King of Fools picks up right where Ace of Shades ends. Levi and Enne have just beat the Shadow Game, and are on the run for their lives.

Amanda Foody affectionally refers to this book as her “girl gang book” and its 100& accurate. Enne’s evolution from naive girl from an old school society, to a badass is complete. She learns to fully embrace the City of Sin and becomes a street lord in her own right, complete with her own group of females behind her.

But here’s the best thing about Enne’s girl gang – they are different ethnicities, sexualities, and backgrounds. They like to lounge around in face masks and paint their nails, but also can be badass fighters and are wickedly smart. I loved the realistic-ness of these women. Too often in literature groups of women have almost identical personalities, skin colors, taste in men, and its plainly just ridiculous.

The first book was told from alternative perspectives of Enne and Levi, but KoF added a third perspective – Jac’s.

I loved the introduction of his perspective as he navigated his own way in the world of Vianca and battling his personal demons. Jac is honestly one of my favorite characters in this series – he’s the comic relief when things go sour, the loyal friend, and a truly amazing character. I can even forgive him for his chain smoking, past drug use and self-destructive behavior because I’m just so in love with him.

This book is a lot more serious than Ace of Shades as our gang members navigate the after effects of the Shadow Games and plotting their own revenge and relationships.
Jac gets a love interest of his own, our side characters have adorable relationship (even a f/f one!), but our main couple is absolutely brilliant this time around.
I loved the slow burn of Levi and Enne’s relationship in AoS and I love it even more now. This is no case of instalove, and their relationship has lots of highs and lows as they struggle to trust each other. They consistently lie to one another, doubt the others intentions, and fight the physical attraction they feel. Their romance is 100% one of my all time literary favorites, for all its wonderful realness. Plus they’re just ridiculously adorable and I want them to join forces of their gang and have a bunch of beautiful orb/vault making babies. BUT Levi also has a new male love interest and their relationship is just as amazingly adorable and maybe they can all find a happy way to be together?

Our timeline in this one is a lot longer than AoS, whereas the first book took place in a little more than a week, KoF spans a few months. I loved how flawlessly Foody handled the new timeline and was able to keep the pace and excitement throughout every page. It also gave us a chance to see more of Enne’s evolution from the girl she left behind to awesome badass, which as I’ve always mentioned, I’m 100& down with.

With the wealth of new and exciting characters, the non-stop action and mysteries, this book is definitely one of my favorites of this year. It keeps you sucked in until the very last page, and you’re constantly rooting for our gangs as they fight back against the City of Sin. There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming, and the new characters are all absolutely amazing. Although fair warning, the ending will make you cry, scream, and be begging for book three.

*Blog review will be officially posted on April 29th.

I had trouble with this book. It moved quite slowly for me. I do feel like the idea of gangs is interesting, but after a while it just wasn’t holding my attention as much.

That ending though. My heart :( I’ll probably pick up the next book in the series when it comes out just because of that ending.

I recieved a free arc from Netgalley.

In the sequel to Ace of Shades, Amanda Foody ramps the violence and danger for the story's protagonist.
In New Reynes, City of Sin, Levi and Enne have gotten away from the Shadow Game with their lives intact. But their infamous actions will bother hinder there new lives while at the same time driving their lives in the North Side gangs. With the senator dead, Levi works with an estranged member of the donna who holds his life in her hands. If Levi can ensure this family member wins, then Levi will win his freedom in return. Enne finds herself building her own gang of women from the ground up and most combine both who she was with where she is now and show everyone who she can be.
While this is not as good as it's original, I enjoyed reading the story of Enne's growth. I loved to see her take her past and fit into her present to make a better future. Instead of foolishly trying to reinvent herself, she molds aspects of her life into one whole. I was a little disappointed that she wasn't a bit stronger where Levi is concerned but their romance is a driving force of the story.
Levi's was less enthralling this time around. He second guessed himself at every moment and seemed to put away his humanity. But his lack of balance was filled out by the addition of Jac's perspective. It was great getting to know him and see his own story.
Overall, the political game and gang wars was less compelling than the Shadow Game but Foody seems to be steering the finale back to the game and enthralling all those encapsuled in the gang war.

I'm gonna review this in a slightly unconventional way so that you can understand just how much I loved this book. I didn't realize King of Fools was a sequel until after I'd been approved for an arc of it, so I had to go back and read The Ace of Shades, which ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. These books are so, so good, and I recommend them to literally anyone. Okay, so my review will be as a pro/con list.

Pros
- I love all of the characters with all my heart. Jac gets his own POV in this book, and I loved it and him. Enne grows into her reputation which was awesome to witness. Levi continues to be his own amazing self.

