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bookwormpersephone's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐
I'll be forgiving about the many mistypes, grammar errors, and dialect "misspellings" for the sole purpose of this being an ARC.
And for the FMC for being a dumbass. No development whatsoever in her part, but hey, at least the world was immersive enough to drown out her action after action that elicited cringe and frustration from the very depths of my soul.
Maybe if we made the MMC the main character it would have been less irritating? Petition to write a sequel in His perspective (and delete the FMC entirely haha). Still, it was a good read.
Thank you Netgalley and Author for allowing me to read this as an ARC.
I'll be forgiving about the many mistypes, grammar errors, and dialect "misspellings" for the sole purpose of this being an ARC.
And for the FMC for being a dumbass. No development whatsoever in her part, but hey, at least the world was immersive enough to drown out her action after action that elicited cringe and frustration from the very depths of my soul.
Maybe if we made the MMC the main character it would have been less irritating? Petition to write a sequel in His perspective (and delete the FMC entirely haha). Still, it was a good read.
Thank you Netgalley and Author for allowing me to read this as an ARC.
the_bookishmum's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t 100% sold on this book when I first started reading it. The pacing at the beginning feels off and the magic school where we first meet Leyna and her friends feels like it’s only there to introduce how the magic system works. Things really start getting interesting the moment they leave the wizard school and go to work at the castle. The characters are very fleshed out and the descriptions are done well and easy to visualise. What starts out as a book about a girl becoming a Huskarl (a King’s guard with magic) becomes a fantasy mystery/romance. The story is filled with intrigue with the puzzle pieces laced throughout. I enjoyed the interactions between Leyna and the Jester.
Things I didn’t love: some of the word choices were a little lazy and as I said above the parts in the wizard school felt as though they went on for far too long.
I do look forward to reading the second book in the duology.
Thank you NetGalley, Jay Pellegrin and the publisher for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Edit: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I put it down in October so it gets 4 stars now not 3.5
immortal_desi_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the banter between Laynah and the “Jester.” This was a fun story but somewhat irritating towards the end because Laynah cares too much about maintaining the rules/ duties over what she wants.
erinlikesreading's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This is what I call high fantasy! The world building, the intrigue, the concepts that hold the world together. It’s really interesting and exciting once you get all of the information straight.
It took me a while after all of the Christmas romances I was reading, to get into something to intricate. But the romance and tension between Laina (I don’t know the spelling because I listened to it) and the Jester is
It took me a while after all of the Christmas romances I was reading, to get into something to intricate. But the romance and tension between Laina (I don’t know the spelling because I listened to it) and the Jester is
atrailofpages's review against another edition
2.0
That cover is basically like everything to me, but this story sadly was not for me. I’m so sad too because this book had such potential! I want to preface by saying that just because I didn’t enjoy the book, does not mean someone else will not. These opinions are my own, I know there are many who will love this book and probably would love the main character, I just sadly didn’t. And take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I’m just so frustrated and I need to vent about my feelings.
This story follows Leyna who has the dream of becoming a wizard for His Majesty’s Royal Guard. In all honesty, I’m not 100% sure how to explain the plot. It’s basically about this girl who wants to become a licensed wizard for the king to protect her kingdom and the people in her kingdom, and how she tries to stop bad guys. There, done.
To me, this book had such potential! The cover is beautiful, the romance sounded amazing, and I loved the sound of the magic system. However, it felt so so so short for me. And the main reason is because of Leyna.
I first will mention what I did like about this book, and that was the Jester, and a few of the side characters, and the basic concept of the world. The Jester for me is the only reason I gave this two stars. He was a fun character, I love those goofy, sassy, fun, cinnamon roll men that just bring a smile to my face whenever I read about them. He was just adorable, and I don’t know what he saw in the main character. He deserves the best, and better than the love interest in this book. I really liked a couple of the side characters that were friends with Leyna too. Even though she did not deserve them as friends, I’m glad they were in the book because it really helped me get through the book to have other characters that were much more lovely compared to Leyna. I also like the concept of the world, I do wish we had started the story while we were still in the wizard school because the book started with basically graduating and to me it was like I fell into the middle of a story. I actually checked to see if there was a book before this one because it just seemed such a sudden start to the story that it confused me at first. I think it would’ve been nice to experience the characters being in the school first before getting into the meat of the story, it would’ve made more sense since this is apparently a duology and the way the book ended did not give me the impression that there would be another book. In fact, I like the way this book ended and I really wish it didn’t continue because the way it ended is how I think it should stay.
