Was a little slow to start off with, took me a while to get into, but once I did I was hooked! I loved Enne and her character development through the book, it was great to see a character who was both strong and feminine, I love it when authors show that those two things don't have to be opposites. I was a little disappointed in Levi, his character felt a little flat to me. I loved the world that Foody created, I thought it was really creative and I definitely got sucked into the City of Sin. The villains were also really compelling, especially Vianca. This book was a great introduction to the world that Amanda Foody has created and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

Though this didn't stick out as much as some of the other books that have similar topics and themes, I did thoroughly enjoy the story. Levi and Enne were fantastic characters. I loved Enne so much, the mystery surrounding her, the way she got to grips with the City of Sin so quickly despite being so naive when she firsts arrives.

Although I took to Levi at first, it really really was Enne who stole the book for me. I can't wait to find out more about her and what she does next.

The plot also was thrilling. It gripped me pretty quickly and drew me straight into the city, seeing it through Enne's eyes was the perfect way to get to grips with it quickly. It was so immersive and a joy to read.

There are so many of books about sin and debauchery around at the moment. The seedy underbelly of Fantasy worlds being explored and enjoyed and this is definitely a good addition to the genre.

I got to read Daughter of the Burning city a couple of weeks before the U.K release so I was so happy to have another Amanda Foody book in my hands before the release date. This book follows Enne, a lady in training, when her mother goes missing she decided it is her quest to go find her. This leads her to the City of Sin also known as New Reynes. Nobody in their right minds would think a young lady such as her should go there but she defies all their expectations and does so anyway. In doing so she meets Levi. Levi is not a gentleman like the ones Enne has grown up with, he is a con artist and isn’t the slightest bit interested in Enne and her quest, only when she offers up money, is when he is. (Money is the solution kids ;p) Their search leads them to dark places and casino’s and then Levi’s past comes knocking… the story takes us to places that we could only dream of and the magical element of this story was enchanting. Amanda Foody’s writing style is one that I will always love and so descriptive. Such a fast read for me as I just get absorbed into it.

Overall 4 out of 5 stars.

So this was a book I was toying with buying before I even saw it on here. I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint me. Enter the city of Sin with Enne and watch her go from pawn to player in the first book of the Ace of Shades series. Filled with secrets, violence and seduction the book is the city of sin itself luring the reader into its pages. Enne is a strong female character who deals with every obstacle thrown her way and while she doesn’t do it all on her own she is someone to admire. The other focus of this book is Levi, a cheat, an iron lord... a man who throws up at the sight of blood and violence. He’s played the game for longer... a spectator but now a player.... better than the rest and yet now a killer. These two fight their desire, their demons and more and I can only hope this continues in the next book

Ace of Shades was a roller-coaster of a book. From the very beginning, you are hooked. This book was very focused on world building. The Game of Shadow world is so unique and complex which made it enticing. I could not put this book down and actually lost sleep over it. Loved the charcters and loved reading about Enne's charcter develpoment. How she changes into a more strong, badass and independant woman. The struggles she goes through to find her mother awes me. The reason why I gave it a 4/5 stars was because I did not enjoy the "mucking" part of the novel. I found it a little cheese and cringy but other than that, fantasuc book. So excited to read the sequel when it finally comes out.
Also, a special thank you to the publisher/author that allowed me to read an arc of the book.
-
Samira H

Rating - 4/4.5 stars. I'm undecided.

**First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for free in exchange for a honest review.**

"People do not play this game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose."

I read the first 25% of this book really slowly. I was bored and the story didn't seem to have much depth to it and nothing was really happening. Then I stopped reading it as I fell ill for a whole week and today, I have devoured the last 75%. I can easily tell you that based on the first 25%, it would only be a 2.5 star read but my my how this book changed my mind.

It reminded me in small ways of Caraval which was one of my favourite reads of 2017 so there was no surprise when I ended up really enjoying this.

