SADLY... THIS WAS A DNF @ about 54%

I dont know like books that make me confused. THIS one confused the fuck out of me.
As it was stated that if you love Leigh Bardugo this book is for you. Yah. No. Not
Not that I expected Six of Crows but I did expect to get invested into the characters and I didnt. Sadly.

It's a great premise, could have been hands down the best thing to hit 2017
Assassins
Gender fluid
Murder

But it fell to the wayside.

Sigh. If only wishes were genies....

Mare~Slistread

I have to admit that it took a bit for me to really get into the book because of all the information and dialect in the dialogue. But once you get past all that, the story really progresses.

If you likes Throne of Glass then you'd like this book. A group of dangerous people competing to become one of the Queen's assassin's, a kick ass main lead who doesn't blanch at what needs to be done, and a little bit of romance thrown in there just for good measure.

The world building and history of Mask of Shadows is a bit intense. I wish the -Arc had a map in it because, not only so I adore maps, but there's so much information about territories and wars and places that it can get a bit confusing to me. It's not necessarily needed since most of the story takes place in one area, but I still like to imagine the places Sal mentions.

There's a side plot going on besides Sal trying to become the nest assassin, which is the revenge at court part. It took me a bit by surprise since I just didn't think that thread would play such a big part until the next book, but it was jumped into at the same time as the main plot thread. It blended together well in the end though, so I can see how it all works out now, but when reading it I thought it was a bit much.

All in all, I had a fun time reading this story and from how it leaves off, I know the next book will be even more action packed and gritty.

I was pretty excited to read Mask of Shadows. When I first read the blurb on the NetGalley posting, it caught my interest. The last fantasy novel I read with a genderfluid character were The Farseer/The Tawny Man/The Fitz and The Fool series with The Fool being the genderfluid character (and before anyone asks, I have read all of those series plus 2 that aren’t listed).

I actually liked Sal. She/He/They thought on his/her/their feet. The fact that she/he/they wanted to become Opal and went for it was great. Her/His/Their other reason for becoming Opal (finding the lords who refused to help her homeland and assassinating them) was pretty valid too. She/He/They thought that if she/he/they became Opal, that she/he/they could take on the lords as a side job.

I did think that the audition was a little reminiscent of The Hunger Games….but only, and stress only when the members of The Left Hand told them that it was a free-for-all. Once the auditioners were whittled down from 23 to 8, the free for all ended and they started to be eliminated by The Left Hand members or the remaining people were disqualified. Any similarities to The Hunger Games were ended. I mean, I read The Hunger Games and they battled it out to the last person (well, last two people in Katniss and Peeta’s case). Not here. The Left Hand members decided who was going to be Opal and let the remaining two people (in this case, it was referenced that there were more at previous auditions) go.

The masks kinda bothered me though. I don’t like masks. I have a phobia about things covering my face and even reading about them skeeved me out. They had to eat with those things on and I can only imagine what the insides looked like….puke. So yes, I spent almost the whole book being grossed out and praying that the masks will go away…lol.

I also liked the romance between Elise and Sal. It was sweet and totally forbidden. I actually had a huge smile on my face during those scenes. Sal really had no clue on how to act because Elise was an Erland and he/she/they hated the Erlands with a passion because of what happened to his/her/their homeland. I also liked Elise’s personality. She was spunky and she definitely not afraid to stand up for who and what she believed in.

The main plot, the audition, ended the way I thought it would (giving nothing away). But the secondary plot about Sal and her/his/their obsession with getting even with the Erland’s took a very surprising, and sad, turn. Want to find out….read the book.

The end of the book was definitely a cliffhanger. As much as I dislike cliffhangers, this one worked and I really can’t wait until book 2!!

