Book Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Release Date: April 10th, 2018
Read: January 28th- February 15th, 2018
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Shadow Game, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

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, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling 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 all his 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.

Review:

   Don't trust unless you must.
   Like everyone, I too, was excited to get my hands on Ace of Shades. A book of gambling your money, and your life? WITH powers? How couldn't I be excited? But of course, the anticipation was short lived when I actually picked up the book.

   You'll notice I have two strong opinions when it comes to Ace of Shades. The first being about the world building, and the second being that I couldn't shake the feeling of having read it before.

   Amanda Foody's world building was exceptionally marvellous, you couldn't help but be in awe when it came to the society, as well as the gang groups and wealthy families. Amanda had them so well put together that when I walk by someone with white hair in the streets I can't help but be a little more cautious. The rankings of the groups, the way the gang's bloodline was still a major focus as it is in reality, but with special abilities, you couldn't help but be amazed at it all.

   The biggest flaw to Ace of Shades was that it wasn't published earlier. If the novel had been published maybe two, three years earlier I'm sure it would have been a huge hit with me. But unfortunately I had already read The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, and heard so much about Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo before reading this one. I couldn't help but compare everything, and I mean everything from Ace of Shades to The Last Magician. It was actually kind of ridiculous how similar they were. Even the plot twist in Ace of Shades was predicable because the plot twist in The Last Magician was the exact same thing. It was because of this, that I couldn't stand the book. That and the  character Enne, literally drove me mad with all her whining.

   I really wished I could have loved Ace of Shades, but it ended up being a wrong place at the wrong right situation. Since it was the story rather than the writing that ruined the book for me, I still look forward to reading Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"People do not play this Game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Powers, Gambling, The Last Magician, Six of Crows

Book Review: Fireblood by Elly Blake

Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Read: August 22nd-23rd, 2017
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: Frostblood Saga, #2
Format: ARC, 416 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Description from GoodReads:

   All hail the Fire Queen.

   Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his throne of ice. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past…

   Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fire Queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax—which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, Ruby no longer knows whom to trust. The fates of two kingdoms are now in her hands.

Review:

 
   The last thing I want is to smother you

   I didn't adore Frostblood, the first book in the series, that much is known if you read my review. But in the end I requested the ARC since the author is Canadian and I wanted to give her another chance. 

   All the problems that occurred in Frostblood that I did not enjoy, reoccurred in Fireblood. Everything from the similarity to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, to the book being a walking cliche of everything Young Adult. The Deja Vu factor had returned in full force.

   In complete honesty, the cliche factor was a deal breaker for me. I thought I could get over the fact, but in the end I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy really anything about Fireblood. Especially not when the only memory I still have of the novel is me groaning every five minutes. 

   Although, saying all of this, I do still believe that anyone just starting to read YA books should give the Frostblood saga a chance. If you haven't read a ton of YA yet, then I could certainly see Fireblood as an interesting and fun read. Because of that fact, I would still recommend it to people. 

   Fireblood was a walking "ugh" for me, so I probably won't pick up Nightblood, the final book in the series, unless someone shoves it in my face. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"You’re quite amusing when you’re not lashing me with that sharp tongue."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Old Time YA Books

Book Review: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Release Date: January 18th, 2018
Read: August 15th-21st, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 368 pages
Source: McNally Robinson

Description from GoodReads:

   Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

   Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Review:

   My love he wooed me. My love he slew me.
   It's been roughly seven months since I read The Hazel Wood, and I still remain bitter about the story and the hope I had for the book being crushed. I had such a strong anticipation for The Hazel Wood before it released; the cover was gorgeous, the synopsis was everything I needed from a fairy tale novel, but in the end it let me ever so down.

   I found the lead up to the Hazel Wood to be a complete mess, to me nothing made any sense at all. It was clear that everything was done in anticipation of heading to the Hazel Wood, but it was just filler to me. Not to mention we were constantly told about how all the Hinterland stories were oh so important to saving the mother as well as other things, but we basically got a list of their names and were told the stories later on when the novel was basically almost done. It was later announced after The Hazel Wood was written that there'd be a bind up of all the Hinterland stories, but I honestly think they were needed to comprehend this novel.

   I also found the protagonist and friend were completely bland characters, nothing about them stood out and at times I was even annoyed at hearing their voices. It didn't matter what happened to them in the novels, I could care less about what happened to them.

   I wanted a unique new fairy tale story, but what I got was a bland mess. I still don't understand the hype to the book after having read it, and I'm still so disappointed that a book with such a gorgeous cover could be such a mess underneath.

   The Hazel Wood was a disaster, and under no circumstances will you see me picking up it's sequel in the future.
   

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"If you're not with the book you want, you might as well want the book you're with."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Cities, Murder, Blood