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ameserole's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't want to believe the reviews that the Mask of Shadows got but after reading it with my own eyes - I can definitely believe them. At first I wanted to read this book because of the cover. Then because it was a new author. But now I'm kind of slowly regretting reading this book, but like really deep down with a teeny tiny bit of disappointment. Other than that, I'm happy that I knocked another book off of my TBR. WOOHOO!
Let's just face the facts, instead of beating around the bush, Mask of Shadows had potential and I honestly thought it was going to be a lot better than it was. Boy, were my expectations set very high (don't do this!). It started off pretty good and the whole competition to become the Queen's next assassin had be pretty much hooked since day 1 of reading. Then there's Sal, who is our MC, and I loved everything about him/her/they. If you read the book you would understand why I just didn't call her a she because she doesn't identify with just being a girl. No, she is a him/her/they kind of person and I loved that! Sal was accepted for who they were and whatever they wanted to wear.
However, what goes up must come down. Mask of Shadows dragged on for an eternity. I swear, it felt like that! There was so much info dumping, which if it's used correctly then I don't mind but with this book I felt like my brain was melting because it couldn't compute anymore. Then you will meet confusion, just like I did - because trust me you will end up confused at some point throughout this book. I was confused about the whole magic situation but I'm hoping one day I will understand it - or I might just have to reread it and wonder where I went wrong in digesting information.
If you're looking for romance in this book, well.. keep on looking because the romance did nothing for me. I didn't really care about it and I just wanted to move on from this book.
Overall, it could have been better. I'm disappointed with myself and with this book. I guess I just wanted more.
Let's just face the facts, instead of beating around the bush, Mask of Shadows had potential and I honestly thought it was going to be a lot better than it was. Boy, were my expectations set very high (don't do this!). It started off pretty good and the whole competition to become the Queen's next assassin had be pretty much hooked since day 1 of reading. Then there's Sal, who is our MC, and I loved everything about him/her/they. If you read the book you would understand why I just didn't call her a she because she doesn't identify with just being a girl. No, she is a him/her/they kind of person and I loved that! Sal was accepted for who they were and whatever they wanted to wear.
However, what goes up must come down. Mask of Shadows dragged on for an eternity. I swear, it felt like that! There was so much info dumping, which if it's used correctly then I don't mind but with this book I felt like my brain was melting because it couldn't compute anymore. Then you will meet confusion, just like I did - because trust me you will end up confused at some point throughout this book. I was confused about the whole magic situation but I'm hoping one day I will understand it - or I might just have to reread it and wonder where I went wrong in digesting information.
If you're looking for romance in this book, well.. keep on looking because the romance did nothing for me. I didn't really care about it and I just wanted to move on from this book.
Overall, it could have been better. I'm disappointed with myself and with this book. I guess I just wanted more.
shyguysaccount's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The cover of this book looked interesting and the plot seem like something I would greatly enjoy. I didn’t finish this book, like other review said it’s gets confusing at time like pages where missing and I’m wasn’t sure what was happening. Some parts where good but I found the book more tells you what’s happening instead of immersing you into the story, due to the fact it’s told from the main character Sal it’s not the best.
I also found it hard to learn the different characters or connect with them because there was a lack of description and felt like it skipped over not only how the characters looked but also who people are outside of the insert this person for this position, like you could switch any character with another one and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
I also found it hard to learn the different characters or connect with them because there was a lack of description and felt like it skipped over not only how the characters looked but also who people are outside of the insert this person for this position, like you could switch any character with another one and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
indecisivesailorscout's review against another edition
5.0
Guess what, I loved this. All of it was super damn good. Sign me up for more Elise. And everyone else who isn't dead, of course.
infinity7211's review against another edition
2.0
This book took me a while to finish. I love the concept, I love the character names, but there isn’t enough excitement to keep me from putting this book down. The last few chapters and the savior of this book. Now I want to read the second one. The fact that this series is just two books helps too.
mcf's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I adored the masks, the central competition (call me a sucker for contests to the death with really specific rules), and the entire context surrounding both. In addition, the presence of a genderfluid main character was wonderful, as was the lack of in-world concern about it. In fact, based on the sometimes unexpected pronouns for other characters, there is a strong suggestion that gender identities in the world of the novel aren't particularly binary anyway. Which is awesome.
