I started writing my review around 30% into the book because I believed that for the first time in my life I was going to DNF a book. It started off so slow and Levi was driving me insane with how selfish he was being. I pushed through and I'm actually glad I did. Like Ace of Shades this book really picked up the last 30%-40% of the book and I couldn't put it down!

That being said though, I do not believe a trilogy should have to use its second book to set up the world-building. After reading King of Fools I now know more about the talent system in play, the currency of volts, what a Miza talent is, the political system and more about the street war/revolution that left New Reynes and the rest of the empire like it is today. This honestly felt more like the actual beginning of the series. Ace of Shades left some holes and came across like a prequel after reading King of Fools.


The Good:
Two words: Girl Gang. I am all for girl power and these girls were definitely formidable opponents in the street war. They had brains, beauty and the skills to help slip into high society and the political atmosphere while also being able to hold their own with the other gangs. They were my favorite part about this book and if it weren't for them Levi wouldn't be able to pull off his crazy schemes. The girls were an excellent addition to the streets.

The side characters were amazing. We got so many new characters in King of Fools, all of whom were intriguing and really added to the story. Grace, Sophia, Lola, Narinder, and Tock made for an interesting cast, but I wish I knew more about their pasts and how they got to be who they are in New Reynes. We know bits and pieces about them but I'm hoping they'll get fleshed out more in the next book.

It was so nice to get Jacs' point of view! He intrigued me in the first book, but was forgotten a lot of the time so it was nice to see him front and center here. Watching his friendships with some of the other side characters grow into healthy relationships was a nice change from his somewhat toxic friendship with Levi.

The Bad:
Levi drove me insane. I wanted to skip almost every single one of his chapters/sections. While has always had the tendency to be selfish, his redeeming quality was that he cared about his friends, like Jac and Enne, and was willing to do whatever it took to help them out. Well he lost that quality and instead decided to only care about himself and the street legend he wished to be. He puts Jac in blatant danger to his health right off the bat which pissed me off. Jac has always been a good friend to him and loves him for helping him beat his drug addiction, but even he was ticked off at Levi's plan. And don't even get me started about his relationship with Enne. I thought he actually cared about her and wanted to help her, but he immediately put her aside for a new relationship and never really thought twice about how his plans affected her and the plans she had. Just when he seemed to get back on track though the end of the book arrived and he was right back to being selfish again.

The made-up curse words finally got to me. I'd seen complaints in other reviews about this, but I never really noticed it much until this book where "muck" appeared on almost every page. This is supposed to be "Sin City" with a bunch of illegal activity going on, so I bet they actually cuss versus clean-cussing. It was a tad funny/annoying when a character would say "muck" and the people around them about treat it like it was the worst thing to ever come out of someone's mouth. Give me the real words or not at all.

Just when I thought I had the talent system all worked out and finally knew what A "Mizer" was/did there some more lingo thrown at me that wasn't really explained. An example would be "Mystery" talents or something like that which seemed important to the political aspect of the story but was never really thoroughly explained.

Final Thoughts:
That ending was insane. Foody knows how to captivate my attention at the end of her books to leave me wanting to read the next one. I'm interested to see how they dynamic between Jack-Enne-Levi will go and what new challenges the political atmosphere might bring.

Great follow-up. I just love the characters and the plots twists in this series. I would really love to see a graphic novel! The fan art is great as well!

Foody's City of Sin has never been better in the dazzling sequel to Ace of Shades. I was promised a "criminal girl gang" book and it more then delivered; I loved Grace, Sophia, and Tock SO MUCH. Every twist and turn was meticulously plotted and carried out with gangster gusto.

After the Shadow game ends Séance and Levi find themselves with a price on their heads along with other gangs of North Side. Vianca has a new plan which will force Levi to give up his dreams of being street lord and put Enne in his place, something she never wanted. Enne and Levi must work together and come up with a plan to save the Northside gangs without getting killed in the process.