How many stars will I give Mask of Shadows: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book and it definitely kept me engrossed.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Late Teen

Why: Violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I don’t think there is much to say about a book like Mask of Shadows. In some respects, it very much reflects every single YA fantasy book out there. Specifically, and I apologize if this comparison has already been made by, basically, every single person who’s already read the book, the plot bears remarkably similarities to the Hunger Games concept—I have to point out, though, and sorry if it sounds harsh, that the execution is so much poorer that when you’re reading this, you don’t even notice they actually are rather similar. I, at least, never thought about the Hunger Games while reading Mask of Shadows: there is too much of an abyss between the two, if you ask me.

As I said, not much to be said: bland plot, bland characters, bland—sometimes downright confusing—writing. And speaking about confusing, the world building. I’ll be very honest: I didn’t understand a thing. Take the shadows. I kept waiting and waiting for some disclosure about them, and I got none. Or, also, what’s going on in terms of politics between these various countries, which is explained in such a fragmentary and random way, with bits of it scattered here and there in the least fitting moments in the story, was completely lost on me as well.

Much of the hype around this book, as you probably know, is due to the fact that the MC, Sal, is gender fluid. Now, it’s likely that many of you have picked up or will pick up this book expecting to find in it a lot of fuss being made about the protagonist being gender fluid. The truth is that, in the story, this is actually treated as a no-big deal, which surprised and pleased me a lot. I know that many people were disappointed by this approach, which admittedly felt like rather too simplistic at times, but I like the direction it tried to take and I think the effort must be appreciated, especially if we consider that this is a topic still waiting to be duly explored by literary fiction and subgenres as fantasy in particular.

Seeing what a disappointment Mask of Shadows was for me, I’m not sure I’ll give the sequel a chance. What’s sure is that I was bored to tears and immensely frustrated by the messy world building, and that these are the main reasons why I can’t really recommend the book. But if you think you won’t be bothered by all the things I mentioned and you just want to try out the author’s approach to gender-fluidity, then I think you might even enjoy it.

Overall the book was well done. Some parts of the books lagged a bit in the pacing, but Sal was an endearing character and the author did a convincing job creating the world that produced Sal.

This is a book that is hard to put down. The story draws you right in, the characters are likable and the adventure is non-stop. When Sal jumps at the chance to be more than just a highway robber and goes to audition to be one of the Queens 4 assassins, they must fight for their life for the chance to be more. Loved the book.
Suzanne Christensen

First of all, I must say that I am so incredibly happy that this book exsists. A fantasy novel with a strong, independent, gender fluid character is something that the world of literature needs more of and this book does it all beautifully. Sallot Leon is fierce, both masculine and feminine, and determined to do everything they set their mind to.

This novel is brutal in a very good way. Sal was born into this life surrounded by tragedy. They lost everything his home, her family, and through blood, their innocence. Living on the streets as a thief and a fighter Sal does what is nessisary to survive.

Soon Sal enters the gauntlet, identity stripped away to a number and the true fight begins. The fight to become a part of Our Queen’s Left Hand. To become Opal. In order to survive, death must come. In this novel it is truly kill or be killed.

I also enjoyed the way Sal interpreted death. The way Sal dealt with the blood that would stain their hands till death set him free. How Sal felt her regret, but didn’t let it consume her. Every new day was a step closer to a goal that was burnt deeper by the darkness caused by magic and shadows of days past.

As soon as I started reading, I couldn’t get enough. I read late into the night, I thought, just one more chapter, until there were no more chapters left. I loved everything about this book. The characters, the world, the presence yet absence of magic, and the sheer will of it all.

This lovely fantasy novel is one I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t wait for the sequel!

I absolutely loved this book and I definitely agree with the blurb that it would be a great recommend for fans of Sarah J Maas. I thought that having a completely gender fluid character might be confusing at times but actually it worked really well and the main character was compelling and such fun to read.

I find this book to be more of a throne of glass and the hunger games. There was a lot of killing, thieving and backstabbing. The story was intriguing and different from most others in the fighting fantasy world. The gender fluid main character was fascinating to read about but hard to peg which way to think about until the clothes were revealed. I feel like this would have been so much better in movie form.