- The romance! We stan a slow burn, and Enne and Levi's relationship continues from where it left of at the end of Ace of Shades. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but it was a roller coaster in the best sense, and I can honestly say that I have no idea where they'll end up. On top of that beautiful ship, we're also treated to a continuation of the relationship between Levi and Dice which was steamy af and I adored. I'm really glad Dice came back to play a bigger role than some random hookup in the first book.

- The universe continues to be extremely original and absolutely fascinating. I mean...it's gangs in a magical steampunk Las Vegas. Enough said.

- The plot of this book was a lot more nuanced and complicated than Ace of Shades, which I appreciated. There is a flip side to this, though, which I'll discuss in cons. It was much less formulaic and predictable than Ace of Shades.

Cons
- The complications of the plot were maybe just a little too much, and it was a little hard to keep up with everyone's motivations and all of the political give and take, especially since lots of characters had secret agendas and we weren't treated to POVs for them that would have enlightened us. I don't necessarily think that would have been better, but it was just a lot to keep track of. It took me a pretty long time to get through it for that reason alone.

- Uh. Yeah. That's it.

King of Fools was a wonderful mix of magic, twists, political issues, lies, many unique characters, and thrilling storyline. The crazy idea of control of other people is very scary--how horrible that would be if it was true in real life. There is so much going on in this novel; so many layers that intertwine with each other make this a very intense read.

I finished reading the ARC of "King of Fools" and it was good. 4★. I wish I was a little bit more excited about this book, but I don't think it was better than "Ace of Shades." It felt long and drawn out, but it had its moments. I wanted to throw my kindle at one point😉 and start screaming😢. Okay maybe a few times. Will I read the 3rd book? Yes!! I have to know if ..............😉.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
📚...

HOLY CRAP!
Does Amanda Foody know how to weave betrayal and lies and hide them until the last moment when it's time to reveal them or what!?! I saw NONE of the twists coming. Freaking NONE, not a single one!

King of Fools is book two in The Shadow Game series and she has managed to up the already high stakes. Nobody is safe. And Amanda Foody is an EVIL genius.

Enne and Levi may have survived playing the shadow game and book one, but has their luck run out?

She introduced several new characters that I adore: Tock, Sophia, Grace, and Poppy. And she has totally expanded on the characters from Ace of Shades: Specifically Enne, Levi, Lola, and most importantly Jac.

Her books definitely have a ton of action but I wouldn't call them action packed. She spends a lot of time laying down groundwork for big reveals later in her stories. There is also a bunch of politics included in her books. Her fantasy elements are SO UNIQUE from other books I've read and that's why I love them I highly recommend this series!

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy via Netgalley!

The ending of ACE OF SHADES left me thinking that The Shadow Game series had potential even though I wasn't the hugest fan of book 1. KING OF FOOLS blew me out of the water.

This was a darkly atmospheric book filled with action, revenge, schemes, and romance. Every single time I thought the stakes couldn't possibly get higher, I was wrong. Enne and Levi have grown a lot since the start of ACE OF SHADES and it was so, so satisfying to see them continue to develop over the course of the book. Their slow burn romance is killing me but in the best way.

"She didn't care how broken he felt tonight -- he couldn't use her as a weapon for his own self-destruction."

I love Enne. It's so gratifying to see a heroine who has her own desires that don't revolve entirely around getting the guy. She goes after what she wants with intelligence, ruthlessness, and an incredible cast of female friends. There were a lot of strong, fierce women introduced in KING OF FOOLS and I am *here* for it.

"The world would always demand that a girl apologize for herself, but she would apologize for nothing."

The second book in a series is normally my least favorite; they tend to be merely a vehicle for setting up complicated plot arcs that pay off later but leave a lot to be desired in the mean time. This was not at all the case for KING OF FOOLS. I loved this twisty, action-packed book and am beyond excited to see what The Shadow Game #3 has in store.

Do you ever read a book and then get mad that it ended? This happened to me with King of Fools. I need the next book right now! I love the character development that happen from the first book to the end of this. All the characters have matured and grown organically throughout and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The only reason I didn’t give it a five star was because I felt it dragged at certain parts. It took me longer to get through because there were some moments I was bored and just wished it skipped ahead.

Despite that, I love Enne and Levi and I can’t wait to see how their story ends in the third book! (Hopefully Lola’s prediction of it ending badly won’t come to pass)

Short and Sweet

After the events of the Shadow game both Levi and Enne are wanted criminals. Levi partners with Harrison Augustine to take down his mother Vianca, while Enne plays the part of a lady by day and street lord by night. Now both of them have to make decisions that will either help them or in the long run set them back and it could be the end.

