In this follow up to Mask of Shadows, Sal continues the mission to avenge Nacea. With a list and the go ahead from Our Queen, they hunt down those who released the shadows on their lands a decade ago. The plot in this instalment goes a bit slower, but no less interesting. Sal questions themself frequently in their quest, but sticks to the moral code they've created that they feel goes against the Lady, but is also justifiable given the circumstances. When they meet a key character, they realise that not all is as it seems and maybe the lack of information they have regarding Nacea is their saving grace. All Sal has ever wanted is to be accepted for who they are and not forced into socially accepted roles. And to be Nacean.

“Mercy’s dead,” I whispered. “... You killed mercy, but vengeance remains.”
Full of action, intrigue, amd badass protagonists, we follow the story of a person who is finding themself while avenging their heritage. I loved this story and kind of wish we got a little more from the epilogue, but it was still really good. It kind of mirrors what's going on in the world to a point. And we definitely need more diverse books in the world! 

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eGalley. All quotes are taken from an ARC and may not match the final release.

What is there not to love about this sequel?

Developed characters? Check
Vivid imagery? Check
Non-stop action? Check

Sal can finally seek vengeance and retribution behind the mask of Opal. The seek and destroy mission is now a thing of reality and Sal will make them pay. But will the greater price be paid by Sal’s soul?

Enter the intriguing and dark world of Linsey Miller’s RUIN OF STARS as one young assassin will enter a world filled with deceit, magic and love, with little hope of coming out emotionally intact, just the last person standing. Is the magic of the world really gone or has it been hidden away, coveted by others?

Will Sal finally find peace of mind and a true purpose to a life stained with hatred and blood? Linsey Miller brings this duology to a close with the same bold strokes of her pen, filling this tale with rapid-fire action, brutality and even tender moments of love and longing with a uniquely drawn character that allows each reader to decide how they interpret who Sal is as they travel through the intricate world at Sal’s side.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire!

Duology - Mask of Shadows - Book 2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (August 28, 2018)
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 416 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

What a thrilling conclusion! As a reader of the rest of the series, I felt that this was the perfect ending. The fantasy elements in this novel do not cease to amaze, nor does the bad-ass-ness of Sal! The writing style seemed consistent, but Sal's character development really shone through and helped bring the book together. I enjoyed the plot and found it intricate, and am sure that many fans will feel the same way. Excellent work!

The second part of this duology is just as spectacular and well written as the first. Sal, the gender fluid assassin, is back and better than ever. As the new Opal Sal is now ready to get revenge on those who wronged the village so long ago.
I loved the way the story flowed and didn't just concentrate on revenge. There was growth and learning and the ending was just spectacular. I am excited to be able to discuss this with people when the book comes out.
I highly suggest this for anyone who has read the first. If you haven't you should. This conclusion is not to be missed.

I also read the first book, The Mask of Shadows and can only reiterate that this book is a real treasure, delightful, haunting, action-packed and thrilling!

Linsey Miller brings a new dimension to YA fantasy. She is perfect for fans of Sarah Maas and Leah Bardugo, with a new edge to her characters.

I liked Sal a whole lot in the first book and loved Sal in this one! While there were a couple spots I struggled through a little bit, it was a compelling read. Sal was more developed as a character, and well executed.

I received a free electronic copy of Ruin of Stars, the sequel to Mask of Shadows, in exchange for an honest review.

Mask of Shadows was good, but Ruin of Stars is still ten times better.

The plot in Ruin of Stars was complex and nuanced. It didn’t follow a trope like it’s predecessor; it was more completely driven by the characters wants and what got in their way.

Sal’s drive for revenge has aligned with the needs of the queen, so Sal is sent out to kill the rest of the people on their list. In the process, Sal encounters betrayals, loses someone they care about, and discovers something that changes their world. Being any more specific than this will give too much away and ruin the book. Reading through it was like untangling a tight not -- difficult at times, but so satisfying when it was done.

As I read, my understanding of my favorite characters grew deeper and more complex. They had me rooting for them, hating them, and crying for them, sometimes all at once.

The prose were well crafted and lyrical, making the feelings and emotions of these characters so clear I could almost feel themself. I always appreciate writers who can do this because it is one of the things I struggle with most when it comes to my own writing.

More detail was giving to the politics of the world in this book than in Mask of Shadows. That helped me understand some of the hatred and the motives for it that motivated several characters, including Sal. Erland culture was definitely explored in more detail, including not so subtle descriptions about appearance and ideology that made me think of the Erland lords as Nazi-inspired.

All the descriptions of being gender fluid and of how it felt when society doesn't acknowledge that rang true to me. Like Sal, I’m “fluid” and “in-between.” At times, I felt the explanations of Sal’s gender identity and of other characters’ gender identities and sexualities to be a little too heavy handed. At some points, the description of it seemed to overpower other aspects of the story, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I may have been reading thinking “obviously, that is a valid identity,” but I forget that there are probably ten times as many readers who know very little about not really being a man or a woman, but something in between. In my own work, critique partners and beta readers have said I don’t explain it enough, so what seems like too much for me may not be for the readers who need to read and learn from this book.

For once, I was actually surprised by the ending. Just when I thought I knew exactly how it would turn out, something changed, and I think the epilogue was best part. But I won’t spoil it -- so pre-order the book, and read it as soon as you can.

Ruin of Stars is the sequel to the fantastic Mask of Shadows, by Linsey Miller. This book is a page-turner with a lot of plot twists and intrigue. The gender-fluid main protagonist is refreshing and fantastic. Fans of Marie Lu’s The Young Elites series will love it!