What I was less into were the romance, which seemed two-dimensional to me, and the Must! Have! Revenge! motivation, but even with those quibbles, Mask of Shadows is a hell of a lot of fun and I'm genuinely curious about where the next book will take the story.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC.
I adored the masks, the central competition (call me a sucker for contests to the death with really specific rules), and the entire context surrounding both. In addition, the presence of a genderfluid main character was wonderful, as was the lack of in-world concern about it. In fact, based on the sometimes unexpected pronouns for other characters, there is a strong suggestion that gender identities in the world of the novel aren't particularly binary anyway. Which is awesome.
What I was less into were the romance, which seemed two-dimensional to me, and the Must! Have! Revenge! motivation, but even with those quibbles, Mask of Shadows is a hell of a lot of fun and I'm genuinely curious about where the next book will take the story.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC.
vorpalblad's review against another edition
4.0
Sallot Leon wants out of a lifetime as a thief; their opportunity comes when the queen needs a new assassin. As you may guess, from this standard trope, they enter and they win.
Why this book is more than a Throne of Glass rehash:
1. Sal hasn't killed before they enter the competition to become Opal, one of four assassins of the queen, named for the stones in her rings, and collectively known as The Left Hand. As Sal shifts from thief to assassin, it is a difficult transition, with equal parts physical revulsion and guilt.
2. This novel continues well after the end of the competition, allowing us to see the political machinations and danger begin.
3. The world, especially the political background is established early and developed throughout the novel. The politics are key to this novel.
So, if you're looking for something character driven, you may not find this as engaging. I mean, I like Sal as a character. I especially like that Sal is genderfluid, and Miller doesn't back down from this, telling us about Sal's primary sexual characteristics. Sal is Sal. We know a lot about their background, and motivation, but Sal still feels somewhat shallow as a character. This doesn't bother me because this is an action novel all the way, with political intrigue tied closely to the action. I've already got the next one checked out and ready to go!
Why this book is more than a Throne of Glass rehash:
1. Sal hasn't killed before they enter the competition to become Opal, one of four assassins of the queen, named for the stones in her rings, and collectively known as The Left Hand. As Sal shifts from thief to assassin, it is a difficult transition, with equal parts physical revulsion and guilt.
2. This novel continues well after the end of the competition, allowing us to see the political machinations and danger begin.
3. The world, especially the political background is established early and developed throughout the novel. The politics are key to this novel.
So, if you're looking for something character driven, you may not find this as engaging. I mean, I like Sal as a character. I especially like that Sal is genderfluid, and Miller doesn't back down from this, telling us about Sal's primary sexual characteristics. Sal is Sal. We know a lot about their background, and motivation, but Sal still feels somewhat shallow as a character. This doesn't bother me because this is an action novel all the way, with political intrigue tied closely to the action. I've already got the next one checked out and ready to go!
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me this book to review.
Mask of Shadows is a likeable dark fantasy book. Slow paced and I would have liked more world building and a cast of characters I could relate to more. Apart from the gender fluid protagonist, it felt like I had read this story before. Also with the war and the magic being gone from the world, this book felt like a new story but in a world that had already been established in previous books. While I liked that this book added some unique diversity to the YA fantasy genre, I wish that Sal being gender fluid was either given more or less importance in the story. This is because I felt most of the characters understood and accepted Sal but Sal acted as if this was unusual and got very emotional when people did accept them. Also, I will admit that I do not fully understand gender fluidity but one thing that bothered me was that it was Maud who was choosing Sal’s clothing, therefore I felt like it was Maud who was deciding Sal’s gender not Sal.
Sal was determined, hell bent on vengeance and rough around the edges but I just did not connect to them. Maud was my favourite character as she was honest and did not mince her words but as we got to know her better we got to see how caring she is and how much she has struggled. Elise is an OK scholarly character who is kind and intelligent.