Now for the main reason why this was given two stars by me. I would’ve given this more stars, but the main character unfortunately in my personal opinion does not deserve that many stars. She, to put it succinctly, was just a terrible person. I have never read a character that I disliked as much as I disliked her. Character development to me is so important in a book, and she had no development. She never improved, by the end of the book she was the same person only thinking about herself and her job. I wish I had kept track of how many times she kept worrying about losing her job because of maybe rule breaking even if that meant saving someone who was innocent, all she thought about was herself and her reputation. At the start of the book I immediately disliked her, but I thought “hey she probably will improve I’m not going to worry about it right now”. Nope. She never improved, and I had to read this entire long book about this girl who is vain, stuck up, selfish, and self-centered. Yes maybe she was tough and rather brave when it came to a sticky situation, but only when she deemed it was worthy of her time to do so, or she thought it was a good idea. If someone else thought of an idea that they should do, she would shut it down because oh I don’t know it was breaking a rule and she couldn’t do that because she would lose her job. And I know there’s supposed to be another book, but I just have no desire to read about her story anymore.
And because I did not like the female main character, I did not find the romance believable. She was not a likable character and so I don’t understand how there was a romance. And it is a bummer too because I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and I love slow burn romances. This definitely was a slow burn, and for sure grumpy, emphasis on the grumpy, sunshine romance, but it wasn’t believable to me.
I really am sad that this book did not turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe if there were a side story, our prequel novella about the Jester I would totally read it because I love that man and he deserves so much more and so much better!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story follows Leyna who has the dream of becoming a wizard for His Majesty’s Royal Guard. In all honesty, I’m not 100% sure how to explain the plot. It’s basically about this girl who wants to become a licensed wizard for the king to protect her kingdom and the people in her kingdom, and how she tries to stop bad guys. There, done.
To me, this book had such potential! The cover is beautiful, the romance sounded amazing, and I loved the sound of the magic system. However, it felt so so so short for me. And the main reason is because of Leyna.
I first will mention what I did like about this book, and that was the Jester, and a few of the side characters, and the basic concept of the world. The Jester for me is the only reason I gave this two stars. He was a fun character, I love those goofy, sassy, fun, cinnamon roll men that just bring a smile to my face whenever I read about them. He was just adorable, and I don’t know what he saw in the main character. He deserves the best, and better than the love interest in this book. I really liked a couple of the side characters that were friends with Leyna too. Even though she did not deserve them as friends, I’m glad they were in the book because it really helped me get through the book to have other characters that were much more lovely compared to Leyna. I also like the concept of the world, I do wish we had started the story while we were still in the wizard school because the book started with basically graduating and to me it was like I fell into the middle of a story. I actually checked to see if there was a book before this one because it just seemed such a sudden start to the story that it confused me at first. I think it would’ve been nice to experience the characters being in the school first before getting into the meat of the story, it would’ve made more sense since this is apparently a duology and the way the book ended did not give me the impression that there would be another book. In fact, I like the way this book ended and I really wish it didn’t continue because the way it ended is how I think it should stay.
Now for the main reason why this was given two stars by me. I would’ve given this more stars, but the main character unfortunately in my personal opinion does not deserve that many stars. She, to put it succinctly, was just a terrible person. I have never read a character that I disliked as much as I disliked her. Character development to me is so important in a book, and she had no development. She never improved, by the end of the book she was the same person only thinking about herself and her job. I wish I had kept track of how many times she kept worrying about losing her job because of maybe rule breaking even if that meant saving someone who was innocent, all she thought about was herself and her reputation. At the start of the book I immediately disliked her, but I thought “hey she probably will improve I’m not going to worry about it right now”. Nope. She never improved, and I had to read this entire long book about this girl who is vain, stuck up, selfish, and self-centered. Yes maybe she was tough and rather brave when it came to a sticky situation, but only when she deemed it was worthy of her time to do so, or she thought it was a good idea. If someone else thought of an idea that they should do, she would shut it down because oh I don’t know it was breaking a rule and she couldn’t do that because she would lose her job. And I know there’s supposed to be another book, but I just have no desire to read about her story anymore.
