Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

Due to stubborn pride, I’ve only DNF’d a handful of books in my entire life, yet I had to put this one down after great pains: the setup of this book is so bizarrely rushed yet complicated at times, I was disoriented within a matter of chapters.

However, as I don’t have the full ability to explain this book in detail, I’ll simply say that it felt incredibly shambled together at times. Characters tended to do menacing things without really being that scary, and the plot jumped from one point to another with an urgency that never felt earned; there’s simply no setup given beyond, “Here are the good and bad guys, look at them go at each others’ throats,” and I found it difficult to register any other feeling besides that of supreme blandness.

Furthermore, there’s just no character development in this story. Sure, I’d only read half of it, but considering that I felt next to nothing as characters were dropping dead left and right, I’m pretty sure the latter half of this book wasn’t going to be any different; the author tends to take the readers’ emotional investment for granted simply due to universal truths like “death is a sad thing,” but as I didn’t understand the depth to any of these characters’ plights, I really did not care at all about their fates.

Long story short, don’t waste your time on this one. There’s literally no pretense of a setup here as this book simply info-dumps characters into a Hunger Games scenario, and even amidst the selling point of a gender-fluid protagonist, this book is bland, tedious, and confusing, and I simply cannot recommend it.

Due to stubborn pride, I've only DNF'd a handful of books in my entire life, yet I had to put this one down after great pains: the setup of this book is so bizarrely rushed yet complicated at times, I was disoriented within a matter of chapters.

However, as I don't have the full ability to explain this book in detail, I'll simply say that it felt incredibly shambled together at times. Characters tended to do menacing things without really being that scary, and the plot jumped from one point to another with an urgency that never felt earned; there's simply no setup given beyond, "Here are the good and bad guys, look at them go at each others' throats," and I found it difficult to register any other feeling besides that of supreme blandness.

Furthermore, there's just no character development in this story. Sure, I'd only read half of it, but considering that I felt next to nothing as characters were dropping dead left and right, I'm pretty sure the latter half of this book wasn't going to be any different; the author tends to take the readers' emotional investment for granted simply due to universal truths like "death is a sad thing," but as I didn't understand the depth to any of these characters' plights, I really did not care at all about their fates.

Long story short, don't waste your time on this one. There's literally no pretense of a setup here as this book simply info-dumps characters into a Hunger Games scenario, and even amidst the selling point of a gender-fluid protagonist, this book is bland, tedious, and confusing, and I simply cannot recommend it.

Title: Mask of Shadows
Author: Linsey Miller
Format: eARC
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

*I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was advertised as being for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo. I haven't read any Leigh Bardugo, but I have read Sarah J. Maas. I don't see the connection other than some minor plot points like the need to kill.

A Sarah J. Maas book is a book you do not want to put down. The plot here is quite slow and has a way of making me tired. There is no wondering how something is going to happen here.

The main character is a gender fluid character, meaning they don't identify as either male or female, named Sallot Leon. A former thief, out for revenge for their people. People in a country left to die so those in another country could live. Now the opportunity has presented and Sallot becomes 23 in hopes of becoming the new Opal, one of four assassins who works for the Queen, killing her enemies.

The auditions to become Opal are intense. The auditioners can kill each other. In fact, that is how they are limited down to who will be in the final running. You'd think there would be suspense here at the unknown attack and when it would happen. Somehow, this did not get through. I was very relaxed reading this, and sometimes a little too relaxed and would need to put it down to take a nap.

The plot was good, but the writing could use some work. If this were a Sarah J. Maas book, the suspense that should have been there, would have come through. I found this to be kind of just meh, and rated this as a 3 of 5. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.

Gender fluid main character. Once gain, I'm not sure our small southern town is ready for this book, but we will get there. :)

The book started out strong- a unique hook, intrigue, clever competition , etc. Yet-yet it just went on and on. I understand that there are many hurdles that must be past but it got to be a little exsessive in my opinion. By the end I felt (that if the author was going for a series) that it is all resolved in my mind. I did not even bother to see when the next book is coming out.

"Mask of Shadows" eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Linsey Miller (http://www.linseymiller.com). This is Ms. Miller's first novel.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and a little Mature Language. The story is set in another universe where magic is possible. The main character is young Sallot Leon.

Leon is a thief. S/he (Leon is a bit gender fluid) wants to get away from robbing the nobles. From one young woman victim, who Leon is quite taken with, she finds a notice of an upcoming audition to become a new member of the Queen's Left Hand - the Queen's personal assassins.

