What the community thinks
summary of 418 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
Graphic
Violence (3 reviewers), Death (2 reviewers), Torture (2 reviewers), Blood (2 reviewers), Genocide (1 reviewer), Panic attacks/disorders (1 reviewer), Transphobia (1 reviewer), Grief (1 reviewer), and Murder (1 reviewer)Moderate
Violence (2 reviewers), Death (1 reviewer), and Blood (1 reviewer)Moods
mysterious 63%
dark 54%
tense 36%
emotional 22%
challenging 9%
funny 4%
hopeful 4%
lighthearted 4%
reflective 4%
sad 4%
Pace
fast 21%
slow 13%
Plot- or character-driven?
Plot: 55% | A mix: 44%Strong character development?
Yes: 57% | No: 23% | It's complicated: 19%Loveable characters?
Yes: 50% | It's complicated: 36% | No: 13%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 90% | It's complicated: 9%Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 70% | It's complicated: 15% | No: 15%Average rating
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They Needed to Die.
Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.
When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.
But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
Buy Mask of Shadows
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
They Needed to Die.
Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.
When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.
But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
What the community thinks
summary of 418 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
Graphic
Violence (3 reviewers), Death (2 reviewers), Torture (2 reviewers), Blood (2 reviewers), Genocide (1 reviewer), Panic attacks/disorders (1 reviewer), Transphobia (1 reviewer), Grief (1 reviewer), and Murder (1 reviewer)Moderate
Violence (2 reviewers), Death (1 reviewer), and Blood (1 reviewer)Moods
mysterious 63%
dark 54%
tense 36%
emotional 22%
challenging 9%
funny 4%
hopeful 4%
lighthearted 4%
reflective 4%
sad 4%
Pace
fast 21%
slow 13%
Plot- or character-driven?
Plot: 55% | A mix: 44%Strong character development?
Yes: 57% | No: 23% | It's complicated: 19%Loveable characters?
Yes: 50% | It's complicated: 36% | No: 13%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 90% | It's complicated: 9%Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 70% | It's complicated: 15% | No: 15%Average rating