Characters

Levi: Levi Levi Levi, well he's still the Iron lord but something about him in this book was off putting. I think he was too concerned about helping Harrison that he forgot to consider the feelings of those around him. Levi is still good at making plans and usually gets himself out of tough situations. Oh and because Levi is working with Harrison he has to keep it on the down low because if Vianca found out Levi was working with her son it would be the end of him and the legacy he's trying to create.

Enne: Enne is trying to figure herself out in this book, is she still the proper lady from Bellamy or has New Reynes made her a Lord? Enne goes by the name Seance when she's dealing with the other gangs or wants to be inconspicuous. I liked Enne a lot in this book she's a lot tougher and she does have to make ethical choices in this book.

Jac: Jac is still Levi's second and best friend but their relationship in this book is strained and it made me sad because they're best friends. Jac is on his own mission to find out who is going to be the next person to inherit the Torren empire and its hard for him because Jac used to be addicted to a drug that is distributed by the Torrens. So now that he's in their territory he has to fight the urges to use lullaby. Jac also meets Sophia Torren who is determined to take the empire down.

Lola: Lola is Enne's second and one of her best friends. Lola is around in this book she helps Enne learn the history of the north side and she's there to give advice, but I didn't feel like she was there as much as I wanted her to be. Lola is still her grumpy self but deep down she cares about those closest to her.

Romance

Levi and Enne: Well these two obviously like each other but the relationship in this book wasn't the best. Levi tried to keep secrets from Enne because he thought it would be safer incase Vianca found something out. They fought a lot in this book and sometimes went weeks without talking but they would meet up to discuss business.

Jac and Sophia: Jac meets Sophia when he's trying to find out who is going to take over the Torren empire, and it so happens that Sophia is a Torren. Jac ends up staying to help Sophia take down her half-siblings so they can burn the Torren empire to the ground. Jac likes Sophia but she's keeping a few secrets from him which makes it hard for him to trust her.

Lola and Tock: So Tock is a new iron and I guess Levi's third, anyway Lola and Tock meet at a party and there was chemistry and yeah. We don't see a lot of their encounters but they're usually together when they can be.

My Thoughts

~ There's a lot going on in this book, Levi is working with Harrison, Vianca is using the omertà to have Enne attend political parties for her. Harrison is running against Worner Prescott which is the man her mother is supporting. It's all very messy, Levi is supporting Harrison and hoping he wins because Harrison will kill Vianca which will break the omertà.

~ By the way there's an all girl gang called the Spirits! Enne made a girl gang you guys and they're awesome! At first it just started with Enne and Lola and then they recruited Grace and in the end theres more than 10 all together. Most of the girls have the split talent to count which is helpful for the plans that Enne and Levi have.

~ We meet all of the gangs from the north side in this book and let me just say they're all interesting in their own ways and obviously not the most trusting people.

~ We get to read from Levi, Enne, and Jac's POV and I will say that I enjoyed Enne's the most.

~ There's always been talk that Vianca had a third person under her omertà and we finally get to see who that person is ready for revenge.

~ There's a lot of politics involved in this book and because of that there's a lot of secrets and betrayal going on. Everyone has something to lose this time around.

Overall

This was a solid sequel but when I think about it I did enjoy Ace of Shades a little more, mainly because this one had me worrying about the characters at every turn. The ending was a cliffhanger and now I need the third book in my hands now just to see how everything ends! I really do love this series its so different and I love New Reynes and its fun to lose myself in this world, so definitely read check out the series!!!

As the sequel to Foody's Ace of Shades, this book certainly did not suffer from middle-book syndrome. Although characters were still reeling from the consequences of their actions in the last book (Enne and Levi especially), this book builds on new character dynamics and stakes. New potential antagonists and partners are introduced very quickly, drawing Levi and Enne into a new game.

This book's cast is much bigger than the last, adding new members of both gangs and the ruling Families of New Reynes. But I never felt it was too crowded or too confusing to distinguish characters from one another, which is sometimes a pitfall of books with many characters. The book is narrated by 3 POVs: Levi, Enne, and Jac. Each character has their storyline and arc that's very separate from one another. Probably the least memorable of them is Levi's, but I really loved Enne's and enjoyed Jac's.

This book adds on to the myths of New Reynes and the politics, delving more into the war that killed the Mizers and the gangs themselves. Enne especially has seen a lot of character development since the first book, which I really appreciated.

I will admit that reading this book was a bit of a slow process for me because I struggled to connect with the story at times, which also happened with the first book. That said, I'm giving it one more star than I thought I would because of the ending. So many big things happen, and I think it neatly sets up the conflict and danger we can expect in the last book.