King of Fools is the exciting second novel in The Shadow Game series. The story picks up right where book one left off, with the end of the shadow game and the death of the Chancellor. This book will have you questioning if the game is really over or if there are just new rules and players. Enne, Levi, and the other gangs all have bounties on their heads and will have to work together if they want to stay alive. We get to meet some interesting and powerful new characters, some will join them in their attempt to take down Southside, and others will become new enemies. Enne and Levi's debt to Vianca becomes even more dangerous, their relationship becomes more strained, and a criminal and political battle of epic proportions is underway as the city seeks a new leader. This novel sets up all the players for the next game and not all of them will end up on Enne and Levi's side.

This is the sequel of Ace of Shades by Amanda Fool, which I absolutely loved. The setting and characters are what make this series unique and intriguing. I was engrossed with the dialogue and character development in the first book and I felt it was lacking in this one. King of Fools is more about the multiple plots and twists rather than the witty interchange between the characters. This book was much darker and more difficult to follow because all of the different agendas each character was pursuing. I didn't have small chuckles and smiles in this book like I did in the first one and I missed that.  However it didn't lack in the pure evil of the Tomen family and Vinca. The description of their wickedness sometimes gave me chills. I appreciate the author's vivid writing of settings and describing the evil that lurks throughout the City of Sin. Overall I gave this book 2.5 stars of 5 because I missed the sprinkles of wit and personality in this dark plot. It does leave for a third book in the series that I will skip. I felt that multiple plots was confusing at times to follow and I am just ready to be done with New Reynes. 

This was a digital ARC provided by Net Galley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I just adore this world! The resemblance to 1930’s America, possibly Chicago or Las Vegas and then the magical system is just so unique. I love it. This second installment is just as good as the first, although perhaps a tad slow at times. But that ending certainly makes up for that!

This book starts exactly where the first one left off, with Levi and Enne dealing with the consequences of the Shadow Game. They are now wanted criminals and have pretty high bounties on their heads. So now what do they do? Do they keep their heads down and keep a low profile, yeah no, not a chance of that. Levi works on reclaiming his gang and Enne starts a gang of her own. Life should be good right? Nope, things get messy when they both make deals without the others knowledge that eventually blow up in every sense of the word. Both make horrible choices and decisions and keep secrets to themselves with horrible consequences. I wouldn’t expect anything less from them.

The story is still told from Levi and Enne’s point of view, but Jac has joined the narrative with his own story. I loved seeing things from his point of view. I love Jac and all of his issues. I love his relationship with Levi and the fact that no matter what comes between them, they still have each other’s back. Jac is unfortunately the cause of a lot of tension between Levi and Enne which I understood why he did what he did, but I still don’t have to like it.

Enne and Levi’s love story continues to be a slow one to develop. They both obviously have feelings for each other, but they also have so much more going on in their lives that they just can’t get much past that beginning stage. Plus, all of those deals and secrets they are keeping from each other does not a healthy relationship make.

The world building continues to amaze me. We get a bit more insight into the workings of the gangs and more of the different magical abilities. Enne’s gang was great not only because of their specialty but because of the fact that they are all girls. Some of the new gang characters have some very interesting abilities too. I especially liked Tock and her ability to blow stuff up. Very cool.

I really can’t say much about the plot with out spoiling things, but boy is it full of twists and turns, lots of double crosses and everyone betraying everyone and keeping secrets from each other. I almost needed a play book to keep it all straight. This plot is much more complex than the first book, and oh my god that ending just about broke everyone and everything. As I mentioned there are a few slow spots, but once you get past them you are in for a hell of a ride.

Not sure where this story is going to go in the next book, but I am sure that it will be amazingly complex with even more double dealing and backstabbing and I can’t wait.

i received this from Netgalley and HarlequinTeen in exchange for my honest review. This book was so much fun! The gangs, especially the girl gang, omertàs, magical cards, all of it was so exciting. I have no idea who to trust at this point but I hope Enne and Levi’s groups finally come out ahead. I can’t wait for the next book

King of Fools by Amanda Foody is the second book in her Shadow Game series. It's an enjoyable book with gangsters and political turmoil.

