Review: All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

     

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
Tor Teen
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Hardcover. 400 pages.

About All of Us Villains:

"The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins. 

Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. 

The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world--one thought long depleted. 

This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly: a choice - accept their fate or rewrite their story. 

But this is a story that must be penned in blood."

All of Us Villains is an exciting and cutthroat new fantasy that is sure to satiate your competition trope love. 

Every time a Blood Moon occurs, seven magick families send one chosen member of the family to a fight to the death. The reason for this fight? To decide which family receive sole claim over the High Magick of Ilvernath until the next tournament. This book will probably have a hard time getting away from Hunger Games comparisons, which is understandable, but it definitely stands on its own and sets itself apart. 

We follow Alistair, Isobel, Gavin, and Briony as champions (mostly?) of each of their respective families. Alistair is the assumed winner based on the fact that his family, the Lowes, have maintained control of Ilvernath's High Magick for the past two tournaments in a row. Isobel, Gavin, and Briony each have their own reasons for wanting (or not wanting) to be in this competition, and I found their POVs equally interesting. I really appreciated how much time the authors put into developing each of the seven families' histories and personalities, as it really let me better understand how they interacted with the other contestants, as well as interacted with their families, throughout the story. I also loved getting to know each family's reputation and seeing the dastardly things they all seem to be a part of–some far more cruel than others. One of the things that I found most entertaining and compelling in this book was getting to explore each contestant's motives, methods, and reactions to the other contestants as they all strategize to win–or at least survive as long as possible–and I think that really came through in this character-driven story. 

All of Us Villains is a compelling version of the popular competition trope, and I really appreciated the innovative turns that Foody and Herman took with this story. I liked that the entire competition and atmosphere of the book were shrouded in a darkness that lent itself perfectly to the violent nature of the competition, and I think the authors descriptions of the characters, landscapes, and buildings complemented the gloomy setting perfectly. I think November is a perfect time to release this book, as it feels very much like a moody fall read. All that being said, I will say that I think one thing that felt slightly lacking was that the book was advertised as being very dark and intense–which the descriptions and atmosphere of the book match–but it just didn't always quite live up to that in places where it could have. It's hard for me to explain this without mentioning spoilers, but I'll just say that our characters act delightfully bloodthirsty in most cases, but they don't always live up to that image in the reality, and some of their actions felt slightly out of character at times. 

Although I enjoyed many of the points I've mentioned above, I did have a few minor issues with some rather prominent parts of this book: namely, the worldbuilding and the magic system. This book doesn't have too much physical world to build since it takes place in only a few main places, but even with that I never felt fully grounded in this world. I was confused about some of the spatial layout of the places mentioned throughout, such as the location of the competition grounds compared to the town, etc., and this left me feeling a bit lost at times. My issue with the magic system was similar in the sense that I never felt as though I fully knew how it worked. Various aspects of it are explained in some detail, but more practical elements such as how it's used, are not. I would like to know a bit more about the practical applications of the magick and how it is used. 

Overall, I've given All of US Villains 3.75 stars! This was a very entertaining read and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to check it out. I would definitely be curious to read the next book in this series despite some of the issues I had, as I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I'm curious to see how the story and world may expand in future books. If you are a fan of competition tropes or character-driven fantasy, then I would absolutely recommend this one. 

*I received a copy of All of Us Villains courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Indiebound 

Review: Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody

Queen of Volts (The Shadow Game #3)

Inkyard Press

Publication Date: September 1st, 2020

Hardcover. 598 pages

About Queen of Volts:

"Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin…and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice. Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes. After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed…and any misstep could turn deadly. Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies. Because in a game for survival, there are only losers… And monsters."

Queen of Volts was a truly brilliant and epic finale that I am more than satisfied with--but I'm also so upset to be done with this world and these characters!

This is one of those reviews that's almost hard to write in a way because how do you adequately and succinctly review a trilogy finale that has meant so much to you and was just as good as--if not better--than the rest of the series? I'll do my best, but no promises! 

