If you haven’t read this series yet and you love a 1920s-feel full of cards, gangs, and fantasy, I highly recommend you pick this one next!!

Since this is a final book, I won’t be talking heavily on the content found in this one, but rather focus on the trilogy as a whole.

I didn’t know much of what to expect going in as I just saw the cover of the first book, Ace of Spades, and absolutely knew this series was for me! The cover shows exactly the vibes that you’ll find throughout the writing, world-building, and settings.

Ace of Spades was a fantastic book! The writing immediately drew me in and didn’t let me go throughout the fast-paced novel. Nothing was really predictable which I appreciated, and the ending was WOW! I will say that some of the characterizations did get slightly repetitive, but overall didn’t hinder my enjoyment.

For the sequels, I felt like I had first-book-syndrome, as I was blown away by the first one, leaving King of Fools and Queen of Volts just slightly less enthused which is very common for me with YA fantasies.

As the series progressed, we do get a few more POVs. Some more engaging than others, but all of it contributing to a well-rounded story. AND, there is even diverse, LGBTQ+ representation. I ended up giving the books the following ratings (in chronological order): 5, 4, and 4 stars. And for series as a whole, I gave it a high 4 out of 5 stars.

If you love getting deep into epic, fantasy worlds with drawn-out, likable characters, you need to get your hands on this series!

Rating: 4

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read this series? Yes, in fact this is the last book to it and I've already read books one and two so I was so glad to get pick this one up.

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to thank Inkyard Press for not only inviting me to the blog tour but also for letting me read and review it as well as NetGalley , because after reading books 1: Ace of Shades and book 2: King of Fools , I need to know what was happening to our beloved characters. And what can I say it didn't let me down, it was everything I was hopping for and so much more. And while its a lot slower then the first two books that made it so much more enjoyable or at least I think so because you get to see the world come to life right before your very eyes and as well as the characters, and lets not for get the game its a bit darker then it was which means it effects the characters in everything they do and it just makes the twist and turns that you don't see coming that more dark as well. And the more you read the more apprehension you feel because you have no idea who's come out a live or will even be left standing when everything is said and done.

*(I was sent this book for a blog tour and accidentally clicked on the title. I will not be reviewing this book since I still have yet to read the second book. Thank you very much.)

This was such a satisfying ending to this series! Overall, I really enjoyed the politics and all the development that we see with our characters. While some parts did feel a bit slower than others, I loved being able to learn more about our characters and the overall world.

I covered this ARC in a Frolic Post found at the following link: https://frolic.media/love-this-character-try-that-playlist-ace-of-shades-edition/

My Review:

I received an eARC of this book from Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review and a place on this blog tour - thanks!

Wow, just wow. That is all I can really say about this book. I do not think I have read such an amazing series conclusion in quite a lot time. Foody did not hold back at all with QoV and it is just so refreshing to see a YA author who doesn't shy from destroying the readers' (and many characters') souls.

This series is messy and chaotic and filled with an abundance of morally grey characters. QoV gave them all a satisfying ending and really ended without many plot holes. Each character had their role and with the inclusion of three new POVs, the story flowed quite well.

One thing that is vastly different in this book than the rest of the series is the time span in which the story takes place over. Unlike the others, QoV takes place over several months and Foody did such an amazing job not letting it drag on and on. Her story and world building skills are without a doubt one of the best I have ever read - bringing back small details from the beginning of the series and tying them all up nicely.

Fans of the other books will not be disappointed by this series conclusion. I think it will definitely be worth the wait.

I am so sad for this series to end. I can't believe how much I've gotten attached to the characters. Luckily, this was such a great ending to a trilogy.

I won't get into too many details because there is a lot of crazy stuff in the book. We get chapters from multiple people. There's Enne, Levi, Harvey, Lola, and Sophia. I think that's all of them. My preference is always Enne and Levi, but I loved getting the story from so many people. There is a new game and no one wanted to play it. There are new cards with 22 and each card has a target. Bryce set this game up and most of the players will die. He wants to get the Bargainer's attention and get her to help him save Rebecca. Levi and Enne aren't talking after Jac's death. Lola and Enne aren't doing well. Sophia sold her split talent to the Bargainer years earlier and felt a part of her was missing. She was determined to get it back. Harvey is in love with Bryce, but also sees what type of person he is. Lola starts digging for answers on Enne's parents and her history. She ends up getting information from Arabella, the Bargainer. Everyone and everything seems to be falling apart. Levi is working on getting pardons for everyone, but it's different for Enne. She has a lot to give up in order to get one.