Levi and Enne (the main characters from Ace of Shades) now have bounties on their heads. Levi's gang is in ruins, and Vianca wants Enne (publicly going by Séance) to create a gang of her own. At the same time, Vianca's son Harrison has a plan that could free Levi and Enne from their omertas, and the election is coming up in a few months.

Enne has her own style when it comes to creating a gang. Instead of setting up a masculine enterprise, she creates her own girl gang with skirts and lace gloves. It's interesting to read about something different.

The characters in this book are multifaceted and interesting to read about. Both Levi and Enne struggle with their own consciences and ambitions at various points, and they deal with relationship issues. Jac, Levi's friend and another POV character in this book, deals with his own wants and ambitions, even if they don't always line up with what Levi wants.

King of Fools has a lot to say about power and ambition. How the people at the bottom of society in the gangs and the people in the highest echelons of society have quite a lot in common in that regard. "Even if Harrison had exchanged casinos for opera houses and Tropps Street for Guillory, he was still running an elaborate power scheme." (~loc. 3145, quote is from the ARC and might change in the final copy).

The early middle of the book did drag slightly, but I enjoyed the story all the way through. The end of the book did keep me up a little later than I had hoped, because I didn't want to put it down. The ending was surprising and I'm definitely planning on reading the third book in this series when it comes out.

King of Fools picks up right where Ace of Shades ends. Levi and Enne have just beat the Shadow Game, and are on the run for their lives.

Amanda Foody affectionally refers to this book as her “girl gang book” and its 100& accurate. Enne’s evolution from naive girl from an old school society, to a badass is complete. She learns to fully embrace the City of Sin and becomes a street lord in her own right, complete with her own group of females behind her.

But here’s the best thing about Enne’s girl gang – they are different ethnicities, sexualities, and backgrounds. They like to lounge around in face masks and paint their nails, but also can be badass fighters and are wickedly smart. I loved the realistic-ness of these women. Too often in literature groups of women have almost identical personalities, skin colors, taste in men, and its plainly just ridiculous.

The first book was told from alternative perspectives of Enne and Levi, but KoF added a third perspective – Jac’s.

I loved the introduction of his perspective as he navigated his own way in the world of Vianca and battling his personal demons. Jac is honestly one of my favorite characters in this series – he’s the comic relief when things go sour, the loyal friend, and a truly amazing character. I can even forgive him for his chain smoking, past drug use and self-destructive behavior because I’m just so in love with him.

This book is a lot more serious than Ace of Shades as our gang members navigate the after effects of the Shadow Games and plotting their own revenge and relationships.
Jac gets a love interest of his own, our side characters have adorable relationship (even a f/f one!), but our main couple is absolutely brilliant this time around.
I loved the slow burn of Levi and Enne’s relationship in AoS and I love it even more now. This is no case of instalove, and their relationship has lots of highs and lows as they struggle to trust each other. They consistently lie to one another, doubt the others intentions, and fight the physical attraction they feel. Their romance is 100% one of my all time literary favorites, for all its wonderful realness. Plus they’re just ridiculously adorable and I want them to join forces of their gang and have a bunch of beautiful orb/vault making babies. BUT Levi also has a new male love interest and their relationship is just as amazingly adorable and maybe they can all find a happy way to be together?

Our timeline in this one is a lot longer than AoS, whereas the first book took place in a little more than a week, KoF spans a few months. I loved how flawlessly Foody handled the new timeline and was able to keep the pace and excitement throughout every page. It also gave us a chance to see more of Enne’s evolution from the girl she left behind to awesome badass, which as I’ve always mentioned, I’m 100& down with.

With the wealth of new and exciting characters, the non-stop action and mysteries, this book is definitely one of my favorites of this year. It keeps you sucked in until the very last page, and you’re constantly rooting for our gangs as they fight back against the City of Sin. There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming, and the new characters are all absolutely amazing. Although fair warning, the ending will make you cry, scream, and be begging for book three.