I have absolutely loved getting to know all of these characters and their completely troubled, messed up selves as they navigate the chaos of living in The City of Sin and learning both who and not to trust. I really think The Shadow Game series is one those critically underrated series that has so much depth and intrigue, yet I just don't see as many people talking about this series as I would expect. This is a story that has been so carefully plotted and contains so many different mysteries, plot lines, character relationships, and more that it's hard not to become fully immersed int his world--and to be extraordinarily sad to leave it. 

Although the plot and action in Queen of Volts are compelling and well-written, the characters are what really make this book--and the entire series--something truly special for me. Not only is there a rather large array of characters, but the diversity, authenticity, and sheer growth and development of each one make them shine and truly make this book impossible to put down. There are some unbelievably difficult decisions that must be made in this book that I could even begin to imagine making, and seeing how Foody writes these situations creates a rather remarkable experience. 

Levi and Enne remain what I'd call the centerfold of this story and remain so in Queen of Volts, but it's the rest of the characters--Lola, Grace, Harvey, Roy, Harrison, Sophie, etc.--that fill the story with even more life and excitement. Watching all of them interact in different ways and with relationships that are ever-dynamic and always unpredictable adds a strong level of intrigue and even anxiety because you truly never know what's going to happen next, this entire series has felt incredibly unpredictable throughout. It's also a pretty brutal book, all things considered, and I have enjoyed how the different dark places that Foody chose to explore in such careful ways. There are some unforgivable things that occur, along with difficult things that are possible forgivable, but still immensely difficult to get through, and I think Foody handled these well. The POVs we follow in this book are that of Levi, Enne, Harvey, Sophia, and Lola, a group of characters that I think were the perfect choices for this particular book. Each POV felt unique and separate from one another, so I never had any issues figuring out what perspective I was following, and I love that we've gotten to explore so many different characters' perspectives over the duration of the trilogy.

Even though this is a nearly 600 page book, it flows incredibly well and I flew threw it without even noticing. The pacing is almost effortlessly wonderful (although I have no doubt that Amanda Foody worked extremely hard on it because she is an incredibly dedicated and diligent author) and never feels too slow or too fast--there was almost always a nearly perfect balance to me. 

Overall, I've given Queen of Volts five stars! I have enjoyed this series so much and it has only grown in it's quality, depth, charm, and maturity as the trilogy progressed. If you haven't read this trilogy, I highly commend you do so--and if you have but haven't yet picked up this final installment--do it!

*I received a copy of Queen of Volts in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Blog Tour: Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody ft. Excerpt!

I'm back with yet another blog tour because the fall season is overflowing with books and I am so excited for all of them! Today's blog tour stop is all about Amanda Foody's Queen of Volts, book #3 in her incredible The Shadow Game series. I have been eagerly anticipating this book ever since I finished King of Fools when it came out and I'm honored to be a part of this tour. Below you will find some information about the series and the third book, as well as an excerpt from the upcoming release!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: QUEEN OF VOLTS
Author:  Amanda Foody
Pub. Date: September 1st, 2020
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 608 
Find it: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | AppleBooks | Google Play

SYNOPSIS:

“GAME OF THRONES meets THE DIVINERS in this thrilling fantasy — the highly anticipated final book in Amanda Foody’s THE SHADOW GAME series. 

Return to the City of Sin, where the perilous final game is about to begin...The players? Twenty-two of the most powerful, most notorious people in New Reynes. 

With no choice but to play, Enne and Levi are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But any misstep could turn deadly when a far more dangerous opponent appears on the board — one plucked straight from the city’s most gruesome legends. While Levi hides behind a mask of false promises, Enne is finally forced out from behind hers and as the game takes its final, vicious turn, these two must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies. 

Because in a game for survival, there are no winners... 

There are only monsters."

EXCERPT:

HARVEY 

It was early morning when Harvey Gabbiano dug the grave. 

