Once you start this book, you will stay up late at night turning pages to finish it. Refreshingly, the main character's gender identity was addressed in such a natural way that it flowed with the story and was an integral part to the action, but never felt shoehorned or fake. I am looking forward to the author's next book.

I don't have much to say other than I was excited but this is just a Throne of Glass/Hunger Games rip off and the only thing I enjoyed was the gender-fluid character, Sal.

The whole "gender fluid" theme throughout the whole book totally ruined the entire Book for me. It just overshadows the rest of the story.

I was not a fan of the writing style or pacing. The overall concept is interesting, but not an instant sell with teenagers.

Book Lovers,

A Gender Fluid Main character... sign me up! As you know I have been reading LGBT stories for over 10 years.. they are my jam!

This my loves was confusing, a little bland.

It was a little hunger games though to be honest, come on now.. find your own story!

"I was what I was - what Nacea had made me, what Erlend had made me, what Our Queen had made me. There was no innocence left in this world, left in me, not after all we had done"

* * .5
2.5 / 5

I had very high hopes for Linsey Miller's debut novel and, on the whole, I was a little disappointed. Whilst there's intrigue, assassinations, politics, a competition (there's very little I love more than game plots - see A Gathering of Shadows), and a reasonably well-developed main character, Sallot Leon, the book feels rough. I must say that Sallot just sounds like shallot, which is not even close to be as cool a name as Sal.

The novel opens with Sal doing their thing as a highway robber. The writing is good, though the dialogue is a bit clunky. I was slightly concerned that the plot might turn out like Throne of Glass - there's a competition to become an assassin, a tough character with a tragic past - but fortunately these concerns are soon swept away. There are initial hints to Miller's world building, mentions of runes, magic and shadows, as well as a civil war and impending trouble. All exciting stuff. There is little explanation of these at the start, possibly to avoid clunky info-dumping, but I did feel a little confused until about half-way in. Frankly, even by the end of the book I still didn't really understand how Miller's runes and magic system functioned!

Quite swiftly, within a dozen or so pages, the plot moves on to the main element: the competition for the opportunity to be the fourth assassin, Opal, of the Queen's left hand (does she only have four fingers?). The other three assassins, Ruby, Amethyst, and Emerald, oversee the competition. Ruby has the most memorable personality whereas Amethyst and Emerald are a little too interchangeable. Everyone has scars and is super muscular. Now, to enter the competition, Sal must leave the criminal gang they belong to and bring a token worthy of an assassin. I found this scene a touch unrealistic. Sal takes the life of gang leader Grell, a man they have served under since childhood, who takes people's fingers on a whim. Yet Sal has no issues betraying him, a man who scares everyone else witless, chopping off his hand with no real difficultly all within hours of learning about the competition!

Where this book gets good is the competition itself. Sal is competitor number 23, and this section is abound with plots, lessons, and murders. Three of my favourite things. Winding alongside this narrative arc is Sal's underlying motive: revenge for their country, Nacea, which was decimated during the civil war, and love for the Queen. There's also the delightful building up of Sal's relationship with their maid, Maud, and the fledgling romance with Elise, Sal's tutor. Elise is charming, beautiful, and a scholar to boot. Their meeting is delightful. The romance itself, however, seems a little confused. It seems to stray into various cliches and paradigms: it is vaguely forbidden because of the disparity in social standing and Elise's father, it is sweet and slow building, and then passionate. I felt like Miller couldn't quite settle on the kind of romance she wanted to tell and instead varied between kinds and it ends up being a bit unsatisfying.

Neither were Sal's relationships with the other competitors particularly well-developed. We get it, they're all trying to kill each other so there aren't any particularly close relationships. The fact that they are only ever called by numbers makes it a little hard to tell Two, Four, Five, Eleven, Fifteen and a few more, characters that are supposed to be notable, apart. I had a few moments where a character popped up and I thought they had already been killed. There's also the fact that Sal takes their mask off at one point and none of the other competitors recognised them. I think if I spent a few weeks in close proximity with someone in a mask, I'd recognise their body shape and appearance even without it.

