Magic and con artists, a beautiful mix of 'Caraval' and 'Six of Crows'! Absolutely compelling with an incredibly endearing cast of characters, I was swept up in the mystery and grit from the first chapter. The pace really picked up towards the middle, making it unputdownable!

"They say the city is a game. One only the reckless play".

You know that moment when you're reading a new book and you gaze across the room at it longingly because you want "just one more chapter" even though you know you shouldn't. Yeah, that was me with this book. It's incredible guys, there is no other word for it. I've highlighted and annotated the pants off of it!

The story starts with Enne. Her adoptive mother has gone missing and Enne is convinced that the secret to her disappearance lies within the City of Sin (it's basically Vegas, but dodgier). So she heads into the city, vulnerable and entirely out of place, and with only one name: Levi. She must be Levi in the hopes that he may have the answers to her mother's disappearance. He has way more than answers though - he's a crooked member of The Irons, a gang known for their ability to con you out of your own shirt if you're not playing close enough attention. Sure, there are other gangs in the city, and each of them has a pretty cool "ability", if you like, which makes them part of the gang, but The Irons are the ones you want to join because that's where the money, and street connections, lie.

Enne gets more than one accomplice along the way. What I really loved about this book was the sense of solidarity between her group. Each member of the group is slowly introduced to us completely authentically - we meet them as Enne meets them to fulfill her investigation and this felt so much more realistic than just being dumped into a generic gang you get to know straight away. Equally, the team she ends up with her and absolutely awesome - each in their own right. They are witty (sometimes outright hilarious), the group dynamic (mostly the banter) is really fun to read and the loyalty develops fast. I love to read about friendships in this way, where they're making fun of each other but are fiercely loyal at heart and this book has this in spades (pun definitely intended!).

"You'll be there with us." Levi said. "You're in this now, too. We all are."
"Involved enough to be hanged for it, you mean?"
"That's a rather depressing notion, but sure. How did you put it earlier? Ohh, right. You're one of the villains, now".

I hate that this book is being compared so often to Six of Crows - it's may be along the same vein in so far as a group of con-men trying to make a quick buck to get themselves out of trouble, but that is genuinely it. I loved Six of Crows, and I loved this, for entirely different reasons. Kaz and Levi are literally opposites - Levi is utterly useless! But I loved him anyway. Why you gotta keep comparing? It's okay to like both!

You need to read this book - it's the first book this year (honestly!) to give me that pull towards a group of characters. I can't recommend it enough.

ARC provided free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Enne who is a prim and proper young lady who is due to attend finishing school in a few months. Her mother went to New Reynes, otherwise known as the City of Sin, leaving Enne with the warning that if she wasn't home in 2 months then she was dead. After 4 months are up Enne sets off with a name in hand and a need to find her mother. She has one name from her mother - Levi Glaisyer, so Levi Glaisyer she must find! Levi takes Enne up on her offer of compensation if he helps her find her ever illusive mother. Their search takes them to glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna before finding out an impossible secret about Enne's past. This secret puts everything that Enne has ever know at risk, including her developing friendship with Levi.

This story takes you from what feels like a Hallmark channel upbringing through to a deep and dark underworld with street lords, gangs, arson, Mafia, cons and everything in between. We have a whole world of diversity including a well to do white girl, and a young bi-sexual coloured man. Word of warning there is peadophilia alluded to in this book so beware. Its not a huge part and its absolutely condemned but just be aware that it is there.

The Positives:

The 'City of Sin' - this was somewhere between what I imagine Las Vegas to be like if you picked it up and put in into Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. It is bright and gaudy with a seedy undertone. Its is shiny but dangerous.

Levi - he is absolutely a lovable rogue. A young black Bi man in a City of Sin who is a Street Lord and a con artist. He is absolutely not the type of guy you should like on paper but his loyalty and story warm your heart, he's a teddy bear at heart.

