Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
A Queen who stopped a civil war by destroying the magic that allowed “shadows” to flay people alive. A Queen who was still working to hold her new kingdom together while one faction retreated to the mountains to plan their bloody return. Our Queen’s Left hand: Ruby, Emerald, Opal and Amethyst. The rings she wore on that hand. Also the names of her four personal guards/assassins.
An audition for a new Opal, the previous one having been killed by the nobles in the mountains. Twenty-three possible new opals. Five invited due to reputation or nobility. The rest walk ons. Kill your competition without being caught or killed yourself. Survive combat, poisons, the competition.
Sal (auditioneer number Twenty-Three) is the protagonist. One of the most brilliant characters I have ever encountered. Sal has a heart of rage because of what happened. Nacea, a peaceful land, was overrun by “shadows” created by mages who flayed people alive. The nobles let it happen by withdrawing all the troops to protect themselves and leave Nacea undefended. Sal saw the shadows destroy Nacea, person by person and was only one of two survivors. Sal has an adoration for the Queen who stopped the shadows and ended the war. Sal has a desire for a better life than a thief and fighter. Sal has motivation and mystery.
The story is so wonderfully constructed. Sal takes the measure of his competitors. The entire court and the Opal auditions are like a huge puzzle Sal must make sense of. Piece by piece a plan develops, not only for Sal in the competition but for the Queen to deal with her unruly nobles. I loved all the characters. Even the side characters had depth to them and felt like real people, not like parts of the scenery. The action scenes were very well written. I could see them in my mind and did not get confused on who was where or had what weapon.
I pre-ordered the hardback of Mask of Shadows. As soon as the audiobook is available for pre-order, I will be ordering it also. I am excited to see what Ms. Miller does with Sal and the plot in the sequel. The world Ms. Miller has created in Mask of Shadows is rich and begs to be explored.
I received an advance review copy of Mask of Shadows from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An audition for a new Opal, the previous one having been killed by the nobles in the mountains. Twenty-three possible new opals. Five invited due to reputation or nobility. The rest walk ons. Kill your competition without being caught or killed yourself. Survive combat, poisons, the competition.
Sal (auditioneer number Twenty-Three) is the protagonist. One of the most brilliant characters I have ever encountered. Sal has a heart of rage because of what happened. Nacea, a peaceful land, was overrun by “shadows” created by mages who flayed people alive. The nobles let it happen by withdrawing all the troops to protect themselves and leave Nacea undefended. Sal saw the shadows destroy Nacea, person by person and was only one of two survivors. Sal has an adoration for the Queen who stopped the shadows and ended the war. Sal has a desire for a better life than a thief and fighter. Sal has motivation and mystery.
The story is so wonderfully constructed. Sal takes the measure of his competitors. The entire court and the Opal auditions are like a huge puzzle Sal must make sense of. Piece by piece a plan develops, not only for Sal in the competition but for the Queen to deal with her unruly nobles. I loved all the characters. Even the side characters had depth to them and felt like real people, not like parts of the scenery. The action scenes were very well written. I could see them in my mind and did not get confused on who was where or had what weapon.
I pre-ordered the hardback of Mask of Shadows. As soon as the audiobook is available for pre-order, I will be ordering it also. I am excited to see what Ms. Miller does with Sal and the plot in the sequel. The world Ms. Miller has created in Mask of Shadows is rich and begs to be explored.
I received an advance review copy of Mask of Shadows from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was action-packed and I LOVED the competition aspect of it. It’s a favorite trope of mine, especially in fantasy books, and it didn’t shy away from the assassin-y stuff, which I appreciated. I got exactly what I expected going into this book. It was awesome having a non-binary protagonist without their gender having anything to do with the plot. So often, LGBTQ+ books are about queerness itself, so this was refreshing in that way.
The only thing I didn’t really care for was the history/politics of the world, and the romance between Sal and Elise felt a little rushed and out of place. I couldn’t keep track of the complicated backstory of the country, what everyone’s motivations were, that kind of stuff. Still, I think I’m going to read the next book, just because it’s a duology, and I would like to see Sal get their happy ending.