Overall, a solid sequel.

Pros:
- This book starts up shortly after the ending of Ace of Shades. And you are right back in the City of Sin, but the world is expanded in this novel. We get to see more of the South Side and learn more about the history of New Reynes. I actually really enjoyed the expansion of the world and seeing more that was going on beyond the Shadow Game and Levi and Enne's search in the first book.
- This book brings a lot of new characters into the fold and also shows us more about the "secret society" within New Reynes and how everything is connected. This goes along with the expansion of the world, but I enjoyed having more characters to meet and learn about their talents and their backstory. I have to say Grace and Tock were some of my two favorites in this book.
- I also love that even though some parts of the story were wrapped up in this book, there was still the bombshell at the end leading you to believe way mroe is going on than what we know about and I have so many questions after finishing (even though I will say it is still frustrating to have a cliffhanger like that when it will be at least a year before the third book is out).

Cons:
- So the first book was solely a story of finding Enne's mother and what happened to her. This book I thought was going to be about Enne's dealing with the revelation at the end of Ace of Shades but I really feel like this aspect was ignored in this second book. This really bothered me because it does not seem believable to me. I think there should have been a bigger focus on it from Enne's perspective.
- I also would have liked to have more of Lola in this book. I really liked her in the first book, but I feel like we focused more on Jac in this book and his story as it related to the main plot. Maybe in the third book, we can get some of her POV!

Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

In the words of the legendary pop princess Britney Spears...

”Gimme Gimme MORE!”

This book was soo good! The action was turned up to ELEVEN! I liked how the politics of New Reynes, both of the north side and the south side was the focus of this book without being boring. I also liked the kind of 3-pronged attack feeling that this book has. You follow Enne, Levi and Jac as they are focusing on their own parts in the story. I love Enne’s growth throughout the two books. This series has a very unique feel. Even the romance aspects are unique in my opinion. I would 1000% percent suggest this book to people who loved the first book and I would even suggest giving the sequel a chance if you were iffy about the first book. Because this sequel is incredible!

Good Job, AF!

I NEEED THE 3rd Book!

With the Chancellor dead at the end of the Shadow Game, Levi and Enne are now wanted criminals. The political situation in the city takes a nosedive and a street war seems imminent as the South Side begins to take a harsher approach with the gangs. In the middle of all this, Harrison Augustine, Vianca’s estranged son, returns to the City of Sin, intent on bringing down his mother’s empire. His offer to Levi, if it works, will be exactly what he needs to free himself of Vianca’s Omerta – something that is becoming more critical as Vianca has given him a very tight deadline to prove that he can establish himself as a lord to the Irons again. Enne, having assumed her mother’s identity of Seance in the Shadow Game, begins to build her own girl gang.
Jac, meanwhile, accepts a mission that takes him into Torren territory, putting him face to face with some of the darkest moments in his past.

Where Ace of Shades was mainly getting to know the lay of the land, King of Fools is a game of politics, whether it be Levi retaking the Irons, the interactions between the street lords, or the scheming of the Families to sway the election in their favour. The other prevalent theme in this book is regarding legends. From the brief glimpses into the prominent figures in New Reynes’ past to the influence they have on the central characters, they are a recurring theme throughout. Levi with his unquenchable ambition continues to chase glory. Enne, so used to being in the background, unnoticed, feels like she is finally in a place where she fits in, where she can be someone. And Jac, the loyal friend, is tired of being part of someone else’s story – he wants his own legend. All of them yearn to make their mark on history – and their inner thoughts and the emotional turmoil that accompanies each of these characters is beautifully portrayed.

I was looking forward to some amazing character development for Enne, now that she is past the discovering her identity phase. Unfortunately, she got on my nerves for most of this book. The girl gang she puts together, later known as the Spirits, was nothing at all like what a street gang has been made out to be. There was so much potential there, but the end effect was very childish when compared to the other gangs like the Scarhands or the Doves. Apart from that, the whole investment idea they come up with, while definitely smart, hardly feels like something gangs would buy into. It would have been far more interesting to see Enne use her talent to create volts and the consequences that would no doubt arise from that – and while I’m on that vein, I’m particularly annoyed that Enne’s heritage was brushed to the side for the most part. For me, the largest question mark is Enne’s past, and it feels like in this book, Enne learned about her identity, the truth of how Lourdes died and then swore to get revenge on the Phoenix Club without a shred of further curiosity as to her own past – and then going on to make some remarkably reckless moves.