I loved the characters. They were so fun to read about and each had their own personalities. Enne was a strong, independent woman who had a fantastic character development the more we got into this book. Levi IS BISEXUAL. A main character who may or may not be a love interest to the main girl is BISEXUAL. The book deserves 5 stars just for the bisexual representation!! I found myself also enjoying the secondary characters such as Lola and Jac. They really stole the show at times and I hope to see much more of them in the books to come.

The world of City of Sin is cruel, challenging and quite freaky but I loved it. It really did keep you on your toes throughout and the descriptions Amanda gave us throughout made me feel I was really in this world. The world building truly was incredible, it just took a bit long for me. I loved the fact we got to see the story both from Enne and Levi's point of view rather than just one or the other. It really made the story more enjoyable.

Oh and one last thing, made up swearing is something I am living for. Thank you. Muck. Thickhead. So funny.

In conclusion, I definitely recommend giving this book a read if you're into magic, murder, mischief and fantasy. It's definitely worth the read.

Such a promising start, but I struggled to keep interested in the last half of the story unfortunately. I loved the beginning of this book. I loved the idea of gambling blended with magic, and the setting up of the magical world is very good but I somehow couldn't get attached to the story. Shame.

"They say the city is a game, one only the reckless play"

I was a little unsure going into this one as I struggled with the authors first novel so wasn't sure how I would get along with this one.

However, after a slow start, this novel was amazing!

I loved the gang culture and gambling aspects that were shown in the book and how Levi wasn't how he was portrayed by his reputation.

I enjoyed the magic system and personally haven't seen anything similar to it in other books. I just wish that it had been explored more so that we understood the talents better.

Hopefully this will be explained in more detail in the next book.

I do feel that part of the first half of the book could have potentially been missed out as the story was very slow to start and it took a long time for the action to step in.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up the sequel!

I was really excited when I started the book. I loved the ‘Atlantic City’ type of setting, which is called New Reynes, City of Sin! There’s lots of dynamics happening among casino families that reign this city; gangs, mysteries. Honestly, I was so invested, ready to write a 5 star review. I loved the protagonist, Enne, who came to New Reynes to look for her mother (Lourdes). She left a while ago for some business, and didn’t come back. So, I thought it would be a good adventure trying to find her mother. Lourdes leaves a letter before she goes, and tells her to contact a guy called Levi, in case she doesn’t come back. Enne finds Levi when she arrives and after that point, it becomes an adventure for both while they are trying to find what happened to Lourdes.
Although, I loved the original setting and idea, it really bothered me that the story didn’t have a strong enough focus to move towards. At first, it felt like we were looking for her mother. Then, there’s a lot of dynamics around who is who really, who is trustable, etc. Another dynamic was about Enne’s real identity, as she’s adopted. Moreover, we had the casino families, government, gang leaders, lords politics joining in. So, in the end, I really lost focus, became a mix of this and that, and I didn’t know the main ‘objective’ of the adventure. I’m a reader who needs to know the ‘goal’, so it didn’t work for me 🙂
I really disliked the magic system elements. It was not exciting enough for me. It felt like it was a half way through magical world. For me, it could even be an adventure without any magical elements.
So, all in all, original idea, not very good execution is my summary.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning (borrowed from Amanda’s website): high violence, mild sexual content, mild profanity, mild drug content, inferred (and highly condemned) paedophilia, alluded parental abuse

I know there are going to be a lot of comparisons between this book and the Six of Crows duology, but drawing comparisons between books isn’t always helpful as you can’t guarantee that people who read and enjoyed Six of Crows will like Ace of Shades (and the opposite could also be true. So instead of this entire review being comparisons between the two, I’ll try to sum it up in a sentence or two. Ace of Shades has fever POVs than Six of Crows, the magic systems of both books differ in quite a few ways, the world these characters inhabit within the story is much smaller in Ace of Shades. There are a plethora of similarities and differences I could churn out but essentially these books are similar in a few ways but I wouldn’t have called Ace of Shades an imitation of Six of Crows.

