As the 2nd book in this series it was really good. The world came to life and you could really picture in you head what was going on

I was glad to get to continue on with this series. I love this authors writing style and the world making involved in this series. I highly recommend this one if you’ve already read the first, if not start with the first.

Ace of shades was good and this book as a follow up didn’t not dissapoint! Interesting and moved at a great pace from start to finish. Would definitely recommend to a friend.

I really loved Ace of Shades and I fell in love with all the characters and the dynamics that they had. This book was a great continuation to the relationship between Enne and Levi. I love books where the main female character is as or even more powerful than her male counterpart, and this book absolutely delivered. Enne was ruthless and cunning, and everything that I wanted from a girl gang leader. However, I did feel like the pacing with this book was a lot slower than the first one.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

I absolutely loved ACE OF SHADES, so it's no doubt that I, too, was utterly enthralled by its sequel, KING OF FOOLS.

Foody is a master wordsmith, weaving a world so whimsical and immersive that you can't help be sucked into its magic.

KING OF FOOLS picks up right where ACE OF SHADES left off, and so you're instantly thrust back into the action, pulled into pages upon pages of twists and turns, lies and deceptions, heartbreaks and love and betrayal. Truly, I could wax poetic for ages about how beautiful this series is -- whip-smart and brilliantly plotted, it's not only one of the best sequels I've read in a long time -- but one of the best novels. Period.

And the ending! Ahh! I'm already counting down for book 3 -- QUEEN OF VOLTS *cannot* come soon enough!!

Amanda Foody is quickly becoming one of my favourite YA fantasy authors. This book was long and kinda drug at times but overall it was a great read. I feel like there was character growth and the world building was expanded which typically lacks in a second book so that was a nice surprise. Can't want to read the next in the series.

These first two books of this series are casino-themed rollercoasters of politics, mystery, thievery, espionage, and slow burn romance. Basically, they did not disappoint.

I listened to the audiobook of Ace of Shades, and I received King of Fools free for review from the publisher. Both formats were fabulous.

The character development—especially for our main characters Enna and Levi—elevated with each chapter, each book. I adore my boy Levi, who is bi and a person of color. I love me some bi rep. 🖤

Anyway, I’m hooked on this series now, and I plan to purchase both books for future rereads.

*Updated review* I finishedddddd. Definitely feel like Ace of Shades is still my favorite. King of Fools was veryyyy slow to start but picked up about halfway through and sucked me right in.

Enne and Levi were all over the place, thanks to her royal awfulness. After finishing the story though I understand the reasoning and the distance for the end result. The ending felt a little rushed though and I wish there could've been more with Jac and Enne... Jac being such a big character and all. That just didn't sit right. Overall, I'm glad I didn't DNF and will be moving right along to Queen of Volts because that's cliff hanger and title though..

I didn’t dislike this, in fact I still love these characters and the world Amanda Foody has built. It’s vibrant, feels unique, and there is a new betrayal around the corner.

However, the bulk of this book was a slow-moving, circular and repetitive plot. It’s hard to stay involved with the story when there isn’t much there to hold your attention. I listened to the audiobook and know for a fact that I zoned out for a good portion of this book simply because it wasn’t keeping my focus. That said - plot was so circular, that I don’t feel as though I missed much either, considering most of the action occurs late in the book and honestly, not a whole lot has changed from the end of Ace of Shades, except a few more people are dead and power has shifted just slightly.

That said - I AM shook by that ending and my heart is pretty sad.

I did not read this book and feel I can not give it a fair review. I loved the first title in this series so I have high hopes for this sequel. I hope to read it in the future.