*Blog review will be officially posted on April 29th.

I had trouble with this book. It moved quite slowly for me. I do feel like the idea of gangs is interesting, but after a while it just wasn’t holding my attention as much.

That ending though. My heart :( I’ll probably pick up the next book in the series when it comes out just because of that ending.

I recieved a free arc from Netgalley.

In the sequel to Ace of Shades, Amanda Foody ramps the violence and danger for the story's protagonist.
In New Reynes, City of Sin, Levi and Enne have gotten away from the Shadow Game with their lives intact. But their infamous actions will bother hinder there new lives while at the same time driving their lives in the North Side gangs. With the senator dead, Levi works with an estranged member of the donna who holds his life in her hands. If Levi can ensure this family member wins, then Levi will win his freedom in return. Enne finds herself building her own gang of women from the ground up and most combine both who she was with where she is now and show everyone who she can be.
While this is not as good as it's original, I enjoyed reading the story of Enne's growth. I loved to see her take her past and fit into her present to make a better future. Instead of foolishly trying to reinvent herself, she molds aspects of her life into one whole. I was a little disappointed that she wasn't a bit stronger where Levi is concerned but their romance is a driving force of the story.
Levi's was less enthralling this time around. He second guessed himself at every moment and seemed to put away his humanity. But his lack of balance was filled out by the addition of Jac's perspective. It was great getting to know him and see his own story.
Overall, the political game and gang wars was less compelling than the Shadow Game but Foody seems to be steering the finale back to the game and enthralling all those encapsuled in the gang war.

I'm gonna review this in a slightly unconventional way so that you can understand just how much I loved this book. I didn't realize King of Fools was a sequel until after I'd been approved for an arc of it, so I had to go back and read The Ace of Shades, which ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. These books are so, so good, and I recommend them to literally anyone. Okay, so my review will be as a pro/con list.

Pros
- I love all of the characters with all my heart. Jac gets his own POV in this book, and I loved it and him. Enne grows into her reputation which was awesome to witness. Levi continues to be his own amazing self.

- The romance! We stan a slow burn, and Enne and Levi's relationship continues from where it left of at the end of Ace of Shades. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but it was a roller coaster in the best sense, and I can honestly say that I have no idea where they'll end up. On top of that beautiful ship, we're also treated to a continuation of the relationship between Levi and Dice which was steamy af and I adored. I'm really glad Dice came back to play a bigger role than some random hookup in the first book.

- The universe continues to be extremely original and absolutely fascinating. I mean...it's gangs in a magical steampunk Las Vegas. Enough said.

- The plot of this book was a lot more nuanced and complicated than Ace of Shades, which I appreciated. There is a flip side to this, though, which I'll discuss in cons. It was much less formulaic and predictable than Ace of Shades.

Cons
- The complications of the plot were maybe just a little too much, and it was a little hard to keep up with everyone's motivations and all of the political give and take, especially since lots of characters had secret agendas and we weren't treated to POVs for them that would have enlightened us. I don't necessarily think that would have been better, but it was just a lot to keep track of. It took me a pretty long time to get through it for that reason alone.

- Uh. Yeah. That's it.

King of Fools was a wonderful mix of magic, twists, political issues, lies, many unique characters, and thrilling storyline. The crazy idea of control of other people is very scary--how horrible that would be if it was true in real life. There is so much going on in this novel; so many layers that intertwine with each other make this a very intense read.

HOLY CRAP!
Does Amanda Foody know how to weave betrayal and lies and hide them until the last moment when it's time to reveal them or what!?! I saw NONE of the twists coming. Freaking NONE, not a single one!

King of Fools is book two in The Shadow Game series and she has managed to up the already high stakes. Nobody is safe. And Amanda Foody is an EVIL genius.

Enne and Levi may have survived playing the shadow game and book one, but has their luck run out?

She introduced several new characters that I adore: Tock, Sophia, Grace, and Poppy. And she has totally expanded on the characters from Ace of Shades: Specifically Enne, Levi, Lola, and most importantly Jac.