Harvey didn’t like the cemeteries in the Deadman District, precisely because they were cemeteries. Most people didn’t know it, but there was a difference between a cemetery and a graveyard— graveyards were connected to a church. But the only place to find devotion in this neighborhood was at the bottom of a bottle. 

This cemetery was a bleak, soulless plot of land, made bleaker by the drizzle that had soaked through Harvey’s clothes. Rusted industrial plaques marked each of the graves. There were no f lowers anywhere, not even weeds, and the unkept grass grew patchy and brown. 

“It would’ve been easier if you’d burned it,” Bryce told him. He’d watched Harvey work all morning, but not once had he offered to help…or even to share his umbrella. Bryce didn’t see the point in helping with tasks he disapproved of, even if this task was important to Harvey. 

“It’s holier to bury him,” Harvey repeated yet again. Even though Harvey was Faithful, he wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble had the deceased not been wearing a Creed of his own. He didn’t know many others who practiced the Faith anymore—it had been banned for so long now. “You don’t have to stay.”

“I’m staying. You’re funny, you and those superstitions of yours. I could use a laugh.”

Harvey didn’t know how Bryce could find humor in the situation. The November weather was cold. The cemetery was irreverent and depressing. The dead had not deserved to die.

But Bryce had come with him, and so, no matter the circumstances, Harvey couldn’t help but feel a little bit pleased.

“I’m not doing this to be funny,” Harvey responded, forcing his voice into a grumble. He pressed his bulky leather boot against the step of the shovel. The mud he lifted glinted with green shards of broken bottles.

“My mistake,” Bryce said dryly. “You’re doing this to be decent.”

Harvey absolutely was doing it to be decent. To be good. Because Harvey might not have been the person who killed this man or any of the other hundred who’d perished two nights ago at the party in St. Morse Casino, but as long as he remained hopelessly in love with Bryce Balfour, he would always have blood on his hands.

It was hard not to glance at his friend as he worked. Harvey hated to look at him. But he didn’t need to—he had long ago memorized every agonizing detail of his face, his figure, his posture. Bryce could be absent and still be Harvey’s distraction.

Harvey hated himself for it. 

The body made a thump when he pushed it into the hole. 

Harvey straightened, his back aching from the exertion, his fingers blistered even through his gloves. The hours of rain had made the dried blood on the body and clothes run again, and the flattened brown grass it had been lying on moments before was now flooded with red. Harvey watched as the puddles washed the blood away, and he murmured a silent prayer that the rain would do the same for his immortal soul. 

“Harvey,” Bryce said sharply. 

Harvey’s gaze shot toward him, and he flinched. Bryce hadn’t worn his brown-colored contacts since that night at St. Morse, when he revealed himself to be a malison, someone with the talent to create curses known as shades, a talent the world feared but hadn’t believed to truly exist. And despite always knowing what Bryce was, Harvey wasn’t used to this adjustment. 

Bryce’s malison scarlet eyes were a reminder of how low Harvey had fallen. 

But Harvey’s gaze didn’t stop there—of course it didn’t. It traveled across Bryce’s face, down concave cheekbones and lips chapped from kissing someone who wasn’t him. Down bony shoulders and a tall, skinny frame, over threadbare clothes and a black wool coat that draped shapelessly over him. Harvey lingered on the places he had kissed, on slender fingers and narrow hips and the smooth pale skin between. Those memories haunted him. 

Bryce didn’t pay Harvey’s staring any attention. He never did. His concentration was focused on the card in his hand. He ran his thumb over its foiled gold back. 

It was a Shadow Card, one of the cursed cards the Phoenix Club used to play the Shadow Game. Except it wasn’t. Shadow Cards were silver. This one belonged to a different game, one Bryce and his girlfriend, Rebecca, had devised themselves, one they had set in motion at St. Morse two nights prior. Harvey had helped them deliver golden cards to every designated “player” across New Reynes, and now all that remained was to wait for the star player to make a move. 

