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marajhazen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A contest to be the queen's next assassin? Perfect. A gender fluid main character entering to get revenge? Even more perfect! I love this book so much, it means so much to my heart, but aside from that it is just so fun, fast paced, with great characters and action.
bookish_notes's review against another edition
DNF @ 41%. Eek. I feel bad, you guys. There were definitely things I loved with this story, but even 2/5s of the way into the book, I still feel so disconnected from the story. I actually love Sal and that we have a genderfluid character in fantasy!! Sal is one of the highlights in this book, and their characterization is done well, I think.
My issues are with the plot and pacing. The plot is (yet another) game-type competition. It feels like I would care more about the competitors if they all had names or something that brought them to life a little more? Instead, all the competitors are just referring to as numbers and I can't tell who's who. So, do I care when anyone is killed off? Not really. The Queen's...hand, or special guard, are all types of jewels and even then, they seem to lack a personality to differentiate who's who. Characters I did like are Maud, Sal's assistant during the competition, and Elise, Sal'a tutor.
The world-building up to this point is still vague. I'm not sure if the final version of the book comes with a map, but from the e-ARC, I don't have a full understanding of the counties and the politics behind it all. The pacing is exciting at points with thievery and killing (or plotting to kill anyways), but then has some really long stretches of downtime that bored me.
So, in a it's not you, it's me sort of situation, I'm setting this book aside.
My issues are with the plot and pacing. The plot is (yet another) game-type competition. It feels like I would care more about the competitors if they all had names or something that brought them to life a little more? Instead, all the competitors are just referring to as numbers and I can't tell who's who. So, do I care when anyone is killed off? Not really. The Queen's...hand, or special guard, are all types of jewels and even then, they seem to lack a personality to differentiate who's who. Characters I did like are Maud, Sal's assistant during the competition, and Elise, Sal'a tutor.
The world-building up to this point is still vague. I'm not sure if the final version of the book comes with a map, but from the e-ARC, I don't have a full understanding of the counties and the politics behind it all. The pacing is exciting at points with thievery and killing (or plotting to kill anyways), but then has some really long stretches of downtime that bored me.
So, in a it's not you, it's me sort of situation, I'm setting this book aside.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
3.0
This book had so much potential but fell flat for me. Lately, I have really been in the mood for diverse books with a wide array of characters. This book focuses on Sal who is this amazingly strong, independent person. They also happen to be gender-fluid. For me this was the strongest part of the book. Linsey Smith does an incredible job of making sure Sal's pronouns are not they only part of their character. They are not their gender or lack thereof. I really appreciated that the focus was on the competition rather than the character.
That being said, I really struggled with the writing in this book. I love being able to visualize the worlds I'm reading about and place myself right by the characters as they go on their journey. However, I really struggled to do that with this book. The world building was severely lacking and even simple details and descriptions were lacking. Now the character descriptions could have been intentional to add to the idea that gender does not define a person. I just personally struggled without the descriptions I'm used to in various books.
As for the actual plot, I really enjoyed the idea of the competition to become the Queen's assassin. It was a great idea, but for me the execution was lacking. There were many parts that were predictable to me and again the visualization problems made it hard for me to really involve myself in the story and immerse myself in the world.
This book had the right idea, the execution just did not work for me. I'm sure they will be other people that love this book, I just could not get past the writing.
That being said, I really struggled with the writing in this book. I love being able to visualize the worlds I'm reading about and place myself right by the characters as they go on their journey. However, I really struggled to do that with this book. The world building was severely lacking and even simple details and descriptions were lacking. Now the character descriptions could have been intentional to add to the idea that gender does not define a person. I just personally struggled without the descriptions I'm used to in various books.
As for the actual plot, I really enjoyed the idea of the competition to become the Queen's assassin. It was a great idea, but for me the execution was lacking. There were many parts that were predictable to me and again the visualization problems made it hard for me to really involve myself in the story and immerse myself in the world.
This book had the right idea, the execution just did not work for me. I'm sure they will be other people that love this book, I just could not get past the writing.
jievans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
iam's review against another edition
5.0
Read this review and more on the blog.
I loved Mask of Shadows to pieces.
I was super excited to read it even since I heard about the plot: genderfluid assassin? Sign me the f*** up!!! And boyyyy this book did NOT disappoint!!! It had all the good things: REVENGE and INTRIGUE, DRAMATIC REVELATIONS and EVIL PLOTTING, SNARK and ROMANCE and FOUND FAMILY. All in a wonderful mixture that made me swoon and stay up wayyyy too late to finish it.
Content warnings include: violence and gore, trauma, murder and death (I mean, duh, this is a book about assassins), misgendering, ritualistic self-harm; mentions of: genocide, death of parents and siblings.
I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I'm not usually a fan of reading about thiefs and the like, but Sal made even that entertaining. The plot also moved fast enough that I never got bored with the single elements.
I pretty much loved all aspects of the book.
