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bookwyrm76's review against another edition
3.0
A decent read. I would recommend for fans of Graceling.
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
2.0
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/mask-shadows-untitled-1-linsey-miller/
I got this book for mainly three reasons:
The blurb, it stated that it is something you would enjoy if you are fan of both or either Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo. And it has a gender-fluid main character, which we don’t see often if at all in YA fiction ligature.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by almost all three things why I requested this book.
The only thing it really had incoming with Sarah J. Maas’s and Leigh Bardugo’s books was that they all wore masks and the main character was a thief. If anything it reminded me more of the Hunger Games than anything else. Which is okay because I liked the Hunger Games.
While there were some new and interesting things in the story other things of it, for me, a bit slow and sometimes even boring. There were also some plot holes and some other things just didn’t make sense at all.
The characters were a little to flat and I had a hard time connection to many of them, they were really hiding behind those masks in more than one way.
Even Sal, our gender-fluid main character. While of course we get a lot more things of Sal, it still was hard on some parts to connect with him. I loved that he was gender-fluid and it was rather well portrait and written, for the most part. But sometimes it was, as if that all Sal is, that being gender fluid id all he stands for.
I really enjoyed Sal, I just wish I would have known a bit more of him other than he is gender fluid and wants a better world to live in.
Overall, unfortunately this book was not for me, but that does not mean others won’t like it. I’m sure a lot of people will love it and I hope they do.
I rate it 2 ★
cat1586's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. After reading some of the reviews I've gone back and reevaluated my thoughts on it though just to make sure I wasn't thinking of it too kindly. But honestly I think it was a very solid story and by no means did I feel, whilst reading it, that it was written by a new author. The only reason I'm even mentioning that here is because I have definitely read books by veteran authors that didn't perform like this book did and I think that says something about Ms. Miller.
The plot
It’s unique. I know there are other assassin books out there, but I think the straightforwardness of the main character and the overall story is what sets it apart. It’s nice going into something that doesn't have twists upon twists, just solely for the sake of winning at twister. To me, this book spends time giving you the lay of the land and letting you inside the main characters head. This book wants you to understand. It gives you time to appreciate how clever the MC is, and how complicated a situation they are in, without trying to constantly throw you down a dark stairwell with the carpet that was ripped from under your feet tangled around your head. Even though parts of the book seem to hyper focus on things like standing for hours holding a bow, or planking for what feels like an absolute eternity, it wasn't slow. Maybe that has to do with my own background, so I find the detail in the training relatable. If you have no background with any kind of intensive training though, it’s important to understand that these kinds of exercises; endurance, strength, and precision, would be important.
The only problem I have with the way the author handles these exercises, is that the time frame for everything is too short. There are reasons boot camp and basic training take months. It’s not all so the Drill Instructors can break you down mentally. The body needs time to become stronger, and realistically, contrary to what the main character says at one point, you typically don't feel stronger the day after a physical thrashing. If you're going as hard as the MC seems to be, you're going to be in a hell of a lot of pain the following two or three days. Yes part of the idea is to carry on through it, but this is also why you need longer than, (maybe), a week to get anywhere. For one of the top positions in the country the entire gantlet type of training/audition is too short. Anyone going into this that wasn’t groomed in the slightest would never have the chance to catch up, and while that normally would probably be the point, that is exactly not the case of the MC. I do feel like it should have either been an audition all the way with “classes” kept to basic things that can be touched on within the span of two weeks, like the politics of the country so they don’t bumble around not understanding why some things are the way they are, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense….Just sayin…I understand wanting to stream line the story line, but there could have been a time laps somewhere in the middle of the training that let it go on to a more believable time span, let the characters actually learn some of those abilities trying to be taught to them in those training sessions, and still wouldn’t have added drastically to the page count.
I digress. I was talking about plot.
To me, the plot isn't really slow it’s focused on structure. I felt that it was trying to set decent ground work for the story in its entirety. Like I said, this story wants you to understand. It wants you to understand where the Main Character is coming from, and I think it needs the reader to get the political situation and the dynamic of the Hand better than the MC does. I was able to understand the driving points of the MC and what they were trying to do with strategy. I was able to gather a decent understanding about this Robin-Hood-like time frame, and the political situation between the two countries. I was able to grasp at what’s going on with magic in this world. Even if I think it has to be a little more complicated than what we readers have been given so far.
