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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).
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).
leavinglikea's review
3.0
2.5/5 stars
it took me almost 2 months to finish this book. it was partially my fault (i'm a big mood reader and i got slightly busier in october), but the book isn't blameless.
first of all, the book could’ve been shorter. a lot of scenes were dragged out and a lot of information kept getting repeated over and over again. a few times throughout the book it felt like we were just going round and round in circles.
speaking of information, there was so much of it that was revealed by using infodumps. it felt like an infodump happened in every other chapter. i understand that they’re sometimes unavoidable, especially for worldbuilding in new fantasy works, but in the case of this book it was just too much. i also didn’t like that the information leyna gets is from other characters just telling her things. this coupled with the lack of action/events in the book made her seem a bit passive and the book pretty monotonous.
leyna the main character was kind of insufferable but also… endearing? she started out arrogant, thinking and acting like she was better than everyone else around her. normally that behavior in a main character would annoy me, but the way she was written made her feel relatable and sometimes lovable. as the story progressed, we got to see more of her, such as her history and how much she cares for her friends and family. and as much as i enjoyed her unbearable-ness, i appreciated her growth, the way she realized her own limitations and acknowledged that she isn’t superior to the people around her. in the beginning she was very idealistic and she viewed certain things through rose-tinted glasses, and i especially loved seeing her slowly grow disillusioned with those things. overall, she was a fun main character to read about, and the author did a great job in making her a three-dimensional character.
i liked the romance. leyna and jester’s banter was fun to read, and leyna discovering a certain thing about jester made the book more interesting. before the jester’s real identity was revealed, i had my suspicions, and i was a bit worried, because i didn’t feel the chemistry between leyna and the person who i (correctly) suspected was jester’s real identity. but fortunately, once the reveal happened, they did grow on me. i will say it was a bit of an instalove, but they were pretty sweet together.
i also liked seeing leyna’s dynamics with other people. i especially loved her friendships with grace and quinn.
unfortunately, the ending felt meh to me. i had guessed certain plot points before they were revealed, but that wasn’t my problem. i liked that i was able to suspect the plot twists, but the actual scene of the reveal itself felt weak. it was yet another round of a character giving long-winded explanations to leyna. the climax scene was decent, but the aftermath… i kind of just stopped caring.
i don’t know if there will be a sequel because it doesn’t say on goodreads, but the book definitely felt like it was setting up for more books. while i’m not the biggest fan of the book, i would read a follow-up to this because i really did like leyna, and there were certain aspects of the magic and the world that hadn’t been expanded on that i found interesting.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc copy.
it took me almost 2 months to finish this book. it was partially my fault (i'm a big mood reader and i got slightly busier in october), but the book isn't blameless.
first of all, the book could’ve been shorter. a lot of scenes were dragged out and a lot of information kept getting repeated over and over again. a few times throughout the book it felt like we were just going round and round in circles.
speaking of information, there was so much of it that was revealed by using infodumps. it felt like an infodump happened in every other chapter. i understand that they’re sometimes unavoidable, especially for worldbuilding in new fantasy works, but in the case of this book it was just too much. i also didn’t like that the information leyna gets is from other characters just telling her things. this coupled with the lack of action/events in the book made her seem a bit passive and the book pretty monotonous.
leyna the main character was kind of insufferable but also… endearing? she started out arrogant, thinking and acting like she was better than everyone else around her. normally that behavior in a main character would annoy me, but the way she was written made her feel relatable and sometimes lovable. as the story progressed, we got to see more of her, such as her history and how much she cares for her friends and family. and as much as i enjoyed her unbearable-ness, i appreciated her growth, the way she realized her own limitations and acknowledged that she isn’t superior to the people around her. in the beginning she was very idealistic and she viewed certain things through rose-tinted glasses, and i especially loved seeing her slowly grow disillusioned with those things. overall, she was a fun main character to read about, and the author did a great job in making her a three-dimensional character.
i liked the romance. leyna and jester’s banter was fun to read, and leyna discovering a certain thing about jester made the book more interesting. before the jester’s real identity was revealed, i had my suspicions, and i was a bit worried, because i didn’t feel the chemistry between leyna and the person who i (correctly) suspected was jester’s real identity. but fortunately, once the reveal happened, they did grow on me. i will say it was a bit of an instalove, but they were pretty sweet together.
i also liked seeing leyna’s dynamics with other people. i especially loved her friendships with grace and quinn.
unfortunately, the ending felt meh to me. i had guessed certain plot points before they were revealed, but that wasn’t my problem. i liked that i was able to suspect the plot twists, but the actual scene of the reveal itself felt weak. it was yet another round of a character giving long-winded explanations to leyna. the climax scene was decent, but the aftermath… i kind of just stopped caring.
i don’t know if there will be a sequel because it doesn’t say on goodreads, but the book definitely felt like it was setting up for more books. while i’m not the biggest fan of the book, i would read a follow-up to this because i really did like leyna, and there were certain aspects of the magic and the world that hadn’t been expanded on that i found interesting.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc copy.
jordie_moloney's review
5.0
This book was incredible!
It made me laugh, cry and kept me wanting more and impatient with needing to know the answers whilst I played along as detective.
Now I need more! Great read!
It made me laugh, cry and kept me wanting more and impatient with needing to know the answers whilst I played along as detective.
Now I need more! Great read!
amzy's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.75
bookedwith_caffeine_and_smut's review
4.0
The Jester is so mysterious and when I thought I had it figured out, something would make me question it. But I loved the reveal!
Leyna had some great growth and development as big events happen and she realized there are more important things going on. Looking forward to more in book 2!!
The banter and tension were
Leyna had some great growth and development as big events happen and she realized there are more important things going on. Looking forward to more in book 2!!
The banter and tension were
rkoz's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5