I cannot get over this book, it was packed with action from the very beginning and it was just the best final book in the series. In this book you get to see even more POVs - Levi and Enne like usual, but also Sophia, Lola and Harvey as an added extra, it was great to get into the minds of even more characters and see what they were thinking during the whole process. I never thought I'd like a series where more and more POVs were added in each book, but for this series it works and totally changed my mind - it really helps you to see all the different points to the plot as the new game begins.
In this book you finally see all of these drips of information morph into one big spectacular plot, with so many crucial points in previous books all making sense. Whilst reading this I had multiple 'lightbulb' moments, when I finally saw just what Amanda Foody had been planning and hinting at - it all came together and made this into the perfect finale to a series.
The final moments of this book were sheer brilliance, and I think that Amanda gave us the best ending to the series there could have been, I won't spoil anything, but for me it was amazing and just what I wanted when I finished this series.

Ok, I’m going to preface this by saying I’ve not read YA since my beloved His Dark Materials series when I was a wee lass so this was like venturing into new territory for me. I also admit that I didn’t know this book was part of a series when offered a review copy so I went in completely blind - again my fault!

That being said I did enjoy the aspects of the story and there was enough recap at the beginning and throughout got me to grasp what was going on. The five perspectives are interesting and atmospheric enough to keep you interested but I did feel that maybe some parts were slightly too long.

I did like the representation of differently cultures and LGBTQ and the fact that it didn’t shy away from difficult topics. However I do feel that this is on the older end of the YA spectrum and suitable for those maybe 16 and above due to some of the themes and violence there in.

All in all it was a fun read out of my comfort zone but probably something I would let revisit on a personal level.

Foody wastes no time, plunging you straight back into the darkness and brutal nature of survival prevalent in New Reynes. You’re thrust straight back into this tumultuous world and reminded of the often tragic consequences of the dangerous games played.

The Shadow Game series is such a refreshing, well imagined YA fantasy series that truly transports you and Queen of Volts is no different. You feel like you’re getting the dirt of New Reynes right under your fingernails and can vividly picture the vast, vibrant and complex cast of characters that populate it. Foody has real skill at crafting characters that slowly find their way into your heart, in all their flawed, messy glory. No one here is perfect or indeeed claims to be perfect. I loved how we got some new POVs and characters from the previous books, further expanding the many plot threads that Foody expertly spins into an extremely satisfying web. However, my heart still belongs to Enne and Levi, as we’ve seen them grow and change over the course of this journey. They’re bad to the bone, but also deeply caring and protective of their found families. Their relationship has always sparked with great chemistry, witty banter and jus the right pacing.

This series has always been so shrouded in mystery and finally, after precisely drip-feeding us, we get to marvel at the full picture. After I finished this, I immediately wanted to reread the series to pick up on all the little breadcrumbs previously left behind. That has to be the hallmark of a special series and I definitely believe that The Shadow Game series deserves a lot more love.

Foody’s writing is mischievously deceitful in its trickery. Every time you think you know where something is going, trust me you don’t. Even here, there are plenty more shocking moments to be revealed, many with such emotional intensity. I also like how they always add more depth and texture to the overarching plot; they’re never just there for the sake of it. The pacing is also immaculate, which is a tricky balance to find.

Queen of Volts is such a brilliant conclusion to a stand-out fantasy series that deserves so much more love.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an independent review.

A fantastic ending to the Shadow Game Trilogy, the gang are more divided than ever, but have to work together when faced with new threats, despite being pitted against each other in a new game of cards.

The characters are brought out more than ever and we are given a chance to really see their points of view. Enne, no longer the innocent, sheltered kid from Bellamy after killing Jac, now scarred and quick to react and fight. Levi is in mourning for his best friend, but still handling the Irons. Meanwhile, the Scarhands and the Doves are both leaderless and Sophia's split talent talent has left her parentage in question, and is now bound to Vianca’s son. Lola feels betrayed by Enne and Harvey is confused, with a huge story that develops in this book.

This book shines a light on same sex relationships, it doesn't make them extraordinary, but treats them as normal, which for me is fantastic. This is how it should be.