The street gangs - I LOVED this part of the story. How they all worked together and the hierarchy and interactions were just fabulous. In fact I almost wish there was more of it and that was the focus of the story

The plot in general - it was a quick moving story that never lost my interest despite the confusion I had around some aspects

The Negatives

The world building. Although I've mentioned New Reynes as a positive for this book (and it was) the rest of the world building I found a bit off. I got confused with the split talents, the talents thing in general, volts as currency and exactly why Enne was so dangerous other she's a Mizer. I don't think there is enough of a back story and world building to really make these key points as clear as they needed to be

The magic system - I still really don't get what the talents and split talents are. I read certain bits at least three times and still couldn't really follow what they were or how they worked

The language used - I found the inability to use actual swear words but made up ones was in complete contrast with the themes that were touched upon (peadophilia, drug use, addiction, poverty, etc). Surely if you are going to have scenes with older gentleman trying it on with a young girl dressed as a child then you don't need to use 'mucking' as a swear word?


Overall this was a 2.5 out of 5 for me (rounded up to 3 for Good Reads as it was a positive 2.5). I enjoyed this and I'll pick up Book 2 if its on offer, etc but I won't be going out of my way waiting for it. It was a good read and continually kept me on my toes but there was too much missing at times.

https://readinglife342128355.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/digital-book-review-ace-of-shades/

I began to read this book with high expectations and then started holding little to no interest and thought it was going to fall flat for me, but maybe that's because I wasn't in the mood for this just yet so I was reading other things in between, and then I came back to this and couldnt stop reading!

It was so good and I just ended up loving everything about it. I can't wait for the second book now!

Enne and Levi are just ughhh so cute and I love both of their perspectives equally. I so wanted a kiss between them though. I'm a sucker for these romances.

I love Levi so much!

There's so many unanswered questions as well and Amanda Foody just writes these type of mysteries so well. This is definitely going to turn out being one of my fave series. I have no doubt about that.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me this book to review.

Ace of Shades is a brilliant fantasy book which is fast paced and full of sexual tension, and I really enjoyed the Las Vegas style setting. The book is filled with morally grey characters but I did find it a bit predictable, and that the relationships the characters had seemed to develop unrealistically fast. The book was very descriptive which brings New Reyes to life.

Enne starts of very naïve and snobbish as she always feels like she is overlooked but grows to become someone who fits in and belongs in the city of sin. Levi is my favourite character as he is witty and loyal to his Irons but is also focused on keeping his reputation, even if he is not afraid to be vulnerable.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next book King of Fools. I would recommend Ace of Shades to fans of Six of Crows, Caraval and Foody’s first book Daughter of the Burning City.

Nobody survives the City of Sin without being corrupted...and that's fine by me!

Amanda Foody has created such an enjoyable world in Ace of Shades, you can feel the allure of New Reynes, the pull of the lifestyle, the glamorous lifestyle. I enjoyed the characters, the writing style, and I am definitely eager for book two. The world of Ace of Shades is dark, deceptive, and it pulls you in very quickly because the book it so fast paced. I liked that we had a bisexual love interest who was also a person of colour, and I found Levi to be a very interesting character. Enne Salta goes through a lot of character development within this first book, so I'm very interested to see where she ends up.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

5 vanjie stars

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


"Are you a pearl, or are you a bullet?"

Amanda Foody, you marvelous woman. I have another book to add to my favorites list!

I completely avoided reading the reviews for this book, good or bad, because I hate to admit... they DO EFFECT MY READING EXPERIENCE. It's extremely vexing, but alas, I cannot shield my feelings from other peoples reviews before I've read a book - this time, however, I successfully avoided reading anything before starting the book and I will be trying my darndest to keep doing so.

"The City of Sin was a game, but not everyone was a player."

5's, 5's, 5's across the board! This book drew me into its bewitching, sinister world and I was perfectly content to stay. I fell in love with the world that Foody created - it was exciting and seductive, corrupt and brutal. And the characters were fabulous. Especially Levi.

The pacing of the book was perfect. Even when there was no particular action going on, I was kept hooked on every word the author shot at me. The relationship between Enne and Levi was entertaining and wonderful, and I can't wait to see it develop further. And the sexual chemistry between them was REAAAL clear, but not explored. Yet.

"She had entered New Reynes as delicate as glass. She had even shattered. But as it turned out, beneath the dust and shards, something stronger lay within her, a substance less easily broken."

Enne Salta has been groomed her whole life to become a 'proper lady,' gain her respectable title, and lives by a set of 'ladies' rules that have been drilled into her head by her mother. (view spoiler) But this plan goes awry when her mother goes missing, and clues that she had left behind lead her to track down someone who can help her. Levi.

