QUEEN OF VOLTS By Amanda Foody

August 31, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

QUEEN OF VOLTS By Amanda FoodyQueen of Volts by Amanda Foody
Series: The Shadow Game #3
Published by Inkyard Press on 9/1/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 608
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Return to the City of Sin, where the perilous final game is about to begin...The players? Twenty-two of the most powerful, most notorious people in New Reynes.

With no choice but to play, Enne and Levi are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But any misstep could turn deadly when a far more dangerous opponent appears on the board — one plucked straight from the city’s most gruesome legends. While Levi hides behind a mask of false promises, Enne is finally forced out from behind hers and as the game takes its final, vicious turn, these two must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are no winners...

There are only monsters.

Short and Sweet

Queen of Volts takes place right where King of Fools left off. After the corrupt election and street war everyone is ready to move on except there’s one last game everyone has to play. 22 notorious and powerful people in New Reynes have been given a card and a target, and one of these players is a legend who isn’t going out without a fight.

Characters

Levi: Levi is still struggling after losing Jac, but Tock makes him realize he still needs to do his job as the leader of the irons. Levi just wants the gangs to be pardoned and for things to go back to anything that seems normal. Levi is ready to make new alliances and put politicians at peace, anything to be sure his friends will be safe.

Enne: Enne on the other hand has to be careful with everything she does. Now that it has been revealed that she’s a Mizer any misstep could lead to her death. Enne needs to be pardoned to but she’s going to have to work a lot harder to make it seem like she’s not a threat. Enne just wanted to feel safe like the rest of her friends and she had to make more sacrifices than others to get it.

Lola: Lola is on a mission to get information and the information she wants is on Enne’s parents. I didn’t really like Lola in this book as the other characters said she was “the worst version of herself.” I feel like she wasn’t around her friends much and dismissed them for most of the book which isn’t like her. She also bargained something away and I don’t think she really thought of what she’d actually lose when she made that decision.

Sophia: All Sophia wants is to find the bargainer and regain her memories and maybe her split talent back. I didn’t mind reading from Sophia’s POV she was just trying to get back the part of her she felt was missing. She’s kind of like an outsider to our group.

Harvey: Ahh Harvey. Harvey is a hot mess. All Harvey cares about is Bryce he would do anything for Bryce which is upsetting because Bryce would not do the same for Harvey. Anyway Bryce is the reason all our characters are in this mess so I had no love for him. Harvey tries to see the best in Bryce and he’s the only character wasting their time to do so.

Romance

Levi and Enne: The relationship between these two is strained mainly because of what happened with Enne and Jac, it hangs in the air between these two. Its also not great that they begin to use each other to get what they want. I like it better when they trust each other and work as partners and we don’t see that until the last half of the book.

Quotes

~ “The City of Sin was a game, and the only way to win was to stack the cards in your favor.”

My Thoughts

~ Its been a while since I’ve read King of Fools so I didn’t really remember what happened and it took me a bit but everything started clicking and I started following the story with ease.

~ So Bryce set up this game where everyone has a card and a target and the game will end when one of the players collects 5 cards. It’s actually a very complex game which is what our players realize and they decide the best way to go about this is to work together.

~ I loved seeing everyone work together, they may not have all known each other but they did have a common goal. I liked seeing everyone come up with a plan and seeing how they would execute it.

~ Above under characters I listed all of the ones we have a POV for. We have more characters that show up thought like: Bryce, Rebecca, Narinder, Harrison, The Bargainer, Tock, Roy, and Grace.

~ I didn’t mind all the POVs and there wasn’t one I preferred to read more than the other. I liked seeing where each of the characters were or what they were going through.

~ The bargainer is a big deal mainly because she has the ability to give you what you want after taking something from you. Bryce needs the bargainer to heal Rebecca.

~ The bargainer was an interesting character, she’s a legend in New Reynes but she befriends Lola and doesn’t seem like that bad of a person but on the other hand she is.

~ There were a few twists that I wasn’t expecting but they were welcome twists.

