sfilson's review against another edition
5.0
Quit good reading.
Was surprised I didn't think I would like this book at first, but once I got a little deeper into it i didn't want to put it down.
Was surprised I didn't think I would like this book at first, but once I got a little deeper into it i didn't want to put it down.
marufahoque's review
2.0
It was slow and I really wish the story focused on just Sofia and not the other characters. Notch and Flir were fine, and the story would've flowed if some of their scenes went back to back with Sofia's, especially in the first third of the story. And the same thing with Ain's scenes--there were too many/chapters and by then I was skipping just to get to Notch/Sofia scenes. Since this is a series, it would've been better to limit Ain's scenes.
emlickliter's review
4.0
Note: I received this book in exchange for an honest review, however all thoughts and opinion are my own.
Ashley Capes has a cool voice and some pretty impressive world building. Its got enough complexity and originality to keep you engaged with a liberal dose of action to keep you turning pages! I'm looking forward to the next book! And good news for you if you have Kindle Unlimited because the whole series is on there! Happy Reading!
Ashley Capes has a cool voice and some pretty impressive world building. Its got enough complexity and originality to keep you engaged with a liberal dose of action to keep you turning pages! I'm looking forward to the next book! And good news for you if you have Kindle Unlimited because the whole series is on there! Happy Reading!
amelianicholebooks's review
5.0
This is the first book to stab me in the back, I almost threw my kindle across the room with how absolutely devastating the plot twist was. I personally felt the betrayal. This is an amazing author. This book has so many layers, the world building is richer than most fantasy novels I read, and there are many threads unsolved while still leaving a satisfying ending. I love Notch, Flir, Seto, Luik,and Sofia. I don't know if I could pick a favorite. Recommend for fantasy lovers!
pinkstarpainter's review
5.0
I really loved this book. I can't wait to read the second one.
I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.
I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.
tsana's review
4.0
City of Masks by Ashley Capes is the first in an epic fantasy series and the author's debut novel. Before I get to the review part, I'd like to draw your attention to the cover. I did not notice the city in the eye and nose holes until just now. How cool does that look? It's also more pertinent to the story since the skull (/mask) by itself struck me as horror or dark fantasy, which is not what the book is, in my opinion.
I tend to approach fantasy books by new authors (and new to me authors) with some degree of trepidation. I'm very particular about what kind of fantasy I enjoy and there are a lot of ways in which a fantasy book can disappoint me. Luckily, I need not have worried when it came to City of Masks. It's an entertaining read which kept me interested and turning pages. I would go so far as to say that it's the best début fantasy I read this year.
There are two and a half storylines running through City of Masks. There are the events in the titular city including a youngish noblewoman on the run after a coup and a group of (ex-) mercenaries (sort of). Sofia, the noblewoman, was a strong character who kept fighting back as much as she could and didn't make any stupid mistakes (a pet peeve of mine). Notch and Flir, two of the mercenary types were enjoyable to read about. Flir particularly struck me as a good character. I suspect we're going to learn more about her in future books, but for now an almost inhumanly strong female character was sufficiently interesting to really add something to the group dynamic of the mercenaries. For example, she was always the one to do the heavy lifting etc. There are other elements of city life which are a bit unusual, like monsters appearing in the sewers, and which are only partially addressed in this first book. Again, I think this is something which will be explored further in sequels which I look forward to reading.
The other, almost entirely separate, storyline is about the desert people and, specifically, Ain a "Pathfinder" who can sense paths where other people have been before (a useful skill in the desert with shifting sands). He is sent on a mission to find a sacred temple outside of the desert. His story is quite separate from the other characters' until the very end when they converge amusingly and a bit unusually. Quite where his story is going in future books I'm not sure, but I look forward to finding out.
City of Masks was an entertaining read that I would recommend to all fantasy readers. Unfortunately it's only available in paper and Kindle formats from Amazon at the moment (the author sent me a special version for review), but if that doesn't present a problem to you, I would definitely recommend giving it a go. Hopefully this will change soon and, in any case, I look forward to reading the second book when it becomes available.
4 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
I tend to approach fantasy books by new authors (and new to me authors) with some degree of trepidation. I'm very particular about what kind of fantasy I enjoy and there are a lot of ways in which a fantasy book can disappoint me. Luckily, I need not have worried when it came to City of Masks. It's an entertaining read which kept me interested and turning pages. I would go so far as to say that it's the best début fantasy I read this year.
There are two and a half storylines running through City of Masks. There are the events in the titular city including a youngish noblewoman on the run after a coup and a group of (ex-) mercenaries (sort of). Sofia, the noblewoman, was a strong character who kept fighting back as much as she could and didn't make any stupid mistakes (a pet peeve of mine). Notch and Flir, two of the mercenary types were enjoyable to read about. Flir particularly struck me as a good character. I suspect we're going to learn more about her in future books, but for now an almost inhumanly strong female character was sufficiently interesting to really add something to the group dynamic of the mercenaries. For example, she was always the one to do the heavy lifting etc. There are other elements of city life which are a bit unusual, like monsters appearing in the sewers, and which are only partially addressed in this first book. Again, I think this is something which will be explored further in sequels which I look forward to reading.
The other, almost entirely separate, storyline is about the desert people and, specifically, Ain a "Pathfinder" who can sense paths where other people have been before (a useful skill in the desert with shifting sands). He is sent on a mission to find a sacred temple outside of the desert. His story is quite separate from the other characters' until the very end when they converge amusingly and a bit unusually. Quite where his story is going in future books I'm not sure, but I look forward to finding out.
City of Masks was an entertaining read that I would recommend to all fantasy readers. Unfortunately it's only available in paper and Kindle formats from Amazon at the moment (the author sent me a special version for review), but if that doesn't present a problem to you, I would definitely recommend giving it a go. Hopefully this will change soon and, in any case, I look forward to reading the second book when it becomes available.
4 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
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