Amanda Foody

New Reynes -- the City of Sin -- is no place for a proper young lady like Enne, who had to leave finishing school early to pursue her missing mother with only one name as a clue. When she finds Levi Glaisyer, however, he is not a proper gentleman but a street lord and con man who brings his own troubles and enemies to tangle with hers and catch them both in a dangerous gamble that could mean their lives.

Ace of Shades

"Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school--and her reputation--behind to follow her mother's trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted."--Jacket flap.

Eslie

'People don’t play this Game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose.'

Nevertheless, when the sirens finally lulled Levi to sleep, he didn’t dream of caution or escape.

Her guidebook claimed the City of Sin was a game.

She’d faced the witch. She’d poisoned the wolf. She’d strolled into the land of death with her head held high and left it a lord. She was an impossible player in a fixed game, the only person not playing to win.

Linara K.S

Dnf I just simply can't. (I've been ruthless these days when it comes to the books I actually read)
Problems I had with this book:
- annoying MC 🙄
- dragging intrigue ( I truly didn't care what happened in the story)
- the imfo dumb feels forced 😑 (cause yk there's an art to convey information and establish the world for the reader by simply introducing certain subjects as the story progresses)
- GOD I HATED THE MC

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow. Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school--and her reputation--behind to follow her mother's trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted. Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected--he's a street lord and con man running a rapidly unraveling investment scheme. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city... And she'll need to play.

I picked this book because someone told me about the cabaret, casino, gang atmosphere of the book and a love story between the two main characters. But in the end I read it for the story. It's a YA book but I still enjoyed it, honestly. The rest of the trilogy seems promising.

Yenale

chloe rae

This book totally took me by surprise! 
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book. Everyone kept comparing it to Six of Crows which is like my FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME so I was nervous. However, I didn’t think that was fair to the book or the author so picked it up...and then immediately couldn’t put it down.
There was something very new about this story. I mean, of course, the City is Sin felt super similar to Ketterdam and at first, so did the characters. But it’s a totally different story, with a very different and unique magic system and vibe. I found it to be gripping! I also found it to be a little confusing. Maybe it was just me, but it took a while for certain things to make sense and even now I’m a little shaky on some aspects. I think that’s the only reason this isn’t a 5 star read for me. 
I mostly loved the characters! I loved Levi the most (for obvious reasons). I also loved the bi representation in this as well! Oh and all that sexual tension?!? I need a sequel because what I waited for in the whole book to happen DIDNT HAPPEN so now I’m a little peeved and sad and I need to know what happens immediately. 
This book was great and I’m definitely looking forward to the next!

This felt very much like Caraval vibes but more casinos than an over-arching game (well…)

I think my reading slump interfered with me reading this cause wow it took me a while to finish but I also think that’s cause it felt slow but also felt fast-paced? idk.

I really like Levi and Enne together tho hee hee

sophie <3

This felt very much like Caraval vibes but more casinos than an over-arching game (well…)

I think my reading slump interfered with me reading this cause wow it took me a while to finish but I also think that’s cause it felt slow but also felt fast-paced? idk.

I really like Levi and Enne together tho hee hee

Dis book was really good! It was a mixture of Six of crows and Caraval. The magic factor was so good, the story line. Everything was super nice. I love how the 4 became close friend. And Levi and Enne is so good I really hope the make it out of everything safe. I can't wait to read the next book

Gillian Rose

Technically 4.5 stars. Wonderful world-building which helped forget that the overall plot is somewhat overdone but I don't care. Levi was adorable and I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists.

menna

levi and enne really served the mutual pining trope!! i am begging PLEASE get together in the next book

Jamieson

she was a pistol wrapped in silk. 
she was a blade disguised as a girl


alright alright alright listen up, listen here. This book is a whole lotta fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it! In fact I'm eagerly awaiting the official release so I can read a completed physical edition. 

WHAT IS ACE OF SHADES?
🃏 a dark, complex, fantasy world where gangs run the streets and lure unsuspecting visitors into their gambling parlours, where crime rules and turf wars brew and at the heart of it all, a deadly history no one wants to talk about
🃏 a girl called Enne, who's looking for her mother in the City of Sin, and gets a lot more then she bargained for
🃏 a black, bisexual boy called Levi, a card dealing extraordinaire, who also keeps a closet full of lost things left behind after nights with strangers because he's just that SUAVE
🃏 a deadly game that threatens to take our heroes lives, unless they can do the impossible and win
🃏 mysteries, tricks and twists abound!
🃏 a book that definitively did NOT rip off soc, 1: because Amanda Foody has been writing this for YEARS and 2: because it's literally not anything like soc, so don't listen to those people



this book is a RIDE and I loved it I admit at first it can be kinda hard to get into. There's a lot of information thrown at you, but there's not much happening. 

But when this book gets into it's paces it FLIES by. I got so wrapped up in the mystery and intrigue of the plot. I really like that Amanda Foody gives you just enough to keep you interested but not enough to make this predictable. 

The cast of characters are colourful and fun. Both hero and villain wise. Our heroes are easy to get behind, with realistic motivations, that makes you root for them even when they're doing bad. I think the villains are also done so well here. They've also given some depth but you totally loathe them. I also like that there is some interesting, not so well explored characters who will be explored more in the sequels. I'm super interested in seeing how these characters are used in the upcoming books. 

Above all, Amanda Foody NAILED atmosphere. The City of Sin has such a tangible presence because Amanda Foody uses such detailed and interesting description to bring her setting to life. This made the entire setting so vivid in my mind and for me, world building is actually kind of a big deal. The division of the city amongst the gangs, and how the politics between each division affected the city and characters was really interesting too and I appreciated how well thought out and detailed it was.

I also APPRECIATED that damn romance. Slow burn and angsty as fuck !! I LOVE that. 


  “People do not play this game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose.”


My favourite part was the end of the book (not like, that it was ending. I mean the final chapters) they were SO GOOD AND EXCITING. But I can't say much about them without spoiling you all! :( SO YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THIS AND DISCOVER WHAT I MEAN FOR YOURSELF. 

I genuinely really liked this and I can't wait for the sequel! This had so many things I love in YA fantasy: An interesting world, a good plot twist, romantic tension and slow burn and gritty, morally grey characters.

Sampurna Saha 

3.5 stars 
it was a fun and entertaining read but the whole plot covered in the short timespan was a bit ridiculous and some of the character traits made no sense.
also wish some aspects of the world was explored and explained better.
Still looking forward to the next book though.

Jasmine

Izza

4 stars | I was really surprised by this novel! I love the world building and how the characters grew as the story progressed. I had initially decided to read this book this week because of the QueerLit readathon and thought this book was LGBTQ+, I mean, it technically is, but it's very casual. So I'm kinda disappointed, hah.

LGBTQ+ rep: cis POC bi male MC (only mentioned casually that he is bi, but hinting at a hetero romance.)

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow. Welcome to the city of sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so–called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school – and her reputation – behind to follow her mother's trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted. Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected – he's a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unravelling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to allhis problems. Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city... And she'll need to play.

Ace Of Shades

Kelsey Joëlle

LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH

Slow burning romance, great characters and a great world. 
Second time reading this book, DNFed the book the first time, decided to pick it up again and loved it.

This book was a rollercoaster. The beginning was kind of slow and it took me a while to get into it but the last 200 or so pages were really good. Enne is an amazing main character who goes from being naive and ignorant to being this amazing crime lord. Levi, Jac, and Lola are also great side characters. The villains have depth and dimension but the book makes sun city seem like the ultimate villain. I am so excited to see what foody does with the rest of the series and how Enne and Levi figure out what’s going on between them. 

Princess Twasam 

Nicole Dykeman

I LOVED THIS!!!! The gritty, dark setting. The really cool magic system. The r o m a n c e oh my god. I adore Levi and Enne. I cannot wait to read the second book.

jess

I was excited for Ace of Shades for a while, because it was described as being like Six of Crows, and dammit, anything that helps my SOC withdrawal is something I'm excited for. And Ace of Shades did not disappoint. While there were a lot of similarities between Ace of Shades and Six of Crows, there were a lot of aspects about this book that were very different but I loved. 

Like Levi Glaisyer. Oh my goodness, I am in love with Levi Glaisyer (I think I have a Type). Sure, he's a lot more soft and significantly less ruthless than most of the characters I tend to gravitate towards, but that doesn't mean he's not ridiculously tough and I love him all the same. I'm also really interested in his past, which wasn't revealed in this book, not fully, so I'm going to have to get the next one ASAP. Also, he's bisexual and it's no big deal in-universe, which is so cool? I also really loved Enne; arguably, she's the more ruthless and terrifying one of the couple, and her character development from being a high-class society girl to finding a place in the criminal underground of New Reynes in less than a week was absolutely terrifying. 

New Reynes as a place was also very well fleshed out, even if I did feel like it could be a bit over-the-top with debauchery and sin at times. The wider world was also interesting, but again, it's something that wasn't elaborated on too much in this first book. I didn't like the New Reynes slang (like muck) because euphemisms just seemed ... so out of place, especially when the content was already quite adult - definitely adult enough for some f-bombs. There was a lot to take in on the magic system at first, but I got the hang of it fairly quickly, and the concept of the Shadow Game was really interesting and I'm excited to learn more about it. 

All in all, this book is good for Six of Crows fans, with solid characters and a wild plot.

Savannah Winchell

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
3.75⭐️
- Too concerned with the What to worry about the Why
 - spectacle over story
- Looooved Enne
- tbh I wish Levi was a bit tougher or more clever (didn’t buy his lordship)
- interesting world
- fast and fun
- chemistryyyyy

Charlotte J. Ruth

Meghan M

** spoiler alert **
           This book had a slow start, but about halfway through, the pace sped up and it was a very good read. I really liked the character development that occurred, it was fast-paced and very obvious, which I liked. The flashbacks to the past of both characters had the elements of their current personality and brought out the fact that they are to grow even more in the next book. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a fun mystery-type novel, but I don't recommend reading it after the Six of Crows duology because there is a chance that one could compare Levi to Kaz in the respect of their planning and their cunning ability to survive things.

courtney garrison

I really want quite sure what to expect from this novel, besides that it dealt with gambling and casinos. I have read Foody’s first novel and enjoyed it. Daughter of the burning city was one of my top 5 books last year. This one had me intrigued as I could never put it down, but it didn’t hold up to my expectations in some ways as it did others.

One of the MCs Enne really started out as a snob, she gave off the attitude that she was better than ever else there because of the fact she came from Bellamy. The other MC, Levi is one of the best gamblers in the city of sin. Soon he is looking for a way to pay back debt and Enne is searching for her mother. The two form a weird, deceitful, loving relationship throughout there struggles.

For me this book didn’t hold up to the Vegas-style it was hyped up to be. Everyone had hyped it up to be this Vegas strip typestyle with casinos and gambling and it wasn’t any of that for me. It was more of a stereotypical type of Vegas with the dirty alleys and run down buildings. I think if I wouldn’t have listened to that aspect of the hype, I might have given it 4 Stars.

The mystery for me was really the only thing that had kept me reading this book was because I wanted to know more and what would happen with the characters. About halfway through I was too invested to stop reading. I only wanted the story to be a bit darker and grittier. I expected more murder and torture type scenes to be honest when it comes to dons and the gangs.

All the characters were very well developed and great backstory so that you gained more depth into who they were. The talents and split talents were something that added a great aspect of the story to the book. Magic isn’t as frequent in this book as DOTBC, but it is there.

I didn’t expect cards to be such a huge part of the book, but they were. Levi is a great card player, one of the best. You get a look into the casino world and how to play cards. It was really a great addition to the book honestly. I’ve never read a book about casinos and gambling before, so this was really interesting.

Overall I gave this 3.5 stars because it did keep my attention, but I just expected more from this book. I love Amanda’s writing and the way she can tell a story. I’m curious as to where she takes this trilogy.

Leah Patton

3.5 stars. I don't know why this book didn't click with me fully but it makes me very sad because it really was a good book. I totally recommend it even though it didn't mesh with me.

Erin

** spoiler alert **
           Ace of Shades – Amanda Foody

Synopsis: 
Enne Salta has never been considered special – she’s never been the best at anything, and she’s never stood out. She’s lived an average life in an average place, and that’s more than fine with her because she’s always had her adoptive mother Lourdes at her side.
But when Lourdes goes on a business trip to New Reynes, the City of Sin, and doesn’t return, Enne simply must find her and bring her home, but her only clue is a name: Levi Glaisyer.
Levi’s got his own problems, and he certainly doesn’t need Enne’s heaped on top. But her promise of compensation leads him to help her. With enemies closing in on all sides, and the discovery of some very dangerous secrets, Enne and Levi and their friends will need to work together to survive the City of Sin.

What I Liked: 
Most of the characters - especially Levi and Lola - were intriguing, and none of them are perfect.
The magic/gift system was quite interesting, but I wish there had been a bit more explanation.

What I Disliked: 
The main character lol? Enne just wasn’t my favorite. She definitely got better towards the end of the book, but I’d like to see even more development
Some aspects of the worldbuilding were described too much and some not nearly enough.
Enne's real parentage has some potential but I don't understand its significance beyond how dangerous it is...(maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention though).
The actual “Shadow Game” fell a bit flat for me. I was just expecting more.

Additional Comments:
Apparently, any book that involves a group of unlikely friends and a heist/scheme/anything similar reminds people of SoC, and, because that book is held in such high standing, everything else falls flat. I was easily able to separate the two, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The end felt a bit rushed to me, and Enne isn’t the most likable or relatable, so I’ve rated it a bit lower. But I will be continuing the series because it held my attention and I want to know how things are going to turn out.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Kathryn 

*3.5*

I’m excited to see where this series goes. I thought all of the characters were fun and I enjoyed the city of sin setting

Victoria Justice

I first read Ace of Shades in 2018, not long after the book was first published, but I'm aiming to finish some of the series I had ongoing and decided a re-read was needed.

Ace of Shades follows Enne's search for her adoptive mother which leads her to Levi and a whole cast of secrets for her to unearth.

Amanda Foody's writing has intrigued me since I read Daughter of a Burning City, and Ace of Shades does not disappoint. I cannot wait to find where this series goes over the next two books!

Grace O'Callaghan

After not finishing this book more than once I finally made it through, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Is it a new favourite? Absolutely not. But it was entertaining enough that I’m mildly excited to pick up the sequel.

The City of Sin was a good concept, but wasn’t great in execution. There were hints of the corrupt world that it is but I am desperate to know more about it and how dark it can get. 

Enne was a great female protagonist. I loved seeing her progression from prudish and proper to a darker side she didn’t know she had. I think the development was a little quick in my opinion, but I’m intrigued as to where her character goes.
Levi was a disappointment. He’s basically a knock off Kaz Brekker. I did like his charm and the banter and tension between him and Enne, but that was it.

I felt the actual story itself to be rather weak. There were a lot of places where a lot of useful information was dropped so I was never able to fully grasp the world and the history of it. I’d say it’s quite an action packed story but it was a bit all over the place and hard to keep track of.

An intriguing enough start to a series. I loved the tension between Levi and Enne but not much else. I’m tempted to pick up the sequel, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Ace of Shades

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