~ We also learn more about Enne’s family which I was excited for and what we learn doesn’t disappoint!

Overall

This was such an amazing ending to this series! I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down. I’m going to miss these characters a lot mainly Enne and Levi. This was probably my favorite book in the series and it really didn’t disappoint it was explosive and kept you on the edge of your seat watching this one final game take place. If you haven’t read this series I recommend you pick them up!

Filed Under: Reviews

KING OF FOOLS By Amanda Foody

April 23, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

KING OF FOOLS By Amanda FoodyKing of Fools by Amanda Foody
Series: The Shadow Game #2
Published by Inkyard Press on 4/30/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 608
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Séance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with the estranged son of mafia donna Vianca Augustine. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by Vianca’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive...

Or die as legends.


Short and Sweet

After the events of the Shadow game both Levi and Enne are wanted criminals. Levi partners with Harrison Augustine to take down his mother Vianca, while Enne plays the part of a lady by day and street lord by night. Now both of them have to make decisions that will either help them or in the long run set them back and it could be the end.

Characters

Levi: Levi Levi Levi, well he’s still the Iron lord but something about him in this book was off putting. I think he was too concerned about helping Harrison that he forgot to consider the feelings of those around him. Levi is still good at making plans and usually gets himself out of tough situations. Oh and because Levi is working with Harrison he has to keep it on the down low because if Vianca found out Levi was working with her son it would be the end of him and the legacy he’s trying to create.

Enne: Enne is trying to figure herself out in this book, is she still the proper lady from Bellamy or has New Reynes made her a Lord? Enne goes by the name Seance when she’s dealing with the other gangs or wants to be inconspicuous. I liked Enne a lot in this book she’s a lot tougher and she does have to make ethical choices in this book.

Jac: Jac is still Levi’s second and best friend but their relationship in this book is strained and it made me sad because they’re best friends. Jac is on his own mission to find out who is going to be the next person to inherit the Torren empire and its hard for him because Jac used to be addicted to a drug that is distributed by the Torrens. So now that he’s in their territory he has to fight the urges to use lullaby. Jac also meets Sophia Torren who is determined to take the empire down.

Lola: Lola is Enne’s second and one of her best friends. Lola is around in this book she helps Enne learn the history of the north side and she’s there to give advice, but I didn’t feel like she was there as much as I wanted her to be. Lola is still her grumpy self but deep down she cares about those closest to her.

Romance

Levi and Enne: Well these two obviously like each other but the relationship in this book wasn’t the best. Levi tried to keep secrets from Enne because he thought it would be safer incase Vianca found something out. They fought a lot in this book and sometimes went weeks without talking but they would meet up to discuss business.

Jac and Sophia: Jac meets Sophia when he’s trying to find out who is going to take over the Torren empire, and it so happens that Sophia is a Torren. Jac ends up staying to help Sophia take down her half-siblings so they can burn the Torren empire to the ground. Jac likes Sophia but she’s keeping a few secrets from him which makes it hard for him to trust her.

Lola and Tock: So Tock is a new iron and I guess Levi’s third, anyway Lola and Tock meet at a party and there was chemistry and yeah. We don’t see a lot of their encounters but they’re usually together when they can be.

My Thoughts

~ There’s a lot going on in this book, Levi is working with Harrison, Vianca is using the omertà to have Enne attend political parties for her. Harrison is running against Worner Prescott which is the man her mother is supporting. It’s all very messy, Levi is supporting Harrison and hoping he wins because Harrison will kill Vianca which will break the omertà.

~ By the way there’s an all girl gang called the Spirits! Enne made a girl gang you guys and they’re awesome! At first it just started with Enne and Lola and then they recruited Grace and in the end theres more than 10 all together. Most of the girls have the split talent to count which is helpful for the plans that Enne and Levi have.

~ We meet all of the gangs from the north side in this book and let me just say they’re all interesting in their own ways and obviously not the most trusting people.

~ We get to read from Levi, Enne, and Jac’s POV and I will say that I enjoyed Enne’s the most.