Leon sees the audition as a way out. This is not an easy competition. Leon is the last of 23 to be accepted. Not only must the competitors prove their abilities, but assassination of fellow competitors is not only allowed, but encouraged. Leon must use skills learned fighting on the streets to survive. As the audition progresses, a tutor is assigned to Leon to help with reading and language skills. The tutor turns out to be the young robbery victim and before long feelings develop between the two.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 352 young adult fantasy. I liked the characters that were developed in this novel and the plot. It is never clear what gender Leon is, so this should be considered a LBGT novel. This is a miner point and doesn't really impact the story much. I liked that it was a world of magic, but the magic is now just part of their history. The cover art is OK, but something relating to a scene in the novel would be better in my opinion. I think that Ms. Miller did an excellent job on her first novel and I look forward to reading the second book planned for this duology. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I have been meaning to review this book for a while, as it has been on my mind since I read it last spring. There was a lot of hype about this book, with most blurbs and marketing material trumpeting the gender fluid protagonist. I am glad to have diverse representations in literature, particularly in the YA sphere. But what really pulled me into "Mask of Shadows" were the complexity of characters, the precarious nature of a kingdom on the verge of war, and, of course, the heart-pounding action mildly reminiscent of "The Hunger Games" yet with more statecraft and subtly to round out the at-times gory and cutthroat competition. Sure, open up the book for whichever reason you like. But it will be so much more.

Sal is a thief working on paying their debts. One easy way to pay debts? Enter a competition sponsored by the queen to join her personal guard, a group of assassins called The Queen's Left Hand, each named after a stone ring she wears. Sal is intriguing, tortured by their broken homeland and the scars they bear from that and a life fighting on the streets. Throughout the story, they struggle with belonging, constantly correcting those around them on what pronouns to use and feeling not quite accepted by those around them. A romantic fling that gets rather steamy (sometimes too steamy) brings some sense of grounding, but ultimately what Sal seeks is revenge for those responsible for their family's death.

The competition is rather bloody. In each round, the Auditioners are to kill each other without getting caught or harming those outside the competition. At times the violence made me flinch. But the subterfuge, alliances, and relationships created throughout the book gave relief to the blood. There are also political machinations along with a supernatural component to the land, adding to the complexity of Sal's goals. Although these are fascinating elements, they are also sometimes sloppily integrated into the book.

Still, it looks like there will be a sequel, and I look forward to learning more about the larger kingdom and the dangers that come with war, and how Sal adapts to their new role. Will they succumb to the ruthlessness of their peers and the world around them, or retain some of the good humor, quick wit, and naïveté that distinguished them from the rest?

This is a case of not reading reviews until you read the book. I have been on a nonfiction kick, so this was the first fantasy book that I have read in a looooong while. I liked it. I mean yeah there were some flaws, but it will forever go down as the book to get me out of a six-month reading slump, so of course it is gonna have a high place on the list.

I thought it was a nice story set in a fantasy world that could have used more worldbuilding. Yeah, the worldbuilding was…..lackluster…i have SO MANY QUESTIONS but it is a duology, and I am hoping to the Lady that the authors answer the questions and world builds better in the next book.

Yes. I am gonna read the next book. I know many say they are not but I dunno how you can just abandon a book with that many questions. I mean there is a WAR going on at the end of the book, and I must know WHO WINS…So I am going to keep my eyes peeled on NetGalley, and I fail to get approved for the second book than on my library hold list.

Meh. Honestly this felt like a knock off of the Throne of Glass series. We have a troubled heroine who has run ins with the law. We also have the heroine entering a competition to become the King/Queens' assassin. The first book in both series is about said competition and the friendships they make within the walls of the castle. Honestly I wasn't impressed. Oh well can't please everyone.

A much-needed novel in terms of representation, but unfortunately I found the plot lacked originality and the writing left much to be desired.

*Copy provided by NetGalley*

I was intrigued by the idea of having a gender-fluid main character. Unfortunately, the writing and the plot fell flat for me. While the premise sounded promising, in the end, it just wasn't for me.

Received a free copy for NetGalley

This wasn’t for me. It was a struggle to finish.
The writing wasn’t great, for me it was confused and all over the place.
It had an interesting poly for Sal being genderfluid, however I feel like the characters lacked depth and remain underdeveloped .

Overall the book for me fell flat and I didn’t enjoy it .

This book was just not my cup of tea and I was not able to finish it. I think this would appeal to other readers-
Thank you for this opportunity, though!

This was kind of way too similar to Throne of Glass but it was really good to have that gender fluid representation

Unfortunately I did not get the chance to read this one in time, but I did buy the hardcover. I am excited to finally dive in. Thank you!