As a trilogy conclusion, this book pull together the loose ends, brings mysteries to a solution and provides a great storyline. The talents, the card games - seriously, this book provides the best one. All of this and more are gathered here in a well paced book that is definitely a highlight to the trilogy.

Queen of Volts is the third instalment for Amanda Foody's The Shadow Game series, and in this book we fall back into the world of New Reynes and that of Enne and Levi.

Things are going from bad to worse for Enne, she is still not over what had happened at the Ball and she is finding it harder to keep things together as well as her friends safe. Levi is struggling, he has just lost his best friend and is still struggling to move forward. The problem is they are still in the middle of the Shadow Game and its not going to be easy to end it.

I fell back into this world - say fell I struggled a little to get back into the swing of it. I forgot some of the characters and what happened but after the first 80 pages I was immersed back into the world. It was fast paced and there was so much going on. The characters again were the best part of the book and it was great reading about how they all grew from the last book and how they continued to play the game.

I admit I did struggle at times to keep up with the story, there were so many points of view with story lines that were interwoven with one another that I had to remember who was with who. It worked towards the end as it all came together and even though at times I had to read the chapter again I found that it was written really well.

The characters were some of my favourites that I have read this year. I have to say Grace and Lola were my favourite. You got to see more of them this time round and I liked that Amanda Foody concentrated on the secondary characters as well as Enne and Levi. I always find the secondary characters are more important at times and need their spotlight.

I will also say that my heart was ripped out again in this one with a certain part AND the fact that it happened right towards the end, I mean it was clever BUT WHY!

I felt that this book answered the questions I had and didn't leave anything left unsaid and that it was a good ending to the series.

A little slow to get going, and five POV characters was a few too many to follow, it was ultimately a satisfying end to this series and I will definitely miss the City of Sin and its players!

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

<b>2 sad stars</b>

Oh my god...

What happened to this series??? Or to me??

How could I go from rating Ace of Shades 5 stars because I freaking loved it, to 3 stars for the sequel, down to 2 stars for Queen of Volts. What the hell happened... was it me? Or the book? It all just went downhill after the first book for me and I really don't know why. I'm so sad about this.

So, Ace of Shades. The stakes were high. The chemistry was palpable. The book was going somewhere. King of Fools, much less thrilling, less action, the chemistry between Enne and Levi? Vanished. It felt like their new roles in the book weren't enforced enough, if that makes sense? Like yeah she's a street lord now and he's partnered up with their enemies son... but for me this wasn't made enough of a turning point, I couldn't feel the stakes rising like I was supposed to. It didn't feel like there was anything <i>at<i> stake.
Now onto Queen of Volts. I feel like this was just a filler book. I was reading it thinking, why are we doing this? For what purpose? I was so bored. Nothing felt thrilling or exciting. I didn't buy into Enne being this feared street lord. The sequence of events felt kinda random. Like, oh! Were gonna do this now, okay! I really didn't like the multiple povs, I could've done without them. I don't like when a book suddenly adds extra povs. I just came here for some Enne and Levi action.

I should have gone on an emotional rollercoaster with these characters and their story. But I didn't, so... there's that.

I really loved Queen of Volts so much, despite the fact that it is over 600 pages I read it in two days, because I just could not put it down. I loved the dark twist the story took and I loved the way that the characters developed. The plot just pulled me along and I could not wait to find out what happened next.
I loved that we got to see parts of the story from more character's points of view, and despite being unsure of him at first, I really grew to love Harvey and come to look forward to his chapters.
Although the plot is fast paced there is still loves of time to watch the characters develop, and there was a real focus on the growth of the characters in the book, and I felt there was a major be careful what you wish for vibe going on.
The magic system in The Shadow Game books is so unique and I loved finding out more about other talents and how they worked. We also gained a bit more insight in this book about how the politics of talents worked - how do you make society fair and safe for all when there are some really overwhelming talents?
I really enjoyed reading Queen of Volts, and it was my favourite book of the trilogy, I am so sad to leave the City of Sin behind!

I honestly don't know where to start talking about this book. After reading King of Fools, I was dying to read this one, and it didn't disappoint. I've grown to really care for all these characters and while they all made some incredibly boneheaded moves in this one, I'm pretty satisfied by how they all developed in this. And this game, it was everything I needed and more. The game would've been enough to make me love this book even if everything else in the book turned to dust.

