Scan barcode
nicodaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Self harm, Stalking, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture, Vomit, and Grief
nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I got this at the dollar store and to say it exceeded my expectations would be an understatement.
It has a quick pace and is more on the plot driven side, but I was in the perfect mood for this type of story.
The character dynamics and interactions are so well done and made me smile (though they only go so deep).
The plot is the perfect mix of politics and action. Just the plot being based around a dangerous audition for a job under the Queen that’s filled with
1. deadly tests
2. training
and
3. other auditioners who are allowed to kill you
Is right up my alley. And the setting is mainly the palace grounds? Yes please!
Although the world building wasn’t deeply explored within the book, I could tell the author spent time doing it anyway because every detail fit within the world and felt like it made sense.
It did get a little sluggish around the middle but it soon picked back up and I was just as invested again when it did.
Okay I’m done gushing. Would recommend if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced fantasy that isn’t too bogged down or “deep.” Very fun read.
P.S. I also really love that the Queen’s left hand have “titles” / new aliases named after the rings she wears on her left hand: Emerald, Ruby, Amethyst, and Opal. I thought it was pretty rad.
It has a quick pace and is more on the plot driven side, but I was in the perfect mood for this type of story.
The character dynamics and interactions are so well done and made me smile (though they only go so deep).
The plot is the perfect mix of politics and action. Just the plot being based around a dangerous audition for a job under the Queen that’s filled with
1. deadly tests
2. training
and
3. other auditioners who are allowed to kill you
Is right up my alley. And the setting is mainly the palace grounds? Yes please!
Although the world building wasn’t deeply explored within the book, I could tell the author spent time doing it anyway because every detail fit within the world and felt like it made sense.
It did get a little sluggish around the middle but it soon picked back up and I was just as invested again when it did.
Okay I’m done gushing. Would recommend if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced fantasy that isn’t too bogged down or “deep.” Very fun read.
P.S. I also really love that the Queen’s left hand have “titles” / new aliases named after the rings she wears on her left hand: Emerald, Ruby, Amethyst, and Opal. I thought it was pretty rad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia and Classism
Minor: Self harm, Violence, and War
The transphobia is done by an asshole character who refuses to call Sal by anything but feminine pronouns. But it is very obvious this character is a bad guy (it’s not glorified) and we get some great moments when he’s put in his place :)anniereads221's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia
lolajh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
DUDE definitely one of my favourite fucking books after reading this. A nonbinary genderfluid protagonist, Sal, who is an assassin and uses the pronouns he/him, they/them, and she/her, which flunctuates along with his gender. Sal uses cis people’s stereotypical view of gender and the clothes that are often assigned to it to their advantage, so when she identifies as a girl they wear fem clothes, when they identify as a guy he wears masculine clothes, and when they feel like neither he wear androgynous clothes. As a non binary person myself who experiences my gender expression in such a different way it was so lovely to learn and experience how Sal expresses their gender through clothing. Along with this, Sal is not at all shy of her identity, happily communicating his gender fluidity and boundaries that are made with everyone regarding pronouns and what to use for them and when, very much normalising gender feeling like this not only in this fantasy world but in real life too. Sal allowing herself to get mad at people who disrespect their identity is completely valid, and as someone who finds it difficult to correct people misgendering me, reading stuff like this is empowering, and the fact I was able to take all this away from a fictional book? What you consume in media does truly affect you, and this book did it in a way that was so positive. Also the fact that the author never discloses sal’s biological sex is lovely and important for deconstructing society’s views of gender, especially that of non binary people. Very very very good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Transphobia
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
taliahsbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I chose to read this book while simultaneously listening to the audiobook available on Spotify. I loved the narrator's voice. They did a fantastic job staying consistent with the voices, which made it super easy to follow along with the story. Anyways, now onto my thoughts about the actual book itself.
The best way to describe this book would be if you took the competition from the Selection, the murder game from the Hunger Games, a magic system that felt almost kind of loosely related to something you might read in Shadow and Bone, and then threw in Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood storyline (yes, I am quite confident that is where the idea for the third test is from and will hear no criticism on this point).
As for the writing, despite what I'm seeing a lot of people claiming, it's not similar to SJM or Leigh Bardugo? I just didn't get that comparison. I think all three of these writers are unique and have very different writing styles, and I wouldn't lump them all into the same category. (Additionally, those of you who continue to compare this book to ACOTAR, besties, do you understand that a) ACOTAR was not SJM's first book, and her writing style did develop significantly from her actual first book and b) SJM is... questionably good at writing? But that's pretty debatable and not what my point is here.)