Then there is Sal. I applaud the author for writing a genderfluid person of colour (Sal is described as having "russet-toned skin") as diversity in books is something I prize highly. This isn't a novel about being genderfluid, it just has a character who happens to be so. I only wish Sal's identity wasn't so entrenched in sexist stereotypes about what it is to be a man or woman. Miller manages to avoid the classic clunky information dump and instead opts to only bring it up concerning clothes and their relation to pronouns. Consistently Sal says things like "I dress how I like to be addressed - he, she, or they" or "You can call me she when I dress like this. I dress how I am" (whilst wearing a dress, in which Sal twirls a lot) the implication here obviously being that a woman is a person in a dress... There are more examples. Interestingly, the blurb uses "they" for Sal (which is why I have used it in this review), yet Sal snaps at people using "they", saying "address me however I look", as though there is a way to look like a woman (there isn't). Whilst I appreciate the author's attempt to write a diverse character, this was not the way to do it. One's identity should not be built on shoving other people into gender roles.

The last 10% or so of the book was the crowning jewel for me. The emotions were ramped up and this is where Miller's writing truly shone - I could feel the passion in the words, I could feel Sal. I mean look at this:

"I would kill the lords whose heritage was built on war and hate, and I would never be free of it, but the world would be free of them."

I was uncertain about Sal's motive before - they seem torn between revenge, duty to the Queen, and personal improvement at various points in the plot - but now I have no doubt. It's definitely revenge. The Queen also finally shows the spine I'd been waiting for:

"I am nothing like them. The decisions I made, everything I gave up, I did it for you, for each and every one of you, and you have no idea of the costs. You may be able to repay your debt in blood, but I'll take mine to the pyre."

A pet peeve of mine is when a character is so -sassy- and disrespectful to someone who, realistically, they ought to be in fear and awe of. This woman has united countries and ordered deaths! I'd be on my knees and yet previously the Queen had seemingly given Sal a free pass to be a cliche, irritating snob. So when I read this bit I was immensely pleased. Where had this stunning writing been for the rest of the book? The rest of the writing was fine, but the last few pages were excellent! Miller sets up perfectly for the sequel.

Overall, the plot was based on something I love (a game/competition) so I was fairly sure I would enjoy this. It's not a particularly original book and it could have massively benefited from some more explanation of the world and less dependence on gender roles, but I was pleased with the fast-paced plot, the writing, and the exciting end.

I'm really torn about this book. The plot was intriguing but I kept wondering why "The Queen's Left Hand" had only four jewels and not five. For some reason, that really bothered me and I know-- four fingers and a thumb. I also found the world building a bit muddled; and the letter at the end did nothing to help. I also thought the whole idea of the main character being gender fluid was completely unnecessary, gimmicky and distracting. That being said, I did enjoy much of the author's style of writing and the pace of the story.

I found Mask of Shadows reminiscent not only of The Hunger Games but also of The Poison Study Series.

First of all, I'm absolutely in love with this cover. It's seriously gorgeous. Anyways, moving on, haha.

I found the genderfluid character to be a really nice touch. I was just so excited to have this diverse character, and I wanted to see how people reacted to them, and how the story went. Unfortunately, I think the author missed out on some chances to create tension/drama with this. Everyone was just so accepting of Sal. I think there were only two or three times in the book that someone--I think it was the same character every time--offended Sal by getting their gender/pronoun wrong. It would've been nice to have more of a balance. Yes, I liked that not a lot of attention was given to it--but I still wanted it to be more part of the story, to create conflict.

The competition aspect added tension, sure, but it made it hard to get to know the characters. I kept trying to remember which number was who and had done what. However, it did get easier later down as the competitors were whittled down. This was kind of the same with Ruby, Emerald, and Amethyst--it was hard to get to really know them when they showed up so rarely but it was better towards the end. When Opal was chosen they relaxed more and their personalities showed more.