What the plot isn't though is full of random daggers in the dark and long descriptive paragraphs hell bent on making you forget what was actually being described. Don't get me wrong. I love to brag about reading GoT with the rest of the book fan base, currently read the whole series twice), but this book isn't in that category. It’s a YA and I honestly think that we tend to forget who these books are meant for. This isn’t strictly a realm meant for the 500 pages and up club. Epic stories like ‘The Inheritance Cycle’, (Eragon paperback page count: 528), don’t always fit into this category anymore, and if they do, they are not the norm. The norm was replaced by the under 400 page club. This book for the paperback version is listed at 352 pages. For perspective, The Maze Runner - 375, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children- 382, The Hunger Games - 384, The Selection- 352, City of Bones - 544, Red Queen- 416, Twilight - 544, Matched- 416, and weirdly enough, Divergent at- 576. While arguably some of these higher volume books could have done with fewer pages, and I know that this is only a small selection in the larger scope, but if you've gone into the book store and picked this particular work of literature up thinking that you're going to get some super complex and masterful work of art, you've probably picked up the wrong book. Not for lack of effort on the writer’s part, but for the simple fact that you are most likely shopping in the wrong section.
The MC
While I did find some things about this character a bit unrealistic, I loved the drive, the cleverness, the brokenness, and even the confidence they show at all points from cover to cover. They are young and from an even younger age, thanks to a traumatizing event, flung into a very hard world. With that being said though, I too found that there was something of an abrupt shift in the MC's view on killing about 40% along in the book. They start out having never killed anyone before and their thought process reflects that, then suddenly their views on killing change. I would like to think that this is due to the MC just trying to keep their head in the game and keep their mind wrapped around what they signed up for. I would also like to give them credit in the regard that just because they hadn't actually killed anyone at the beginning of the book doesn't mean that they weren't mentally adapted to what killing someone meant. They did grow up around death and murder. People are complicated. We think one way and then another all the time. The MC actually does come back around by the end and expresses their views in less black and white context so, you as the reader, can see the emotional struggle, even if it does take a back seat to the MCs determination. As I said before the main character also happens to be fairly young, so "set in their ways" probably isn't something that can be stamped onto their profile here. However maybe with an extra paragraph of internal dialogue this transitional thought process could have gone over little bit smoother. With everything else though, I think the MC nails being interesting and fairly balanced. There were a few instances where I thought that they were being full of themselves or too hung up on just their own struggle. But again, this character is supposed to be young and the author even reinforces that with a couple phrases directed at the MC via the Hand.
I've spent so much of this year trying out books from new authors and so many of them seem to have a hard time developing a working plot that either isn't too terribly predictable, or just gets so lost that by the end its a shambles, and if they aren’t letting the plot fall apart they are under developing their MC. The main character should be anything but black and white. If I want one that is only in 2D, I’ll stick to Pokemon Red on the original good ole black and white Gameboy. Maybe I’ve come off sounding like I’ve set the bar low for this book to impress me, but that is not the case. I just like to keep things in perspective and with this book, I’m just so impressed. I think it handles being a YA very well. Its straightforward enough to not lose younger readers to convoluted story line, and it’s interesting. Could the plot of this book easily transformed into a 600 page epic story that G.R.R. himself would be happy enough to put his stamp on? Sure. But then it wouldn’t be in this category. :)
The plot
It’s unique. I know there are other assassin books out there, but I think the straightforwardness of the main character and the overall story is what sets it apart. It’s nice going into something that doesn't have twists upon twists, just solely for the sake of winning at twister. To me, this book spends time giving you the lay of the land and letting you inside the main characters head. This book wants you to understand. It gives you time to appreciate how clever the MC is, and how complicated a situation they are in, without trying to constantly throw you down a dark stairwell with the carpet that was ripped from under your feet tangled around your head. Even though parts of the book seem to hyper focus on things like standing for hours holding a bow, or planking for what feels like an absolute eternity, it wasn't slow. Maybe that has to do with my own background, so I find the detail in the training relatable. If you have no background with any kind of intensive training though, it’s important to understand that these kinds of exercises; endurance, strength, and precision, would be important.