The Bargainer is mostly legend, but they are all finding out more about her. She doesn't bargain for basic things. She takes things like talents, memories, and body parts. There is always a purpose and Arabella comes out on top. Because of all the stolen talents, she is impossible to kill. And the group realizes that killing the Bargainer might be the only way to end the game before everyone around them ends up dead.

As with the other books, there are secrets that come out, people are deceived, and people die. The plot and pacing were perfect and I was completely pulled into the new game and the relationships. Enne and Levi made me crazy with their love/hate thing, but I always root for them and their relationship. I also love the friendships in the book.

I gave this book 5 stars. Thank you to Inkyard Press for my review copy (through Netgalley).

Warnings for the same types of things as the first two books. There is a lot of blood, murder, talk of death, talk of suicide/harming oneself, and a very toxic relationship.

Queen of Volts was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and it certainly didn't disappoint.  I'm just sad my time with these characters is over.

The first two books in the series are told from Levi's and Enne's POVs, but this time I was delighted to see Harvey, Lola, and Sophia included.  Initially, I didn't want to hear anything from Harvey for reasons I can't discuss (spoilers), but as the story progressed, I couldn't deny his wonderful character arc and the important part he plays in the plot. 

Talk about high stakes - they're pushed to the max.  In this dangerous new game, your life isn't just in your own hands, it's also tied to the survival of other players.  The complexity of the author's story boards connecting everyone and their interwoven stories had to be quite impressive.  So. Much. Happening.

Although the book is lengthy at over four hundred pages, pacing is perfect, and I tore through the last thirty percent because I couldn't stand to put it down or wait to see what happened to some of my favorite characters.  As with the other novels in the series, be prepared for surprising revelations, heart-stopping moments of panic and grief, and once again, heartbreak, but the ending is everything I'd hoped for.  

Dark, gritty, fantastically imagined, and full of power plays and political maneuvering, The Shadow Game is among my favorite YA fantasy series and one I'd highly recommend to fans of the genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to HarperCollins for letting me be a part of this blog tour. The finale to the Shadow Game series was one of my most anticipated releases, so I was beyond excited to be able to read an eARC (thanks NetGalley!).
Queen of Volts is the conclusion of this series, so I don’t think I’ll be going into too much detail about the plot because I want you to read this series and not be spoiled. I love the world this story takes place in. New Reynes is chaotic and the characters I love so much are doing their best to make it a better place, a place no longer filled with violence and people being thought of in a specific way because of their abilities. I would love to live in the City of Sin. It’s such a fascinating place, filled with so much history and so much potential. I would read so many more books set in this world just because I love the politics. I think that’s what I liked the most about this book. It was more political than the others. Well, we get more of the actual government rather than the mobsters we get to know in books one and two. We still deal with some of the same families, but they’re working with the government now. There are so many different players in the story. I was impressed that Foody managed to give them all distinct and unique voices.
Enne is really struggling with her identity. She learns that most of her life was a lie and she created a new persona that is more fitting for the City of Sin. But it’s led her to make some choices and do some things that haunt her. Haunted, that’s a great word for Enne. She’s trying to work through her guilt while losing too many of the people that she cares about. By the end of the story though, she’s grown so much and I was so proud to see it.
Levi, my poor, sweet, Levi. He’s lost so much. And he loses more in Queen of Volts. But he accomplishes dreams he never thought he would, but also realizes his dreams were not what they used to be. Levi also really struggles with his feelings for Enne. She’s not the same girl he fell in love with and she’s done things he doesn’t know if he can accept. I loved how adaptable Levi was. He takes life in stride and always has another plan, even when it looks like there’s no way out. I just love him.
There are honestly too many characters to talk about. Lola’s perspective made me sad. She learned important information but lost so much. I loved how her story was resolved though. Grace, my poor little Grace. She did not deserve how Foody did her dirty. I love Grace with my whole heart.
Overall, I’m sad to see this series end. I loved being in this world. It’s a dark and gritty place. It’s a place where you kill or be killed and I loved every minute I spent in it. I loved these characters so much. They changed and grew so much in these pages. They loved one another and they lost friends along the way. I cannot recommend this series enough. Also, all three of these covers are freaking stunning.