The plot of King Fools revolves mostly around political elections. Both Levi and Enne get tangled on opposite the New Reynes Election sides. The two each debt themselves to helping someone else win and are offered more than they could dream of achieving. The politics of New Reynes is what makes this series so addictive you never know who to trust, and everyone wants to be in power.
Like the first book, this one is told from Anne, Jack, and Levi's alternating perspectives. We see how each character's development interplay with the others and how their storylines play out with having these three perspectives. Amanda foody expanded the world of New Reynes in this book and expanded on her characters' depth. It is an excellent sequel with an intense plot filled with twists and turns that leave you wanting more. Up next Queen of Volts, the third and final volume in the Shadow Game Series.

the characters

Amanda brings back the same few characters she introduced to us in AoS, and adds even more characters to the roster. Also, KoF explores more of the gangs talked about in the first book but were never really explained. Enne finds herself building her own girl gang that I love (and would die for every single member). With Enne, I’ve always appreciated how she maintained her feminine, “girly” side but could still also be known as a badass who can run her own gang (and do it better than some other people *cough* Levi). She knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to accomplish that. Girls don’t always have to be hardened and closed-off to be a strong female character. Enne does all of that while being dressed up in fancy dresses, makeup, and dainty gloves. She’s unapologetic, and I think she may be the first female character who I wasn’t inwardly screaming at to do things differently. She knows her worth and what she needs to do, and she definitely will not be sidelined and let Levi run amuck. With Levi, he’s still the same lovable idiot who makes impulsive decisions that put everyone at risk, and he does this once again (seriously, when will he learn?) His dreams are sometimes bigger than him, but he doesn’t let that hold him back from going after what he wants, even if it means risking his life. Without going too much into detail about the new characters, I can say that I am very excited to see where their stories go in book 3. KoF delves deeper into Levi, Enne, Lola, and Jac’s lives while also introducing more people; there’s a lot always going on in this book.

the plot

Oh, boy. Let me just say. This book is so much bigger than AoS. Length wise and content wise. There was never a dull moment because so much was happening all at the same time. Normally, I’d be weary of books that try to do this, but Amanda does it perfectly. With all these new characters, everyone has their own agendas apart from the Big Thing that ties them all together. Jac gets his own chapters this time around, and we get to follow his side of the story apart from Enne and Levi. Having survived the Shadow Game, all gang leaders have bounties on them for the chaos they’ve caused in New Reynes, especially Enne, Lola, Levi, and Jac. Once again, Levi strikes another deal that endangers them all, and the fate of the entire city is at risk. The Great Street War is mentioned in AoS, but it’s explained more in KoF, and fears of starting another war run throughout the book. Politics plays a main role in this book, and everyone is trying their best to stay alive and save the North Side. On the whole, KoF is just more. More action, more murder, more romance, more secrets, more power, more opportunity, and definitely more to lose. We learn more about the gangs, more about talents, and more about the characters. Also, KoF spans over months of planning and carrying out plans, there’s much more to absorb than the few days that took place in AoS. It’s thrilling and interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

the romance

This book has way more kissing than AoS, and thank God for that because I was dying the first book with all the angst. Levi, our favorite resident whore, doesn’t let hard times stop him from having fun. Enne, takes no shit from Levi and always lets him know when he’s being an idiot (which is, like, all the time), but they still make for a cute duo. Jac and Lola even find their own romances this time around. Still, the romance takes the backseat to the plot because the whole city is burning, who really has time to focus on romance? I will say, however, I will be very sad if there’s less kissing in book 3 than there was in KoF.

Eventually, I will get over this YA fantasy slump and dive back into the amazing worlds that these authors work hard to create, but unfortunately today is just not that day. It has been so long since I've read the first book in the series as well that I wasn't able to remember what was happening to fully appreciate where this novel takes off.

It takes an amazing second novel for me to think it has avoided the dreaded second book slump. Unfortunately, this book did not quite make the cut. After really enjoying Ace of Shades, I knew the second book would have to be even bigger and even better. While it definitely was bigger, I didn’t quite feel that it was better. It was almost there, but with some sluggishness at the beginning of the story, it takes a while to get into the real conflict of this novel. The latter half had to do the heavy lifting when it could have been more evenly paced.

This is also probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I found the growing romance between Enne and Levi to be a distraction and a deterrent from the main plot. They spent too much time pining after each other when there are clearly more life threatening things to worry about.