Her books definitely have a ton of action but I wouldn't call them action packed. She spends a lot of time laying down groundwork for big reveals later in her stories. There is also a bunch of politics included in her books. Her fantasy elements are SO UNIQUE from other books I've read and that's why I love them I highly recommend this series!

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy via Netgalley!

The ending of ACE OF SHADES left me thinking that The Shadow Game series had potential even though I wasn't the hugest fan of book 1. KING OF FOOLS blew me out of the water.

This was a darkly atmospheric book filled with action, revenge, schemes, and romance. Every single time I thought the stakes couldn't possibly get higher, I was wrong. Enne and Levi have grown a lot since the start of ACE OF SHADES and it was so, so satisfying to see them continue to develop over the course of the book. Their slow burn romance is killing me but in the best way.

"She didn't care how broken he felt tonight -- he couldn't use her as a weapon for his own self-destruction."

I love Enne. It's so gratifying to see a heroine who has her own desires that don't revolve entirely around getting the guy. She goes after what she wants with intelligence, ruthlessness, and an incredible cast of female friends. There were a lot of strong, fierce women introduced in KING OF FOOLS and I am *here* for it.

"The world would always demand that a girl apologize for herself, but she would apologize for nothing."

The second book in a series is normally my least favorite; they tend to be merely a vehicle for setting up complicated plot arcs that pay off later but leave a lot to be desired in the mean time. This was not at all the case for KING OF FOOLS. I loved this twisty, action-packed book and am beyond excited to see what The Shadow Game #3 has in store.

Do you ever read a book and then get mad that it ended? This happened to me with King of Fools. I need the next book right now! I love the character development that happen from the first book to the end of this. All the characters have matured and grown organically throughout and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The only reason I didn’t give it a five star was because I felt it dragged at certain parts. It took me longer to get through because there were some moments I was bored and just wished it skipped ahead.

Despite that, I love Enne and Levi and I can’t wait to see how their story ends in the third book! (Hopefully Lola’s prediction of it ending badly won’t come to pass)

Short and Sweet

After the events of the Shadow game both Levi and Enne are wanted criminals. Levi partners with Harrison Augustine to take down his mother Vianca, while Enne plays the part of a lady by day and street lord by night. Now both of them have to make decisions that will either help them or in the long run set them back and it could be the end.

Characters

Levi: Levi Levi Levi, well he's still the Iron lord but something about him in this book was off putting. I think he was too concerned about helping Harrison that he forgot to consider the feelings of those around him. Levi is still good at making plans and usually gets himself out of tough situations. Oh and because Levi is working with Harrison he has to keep it on the down low because if Vianca found out Levi was working with her son it would be the end of him and the legacy he's trying to create.

Enne: Enne is trying to figure herself out in this book, is she still the proper lady from Bellamy or has New Reynes made her a Lord? Enne goes by the name Seance when she's dealing with the other gangs or wants to be inconspicuous. I liked Enne a lot in this book she's a lot tougher and she does have to make ethical choices in this book.

Jac: Jac is still Levi's second and best friend but their relationship in this book is strained and it made me sad because they're best friends. Jac is on his own mission to find out who is going to be the next person to inherit the Torren empire and its hard for him because Jac used to be addicted to a drug that is distributed by the Torrens. So now that he's in their territory he has to fight the urges to use lullaby. Jac also meets Sophia Torren who is determined to take the empire down.

Lola: Lola is Enne's second and one of her best friends. Lola is around in this book she helps Enne learn the history of the north side and she's there to give advice, but I didn't feel like she was there as much as I wanted her to be. Lola is still her grumpy self but deep down she cares about those closest to her.

Romance

Levi and Enne: Well these two obviously like each other but the relationship in this book wasn't the best. Levi tried to keep secrets from Enne because he thought it would be safer incase Vianca found something out. They fought a lot in this book and sometimes went weeks without talking but they would meet up to discuss business.