Levi Glaisyer. Bisexual. Iron Lord. King of the streets, and a con artist. He's the complete opposite of Enne, but they put aside their differences to work together on what will (maybe) be a mutually beneficial agreement. Levi will help Enne to find her mother in exchange for money to save his toosh.

Of course, nothing goes to plan. Secrets arise, betrayals are revealed, love is found and death is on the horizon. So ENJOY THE RIDE, FOLKS! I sure did.

I tried, I really tried to like this book and read it, but had to abandon and DNF it at 43%. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and to fall into the story as I normally do. I found Enne more annoying than anything and struggled to connect with her. Levi was a more pleasant character, but struggled to connect him with a crime lord, if anything he seemed like a 14-year-old playing with fire. There was also so many crumbs and foreshadowing, that I couldn't turn my brain from being 2-3 steps ahead and killing the surprise even when the plot forced itself to surprise the reader. The story itself felt empty and without purpose, but a lot of information was dumped into the reader's lap. There was a lot of time spent on the worldbuilding, however, it never truly came to life for me and I did not feel that I that much about it or it's characters.

I heard a lot of good things about Amanda's writing, however, I cannot see it from this book; it disappointed me so much. I am so gutted that I did not like it more, but I might give her another chance still...

DNF @ 22%

I tried okay, I really did try to finish this book. I’m fairly sure this is the first review book that I’ve DNFed.

Our two main characters and Enne and Levi were just dull. Well, actually Enne was more annoying than dull. I didn’t care about either of them enough to finish the story.

The story itself was nonexistent. I really have no idea what the plot was. It was just a huge amount of information about nothing really. Which I know sounds terrible of me to say, but I truly don’t know where this book is going.

Also can we just talk about the constant using of ‘mucking’? Really? Please, if you want your character to swear just let them. The work ‘mucking’ isn’t exactly too hard to translate.

I was so excited for this book, but I honestly cannot motivate myself to keep skim reading it.

I will however say that I did like the writing style. Maybe this book would pick up in a while, but I just don’t have the motivation or time to try. I’ve seen quite a few people DNF this book so I don’t feel too guilty.

I feel so bad writing an overall negative review as Amanda Foody seems so nice, but I do want to be honest with my reviews.

I am giving it two stars as there were moments I liked as well as the writing style, but overall it’s a verdict of ‘nope’ from me.

I can see how a lot of people really enjoyed this book and I’d say if you read the synopsis and think you’ll like it, do give it a go!

2/5 Stars

Amanda has created a rich world, teeming with life that reaches out from its pages, you almost feel like you’re one of the characters witnessing the events that unfold. The story takes place in New Reynes that is deliciously sinful and seductive world, similar to the gritty extravagance of a Las Vegas-style capital. New Reynes is split in two,, almost all the events take place on the North side which is basically a crime den with different gangs and crime/mafia-like families.

The story revolves around the search for Enne’s mother, Lourdes. Enne and Levi meet early on and they both realize they need to stick together for different reasons. Their search leads them to dangerous places where nothing is as it seems. Enne is being introduced into the world of dark secrets, shadowy casinos and risky jobs. Levi helps Enne get a job but he unknowingly puts her in even more danger. Enne has to adapt quickly, she needs to be tough and resilient to stay alive and she has to find allies among strangers. The story is split into ten sections a countdown of the ten days until Levi has to pay back a sum of money or give his life is forfeit this helps the passing of time in the book. I enjoyed the countdown aspect in this book as I find in some book it can seem like a couple of days has passed next thing you know it’s months if not a year later. From the moment Enne sets foot in the city her life becomes a gripping whirlwind that kept me on the edge of my seat. Maybe a few things were a little bit too convenient , but I personally I found it didn’t really affect the story enough to destroy the suspension of disbelief and didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

The characters take a while to get to know, but it meant I appreciated it all the more when a detail was revealed. The character’s development was a big part of what kept me reading and also part of why I’m really curious to see where the story will go in the sequel. The characters all beautiful and flawed and fantastically unique in their own way.

“Sometimes we’re not who we want to be because we’re supposed to be something else.”

Well I’ve visited the City of Sin, and I’ve definitely been corrupted by its world!

Should’ve read that guide book before immersing myself!