The only problem I have with the way the author handles these exercises, is that the time frame for everything is too short. There are reasons boot camp and basic training take months. It’s not all so the Drill Instructors can break you down mentally. The body needs time to become stronger, and realistically, contrary to what the main character says at one point, you typically don't feel stronger the day after a physical thrashing. If you're going as hard as the MC seems to be, you're going to be in a hell of a lot of pain the following two or three days. Yes part of the idea is to carry on through it, but this is also why you need longer than, (maybe), a week to get anywhere. For one of the top positions in the country the entire gantlet type of training/audition is too short. Anyone going into this that wasn’t groomed in the slightest would never have the chance to catch up, and while that normally would probably be the point, that is exactly not the case of the MC. I do feel like it should have either been an audition all the way with “classes” kept to basic things that can be touched on within the span of two weeks, like the politics of the country so they don’t bumble around not understanding why some things are the way they are, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense….Just sayin…I understand wanting to stream line the story line, but there could have been a time laps somewhere in the middle of the training that let it go on to a more believable time span, let the characters actually learn some of those abilities trying to be taught to them in those training sessions, and still wouldn’t have added drastically to the page count.
I digress. I was talking about plot.
To me, the plot isn't really slow it’s focused on structure. I felt that it was trying to set decent ground work for the story in its entirety. Like I said, this story wants you to understand. It wants you to understand where the Main Character is coming from, and I think it needs the reader to get the political situation and the dynamic of the Hand better than the MC does. I was able to understand the driving points of the MC and what they were trying to do with strategy. I was able to gather a decent understanding about this Robin-Hood-like time frame, and the political situation between the two countries. I was able to grasp at what’s going on with magic in this world. Even if I think it has to be a little more complicated than what we readers have been given so far.
What the plot isn't though is full of random daggers in the dark and long descriptive paragraphs hell bent on making you forget what was actually being described. Don't get me wrong. I love to brag about reading GoT with the rest of the book fan base, currently read the whole series twice), but this book isn't in that category. It’s a YA and I honestly think that we tend to forget who these books are meant for. This isn’t strictly a realm meant for the 500 pages and up club. Epic stories like ‘The Inheritance Cycle’, (Eragon paperback page count: 528), don’t always fit into this category anymore, and if they do, they are not the norm. The norm was replaced by the under 400 page club. This book for the paperback version is listed at 352 pages. For perspective, The Maze Runner - 375, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children- 382, The Hunger Games - 384, The Selection- 352, City of Bones - 544, Red Queen- 416, Twilight - 544, Matched- 416, and weirdly enough, Divergent at- 576. While arguably some of these higher volume books could have done with fewer pages, and I know that this is only a small selection in the larger scope, but if you've gone into the book store and picked this particular work of literature up thinking that you're going to get some super complex and masterful work of art, you've probably picked up the wrong book. Not for lack of effort on the writer’s part, but for the simple fact that you are most likely shopping in the wrong section.
The MC
While I did find some things about this character a bit unrealistic, I loved the drive, the cleverness, the brokenness, and even the confidence they show at all points from cover to cover. They are young and from an even younger age, thanks to a traumatizing event, flung into a very hard world. With that being said though, I too found that there was something of an abrupt shift in the MC's view on killing about 40% along in the book. They start out having never killed anyone before and their thought process reflects that, then suddenly their views on killing change. I would like to think that this is due to the MC just trying to keep their head in the game and keep their mind wrapped around what they signed up for. I would also like to give them credit in the regard that just because they hadn't actually killed anyone at the beginning of the book doesn't mean that they weren't mentally adapted to what killing someone meant. They did grow up around death and murder. People are complicated. We think one way and then another all the time. The MC actually does come back around by the end and expresses their views in less black and white context so, you as the reader, can see the emotional struggle, even if it does take a back seat to the MCs determination. As I said before the main character also happens to be fairly young, so "set in their ways" probably isn't something that can be stamped onto their profile here. However maybe with an extra paragraph of internal dialogue this transitional thought process could have gone over little bit smoother. With everything else though, I think the MC nails being interesting and fairly balanced. There were a few instances where I thought that they were being full of themselves or too hung up on just their own struggle. But again, this character is supposed to be young and the author even reinforces that with a couple phrases directed at the MC via the Hand.
I've spent so much of this year trying out books from new authors and so many of them seem to have a hard time developing a working plot that either isn't too terribly predictable, or just gets so lost that by the end its a shambles, and if they aren’t letting the plot fall apart they are under developing their MC. The main character should be anything but black and white. If I want one that is only in 2D, I’ll stick to Pokemon Red on the original good ole black and white Gameboy. Maybe I’ve come off sounding like I’ve set the bar low for this book to impress me, but that is not the case. I just like to keep things in perspective and with this book, I’m just so impressed. I think it handles being a YA very well. Its straightforward enough to not lose younger readers to convoluted story line, and it’s interesting. Could the plot of this book easily transformed into a 600 page epic story that G.R.R. himself would be happy enough to put his stamp on? Sure. But then it wouldn’t be in this category. :)
ezismythical's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
odurant8's review against another edition
5.0
A compelling story made even more interesting with a gender fluid character. Sal is complex even in their singular thirst for revenge against those nobles responsible for the destruction of their homeland. Full of adventure, intrigue, combat, assassination attempts, and a little bit of romance, I'd recommend this to fans of Tamora Pierce or Sarah J Maas.
peppermintz's review against another edition
eh, found it boring and didn't have the patience to try restart jt
uruseibaka's review against another edition
2.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
In response to having this book recommended to Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo readers, I made lists.