I loved every single POV it had to offer. I've always loved Levi and Enne's perspectives (mostly), and they definitely know how to serve up my feelings and crush them to pieces. I've been hoping for a Lola perspective for the longest time so I'm incredibly happy we finally got one in this book. She had a very unexpected and honestly unsettling character arc, so that was definitely an experience. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with where that went, but hey ho we can't expect everything to be sunshine and daisies, especially in the City of Sin. I really enjoyed Sophia's perspective as well. If I'm honest I was expecting her arc to be more like what Lola's ended up being, but I was pleasantly surprised by the direction her story took instead. The one POV I never expected to have was Harvey's, and it might have been the one I enjoyed the most. He provided a much different side to the story, and really added a new layer to the game. I loved it.

I will admit that the ending was a little disappointing while simultaneously being completely unexpected and enthralling. It makes zero sense I know. I really think King of Fools had me expecting the absolute worst, so I couldn't help but feel disappointed that didn't happen. t seems I like fantasy books with more unhappy/bittersweet endings.

There was one thing that really confused me in this book. Some of the logic in this book seemed a little flimsy. In particular, the omertàs. This is a concept we've been seeing since book one, and up to this book, it all made a lot of sense, and added a lot more tension to the story. The logic in this one felt inconsistent with what we've learned before. I feel like I missed half the story here.

The level of violence in this book was excellent, which I never thought would be a rating factor. But it was exactly as brutal and unapologetic as I was expecting from such a game. Never has violence in a book made me so incredibly sad for people I don't really know, and then also nearly made me sick from picturing it. But seriously, if you don't like very graphic violence, this isn't something you want to be reading. That climax was on another level. It's still making my skin crawl just thinking about it.

I have really enjoyed this series. It's a whole lot of fun, and full of so many twisted morals that you don't know who is doing the most right worst thing. It's definitely not without its issues, but it's just incredibly entertaining, and that's definitely what I'll be remembering most about The Shadow Game.

I have to admit it took me a while to get into this book and I did find it quite slow and perhaps unnecessarily complicated/convoluted but I was overall happy with the ending and am very glad I read it. I do like Amanda Foody's books and the characters are very endearing. I care about all of them.

As I’m quite unobservant I didn’t notice that this was the last book in a series when I requested this ARC. It could have been a serious problem as there’s a lot of character development and world building but I must thank the author because the references to the backstory were well explained and I had no big problems in understanding the characters or the setting.
I can say I loved this story that mixes grimdark/urban fantasy and steampunk elements and making the mix work well.
The characters are well thought and interesting and I appreciated how most of them are morally grey, even Enne or Levi. Even when we are reading about the “bad guys” there’s always something that makes them interesting.
It’s not a fast paced story and the different POV helps you to understand the different side of the story and getting more involved in what you are reading.
It’s a gripping and highly entertaining story, a YA that can be appreciated by people of all ages and I think that the reading experience will be different for different ages.
I loved the character development, the world building and the political games that drives the story.
It was an excellent read that I strongly recommend. Now I have to read the other books and I’m surely it will improve my experience.
Many thanks to Inkyard Press for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The finale of the Shadow Game was a fun and occasionally wild ride. I wish I'd reread the first two books, however, because I feel like I forgot a lot in the meantime - but that's my own fault! Despite its occasionally more serious moments, this book really is just good fun, and while I think this series would have worked just as well as an adult fantasy (what with all the murder and such), the younger moments added their own charm, and this book is full of friendship, magic, adventure, nail-biting terror, and some really cute relationships.

What an absolutely stunning finale to the trilogy this was! I have loved this series since the second I picked up Ace of Shades and Queen of Volts does not disappoint.

Amanda Foody writes her characters with grit, edge and pain. They’re all so well developed throughout the series and ultimately they make choices and have to live with them afterwards. The whole romance story with Enne and Levi very nearly broke me. Lola’s arc was a personal favourite and I cried so much the closer we got towards the end.

I await eagerly anything and everything Amanda writes. I’m a Foody for life now.

