Mask of Shadow was your average YA fantasy novel. It has been compared to Throne of Glass and the Hunger Games, and I can 100% see why. It has many similarities to other books in the YA genre, especially TOG. In this book, we meet Sal, a revenge-seeking thief, who enters a competition to be one of the Queen’s assassins.

Pros:
-Sal! I thought Sal was a strong, likable character. They are confident, but not overbearingly cocky. Sal is also genderfluid, which I thought the author handled well throughout the book. I had never come across a nonbinary character before, so the representation was important. Sal’s moral ambiguity was also interesting and developed throughout the book.
-The writing and storyline held my attention to the end. I was never bored or wanted to stop reading.

Cons:
-Because I have read so many books with similar plot lines, I was never on edge or anxious. Though the story wasn’t bad, it wasn’t anything new or exciting,
-The romance! One of my pet peeves is instalove and this book reeks of it. I cringed every time Sal interacted with Elise and wanted to skip over most of the romantic scenes. Honestly, she barely had a point other than to be Sal’s obsession.
-The characters (other than Sal) were flat to me. Their personalities were not developed, so I felt no connection to them. Yeah, I get the other assassins in the completion had to die, but that’s not an excuse for poor characterization. The Hunger Games and Battle Royale had most of their character die in a competition, but I felt for every death.

Overall, it was a good book with a strong enough ending to make me somewhat interested in the sequel. 3/5 stars.

I would like to thank the people at Sourcebooks Fire for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley, as well as to Shauna at b00kstorebabe for sending me a physical ARC.

Books that blew me away are always hard for me to write reviews for. In truth, I went in with hesitant expectations. I wanted to love this book, but mixed reviews had made me cautious, especially with the genderfluid main character. I didn't want to be hurt with harmful rep, specifically with a book that seemed right up my alley. Diverse high fantasy is something I've been dreaming of, so when I got an ARC of this one, I didnt' know what to do. Jump in, and possibly be harmed, or wade in, and take it slow.

Mask of Shadows may seem like a stereotypical YA fantasy, and some may even say it's a carbon copy of Throne of Glass, but in my opinion, Mask of Shadows is so much more. The way the assassin competition was laid out was much more logical for assassins, compared to others that I've read. The set-up the Left Hand had allowed for them to see each auditioner as they were, what their strengths were, and what they needed work on. The amount of detail and care Miller took to the development of the process is comendable, and one of my favorite parts. Actually, I had a lot of favorite parts of MoS, in case I end up saying that a lot.

Speaking of the development, I loved the divide between the characters. Miller developed the ones that she needed or were necessary to the plot, and then just left the others as they were. Despite characters literally going by numbers all throughout the novel, I was never confused on who was who. Five was Five, Three was Three, and so on. My only confusion was when auditioners would randomly disappear--but I guess that's part of the who assassin vibe, right? The Left Hand themselves stole my heart. Literally all of them did. Even the previous Opal, who we literally never met. Emerald, Amethyst, and Ruby were all so engaging people, all so different despite how they're supposed to be seen as similar. They quickly became some of my favorite characters.

And the world building! Despite some info dumps, I found myself wanting more and more of them, needing to learn more about the history and the actions that brought Sal to where they were then. Miller wrote every scene with care, and didn't let info dumps be just info dumps--everything applied to the characters or the plot.

There were also quite a few plot twists that I wasn't expecting. So many scenes were painful or had me squealing with delight. Let's just say this: don't go in with the expectations it will be like Throne of Glass, because it's nothing like it. It's so much better.

five stars - Overall?

Beware, because Linsey Miller will rip your heart out and stomp on it by the end of this book. That's all I have to say about it.

Would I Recommend?

Yes, especially if you want diverse high fantasy. Not only is Sal genderfluid, but there is a background WLW couple, as well as implied aromantic and MLM rep. Oh, and maybe a pansexual or bisexual character! It's never specified, but they outright say they're "interested in more than guys".

Trigger warnings for gore/violence, misgendering, kidnapping, murder, self-harm, classism.

A fun, quick, and interesting read by Linsey Miller.

This was a very enjoyable book. I am always on the look out for books with genderqueer/fluid characters, and I was delighted to read the description of this book and knew I needed to read it ASAP.