Now that’s over and done with, let’s talk about world building. The world that we actually get to explore in this book is quite small, one city within a wider world. This is something that is quite common in first novels such as this, letting you get to know the characters while also allowing for a wider scope in later books. I think it works well in such a character-driven story to limit the amount of geographical and political detail you need. I think it’s interesting that both of Amanda Foody’s books have these self-contained places in which there are pockets of wealth and pockets of debauchery (and a lot of places where those things intersect). I thought that the way that spaces across the city were used was great. I love the idea of old theatres, casinos and that speakeasy vibe so it suited me down to the ground.

There are other smaller world details that stuck out to me, the idea of volts as a currency (and the necessity of having voltmeters to measure them) was clever and not something I had encountered before, certainly not in a setting such as this. I also thought that the way in which different street gangs were marked and distinguished, and the ways in which they communicated with the other gangs was interesting. I’d almost like to read the guidebook that Enne carries around with her, in a similar way to the Quidditch Through the Ages book written by J. K. Rowling. I think I could have done with a tiny bit more scale, I don’t think I could tell you the scope of the city and how large it is compared to other territories. I don’t know if the physical edition has a map as I read an electronic version, something to be investigated!

I thought this book was going to be multiple POV but it is dual. The action is split between Levi and Enne, giving you both the insider and outsider perspective of the city. At the beginning and end of the novel, this is more interesting as the two are on somewhat different paths, I’m not sure it was as successful in the moments where they were together. I did think these were good characters. Enne was, of course, my favourite of the two, I enjoyed her character development through the book and I thought she was the most relatable of the two. I found Levi a little predatory at times, I think some of the ‘oh so dreamy and brooding’ moments read more as ‘oh what an arse’ moments for me, a matter of personal perception I’m sure.

I would have liked more information and time spent on the side characters who are arguably more interesting than the main characters in this story, certainly at times. I hope that they are given their due in later books.

The plot is split into ten sections (a countdown of the ten days until Levi has to pay back a huge sum of volts or his life is forfeit) which works well, I thought this helped to keep the pace of the book and also (as someone who always has a hard time grasping the passage of time in books) it made it much easier for me. What it did also exemplify was just how quickly these two characters fall for each other. It’s not quite insta-love more insta-attraction but it does fall into that trap of ‘my world is crumbling around me but let’s not worry about that and instead fantasise about this hunk’. Not as bad as some other books I have read (not to be named here) but worth noting.

This is a good story, it’s certainly interesting. It has a couple of ‘chosen one’ elements and it does get a little complex towards the end but it still kept my attention through to the epilogue!

Overall, I think this is a really strong book, it has an interesting setting, a fast-paced plot, a bucket-load of intrigue and the bones of a great story to continue into a later novel. It isn’t quite perfect but it is a hugely enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone for whom this ticks a box (be it gambling, magic, light romance, gangs or something else).

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a digital review copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

At first, I wasn’t sure where this book was taking me but I absolutely adored the journey it took me on. Ace of Shades is the first book I’ve read by Amanda Foody and I tell you now that it won’t be the last. Especially, because I need to know what else happens in The Shadow Game series.

Amanda’s world building is truly amazing. At times, it feels that you are the one walking around the North Side of New Reynes trying to outrun the gangs. It’s a world of fantasy and magic that doesn’t feel quite that different from reality, which makes it a bit more easy to relate.

Foody also writes some very complex, diverse and likeable characters. I realised that this was the first time I read a book with a male bisexual character. A black bisexual gang lord?? If that doesn’t lure you to read this book, then the casino lights and the gambling certainly will.

I’m a sucker for romance, and I absolutely love books when the chemistry is there and the moments where the couple almost kisses keeps happening. Especially when it comes to a series, I love the anticipation of the ‘Will it happen?’. It’s like the author is teasing us, and Amanda surely delivers this romantic suspense very well with Levi and Enne.

