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A review by kappareads
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
4.0
Real Rating: A sliding scale between 3 and 4 stars
This book is really hard to give an accurate star rating to, so I'm just going to say right out to give it a try. I really enjoyed reading it from start to finish, but this book is obviously very decisive. So, this review, I'm going to try and split this into "Things I liked"and "Things I Didn't Like/Things I wanted"
Things I Liked
- Sal/Sallot Leon, our protagonist - Beyond the fact that Sal is genderfluid and their genderfluidity wasn't the main plot of the book (and that it was never alluded to what Sal's biological sex was), I really liked Sal. They have multiple motivations for signing up for the auditions for becoming Opal (revenge, love for their Queen, a way of escaping the life they currently led). Small criticism of how Miller handled the genderfluid aspect; I liked how how they presented themselves was how they asked to be referenced (feminine clothing = she/her, masculine clothing = he/him), it was an interesting way of having it in the book. However, what does enby clothing look like? It's a real small criticism about it but, what would Sal have to dress like to have people refer to them as "they/them"?
- The auditions themselves - I have not read ToG and most likely will not, but either way, I really enjoyed how the trials were set up, how it was encouraged to kill others while they slept (which I know is a major criticism of a lot of these types of books like, "Why don't they just kill each other and not have to do all these trials?") so I like how killing other was encouraged with some ground rules set up so it's not a blood bath on the first night.
- The assassins were all very fun and I enjoyed how they all had their own specialties. I hope we get to see more of them in Ruin of Stars. I hope we get to know them better, as during the auditions they couldn't truly be themselves as they were more so judges.
-The ROMANCE, oh man, it was so good.
Things I Didn't Like/Things I wanted
- I wanted a map soooooo bad. Usually I roll my eyes if an indie book has a map because for some reason I think its pretentious? But now I understand, after not having a map but needing one, that they are very useful. Yes, the book really only takes place in one location, all the politics talk would've been easier to understand with a map to know where territories fall/lie.
- Speaking of politics, as is apparently the case with every YA fantasy book I read, I was confused by the politics in this book. It became clearer as I read, but I felt like it took longer to parse out, if that makes sense? The worst was trying to keep the names in my head straight, but that could very well just be a me-thing.
Overall, I do say give this book a try. I was entertained the whole way through and I'm already considering a reread to pick up what I missed the first time.
This book is really hard to give an accurate star rating to, so I'm just going to say right out to give it a try. I really enjoyed reading it from start to finish, but this book is obviously very decisive. So, this review, I'm going to try and split this into "Things I liked"and "Things I Didn't Like/Things I wanted"
Things I Liked
- Sal/Sallot Leon, our protagonist - Beyond the fact that Sal is genderfluid and their genderfluidity wasn't the main plot of the book (and that it was never alluded to what Sal's biological sex was), I really liked Sal. They have multiple motivations for signing up for the auditions for becoming Opal (revenge, love for their Queen, a way of escaping the life they currently led). Small criticism of how Miller handled the genderfluid aspect; I liked how how they presented themselves was how they asked to be referenced (feminine clothing = she/her, masculine clothing = he/him), it was an interesting way of having it in the book. However, what does enby clothing look like? It's a real small criticism about it but, what would Sal have to dress like to have people refer to them as "they/them"?
- The auditions themselves - I have not read ToG and most likely will not, but either way, I really enjoyed how the trials were set up, how it was encouraged to kill others while they slept (which I know is a major criticism of a lot of these types of books like, "Why don't they just kill each other and not have to do all these trials?") so I like how killing other was encouraged with some ground rules set up so it's not a blood bath on the first night.
- The assassins were all very fun and I enjoyed how they all had their own specialties. I hope we get to see more of them in Ruin of Stars. I hope we get to know them better, as during the auditions they couldn't truly be themselves as they were more so judges.
Spoiler
I also can't wait to see how they all deal with Ruby's death. The plot twist at the end really threw me for a loop, I wasn't expecting any of that.-The ROMANCE, oh man, it was so good.
Spoiler
It was one of those "I'm going to use you to get myself ahead in my own goals and, oh wait shit, are these feelings?"Things I Didn't Like/Things I wanted
- I wanted a map soooooo bad. Usually I roll my eyes if an indie book has a map because for some reason I think its pretentious? But now I understand, after not having a map but needing one, that they are very useful. Yes, the book really only takes place in one location, all the politics talk would've been easier to understand with a map to know where territories fall/lie.
- Speaking of politics, as is apparently the case with every YA fantasy book I read, I was confused by the politics in this book. It became clearer as I read, but I felt like it took longer to parse out, if that makes sense? The worst was trying to keep the names in my head straight, but that could very well just be a me-thing.
Overall, I do say give this book a try. I was entertained the whole way through and I'm already considering a reread to pick up what I missed the first time.