Ace of Shades begins with Enne, or Erienne Abacus Salta, a dancer from Bellamy, who comes to New Reynes to search for her adopted mother, Lourdes, who’s gone missing while visiting the city.

From the moment she steps off the ship, Enne lands in trouble with the city guard, the Whiteboots, and finds herself in cahoots with Levi Glaisyer, the Iron Lord, head of one of the city gangs alongside the Doves and the Scars.

Desperate to find Lourdes, she agrees to pay Levi for his help, and ends up drawn into his murky underworld of old world families and their criminal activities.

This is a fast-paced book, brimming with excitement and thrills, romance and violence, and sees the transformation of Enne from a naïve young girl, into a brave, and potentially dangerous, young woman, with a background that could bring the world down around them all.

Foody has created a rich world, teeming with life that reaches out from its pages, grabs you by the collar and pulls you in, so that you almost feel like you’re one of the characters, some unseen narrator, witnessing the events that unfold.

I honestly can’t remember a single low point. At no time did I think the pace dropped or faltered, and it’s a skill in itself to keep up that pace for the whole book without losing the reader, or character or plot development. It’s on a constant high which didn’t get old!

Most of all it was fun!

“She was a blade disguised as a girl.”

5 stars!

<i>Ace of Shades</i> follows Enne, who has arrived in the City of Sin, New Reynes (totally not an early 1900s verison of Vegas) in search of her mother. Shortly before her mother, Lourdes, left for the City of Sin, she told Enne that if she didn't return in two months time, she would be dead. Well, that was four months ago, and to say Enne's worried is an understatement. Before leaving for New Reynes, Enne finds a note from Lourdes saying that if she did go in search for her, she should seek out a gentleman by the name of Levi Glaisyer.

Enter Levi: street lord, con-man, bisexual beauty and everything Enne has been taught to stay away from. But if she wants to find Lourdes, she has to put her trust in him, and the two must work together, if they want to stay alive, that is.

Ahhhh, I cannot express enough how much I LOVED this book! I was aware of the Six of Crows comparisons going into this (and I think we can all agree that book, and Crooked Kingdoms are masterpieces), but I didn't care. They were hardly the same, and I may love them equally as much now. Enne and Levi are just sweet precious cinnamon buns, and they must be protected at all costs. Also, the sexual tension? Woo, you could cut it with a knife! Below is an accurate representation of me after getting to the end of the book:


Just so much teasing, and <spoiler>I was soooooo disappointed that we didn't even get a kiss! Although, when Levi said that unfortunately he'd made his decision not to kiss her, but if she even said his name, he would turn round in a heartbeat, MY HEART! These two need to stop being so stubborn, and just get together already!!!!</spoiler>

I already need the second book in my hands right now! Please, Amanda Foody, please don't take too long to release the second one!

I’m struggling to find the words for this review because this book is just that good. Despite a slow start, by the last few chapters I was literally walking and reading because I couldn’t stand to look away. Amanda Foody has an immense talent for edge-of-your-seat writing and when she gets going it’s spectacular. There are plenty of twists and turns (some you can see coming, some less so) and the story plays out against the gritty extravagance of a Las Vegas-style capital, New Reynes.
The characters take a while to get to know, but I appreciated it all the more for the time it takes to open up and get going. There is enough worldbuilding and character development that the payoff never feels cheap. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. I adored it. This is the first in a series and I’m already looking forward to the next one. In the meantime I’m going to go and buy Amanda Foody’s collected works and just binge read them all.

A very interesting story with good characters and an interesting plot but the stand out for me was the writing as I felt so immersed in the world. I Really enjoyed my time reading this one and.I would highly recommend.

After reading Daughter of the burning city I didn't think Amanda Foody would be able to top it.
Yet she has done just that in Ace Of Shades. I absolutely loved this book from the get go.

I loved delving in the world and the city and getting to know the darker side of it. The descriptions of the grandeur and the shabby pulled me into the story, Foody managed to create an entire city in my imagination - right down to the seedy underbelly of kids joining gangs. It combined so many different cities in the real world that it was such a great setting.