The only reason why I haven’t given this book 5 stars, is because I felt that is a bit of a slow burner, which is something that I love with romance but not when it comes to action. The story is quite interesting from the beginning but the action does take a bit to get going which can make some people not stick with it until the end. However, once the action picked up I couldn’t stop reading until the very last page. I finished the book wanting more. I still do!

I also love the way the magic or talent is portrayed in this book, is quite an unusual take on things. Peculiarly, because most of the time I felt that the characters weren’t constantly using their talents to get what they needed. Said that, I’m hoping that with the second book things get even more magical and dark. I love how much darker things got by the end, in terms of plot and also character development.

Overall, I utterly loved this book and for sure I’ll be reading the next instalments of The Shadow Game series. If you love a Las Vegas inspired fantasy world, with mystery, gangs and magic then Ace Of Shades should be your next TBR book.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody is available in paperback and you can get it now on Amazon.

Thanks HQ Stories for sending me a paperback copy of Ace of Shades in exchange for my honest review.

*FangirlSince1988 xxx

I have to say it was a bit slow for me to begin with, and I wasn’t sure if it would go anywhere. It soon picked up and by the time I had turned the last page I was in love! The world, magic and characters are beautifully written. I couldn’t get enough of It, I want to sit and read the whole book again!

Ace of Shades is told from the perspective of Enne, who has come to New Reynes looking for her mother, Lourdes Alfero. And Levi, one of New Reynes street lords who has agreed to help Enne find her mother in exchange for volts to pay off his debts before his ten days are up. As they embark on their search they hit many a dead end, make unlikely allies, uncover a string of lies and secrets that could possibly lead them on a path to the deadly Shadow Game, where you play for your life.

Some say the City of Sin is a game, so before you arrive – ask yourself, dear reader, how much are you prepared to lose?

Amanda’s world building and plot is so vivid and brilliantly crafted. I spent most of the second half of it on the edge of my seat scared about what might happen, but equally as desperate to find out. I love the character development, especially the development between Enne and Levi and it’s many complications. Levi’s relationship with his gang was also interesting to to read about, how events impacted on them and how they dealt with things. I both love and loathe Vianca Augustine, she is such a great character that I love to hate, you’ll see why.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book and see what happens next. It’s definitely worth grabbing a copy to read asap! I will definitely be picking up a copy of Amanda’s previous book.

Thank you to HQ Young Adult and netgally for the e-arc.

like 3.5? 3.75?

I liked this way more than Foody's Debut (Daughter of the Burning City). This was more engaging throughout, and I liked that it didn't rely on a "who-done-it" aspect like her other novel did (since it was an element that she didn't quite pull off for me). Like her previous novel, there's diversity without it feeling like it's trying too hard. More of her interesting ideas landed better in this book, showing that Foody has some really creative ideas up her sleeve, even if her execution doesn't always work for me. I liked her writing style (it kind of reminded me of Marissa Meyer's style, but I don't know if anyone would agree with me on that), but it's very readable.

Okay, I have a lot of points to make, but I'll try to keep these as brief as possible.

Characters

Enne- This is our female main character. She's new to New Reynes, and prior to the start of the story she attended a ballet school in another city. She's depicted as snobbish and ladylike at the start of the book. I could tell how the author wanted her to come across, as elegant and savvy, and slipping into her bad side like a glove, and I liked that side of her character, but it just didn't work. I was like she flip-flopped from being like previously described to an emotional little girl with the city overwhelming her at every opportunity. Considering this all happened within ten days, she cried way too often, which is just a lazy way to show how sad she was, but because these moments happened so often they lost there impact, and made her act out of place when she was thrown into more dangerous situations. It's like the author wanted two sides to this character, but her different attributes weren't balanced quite right.