It's a solid YA fantasy. The writing is engaging and the voice and narrative is interesting and compelling. It wasn't exceptional, but it was good. I really loved Sal and the trails they put themselves through to get what they wanted. It was bloodthirsty. The world building was great, constantly adding more to our understanding of the setting as the story develops.

But what I really appreciated with Mask of Shadows is that Sal's genderfluidity is never a plot point, it's not an issue for 99% of the characters in the books, and when it is an issue it's done in such a way that it's obvious the character is A Jerk and the others don't approve of what is happening. Sal's gender not sensationalized or exploited, and for that I loved this book.

Miller combines fiercely motivated characters, with a beautiful romance, and a mashup of fantasy plots which result in a slightly above average read in Mask of Shadows.

To begin with, Sal was my favorite aspect of the book. Not only is Sal nonbinary, but the romance aspect is superb. It is full of complexity, if not also some cheesiness, and genuine tender feelings. Additionally, Sal has a very interesting history behind them, one that will be even further developed in the sequel. At the end, all the actions sort of came together and I enjoyed the last 20 percent of the novel more than the entire bit before. I am still missing genuine quirks as Sal plays too much into the underdog hero role and loses a little bit of personality as they are busy trying to fight all the baddies and fulfill their duty. Don’t get me wrong, that honorable duty is compelling and made me enjoy the character, despite its flaws.

The only side character I genuinely liked was Elise because she was an intellectual. I am very much looking forward to seeing her in the sequel. But besides that, the others were difficult to hang onto (Except Maud, Sal’s attendant. Maud is a gem). It doesn’t help that for the majority her fellow competitors are wearing masks and defy you getting attached to them, but that’s where it fell short for me. I was missing something within the middle of the book. I wanted Miller to show us that these people behind the masks were also people.

But overall, the plot line itself just felt a little borrowed. A smidge from Six of Crows, a bit of Crown of Wishes, and a few others. However, I enjoyed those books much more. This just fell a little short. I liked the aspects it used: a competitive game, the gang dynamics, but none of it was done ‘enough’ to me. For example, the tinge of Kaz was just a mere shadow and serves only as a backstory element. The whole competitive game aspect, while interesting, felt by the end to be just a plot event that Sal has to get through, an explanation of why they end up where they do.

The whole book I had a roller coaster of feelings about the book from enjoyment to disappointment and everything in between. And in the middle I was merely cruising. I was invested in the whole competition aspect, but wondering when the next plot break was going to come. I am still intrigued by the sequel, because I hope we’ll get the chance to see Sal more, to see their identity during court, and for the plot to deliver on all the promise that develops at the very end.

When comparisons are drawn to Sarah J. Maas (one of my current faves) and the book is literally about a competition to become an assassin for a ruler (hello Throne of Glass), it can be hard to live up to expectations. I felt the competition in itself was rushed, Sal didn't have time to develop the necessary skills and instead lucked into success, and the backstory of the world didn't become compelling until the last quarter of the book.

Note: The author has content warning posted on her Tumblr, which you can find here. (https://linseymiller.tumblr.com/MoSContentWarning) Mask of Shadows contains violence, abuse, PTSD, displacement, misgendering, and self-harm. Please be aware of this before reading!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the review copy!

After searching relentlessly for a fantasy that would capture my attention from beginning to end, I finally found it in MASK OF SHADOWS, an action-packed, diverse fantasy full of intrigue and action. This is an assassin book done really well, with a fast pace that never takes a break. I fell in love with Sal’s characterization and their journey of becoming the next Opal in the court. The politics in the world is rather in-depth as the author explores this newly created nation of Igna and the political machinations behind the formation of the nation. Sal is out to get revenge, and there is nothing to stop them.

The world is written with descriptions that capture a nation recently ravaged by war. The fear of entities called Shadows plague people, and magic is seen as a wary defense. When the countries of Erlend and Alona were at war, before the story began, the small country of Nacea was caught in the crossfire - eventually getting wiped out. Sal is one of the only people from that country who remembers the Shadows and what they can do. Now that Our Queen Ignasi took the throne after wiping out the Shadows, however, Erlend and Alona joined to become Igna and a new era of peace. Or is there? I love how there’s a subtle focus on female power in the hierarchy of this book, and in general. It’s not blatant, but there are many powerful women in the court (and among the assassins) – this detail is pretty significant though, as many fantasies would have just as many males in those positions of power.