I think one factor that really dragged the story down was Sal's obsession with getting revenge. It made the whole story feel really plot-driven. I guess that wouldn't be too bad if there was more of a balance with well-written characters. I think being the first book probably limited it to how much they could get done. I think the sequel would open it up more for the author to really let the characters shine and balance out the focus on plot.

Overall, I think the book had some flaws that could be fixed easily in the next book. The story itself is interesting enough, and I'd be open to reading the sequel.

*Full review to be published on Stellar Kitten Book Reviews on August 1st. I will edit at that time with the post link

Miller, Linsey Mask of Shadows, 384 pages. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, SEPT 2017. $18. Language: R (10 swears, 1 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (gender fluid main character); Violence: PG-13 (bloody)

Sal lives a desperate life as a thief under a cruel task master. When Sal finds an announcement for the contest to name a new Opal (think assassin) for the Queen, Sal decides to enter the auditions, even if it could mean death. The auditions are held in anonymity and are very brutal, demanding the utmost concentration on order to survive. Sal has almost no one to trust except Maud, the maid servant. And maybe the beautiful Elise, a noble girl whom Sal met during a brazen robbery. What Sal doesn’t realize is that the queen Sal has always been loyal to may not actually be worthy of that loyalty. But Sal has other deeper reasons for joining the auditions. Certainly should Sal survive and succeed, Sal will be drawn into higher level and even more dangerous intrigues.

Sal is gender fluid, so the personal pronoun is applied based on which gender is predominate at any given moment. The narrative flows quickly, with plenty of added detail and character to provide depth and emotional connection.

HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Sal is a thief. Orphaned at a young age, Sal steals from the noble lords and tries to forget the magical monsters created by those nobles; monsters that devoured the people of Nacea, Sal's home, during a terrible civil war. Then Sal steals an invitation to audition for the Queen's Left Hand, a group of assassins named after the rings she wears, and sees a way to escape the thief's life and get revenge.

In general, you've got your standard YA fantasy elements: an orphan seeking a way to a better life, sorcery, monsters and magic; complicated political intrigue; secrets and a romance breaks the rules. The storytelling is okay, although the political background was quite confusing - I was never clear on which factions were which, and exactly why Sal was seeking revenge on various characters. And while Sal, Sal's maid Maud, and Sal's romantic partner Elise, had their characters fleshed out, the rest of the cast felt entirely interchangeable, especially the 22 other people auditioning for the assassins role. So at first glance, pass.

But the intriguing bit about this book, and the part that's going to get talked about, is the gender-fluid main character. Sal's pronouns change by the day, but I'll let Sal explain it:

"Rath had asked me once, after we'd met and been living together, and I'd not known how to explain it yet. 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."

It's mentioned in the book a few times, but it's not the plot of the book, and doesn't even really drive the plot that much. It's simply a fact about Sal, like Sal's messy hair or scrawny, underfed body. The creativity of that bumped the book up a bit for me. Now if we can only get Sal a better written book for the sequel...

I really enjoyed this book! I appreciated Sam's gender fluidity and loved that she/he could be so ruthless and determined one minute and then shy and tender the next. Now I can't wait for book two!

Sallot Leon knows what it’s like to fight for what you want. Growing up on the streets and being forced to rob noblemen and street fight by your gang leader will teach you that very quickly. But Sal isn’t like all of the others forced into this behavior—Sal is the last of their race. After a brutal civil war during their childhood, Sal’s entire country is wiped out by a devastating magical force that becomes banned from the continent by the end of the war. But not before Sal lost everything they ever had. When Sal robs a noble girl who has a flyer stating that the new Queen needs a new member of her inner circle that she keeps to do her bidding—and killing—Sal seizes the opportunity for freedom and the chance at revenge for those who left their country to die. But Sal is tested far beyond what they imagined as they and twenty-two other auditioners are put through a series of tests—and are allowed to discreetly kill each other to eliminate the competition. There can only be one Opal…and Sal has to be it to avenge Nacea. Welcome to the Left Hand Auditions.