The characters developed the story so much that I was continuously wanting to read too see what would happen next. I will say I wasn't such a big fan of Enne as a whole at the beginning but by the end I was a fan of her and I saw a lot of myself in her determination.
I do feel like I have found myself yet another Book Boyfriend to add to my list (its getting to be a long list) in Levi. I absolutely loved him - obviously the bad boy aura and smirk had me reeled in but seeing the gentler side of him cemented his place on my list!

I honestly cannot wait for the second book to come out and I am so sad to have to wait another year for it! I would highly recommend this novel to anyone how loves reading mysteries with a sprinkle of love and sins.

Absolutely outstanding, I love the pace of this book and the characters within it sets the flow of the book nicely!

I received a free ebook copy of this book through Netgalley. Thankyou to both Netgalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read this! My review is still honest.

Well, what a pleasant surprise. I haven't had the best luck lately with newer young adult, but this one stands out from the crowd. It has that rich, chaotic setting vibe that reminds me of The Night Circus and was what I wanted from Caraval that I feel that book lacked. If you were disappointed with Caraval, I would highly recommend giving this one a go.
While Ace of Shades isn't set in a circus, it is set in a city of sin, a fantasy version of Las Vegas full of glamour and gaudiness. Foody did so well with the descriptions of the casinos, I felt I could imagine each place vividly. We follow two POVs-Enne and Levi. Enne is a lady-like, frivolous, protected girl from a foreign country, come to find her missing mother. Levi is the leader of a gang in the city. As is often the case, their paths cross and the action starts from there.
The plot in this one is super action packed, super dramatic and with just the right touch of emotion. Enne's complicated feelings towards the secretive Lourdes hit me right in the feels, as well as Levi's feelings about who he wants to be. There is an array of villains in this story, each different from any other. The threats in this story kept me on the edge of my seat. There was certainly a quality in this book that felt like time was running out-which it was.
I also really enjoyed the characters. Enne was SO annoying at the beginning, but went through such great development. I ended up really enjoying her character by the end. I always loved Levi and Jac, and I even love to hate Vianca. Perhaps there's more to her than meets the eye. I went from dislike to deep respect for Lola and can't wait to see more of her. I actually feel quite hostile towards Lourdes and her secrets. So much could have been avoided if she just told Enne the truth. <spoiler> I'm still not convinced she's dead, as a side note. </spoiler>
My one qualm with this story which makes it a 4 star read for me was I was disappointed in the ending. The plot itself wrapped up nicely, but I was very frustrated with how the romance was left. There was so much tension leading up to the end, and for nothing to happen just left me super disappointed. I love a slow burn, but this already felt like one by the end and now just feels quite drawn out, and not in a good way. Still really loved this book and will be highly anticipating the sequel!

I received with thanks an ARC copy of Ace of Shades from HQ Young Adult & Netgalley.

This is my true and honest review of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. This is due was published on 17th May 2018

This was my 1st Amanda Foody book and will not be the last. This was an interesting ride with plenty twist and turns. Enne and Levi were an interesting pair to read about. I cannot wait until their next instalment. Plenty of Rogues, Thieves and other unique characters are within this story. The authors writing style is unique and enjoyable. I have had the pleasure of going to Las Vegas many, many years ago and it was enjoyable to read a story that has a Vegas type atmosphere.

Great book for YA fantasy lovers.

I am so grateful that I got the chance to read Ace of Shades, and a big thank you to HQ Young Adult for approving me on NetGalley. I was sent the UK edition to review (this cover is the US one) and although I missed reading it before the release date (17th May) it didn’t stop me from really enjoying this book. I flew through this in less than 48 hours, that’s how great this story is.

Enne Salta is poised and proper, having been brought up the right way by her mother to become a lady. The last place she would ever be seen is New Reynes, the City of Sin, but that’s exactly where she needs to go. When she realises that her mother has gone missing, Enne travels to the last place that she visited, unsure of what she will find. There she asks for help from Levi Glaisyer, street lord to one of the three gangs of New Reynes, the Irons. Levi has his own motivations for wanting to help, mainly taking compensation from Enne to dig himself out of some trouble with the mafia. Mysteries begin to unravel as they visit the casinos, cabarets and alleys searching for clues, until they are led to the clutches of the mafia donna. It’s a race against time for both of them and they’ll both need to play their cards right if they’re to get out alive.

