Reviews

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

bloodwitch's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

readerlatte's review against another edition

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1.0

My Review: I am so sad that I did not enjoy this one. I tried it three times before I had to call it quit. First off I would like to tell you that I have not read Six of Crows so I will not be comparing the two.

So this one started off pretty good but once that dual POV takes over and we get into the story this one fell apart for me. Early on this one lost me in its world of info dumping, characters, and well the world itself. I really do love made up names and terms but when it gets to the point where I need a dictionary and a float chart to keep things straight then its a little much.

I really loved the authors first book but this one just lacked the right execution. I kind of wished that this one would have been just one POV which I think it would have made the story a little more solid.

So in the end for me this one just did not work out at all. I had high hopes but those were dashed.

mikenna914's review against another edition

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5.0

I went into this book with zero expectations and was promptly intrigued and hooked from the get go. I really didn't pay much attention to the reviews before I read it but after I finished, I went back to see what people were saying about it because honestly I couldn't believe that I had never heard of it or seen anyone talking about it!
A lot of the reviews I saw compared the book to Six of Crows; which I can sort of see. There is a gang of young adults in Ace of Shades but this book isn't really about the group as much as about two people and their stories. However, I think a lot of the bad reviews and people that didn't love the book as much were people who went into it thinking that it would be like Six of Crows and it wasn't...but in a good way! This book stood apart to me from a lot of what I have been reading lately. I do think that darker YA is becoming more popular (and I am here for that) but this book had so many people that you were rooting for the whole time. There was so much going on that it kept you hooked through the whole book and that is always a positive!
I LOVED the world that Amanda Foody created. It was shadowy and filled with sketchy people and places you "shouldn't go" but within all of that there was so much hope and wonder from the characters that filled in the shadowy cracks. Enne was a great character to grow with through the book, she starts out so quiet and shy and by the end she has really grown into herself! I don't feel like Levi grows as a character really during the book but he is just as great because of it. He is constantly trying to right wrongs in his own con man way but he stays true to himself and tries to do the best for the people he cares about.
I also thought that the orbs and volts along with the talents that you possess were fun, it made me wonder what kind of talent I would have (duh).
I can't wait to read other books by Amanda, this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it to just about anyone!

lorithereadingfairy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

aklev13's review against another edition

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3.0

I think this book does a lot of interesting things but there were definitely some things that didn’t work for me.

First of all the world-building is complex! The politics, the social rules, the families, the magic system - everything feels unique which can be good but it means everything needs explaining to some extent and trying to wrap my head around it all really slows down the narrative which is meant to be about a con gone wrong, the mystery of a missing woman and a high-stakes deadly game - you know fast-paced exciting things. Also i’ve got to say i’m really not a fan of made up curse words. I know some people hate when our curse words are used in fantasy books (see Fourth Wing reviews) but i hate made up curses unless they make sense for the world (like One Dark Window).

The vibe of this world was awesome though - City of Sin feels a little bit like a casino focused Gotham. It’s gritty, it’s gaudy and everyone’s looking out for themselves. And it’s clear that there’s a larger story going on behind the scenes so i’m hoping the complexity of the world pays off in the other books.

The characters were also interesting- i found Enne annoying to begin with, but she quickly grew on me once she started getting a bit more of a spine to her. Levi needs a little more backstory but hopefully we’ll get that in future books because his motivations feel a little nebulous at the moment other than a desire to provide for those he cares about.

The big thing that let this down for me was the actions the characters sometimes made/ the way some plot points unfolded. It often felt too easy or coincidental.

Also there may be minor spoilers from this point on:
For a start Enne often got herself into trouble simply by being ridiculously naive. At the beginning i could forgive this even if it annoyed me, but even up until the very end when she’s acting like a badass - she does stupidly naive things. But then she also seems to fall out of trouble just as easily so it never feels like there’s much at stake here. And then Levi is meant to be the head of a gang but he doesnt seem to have any power or any ruthlessness to him at all. At the beginning Enne is warned to stay away from him like he’s a formidable threat but when his gang challenges him, he folds faster than i fold an empty packet of chips. There’s allusions to him being different to the other gang lords but we never see how he’s supposedly different.
Later we get to the big event of the book - the one the plot has been foreshadowing and i think ok cool things are heating up, how are they going to get out of this mess now? Oh super easy actually, barely an inconvenience.

So this definitely was interesting and im curious enough to continue reading but the plot or indeed the characters were nowhere near as complex as the world building.

amybraunauthor's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5! Really, really enjoyed this enticing, compelling new book. It was a nice change of pace from traditional YA Fantasy fare. The story was good, the characters interesting and layered, and the world-building is stellar. The romance moved quick, but I honestly enjoyed it and want to see more of where it goes. There were some great twists and the ending was seriously intense. For the most part I was never taken out of the story, though Levi made a choice near the climax that I wanted to slap him for. Still, if he hadn't done it, the ending wouldn't have happened the way it did! All said and done, there is so much potential for the rest of the series and I am eager to get back into this world and follow Enne, Levi, Jac, and Lola on their next intense adventure. Anything could happen from here!

sofantasy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

heather1999's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-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

4.0

samrushingbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

I very much enjoyed Amanda Foody's debut novel, and am pleased to say that I loved this one as well. Some of the blurbs for this book compare it to Six of Crows, and while it has similarities, and gave me enough con and gang action, I don't think it quite lives up to that comparison. But I also think I pretty much flew through this book and really enjoyed the characters and the magic and the story. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.

caenerys's review against another edition

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3.0

I was so eager to read this book as I was so convinced it was going to be a new favourite of mine. I didn’t love it as much as I expected and I felt disappointed for a while. However, my disappointment clouded the fact that this book is really good, even if it didn’t live up to my expectations. I am in love with Enne and Levi and I love this world and this magic. I cannot wait for King of Fools.