Author: Amanda Foody
Pages: 408
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
*Thank you Harlequin Teen and edelwiess for providing a copy to review in exchange for an honest review. All opnions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.*
Synopsis:
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, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and 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.
*Thank you Harlequin Teen and edelwiess for providing a copy to review in exchange for an honest review. All opnions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.*
Review:
I have to admit I was initially interested just from the title alone. It sounded very casino-esque and something I haven’t seen in many YA novels this year that I’ve read. Once I read past the title I was hooked. From the thrilling search adventure to the mysterious shadow game, I couldn’t keep it down. It was definitely a good read. Enne and Levi made a dysfunctional yet interesting duo through their adventure.
Characters
I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t see enough character development and when there was, it confused me a bit. Specifically with Enne Salta. We are introduced to her as a proper lady in a city unknown on the search for her mother. She comes off as a bit snobbish and naive with a name in her pocket and a mission to find her mother.After meeting ,daughter to one of the two infamous mob families, she becomes a almost ruthless schemer and [Spoiler] poisons , member of the opposing mafia family. I was really confused by this because the ‘transformation’ didn’t feel real and felt as if the author wanted to show Enne as something other than a finishing school girl. Granted I will say that the author did improve Enne throughout the story and she became a pretty decent character overall.
Levi Glaysier was the second main character in the book and somehow became my favorite. He is charismatic, clever and tactically smart. His schemes were grand and dangerous and he somehow managed to keep his cool around Enne. I did see Levi develop throughout the story as a courageous, brave character with faults that made him more real which made me love his character.
World of Ace of Shades
The city of sin was exactly what I pictured it to be and I was not disappointed. When you think of the world, you think scandalous and mystery and the author did not disappoint. With the grand facade of casino games, to the dancers, to the folks sensually spinning through the night, the world was definitely a sight and probably my favorite part about the book. My favorite scene was a world away from the world of sin, or at least it seemed so far away. It was the scene where Levi receives a shadow card. Once he picks up the card, he is immersed into the shadow world/game. A world so hauntingly real and beautiful and scary that it kept me asking for more as the book continued. It was definitely world made of nightmares. Although both worlds weren’t completely structured, I actually enjoyed it because it allowed me to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. Now, with most stories that would be frustrated, but with this world of Sin i became invested in it and was okay with it not being as cohesive as other worlds.
Overall Thoughts
This book was good. It had some pretty interesting characters along the way. It had a dual point of view. I absolutely loved this part because we were able to view from the eyes of both main characters. The suspense in the plot was a page turner and at time I was genuinely surprised with the twists that came along the way. There was a bit of a romance brewing between the two main characters that progressed throughout the book. It was rushed and it felt authentic which added a soft side to the story line. I would recommend this book to anyone who seeks a thrilling adventure in a world full of magic and mischief.
Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Harlequin
A Bronx Latina Reads 