I am always excited when i find a YA fantasy book with queer main characters. Because they're so rare I'm often willing to overlook a lot of other issues with a book simply for the enjoyment of seeing my community represented in a genre I love so much. However, there was just too much in this book that didn't work for me to really find it enjoyable. Overall, the book just feels not totally fleshed out. The characters, the background, the romance, the plot: none of it felt like it was given the time and attention to detail needed to make the story come to life. For me at least, the political background given in the story was incredibly hard to follow, and left feeling totally apathetic about the fates of the characters. I really wanted to like this book, but overall it just feels unfinished.

Mask of Shadows Hardcover – September 5, 2017
by Linsey Miller 
I gratefully and proudly received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An utterly magnificent book! This is the reason I read fantasy, to be plunged headfirst into worlds that are so richly detailed and perfectly built that I am swept away with heroes that! Astounding! Outstanding! A modern fantasy classic! A sure front runner for the James Triptree Jr Award.

This is truly bound to be a a classic because of the unique hero and layered world with a complete history that most writers would be hard-pressed to create. In fact, many masters have spent many books and years creating worlds of such integrity. Miss Miller's work reminds me of masterpieces of fantasy in the same way The Hunger Games compares to Lois Lowry and Goldberg's Lord of the Flies.
Sallot/Twenty-Three is gender fluent and we are never shown his/her birth gender or why exactly this is. That is part of the mystery and the perfection. Sal's voice is also unique. S/he is moral, in his/her own way, but clearly is willing to do what others are not in order to set things right. Sal's family and country were swept away in a war by a weapon of destruction forged from magic. That magic, and all magic, were swept away to stop the war and that weapon. Now, Sal is trying to set the scales of universal straight but whatever means it takes. Sal has become a thief, highwayman to survive, and after robbing a particularly wonderful Elise, discovers an invitation to an audition to become the new Queen's Opal, an assassin, one of four, that maintain the peace.
The plot is foolproof, and laid out patiently, yet there is never a chance to take a break. Every character is complete, interesting and flawed the way living people are. Sal's voice is perhaps the most unique and consistent that I've ever experienced and I am thrilled to have read this book. This is a book I will return to, read and read again.
https://smile.amazon.com/Mask-Shadows-Linsey-Miller/dp/1492647497/

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

Okay, before I really jump into my review, I would like to say to those who are turned away from the book because of the "gender fluidity" should probably just ignore that it is even an aspect of the book, because it is hardly even a noticeable aspect. In fact, there are very few instances where the "gender fluidity" even is incorporated into the book. When it is mentioned, it is very subtle and really doesn't have much to do with the plot. Here are some examples of how it was woven into the book.

"I dress how I like to be addressed - he, she, or they."

or

"'Address me however I look.' I was both. I was neither. I was everything, but that wasn't exactly a friendly conversation between strangers trying to kill each other."

With that being said, I would like to say that this book could have forgone the gender fluidity, and it wouldn't have made a difference in the story. I felt that it was included in the book...just for the sake of being included in the book. It didn't add anything that the character sometimes preferred he at times and she at other times.

As far as the actual plot of the book, I can see why they say fans of Sarah J Maas would like it. I mean the main part of the story is about a person who is a thief and decides to join this competition of sorts to be a part of the Left Hand to the Queen, who is essentially her mercenaries to do her bidding and dirty work on the sly. From what I could tell, the Left Hand are basically above nobility (except the Queen of course) but are known for all the dirty work they do - except they are still honored among their noble peers. Their identities are private for some reason on top of that. I didn't quite understand the purpose of their hiding their identities, because whenever they are out....they are in their masks. It's not like they are some nighttime vigilante group, they always wear the masks. Who cares who they are, they are revered regardless because of their station as members of the Left Hand.