“They’re here. I can feel it,” Bryce said hoarsely, squeezing the card so hard it bent. 

By “they,” he meant the Bargainer. The City of Sin treated all of its legends with a hallowed reverence, and this one was the oldest, most famous of them all: the wandering Devil who would bargain for anything. Bryce had been obsessed with the tale for a year, ever since Rebecca had fallen sick. Despite every effort—ethical or otherwise—Rebecca wasn’t improving, and Bryce had convinced himself that her last hope for a cure was the Bargainer’s power. It was why he’d murdered all those people at St. Morse—a desperate, ruthless attempt for the Bargainer’s attention. 

I’ll sell my soul, if that’s what it takes, Bryce had once confided in Harvey, back when his smiles weren’t so much like sneers, when he looked more like the boy Harvey used to love—the kinder version of himself, the one Harvey couldn’t manage to let go of. Though Harvey had never voiced his opinion, Bryce had lost his soul the moment he’d formulated this despicable plan. 

They all had. 

Harvey tried to ignore Bryce’s words. In the legend, the Bargainer approached people of their own choosing. The only way to summon them directly was through chaos. 

Surely Bryce wouldn’t attempt such evil, Harvey had once told himself. 

But he had, and since that night at St. Morse, all of New Reynes seemed ablaze. The Scarhands, the largest gang in the seedy North Side, had crumbled, their lord executed. Séance, the notorious assassin of Chancellor Malcolm Semper, had been unmasked as both the last surviving Mizer and, to the city’s shock, a seventeen-year-old girl from finishing school. Mafia donna Vianca Augustine had been shot dead, and her son had won his election. Luckluster Casino had burned, and the Torren Family empire along with it. 

Thanks to Bryce, the City of Sin was in a state worse than chaos—it was in hell. 

And now the Devil had returned home. 


Even though Harvey was an accomplice in Bryce’s plans, the thought of all that had transpired—and all that was still left to unfold—filled him with dread. He tried to focus on the shovel and the dirt and the grave, on this one good thing, but his sins weighed heavy on his soul. 

“Harvey,” Bryce snapped again. He never tolerated being ignored. 

Harvey sighed. “How can you be certain the Bargainer is in New Reynes now?” 

“I told you. I can feel it.” 

At that moment, the rain began to fall harder, shifting from a drizzle into a downpour. Harvey’s brown corkscrew curls stuck against his fair skin, and he wiped the water from his eyes. 

“Why haven’t they come to me yet?” Bryce rasped, his hands trembling while he clutched his umbrella. “I’m the one who summoned them. I deserve my bargain.” 

“The legends never mentioned whether the Bargainer was prompt,” Harvey pointed out. He dumped another pile of mud into the hole. 

Bryce’s lips formed a thin line. He trudged over to the grave. The body was now entirely covered with earth, but the plot was only half-filled. “That’s good enough. We should go back.” 

“You can go. I’ll finish,” Harvey told him. 

Bryce nodded and fiddled with his card anxiously. It was moments like these, when he looked so young and vulnerable, that made Harvey weak. Because even if Bryce Balfour had lost his soul, Harvey still kindled a hope that it could be found. That he could be the one to find it. 

“Never mind,” Harvey murmured. “I’ll go with you.” 

Harvey heaved his shovel over his shoulder, said a final prayer for Jac Mardlin and his unfinished, unmarked grave, and followed his friend home.

Excerpted from Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody © 2020 by Amanda Foody, used with permission from Inkyard Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

AMANDA FOODY has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a master's in accountancy from Villanova University and a bachelor of arts in English literature from the College of William and Mary.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Review: King of Fools by Amanda Foody

King of Fools by Amanda Foody (The Shadow Game #2)

Inkyard Press
Publication: April 30th, 2019

Hardcover. 608 pages.

About King of Fools:

"'Indulge your vices in the City of Sin, where a sinister street war is brewing and fame is the deadliest killer of them all... 

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake. 

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth. 

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive... 

Or die as legends."