Sal’s revenge focuses on the Erlend nobles that let the Shadows destroy Nacea and their family. Sal grew up as a thief, and survival was always the main point of their day-to-day life. When the opportunity arises for Sal to become the next Opal, they don’t hesitate to become an auditioner and kill to claim that spot. Our Queen has a team of elite assassins called the Left Hand with names after jewels – the same ones she wears on her left hand. Not only do these jewels have influence with her, but they are at the top of the social hierarchy, interacting with nobles and merchants. This kind of interaction is exactly what Sal needs to exact their revenge and right the wrongs done to their country.

“Sal was gone. That was the point, wasn’t it? I wasn’t tied to anything, no one knew my face, and I’d no friends or family that could be held against me, no allies to betray me. I had inherited ghosts, and I would become one.”

I absolutely adored Sal’s characterization. They didn’t start the book as a killer, but to enter the audition of Opal, they had to get used to it quickly. Sal was direct, focused, and extremely quick-witted, all characteristics that made them enjoyable to read about. Although they join the auditions, they are by no means perfect. The audition itself take up the majority of the book as Sal competes against other people – labeled as numbers – to become the Opal. With it also comes training for archery, strength, and even learning how to write and read for Sal. Sal’s gender fluidity was added to the story very naturally. While some misgendering does happen, it’s quickly addressed and corrected by Sal (unless it’s in the form of a veiled insult). I liked how much the author made it a non-issue. Sal is gender fluid, yes, but the book doesn’t wholly revolve around this aspect of their character. It’s just another part of who they are.

“‘I dress how I like to be addressed – he, she, or they. It’s simple enough.’”

The audition is full of action and deception as Sal strives to stay alive. They make a great partnership with their maid, Maud, even as Maud has her own reasons for making sure Sal wins the audition. It’s a bit reminiscent of THE HUNGER GAMES, but instead of survival of the fittest, it’s the survival of the most fit and wit – especially in court. Not only do the auditioners have to fight to the death, they must learn poisons and royal etiquette. Each of the opponents are addressed as numbers, yet Miller still manages to characterize them. Whether it’s the vengeful Five, quiet and purposeful Eleven, or friendly yet deadly Four, I found myself enjoying their personalities – even if I didn’t know their names. I don’t think readers will have a trouble with keeping track of these numbered characters, as the author’s writing makes it easy to follow their actions and dialogue. The quick pace also works nicely, as each event Sal finds themselves in further reinforce certain characterizations of the other auditioners.

There is a lovely and exceptionally light romance that happens in the midst of these killings, with the tutor Sal has for reading and writing. Elise is an Erlend noble – everything that Sal is fighting against. But Sal finds their beliefs challenged as they take in Elise’s compassion, intellect, and empathy. Elise was so sweet and endearing. She knew Sal was a thief because of a past interaction but looks past their upbringing. When she accidentally insults Sal’s past, she immediately apologizes, making her a very empathetic character whose big heart is full of justice. Sal finds themselves enraptured by this Erlend noble, who feels so much compassion, despite their deep prejudice against the Erlends. I loved how this particular relationship developed, and the stolen, flirty interactions that they had.

“‘You shouldn’t kiss people who could kill you,’ I whispered, all the blood in my veins singing her name and urging me to kiss her.”

MASK OF SHADOWS had me captivated from start to finish, making it one of my favorite fantasies of this summer. Sal’s ruthlessness in the competition and awesome characterization made their first person POV extremely easy to read. Although the blurb says this book is great for fans of Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo, it clearly stands out on its own with its intriguing plot, fantastic characters, and never-ending action that just sucks a reader in. I would love to see more of an exploration of the magic, runes, and Shadow that make up so much of the nation’s young history in the sequel – especially with how important it is to Sal’s past. Fantasy readers should not hesitate to pick this one up (I mean seriously – look at that cover!) if you’re looking for a fun and fulfilling read with plenty of cunning characters that will make you shiver with both excitement and dread. I absolutely can’t wait to see where Sal’s journey takes them next, and with the Left Hand at their side.