Similarities with SJM:
•competition
•protagonist whose homeland was destroyed/lost
Similarities with Leigh Bardugo:
•layout of Our Queen's palace resembles the Ice Court from SoC, both have rings/circles
•the shadows = nichevo'ya
That's pretty much it. Only those little details resemble the two outstanding authors, if you're asking about the writing style, plot, feels, nada. I think they should have placed Suzanne Collins in the line-up of similar authors instead because the auditions worked a lot like the Hunger Games. Training, bloodbath, one winner; you know the drill. As a matter of fact, Mask of Shadows is more similar to THG than any SJM or Leigh Bardugo book.
I learned from last semester's English class about intertextuality, a concept of how every literary piece is formed from ideas the author got from other texts and own prior knowledge. Basically, everything is a rip-off of some other things. Mask of Shadows reminds me of that and I even think it proves that concept to be true. This book is identical to The Hunger Games and has a tiny bit of Throne of Glass and The Grisha trilogy in it; with a few tweaks thrown in by Linsey Miller.
Sure, it has a pinch of this and that but what this book really lacks is the attention to detail, the writing precision. There were things that just seemed illogical, details carelessly tossed out the window. It also lacked the swing and the bang, the intense feeling of anticipation both SJM and Leigh Bardugo have delivered. On top of that, it follows the extremely overused plot of "I will rise and make them all pay!"
As for the details; in its last chapter, Mask of Shadows features a timeline on the history of the nations mentioned in the book, which I think is a bad idea. I could barely read through my History book and I'm sure other readers struggled too. It's information overload, to put it simply. Though I do hope there's a map in the next book to help readers visualize the story better.
On the other hand, I find it funny how the author downplays the lethality of the competition by calling it an audition and the competitors as auditioners. It's like they're off to do a song and dance number for three judges and not to kill each other to see who's the deadliest and become an assassin.
Okay, giving innocent words a dark nuance, I see.
The only reasons that kept me reading were to see if Sal would succeed and to live in the mind of a gender fluid character for just a while. There wasn't enough action to make it groundbreaking but Sallot Leon sure is one interesting character and helped me understand an aspect of gender identity better. This is the first YA fantasy book I've read with an openly non-binary character and I appreciate the author's effort in diversifying YA main characters. Queer characters have always been the sidekicks and not even properly portrayed and it's nice to have a change of scenery and the right one at that.
In summary, there were more "eh"s in my mind than "whoa"s. I recommend reading it if you're looking for a book with a gender fluid character. Other than that, it has the "whole nation at the brink of chaos while someone's trying to get revenge" thing going on. I sincerely hope the sequel fares better.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC. The quotes above may differ from the final copy.
"Familiarity bred trust, and trust got you killed, made you think someone was there to catch you when they weren’t."
In response to having this book recommended to Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo readers, I made lists.
Similarities with SJM:
•competition
•protagonist whose homeland was destroyed/lost
Similarities with Leigh Bardugo:
•layout of Our Queen's palace resembles the Ice Court from SoC, both have rings/circles
•the shadows = nichevo'ya
That's pretty much it. Only those little details resemble the two outstanding authors, if you're asking about the writing style, plot, feels, nada. I think they should have placed Suzanne Collins in the line-up of similar authors instead because the auditions worked a lot like the Hunger Games. Training, bloodbath, one winner; you know the drill. As a matter of fact, Mask of Shadows is more similar to THG than any SJM or Leigh Bardugo book.
I learned from last semester's English class about intertextuality, a concept of how every literary piece is formed from ideas the author got from other texts and own prior knowledge. Basically, everything is a rip-off of some other things. Mask of Shadows reminds me of that and I even think it proves that concept to be true. This book is identical to The Hunger Games and has a tiny bit of Throne of Glass and The Grisha trilogy in it; with a few tweaks thrown in by Linsey Miller.