First things first—am I the only one who thought “Ha, Sallot. Shallot…They’re an onion. Lol”? Just me? Okay.

As I’m sure is the case for many other readers, I saw this book being compared to Sarah J. Maas’s work and I was sold. Was that an accurate description? Not really. If we’re going to compare this book to another well-known fantasy series, I’d go with Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series and I would anticipate a similar divide in its receipt with some readers loving it and some hating it.

So let’s just jump right in here to the main reason most readers will probably pick this book up: the main character’s genderfluidity. Firstly, if I had read the entirety of the description on Netgalley, I wouldn’t have requested this book. Simply put, I’m still learning about the different gender spectrums and don’t know enough or can identify with the main character’s identity. But from the little that I know, I don’t think this is the best representation. Sal prefers to identify with whatever gender they’re currently dressed as whether it be male or female (“they” is never used after Sal gives this explanation). I know that this is not valid for all genderfluid people and how they want to be addressed isn’t hinged upon how they chose to dress that day. But, okay, if we’re going with this “address me as I’m dressed” concept, then why doesn’t Sal ever select their clothes themselves? They consistently allow their servant to choose their clothes every day and Sal seemingly just runs with whatever Maud chooses and identifies as that gender for the day. I don’t really think that’s how it works. Maybe Sal simply doesn’t hold their gender that closely to their heart? Nope. Sal repeatedly gets angry at another auditioner for referring to them as “she” when they’re dressed as a “he.” So why doesn’t Sal choose their own clothes and gender for the day??? Furthermore, the only detail we get about Sal’s clothes is that they’re mostly all black so the identifying marker that Sal hinges their gender upon is if they’re wearing a dress, and therefore a girl for the day, or pants, and therefore a guy for the day. Great way to reinforce gender norms and basically imply that girls can’t wear pants?? Beyond all of that, the way that Sal’s gender is represented makes it seem as though genderfluidity is commonplace and widely accepted in their world. However, there are scenes where Sal’s gender is assumed (i.e. when Elise states that she isn’t only attracted to men yet doesn’t ask Sal what they identify as) and scenes as aforementioned when Sal becomes upset at another person for assuming the wrong gender, implying that it is not so commonplace or accepted, especially considering no other characters are ever asked what their gender is. It was all just confusing for me and I definitely can’t say I feel any more educated than before reading this which is truly a shame.

Because of the characters all being referred to as numbers rather than by names, I found it quite difficult to keep all of them straight. The main ones that are focused on eventually became separated in my mind but I often found myself thinking “wait, who’s that again?” when an auditioner would die. I do think the number concept was cool and original but with there being so many it was just too difficult to remember them all. Although admittedly I am not the best at keeping large castings of characters straight as I had the same problem in Throne of Glass, The Hunger Games, and every other book along the same lines as this one. And along with a large cast, usually comes little to no character development which is exactly the case here. Sal did have some development along the way but there isn’t much to say about the other characters, including the Left Hand of the Queen which were the only characters I actually cared about the entire book.

I did like the plot and the pacing of the book mostly. I do hope that when this book is printed a map is included of the world as it was difficult to picture all of the places mentioned by the characters. However the world is fairly well-explained and I enjoyed learning about the history of Igna and how it became a country. I also really enjoyed the twists that were thrown in and didn’t connect the dots myself when reading so they were a cool surprise. I do think that some parts of the plot were a bit clunky, such as Sal seemingly being able to read after two lessons and the characters only having to complete one conditioning class the entire time, but overall I did enjoy the plot and it kept me engaged.

Lastly, the romance was just a little too insta-lovey for me. Insta-love is a fine line for me between loving it and thinking it’s too farfetched. This is the latter. I just cannot picture how a character can go from being robbed by someone to falling in love with the person after one tutoring session. The interactions definitely felt genuine between the characters but a few hour tutoring sessions in a week doesn’t exactly add up to I-would-die-for-you feelings in three lessons.