I don’t know, I may pick up the third novel at some point, but as of right now I am in no rush to finish the series.

With the way Ace of Shades ended, I was nervous to pick up King of Fools. Probably why I am writing this review a whole year later. It's not easy to come back from a massive cliffhanger but KoF sure did it.

First, the cover is beautiful and I love that they went with blue. I mean let’s face it, the covers for this entire series are stunning.

But back to the book, King of Fools blew me away with its action-packed plot and fantastic characters. Ace of Shades was great and the characters were fantastic, but in this sequel, they shine. I grew much more attached to our beloved cast of characters this time around and I am quite nervous to see where their storylines go in the next book! Having different povs this time around really made the story much more enjoyable, I hope that continues in the next one.

If you like schemes, betrayals, and massive plot twists, then this series is definitely for you. This is definitely a book you don't want to miss out on.

This is the second book in a series, and for full understanding of the plot, should be read as part of the series and not as a stand-alone.

King of Fools picks up right where Ace of Shades left off, or, to be more precise, the next morning. We again follow the story with Enne and Levi alternating view points, but add a third view point as well from Jac. The same characters are still in play {those that survived the first book anyway} and a few more critically important characters come into play as well.

Enne has come into her own and has taken her place among the street lords. With Lola as her second, she builds her own gang, the Spirits. While she is still under the control of Vianca, she is building her own life within those restraints. And while she wants to be with Levi, she won’t compromise what she has gained easily. While Enne is strong and compassionate, she is learning that she can be ruthless as well.

After losing the trust of his gang, the Irons, Levi is focused on rebuilding the gangs and attempting to bring all of the street gangs together to help his new ally, Vianca’s estranged son Harrison. Levi is caught up in so many secret plans, he turns away from Enne, hoping to protect her, while sending Jac into danger. Levi finds another romantic interest to keep him occupied as he works towards the success he’s always wanted.

Jac takes on a dangerous task for Levi, but soon is working on his own plans with Sophia, heir to a powerful family. Their connection grows, helping them both to have the courage to reach for what they want.

The story is full of twists and turns, as everyone is keeping something from the others, and just when it seems that everything is going to work out, the biggest surprise of all happens.

The ending pretty much destroyed me and I am still in shock, several days after finishing the book. I’m ready to dive into the finale, Queen of Volts, to see what happens next! And even with everything that’s happened, I’m still pulling for Enne and Levi to be together in the end.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley and the publisher {Harlequin Teen & Inkyard Press} in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love how this continue the story so pointlessly. The characters were developed nicely into story. I couldn’t put it down wanted to see what came next on each page. It pulled me a long with some twist and turns I wasn’t expected...

I loved Ace of Shades and fell in love with the main character. She is strong woman and has such a strong personality. I love the setting and the style of Fooley's writing.


This is once again a time I wish they had have stars because this is a 4 1/2 star read. So good!

Have you ever read a book that reminded you of another book...in a good way? Ace of Shades did a little, but it really sunk in with King of Fools how it reminds me of Six of Crows. The characters, the heists, the style of magic, Levi reminds me of Kaz and Enne reminds me of Inej. These were all good reminders of another book I love, but this series is fully its own. I liked the first book but I love the second and am looking forward to the next.

At the end of Ace of Shades, my mouth was agape, and I looked crazy with bugged out eyes. Soooo it was a great pleasure to see King of Fools starting exactly where we left off in book 1! We see the return of our favorite characters, Enne, Levi, Lola and Jac, and get to meet some great new characters as well. Foody provided plenty of intrigue and action to keep me on my toes! I couldn’t devour the pages fast enough!
Book 1 was definitely not as polished as King of Fools. The writing improved and the world building just went to new levels. The characters grew on their own level as well as a group.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about luck, gabling, and fantastic storylines. Also fans of Six of Crows .
***I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed herein are solely from my own point of view and not for the faint of heart.***