Queen of Volts is a satisfying conclusion to Amanda Foody’s The Shadow Game series. As the story begins, Enne, Levi, and their friends are still reeling from the disastrous events that occurred at St. Morse. They are not able to grieve their losses nor come to terms with happened that gruesome night because Bryce Balfour has other plans. Twenty-two unwilling participants (including Enne, Levi, and their friends) have been selected to partake in a game of Balfour’s own design. Unfortunately, not everyone will survive before the game is over.

I have to say that Queen of Volts is my favorite book from The Shadow Game series. Compared to Foody’s previous two novels in the series, the main point-of-view characters (Enne, Levi, Lola, Sophie, and Harvey) demonstrated tremendous character growth. Each of the main characters had to overcome his or her own personal demons while also ensuring that he or she was able to survive the outcome of Balfour’s twisted game. As for the game for itself, I found it best to create a chart, which included all the players’ names, their shadow cards, and their targets. Without the chart, I feel that it would have been hard to follow the game’s progress. Foody does an excellent job of reminding readers of each player’s shadow card and/or target, but I found it easier to track the game’s progress myself. The stakes are high in Queen of Volts and Foody does not shy away from killing off her characters.

Many thanks to Inkyard Press for e-ARC!

OMG y’all- thank you sooooooo much to Inkyard Press for asking me to be a part of the Queen of Volts blog tour! And thank you so much to Inkyard and Netgalley for letting me read a copy of it early! I absolutely loved Ace of Shades and King of Fools, so I knew I was going to love Queen of Volts, but did I know just how much I was going to love it? Definitely not. Now, just as a warning, since Queen of Volts is the third book in this trilogy, there are going to be spoilers for books one and two in my review, so if you haven’t read Ace of Shades or King of Fools, one, what are you doing? Go read them now! And two, you probably don’t want to read my review for Queen of Volts.
Queen of Volts 5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin…and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.
Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes.
After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed…and any misstep could turn deadly.
Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.
Because in a game for survival, there are only losers…
And monsters.
First off, the one thing that kept coming up for me throughout the whole book was the fact that Jac was gone and every time they mentioned that and someone said how much they missed him, it made my heart hurt. I missed Jac too! I’m sure he had done terrible things in the first two books, but all I remembered about him was how he was a little bit of goodness and light and happiness who was Levi’s best friend, Sophia’s lover and honestly her everything, Lola’s confidante (and the person who made her feel more normal)- he was so much to so many people. I was so pissed at Amanda Foody when she killed him at the end of King of Fools, but I don’t think Queen of Volts would have been the incredible book that it was had she kept Jac alive, so I should have trusted her all along (I guess authors do know what they’re doing…)
Whenever y’all are reading Queen of Volts, I highly recommend rereading Ace of Shades and King of Fools first- I didn’t and while I remembered the broad strokes of the books, I didn’t remember minute details or all of the characters and it took me a little bit to really get back into the world. This is definitely a book that you want to be all in on from the very beginning, so make sure you’re super up to date on who everyone is and what their talents are and where they come from as soon as you start reading. I’m planning on doing a reread sometime in early 2021, so I’ll probably start a handy chart for myself in book one and keep adding to it as characters get added (and keep crossing people off as they get killed…)
I loved being able to get to know the Bargainer in this book- she’s such a cool legend of the North Side and the fact that everyone knew her and so many people were so scared of her and [___] was hanging out with her and doing things with her was a great way to grow that character and show a side to them that we didn’t see before. I mean, it does suck that they’re only with the Bargainer because the Bargainer took away a good chunk of their memories and enhanced their paranoia but…
Overall, I feel like all of the characters grew so much over these books and Amanda Foody wrote such an incredible trilogy with incredible characters. I can’t imagine not being able to go back to New Reynes again for new stories, but at the same time, I know that the stories that needed to be told about this set of characters and this time are done and they ended on such a human and real note- like everything wasn’t good, everything wasn’t happy- it didn’t end wrapped with a perfect bow, but there were hints of a future where you could see everyone you had grown attached to as happy as they could be given the new world they lived in. I cannot wait to read more of Amanda Foody’s work, especially if it’s anywhere close to as good as the Ace of Shades trilogy is. This is definitely my favorite book of the set and this series is going to be one of my favorites for a long time.

I was really happy that I took the time to reread the first two books in the series before tackling this one. The plot and the characters that weave the whole series together is so twisty and complex that I would have been totally lost in this book’s plot. Even so, there were a few times where I did get just as lost and confused as the characters because of some twist that I didn’t see coming.

The author added more points of view in this book to a total of five. We still have Enne and Levi’s views but three more minor characters from the first two books join them to help tell the story. Before I get to them though, I want to talk about Enne and Levi. Their relationship gets even more complex in this story and there were quite a few times that I wanted to shake them both and lock them in a room until they figured it all out. I was worried through out that what I hoped for them and their relationship just wasn’t meant to be. I still loved the two of them together though and their ending was only a little disappointing.

Lola is one of our new pov’s and I was so glad to see some of the story from her point of view. She was always one of my favorite secondary characters so seeing things from her side was wonderful. Her story was not an easy one to read though, she goes through a lot of heartbreak and turmoil to get where she does by the end.

Sophie also gets a voice, which I was happy with but at times I felt that her’s wasn’t that necessary. She spends a lot of time grieving for Jac and coming to terms with who she is, but her role wasn’t that clear until the end.

And then we have Harvey. You remember Harvey don’t you? No? Well, he is Bryce’s second and while you will probably remember Bryce from the end of book two, Harvey was never that important in either of the other two books. But I loved his point of view and how his character developed over the course of the book.

I don’t want to say much about the plot, because you really need to go in blind here. The game that they play in this book is way more complicated than the Shadow Game in book one, with lots of moving parts. Things move a bit slower in this one as well, I do think the multiple points of view slowed things down a bit. But the story is just as twisty and complex as the previous two books. The world building continues as well, with more about the Legends and how the blood magic works being explained and manipulated in this story.

If you have not started this series then please go out and get your hands on it. You will not be disappointed. It is one I will probably read again as I am sure there are things I missed in this complex and twisty world.

Good ending to a fun series. While I enjoyed the series, there were too many characters; some who started out seemingly minor and then became important in later books Which made it difficult to follow. It’s one of those series that you feel was very clever, but you can’t remember all the details and you need to reread, but you just don’t care enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of this novel. It is another great addition to the Shadow Game series.

I do love this series. it is fun and complicated and therefore I would recommend rereading the others before reading this book to help orient yourself to the world again and all the plot twists.

I also really liked that we got more POVs this time around, This is a series I will definitely read again and recommend.

An amazing ending to a stunning series! Everything I could have wanted from the last book. Each character's arc entwined perfectly. As usual, Foody's writing was gorgeous.

#Book3
#QueenofVolts
#MustReadYA
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of this novel. It is another great addition to the Shadow Game series.

I really enjoyed this third installment!!

I would say that while I did really love this book, there were a few things that bogged it down for me so I'm going to separate this into what I like and what I didn't like.

WHAT I LIKED:
— The settings. Amanda Foody is so good at describing really vivid settings. There was a great scene in the National Bank that I loved towards the middle of the book where the atmosphere was really speaking to me. There was also a scene at Madame Fausting's Finishing School for Girls where there were these cats just roaming around which they also did at the National Bank towards the end of the novel. There was a great scene in the Brint River and one in the Catacombs and at a new casino on the boardwalk called the Legendary. I love the setting of New Reynes and it is always one of my favorite parts!

— The characters. I really loved the five POVs we got in this book: Enne, Levi, Lola, Sophia, and Harvey. I think they were all done really well for the most part (I'll mention what I didn't like in the second half of this review). Harvey's was probably my least favorite as I didn't really pay too much attention to him the previous book(s). If I had to rank them I would say Enne is my favorite, then Levi, then Sophia, then Lola, and then Harvey.