There will be a longer review posted on my blog (www.twwbookclub.co.uk) in the coming weeks!

Queen of Volts wraps up The Shadow Games as it double downs on the drama and revelation. 

Queen of Volts starts a week after the ending of King of Fools but the story spans a couple of months as they deal with the fallout. A lot happens in Queen of Volts which keeps the story moving at a decent pace. There are certain sections that so slow down, but the last 25% the truster get turned on to the max. I did enjoy the last 25% of the book more for that reason.

One of my favourite aspects of Queen of Volts was a revelation that linked all three book in a way I didn't expect. I liked that everything was connected even if the reader or main character didn't originally know. 

Some of the character development took me by surprise, although the reason behind the changes kind of explains it. It's just a shame to see the change in them. 

The story is told in multiple points of views. There is even points of view that we didn't get in previous books. Having different points of view keeps the story engaging as we see the story from multiple angles. As I am more connected to Enne and Levi I enjoyed their Points of view more.




Amanda Foody has created a vivid world with complex characters I look forward to reading whatever Amanda writes next. 

My rating for Queen of Volts is 3.7 out of 5

Rating: 3/5 stars

I have been looking forward to the conclusion of The Shadow Game series for a long time, but I have to admit, QUEEN OF VOLTS was a tricky one for me to rate. One one hand, I was completely hooked and finished the last two-thirds of the book in a day. On the other hand, I can honestly say that it was solely due to one of the book’s four POVs that stood out above all the rest for me.

In the book, we have the POVs of Enne and Levi as always, and we follow the two street lords as they struggle to stop a street war (or worse, a revolution) in its tracks. They also have to somehow make sense of the wicked game they have been roped into by Bryce; and, of course, try to salvage their relationship after Enne’s actions at the end of KING OF FOOLS. Levi starts off the book as a mess following the death of his friend, and Enne isn’t much better. As they slowly begin to work together once more, their on-again, off-again relationship is—well, on-again, off-again. After two books, it got just a little tiresome for me, especially when their bad relationship choices felt fairly illogical at times. There were a lot of plot threads in this book, sometimes too many to keep up with, and their relationship problems only seemed to take up page-time that could have been dedicated to exploring one of the many mysteries in a little more detail instead. And although their personal goals are often muddled, I was pleased with the ending they were given. It felt true to their characters both at the start and end of the series.

Then we have Lola’s POV, which admittedly, I was a little disappointed in. She was one of my favourite characters in the first two books, and I used to feel like I could easily relate to her. But pretty early on in QUEEN OF VOLTS, Lola makes a decision out of (justified) anger towards Enne that changes the trajectory of her character for the majority of the book. Her motivation behind the choice feels shaky at best, and to me, it felt like she was given this subplot just to ensure that she didn’t find her happy ending too early. Not to worry, though; her character felt restored in the end, along with the premature happy ending she almost achieved.

That brings me on to Sophia’s POV, which was one I was eager to see after her role in KING OF FOOLS. But, like Lola’s POV, it felt ever-so-slightly unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, her grief for Jac broke my heart, and I did enjoy seeing her character development throughout the book. But her POV was very slow-paced and perhaps the least relevant to the plot. Still, it gave us prima-ballerina girlfriends Poppy and Delaney, for which I am forever grateful.

That leaves us with Harvey’s POV. For me, this was the highlight of the entire book, even though it wasn’t a POV I really expected to see. Much of his arc focuses on his toxic relationship with Bryce, with whom he used to be romantically involved before he met Rebecca. After one too many instances of being used by Bryce, Harvey finally realises the one-sided nature of their relationship—but his journey to healing and cutting Bryce out of his life isn’t linear. It’s a twisted, dark dynamic that had me yelling at my phone a few times, but I was completely hooked the entire time. Plus, we got a lot of unexpected Narinder content in this POV, and the musician retains his title of best side character in the series.

Though slightly confusing, the many elements of the game and its twenty-two players were cleverly balanced and made for a really enjoyable read overall. I thought that the book served well as a conclusion to the series, and although it was full of highs and lows, I would have expected nothing less from the City of Sin.

