Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game Series, 1)
"Ace of Shades has it all ...an utter delight."--Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn
From the New York Times bestselling coauthor of All of Us Villains.
Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow.
New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin, is no place for a properly raised young lady. But when her mother goes missing, Enne Salta must leave her finishing school--and her reputation--behind to follow her mother's trail in the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, Enne's only clue leads her to Levi Glaiyser--a street lord and a con man in desperate need of the compensation Enne offers. Their search sends this unlikely duo through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets, and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. But as Levi's enemies close in on them, a deadly secret from Enne's past comes to light and she must surrender herself to the City of Sin -- to a vicious game of execution...
Where the players never win.
Praise for Ace of Shades:
"A rich, satisfying, complicated story. One of the best fantasy series I've read in years."--Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray
"Thieves, rogues, and shady characters have always fascinated me, and so I enjoyed my dive into the morally ambiguous world of New Reynes." -New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima
The Shadow Game Series:
Ace of Shades
King of Fools
Queen of Volts
From the New York Times bestselling coauthor of All of Us Villains.
Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow.
New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin, is no place for a properly raised young lady. But when her mother goes missing, Enne Salta must leave her finishing school--and her reputation--behind to follow her mother's trail in the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, Enne's only clue leads her to Levi Glaiyser--a street lord and a con man in desperate need of the compensation Enne offers. Their search sends this unlikely duo through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets, and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. But as Levi's enemies close in on them, a deadly secret from Enne's past comes to light and she must surrender herself to the City of Sin -- to a vicious game of execution...
Where the players never win.
Praise for Ace of Shades:
"A rich, satisfying, complicated story. One of the best fantasy series I've read in years."--Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray
"Thieves, rogues, and shady characters have always fascinated me, and so I enjoyed my dive into the morally ambiguous world of New Reynes." -New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima
The Shadow Game Series:
Ace of Shades
King of Fools
Queen of Volts
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Ace of Shades begins with a girl and her travel guide, eager to find her mother, only to be thrown to the wolves and becomes a key player in the game of shadows.
Amazing Characterization
Ace of Shades shines through the characters. A plot-driven story, the characters are not left behind in the story’s development. And I love that.
Enne is probably one of the best things about this novel, in my opinion. She goes from city girl with proper training to mastermind. She is so naïve in the beginning with her travel guide, which explains the ins and outs of the City of Sin. Still, as she becomes more embroiled in the schemes around her, she smartens up.
By the novel’s end, she is dangerous and clever as a whip. These moral standards make her a bit snobbish and standoffish, but she at least uses them to destroy truly vile characters. Even when she is being used as a tool by Vianca.
Vianca herself is a side character, but one worth noting because she is a villain you love to hate, corrupt to the core with absolutely no scruples.
Then there is Levi.
Levi’s character development wasn’t as flushed out as I wanted. He is eager to right his wrongs, but ultimately, he wants to make a name for himself. Levi does care about those under his watch, namely Jack and Enne, among his little gang, but he still puts them in danger.
While this makes him look insincere, it makes him a complex character. He’s not perfect, but he truly wants to help those around him, even if he does so incorrectly.
Storytelling
Foody has a beautiful way of setting up the scene. It is very descriptive and sets the stage for the events. You can see the scene and even lose yourself in the city of sin. It has a dangerous undertone to it that captures the reader’s attention.
By no means unique in setting, the magic system is.
The blood traits vary throughout the story and can be anything from counting, acrobatics, dancing, and even the traditional elements. One can even make volts, the form of currency in the novel. It is complex but also unique. I wish it had been flushed out neater because sometimes I wondered how the blood traits worked regarding the magic used.
Final Thoughts
With a quick pace and thrilling character development, Ace of Shades is a brilliant way to start a series. It sure has me hooked.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Dark and dangerous, Ace of Shades throws caution to the wind as Enne enters the City of Sin.
Ace of Shades begins with a girl and her travel guide, eager to find her mother, only to be thrown to the wolves and becomes a key player in the game of shadows.
Amazing Characterization
Ace of Shades shines through the characters. A plot-driven story, the characters are not left behind in the story’s development. And I love that.
Enne is probably one of the best things about this novel, in my opinion. She goes from city girl with proper training to mastermind. She is so naïve in the beginning with her travel guide, which explains the ins and outs of the City of Sin. Still, as she becomes more embroiled in the schemes around her, she smartens up.
By the novel’s end, she is dangerous and clever as a whip. These moral standards make her a bit snobbish and standoffish, but she at least uses them to destroy truly vile characters. Even when she is being used as a tool by Vianca.
Vianca herself is a side character, but one worth noting because she is a villain you love to hate, corrupt to the core with absolutely no scruples.
Then there is Levi.
Levi’s character development wasn’t as flushed out as I wanted. He is eager to right his wrongs, but ultimately, he wants to make a name for himself. Levi does care about those under his watch, namely Jack and Enne, among his little gang, but he still puts them in danger.
While this makes him look insincere, it makes him a complex character. He’s not perfect, but he truly wants to help those around him, even if he does so incorrectly.
Storytelling
Foody has a beautiful way of setting up the scene. It is very descriptive and sets the stage for the events. You can see the scene and even lose yourself in the city of sin. It has a dangerous undertone to it that captures the reader’s attention.
By no means unique in setting, the magic system is.
The blood traits vary throughout the story and can be anything from counting, acrobatics, dancing, and even the traditional elements. One can even make volts, the form of currency in the novel. It is complex but also unique. I wish it had been flushed out neater because sometimes I wondered how the blood traits worked regarding the magic used.
Final Thoughts
With a quick pace and thrilling character development, Ace of Shades is a brilliant way to start a series. It sure has me hooked.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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