Author: Amanda Foody
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Genre: YA fantasy
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis:
“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.”
This review will include spoilers for the first book in this series, Ace of Shades, but will not spoil anything major for King of Fools.
OH MY GOSH. This book has absolutely destroyed me and was even better than Ace of Shades. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book for what feels like forever and it was worth all the painful days of wondering what happens next. It was significantly darker and stressful in the perfect way. I could hardly put this beast down as the tension increased; It was incredibly intense and wonderfully written.
Despite this book spanning over a longer period of time that the first book, and that fact that it included much less action, it was still captivating. It was easy to get into and Amanda Foody’s writing style was easy to lose myself in. I truly love how she writes, it’s so unique and brings her world to life right in front of you.
One of my favorite things about this sequel was how much it did for the characters. First of all, WE GOT JAC’S POINT OF VIEW! I was super excited about this and enjoyed getting her perspective. Then because the book takes place over several months (instead of days like in Ace of Shades) the character development in this was soooo good. I especially loved Enne’s transformation into a total badass. Oh, and the romance was written perfectly. I loved seeing all of the different character interactions as they changed into new people, their dynamics and chemistry were addicting.
Another little thing I adored about this book was the little girl gang that formed within it! I’m not going to say much more because of spoilers BUT it was such an amazing feminist addition that was executed perfectly.
After that ending I’m in desperate need of book three IMMEDIATELY. It was incredibly intense and will keep me up at night until the third book is published. I really enjoy this trilogy so far and highly recommend it! It’s atmospheric, full of morally gray characters, and has some of the best slow burn romance I’ve ever read in a YA fantasy.
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