A review by jayceejarvis
The Artist's Masquerade by Antonia Aquilante

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

4.75

I loved prickly, temperamental Flavian as a character doing his best in a very difficult situation, and not always being kind and sweet. Cathal is also a difficult character in a totally different way, as he tries to live up to the expectations of his demanding father. Cathal was not the most sympathetic character in the first book, so it was interesting to see his character growth as he came to terms with his own sexuality and how to stand up to his father. This story has some interesting messages about gender and identity without being over the top with it, which I also appreciated. I was a little surprised at how quickly the characters fell into bed together, given their complex circumstances, but the chemistry was off the charts so it worked. Highly recommend for fantasy of manners fans who want all the political maneuvering and enjoy a little steam. 
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