I'll admit that I put this off a bit because I'd seen a few negative reviews out a few months in advance. But I really had nothing to worry about! I was hooked by the end of the first chapter, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Sal and hearing about all of their escapades. And it was so nice to be in a world where the majority of characters just accepted Sal's changing pronouns and their gender with no questions asked except "how can I make you feel more comfortable?" I'd definitely like to see more of that explored in fantasy worlds, because if we can have dragons and fairies, we can certainly have a bit of diversity. Back to this book specifically, though - I loved the idea of an assassin competition, and while I understand why so many people drew parallels between it and THE HUNGER GAMES, I think the vastly different setting really set it apart for me. And the romance was wonderful. It really showed that you can have instant chemistry between two characters without falling into the trap of instalove.

Review shared on Goodreads, Amazon, B & N and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/11/28/revenge-and-blood-for-mask-of-shadows-a-review/

Sal Leon is a gender fluid thief who’s also the last of their people. When Sal was a child, Magic ruled their land, but some wealthy mages created the soulless shadows that gobbled up the humans in their path. It took the might of Queen to halt all magic in their realm brought an end to the shadows.

That was a decade ago, and Sal only survived because they had been playing in a tree in the instant the shadows swept the land. Sal’s sister at the base of the tree was a casualty Sal hasn’t forgotten. They made their way through semi-slavery into another land where Sal was trained in theft to survive. Sal’s handler is a well-known criminal, and when Sal learns of auditions to join the Queen’s Left Hand, a band of masked assassins, Sal makes their first killing–turning their handler’s head in as proof of Sal’s deadly might. As a Queen’s assassin, Sal would be able to cozy up to the nobles who have profited from the death of Sal’s homeland… and kill them.

So, Sal must survive a literal bloodfest, where twenty-two other applicants are also vying to be the last person standing, and take the single spot as the Queen’s Opal–all the assassins are named for gems. Under the guidance of Ruby, Emerald and Amethyst, the auditioners are gaining skill and picking off their competition. Sal is no match for the might and skill of the others, but they are wily, and used to living hard. As it stands, Sal makes it through two rounds of death, and gets the chance at a formal education; the Left Hand are part of the QUeen’s court and need to be literate. Sal’s tutor, Elise, is the daughter of one of the nobles Sal hopes to slaughter. Not easy thinking on these things, but Sal’s bloodthirst for revenge helps uncover a plot to overthrow the Queen. Expect intrigue and constant motion, as Sal works hard to stay alive and keep their eye on the rifts within the court.

I really enjoyed this one! It’s gore, but in the good way. I totally identified with Sal, and their need to avenge their family and homeland. It got a little confusing, at times, with all the names–because everyone has an alter ego it seems, and the formal names are long and twisty. There is a tiny bit of romance with Elise, and don’t expect any revelations on the gender front. Sal is equally comfortable in trousers or dress, and it’s common for men to wear tunics/skirts in this world. The end is not pleasant, another bloodbath of folks we’d all probably grown to love. But Sal has a new mission, and it involves saving both Elise and the Queen from destruction. I’m really looking forward to it!

Mask of Shadows is an intriguing fantasy novel that will definitely appeal to fans of Game of Thrones. Sal has plans to destroy the members of the nobility who destroyed their home, and a competition to join the Queen's team of royal assassins is the way forward. There is plenty of suspense and action throughout the competition, along with the discovery that there may be more behind the scenes than Sal realizes.

"We are the Left Hand of Our Queen, no one else...We've a sad sorry job that should not exist, but this is our world and we are what we are."
*
I binge-read Mask of Shadows the night before BTAF and I still can't believe I sat on the egalley that long. It is a super fun read and an incredible book just dripping with morally grey characters and I cannot believe I have to wait to find out what happens next.

MoS follow Sal, an orphaned thief, as they compete with elite assassins to become the queen's next Opal and join her team of royal assassins. But as badly as Sal wants to become Opal, they also have a few personal scores to settle with the powerful people who abandoned Sal's homeland and people to slaughter.

Bonus points: Sal is gender fluid, and all the #ownvoices reviews I've read agree the rep is flawless.

A lot of the negative reviews on Goodreads are cis readers complaining that Sal's being gender fluid didn't "add anything to the story" which is straight BS because nobody would ever say that about a cis character. People need to learn that marginalized characters don't exist to educate privileged readers 🤷

Anyway. I absolutely loved this book. I'd say if you liked Throne of Glass but cringe at the lack of diversity in it, this book would be a great alternative. Besides, what's not to love about a competition between assassins?