Queen of Volts is a stunning finale to one of my favoruite YA series, if you like this series you will not be disapointed in any way and if you haven't read it yet doooo ittttttt. This might be my favourite book in the series, the culmination of character arcs, the way all the plot threads came together, the emotional stakes, the political stakes - everything was just *CHEFS KISS*

In this book we are following the fallout from the ending of book 2, as our main 'players' are becoming engaged in a deadly card game like the city has never seen before, as well as grieving the loss of a friend and trying to escape persecution from the authorities. In this book we have 5 POVs all of which I loved - Enne, Levi, Lola, Harvey and Sophia, each character is given the love and time they deserve, with each having complex character arcs that both develop upon past books and bring in new conflicts that have been brewing for a while and I was so invested in all of them.

Enne - Enne is in hiding at the start of the book, in order to escape her fate as seance at the hands of the goverment, as well as dealing with extreme guilt over what happened to Jac at the end of king of fools. Enne is feeling quite alone and friendless. Watching her grow, learn, make mistakes and struggle to trust in this book was so satisfying to watch and you could really feel the journey her character had been on from the beginning of ace of shades. We also got some revelations about her parentage which just afsgjdgfsgahj

Levi - Levi is a mess at the start of this book and wondering what to do with his life/legacy as well as being very angry at Enne, but he also up to some schemes as usual to put an end to the shadow game. The angst between him and Enne in this book was also fantastic - the fake dating trope was used to PERFECTION and despite not being overly invested in their relationship (romantically) in the last two books in this one I was shipping them so hard!

Sophia - I think Sophia was my favourite character in this book, I loved all her POV chapters and her plotline with Harrison/Poppy/Delaney was fascinating to me, I love some good political plotting and watching her make more friends was so sweet to watch. Also seeing her struggle with her family legacy and having a power she deemed 'corrupt' and 'monstrous' while still trying to be a good person. Also her dynamic with Harrison was so interesting, I always love any kind of mentor/mentee dynamic and what a plot twist holy shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (also sidenote harrison is such a dilf - i said what i said)

Harvey - Harvey was such an interesting addition to the cast in this book, at the start he of the book he is obbessed with/in love with Bryce Balfour (who is the villain of the book) and making very poor decisions. Over the course of the book we watch him grapple with his loyalities and what it means to love/trust as well as him feeling broken/used/abused. By the end I was so invested in Harveys happiness and felt like a proud mother.

Lola - Lola also has a huge arc in this book, she has conviced herself she is a bystader ratehr than a player in the game which is an interesting persepective. When a series of misunderstandings and betrayals leads her to run away and make a deal with the bargainer, who she sort of befriends (its a weird dynamic but very interesting) and there is a lot of manipulation but Lola also learns a lot of important lessons about what really matters in a city that is constantly out for blood and power. Lola is also in a wlw relationship which is very cute

Some additional points: two of the side charcters Grace and Roy were my favourite relationship (I'm a sucker for himbos) but also amanda foody whyyyyyyy T___T, the writing in this book is great it really makes you feel like you are in new reynes while also being really easy to follow and understand.

Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody is the long awaited conclusion to the Shadow Game trilogy that began with Ace of Shades and continued with King of Fools.
Over the course of the trilogy she has crafted an impressively complex world, one that feels familiar enough to make the reader feel comfortable, yet different enough to occasionally surprise. It is difficult to describe the plot of the book without spoiling previous instalments in the series , but expect to see all the familiar faces and to dip in and out of various perspectives as the various plot threads that have been building since book one finally come together to create a complicated but engrossing story, with characters that will leave you feeling frustrated, angry, proud and happy, sometimes all at the same time. Over the course of the trilogy the author has really built these characters into people that the reader will care about and the writing goes from strength to strength, I liked the first book, but this one I absolutely loved - it was layered, well paced and perfectly plotted.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Before I start I would like to just reiterate Amanda Foody’s content warnings for this book. These have come from her own website.