— The magic/game. I love books with games and really complex magic system and this series is FULL of it. I really loved the way the new shadow game worked in this novel and I would have loved to see more of it. In the game, there are twenty-two players. For the game to end, one player must collect a series of 5 cards. Each person has a card of their own and a card called their target. They must find the person who has the card that is their target. For example, if Enne has the Empress card and her target is The Moon, she needs to find the person who has The Moon card. If the game ends and the person does not have their target's card, they die.

— The part breaks. I really love the way Amanda Foody utilized dividers in this series. In book one, ACE OF SHADES, the book was separated by days (from Day One to Day Ten). In book two, KING OF FOOLS, the book was separated by cards in a deck (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A). And in book three, QUEEN OF VOLTS, we got twenty-two dividers! Each divider was one of twenty-two arcana or shadow cards (Strength, The Magician, The World, Death, The Hanged Man, The Sun, Temperance, The Hierophant, The Star, The High Priestess, The Lovers, Judgement, The Chariot, The Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Devil, The Moon, The Hermit, The Tower, The Emperor, The Fool, and The Empress).

— The ending. Ahhhhhh. I won't go into detail but...I loved it.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
— The pacing. The pacing was a little off to me in this book. It's supposed to be this really high-intensity game with really high-caliber action but I felt as though everything was bogged down by the politics of the world and the inter-character relationships and the world in general.

— The POV switching. I felt as though sometimes, Amanda Foody would switch POVs unnecessarily. We would have this great scene from Levi for example and it would end in a really great way but then we'd cut to Sophia and she's just like...getting dinner. Okay...but I don't need to read eleven pages of that and then by the time we cut back to Levi, I don't have the same feelings as I did before so I felt as though I was constantly pulled away from the story.

— The random characters from previous books coming back and being super important.

— The way that there is a new villain in each book of the series instead of having a series of villains from all the others books in this finale. It was difficult to get scared by the villain in this book because we weren't well-acquainted with them in the previous installments.

I will mention more in my wrap-up on my YouTube channel but overall, I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read more of Amanda Foody's novels in the future!

I do love this series. It's so unique and brave and absolutely unforgettable. But it is SO COMPLICATED. I made the mistake of not rereading <i>King of Fools</i> before I read this one, and it took me a while to reorient myself to the story and the twisty plotline. This book picks up shortly after the events at the end of <i>King of Fools</i> so the characters are still dealing with the fallout. I would have cared about that a little more if it was as fresh in my mind as it was theirs.

There are a couple of new POVs in this book, and it adds a lot of depth to the narrative, even if those characters weren't my favorite. There are a lot of red herrings in this book, and we follow the characters around in a circle. They think they have things figured out and take steps in that direction, only to find out that they're wrong and are back at square one. Our main set spends a lot of time at each others' throats, and I feel like the Enne/Levi relationship was a little but unnecessarily dramatic. And then the resolution comes very fast. It was just a little much for me. Don't get me wrong, I love those two characters (Levi more), but there were times where I felt like Enne was being petty for the sake of pettiness, and a little bit hysterical and unstable, which I dislike. It's one thing to be unsure and misguided; it's completely another to be wishy-washy and lost one's agency to the situation. #shouldershrug

I'm not sure I buy into the ending of the book, either. The two big revelations in the book somehow rang a little hollow. The first because the significant person is absent the story, and second because it happened very fast and was resolved just as quickly. I'm also not sure that I believe all of our characters are really buying into the "reformed" lifestyle. IDK. It just seems a little anti-climactic.

Overall, this is a really entertaining series, and I love it. It had danger and romance and blood and (sort of) magic - all the mixings for a great read.

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The PERFECT book to wrap up this amazing trilogy. Twists, turns, intrigue, angst, mystery, action...it has it all. I loved how the story unfolded, and watching Enne, Levi, and the rest of the cast grow and change as characters. I also really liked that we got more POVs this time around, which helped unpack the intricacies of the Game. This is a series I will definitely be returning to again and again.