audio and re-read it soon to re-mediate this, Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it, amazing plot, storyline, and characters! The tension between the characters was epic! Can't wait to read more in this series!

4/5 stars.the politics of this world is SO fascinating and the magic is always intriguing. However I have the same problem with this one as book 1 - nothing is quite explained enough for me in regards to both of those things.

I LOVE THE CHARACTERS and that one death had my heart hurting so bad.

King Of Fools by Amanda foody
5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin teen for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the minute I started reading Enne And Levis story I’ve been hooked, it’s a story that had me feeling like I NEEDED to know what happens next. From the first page to the last I was so focused on their story, that I can’t wait for book 3! The relationship between all the characters was so well written and the world building is tremendously amazing! If I could climb into a book I think this would be one of them. If anyone’s looking for a book with badass female leads, this is the one for you; I promise you that!

King of Fools is the second in a series, but unlike most series where the second book feels like plot filler to get you through to the pivotal book three, King of Fools kept me hooked with every word.

I loved how Amanda Foody wove new character details in with every chapter. The book is still full of the original characters that we know and love, but we get so much more backstory on each of them. They all have a wonderful development throughout the story, and it’s really intriguing to see how the events of book one have had an effect on the characters and how they react to different things.

I think that one of my favorite things about this book was getting to know more about the inner workings of the world that Foody created. We get to meet more of the members of the “Families,” as well as several other notable gangsters that rule the North Side. The end of Ace of Shades left us, and the characters, reeling, so we also were able to see how those events impacted the world around the characters. So much has changed in this world because of their actions, and I love how everything comes spiraling out of the pages of this book!

I also loved that we were introduced to some new characters! Enne starts to make friends, and acquaintances in the City of Sin, and trust me when I say that each of them is utterly unique and interesting!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Every twist and turn dragged me along at a breakneck speed that left me unable to put this book down! Every element the author added served to further the characters and plot, and that ending…whoa. Let’s just say that I can’t WAIT to get my hands on book number three!

I’m an avid reader, and I have read a lot of 5 star books, but I have felt this way only three times in my life: while reading Harry Potter, while reading The Lunar Chronicles and now reading The Shadow Game series.

Let me say this: if you haven’t read these books (Ace of Shades and King of Fools) and you aren’t even planning to read them, I feel sorry for you. Truly sorry. Because you’re missing one of the most amazing worlds ever created, populated with some of the most complex and fascinating characters ever written, and one of the most unique and intriguing magic systems EVER.

The best part: Ace of Shades was magnificent, but King of Fools is in a whole new level. The world gets bigger, the stakes and risks higher, and the character cast grows significantly. The best part? Every character is so greatly crafted and memorable that I cared for all of them and I never felt confused. (P.S.- Morally gray characters around the world, bow down to the wicked heroes of King of Fools!!!)

Will the Shadow Game become my all time favorite series, topping Harry Potter and The Lunar Chronicles? The jury is still out on that one, because I have one more book to read, but I will say that, yes, it is a possibility.

Now, you may say I’m obsessed with this book and this series. And you’d be totally right. But that’s because II’m obsessed with great storytelling, and this is storytelling as it best.

Five mucking stars out of five mucking stars.

***Review posted to Goodreads, Instagram (@books_and_libros)and Amazon.***

I found myself really engrossed in the first half of this book but I did feel like the story got a little too complicated in the latter half. Still, this was an enjoyable read.

[To be published on The Nerd Daily on June 9th]

“Because the hero of one story is the villain of someone else’s. It’s all just a matter of who wins.”

King of Fools by Amanda Foody is the second book in her The Shadow Game trilogy. A sequel often tends to suffer from second-book-syndrome, but this one felt like a totally different book in comparison to the first book, Ace of Shades. The first book felt more like its own original story while the second successfully expands on the story and the consequences of the events of the first book.

At the end of Ace of Shades, Enne and Levi both survive the shadow game and as a result, they are both wanted for murder. Now, they must avoid getting caught and they need to build up successful gangs on the north side of New Reynes. They’re gambling with everything they have, which could either cause their downfall or gain them the freedom they desire from the one who practically owns them.

The world of New Reynes is reintroduced to us through this story and the folklore surrounding the city of New Reynes is brought in. We get to see more of the darker parts of the city and the people who live in it. We also get to see a lot more of the south side and learn more about the political goings on.

The story moves from a hunt for someone and more to surviving and becoming who you are. We get to see more about the power dynamic and how the power shifts between characters as they move in a game without any real rules. It keeps you on the edge of your seat to see who is going to pull through to the very end. The book is so full of events and complicated plot points and even if you aren’t completely hooked onto the plot, the characters are so interesting that you have to keep reading.