~ There’s always been talk that Vianca had a third person under her omertà and we finally get to see who that person is ready for revenge.

~ There’s a lot of politics involved in this book and because of that there’s a lot of secrets and betrayal going on. Everyone has something to lose this time around.

Overall

This was a solid sequel but when I think about it I did enjoy Ace of Shades a little more, mainly because this one had me worrying about the characters at every turn. The ending was a cliffhanger and now I need the third book in my hands now just to see how everything ends! I really do love this series its so different and I love New Reynes and its fun to lose myself in this world, so definitely read check out the series!!!

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Filed Under: Reviews

ACE OF SHADES By Amanda Foody

April 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ACE OF SHADES By Amanda FoodyAce of Shades by Amanda Foody
Series: The Shadow Game #1
Published by Harlequin Teen on 4/10/18
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

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.


Short and Sweet

When Enne’s mother doesn’t return from New Reynes when she’s expected to, Enne decides to take it upon herself to travel to the City of Sin to find her. When the letter her mother sent last leads her to the Iron Lord Levi she knows she needs to get his help to find her mother and leave. Levi looks at Enne’s arrival as an opportunity to pay back some debts with the volts she’s promised to pay him, but it won’t be so easy she won’t pay him until they find her mother and Levi only has 10 days to pay back his debt.

Characters

Enne: Our main character. Enne was quite enjoyable as a character. She went through a lot of changes during 10 days in New Reynes. In her town of Bellamy Enne goes to a finishing school and is raised to be a proper young lady, but she has to leave that all behind in the City of Sin. On her search for her mother Lourdes, Enne begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the results in the end come as a shock. Enne is also determined and curious and her dialogue didn’t disappoint.

Levi: The Iron Lord. Levi is a street Lord and is unfortunately under a lot of stress lately. He’s currently running a scam and has to pay back people who are catching on and he hasn’t been paying his gang the shares they deserve. When Enne arrives he doesn’t want to help her at first until she offers payment for his services. Levi was a good character to he may have been in some awful circumstances but he tried to do everything he could to make things right.

Jac: Levi’s second, Jac is very loyal to Levi and is his best friend. Jac will back Levi up and try to help him every chance he got and I loved him for it.

Lola: A blood gazer that the group meets. Lola wants nothing to do with the group but after making an oath to Enne she has no choice but to listen to her new Lord. Lola is reluctant to help or even be around the group but she comes around when she realizes she has no choice.

Romance

Enne and Levi: The first time they meet they obviously don’t like each other. Levi looks at Enne as someone who’s going to get him out of trouble with the scam and Enne looks at Levi as someone who’s going to help her find her mother and then she can leave. Enne is not used to New Reynes customs but soon she learns to adapt. The more time she spends in New Reynes and with Levi the more they start to care about each other. I thought their relationship was cute in the end they genuinely cared about each others wellbeing.

Quotes

~”They say the city is a game, one only the reckless play.”

My thoughts

~ I loved the mystery of finding Lourdes and all of the other things it unravels about Enne’s life and the things she didn’t actually know about her guardian and identity.

~ The most interesting thing to me was the split talents, each character has a talent Enne’s is dancing and counting though she’s not very good at either, and Levi’s is orb making.

~ The world was amazing I liked that it had all of the Casinos and that there were street gangs and each one had a Lord and there were also families who play a big part of the politics of the city.

~There’s also the shadow game and only people who are invited can play and most of those people don’t win.

~ The city is deadly, and everyone has to make sure they watch their backs.

~One of my favorite things was the guidebook Enne brings with her to New Reynes. It tells her where and where not to go and it’s the funniest thing especially because Levi’s with her and her knows his way around.

~I almost forgot about Vianca! She is a Donna and runs St Morse she also has an omerta on both Levi and Enne forcing them to do her bidding.

Overall

This book was amazing and I haven’t read anything like that in a while! It’s so different and I definitely recommend this book, I’m ready for the sequel already. Pick up this book, because once you enter the City of Sin you won’t want to leave!

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Filed Under: Reviews