I really like a lot of elements of this novel. It had action to keep you entertained, intriguing plot lines, and decent enough characters. However, it lacked something that really set it apart from other YA books within the genre. It can be easy to get bogged down when you are an avid YA reader by tropes and similar plot points and I was hoping for something to "wow" me and I just didn't find it in this story. I did have an enjoyable time reading it but wouldn't revisit it or think about it for years to come.

Mask of Shadows was an unsuspected gem. I really enjoyed reading it, really enjoyed the romance and the magic system and the world that these characters exist in. It does have flaws, mostly in execution than in the actual story, but they weren’t enough to make me dislike the story or want to put it down. I read this book so quickly, I was so invested in Sal and her pursuit for the more that I literally couldn’t put the book down.

I found out this was a duology and you bet your butts that I am going to be getting my hands on that book because I really want to see how this ends!

Oh, I really enjoyed reading this duology! I did enjoy Shadows more than Stars, because Sal was working for being Opal, and there were all the challenges and such, while Stars was more serious and dealing with Sal going after those that broke their country. Yeah.

I really enjoyed Sal, they knew who they were, and they were fluid, and I'd never read that combo before (it's been one or the other, not both) and yeah, they were a great character to read about. I really enjoyed their relationship with Elise, and others like their servant, Maud. I loved their interactions! I did think they were a little bit naive, thinking that the Queen was perfect. They learned that the Queen was human and made mistakes, but it was a hard lesson to learn.

I read in another review that there was apparently backlash about how little there was about Sal being fluid in Shadows, so there it was double downed on in Stars. I wish that there'd been more in Shadows, and less in Stars.

Part of that was because of how Sal lamented on the way the world was, being frigid, either/or. I just wish that they'd at least once instead of complaining on how it was, contemplated what they wanted it to be. It'd be especially helpful for those like me, who have little knowledge about being fluid.

Yeah, these books were really great, and I can't wait to read more from Linsey Miller!

Honestly, while I did like the book, I found it really odd and confusing at times. The gender fluid thing, while not a deal breaker, is not working for me when I’m reading the book as if I were Sal. Am I (born) male or female? This would help me make sense of other parts of the story.
All the characters are so well written and the storyline is great, there’s just that confusion I mentioned that ends up making me overthink the story and lose the rhythm I have while reading it.

Sal, our gender-fluid main character, is trying to get into the Opal attention to become the next queens assassin but obviously has other plans that go beyond the competition. The story was filled with action which kept it moving but lacked a lot of depth for me. I felt as if it was slow and didn’t contain as much exposition as it should have. It will be good to see how the author continues to develop the story. I was interested in it but unfortunately the story didn’t hold my interest.

This book was so dull, which is weird, since it contained so much action. I truly wanted to like it but there were so many moments that I was just so incredibly confused as to what was going on that I just......couldn't. I couldn't follow the story and that in itself makes it really hard to enjoy. Really a disappointing reading experience and I was just not a fan.

Wonderfully interesting premise, this book pulls you into the action immediately. I love that I was never sure if the main character was a man or a woman, and it didn't matter to the story at all. A must for teen fiction collection.

I had a hard time getting into the story. Something felt distant about it, and predictable. Still a good read

Mask of Shadows is a book that I wanted to love, but in reality ended up feeling very neutral about. It's hard to become attached to a main character who's goal is to become an assassin. And while I like the idea of a gender neutral character (we definitely need more of that kind of representation in the arts), the way this was done was a bit ham-handed. Other that that, the story was interesting, but just generally felt like a lot of other stories that have already been writing.

All of these things on there own wouldn't be bad, but combined created a story that was okay, but nothing to write home about or recommend.

A great fantasy novel to read with plenty of action and peril. The characters are unique and fleshed-out with their own backstory which I think was delivered flawlessly without slowing the story down. I highly recommend!

If you're reading a book and you read only in the morning but when you go to bed at night you are thinking about the characters in that book, and wondering what is about to happen next, you probably really like that book.

If you're reading a book and you tend to always read that book in the same fashion (physical copy, or on a Kindle or Nook) and you download a copy onto your phone because you want to read a little more when you have even a brief moment ... you probably really like that book.

Both of these happened to me with Linsey Miller's <em>Mask of Shadows</em>.

Sallot Leon is a thief - s/he has found a way to survive in a world where s/he is the last of his/her people - his/her home destroyed when the soldiers, who had promised to stay and protect the city, retreated, leaving the defenseless citizens to be slaughtered by a vicious enemy. Now Sal wants revenge against all the cowardly military leaders who lied and let the city be ravaged.