Speaking of the characters, we get three perspectives in this book (Enne, Levi, and Jac). In Ace of Shades, we get to see Enne grow a lot over the ten days that she is in the City of Sin, and we see the results of that. Enne gets to form her own girl gang filled with a variety of girls who all show amazing girl power.

Whilst Enne changed a lot in the first book, Levi’s character development is a lot slower and becomes clearer in this book. His development is often the result of something that happens and he learns after he regrets doing something that had consequences he didn’t like. It’s realistic even if it is frustrating at times.

Jac’s perspective was an interesting addition to the story as we get to see an outsider perspective to show us Levi’s flaws and developments as well as Enne’s. Jac also got his own storyline and his own agenda which were very enjoyable as well as sometimes terrifying to read about.

All the relationships between the characters in the first book and the new ones, fully evolve tp become more front and center in this book. Getting three perspectives really helped with the character development and we get to see how all their individual plots and plans come together.  Amanda Foody really expanded the story and the world of New Reynes in this book and she shows how you can create characters that almost seem real.

King of Fools is a book about ambition, loss, and vengeance. It’s about luck, games, gambling, murder, manipulation and death while being painful, ruthless, complicated, and extravagant. It’s a great sequel with an intense plot filled with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more.

When I read Ace of Shades, I liked it, but didn’t love it and I did not know if I wanted to continue with the series. But, man I am so glad that I stuck with this series.
King of Fools starts right off just a few weeks after the events of Ace of Shades and spans over several months. There is blood spilled, drama, politics, betrayal, guilt, love, and heartache sprinkled deliciously throughout this book.

4.5 Stars

'King of Fools' is the fantastic second book in the Shadow Game series and fans of the first book won't be disappointed. The author does a spectacular job with the world building in the novel. I immediately felt like I was back inside the "City of Sin" and was experiencing everything right along with our main characters. The author uses detailed descriptions and lots of vivid imagery to bring this shady world to life right before our eyes. I could lose myself inside this world and never come back out because I think there's so much more to be explored and discovered.

Our main characters have all changed in different ways since the first book's events. What I really enjoyed was the alternating chapters told from three perspectives - Levi, Enne, and Jaq. I loved getting to know each of them on a more personal level and watching them change in order to survive this crazy world. The only issue I personally had was that the author used the third person point of view to tell the story. I completely understand why she chose to do this - it could get confusing with more than one or two main characters and writing in the first person would only make things worse. I personally prefer the first person POV in almost every situation and that holds with this as well. Even though I get why the author used this writing style, I still feel we could've been more connected to the main characters if the first person POV was used. I did enjoy the alternating chapters and viewpoints because it showed different perspectives of the story and allowed us to identify with each character separately.

The plot was amazing, just as I had hoped. The first book was wonderful and I was afraid that this one might fall short, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. You could feel the tension each character felt during the story and how the adrenaline was almost always pumping with the action. It was definitely a solid second book in the series and I can't wait for the next book to release. I highly recommend this book and series to fans of YA, fantasy, and even dystopia, as well as fans of the first book.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**

When I first heard about this series the one thing I kept hearing was that it was similar to the Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo. While I will admit they are similar in the sense that they have gangs that is really where the similarities ended in my opinion. The Shadow Game series takes place in New Reynes, a made-up place that reminded me a lot of Los Vegas but it still felt original and different. I really loved the first book with its wide array of characters and I couldn't wait to pick up King of Fools to see what would happen. The beginning of the book starts off almost exactly where the first book ended which surprised me at first but I was happy with it considering how the first book ended.

Going into this book I was expecting to find out more about Enne's past and possibly some of the history of the world that she lives in. While we do find out more about the history of New Reynes we don't really get to find out very much about Enne's past which was a bit of a disappointment because I was, and still am, really curious about it. While I didn't get to find out much about Enne's past we do find out a bit of the other characters past.

The thing that I like the most in this series is the diversity and relationships between characters. One of our main characters is a black bi boy who we get to see in a few different relationships with both sexes throughout the series. We also see a wide range of characters, some of whom are gay, like to dress in more masculine attire, or just have a unique personality that doesn't feel like a cookie cutter character. I really loved the whole girl gang vibe throughout the book as well.

While I did really love the characters and all the diversity for the most part, there were a few things that I didn't really like which is why I gave this book only four stars. In the first book, we meet Levi who quickly became one of my favorite characters but in King of Fools, he turns into almost an entirely different person. Levi does a lot of things throughout the story that had me shaking my head and saying "what are you doing!" Besides his seemingly random change in character, I also found that this book could be a bit slow at times. Now that could be due to the fact that I'm in a reading slump or it could be because this book was a bit uneventful, but either way, I found myself pushing through the book at times.