And because I did not like the female main character, I did not find the romance believable. She was not a likable character and so I don’t understand how there was a romance. And it is a bummer too because I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and I love slow burn romances. This definitely was a slow burn, and for sure grumpy, emphasis on the grumpy, sunshine romance, but it wasn’t believable to me.
I really am sad that this book did not turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe if there were a side story, our prequel novella about the Jester I would totally read it because I love that man and he deserves so much more and so much better!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
lexistargasm's review against another edition
5.0
Wizards Masquerade was my favorite read of 2023!!
wonderful and whimsical, and full of magic, and color, and love, and lust and mystery! this book was absolutely gorgeous, the story just as enchanting as the cover art. Pellegrin’s imagery is unmatched, i felt completely absorbed into the scenery, and the characters are so well written, and even though it takes place in a world with magic and demons- everything makes perfect sense. everything clicks into place like puzzle pieces, i absolutely adored the mechanics of magic; i love it when wizardry is methodical and not just inherent!! Pellegrin knows the difference between wizards and sorcerers, and it shows, and i love it!! And the demons were so neat!!
The characters were so *human* too. so often do strong female protagonists fall into the same boring genre of quirky destiny bound perfection- but not Leyna! Leyna is such a refreshing female lead, she’s strong, and smart, but the way that the author writes out her thought process just adds so much depth to her character that most modern fantasy writers lack. She’s not perfect, she has her faults- but they’re not the same frustrating “i’m not like other girls”, “this could have been solved with a simple conversation” issues that mainstream SFP’s seem to keep. Leyna is very relatable, her faults and fears the same that i had at 22, and as someone who reads a lot, it just made me very happy to come across a character that wasn’t so cookie-cutter!
The entire book was just such a pleasant surprise! Everything about it, especially the big bad reveal! i won’t spoil it, but it was so much fun to have not guessed who the bad guy was! it wasn’t obvious, and there was just enough foreshadowing that it could have been anybody!! it was just such fun!
My only complaint is that there wasn’t as much romance as i was hoping for. The book is about id say 60% Mystery Drama, and 40% Romance, which considering the story isn’t necessarily a bad thing! it just left me wanting more. i absolutely love the Jester and his and Leyna’s dynamic. Again, it was just so fun and refreshing, you don’t see many love stories like theirs, and i have a great appreciation for that! and the sex scenes were hot and weren’t cringey and uncomfortable, god bless! SJM, you will pay for your crimes against the sexy book industry!!!!!!
And finally, so so so many brownie points for adding a Content Warning at the beginning of the book. As someone who’s PTSD has been triggered by a book, as silly as that may sound, I have so much appreciation and respect for Pellegrin for that. More authors should take note and follow suit.
i cannot recommend this book enough. i will be rereading, and i can’t wait to start the next one
wonderful and whimsical, and full of magic, and color, and love, and lust and mystery! this book was absolutely gorgeous, the story just as enchanting as the cover art. Pellegrin’s imagery is unmatched, i felt completely absorbed into the scenery, and the characters are so well written, and even though it takes place in a world with magic and demons- everything makes perfect sense. everything clicks into place like puzzle pieces, i absolutely adored the mechanics of magic; i love it when wizardry is methodical and not just inherent!! Pellegrin knows the difference between wizards and sorcerers, and it shows, and i love it!! And the demons were so neat!!
The characters were so *human* too. so often do strong female protagonists fall into the same boring genre of quirky destiny bound perfection- but not Leyna! Leyna is such a refreshing female lead, she’s strong, and smart, but the way that the author writes out her thought process just adds so much depth to her character that most modern fantasy writers lack. She’s not perfect, she has her faults- but they’re not the same frustrating “i’m not like other girls”, “this could have been solved with a simple conversation” issues that mainstream SFP’s seem to keep. Leyna is very relatable, her faults and fears the same that i had at 22, and as someone who reads a lot, it just made me very happy to come across a character that wasn’t so cookie-cutter!
The entire book was just such a pleasant surprise! Everything about it, especially the big bad reveal! i won’t spoil it, but it was so much fun to have not guessed who the bad guy was! it wasn’t obvious, and there was just enough foreshadowing that it could have been anybody!! it was just such fun!