Jac and Sophia: Jac meets Sophia when he's trying to find out who is going to take over the Torren empire, and it so happens that Sophia is a Torren. Jac ends up staying to help Sophia take down her half-siblings so they can burn the Torren empire to the ground. Jac likes Sophia but she's keeping a few secrets from him which makes it hard for him to trust her.

Lola and Tock: So Tock is a new iron and I guess Levi's third, anyway Lola and Tock meet at a party and there was chemistry and yeah. We don't see a lot of their encounters but they're usually together when they can be.

My Thoughts

~ There's a lot going on in this book, Levi is working with Harrison, Vianca is using the omertà to have Enne attend political parties for her. Harrison is running against Worner Prescott which is the man her mother is supporting. It's all very messy, Levi is supporting Harrison and hoping he wins because Harrison will kill Vianca which will break the omertà.

~ By the way there's an all girl gang called the Spirits! Enne made a girl gang you guys and they're awesome! At first it just started with Enne and Lola and then they recruited Grace and in the end theres more than 10 all together. Most of the girls have the split talent to count which is helpful for the plans that Enne and Levi have.

~ We meet all of the gangs from the north side in this book and let me just say they're all interesting in their own ways and obviously not the most trusting people.

~ We get to read from Levi, Enne, and Jac's POV and I will say that I enjoyed Enne's the most.

~ There's always been talk that Vianca had a third person under her omertà and we finally get to see who that person is ready for revenge.

~ There's a lot of politics involved in this book and because of that there's a lot of secrets and betrayal going on. Everyone has something to lose this time around.

Overall

This was a solid sequel but when I think about it I did enjoy Ace of Shades a little more, mainly because this one had me worrying about the characters at every turn. The ending was a cliffhanger and now I need the third book in my hands now just to see how everything ends! I really do love this series its so different and I love New Reynes and its fun to lose myself in this world, so definitely read check out the series!!!

As the sequel to Foody's Ace of Shades, this book certainly did not suffer from middle-book syndrome. Although characters were still reeling from the consequences of their actions in the last book (Enne and Levi especially), this book builds on new character dynamics and stakes. New potential antagonists and partners are introduced very quickly, drawing Levi and Enne into a new game.

This book's cast is much bigger than the last, adding new members of both gangs and the ruling Families of New Reynes. But I never felt it was too crowded or too confusing to distinguish characters from one another, which is sometimes a pitfall of books with many characters. The book is narrated by 3 POVs: Levi, Enne, and Jac. Each character has their storyline and arc that's very separate from one another. Probably the least memorable of them is Levi's, but I really loved Enne's and enjoyed Jac's.

This book adds on to the myths of New Reynes and the politics, delving more into the war that killed the Mizers and the gangs themselves. Enne especially has seen a lot of character development since the first book, which I really appreciated.

I will admit that reading this book was a bit of a slow process for me because I struggled to connect with the story at times, which also happened with the first book. That said, I'm giving it one more star than I thought I would because of the ending. So many big things happen, and I think it neatly sets up the conflict and danger we can expect in the last book.

Overall, a solid sequel.

Pros:
- This book starts up shortly after the ending of Ace of Shades. And you are right back in the City of Sin, but the world is expanded in this novel. We get to see more of the South Side and learn more about the history of New Reynes. I actually really enjoyed the expansion of the world and seeing more that was going on beyond the Shadow Game and Levi and Enne's search in the first book.
- This book brings a lot of new characters into the fold and also shows us more about the "secret society" within New Reynes and how everything is connected. This goes along with the expansion of the world, but I enjoyed having more characters to meet and learn about their talents and their backstory. I have to say Grace and Tock were some of my two favorites in this book.
- I also love that even though some parts of the story were wrapped up in this book, there was still the bombshell at the end leading you to believe way mroe is going on than what we know about and I have so many questions after finishing (even though I will say it is still frustrating to have a cliffhanger like that when it will be at least a year before the third book is out).