Levi- This is our male lead. He's a "street lord" of one of the most profitable gangs until one of his schemes goes awry at the start of the novel. As a person, I liked Levi, but when I thought more about him, he had a similar problem as Enne in that it felt like different parts of him clashed, or felt unrealistic. I wasn't sure if he was meant to be savvy or sweet, and he read as too soft for his position. Plus, it said he was 17 or 18, and I'm sorry, unless the whole gang is made up of really young people/kids, it just doesn't read as realistic. Young characters don't need to be in a position of power to be interesting, and young characters given unrealistic positions in society is one of my pet peeves with few exceptions.

Enne and Levi- I liked their interactions, and liked them as a unit, and how everything with them was drawn out. It did feel a bit too stretched out, and I didn't really understand why they weren't just going for it in the end tbh.

Side Characters- The side characters where okay. I liked the bad guys, and thought they were well done. I liked the development of Chez (was that his name?). I thought Jac was fine, if a bit bland.

Lola's introduction to the team was a bit floppy, and her character was a bit bland as well. I didn't believe the friendship she cultivated with Enne when she was being forced to do a lot of things. Though these are characters could be more fleshed out in sequel novels.

Plot

There was a convenient start to this novel, of Enne bumping into just the right people. There's also the usual plot device of someone looking for a family member to push the story forward. While the "looking for clues to search for someone" format is usually a miss for me, I can't say that I got bored when reading, and there was enough going on otherwise to keep me interested.

This book does rely on some troupes, but subverts them just enough to stop it from being completely run of the mill. I was intrigued with the plot, but a lot is still left unanswered by the end of the book. Though I'm sure they'll be addressed in subsequent novels.

Setting

This has a really good atmosphere. The author did a good job of making you feel like you were in New Reynes. Of setting a scene without being overly descriptive.

Magic System

I liked the way every person had their own abilities that were inherited from their parents, with a blood (main) and split (weaker) talent. It felt inventive and allowed it to make sense why there was a large range of abilities.

However, the other magical elements of this novel didn't work for me. I found the magic of the Shadow Game and the street oaths to be ill explained and kind of out of place with the rest of the world. I'm also still confused on how volts are made, and how it could possibly be reliable tender. Though I do like how the author tried to invent a new kind of money for this world, or at least for this city.

Overall

This was an improvement from her previous novel, but has the same issue of having a lot of great ideas with an execution that just misses the mark. There's enough here that I'll definitely consider picking up the next in the series when it comes out, as I do like Foody's writing style, and the issues I have here could be worked out and strengthened as the series goes on. If you like the sound of this novel, then I'd say it is worth picking up to see if it's for you. I still think, that one day, Foody could really write something that knocks me off my feet.

A book with heists, gambling, gangs, sin and romance? This sounded so good, but unfortunately it left me a little cold.

Enna Salta, a well brought up young lady, has arrived in New Reynes with a mysterious letter from her missing adoptive mother baring only the name Levi Glasiyer - a boy with a stone heart, known throughout the city as an infamous gang lord. Can Enna find her mother in a world dominated by sin and greed? Or will the thrill and temptation of the city prove too strong?

The highlight for me here was the writing. I felt immersed in the murky underworld, and feel the descriptions of the city were good. The writing style is decent, although a little ‘young’, even for YA (weird fake swear words included), and the concept was intriguing, However, it was everything else that let this down.

There was a weird sense of deja vu than ran throughout the novel. I just felt that the story had been told before, and much better. There’s nothing truly original here, and the author spends a large amount of time trying to explain the world and the various gang factions rather than delving any deeper into the action and mystery. This information is also not injected well into the story, or described organically - it’s just offloaded in chunks which was hard to get my head round, and slowed down the pace of the story. There are also a lot of magical elements (or ‘special abilities’) that come into play, whereby an individual inherits talents from their parents (which can be so vast as to include anything) that I found quite confusing at times because they were so varied. I felt the author was almost trying too hard to jam as much as they could into this without letting the story really develop on its own.