3.5 stars

"Ruin of Stars" continues the world and story of Sal from Mask of Shadows. Sal is a thief who happens to be gender-fluid. Still suffering from post-traumatic stress about the damage of Shadows (magical creatures that wiped out Sal's country), Sal is on a quest for revenge. As one of the four deemed the Queen's Left Hand, Sal as Opal is given the opportunity to enact this revenge after determining who they are. Sal has a list of names of the 5 powerful people from Erland who released the Shadows and directed them into Nacea, wiping out a whole country and culture.

Alongside the quest for revenge, Sal has a lot of internal struggle to confront- does killing make you a bad person, even if you are killing the worst kinds of people? What is the ultimate goal of revenge and what happens when it doesn't feel as good as expected? How does one remain true to oneself in the face of it all? In a potentially even darker journey than the first book, Sal must confront his/her own demons and forge a path forward. Along the way to discovering who the 5 were, Sal also learns about other terrors occurring now, and the mission becomes bigger than just revenge.

The book is highly engaging, and I could not stop reading it. However, there were some scene changes that felt a bit smash/cut or too fast, and I almost felt like we were following too many stories/characters (all through Sal's eyes though). They all eventually began to tie together at the end, and we see the bigger picture of what has been happening. I also would recommend reading the first book again before picking up the second- there isn't much recap if at all and characters are not re-introduced, so it would be better to have it fresh when picking up this book.

The strength with this book, as with the first, is in the characters who are well-formed and diverse. We meet some new characters in this book also and get to experience some diverse cultures- it's an interesting journey. And, of course, Sal is fully formed and three-dimensional, and a really great main character, battling with inner demons and imperfections. The gender fluidity is explained a bit more in this book also, and it's great that it is presented not as the defining characteristic or the only characteristic but just what Sal is (if that makes sense).

Overall, it was a fast-paced and darker/thoughtful story. The epilogue also wraps things up nicely and it's a good conclusion to the duology. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was a little bit lost since I didn’t realize this book had a first, however, I really didn’t connect with the story. I’m a huge fan of the concept, maybe it just wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed this one even more than Mask of Shadows. For the discussion of gender and the presence of gender fluid, bisexual, aromantic, and transgender characters alone it's stand out in YA fantasy.

I *loved* Mask of Shadows, and found it impossible to put down, so it hurts that this one didn't grab me quite the same way.

I'll start with the not-so-good. I read Mask in one day. This one took me three weeks to get in to. Part of it was that I found the dialogue of this one surprisingly choppy. (I actually found myself flipping through the first book to see if the dialogue seemed as stilted in the first one - it's not.) Sal's speech and internal monologue is choppy, and there's something about the pacing that's just a bit...off. One of the things I really liked about the first book was the smooth, quick flow to the text, so I wonder if Ruin will be cleaned up a bit before publication.

Where Ruin of Stars excels is in Miller's ability to get the reader invested in the outcome of story. It was hard for me to start the book and get going, but things ramped up and I found myself needing to read just one more chapter to have my questions answered. I also really enjoyed the way Miller slowly fills in the details of Sal's world, adds more excellent LGBTQ* representation, and really digs into Sal's motivations and whether or not they can survive on a desire for revenge alone. And the ending. The ending was stunning.

I can't wait to recommend this book once it hits store shelves!

I enjoyed Mask of Shadows despite some wobblu bits of plot. Ruin of Stars tajes everything I liked from the first book and ups its game. I found it a much tighter more compelling story and Sal was just badass. I love the diversity rep in these books, especially the queer rep. A quick and compelling fantasy read with a gender fluid MC. Perfect.

Disappointed. I struggled to finish and did not feel the same attachment with the characters.

In this sequel to "Mask of Shadows," the Honourable Opal (our precious Sal) is embroiled in a war between Igna and Erlend. Their world which was already falling to pieces continues to crumble as past friends come into the picture and their feelings for Elise are strained. And of course, there is the list. The list of Erlend nobles, some still without known identities, who need to pay for what happened to Nacea.

I could not have asked for a better sequel than what "Ruin of Stars" gave me. I fell in love with the characters all over again. Miller hit this one out of the park and I am so happy! There were surprises and tears and rage all rolled into a neat package.

HERE THERE BE SPOILERS

Some readers may find the ending a bit cliche, but it was nice to not have my favourite person die. Sure the circumstances of how they managed to escape are fuzzy and rather unrealistic. I don't care and you can't make me. Sal has the chance to be happy and lead a fulfilling life with the people they want, that's all that matters.

I enjoyed the first book in this series and really looked forward to the sequel. I was not at all disappointed. I think Miller's writing shows a more assured tone. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to students.

So, I'm an English teacher and PRIDE Club advisor at my school, and my students are always A., asking for recommendations, and B., looking for books with LGBTQ+ representation. I love that this duology was a well-written, tightly-paced fantasy, Sal's gender-fluidity was secondary. Also, I feel that often, the only place to find LGBTQ+ representation is in contemporary novels- I love that it fits in organically in this fantasy world.

I fell in love with Mask of Shadows and the sequel did not disappoint. Journeying with Sal as she checked the names off her list was an emotional ride. I was definitely surprised by a few twists, and I loved getting a glimpse of the Left Hand "behind the scenes." Sal and Elise were the perfect kindling to set my heart ablaze. The only drawback was the constant mention of Sam's genderfluidity. One of the things that made me love MoS was the "no big deal, this is just a part of who I am" feel. Her gender identity seems to take more of the front stage in this book, and it doesn't need it. The plot and story were great how they were, but it just feels a little awkward when gender identity is thrown in on every other page. At one point in the story, it almost seemed like the conflict was centered around gender identity, instead of magic and kidnapping. Sadly, I think it was just a case of too much of a good think. Having said all of that, it was still an amazing read and is definitely going on my "favorites" shelf.