The only thing I didn’t really care for was the history/politics of the world, and the romance between Sal and Elise felt a little rushed and out of place. I couldn’t keep track of the complicated backstory of the country, what everyone’s motivations were, that kind of stuff. Still, I think I’m going to read the next book, just because it’s a duology, and I would like to see Sal get their happy ending.
“There was no room for gods in a world of monsters and monstrous men, but tradition endured.”
Mask of Shadows is an amazing book. Hands down, amazing! Full of adventure, court intrigue and most of all, revenge, this is the first in a duology.
Sal Leon is just a thief trying to survive in a world that has forgotten their people. Killed by monsters knows as shadows, an entire nation of people destroyed and forgotten. Except for Sal, who survived.
When a robbery reveals that the Left Hand of the Queen is holding auditions for the next Opal, Sal knows an opportunity has been presented.
The audition is more than it appears and turns out to be a fight to the death. Sal has to face soldiers and nobels, circus acrobats with built in alliances and deadly apothecaries, all who have trained for moments like this their entire lives. Sal is just a thief, a forgotten child who only knows survival. But they know to survive the auditions is to become an assassin, so they become the assassin first.
I had such a good time reading this book! From the very first pages, I was drawn to Sal, who is such a riveting character. They are sassy and bold, but are also frightened and fiercely cling to life. Rather than cower in fear, Sal faces those fears head on. Sal is a character who embodies bravery. Because even though they are afraid of dying, never once do they back away from doing what is right.
“Regret does nothing but soothe your own guilt.”
I will confess, that this is the first novel I’ve read where the main character is gender fluid. As I write this review, I am realizing how often we present with he/she pronouns. If I get it wrong, please let me know so that I can better review future novels, especially as I plan on completing this duology.
The author does a fantastic job not only explaining the gender fluidity, but also in highlighting how often Sal is frustrated by living in a society that doesn’t always respect this.
“Rath had asked once, a while after we’d met and been living together, and I’d not known how to explain it yet. I didn’t have the words. He always felt like Rath, and I always felt like Sal, except it was like watching a river flow past. The river was always the same, but you never glimpsed the same water. I ebbed and flowed, and that was my always. Rath not understanding that had hurt the most, but at least he accepted it.”
Miller writes amazing characters. Honestly, I loved them all. They were full of mirth, and sass, and sarcasm, but also vivid and full of depth. Even though everyone was trying to kill each other off, and the judges were also masked assassins, this is a crew I would enjoy hanging out with, Ruby most of all.
“We were discussing fashion and murder. Join in.”
That actually sounds like a text I would have equal odds of sending or being sent.
Elise, the nobel girl tutoring Sal, and Maud, the maid assigned for the audition, are both extremely smart and strong women. Even though Maud can’t help, she always finds a way to circumvent the rigid rules in order to help Sal. I loved how at first every relationship Sal had was simply a transactional one. They tolerated or tried to use people as it suited their needs. But Elise and Maud quickly show Sal that people aren’t always who or what they appear, and that transformation was delightful to read.
“I don’t flirt with people who could kill me as easily as they could kiss me.”
Miller builds this world gradually through her narration, so we learn about the past through Sal. Their need for revenge helps guide us into this world, and the past that built it.
“This is what Erland had done to us — stolen us, torn us away from what we were, ripped children from their homes and souls from their bodies.”
We get a very real sense of how personal this war is to Sal. How it shaped them, changed them, focused them. This is why becoming Opal is so important. So that they have a chance to ensure justice is done. Justice, though, is always more complicated than initially we imagine, and this hard truth isn’t any easier for Sal.
Even though we unravel the full glimpse of the world Sal lives in, along with the past slowly, the detail or realism involved isn’t lessened. It also doesn’t feel slow paced. Each page reads with urgency. Sal is constantly in life and death situations, never knowing when death may come, and you feel that as you read. Even in the slower moments, the moments stolen with Elise or simply training, you feel the constant pressure they face.
And yet, for all it’s intensity, it’s a fun read. Funny and heartwarming. Because while the world building is solid and the history richly written, it is the characters that breathe this entire novel to life.