King of Fools is a remarkable follow-up to Amanda Foody's imaginative The Shadow Game series. I enjoyed the first book, Ace of Shades, and thought it had a lot of great potential for future books. I still wasn't entirely sure where Foody would take this trilogy, however, but the places she ended up going in this book were even better than I could have imagined and I'm thrilled to be able to say that the sequel is a huge improvement on the first book. It clocks in at 608 pages, but I promise they flew by far faster than I could have imagined. I was fully engrossed throughout the entire novel and fell even more in love with all of the characters, including all of the new additions. 

The most notable aspect of this book is how much growth and development each and every character has. Enne in particular continues to learn the ways of her new life in New Reynes in this book and I loved seeing her slowly adapt to her new way of life in ways that were surprising to both the reader and herself. Enne maintains her somewhat proper background, but she also realizes that she must succumb to new traits and lifestyles in order to survive, something that she doesn't find herself hating as much as she expected to. I was impressed with the ways in which Foody allowed Enne to evolve in this book and can't wait to see how things end up for her in the next book--this ending leaves a lot to be anticipated. 

Levi and Jac are the other two main characters from the first book that we follow, Jac's being a new POV addition, and I also enjoyed seeing their own growth throughout the story. Jac really took me by surprise in this book with his newfound independence and strength, and Levi had to battle a lot of his own demons at many points in this book that I thought Foody handled really well. I look forward to seeing what befalls them in the next book. In addition to the old characters are some new additions, such as Grace and Tock, as well as others, and I thought these new characters were fantastic. They added even more color and depth to the story and also brought in some new perspectives about life in New Reynes and in the current situations, which in turn made the entire story more vibrant.

The villains in this trilogy so far are also ones that I really appreciate for being multi-dimensional and not strictly the black and white Bad Guy. In this book, we get to see so many new sides to Vianca that reveal a lot about her personality, her motives, and her actions in both this book and the Ace of Shades. A lot of the 'villains' in this book are actually rather grey and can be both bad and, well, not as bad; they can help the main characters, but they can also wreak extreme havoc. And when the villains are bad, they're pretty evil.

In addition to the characters, the world-building also had a lot more development that allowed me to become more invested in the world and understand various events. The world was developed well in the first book, but things still felt somewhat fuzzy and not fully explained at times, so this book really did a great job of expanding and cementing various ideas and parts of the world. I also thought the way the magic system worked was delved into more, which I really appreciated, though there are still a few things that I find confusing about it. I would love if the final book fully explained things for me, but at this point I'm not sure if it will. Still, this never really detracted much from my enjoyment or overall understanding of the world itself and I still think Foody's magic system has a lot of creative elements that keep things interesting. 

King of Fools is dark, captivating, and impossible to put down. If you enjoyed Ace of Shades--or even if you were on the fence--I highly recommend you still give King of Fools a try, as I found it even better than the first book. There's no sophomore slump here! Overall, I've given King of Fools 4.5 stars!

*I received an ARC of King of Fools in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. Harlequin Teen, 2018. Hardcover. 416 pages.

I ended up liking Ace of Shades a lot more than I expected to. I read Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City, and I was incredibly underwhelmed, which was really disappointing because I had such high hopes for it. Despite this, I still found myself really intrigued by the synopsis of Ace of Shades, so I thought I would give a shot anyway, and in my opinion it was a definite improvement from her previous book!

This story takes place in the New Reynes, more commonly known as the City of Sin. Within this city is a large divide between the North Side and the South Side, with the North being the more downtrodden area that is run by various crown gangs and the South side being the more 'reputable' area. Foody really seems to have taken her time in creating her world and giving it an extremely solid foundation. I would have liked slightly more detail regarding the larger aspect of the world, as well as how regular citizens lived, but overall I really enjoyed her worldbuilding.