I also didn’t really like any of the characters. Levi is described as a gang lord, but compared to similar characters in other novels he comes across as nothing of the sort. He’s not intimidating, and seems to me to be the least likely individual to be in charge of a gang. At seventeen. It was really unbelievable. Enna I found contrite and unlikeable. And incredibly naive. She enters into this underworld without a second thought, even though she’s described as growing up completely unaware of this kind of danger. And she doesn’t learn from any of her early mistakes. Unfortunately this just meant that I didn’t care for either of the main characters, or what happened to them. And the hint of romance? Predictable.

The antagonist however, I thought was good. Evil, power hungry and with an obsession with younger girls, I found him convincingly aggressive and unnerving. He’s actually the only character that kept me reading until the end, as I was intrigued to know what would happen to him and what he would do next.

Interesting ideas, but this has all been done before (and more convincingly).

Amanda Foody has created a rich fantasy world that is very reminiscent of Six of Crows. I really appreciated the City of Sin setting and the gang setup. There were lots of little details that added to the plot and the realism of the world.

I also liked the relationship and rapport between Enne and Levi. Their developing connection felt very natural and I liked both of them as characters. Enne in particular went on an interesting journey through the book and I'm looking forward to seeing her in the next instalment.
The plot was fun at times and tense at others! There were plenty of obstacles for Enne and Levi to face, and the book built to an exciting climax. At a couple of points I felt like the pace slowed down but otherwise I thought the plot was a real strength.

This is an intriguing start to a series and I'll look forward to the next book!

Such an amazing book filled with darkness underneath all the glitz and glam. It sucks you right in. Can't wait for the next one!

Welcome to the City of Sin!!
Enne will do anything to find her mother, including venturing into the City of Sin.
Enne finds her upper-class self thrown into a place that couldn't feel less like home and into the company of Levi, a gang lord who couldn't be less like herself.
This book is gritty and bloody and brutal!!
What sets this book apart for me was the world building. I absolutely loved the feel of this book. I felt the dirt and the grim and the depravity. I felt the danger and the filth. The magic system was so inventive and creative.
It had great LGBTQIA+ representation as well as a brilliant range of characters.
This is a read for anyone looking for a way into fantasy. It would make a great fantasy starter book.

3.5 stars

Enne has spent her entire life learning to be a proper young lady and if she can just get through her final year of finishing school she'll be able to come out to society and have her debut. It's everything she's ever wanted but when her adoptive mother goes missing during a trip to New Reyes, the City of Sin, Enne puts her life on hold to go and find her. Enne is completely out of her depth from the moment she sets foot in New Reynes, it's a city of violent street gangs, criminals and casinos and it doesn't take long for Enne to lose everything she owns.

Her only potential ally is Levi, the last name her mother mentioned to her before her trip, but Levi isn't the successful business man she is expecting but instead he's a gang lord who doesn't seem particularly trustworthy. Levi has problems of his own trying to scrabble together enough funds to pay off an impossibly large dept but when Enne promises to pay him for help finding her mother he reluctantly agrees and they soon form a partnership.

I really enjoyed Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City, so of course I wanted to read Ace of Shades from the minute I first heard about it. I've seen a lot of people comparing this story to Six of Crows but I have to say I think that's a little misleading, yes both stories are both about gang leaders trying to get one up on an enemy but Levi is a totally different kettle of fish to Kaz, I liked him but he didn't have Kaz's charisma and he certainly didn't seem as in control and on top of things. While I think this series has a lot of potential and we could well see Enne and Levi working together to pull off a massive con job in future books this story is more about them getting to know each other and for us to see just how badly their lives are spiralling out of control.