Despite the few small problems I had with this book I still really enjoyed it and can't wait until the next book is out. I need answers! I definitely recommend reading this series. 4/5 stars.

If you like ‘Six of Crows’, then you’ll love The Shadow Game series

Don’t miss out on The Shadow Game series by Amanda Foody. The Shadow Game series gives off the same vibe as ‘Six of Crows’: dark, yet addictive.

Years after both <em>Six of Crows</em> and <em>Crooked Kingdom</em>, I’d been searching for another book or series that gave me that same vibe I felt as I read Leigh Bardugo’s heist duology that was full of found family, street gangs, high stakes, and adrenaline rushes.

The Shadow Game series does exactly that while being completely different at the same time. <em>Ace of Shades</em>, which came out last April, was one of my favorite reads of the year, with its sequel, <em>King of Fools</em>, being on of my most anticipated books of 2019.

(This article has very minor spoilers for both The Shadow Game books)

I compare SoC and The Shadow Game for multiple reasons though their plot lines are in no way similar, one of which is how diverse they both are. Last year I wrote about the diversity in <em>Six of Crows</em> and Amanda Foody managed to bring some, if not quite all, of the same levels of diversity into The Shadow Game.

Not only are her characters racially diverse, but there are multiple characters on the LGBT+ spectrum which catches my attention more these days then books that don’t include different sexualities. Giving this level of diversity in not only YA Fantasy, but in Fantasy in general is becoming more commonplace and I fully support this shift.

While <em>Ace of Shades</em> has a largely male cast of characters(though it definitely passes the Bechdel Test), <em>King of Fools</em> takes that cast and expands it, and that expansion is almost solely female characters. Not only does Enne take a step away from Levi and his crew and venture off on her own in New Reynes, but she makes a gang of her own, who are all women.

Besides her gang of girls, who ironically call the abandoned building of Madame Fausting’s Finishing School their headquarters, both Levi and Jac bring new women into their ranks. The two of them bring out sides of both Levi and Jac that we didn’t see in <em>Ace of Shades</em>, so their inclusion in <em>King of Fools</em> not only gives us more BAMF women characters, but so brings Levi and Jac out of their own shadows and step outside the paths that they were going down, while these women remain autonomous, with wants and needs of their own.

Another similarity to Soc, The Shadow Game showcases the importance of found family and how family is what you make of it. Just because someone is family by blood doesn’t mean that they should take up all of your time and energy. It’s a major theme throughout <em>King of Fools</em>, in more ways than one, and I can’t wait to dive more into it in the third installment, which Amanda is currently working on.

Not only is found family important, but there are different levels of it within The Shadow Game, and some of it is how it can go wrong. It shows the corruption of it when it’s forced, the breakdown of it when trust is broken, or how it can slowly separate due to different aspirations and greed. On the opposite side of the deterioration of found family, there is also the making of it within the destruction of something else, how life moves on and new connections can be made, along with opening up and letting others in despite being burned in the past.

All of these are aspects of found family that are realistic and happen outside of Fantasy, which is what adds another layer to my complicated feelings towards The Shadow Game. Realistic relationships, quarls, and setbacks adds depth to character development and Amanda Foody’s characters grew incredibly within <em>King of Fools</em>.

I talked a lot about aesthetic and how similar SoC and The Shadow Game were when it came to the vibe they gave off so I want to go into that further. Both Ketterdam and New Reynes are dock towns, littered with street gangs and crime. With the same backdrop, of course they’d feel similar. While both have gambling dens, talk of red light districts, and how the city can corrupt anyone, they both also can be set apart just as easily.

Ketterdam is loosely Dutch based, whereas New Reynes is comparable to New Jersey. The Shadow Game’s usage of street gangs and crime lords is akin to mob bosses in pinstripe suits, 1920’s cars, and prohibition parlors. New Reynes is in the midst of rebuilding after a revolution, and is littered with ruined districts, curfews, fear, and laced with political intrigue in <em>King of Fools</em> when the gang is asked (re: made) to rig an election. In my mind I imagine it to look like <em>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them </em>, which meshes with the whole 1920’s mob aesthetic.

So while they are similar in certain ways, it’s the major plot differences that makes The Shadow Game stand out against Soc. As a huge fan of both I’m always on the lookout for kindred series, for lack of a better word. They both give off the same aura, and would read each over and over.