My only complaint is that there wasn’t as much romance as i was hoping for. The book is about id say 60% Mystery Drama, and 40% Romance, which considering the story isn’t necessarily a bad thing! it just left me wanting more. i absolutely love the Jester and his and Leyna’s dynamic. Again, it was just so fun and refreshing, you don’t see many love stories like theirs, and i have a great appreciation for that! and the sex scenes were hot and weren’t cringey and uncomfortable, god bless! SJM, you will pay for your crimes against the sexy book industry!!!!!!
And finally, so so so many brownie points for adding a Content Warning at the beginning of the book. As someone who’s PTSD has been triggered by a book, as silly as that may sound, I have so much appreciation and respect for Pellegrin for that. More authors should take note and follow suit.
i cannot recommend this book enough. i will be rereading, and i can’t wait to start the next one
debcarim23's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
jawanfares_'s review
4.0
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4 fun stars!
This was such a fun read. I really loved the FMC in this book because she wasn't perfect and had a lot of conflicting emotions that I could relate to.
The magic, the mystery, the allure. I was absolutely immersed in this world. I loved the concept, the characters, the plot, the pace.
One telltale for me that I'm really really enjoying a book is when I can't stop thinking about when I'm going to pick up my kindle to continue reading. For this book, I found myself having lunch/dinner while reading because I could just. not. put. it. down.
What I enjoyed about this book:
- The cover of this book...umm hello? It was because of the cover + title that I decided to give the book a go and it did not disappoint
- Strong FMC, really loved Leyna with all her flaws
- Loved the magical concept of this world
- The love interest, no spoilers but honestly this was so so enjoyable. The banter was e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
- There was little spice (but when the spice came, it delivered) , but the angst was top notch
- The MYSTERY! I felt like I was solving a puzzle, and I actually left little notes on my kindle where I keep guessing things. The amount of gasping out loud - it was refreshing, I didn't have that kind of reaction in a while. The way this book kept me on my damn toes to the very end...*chef's kiss*
- The side characters were sooo fun and there were alot of funny moments
- It was fast paced, I didn't feel like things dragged on for too long
- Perfect amount of dialogue vs. inner monologue which I APPRECIATE
- The way things tied up in the end to make the plot all make sense while still leaving me wonder on a few things about the love interest (I'm hoping we explore more of it in the second book)
What I wished for:
- Since there will be a second book, I just wish there was a bigger cliff hanger (this is obviously personal preference as other people don't like cliff hangers).
- More POVs, again this is personal preference but I enjoy the storyline alot more when I am immersed in different people's heads.
All in all - I can't wait for the second book. I hope we explore the world and magic and secrets more (because let's face it, there's still alot of mystery that hasn't been covered yet).
4 fun stars!
This was such a fun read. I really loved the FMC in this book because she wasn't perfect and had a lot of conflicting emotions that I could relate to.
The magic, the mystery, the allure. I was absolutely immersed in this world. I loved the concept, the characters, the plot, the pace.
One telltale for me that I'm really really enjoying a book is when I can't stop thinking about when I'm going to pick up my kindle to continue reading. For this book, I found myself having lunch/dinner while reading because I could just. not. put. it. down.
What I enjoyed about this book:
- The cover of this book...umm hello? It was because of the cover + title that I decided to give the book a go and it did not disappoint
- Strong FMC, really loved Leyna with all her flaws
- Loved the magical concept of this world
- The love interest, no spoilers but honestly this was so so enjoyable. The banter was e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
- There was little spice (but when the spice came, it delivered) , but the angst was top notch
- The MYSTERY! I felt like I was solving a puzzle, and I actually left little notes on my kindle where I keep guessing things. The amount of gasping out loud - it was refreshing, I didn't have that kind of reaction in a while. The way this book kept me on my damn toes to the very end...*chef's kiss*
- The side characters were sooo fun and there were alot of funny moments
- It was fast paced, I didn't feel like things dragged on for too long
- Perfect amount of dialogue vs. inner monologue which I APPRECIATE
- The way things tied up in the end to make the plot all make sense while still leaving me wonder on a few things about the love interest (I'm hoping we explore more of it in the second book)
What I wished for:
- Since there will be a second book, I just wish there was a bigger cliff hanger (this is obviously personal preference as other people don't like cliff hangers).
- More POVs, again this is personal preference but I enjoy the storyline alot more when I am immersed in different people's heads.
All in all - I can't wait for the second book. I hope we explore the world and magic and secrets more (because let's face it, there's still alot of mystery that hasn't been covered yet).