This book has all the intrigue of Game of Thrones, the brutality of The Hunger Games and the sass of Six Of Crows. You will laugh as often as you climb the walls in suspense. I am very much looking forward to reading the conclusion to this story. I need to know what happens next, and definitely need more of these characters!
Thank you Sourcebooks for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Mask of Shadows is an amazing book. Hands down, amazing! Full of adventure, court intrigue and most of all, revenge, this is the first in a duology.
Sal Leon is just a thief trying to survive in a world that has forgotten their people. Killed by monsters knows as shadows, an entire nation of people destroyed and forgotten. Except for Sal, who survived.
When a robbery reveals that the Left Hand of the Queen is holding auditions for the next Opal, Sal knows an opportunity has been presented.
The audition is more than it appears and turns out to be a fight to the death. Sal has to face soldiers and nobels, circus acrobats with built in alliances and deadly apothecaries, all who have trained for moments like this their entire lives. Sal is just a thief, a forgotten child who only knows survival. But they know to survive the auditions is to become an assassin, so they become the assassin first.
I had such a good time reading this book! From the very first pages, I was drawn to Sal, who is such a riveting character. They are sassy and bold, but are also frightened and fiercely cling to life. Rather than cower in fear, Sal faces those fears head on. Sal is a character who embodies bravery. Because even though they are afraid of dying, never once do they back away from doing what is right.
“Regret does nothing but soothe your own guilt.”
I will confess, that this is the first novel I’ve read where the main character is gender fluid. As I write this review, I am realizing how often we present with he/she pronouns. If I get it wrong, please let me know so that I can better review future novels, especially as I plan on completing this duology.
The author does a fantastic job not only explaining the gender fluidity, but also in highlighting how often Sal is frustrated by living in a society that doesn’t always respect this.
“Rath had asked once, a while after we’d met and been living together, and I’d not known how to explain it yet. I didn’t have the words. He always felt like Rath, and I always felt like Sal, except it was like watching a river flow past. The river was always the same, but you never glimpsed the same water. I ebbed and flowed, and that was my always. Rath not understanding that had hurt the most, but at least he accepted it.”
Miller writes amazing characters. Honestly, I loved them all. They were full of mirth, and sass, and sarcasm, but also vivid and full of depth. Even though everyone was trying to kill each other off, and the judges were also masked assassins, this is a crew I would enjoy hanging out with, Ruby most of all.
“We were discussing fashion and murder. Join in.”
That actually sounds like a text I would have equal odds of sending or being sent.
Elise, the nobel girl tutoring Sal, and Maud, the maid assigned for the audition, are both extremely smart and strong women. Even though Maud can’t help, she always finds a way to circumvent the rigid rules in order to help Sal. I loved how at first every relationship Sal had was simply a transactional one. They tolerated or tried to use people as it suited their needs. But Elise and Maud quickly show Sal that people aren’t always who or what they appear, and that transformation was delightful to read.
“I don’t flirt with people who could kill me as easily as they could kiss me.”
Miller builds this world gradually through her narration, so we learn about the past through Sal. Their need for revenge helps guide us into this world, and the past that built it.
“This is what Erland had done to us — stolen us, torn us away from what we were, ripped children from their homes and souls from their bodies.”
We get a very real sense of how personal this war is to Sal. How it shaped them, changed them, focused them. This is why becoming Opal is so important. So that they have a chance to ensure justice is done. Justice, though, is always more complicated than initially we imagine, and this hard truth isn’t any easier for Sal.
Even though we unravel the full glimpse of the world Sal lives in, along with the past slowly, the detail or realism involved isn’t lessened. It also doesn’t feel slow paced. Each page reads with urgency. Sal is constantly in life and death situations, never knowing when death may come, and you feel that as you read. Even in the slower moments, the moments stolen with Elise or simply training, you feel the constant pressure they face.
And yet, for all it’s intensity, it’s a fun read. Funny and heartwarming. Because while the world building is solid and the history richly written, it is the characters that breathe this entire novel to life.
This book has all the intrigue of Game of Thrones, the brutality of The Hunger Games and the sass of Six Of Crows. You will laugh as often as you climb the walls in suspense. I am very much looking forward to reading the conclusion to this story. I need to know what happens next, and definitely need more of these characters!