Now, onto the characters. I liked the characters. I liked the almost impersonalized way of developing the background characters. Everyone wore masks, and physical appearances weren't as important as in a lot of other books. Readers get to make up our own assumptions and ideas. I get some people's point when suggesting that it can be hard to track who is who when everyone is just a number for the majority of the book, but... if you take the time to write it out, or just keep track of things, or color code, or whatever works for you, it's actually not that difficult at all. If you can understand the different Grisha and keep them straight, you can keep 1-23 separated especially since most of them die.
The main love interest, Elise, was... certainly a love interest. I think this was the most boring part of the book for me. I liked that Elise is unlabeled queer, but the relationship between her and Sal felt almost rushed, and not well developed. I wasn't sold on their feelings for each other, and it was kind of boring to read through the "romantic" parts. I found myself no longer paying attention and kind of zoning out during these parts, but everything else kept me engaged, so I can't complain too much.
Onto my biggest frustration with other reviewers: I was reading through reviews and trying to condense my thoughts when I came across a few suggesting that Sal's gender identity (gender fluidity) was "pointless, distracting, and not important to the plot." Hey, guys, I hate to break it to you, but someone's gender identity doesn't actually have to be a main plot point! Shocker, I know, that people exist with characteristics and life events outside of just their sexuality and/or gender identity. It's good to sometimes read a book where the main character is coming to terms with their identity, or growing into it, or facing huge hurdles as a result of it. But this isn't that book. Instead, it's a novel with a plot line totally separate, and our main character happens to be genderfluid. I personally prefer reading these types of books, because you can be LGBTQIA+ without it being the main point of your story. It's a part of you, rather than the main point of your life.
I actually really liked this book. It was recommended to me by a creator on TikTok, and it looked semi-interesting. Y'all. When I tell you this book blew my mind, I mean it. The twist with Ruby (I'm leaving it at that because Ruby is my favorite character - I will fight anyone who says otherwise) was so well-crafted. I was jumping back through my annotations and realized that Linsey Miller hid the most obvious conversations and tiny details in the most obvious places, but it worked really, really well.
The reason I didn't give this book a five star review was because although I really enjoyed the premise and the competition and the characters (Ruby especially), the magic system was just confusing and very poor, not well explained, and didn't have understandable rules (if you are looking for a book with a solid magic system, this isn't it), and the romance (if you could even really call it that - see above) was weak and I didn't sense any real chemistry.
Was this the best book I've ever read? No. But it didn't have to be. It was good and I enjoyed reading it. I looked forward to times when I could just sit down and read it for a while. I found it easy to get lost in the plot and lose track of time because I was so invested. This got me out of a reading slump, and I think that's pretty important for a lot of people.
Spoilers:
High-level spoiler:My favorite characters went Rath, who we never heard from again, Four, who, well, y'know, got MURDERED, and then Ruby WHO GOT MURDERED. Are you kidding me? I am very upset. Why Ruby? (I get why, but let me have my dramatic moment of crying for Ruby because that was rude)
The best way to describe this book would be if you took the competition from the Selection, the murder game from the Hunger Games, a magic system that felt almost kind of loosely related to something you might read in Shadow and Bone, and then threw in Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood storyline (yes, I am quite confident that is where the idea for the third test is from and will hear no criticism on this point).
As for the writing, despite what I'm seeing a lot of people claiming, it's not similar to SJM or Leigh Bardugo? I just didn't get that comparison. I think all three of these writers are unique and have very different writing styles, and I wouldn't lump them all into the same category. (Additionally, those of you who continue to compare this book to ACOTAR, besties, do you understand that a) ACOTAR was not SJM's first book, and her writing style did develop significantly from her actual first book and b) SJM is... questionably good at writing? But that's pretty debatable and not what my point is here.)
Now, onto the characters. I liked the characters. I liked the almost impersonalized way of developing the background characters. Everyone wore masks, and physical appearances weren't as important as in a lot of other books. Readers get to make up our own assumptions and ideas. I get some people's point when suggesting that it can be hard to track who is who when everyone is just a number for the majority of the book, but... if you take the time to write it out, or just keep track of things, or color code, or whatever works for you, it's actually not that difficult at all. If you can understand the different Grisha and keep them straight, you can keep 1-23 separated especially since most of them die.
The main love interest, Elise, was... certainly a love interest. I think this was the most boring part of the book for me. I liked that Elise is unlabeled queer, but the relationship between her and Sal felt almost rushed, and not well developed. I wasn't sold on their feelings for each other, and it was kind of boring to read through the "romantic" parts. I found myself no longer paying attention and kind of zoning out during these parts, but everything else kept me engaged, so I can't complain too much.