This book has an interesting concept but ultimately it did not grab me as much as I hoped. I would recommend Mask of Shadows to fans of Throne of Glass.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Mask of Shadows is a likeable dark fantasy book. Slow paced and I would have liked more world building and a cast of characters I could relate to more. Apart from the gender fluid protagonist, it felt like I had read this story before. Also with the war and the magic being gone from the world, this book felt like a new story but in a world that had already been established in previous books. While I liked that this book added some unique diversity to the YA fantasy genre, I wish that Sal being gender fluid was either given more or less importance in the story. This is because I felt most of the characters understood and accepted Sal but Sal acted as if this was unusual and got very emotional when people did accept them. Also, I will admit that I do not fully understand gender fluidity but one thing that bothered me was that it was Maud who was choosing Sal’s clothing, therefore I felt like it was Maud who was deciding Sal’s gender not Sal.
Sal was determined, hell bent on vengeance and rough around the edges but I just did not connect to them. Maud was my favourite character as she was honest and did not mince her words but as we got to know her better we got to see how caring she is and how much she has struggled. Elise is an OK scholarly character who is kind and intelligent.
This book has an interesting concept but ultimately it did not grab me as much as I hoped. I would recommend Mask of Shadows to fans of Throne of Glass.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
I had been hearing many things about this novel, mainly how much it resembles The Hunger Games. Even though there were many similarities such as a group of skilled fighters battling in a game to the death, one main person at the forefront of it all (instead of President Snow, it's the Queen of the Eastern Spires), Mask of Shadows had its differences and made for a good read.
There were many characters that filled this book, several of them went by numbers instead of names. I'm not sure if that was done in order to keep them all from creating bonds in the auditions, but as the reader I would have preferred if they did have names to those faces. Several of their expertise were deadly, but the main character Sal was not quite like any of them, having learned their (will be using they/their instead of all three he/she/they) trade on the streets as a thief.
Sal is one of those characters that keeps this novel interesting and the reader invested in it. Sal wants to be the champion of the auditions in order to fulfill their revenge upon all of those who allowed the bloodshed that happened in Nacea, doing nothing to protect or save any of them from the Shadows and everything that wreaked havoc upon them. Sal is not the type to give up or go down without a fight, being aggressive when required of them and a true friend when needed.
I really liked how the author built up this world, the descriptions of the places they would be among, the people that were part of this book, those partaking in the auditions; the shadows that were the most feared, how they were created, what led to all of it. Even though there were similarities to other dystopian worlds, this had its own stories to tell, its own way of dealing with battles. There were rules to follow or disqualification would happen, you will have to read to find out what all those are.
As I neared the last chapters it all became more twisted and not all as it had seemed. There were characters that had secrets to tell, a betrayal that cut deeper than any of the others, Sal having to deal with all of it and keep proving himself just to reach the sought out Opal position. I found myself more taken in as I read through those last chapters and all that was coming to light, answers that Sal was finally getting even if they weren't what they'd hoped for. Mask of Shadows had its many captivating moments and very much worth the read.
***I received this copy from Sourcebooks FIre via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
There were many characters that filled this book, several of them went by numbers instead of names. I'm not sure if that was done in order to keep them all from creating bonds in the auditions, but as the reader I would have preferred if they did have names to those faces. Several of their expertise were deadly, but the main character Sal was not quite like any of them, having learned their (will be using they/their instead of all three he/she/they) trade on the streets as a thief.
Sal is one of those characters that keeps this novel interesting and the reader invested in it. Sal wants to be the champion of the auditions in order to fulfill their revenge upon all of those who allowed the bloodshed that happened in Nacea, doing nothing to protect or save any of them from the Shadows and everything that wreaked havoc upon them. Sal is not the type to give up or go down without a fight, being aggressive when required of them and a true friend when needed.
I really liked how the author built up this world, the descriptions of the places they would be among, the people that were part of this book, those partaking in the auditions; the shadows that were the most feared, how they were created, what led to all of it. Even though there were similarities to other dystopian worlds, this had its own stories to tell, its own way of dealing with battles. There were rules to follow or disqualification would happen, you will have to read to find out what all those are.
As I neared the last chapters it all became more twisted and not all as it had seemed. There were characters that had secrets to tell, a betrayal that cut deeper than any of the others, Sal having to deal with all of it and keep proving himself just to reach the sought out Opal position. I found myself more taken in as I read through those last chapters and all that was coming to light, answers that Sal was finally getting even if they weren't what they'd hoped for. Mask of Shadows had its many captivating moments and very much worth the read.
***I received this copy from Sourcebooks FIre via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***