Title: Ace of Shades
Series: The Shadow Games #1
Author: Amanda Foody
Release date: April 10, 2018
Cliffhanger: yes
Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis
Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.
Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.
Praise for Ace of Shades
“
House of the Rising Sun meets
Six of Crows in Ace of Shades. Thieves, rogues, and shady characters have always fascinated me, and so I enjoyed my dive into the morally ambiguous world of New Reynes.” –
Cinda Williams Chima,
NYT Bestselling Author of The Seven Realms and The Shattered Realms series
“
Ace of Shades has it all–incredible world building, cinematic set-pieces, heart-pounding pacing, and unpredictable, deliciously messy characters. Foody’s impressive and ambitious vision for the City of Sin will linger in my senses for a long time. An utter delight.” –
Claire Legrand, author of Winterspell
“A positive take on sexuality…the relationship between Enne and Levi simmers, and dangers pile up to an exciting climax. Readers will eagerly wish for a sequel that will allow them to revisit New Reynes.” –
Kirkus Reviews
“The world in this promising series debut is dark but enticing.” –
School Library Journal
“I was completely enthralled with New Reynes–it was dark and frightening, but at the same time completely alluring. An elaborate plot coupled with exceptional world-building and fully developed characters.” –
Heather Herbert, bookseller,
Children’s Book World in Haverford, PA
“Its cinematic, action-packed plot contains enough romance to satisfy readers of that genre while piling on danger, thrills, and plot twists. A shocking conclusion sets the stage for book two in the series.” –
Booklist
“A rich, satisfying, complicated story… One of the best YA fantasy books I’ve read in years.” –
Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray
US
United Kingdom
International
About the Author
Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.
ACE OF SHADES is the first novel of THE SHADOW GAME series, releasing April 10, 2018. Her debut, DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY, released in July 2017.
REVIEW
Ace of Shades by
Amanda Foody
My rating:
3.5 of 5 stars
[HFN (hide spoiler)]
I was so excited to snag a copy of this book that was getting so much buzz. I'm always on the lookout for a new (to me) YA fantasy author to try, and this synopsis held a lot of promise. A SOC feel? Count me in! There ARE some general parallels, but it stands on its own two feet. Yes, there are rival street gangs, the hero is troubled with a dark past, but I never felt like I was reading the same story. This is not a heist book...the story is powered by Enne's search for her missing mother, and the danger that crops up as a result of her search. Some skeletons are better staying buried, but she doesn't realize that until it's too late. Mommy dearest has been hiding some explosive, wicked secrets, and now she's gone and left Enne to stumble upon the hidden trip wire.
To be perfectly honest, Enne wasn't impressing me all that much in the beginning. I was starting to wonder if I would even feel invested about what happened to her. Raised in a very conservative and wealthy background, it has shaped her to be pretty prissy and judgemental. She was also naive, sheltered, and more than a bit of a snob. So you can see why I wasn't immediately welcoming her with open arms.
This city was no place for children. And, she reminded herself, staring up at the sinister, smog stained sky, it was no place for her, either.
If you feel similarly, no worries, because Enne pulls off one mother of a transformation. Or a metamorphosis might be a more apt word. She was like a completely different person by the end of the book after the City of Sin got its claws into her. *big gusty sigh of relief* It's amazing what stepping outside of your pampered upbringing and jumping into a pool of sharks will do to you.
Amanda Foody's world consists of Mizer Kings, blood/split talents, volts and orbs, mafia families, warring street gangs, and omertas. The city reeks of bad decisions and despair, and Levi is just another lost soul trapped by his circumstances. He may appear to be in a position of power because of being the head of the Irons gang, but no one knows how low he has sunk. Enne shows up on his doorstep looking for help at just about the worst moment imaginable. He's scrambling to climb out of the hole he's dug himself into before he's buried alive. The last thing he needs is a girl who's ignorant to the danger that surrounds her. But she brings with her a surprising lifeline that could be the answer to all of his prayers.
Enne's staunch morals are stretched and bent until there's nothing left. Not just through seeing the seedy side of humanity, but experiencing the world from a whole new desperate perspective. When you're downtrodden, helpless, and attacked, you either put your gloves on and fight, or you get dealt a blow that there's no coming back from. She chooses to adjust...to fight. And along the way, she makes discoveries about herself that change the rules of the game she never could have been prepared for.
She’d faced the witch. She’d poisoned the wolf. She’d strolled into the land of death with her head held high and left it a lord. She was an impossible player in a fixed game, the only person not playing to win.
I thought the
concept was a solid one, the fantasy world composed on many interesting facets. However, it took me a while to become emotionally invested, and that's not just purely because of the information dump or the unlikable character traits. The romance felt rather abrupt as opposed to organic. And I'm not entirely sure that I was ever shown that Levi had it in him to have led the Irons to be the top gang on the streets before he hit rock bottom. I was
told that he had the brains and cunning to once lead them to the top of the pack. What I was shown was something else entirely. He seemed to be stumbling through every day without a solid plan in place. When he finally did have success within his reach, well...let's just say that he has a way of self-destructing without even trying.
This wasn't quite at the level I was hoping for, however, I'm definitely curious where the story will go after how things left off. Once you're situated in the intricacies of the politics, and the magic, it makes for some fast paced reading. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy strong elements of magic and suspense.
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