A fun, kind of light read, but not amazing. I appreciated the way Sal's gender fluidity was addressed and getting to see that perspective in a YA book. I feel like this suffers from the comparison to Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, which has such a strong cast; one of the places Mask of Shadows falls short is in its secondary characters, who are pretty underdeveloped.

This book held some expectations for me with having such a tagline as being compared to Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone, but the book didn't hold a lot of action or captivate me. I was hoping to be swept away and enjoy this book, but had a hard time investing in any of the characters. It was not a strong read for me, and took me some time to finish. It had some world building, but had a lot of comparisons to the Hunger Games, but wasn't written as strong. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Fantastic story. Couldn't put my Kindle down once I started reading this, got pulled right in to the different story lines and can't wait to see where the story goes. Love the dichotomy of the main character

I really liked the genderfluid main character, Sal, but tracking their movements through the court of Our Queen was monstrously difficult to follow. I had no idea why politics were the way they were, or why magic was involved, or why everyone wore masks. This needed a lot more editing in the plot department.

This book is brilliant. Expertly written, it takes a new approach to YA "contest" fiction. It's not afraid to get bloody and take things into the darker side of court life, which I adored. Things aren't all sparkle and kisses. As a nonbinary person, I felt represented by Sal. The introduction of their genderfluid ID and how it played into their character of an assassin was perfect! I want MORE!

This story is so well done. It's often that I read an assassin story that's all "I don't *want* to be an assassin but I gotta for reason xyz" but this story isn't that. Sal just wants to get out of being a thief and is all about serving Our Queen. I loved this.

Plot: Really though. My only con is that I felt like I could skim a bit of the text while only reading the dialogue. But I find that I catch myself doing that often. That's a Sam thing and not a book thing. The plot was super fast paced and intriguing through the whole bit.

Characters: Sal was so great. They explained the whole gender fluid bit really well. Specifically which pronoun to use when. Sometimes she was she and other times he was he but if you were ever confused it was they. ADDITIONALLY the other characters were fleshed out enough that I created a bond with them and was connected to them. There were so many but I felt the feels necessary. The villain was a good villain.

World building: Very well done. Explaining the Shadows and what led to the destruction of Sal's people.

Full blog review will be posted at http://willreadforbooze.blogspot.com on June 23, 2017

The MC, Sallot Leon is unlikable, which I loved. In fact, there are very few likable characters in this story, and I'm totally on-board with that.
I loved the premise and the pacing is so well-done. I didn't really connect with the MC, but the action was ongoing and fast-paced and dragged me through the pages. There's a love-interest, which, yay, but the action is what hooked me and kept me dying to know what happened next. The tension in this is remarkable. The writing here is great and I'm definitely looking forward to book 2.
So why not 5 stars?
The gender-fluid aspect left me wanting more, as it kind of seemed an afterthought--a few lines dropped in every now and then for flavor--and incidental. Taken out, nothing would really change except the wardrobe. But maybe book 2 takes it to the next level. IDK.
And the ending. The very end. Like, the last 10%. No spoilers, obviously, because I don't spoil, but allow me to butcher a metaphor: Yeah, sure, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, but I expected some of those eggs to be really hard to crack. The ending seemed way too easy and, because of that, kind of, sort of, implausible.
So, I was a little disappointed, but it wasn't enough to destroy all the great stuff that came before that point.
I recommend this book for those who like their stories on the darker side. Instead of comparing it to Maas and Bardugo, I'd say for fans of NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff and AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White.

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, I found it to be a little bit lacking originality. The main character was gender fluid, something that is not very common in YA, so I give props to the author for that, but other than that, the book seemed like a lot of other books.
The writing was good and the author's style was interesting, so that aspect of the book was great and slightly made up for the lack-luster story.

Overall, i think more than anything this author has great potential for writing some awesome stories in the future, this one is particular however wasn't anything too special in my opinion.

Can't wait to see more from the author in the future, and to see what else she can come up with!

I requested this book because of the description. Sarah Maas' books are always flying off our shelves and this sounded similar. I was not disappointed!