I loved the assassin training and competition plot. It was exhilarating to read and all written in a belieable way. I expected several things to go awry, and while pretty much nothing went 100% according to Sal's plans, it all worked out in completely different ways than I anticipated - and I loved those ways!!! It made the book super exciting and unpredictable to me.
I also loved the characters. Sal was so much fun to read about, and the side characters as well, especially Maud and Ruby. There was snark and backtalk, but not too much, just enough to keep a book about killing people fun and a joy to read rather than heavy.
Sal's character was supported by their gender identity - they are genderfluid and dress the way they want to be adressed, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a woman, sometimes as neither. I liked the deptiction of it in the book and the way Sal and other characters treat it, all with a perfect balance of being there but not in the foreground.
Another part of Sal's personality is their trauma, which ties into the revenge plot. The trauma depiction was painful to read, but very well executed. Like Sal, I couldn't always tell what was their trauma taking over their perception and what wasn't, which drove home the horrific events they had to witness and how they still affect them a decade later.
The romance and found friendships were lovely too. Not overly in focus; the spotlight very much belongs to the whole stabby stab competition, which also means that some of the friendships come with an expiration date. While I usually hate character death, I found it, while not pleasing, at least fitting here.
The romantic subplot was enjoyable and added a very different nuance both to Sal's character and the book, and lead to a very different outcome at the ending than I expected.
If there was something I wanted more of it was closure for some of the side characters that got lost in the events of the ending. I understand why they weren't brought up - it would have distracted from what was happening - but I still found myself wondering. Since this is a duology, I'm optimistic that they will appear again in book 2, [b:Ruin of Stars|29960680|Ruin of Stars (Mask of Shadows, #2)|Linsey Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518939636l/29960680._SY75_.jpg|55135199], which I cannot wait to read!
Lastly, I saw some people shelf this book as YA and... huh. I didn't get that much of a YA impressed. I also have no idea what age Sal is supposed to be - they could be anywhere between late-ish teens to mid-ish twenties.
I loved Mask of Shadows to pieces.
I was super excited to read it even since I heard about the plot: genderfluid assassin? Sign me the f*** up!!! And boyyyy this book did NOT disappoint!!! It had all the good things: REVENGE and INTRIGUE, DRAMATIC REVELATIONS and EVIL PLOTTING, SNARK and ROMANCE and FOUND FAMILY. All in a wonderful mixture that made me swoon and stay up wayyyy too late to finish it.
Content warnings include: violence and gore, trauma, murder and death (I mean, duh, this is a book about assassins), misgendering, ritualistic self-harm; mentions of: genocide, death of parents and siblings.
I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I'm not usually a fan of reading about thiefs and the like, but Sal made even that entertaining. The plot also moved fast enough that I never got bored with the single elements.
I pretty much loved all aspects of the book.
I loved the assassin training and competition plot. It was exhilarating to read and all written in a belieable way. I expected several things to go awry, and while pretty much nothing went 100% according to Sal's plans, it all worked out in completely different ways than I anticipated - and I loved those ways!!! It made the book super exciting and unpredictable to me.
I also loved the characters. Sal was so much fun to read about, and the side characters as well, especially Maud and Ruby. There was snark and backtalk, but not too much, just enough to keep a book about killing people fun and a joy to read rather than heavy.
Sal's character was supported by their gender identity - they are genderfluid and dress the way they want to be adressed, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a woman, sometimes as neither. I liked the deptiction of it in the book and the way Sal and other characters treat it, all with a perfect balance of being there but not in the foreground.
Another part of Sal's personality is their trauma, which ties into the revenge plot. The trauma depiction was painful to read, but very well executed. Like Sal, I couldn't always tell what was their trauma taking over their perception and what wasn't, which drove home the horrific events they had to witness and how they still affect them a decade later.
The romance and found friendships were lovely too. Not overly in focus; the spotlight very much belongs to the whole stabby stab competition, which also means that some of the friendships come with an expiration date. While I usually hate character death, I found it, while not pleasing, at least fitting here.
The romantic subplot was enjoyable and added a very different nuance both to Sal's character and the book, and lead to a very different outcome at the ending than I expected.
If there was something I wanted more of it was closure for some of the side characters that got lost in the events of the ending. I understand why they weren't brought up - it would have distracted from what was happening - but I still found myself wondering. Since this is a duology, I'm optimistic that they will appear again in book 2, [b:Ruin of Stars|29960680|Ruin of Stars (Mask of Shadows, #2)|Linsey Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518939636l/29960680._SY75_.jpg|55135199], which I cannot wait to read!
Lastly, I saw some people shelf this book as YA and... huh. I didn't get that much of a YA impressed. I also have no idea what age Sal is supposed to be - they could be anywhere between late-ish teens to mid-ish twenties.
iam's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook reread August 2020: I still love this book to pieces. It's exciting and fun, but has depth with the characters, their casual queerness and themes of trauma, intrigue and revenge.
The audiobook is available on Spotify.