When it comes to the writing, I thought it was very well written with a great pace that kept me hooked. I loved the mystery that surrounded the characters, especially Enne, and how we were drip fed bits of information here and there, which kept me hooked and invested in the story. I am a big fan of multiple POVs in books and I really enjoyed how the perspectives switched between Enne and Levi so we got to see more aspects of the world that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

The world of New Reynes felt so real thanks to the descriptive writing and I definitely got Las Vegas vibes from it. The casinos and cabarets were described perfectly and I felt as though I was there with the characters, thanks to the colour and imagery. There’s a bit of info-dump in the beginning, but eventually I managed to wrap my head around the way the world works. There are three gangs that rule the streets, the Doves, the Irons and the Scarhands, and then we have the two major crime families; the Augustines and the Torrens. Each gang specialises in something unique that makes them all as deadly as each other.

The fantasy aspect of this book was so interesting. Everybody has an ability of some kind. Some only have one, but most of two with one being secondary to the other. Your surname predicts what your ability is, such as Salta, which means that you have a dancing ability. This features quite a bit in the story and makes up some of the mystery that surrounds the characters as not all is as it seems. There are also talents that are more magical, such as having an affinity for fire or being able to read minds, etc. It’s a very intriguing system that may seem complicated at first, but I can’t wait to see how it develops in the second book.

At first I wasn’t sure about Enne, but when the story got going I found myself being able to connect more with her. She definitely had great character development, especially towards the end, and it was interesting to see how she reacted to everything that was going on around her. Then we have Levi, the gang leader who isn’t anything like I thought he would be, and that’s a good thing! He was incredibly protective of those he cared about and only wanted the best for them, even if he couldn’t give it to them. In the story Levi has gotten himself into some trouble with the Torrens that he is desperate to get out of and we see that desperation grow throughout the story, bringing him down. Another fact about Levi is that he is also bisexual, which is great to see that representation in novels for people like him, and I feel it made him more interesting as a character.

I loved all the mystery that surrounded Enne’s mother, Lourdes, and the way her story unfolded. Even though she wasn’t present in the story, I still had a great idea of who and what she was through the eyes of the other characters. As with every good fantasy story, we have some great villains who are devious and wicked. The head of the Augustine family was particularly nasty with a spiteful nature that rang true. I can’t wait to find out more about these characters, especially a certain one that was introduced right at the very end.

No book is ever perfect and Ace of Shades doesn’t pretend to be. There are some things I would have liked to know more about, but I am hoping they can crop up during the sequel. Overall, I thought that this book was a fun and interesting read, with characters that intrigued me enough that I want to know more. I am going to give this a solid four stars.

I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS BOOK! *cries*

I have to stop getting obsessed with books that are getting major hype as they always seem to let me down. I nearly DNF but I managed to persist in the hopes that the story got better.

I'll go into the few positives that I did find with the book before I roll out the negatives.

I liked the setting, 'The City of Sin', how it was similar to Las Vegas. Having been to Vegas this year, I could vision the seedy people wandering in and out of the dirty casino's, gambling endlessly and drinking excessively. I thought the fictional location was perfect for the story - it showed so much promise.

There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I am always one for surprising twists in stories!

and.....that's about it for positives.

So the negatives - on with it!

I did not like Enne or Levi. I'm sorry I just can't.

I had hope for Enne at the start. I knew that she would develop as the story progressed (not being as snobbish or jittery) but she was developed way too fast. She suddenly had this badass attitude which just felt so unbelievably fake. It was almost super cringey. I wanted Foody to take a bit more time to develop Enne into this "kickass" character - it just felt way too rushed.

Levi... I didn't think he was a strong character. I did not root for him the entire time I was reading, I did not care about his backstory a bit. He was meant to be this badass character (maybe similar to Kaz from Six of Crows?) but he was just boring. Really godawful boring.

It won't come as any surprise that these two "develop" a romantic relationship with one another. I knew it was going to happen but it felt so forced.

I hated it so much - it wasn't working for me.

*INFO DUMPING ALERT*

World-building is a must. It did not happen for me in this book. I felt as if I was reading pointless information and it wasn't going anywhere.

I wanted to turn down the pacing - just a tad. I had a real need to learn more facts about the world, to get a real feel for the universe. Everything was at full speed and just would not slow down.

Basically, I thought this book was forced and I forced myself to finish it. I don't think I will be picking the sequel...