Onto my biggest frustration with other reviewers: I was reading through reviews and trying to condense my thoughts when I came across a few suggesting that Sal's gender identity (gender fluidity) was "pointless, distracting, and not important to the plot." Hey, guys, I hate to break it to you, but someone's gender identity doesn't actually have to be a main plot point! Shocker, I know, that people exist with characteristics and life events outside of just their sexuality and/or gender identity. It's good to sometimes read a book where the main character is coming to terms with their identity, or growing into it, or facing huge hurdles as a result of it. But this isn't that book. Instead, it's a novel with a plot line totally separate, and our main character happens to be genderfluid. I personally prefer reading these types of books, because you can be LGBTQIA+ without it being the main point of your story. It's a part of you, rather than the main point of your life.
I actually really liked this book. It was recommended to me by a creator on TikTok, and it looked semi-interesting. Y'all. When I tell you this book blew my mind, I mean it. The twist with Ruby (I'm leaving it at that because Ruby is my favorite character - I will fight anyone who says otherwise) was so well-crafted. I was jumping back through my annotations and realized that Linsey Miller hid the most obvious conversations and tiny details in the most obvious places, but it worked really, really well.
The reason I didn't give this book a five star review was because although I really enjoyed the premise and the competition and the characters (Ruby especially), the magic system was just confusing and very poor, not well explained, and didn't have understandable rules (if you are looking for a book with a solid magic system, this isn't it), and the romance (if you could even really call it that - see above) was weak and I didn't sense any real chemistry.
Was this the best book I've ever read? No. But it didn't have to be. It was good and I enjoyed reading it. I looked forward to times when I could just sit down and read it for a while. I found it easy to get lost in the plot and lose track of time because I was so invested. This got me out of a reading slump, and I think that's pretty important for a lot of people.
Spoilers:
High-level spoiler:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Torture, Transphobia, Grief, and Abandonment
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
every time sal kills someone i cheer. i love u u funky little genderfluid assassin
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide and Torture
Minor: Transphobia
nixieba25f's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Grief
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reread for the November #WickAndJaneBookClub Feral Queers on Instagram.
Such a fun reread!!
Rep: Genderfluid white MC, white noble bisexual female love interest, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Blood, death, dysphoria, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, misgendering, murder, violence, war.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.5/5
I enjoyed this but was kind of bored with some parts of it. Our MC, Sallot Leon, is a gender fluid thief, that auditions to become Opal, one of the queens assassins. It was quite a leap to see Sal being a thief to then trying to become an assassin, especially since at the beginning, they explain their hesitancy to kill. However, Sal seems to get over that pretty quickly.
The trials that Sal goes through were interesting, but also slightly predictable since everyone is trying to off the other competitors. What helped liven this part up was Sal's lessons with Elise, the lady she stole from to get invited to the competition. I loved their lessons together, and the romance that eventually blossomed between these two. I need more lgbt+ relationships like this.
One other thing I would've liked to have known more about would've be the world itself. Mask of Shadows is set in a world where magic and its dangerous shadows have been abolished by the Queen. However, threats of the shadows pose a danger to the Queen's reign. I would've liked to know more about the magic system that was in place, how the Queen banished it and how/why the shadows existed. They seemed pretty monstrous and it would've be a cool facet to expand upon.
Such a fun reread!!
Rep: Genderfluid white MC, white noble bisexual female love interest, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Blood, death, dysphoria, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, misgendering, murder, violence, war.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.5/5
I enjoyed this but was kind of bored with some parts of it. Our MC, Sallot Leon, is a gender fluid thief, that auditions to become Opal, one of the queens assassins. It was quite a leap to see Sal being a thief to then trying to become an assassin, especially since at the beginning, they explain their hesitancy to kill. However, Sal seems to get over that pretty quickly.
The trials that Sal goes through were interesting, but also slightly predictable since everyone is trying to off the other competitors. What helped liven this part up was Sal's lessons with Elise, the lady she stole from to get invited to the competition. I loved their lessons together, and the romance that eventually blossomed between these two. I need more lgbt+ relationships like this.
One other thing I would've liked to have known more about would've be the world itself. Mask of Shadows is set in a world where magic and its dangerous shadows have been abolished by the Queen. However, threats of the shadows pose a danger to the Queen's reign. I would've liked to know more about the magic system that was in place, how the Queen banished it and how/why the shadows existed. They seemed pretty monstrous and it would've be a cool facet to expand upon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
More...