Levi and Jac on the other hand, were amazing. I was initially confused as to where Jac’s story was going and why it merited a separate POV, but that plotline was what held the story together while everything else was (slowly) moving into place. And Levi…well, his life has just been turned upside down and he’s trying desperately to pull things together. The list of people he trusts is basically down to Enne and Jac – and with bounties on all their heads, everything is just a huge mess for him. Levi’s arc was by far my favourite in this book.

And talk about an explosive ending! With how this book was progressing, I thought that that particular piece of information was never going to be revealed, much less by that character. And it never ceases to amaze me just how many double-crosses seem to be going on in this series! Literally, I think everyone has betrayed everyone else by the end – and I find I can still be surprised when it happens again. Pacing wise, I found it quite annoying that none of the real action starts until well after the halfway point because the board was being set up for so long. Yes, this takes place over several months as opposed to the ten days of the first book, but the last chapters felt noticeably rushed.

If you enjoyed Ace of Shades, this is definitely worth the read. Part one will likely test your patience, but once it picks up, the action doesn’t stop. Overall, this is an amazing sequel just as suspenseful and engrossing as the last.

My Review: So this one what can I say about this title? I ended up reading this one since Jessica didn't like book one and I did. I loved Ace of Shades but I have to say that this one just didn't cut it. I felt like the feels for this one could have been better and that I just didn't feel as connected with the characters as I did in book one. I think that this series would have been better done as a stand alone vs. a series. It could have been tied up in book one if things would have been cleaner cut. So for me I think this is the end of my journey with The Shadow Game series. Because in the end this just was not as good as book one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to review this book. My review will be posted on Goodreads on 3/22/19, and on Barnes and Noble's website on the book's publication date, 4/30/19.

The sequel to Ace of Shades may have been, dare I say it, even better than Ace of Shades itself! This fast-paced roller coaster of a book just sucked me right into the storyline, and I have to say it had me pretty stressed out right along with the characters in a lot of parts... but I won't say that that's necessarily a bad thing... it's gripping to say the least.

King of Fools picks up right about where Ace of Shades left off, and from there everything just snowballs. We have Enne now becoming the street lord Seance and taking the helm of her own girl-gang (they're classy, but can still hold their own for sure.) Levi has an encounter with Vianca's estranged son, who is back in town to take power and take Vianca down for good. Jac has to come face to face once more with his old life on Lullabye, and fears falling back down that road once more.

In this books you'll find more politics, gang-related and otherwise, gambling stakes that become higher and higher, North Side legends, and so much more. We get a lot more character development in King of Fools, good pacing, and a lot of emotional investment on the part of the reader (at least there was for me.) All this, plus a couple of plot twists that really had me reeling? All I can say is, you've just gotta read this.

Set immediately after the events of The Ace Of Shades there is a street war brewing and with bounties on their heads Levi and Enne must navigate through their next dangerous journey.

Enne Works on creating her own street gang. Lola and Grace are among the first to join her group with each bringing their own talents. I really enjoyed the whole girl gang aspect and loved that Enne filled her team with strong females that all worked together. Levi seems to have trouble follow him and there are scenes where Levi seems to be dealing with jealousy issues.

This book is filled with politics, secrets, and betrayal. The pacing for me tended to waver back and forth throughout. I had scenes I enjoyed and others that I had a hard time focusing on. I was looking forward to this book and it was a decent sequel.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this early copy!

Once again Foody has done a great job crafting this new world with interesting characters. I enjoyed both books in this series. I recommend checking out the Ace of Shades series!

I truly enjoyed this book more than the first. Our characters get developed more thoroughly, the plot is well woven, with unexpected twists and turns, the romance is angsty AF.

Levi continues to be my little self-deprecating prince. He's just trying to live his best life while also taking care of his gang and falling in love. Enne is also trying to figure herself out with her gang. I love how she takes her newly founded and ever growing gang of women and makes it like a dangerous sorority house. Hysterical. Jac.. my poor Jac... he gets crapped on a lot but he's just so dang loyal, to a fault at times. We get a few new characters that are well rounded and critical to the story line as it unfolds.

My only complaint is that this has a bunch of "miscommunication" or "deliberate withholding of information" tropes which, as and adult, I don't enjoy.

Just as I felt with the first book, I didn't find the story enthralling at first but by the time I reached the end, I loved it! The story takes awhile to take off despite being a second book, but by the time it reaches the end, the plot is fast paced and very interesting. The characters are wonderful, both as individuals and in their relationships/interactions. The world they live in is just as interesting this time around as it was in the first book, Ace of Shades. Enne and Levi grow as individuals and in their relationship and Jac develops into more of a main character.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, the story and characters kept me going and the end has me hooked for the next one!!