One area that confused me about Foody's world, however, was exactly what time period this book was meant to take place in. I couldn't tell if it was just a made-up fantasy world with its own sort of time-period, or if it was meant to be a real-world time? There were modern elements such as cars, electricity, and other modern items, but the way that the clothing, mannerisms, and societal norms were described made it feel more early nineteenth/late eighteenth century. This doesn't really affect the story itself, but it was something that I kept questioning in the back of my mind and did leave me feeling somewhat uncertain throughout the book.

The main characters that we follow are Enne Salta and Levi Glaisyer. The supporting characters in this book were also very interesting, but didn't play quite as big roles as I would have liked, so I won't say all too much about them here. Enne travels to New Reynes in order to track down her missing mother, Lourdes Alfero, and is shocked by the loose morals that seem to be so prevalent. Enne herself is rather snobbish, pretentious, and has extremely strong manners, so it was entertaining to watch the culture shock that she experienced in this new, more uninhibited city. Once in New Reynes, she slowly uncovers more and more secrets about herself and her mother, and by the end of the book she must come to terms with who she really is. I found Enne's character development to be really well-done and well-paced. There was a very obvious transition as Enne goes from someone who refuses to do thing that aren't 'appropriate' to someone who realizes the world isn't quite as black and white as she thinks.

Levi is from New Reynes itself and lives on the North Side where he is the Iron Lord of the Irons crime gang. His gang is currently struggling with money and pressures are coming in on all sides demanding money, putting Levi in some dangerous situations. Enne stumbles into the company of Levi and he becomes her guide, and well... without spoiling anything, we'll just say that things start to take off at that point. Levi is tough, as a crime lord must be, but he knows how to wield his power in an effective manner that earns him respect. I really liked Levi's character, but I will say that it seemed as if Foody sort of talked up his danger and intimidation level. Levi certainly seemed like a guy I wouldn't want to mess with, but he hardly seemed as scary as everyone made him sound. I would call him a softer edition of Kaz Brekker. Despite this, I still really loved his character and the bisexual representation and the diverse representation.

I was really pleased with the pacing of this book. The story isn't overly fast-paced, but it isn't slow either. There seemed to be a wonderful balance of action and events that pushed the plot forward in addition to plenty of character development and focus on the more thematic elements of the story.

Despite all of the wonderful things about this book, I did have a few issues. One of my biggest frustrations was Foody's in-world word choices. For starters, 'missy' was used far too often in relation describe Enne. I'm not sure if it's just an in-world thing to call a woman a 'missy' or if this is actually done in some places, but this drove me crazy. Some examples that confused me:
 "I found this missy asking about the whiteboots and Pup"
"There's a missy here to see you"
"The missy in question sat on the couch, her back straight as a billiard rod, her legs resting to the side with one ankle tucked.."
"Terribly sorry, missy."
At first I thought a 'missy' meant a young girl, but then it was used in different ways and I was really unsure. I did a count on my Kindle and found fifty-one usages of missy, which is about fifty too many.

Also, Foody's made-up curse words were... not good. I am all for some good in-universe curse words that fantasy likes to do, but it has to be done really well, and this just wasn't. This might not be a big deal to many people, but it just really annoyed me. 'Muck' is one of the most common ones used, but it sounded so horrible because it really just sounds like a censored version of f*ck, which made it sound dumb. It drove me crazy. It was used in the same way as f*ck in most places, but there were a few where it sounded more like the word muck itself: "And walking straight into some muck." So how is this word supposed to be used? It confused me about as much as 'missy' confused me. I know this is just a minor gripe, but it was something that bothered me and sort of pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I still really enjoyed Ace of Shades and ended up giving it four stars! This is a fun, entertaining book with solid characters and an interesting storyline.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of Ace of Shades in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

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Waiting on Wednesday: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Publication Date: July 25th, 2017

Harlequin Teen
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

From Goodreads:

"A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires.

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear."

Guys. I've been anxiously awaiting this book for months and months and I'm so glad that there is only a little over a month until its release! Every aspect of this book just calls out to me in the same way that the Sirens call out to sailors. But seriously, can this be out yet?

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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