Sure, it has a pinch of this and that but what this book really lacks is the attention to detail, the writing precision. There were things that just seemed illogical, details carelessly tossed out the window. It also lacked the swing and the bang, the intense feeling of anticipation both SJM and Leigh Bardugo have delivered. On top of that, it follows the extremely overused plot of "I will rise and make them all pay!"
As for the details; in its last chapter, Mask of Shadows features a timeline on the history of the nations mentioned in the book, which I think is a bad idea. I could barely read through my History book and I'm sure other readers struggled too. It's information overload, to put it simply. Though I do hope there's a map in the next book to help readers visualize the story better.
On the other hand, I find it funny how the author downplays the lethality of the competition by calling it an audition and the competitors as auditioners. It's like they're off to do a song and dance number for three judges and not to kill each other to see who's the deadliest and become an assassin.
Okay, giving innocent words a dark nuance, I see.
"They’d welcomed me into their house, and I was going to tear it down."
The only reasons that kept me reading were to see if Sal would succeed and to live in the mind of a gender fluid character for just a while. There wasn't enough action to make it groundbreaking but Sallot Leon sure is one interesting character and helped me understand an aspect of gender identity better. This is the first YA fantasy book I've read with an openly non-binary character and I appreciate the author's effort in diversifying YA main characters. Queer characters have always been the sidekicks and not even properly portrayed and it's nice to have a change of scenery and the right one at that.
In summary, there were more "eh"s in my mind than "whoa"s. I recommend reading it if you're looking for a book with a gender fluid character. Other than that, it has the "whole nation at the brink of chaos while someone's trying to get revenge" thing going on. I sincerely hope the sequel fares better.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC. The quotes above may differ from the final copy.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
2.0
I went into this with pretty high hopes but they were quickly dashed. I didn't find much of anything that happened interesting and I kept wishing that the action would pick up and the main character would stop whining. The story being told in first person didn't help. Some authors can make it work but I was so tired of being in Sal's head that I found myself zoning out many times. I'd give it a 1.5 according to Goodreads since I'm stuck between I didn't like it and it was ok but rounding up because it I didn't totally not like it. Just mostly.
I was hoping for a new fantasy author to follow but unless I hear something compelling from a trusted book-friend, I'll pass on the sequel.
I received the book from the publisher via NetGalley.
I was hoping for a new fantasy author to follow but unless I hear something compelling from a trusted book-friend, I'll pass on the sequel.
I received the book from the publisher via NetGalley.
danielled75's review
4.0
Sal is a small time highway thief who is growing up on the streets, working for a heartless master and wishing for a different life. This opportunity for a new life presents itself in the manner of an announcement of an audition for a spot as a member of the Left Hand, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to better his life and to start putting his personal plans into motion.
These are not your normal “auditions”. It’s pretty much a kill or be killed type of deal. Along with trying to stay alive, there are rules put in place by the members of the Left Hand that watch over the auditions, they even have lessons for them.
I found Sal to be a very interesting character, not just because of their back story and how they came to be where they are in the story but also because Sal is gender fluid. Mind you I am not knowledgeable at all about being gender fluid, but the way that Sal described it in the book, made it easier for me to visualize Sal as a character in the book.
There was the relationship between Sal and Maud that I enjoyed also. Maud didn’t sugar coat her reasons why she wanted to see Sal achieve the position of Opal, and I felt that being that open with Sal helped them achieve their mutual goals. Even the banter between them at times was very sibling like in my eyes. I do hope that there will be more of this in the next book.
There were parts of the story that I felt I was watching Game of Thrones, seeing as how Sal has a list of names of those he needs to exact revenge on, just like Arya Stark.
I will admit I was sad to see some of the auditioners go, I was really hoping to find out more about the acrobats and their back story. Maybe there will be a side story about their travels and exploits and how they came to take part (wishing).
I’m not sure where the second book will take us, since there were a number of things that happened at the end, but I do look forward to following Sal and the other members of the Left Hand and whatever jobs/orders they are given by the Queen, along with Sal’s personal goals.
These are not your normal “auditions”. It’s pretty much a kill or be killed type of deal. Along with trying to stay alive, there are rules put in place by the members of the Left Hand that watch over the auditions, they even have lessons for them.
I found Sal to be a very interesting character, not just because of their back story and how they came to be where they are in the story but also because Sal is gender fluid. Mind you I am not knowledgeable at all about being gender fluid, but the way that Sal described it in the book, made it easier for me to visualize Sal as a character in the book.