The Enne that arrives in New Reynes is naive and innocent but she's also a survivor who will do whatever it takes to find her mother so she quickly finds herself crossing lines that she'll never be able to step back from. Levi isn't managing to hold his gang together very well right now so we don't get much of the group camaraderie that I was expecting, in fact this story has a pretty small cast and Enne ends up proving herself far more badass than Levi is. I actually liked that Levi had a vulnerable side and wasn't completely perfect but I think he needed to prove himself a little smarter to make it believable that he'd ever become a gang lord in the first place. Jac and particularly Lola are great characters so I hope they have big roles in the next book and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next because the twists were out in force towards the end of the story.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god. I have no idea what to say or how to structure this review without copying and pasting i loved it and i'm dying now about a billion times until I use up all the characters.


Um, Amanda Foody??!!! KILLED IT.
This book was a blessing after a slump and a few difficult reads. My heart is still reeling and soaring from the last page. I'm gonna need King of Fools ASAP!!!!!


I loved the characters so, so much.
Enne's character development was so brilliant and she was just so strong. I just. *clenches fist* love her a lot. She's driven by the need to find her mother and confront her about her secrets but is faced to find more dangerous obstacles, and the way she handles them is admirable. There was never a flat moment reading her journey. Her and Lola were also an engaging read. From hostility to friendship - one of my favourite things in the world - it was so uplifting to read them become entwined in each other's lives. (also enne & cookies #friendship4life)

Levi, I loved too. But maybe not as much as Enne. I thought his leadership issues were weak and I didn't get the vibe that he was lord and a leader. He may have had a notorious title, but I felt nothing of it. I did, however, love everything else about him. And a black bisexual protagonist?!!!!! I am screaming. I love love love. And his friendship with Jac! I can't wait to read more. Jac is so loyal, and that scene where they're all in Enne's apartment is one of my favourite scenes in the book. The little banter about Jac helping his friend :-) My heart. My poor heart.

I loved Enne and Levi together. I wholly adore them both and I want to go back and reread it so I could see them again. They're a team, and that tension between them just gave me so many feels. It was the almost of it all that had me on edge, wanting more, wishing for one of them to take it further. Slow burn is so painful, but it's a sweet and welcome pain.
I would say I really wished that there had been more room for the secondary characters to develop, but I think it was enough. The plot was told over 10 days, and while I wanted more of them, it felt right. I am hopeful for more of their development as a little team in the upcoming sequel! Fingers crossed.


The world building was pretty phenomenal. The idea of volts as currency, the Vegas-like setting, the crimes and casinos and street lords. A lot of people expected this to be a lot like Six of Crows, but there are actually very few similarities. The comparison works, but when you get into it...Ace of Shades is different. I loved both books, but I want to say that I'm glad it's not the same! Ace of Shades is just as unique.
Amanda Foody's descriptions and writing were just so on-point, I could smell the streets of the City of Sin. It was mesmerising to read about the different districts and streets and events. And the magic! The talent! So beautifully detailed. I loved the idea of all the different kinds and how the whole world has all these powerful people. The writing and pacing were so intricate and detailed, I was completely engaged and enticed by every sentence. I am left wanting more, and I need it soon


There were many, many great things about this book. I find it hard to fault, especially as it was such an adventure. It's not perfect, but Ace of Shades was a wonderful read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Amanda Foody and Harlequin Uk for my ARC of Ace of Shades.

Wow! This is the first book I've read by Amanda Foody despite having Daughter of the Burning City on my shelf for ages! I'm so pleased to have found a new author to love! Ace of Shades was like Six of Crows meets The Mortal Instruments.
Enne is worried about her mother, weeks ago she left to visit The City of Sin and she hasn't returned, Enne is worried enough to forgo her chance at finishing school as a lady, and head to the city to find her. But Enne is way out of her depth, used to the quiet elegance of her home town Bellamy, where the worst thing that could happen is someone snubbing you in the street, Enne finds herself dragged in the world of the Iron Gang led by the notorious Levi Glaisyer and her whole life is turned on its head.

The story is wonderfully fast paced but also gets in lots of world building which is frankly what I need from a novel so it was utterly perfect!
I loved the characters particularly Enne & Levi but also Lola and Jac as well. I even liked the villains who were perfect!