So the competition goes on, people die, our protagonist struggles with the ups and downs of the competition and learning the way of the nobles etc. There is a love interest in there that doesn't feel very well developed. That's basically it. I mean, there's some stuff that happens at the end of the book that you weren't really expecting, but mostly because it just builds up the premise for the next book. It wasn't exactly a twist in the story.

The characters were a bit wishy washy. I felt like I didn't get to really know the characters very well, even the main character felt lacking. Here's what I know about the main character - they're a thief, their home country was ruined, they like X person....Essentially the entire story was Sal going through the motions of the competition. I felt like Miller tried to give people personalities, but somehow they slipped through the margins in the book and got lost.

The world building was very minimal in the book. In fact, I spent the majority of the book wondering about the history of this world, besides the obvious that causes the revenge set mind of Sal. The last few pages tried to make up for it with some sort of history of the country, which at that point why bother? I didn't even care anymore to read it. Why? Because I don't plan on reading the second book, it's essentially useless to me at this point.

So when I first started this book I thought that maybe I had made a mistake as picking it as my first netgalley book, but it impressed me so much by the end that I am eagerly awaiting the next one already. The wait is going to be horrible too my friends because this book isn’t even available to you until September of this year!!

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK

First of all…Gender Fluid Character…YESYESYESYES. I think the gender fluid thing is pretty cool, I think that Sal could be whatever you wanted them to be, boy or girl, whichever you felt you liked more which I think is a very unique aspect of this book. Sal is also totally fab because they are still imperfect, even at the end of the story. Not super great at anything except surviving, they are still a super likable character. I really hate it when the main characters are magically good at something.

I thought that the world building was pretty good, I loved the spiral city and the fact that everyone wore a mask all the time. The creepy faceless satin masks sound so terrifying and I LOVE it. It was hard for me to picture what they were doing when they were eating and drinking but shadows also kill people in this book so I was trying not to look to hard for answers.

Because the story is about a test of assassins and the object is to kill each other off so you can get the job, there is a certain amount of violence in the story. It isn’t abundant though and while it can be brutal it’s not super graphic. That is my favorite kind of book violence, necessary but not over the top.

No silly love triangles or very much romance (no sex) at all in this story really which is AWESOME!! Both of those tropes are played out in this kind of book and it was refreshing to see that it wasn’t abundant in this story. Thank you Thank you for making Sal only have one love interest! You could have easily made it two but you didn’t and I love you for it!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

At first I felt like there was a lot of dialog and I hated that, it was hard for me to push through the first few chapters. As soon as she cut off that guys hand and took it to the castle for the competition it picked up a lot for me and I was hooked. So if at first you can’t get into it you should try to stick it out until at least chapter six.

Final thoughts: I would recommend this book for teens 13 and up and mature readers as well. The tagline in the blurb says for readers of Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo and I would agree, this novel easily ranks up there with both of those authors. Watch this story folks! It’s going to be popular mark my words!!

This review will be posted on August 1.

I received a copy of Mask of Shadows through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What is Mask of Shadows about?

Sal is an orphan from Nacea, a country destroyed during their childhood by the shadows. Pulled into a thieving gang after escaping from Nacea as a young child, Sal hopes to save up enough to one day join the queen's army. After finding a flyer for tryouts to be the new Opal, one of the queen's assassins, Sal has to use skills learned from a lifetime a thieving to defeat the other contestants while seeking revenge for Nacea along the way.

What I Liked

I loved the world. It's amazing and dark and scary and just gets in your head. The stories of the shadows will you nightmares. I can't think of a magical creature in a book that's scared me as much as these.

I loved the gore: the sudden and brutal deaths that come with an assassin competition. I loved Sal and their absolute brutality to achieve their goals. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, I highly recommend this book.

I loved the idea of the Left Hand, a group of assassin's named after the queen's rings who are part of court life despite literally living behind a mask. I'm a huge fan of court life in books and the idea of people talking to someone who could kill them at any moment is just great.