There was the relationship between Sal and Maud that I enjoyed also. Maud didn’t sugar coat her reasons why she wanted to see Sal achieve the position of Opal, and I felt that being that open with Sal helped them achieve their mutual goals. Even the banter between them at times was very sibling like in my eyes. I do hope that there will be more of this in the next book.
There were parts of the story that I felt I was watching Game of Thrones, seeing as how Sal has a list of names of those he needs to exact revenge on, just like Arya Stark.
I will admit I was sad to see some of the auditioners go, I was really hoping to find out more about the acrobats and their back story. Maybe there will be a side story about their travels and exploits and how they came to take part (wishing).
I’m not sure where the second book will take us, since there were a number of things that happened at the end, but I do look forward to following Sal and the other members of the Left Hand and whatever jobs/orders they are given by the Queen, along with Sal’s personal goals.
astraia_sun's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll be honest. I picked this book up because the plot was so similar to Throne of Glass. Only it sounded more interesting. And I'll be honest, I liked it a whole heck of a lot more than Throne of Glass. A quick perusal of reviews tells me this book was pretty divisive. Some people found it boring. I didn't. Everything that I wanted out of Throne of Glass, which wasn't given to me in that book, appeared here. Sal is sneaky, cunning, and so are the rest of the auditioners for the Left Hand. In fact, the entire point of the Audition was for the contestants to try and kill each other and outsmart each other. And I got that and it was awesome.
Sal was an interesting protagonist to me, but then again I haven't read any books with a gender-fluid main character. That actually didn't come up as much as I thought it would be based on a couple of reviews I read. It did come up, but I felt the focus was much more on Sal's revenge quest and relationship with Elise and the Left Hand.
As for their relationship with Elise, it felt very, very rushed to me. That's probably my biggest problem. Sal only knows Elise for a few days, and the insta-love was a bit nauseating to me. I will fully admit this is entirely personal preference. I much prefer a slow-burn romance and Sal's attitude towards their relationship would have made more sense to me if they'd known each other longer. As it stands, I can see the romance appealing to younger readers so I guess it's down to "whatever floats your boat."
I will say that this book definitely felt like a first novel, as some of the plot was weak and a bit "convenient". That being said, I really enjoyed reading this book in spite of its flaws. The author definitely put effort into world-building and the politics, even if I wished some of those politics had been shown a bit more consistently. I also VERY much appreciated that Sal wasn't the best at everything. Sal had to learn a lot, and adapt a lot, and they knew it. Sal's strength lay in their cunning and adaptability as well as the fact that they expected traps around every corner. I loved Sal's friendship with Maud, too. Highlight of the book for me.
In the end, I look forward to reading the sequel.
I'll be honest. I picked this book up because the plot was so similar to Throne of Glass. Only it sounded more interesting. And I'll be honest, I liked it a whole heck of a lot more than Throne of Glass. A quick perusal of reviews tells me this book was pretty divisive. Some people found it boring. I didn't. Everything that I wanted out of Throne of Glass, which wasn't given to me in that book, appeared here. Sal is sneaky, cunning, and so are the rest of the auditioners for the Left Hand. In fact, the entire point of the Audition was for the contestants to try and kill each other and outsmart each other. And I got that and it was awesome.
Sal was an interesting protagonist to me, but then again I haven't read any books with a gender-fluid main character. That actually didn't come up as much as I thought it would be based on a couple of reviews I read. It did come up, but I felt the focus was much more on Sal's revenge quest and relationship with Elise and the Left Hand.
As for their relationship with Elise, it felt very, very rushed to me. That's probably my biggest problem. Sal only knows Elise for a few days, and the insta-love was a bit nauseating to me. I will fully admit this is entirely personal preference. I much prefer a slow-burn romance and Sal's attitude towards their relationship would have made more sense to me if they'd known each other longer. As it stands, I can see the romance appealing to younger readers so I guess it's down to "whatever floats your boat."
I will say that this book definitely felt like a first novel, as some of the plot was weak and a bit "convenient". That being said, I really enjoyed reading this book in spite of its flaws. The author definitely put effort into world-building and the politics, even if I wished some of those politics had been shown a bit more consistently. I also VERY much appreciated that Sal wasn't the best at everything. Sal had to learn a lot, and adapt a lot, and they knew it. Sal's strength lay in their cunning and adaptability as well as the fact that they expected traps around every corner. I loved Sal's friendship with Maud, too. Highlight of the book for me.
In the end, I look forward to reading the sequel.