Overall, this isn’t a remarkable book by any means. If you’ve read Red Queen, The Hunger Games, and by some stretch Throne of Glass, then you have read this. With the unique feature of a genderfluid character being written so muddily, I can’t really even recommend this on that level. But I did find myself entertained by the book and I am invested enough in the storyline at this point that I am going to read the next book when it is released.

I unique world with fleshed out characters however the world building was lacklustre.

I like trying new authors, as it gives me an opportunity to try new things and give new people a chance, which completely paid off as this was such a good read. I wasn't hooked from the start, but I was very happy by the end. A must read

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller is scheduled to the released on September 5, 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire and is a young adult sci-fi fantasy. I have to admit that I truly loved reading this book and felt it was interesting from the first page. I really did not want to put it down. Miller is an amazing writer! The way she created a story that is truly unique, yet very believable. This book really got under my skin because of Miller’s very vivid, realistic characters and setting. The story is about Sal, a street fighter and highway thief, that auditions for a place on the Queen’s Left Hand. Which is her trusted band of assassins. I will not give away any of the plot line, you must read this to find out. I found this book to be an amazing read and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book!

Imagine someone thinking, can there be a book that's a crossover between the Hunger Games, a tiny bit of Game of Thrones (I should have spotted that one from the blurb), a Divergent-like training setting, numbers instead of names and of course a gender fluid character? And this is the result.

It might sound like a nice mixture but its mostly just confusing.

Our character, Sal is gender fluid but that's all you'll get. At roughly 10% you get a quote saying "I dress how I want to be addressed, he, she, or they." which is awesome but that's all the explanation we're given. And no, I don't need to have an explanation but this is a brand new world I'm entering and a line like that makes me believe that acceptance is something that won't be an issue and yet we get a few scenes where the character gets emotional whenever someone does anything to show acceptance, which leads me to believe its not a given? But I don't know?

Our character and 22 more are all named using numbers, 1 to 23 and they wear masks as they compete for the Left Hand as the Queen's assassin aaaand I'm bored to death. We get no names, no facial characteristics, nothing. In theory its a nice way to make everyone equal (?) but it gives the readers nothing to connect with or care for that matter.

Plus a few things don't make sense:
• If any one of the 23 candidates are caught with enough evidence of killing anyone they'll be disqualified. Then what's the point?
• Our character is illiterate but goes from barely being able to read "cat" to suddenly reading when the plot demands it?

The one thing that made this book interesting was the one thing that didn't get explored. The gender fluidity might as well not be there, it is barely mentioned and it changes nothing as far as the plot goes or even the character. Was that on purpose, was it a bait? Who knows. The rest is just Hunger Games with a touch of everything in between.

Anytime you combine court intrigue with high stakes and a morally ambiguous lead, you have a book I'm almost certain to enjoy.

Mask of Shadows certainly fits the bill. The story features a gender fluid main character, Sal, whose resolve and cunning not only serve the plot well, but also make for compelling emotional tension, particularly as they build relationships to other characters.

The use of numbers for the names of many of the minor characters did make it difficult at times for me to keep them straight, or care about them. However, this felt somewhat deliberate, mimicking the distance Sal wanted to impose between themself and their competition. There is an artless simplicity to the prose in this novel that joins the personality of the main character well, creating a unique and effective voice.

Overall, this story put me in mind of a fantasy version of The Hunger Games, if Katniss was more calculating and dangerous, and the goal was not only survival, but becoming the queen's assassin. The world-building is dark and downright haunting, and the narrative delivers on it. I'm eager to see what happens next in the series.

This book was not perfect but overall Mask of Shadows is a strong opening to a new duology that I look forward to continuing.

This is a book where Nevernight meets Throne of Glass. I loved the main character and how they handle gender and gender identity. The main character was likeable and the main story was interesting to follow. The only issue I had was the history/backstory of the different nation's. It was a little confusing for me. Other than that, I highly recommend this book.