Content warnings: extreme violence, death, grief, attempted suicide/suicidal ideation, PTSD, toxic and abusive relationships (particularly regarding a parent and a romantic partner), addiction, emetophobia

Now on to the review…
Oh my god, Amanda Foody has done it again. This book was beyond perfect and as I’m sitting here writing this review I’m sad that it’s over. I’m sad that I won’t get to go back to the City of Sin with all these characters who I have grown to love and adore over the trilogy.
This epic conclusion had me smiling, laughing and crying ugly tears countless times (if you’ve read it then you know…). Amanda Foody’s writing style is just brilliant and captivating to the point I found myself struggling to put this book down when my body was screaming for sleep. When I did finally sleep it slipped into my dreams and it was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time!

Told from multiple perspectives, Queen of Volts takes you on their journey and you find yourself learning so much more about each and everyone of them. I really enjoyed reading from Harvey, Sophia and Lola’s perspective in this one, especially with the groups being as split up as they were. It helped aid the storyline and I never felt myself bored of anyone’s perspectives which I have found can happen when there is a large amount of them.

I still love Enne and Levi so much and it’s amazing to see how much their characters have developed over the span of this trilogy. The trials and tribulations that these two characters have been on is insane but it has definitely helped shaped who they are as individuals and what they want out of their lives. They’re both strong in their own right and I loved going on this adventure with them both, even when they were acting recklessly and making stupid decisions that had my heart racing.

I could sit here for a very long time and talk about how much I loved this book and trilogy. I could talk about how perfectly paced it was or how on point the plot line was for the final book but I need you to read it. I need you to read this series if you haven’t already and fall in love with these characters just as much as I did.

This is undeniably one of my all time favourite series and if you haven't read it yet then what are you waiting for?!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow, where to begin? We left King of Fools with the world knowing Enne’s identity as the last living Mizer, creators of volts that everybody fears. She destroyed her relationship with Levi after killing his best friend Jac under influence from the Omerta cast upon her by Vianca. But now, Levi and Enne are free of Vianca’s influence once and for all, but the other, Bryce Balfour, is their new problem. And there’s a new game to play, and not everyone can be a winner. This is a fantastic, twisty end to The Shadow Game trilogy, with more characters and more points of view than before.

This is a book with many points of view – Enne, Levi, Sophia, Lola and Harvey all get their own time with the reader now. The gang are more divided than ever thanks to previous events, but they’ll have to work together to overcome the new threats. A new game of cards has pitted them against each other, and it makes for a wonderfully written plot where the reader is never quite sure what these morally grey characters are going to do.

Enne is a great character – but she’s no longer the innocent, sheltered kid from Bellamy. Killing Jac has scarred her, and she’s jumpy and quick to fight. Levi is mourning the death of his best friend but he still has the Irons to handle. Both of them need to decide what to do with the Scarhands and the Doves, both leaderless and either an asset or a threat. Sophia’s parentage is still a big mystery – as is her split talent that she gave to The Bargainer. She is also mourning Jac, and has found herself bound to Vianca’s son, Harrison, through Omerta. Lola is Enne’s second but her friend does something she can’t forgive. Leaving the Spirits, she is now with The Bargainer, who has taken something she didn’t know she was giving up. Finally, Harvey is a confusing character. In love with Bryce, he gave up his freedom to Harrison to save him. The story of where his loyalties lie and the character growth was immense.

I love the diversity in this book – a world where same sex relationships are not treated any differently. There are some really cute romances, which brought some light to a very dark plot. Amanda did a great job and drawing the loose ends to closures, with the book solving mystery after mystery from Enne and Sophia’s parentage to the loyalties of the characters.

Honestly, I really love the concept of this series – especially the family talents, the card games (this final book definitely has the best, most complex game out there). There are many characters to keep track of, but this isn’t made particularly difficult. I’m amazed Amanda managed to fit all of their stories in so few pages (which is probably why it reads so fast).

Are you looking forward to Queen of Volts? It’s published on 1st September 2020 so not long to wait! Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the eARC.

Absolutely amazing finale, everything I wanted and more. I loved this series so much and I thoroughly recommend this to everyone who loves great writing, wonderful characters, stunning fantasy, action, adventure, it just completely ticks all the boxes for me. I’m just devastated it has to end, but that last page, loved it so much. Fabulous can’t wait to see what Amanda does next, because I’ll be along for the ride

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion