Name: Joleen's review of Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Item: Mask of Shadows
Rating: 3
Author: Joleen

Linsey Miller

"I love every aspect of this amazing book—a genderfluid hero, a deadly contest, and vicious courtly intrigue. Get! Read! Now!" —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author I Needed to Win. They Needed to Die. Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home. When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive. More Praise for Mask of Shadows: A Bustle Most Anticipated YA of 2017! "Compelling and relatable characters, a fascinating world with dangerous magic, and a dash of political intrigue: Mask of Shadows completely delivered. Fantasy fans will love this book."—Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Lady Jane "An intriguing world and a fantastically compelling main character make for a can't-miss debut. Miller's Mask of Shadows will make you glad you're not an assassin—and even gladder Sal is."—Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken and Now I Rise

Mask of Shadows

Joleen

Kirsten Simkiss

I liked the book, but I definitely didn't love it. I waffled back and forth on how I'd rate this one, because personally I'd give it 3.5 stars, but ultimately I definitively decided to go with 3 stars for Goodreads purposes.

The first thing I will say is that I found this very easy to read. I read this whole book in one evening, pretty much in one sitting, and had no trouble with it at all. Sometimes, you know, you read a book and no matter how much you wanted to like it, you just can't read as many pages in a sitting as you hoped because it just doesn't carry your attention. Fortunately, I did not have a problem with this book in that respect.

Continuing with the positives, I thought it was great that Sal, our lovely main character is gender fluid. Though I didn't adore how it was handled, most authors don't even make the attempt. Additionally, another character proves to be a bisexual love interest for the main character. Yay inclusion!

I also loved Maud, Sal's personal maid/attendant during the trials to become the Queen's Left Hand agent, Opal. Maud was loyal and friendly and generally just seemed to give more of a damn than the rest of the characters. 10/10 would protect Maud from all harm that would come to her. Maud doesn't appear to be a love interest either, which is great! I'm a girl who loves platonic friendship characters in books. So often, characters like that get skipped or glossed over in order to further the plot. It always makes me sad. I have read way too many books where the best friend is only briefly mentioned but never seen being the best friend. Anyway, Maud was great. If I continue reading the book series, it will pretty much be for her and her alone.

However, all positive things aside, I did have some complaints about the book. I'm not going to harp on any of them too long, but they are things I felt dragged the book's quality down.

For one thing, I felt that Sal was a very weak main character. Sal, from the beginning to the end, does not grow one bit. Now, granted, this is the first book in a series. There's time yet for Sal to develop in the course of the story. Unfortunately, you just don't see that in this book. Sal is Sal the whole way through. Sal also has very few qualities that I would admire in them as a main character. Actually, sometimes you kind of questioned how mentally healthy Sal could possibly be. This kid is obviously traumatized, underfed, obviously seems to suffer from PTSD, and is obviously neglected, and you decide to put them in a fight to the death with 22 other people to help you run the government? I have many questions on that front. All in all, I just didn't like Sal.

The gender fluidity didn't bother me at all as a concept for the character, but I felt it was odd that Sal depended on their clothes to tell others what genders they were. Now, for one, Sal was a street thief who had no good clothes aside from thief clothes prior to becoming a part of the battle royale for Opal. Chances are, Sal didn't own a bunch of frilly dresses and suit jackets to indicate what they felt like when robbing coaches. Sal probably had one filthy outfit and used it until they had to steal a new one. So how Sal managed this system before the trials, I don't really know. And secondly, it reinforces this connotation that certain clothes belong only to one gender or the other. I don't really love that. I understand the system, but I don't love it.

Naming your characters with numbers for 90% of the book is also never a good idea. It was very difficult to get a grasp on the side characters for this reason. I had a similar issue with this in the Hunger Games, which I felt was quite similar in feel to this book. I honestly have no strong picture in my head of any of the characters in this book - including the main character Sal. The author spends more time describing the clothes on the character than the actual characters themselves. Granted, you may be able to blame this one on every single character wearing a mask with a number on it for 90% of the book.

I also felt that much of the training felt redundant and, to be honest with you, it didn't feel like Sal actually seemed to have learned much from the courses that would have kept them alive throughout the course of the story. Personally, I felt that all the learning descriptions were a bit much and could have been handled better. Just tell us that Ruby wore Sal out again by doing push ups for hours - we'll get it. Your audience is smart - they can fill in the blanks.

My other complaint was that I felt like I'd read this book before in another setting. It really did feel like reading other YA novels with fights to the death with other people their age. A bunch of people have mentioned this in regards to the book. I definitely feel that Hunger Games is probably the closest parallel, although there doesn't appear to be a love triangle so far. (Thank goodness.)

All in all, it's a decent read. If you enjoy books like the Hunger Games series, this definitely has that vibe going. I will probably continue reading it when the next book comes out, but it won't be high on my list of priorities.

As Opal, Sal now has the power, prestige, and ability to exact revenge, but must first identify the murderers while ignoring the fact that Elise is a virtual prisoner and the queen may have ulterior motives.

Nicole Dykeman

This was action-packed and I LOVED the competition aspect of it. It’s a favorite trope of mine, especially in fantasy books, and it didn’t shy away from the assassin-y stuff, which I appreciated. I got exactly what I expected going into this book. It was awesome having a non-binary protagonist without their gender having anything to do with the plot. So often, LGBTQ+ books are about queerness itself, so this was refreshing in that way. 

The only thing I didn’t really care for was the history/politics of the world, and the romance between Sal and Elise felt a little rushed and out of place. I couldn’t keep track of the complicated backstory of the country, what everyone’s motivations were, that kind of stuff. Still, I think I’m going to read the next book, just because it’s a duology, and I would like to see Sal get their happy ending.

jess

On a whole, I really enjoyed this book. While the premise was not wholly original (I'm seeing Throne of Glass comparisons, which are not unwarranted) it was well-written and engaging. Sallot was a great character and I loved reading from their perspective; they're determined and ruthless and yes, Celaena Sardothien comparisons abound, but despite the similarities they were original and imo far more well-written than Celaena has ever been. The worldbuilding made itself unique with an interesting magic and political system, and fantasy cultures that waver from the stock fantasy tropes.

stephanie archer 

Laura Kehoe

I've been hearing a loooottt of good things about Mask of Shadows. Which made me both excited and a bit nervous when I finally got my hands on it. Sometimes books with a lot of hype turn out to be amazing and I fall completely in love...other times not so much. So I approached Mask of Shadows with some trepidation. But I am thrilled to say my nerves were completely unnecessary. BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN! I loved it! And I really need more. Right this second, please.

As per usual, I'm going to talk about the characters first. I could probably spend a few thousand words talking about how great these characters are, but since I don't want you guys to die of boredom, I'll keep it short and sweet. First off, DIVERSITY and complex characters. I rarely see genderfluid character, much less one that is the lead. And it was so well done too! Plus, Sal is just a gem of a character. I will say, though, there are a lot of characters in this book. It was a little hard to keep track of everyone, especially the ones who were referred to by a number. But that wasn't a huge issue most of the time.

The plot was a little predictable at times, and I would have liked a few more details on some things. But overall, I thought it was really well done. It kept my interested up until the very last page!

If you haven't guessed, I definitely would recommend this. If you like fantasy and slightly amoral characters, you should give this one a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Archer

Fam. THIS BOOK. GENDER FLUID ASSASSIN. You heard me. GENDER FLUID ASSASSIN. The reason I only gave it 4 stars was because I was confuzzled by a lot of the plot and world building, but it got the 4 because, you guessed it, genderfluid assassins.

The rep was amazing and Sal is my smol murder child. They are great at killing people but I love them so much. I want to give them so many hugs.

The worldbuilding and plot were highkey confusing but like I still sort of got what was going on.

laura

I got this book for free from Netgally*
I loved the main character of this character so much. I loved how she was gender fuild and how hat was such a small part of the story. It was so well done in the story and put the focus on so many other then her appearance. It gave me massive throne of glass vibes to the assissan elements and I will admit the way the characters were named did add to my confusion. The story did kept me turning the page and was a great first book in the series but I am curious where book two will go and what will occur next. It made want to keep reading but i do hope the world building is expanded in future books in this series because I still have questions.

Alexis 

* I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review* 


*sigh* this book took me almost a month to read, I just couldn't get into it. In my opinion it was just okay. Nothing all that special about the story or plot. There were a few moments where I felt like I started to get into the story but then I soon dropped out again. I plot is your basic dystopian, last one standing book. I do give it point for having a gender fluid character, but aside from that I don't think I will be reading the next book

Stephanie Haynes

Jolie

https://readwithme2018.com/2019/01/24...
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I was pretty excited to read Mask of Shadows. When I first read the blurb on the NetGalley posting, it caught my interest. The last fantasy novel I read with a genderfluid character were The Farseer/The Tawny Man/The Fitz and The Fool series with The Fool being the genderfluid character (and before anyone asks, I have read all of those series plus 2 that aren’t listed).

I actually liked Sal. She/He/They thought on his/her/their feet. The fact that she/he/they wanted to become Opal and went for it was great. Her/His/Their other reason for becoming Opal (finding the lords who refused to help her homeland and assassinating them) was pretty valid too. She/He/They thought that if she/he/they became Opal, that she/he/they could take on the lords as a side job.

I did think that the audition was a little reminiscent of The Hunger Games….but only, and stress only when the members of The Left Hand told them that it was a free-for-all. Once the auditioners were whittled down from 23 to 8, the free for all ended and they started to be eliminated by The Left Hand members or the remaining people were disqualified. Any similarities to The Hunger Games were ended. I mean, I read The Hunger Games and they battled it out to the last person (well, last two people in Katniss and Peeta’s case). Not here. The Left Hand members decided who was going to be Opal and let the remaining two people (in this case, it was referenced that there were more at previous auditions) go.

The masks kinda bothered me though. I don’t like masks. I have a phobia about things covering my face and even reading about them skeeved me out. They had to eat with those things on and I can only imagine what the insides looked like….puke. So yes, I spent almost the whole book being grossed out and praying that the masks will go away…lol.

I also liked the romance between Elise and Sal. It was sweet and totally forbidden. I actually had a huge smile on my face during those scenes. Sal really had no clue on how to act because Elise was an Erland and he/she/they hated the Erlands with a passion because of what happened to his/her/their homeland. I also liked Elise’s personality. She was spunky and she definitely not afraid to stand up for who and what she believed in.

The main plot, the audition, ended the way I thought it would (giving nothing away). But the secondary plot about Sal and her/his/their obsession with getting even with the Erland’s took a very surprising, and sad, turn. Want to find out….read the book.

The end of the book was definitely a cliffhanger. As much as I dislike cliffhangers, this one worked and I really can’t wait until book 2!!

How many stars will I give Mask of Shadows: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book and it definitely kept me engrossed.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Late Teen

Why: Violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Chantale

I tried to read this book but the story just didn't grab me.

I received this arc from Netgalley.

First, let me start by saying I requested this book because of the cover. It looked magical and I immediately wanted to know what this book was about. The second thing that hooked me was, "Perfect for fantasy fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo," it was with that line that I knew I needed this book. Much to my surprise, I was granted a copy, it was my first arc and overall, I am glad it was.

Honestly, I was excited for the diversity with the main character. I have never read a book where a character identifies as gender fluid. It wasn't a concept I was familiar with and I just wish I had a better idea of who Sal is. I wish it had been better executed. Because I still don’t know them as a person nor do I know the full extent of their history. I want all of the details not just of the reasons why they want revenge. 

This novel had so much potential to be something but it just fell flat. The entire concept of this book is the exact concept of Throne of Glass. A person must face other assassins to be the Queen/King's assassin. There is a competition, some romance, and a lot of training. The difference being that Sal isn't that great of a thief/assassin and has never actually killed a person before the audition. 

So, comparing to Maas and Bardugo, it was lacking, big time. I didn't get attached to the characters because the author doesn't allow you too. I don't know what most people look like or their history. This is supposed to be a duology but I don't understand how things will come full circle in one more book. 

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it. I enjoyed Sal and Maud's weird friendship. I sort of enjoyed the romance, but I don't really think spending a few tutoring sessions is "falling in love." I will gladly read the second book and see how this story continues because I want to see the ending. I want to see how this plays out and if the author can prove me wrong.

Wren Hardwick

This was me when I read this:
"Perfect for fantasy fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, the first book in this new duology features a compelling gender fluid main character, impressive worldbuilding, and fast-paced action."



This was me about fifty pages in:



I'm not sure who decided to come up with that little quote about it being like Maas and Bardugo, but I just have one question: have you read any Mass or Bardugo? Like I understand the whole "fight and see who whens to be on this elite team" nonsense that is so wonderful in young adult books these days (Throne of Glass [which is a Sarah J Maas book], Red Queen, Hunger Games, Wolf by Wolf, ect.), but that's where the comparisons stop. 

The only thing that I felt translated well out of this novel is the gender-fluid character, Sal. The author did a tremendous job with bringing to light gender-fluidation and showing it as a normal thing. I feel like if you aren't gender fluid, it might be hard to write about, but I feel as if Miller did a great job with that.

I also feel that Sal was the only thing unique about this book. 

If you want to know more about the plot, I say just read The Hunger Games or any other fight-to-live-or-be-on-this-really-cool-and-elite-team type book.

The gender fluid thief Sal Leon enters a competition to become a replacement member of the Left Hand--a quartet of the Queen's personal assassins--but must first survive the training and the contests while putting the reason for auditioning into motion--revenge.

Joanna Rosenwink 

3.5 stars

There were a lot of good things about this book but at times it was hard to follow, and it would have really benefitted from a map of the countries mentioned. I also found some of the violence and killing a bit hard to swallow.

I really liked the non-binary representation and thought this was handled well.

Shelby Tippett

akynn 

Ages 14 to 17 years Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class - and the nobles who destroyed their home. When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand - the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears - Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

Joleen &
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

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