Cons:
- So the first book was solely a story of finding Enne's mother and what happened to her. This book I thought was going to be about Enne's dealing with the revelation at the end of Ace of Shades but I really feel like this aspect was ignored in this second book. This really bothered me because it does not seem believable to me. I think there should have been a bigger focus on it from Enne's perspective.
- I also would have liked to have more of Lola in this book. I really liked her in the first book, but I feel like we focused more on Jac in this book and his story as it related to the main plot. Maybe in the third book, we can get some of her POV!

Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

With the Chancellor dead at the end of the Shadow Game, Levi and Enne are now wanted criminals. The political situation in the city takes a nosedive and a street war seems imminent as the South Side begins to take a harsher approach with the gangs. In the middle of all this, Harrison Augustine, Vianca’s estranged son, returns to the City of Sin, intent on bringing down his mother’s empire. His offer to Levi, if it works, will be exactly what he needs to free himself of Vianca’s Omerta – something that is becoming more critical as Vianca has given him a very tight deadline to prove that he can establish himself as a lord to the Irons again. Enne, having assumed her mother’s identity of Seance in the Shadow Game, begins to build her own girl gang.
Jac, meanwhile, accepts a mission that takes him into Torren territory, putting him face to face with some of the darkest moments in his past.

Where Ace of Shades was mainly getting to know the lay of the land, King of Fools is a game of politics, whether it be Levi retaking the Irons, the interactions between the street lords, or the scheming of the Families to sway the election in their favour. The other prevalent theme in this book is regarding legends. From the brief glimpses into the prominent figures in New Reynes’ past to the influence they have on the central characters, they are a recurring theme throughout. Levi with his unquenchable ambition continues to chase glory. Enne, so used to being in the background, unnoticed, feels like she is finally in a place where she fits in, where she can be someone. And Jac, the loyal friend, is tired of being part of someone else’s story – he wants his own legend. All of them yearn to make their mark on history – and their inner thoughts and the emotional turmoil that accompanies each of these characters is beautifully portrayed.

I was looking forward to some amazing character development for Enne, now that she is past the discovering her identity phase. Unfortunately, she got on my nerves for most of this book. The girl gang she puts together, later known as the Spirits, was nothing at all like what a street gang has been made out to be. There was so much potential there, but the end effect was very childish when compared to the other gangs like the Scarhands or the Doves. Apart from that, the whole investment idea they come up with, while definitely smart, hardly feels like something gangs would buy into. It would have been far more interesting to see Enne use her talent to create volts and the consequences that would no doubt arise from that – and while I’m on that vein, I’m particularly annoyed that Enne’s heritage was brushed to the side for the most part. For me, the largest question mark is Enne’s past, and it feels like in this book, Enne learned about her identity, the truth of how Lourdes died and then swore to get revenge on the Phoenix Club without a shred of further curiosity as to her own past – and then going on to make some remarkably reckless moves.

Levi and Jac on the other hand, were amazing. I was initially confused as to where Jac’s story was going and why it merited a separate POV, but that plotline was what held the story together while everything else was (slowly) moving into place. And Levi…well, his life has just been turned upside down and he’s trying desperately to pull things together. The list of people he trusts is basically down to Enne and Jac – and with bounties on all their heads, everything is just a huge mess for him. Levi’s arc was by far my favourite in this book.

And talk about an explosive ending! With how this book was progressing, I thought that that particular piece of information was never going to be revealed, much less by that character. And it never ceases to amaze me just how many double-crosses seem to be going on in this series! Literally, I think everyone has betrayed everyone else by the end – and I find I can still be surprised when it happens again. Pacing wise, I found it quite annoying that none of the real action starts until well after the halfway point because the board was being set up for so long. Yes, this takes place over several months as opposed to the ten days of the first book, but the last chapters felt noticeably rushed.

If you enjoyed Ace of Shades, this is definitely worth the read. Part one will likely test your patience, but once it picks up, the action doesn’t stop. Overall, this is an amazing sequel just as suspenseful and engrossing as the last.