I loved the romance. I'm not a huge fan of romance in books but this one got me. It was sweet and intense but also didn't take over the story. This isn't a romance novel.

White I Didn't Like

The book started off a bit rocky. Things happened so quickly that I felt I didn't have time to really understand Sal and their motivations as a character, which made it a bit harder for me to get into the story. I will say though that it was 100% worth finishing the book. The book continued to get better and better as it went and I ended up finishing the last half of the book without putting it down.

I also found the dialog to be a bit awkward. The characters were a bit too straightforward with each other, especially between characters that hardly knew each other. I found it hard to care about most of the friendships.

On Gender-Fluidity

What really excited me about this book was the gender-fluid main character. This book is really important because gender-fluidity is just not represented in fantasy. I will say that gender was not a plot point of this book. It was a very real part of the story and the characters and the social interactions, but the book was not about Sal *being* gender-fluid. It was about Sal, who *is* gender-fluid, trying to become Opal and get revenge for their country.

My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐

4 stars! While I had some trouble getting into the story at first, and found some of the friendships to be awkward, I still found this book to be incredibly interesting and intense. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the assassin competition. I loved the shadows. I loved learning about the history of the world. Mostly, I loved how brutal Sal was and reading it all from their perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dark worlds and non-hero characters.

I was am very grateful to have been selected for an advanced copy of this book, because I thoroughly enjoyed the action and world-building of Mask Of Shadows.

The whole concept is original and well executed, Miller should be proud of herself for delivering YA Fantasy readers such a strong debut novel. I think this new series is perfect for young adults (and adults too!) who enjoy the Fantasy genre, especially fans of Scott Lynch and Sarah J. Maas. Miller does gender fluidity justice with the character of Sal and how she incorporates this aspect of the character into the story. I think that is was wonderful that to see a character who is gender fluid in a main-stream YA series, and I liked that it was not what drove the plot in the story. Instead, it is just who Sal is, simple as that.

I highly recommend, I can't wait for the sequel!

The below will be posted on my blog, The Crown of Books September 9th, 2017 around noon time EST.

I thought long and hard how to rate this, and I felt 4 stars was the perfect rating this book deserved. As I read this story, I enjoyed it more and more as I continued throughout the book. A story about a gender fluid thief could mean endless possibilities on what could happen, and what did happen, was intense and good.

In Mask of Shadows, a gender fluid thief, Sal auditions for the Left Hand to get a chance at revenge at people who destroyed their home. In a tough, mind-bending competition, we see Sal go through the journey as they attempt to become the next Left Hand member.

In the beginning, the writing was a little rocky. They were short and used with action, almost like a step by step on what was going happening. I thought the sentences could use my fluidity to make better writing. However, as the story progressed, I noticed that the writing somehow evolved and it was no longer step by step. It had more fluidity in the sentences and the flow became easier to continue. If you can get past the first few chapters, the writing style should not be a problem for many.

When this book came into my attention, I thought I could enjoy it. It was intense. When the main character came to the place of interest, it was clear that this "audition" was more of a battle of life and death and the remaining member becomes the next member of the Left Hand. So take this as a warning that death is involved and is described.

Everyone who showed up to audition usually have some kind of "noble" or "high status" background. The only one that didn't quite have that background is Sal and is shown that there is a major difference between Sal and the other members who want the spot. It would have been better if there was one or two more people with similar backgrounds. If memory serves me right, I do believe there was someone else that had a close enough of a status background, but the difference was still there.

In the competition, everyone is taking through rounds. Some of them are physical, some of them are mental, and some are just whatever the Left Hand can throw at them. They learn skills and vital information to help their chances, only if they can survive. Some of these rounds are intense and I just could not stop reading at that moment.