As usual with audio, I struggled with the names and keeping direct speech and internal monologue apart. The narrator kept voices distinct, however, so I could at least always tell who was talking.
Read the full review from my first read in October 2019 on the blog!
Content warnings include: violence and gore, trauma and PTSD, murder and death, misgendering, ritualistic self-harm, poisoning, skinning; mentions of: genocide, death of parents and siblings.
The audiobook is available on Spotify.
As usual with audio, I struggled with the names and keeping direct speech and internal monologue apart. The narrator kept voices distinct, however, so I could at least always tell who was talking.
Read the full review from my first read in October 2019 on the blog!
Content warnings include: violence and gore, trauma and PTSD, murder and death, misgendering, ritualistic self-harm, poisoning, skinning; mentions of: genocide, death of parents and siblings.
mstaino4's review against another edition
2.0
You’re thrown right into the thick of things with this story. It was a little confusing at first to figure out the hierarchy and logistics of the fantasy realm. It almost felt like this book was a sequel because I was missing so much back story. I got half way through and was still confused by the history and politics. I wish more background was sprinkled in to give me a better concept. It’s hard to keep track of the characters because each is a number with no other identifying features. You really can’t get attached to anyone because you don’t know enough about them. I did enjoy the relationships of Sal, Elise and Maud. Their person connections helped break up the fighting and gave the story a more personal connection. There is a timeline at the end but it added to my confusion and didn’t clear anything up. Overall this book has major hunger game vibes but is missing the background information and character development.
librarian_barbie's review against another edition
4.0
My bf got this for me bc I'm trying to get more into fantasy. The problem for me with fantasy as a genre is the world building is confusing and boring, but this was good at balancing/blending the exposition and action. I really loved it!
zoetic's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
The cover itself is generic yet aesthetically pleasing. The pages are very soft.
I was entertained by the book, for it held my attention. Mask of Shadows is filled with bloodthirstiness, political intrigue, and some romance.
Most characters have a backstory and most fall into the grey area, and maybe even on the dark side.
Our main character, Sal, is filled with revenge, and does their best to claim their chance to inact it, when opportunity calls. They do not question emotions or morals when it comes to killing, they just do it and follow no personal code. The main characters makes Allies along the way, learning to trust others in a world that never gave them a reason to trust others. Frankly, I didn't really like the main character. I don't know if maybe I needed a little bit more character development for Sal, or if the severe bloodthirstiness and intense hate was too much for my personal tastes.
The Left Hand are very smart and observant. They hear and see everything, and challenge Sal at every turn, forging them into a potential blade for the Queen.
The romance was not heavy, just there.
The world within is still recovering from war that happened less than a decade ago, and some things are shown from this (Sal's illiteracy and intense fear of the grotesque Shadows), while others are just told (informed of events during war through dialogue and internal monologue).
The competition is slightly suspenseful.
There were a couple of twists with the plot I didn't see coming, mainly pertaining to the true identity/personalities of certain characters.
Overall, Mask of Shadows was an okay read. I do not think I will reread this book but I would like to read book two of this Duology, Ruin of Stars, to know how the story ends.
The cover itself is generic yet aesthetically pleasing. The pages are very soft.
I was entertained by the book, for it held my attention. Mask of Shadows is filled with bloodthirstiness, political intrigue, and some romance.
Most characters have a backstory and most fall into the grey area, and maybe even on the dark side.
Our main character, Sal, is filled with revenge, and does their best to claim their chance to inact it, when opportunity calls. They do not question emotions or morals when it comes to killing, they just do it and follow no personal code. The main characters makes Allies along the way, learning to trust others in a world that never gave them a reason to trust others. Frankly, I didn't really like the main character. I don't know if maybe I needed a little bit more character development for Sal, or if the severe bloodthirstiness and intense hate was too much for my personal tastes.
The Left Hand are very smart and observant. They hear and see everything, and challenge Sal at every turn, forging them into a potential blade for the Queen.
The romance was not heavy, just there.
The world within is still recovering from war that happened less than a decade ago, and some things are shown from this (Sal's illiteracy and intense fear of the grotesque Shadows), while others are just told (informed of events during war through dialogue and internal monologue).
The competition is slightly suspenseful.
There were a couple of twists with the plot I didn't see coming, mainly pertaining to the true identity/personalities of certain characters.
Overall, Mask of Shadows was an okay read. I do not think I will reread this book but I would like to read book two of this Duology, Ruin of Stars, to know how the story ends.
dsylexa's review against another edition
4.0
Mask of Shadows is a thrilling fantasy novel featuring Sal's quest to become the next Opal assassin for the Queen. It's a gripping story for fans of assassins, packed with intrigue and action. Sal's gender fluidity is an important part of the narrative, offering refreshing and natural representation. The budding romance with Elise, a character from a rival nation, adds depth to the story, challenging prejudices. The book delivers emotional punches and vivid descriptions, although some may find the world-building complex. Overall, it's a fantastic fantasy read that pushes for more diversity in literature.