Sal, our hero, is strong, realistic and relatable. The reader is invested in his fate and revenge from the beginning. As the (likely) sole survivor from Nacea, Sal has been a young thief indentured to a kingpin by the name of Grell. His chance comes in the form a competition for the position of Opal, one of the new Queen's Left Hand. Killing Grell, Sal takes off for the capital to engage in a life or death competition for the coveted position which will allow him access to the Erland nobles responsible for the death of his family and people.

3.5 stars
Mask of Shadows started out extremely slow. Sal is a street fighter and a thief until they hear of a competition being held to choose a new member for the Left Hand, the Queen's personal assassins. Sal sees this as an opportunity to get close to the lords who abandoned their homeland to the shadows and to get revenge.
I did like the writing, although the world building was extremely confusing. The diversity in the main character on the other hand, was one of my favourite things about this book. This is the first time I have come across a gender fluid character and not really knowing much about the topic in question was one of the things that made me read this in the first place. Well, that and the comparison to Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo. On that front it was kind of a letdown to be honest, as this is nowhere near that level. The competition between the candidates auditioning to become Opal, more or less a fight to the death, is very similar to the tournament in Throne of Glass, but there ends the resemblance.
Although it did not live up to my expectations, this was an interesting read and with that ending I will definitely be reading the sequel.

Sallot Leon is a gifted thief and wants out of the dog-eat-dog world of crime and poverty. They steal a flyer for an audition for the Left Hand, the Queen's personal force of assassins, and determines this is the way to escape they're monotonous and dangerous life and seek revenge on those who destroyed their home. 

Mask of Shadows offers morally ambiguous characters (stab, stab, poison!), an engaging take on what it means to be an assassin, and adds a dose of inclusiveness with a gender-fluid character like Sal. However, it lacks the foundation of a large fantasy world, world building, and setting. 

The world is Mask of Shadows is pretty interesting, but I wished we got some more information and history. The information we do get, felt disjointed and leaving the reader with more questions than answers. 

The audition for assassin was the highlight and the best part. I love reading about the Left Hand and wanted more. The audition is deadly and contains a dash of court intrigue. 

The execution and conflict is a little underwhelming. Sal is seeking revenge, but the readers don't get a chance to decide whether to root for them or not because we don't know what they've lost and what they can gain. Sometimes, that's not necessarily the case, but we know so little about Sal that it makes their actions meaningless. I don't care if they did this and this, etc. if I don't know what they have to gain or lose, or in this case, what they've lost. 

I am looking forward to reading some reviews by people who are genderfluid, to reflect on Sal's characterization. 

Mask of Shadows is being compared to Sarah J. Mass and Leigh Bardugo. I can't say about Mass, but Mask of Shadows does have a similar feel to Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. New environments, learning, and proving one's worth. Sal and Alina's voice is also similar in a witty and wry kind of way. 

In the end, Mask of Shadows could use some stronger world building and ties to cement the setting and really bring the world to life. I look forward to book two.

I have struggled so hard to read this, which is disappointed as I was looking forward to reading it. Everything about it just.... fell flat for me. Honestly, I haven't even finished it because I just cannot bring myself too. The lead character, Sal, is just soo... meh. They were just annoying to have to listen to for chapter after chapter. Also their motives seem to be very uneven. They' have never killed a person in their life, but join a competition to basically be an assassin. A thief is far, far, far from an assassin. And from the whole one scenario that we get of them being a thief, they don't seem to be good at it either. Also, they don't like the sight of blood at one point in the beginning.... and it's never mentioned again. (At least from what I've read.)

Sal was definitely not likable to me. In what I was able to read of this book, I could not wait for her character to be killed by someone else. Also, the whole idea of the competition seemed to be.... odd? Something about it didn't quite seem right. And the concept of the masks seems bizarre. And the whole.. attempting at a romance between the two characters just fell really flat for me. I really just don't know. This book was, very much, unfortunately, not for me.

Also, if I had to read "I'd" one more time where it sounded so off, I was going to claw my eyes out. Saying "I had" or "I would" sounds a lot better a majority of the time.

While I enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and interesting, it didn't match up with the description as being perfect for fans of Maas' novels. The writing needed work, as did the world/character building