The characters in the show varies between likes and dislikes. Some of the characters you'll learn to love, and some you'll love to hate. Sal also continues to remind people what gender they are, and usually tells them direct them as to whatever they are currently wearing. Some people can be seen directing Sal as "him/she" and Sal usually makes the corrections. This does not happen often, but can be seen as point in the story. In some areas, I wished it could have been more of a driving force as I thought it could really create some interesting scenes. Also, Maud was a favorite of mine. I don't know what this story could be without her.

Overall, in the end, this story is fast paced and keeps your interests going to the point you cannot put it down and end up wanting more. Add this to your shelf and read it as soon as possible!

Great book. I felt like it was a cross between Throne of glass and Hunger Games. Loved the idea behind Sal's character. Can't wait to read the next one!

Perfect. Highly sophisticated political narrative, interwoven with language so tangible you can immerse yourself in the world.

Essentially, the protagonist is pitted against other auditioners for the role of a queen's assassin. It's brutal and bloody but also poetic and beautiful.

I also think I'm in love with Sal. As an aside.

The fact that the ending is not neatly tied together is pleasing and hints at a much-desired sequel. I think I've found a new favourite author.

Ahhh, my friends. This book, this book is a beauty. Right away I need to say that I am both cis and straight, so the gender fluid aspect of the book, while a huge delight to me, can't possibly be as important to me as someone who identifies similarly to Sal. I'm so looking forward to those reviews in the future, and seeing how special and meaningful this book could be. That being said, this book is an absolute joy.

The setup is fairly simple--it's even familiar: a main character with revenge on the mind enters a contest in the hopes of becoming one of the Queen's assassins, in the hopes of punishing those who destroyed their home country.

Yes. It could be Throne of Glass. Could be, but honestly? It's better.

Main character Sal is a pickpocket and highway robber. Having lived a life as a child thief, fighting to stay ahead and survive, they make an apt candidate for an assassin audition. Ad yet, refreshingly, Sal's life of crime really doesn't give them much leverage. Every step of the way the competition is bloody and brutal and unforgiving. People die and they die horribly. Rather than tell the reader over and over how talented and cunning Sal is, Miller lets the story show who Sal is.

I was one of those people that was disappointed in how thin the contest in Throne of Glass felt. Most of the contests are skimmed over or left off the page, and the ones we *do* see never feel like real challenges. Mask of Shadows is almost entirely the competition. The catch? Almost every waking second of Sal's day (and even most of their nights) are the competition. The assassins-to-be are encouraged to take out their competition, so we do see a good deal of death and deception. Sal is quiet but sly and competent, making the most of every opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead of the other auditioners. Even knowing that Sal can't die, the stakes feel real. You wonder who to trust, and watching Sal inch closer and closer to getting revenge for the death and destruction of their homeland and family is engaging. The ending especially makes me especially curious for the second book.

The world-building is seamless. While I would say I docked a star because I'd have liked a little more exposition on the history of this world, the fact that at no point was there clunky exposition dropped into the plot is a huge plus. It was a vivid world I did want to see and understand better. With this being a duology, there's definitely that chance in the next book.

And of course there's the diversity in the book. First of all, Sal is gender fluid. Not only is this not something that is merely glossed over, it's something that is so well-integrated into them (in my mind anyways) that it feels *right* for the character. We see Sal defend their identity and explain it, but also not apologize or justify it to anyone, and it felt so good. There's also racial diversity in the book and female friendships and women not shown to be petty and catty! And best of all, it all felt effortless. This is what fantasy is for, for creating new worlds. Worlds are not made of only one caste--they are supposed to feel huge and varied, and this is how you do it.

As someone who read a lot of Tamora Pierce growing up, I can't say enough how much this book felt like it could be one of hers. The diversity! The well-drawn characters! The gender politics! I'd have no problem believing this book belongs on a shelf right next to the Tortall books. Over the years I've seen references to her work on other books. Sometimes they feel right, other times, not so much. This one, I feel, definitely would earn it.

Even though I technically own the book as an ebook, this is a title I'd have no problem buying in hardback in September to support the author. And really, in the world of books, is there a higher compliment?