Thank you Sourcebooks for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I am not a fantasy reader so my expectations for this were very low. However, this was a pleasant surprise! I really liked the discussions on gender and how being trans in a cis society is hard, even when you try to cater your appearance to cis people. I loved the fact that this is a fantasy world where magic does not exist because my brain very much struggles with following magic systems. I also just think it was a refreshing take on world-building a fantasy setting! Heavily appreciate the themes of queerness, PTSD, and justice. I do not have a list of content/trigger warnings as I found myself too immersed in the reading experience to jot any down. I would highly recommend searching through StoryGraph and booktriggerwarnings.com for them, though, because this book does not shy away from hard-hitting topics. I will leave below the few warnings I do remember.
CWs/Tws: Murder, death, blood, PTSD, body gore, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder
I know that many people personally feel that the story was either cliché and/or did not show growth, and while there could definitely be improvements in the writing I still really enjoyed this. It was also nice to see the representation of a gender nonconforming individual (even though, like I stated previously there could be improvements in this area).
I feel like it was worth my time, and honestly that's all that matters.
I feel like it was worth my time, and honestly that's all that matters.
02/02/2017:
Welp you had me at "gender fluid main character." Clicked "Request" on Netgalley without having to read the rest! Woot can't wait for it!!! (Also, this cover is amazeballs lol)
*EDIT 8/24/2017*
Real rating 2.5 stars. Kinda disappointed to be honest. 😔 Real review to come.
Welp you had me at "gender fluid main character." Clicked "Request" on Netgalley without having to read the rest! Woot can't wait for it!!! (Also, this cover is amazeballs lol)
*EDIT 8/24/2017*
Real rating 2.5 stars. Kinda disappointed to be honest. 😔 Real review to come.
3.5 stars
The first 75% of this is almost like a fun Hunger Games, and I was having a blast reading it. Sal is just so low-key bad ass. I LOVED THEM. Then the pacing/plotting kinda dropped off and seemed to get a little more serious/morose, and that wasn't quite as successful to me.
I liked the fantasy world-building and secondary characters, but I'm not so sure about reading a whole book in this new tone, and I'm afraid that's where the conclusion is going.
I'm probably still going to read it because I really want to know what happens to these characters, but I don't think I'm going to jump straight to it. As my first non-m/m fiction book in almost a full year, I still think this was a success.
The first 75% of this is almost like a fun Hunger Games, and I was having a blast reading it. Sal is just so low-key bad ass. I LOVED THEM. Then the pacing/plotting kinda dropped off and seemed to get a little more serious/morose, and that wasn't quite as successful to me.
I liked the fantasy world-building and secondary characters, but I'm not so sure about reading a whole book in this new tone, and I'm afraid that's where the conclusion is going.
I'm probably still going to read it because I really want to know what happens to these characters, but I don't think I'm going to jump straight to it. As my first non-m/m fiction book in almost a full year, I still think this was a success.
I read this because the MC is genderfluid. It's a quick, easy read and I enjoyed it well enough, but it didn't grab me. It probably helped that I read most of it in one sitting, lounging out on the deck on a beautiful afternoon, sipping one mint julep after another. A situation where most any flaw is forgiven. The writing was smooth and easy, so it was not hard to just keep going. I didn't really connect with Sal, but their adventures were interesting enough that I kept reading. The worldbuilding was pretty thin, as was the character development. The comparisons to The Hunger Games are pretty obvious, but I suppose any situation where a bunch of young people are trying to kill each other to win a prize will attract comparisons to The Hunger Games--just like any book with a magic school will get compared to Harry Potter and any book about a disparate group of people on a spaceship will get compared to Firefly (I do tire of these pat comparisons). Sal's gender identity is such a non-issue that's it's almost not there. It's a very superficial thing and almost feels tacked-on. No one, not even Sal, engaged with it, so on the one hand, it's great that it's not a big deal, but on the other hand, it didn't really seem a part of them. Nonetheless, yay for positive representation. While I found this entertaining for an afternoon, I am not intrigued enough to read the second book.