Sal is invited to audition to become one of the elite assassins to the queen, known as the Left Hand. Sal, and the others invited to audition, could become the next Opal, to fight and kill alongside Ruby, Emerald, and Amethyst. The odds are against Sal, who becomes known only as 'Twenty-three,' as others who have more practice in killing, and are sometimes bigger, or faster, or better trained with weapons. But Sal is quick-thinking and determined. Unfortunately getting through auditions is only the beginning as audition-er will kill audition-er in the first couple of tests.

Okay ... first things first ... this is very CLEARLY a <em>Hunger Games</em> sort of story. One might say 'rip-off' and be correct. One might say 'homage' and be correct. Since <em>Hunger Games</em>' popularity was so dynamic, there have been plenty of books trying to capitalize on that success.

The book is full of action and Lynsey Miller handles this well. I definitely got caught up in the thrill of the kill and survival techniques and action point jumps to action point rapidly.

But we also get caught up in Sal. Sal is gender-fluid. Male? Female? Sal's physical appearance suggest one gender, but Sal identifies with another. This is a twist in such a popular fiction format but quite topical and likely to gain some traction with many YA readers. Sal's attraction to a teacher is a delightful sub-plot, and Sal's reason for revenge is revealed slowly though the story and definitely kept me hooked.

I understand the problems with the book ... Sal really has no reason to be invited to audition for Opal, but there's a certain amount of willing-suspension here. The Left Hand sees all, as we come to learn during the auditions and so it's believable (if you let yourself) that they see talents in a thief that might become useful. And of course Sal really doesn't have what it takes to become an elite assassin ... but if s/he did, there would be no drama or reason for a story.

Yes, this is a retread of <em>The Hunger Games</em>, but Miller handles it well and it's very exciting. It's a YA novel and the YA reader will likely really get into this. For action and excitement that I couldn't wait to get back to, I rate this well.

Looking for a good book? <em>Mask of Shadows</em> by Linsey Miller is a riveting, fast-paced YA novel that fans of <em>The Hunger Games</em> will enjoy.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a mediocre read for me; it was fast paced and exciting, but I didn't find it flushed out enough. I wanted to know more about the shadows that were talked about (I'm guessing the author is saving more reveals for the sequel?). I also found that during action scenes the characters' movements weren't always clear, which made it confusing for me as a reader to follow what was happening.

Overall, it was a fun read, but I don't think I'll be continuing this series.

First off, I do applaud the inclusivity of this title and it including a gender fluid character. This is something that should be more represented in literature, especially teen literature. But I'm getting a bit overwhelmed by these fantasy titles that all seem too alike to me and the plots don't stand out. The plot didn't interest me enough to finish the book.

I give the book four stars. I would recommend this book to anyone. I enjoyed the story and characters. I look forward to more stories from this author.

Amazing concept, rock star execution, and an awesome protagonist. This debut exceeded all my expectations and I definitely look forward to reading the sequel!

This book has it all. Magic and filled with an addictive atmosphere. Sal, the main character is a thief and has a chance to be one of the queen's assassins. It definitely had some Throne of Glass vibes going on.
I've never read a gender fluid character before, and I think this book did a really good job, (Though I was left with a few questions, I believe only a gender fluid author might be able to do an own voices story that would be more comprehensive.)

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

I've hesitated to write a review for this book for a long time, and it's probably because I couldn't find the words. The main part of this book was that its protagonist is gender fluid. While that is fascinating, i unfortunately found the summary more interesting than the actual book. This is so devastating, as I had my whole heart and being ready to love this book. Genderfluid thief? Assassins??? Court intrigue??? Had me sold! I think it just may be that I've just finished a Conjuring of Shadow by V.E. Schwab and been too dazzled by Lila Bard, the genderfluid thief of my dreams. Regardless, it have the potential to go somewhere and I can see that in the author.

We have an extensive fantasy collection at my library that is well read. I am always looking for more books for those avid readers. This one fits the bill nicely.

This was an odd book- I liked the story a lot but it was slow to read. The world building was kind of ordinary and the characters were a bit hard to keep straight except for Sal. They were great, and I really liked how the nonbinary aspects of their character presented themselves- it was natural and most characters took it in stride, which I loved. Plus Sal was just a great MC. I really liked Maud as well, and the Left Hand. I'm not sure if I'd rush to read the sequel but I'm glad I read this book. I liked it!