Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Taking a gamble is sometimes what it takes to discover who you are.

Before I get started about this one, can we please pay tribute to the author’s name? I’m sure she has heard it all about her name, but I personally love it and am slightly jealous. Nicely done, Ms. Foody.

One other thing I need to address before I dive into my thoughts and random analysis is the comparisons I have seen made between this book and Six of Crows. I don’t particularly like comparing books to each other and judging one book based on my thoughts of another. I feel that each book should be able to stand on its own merit. Obviously, I’m against copyright infringement and all that, but come on, Ace of Shades doesn’t not need to be compared to other books or put down as Six of Crows step brother or knockoff. I feel I can say this as I have read AND loved Six of Crows. But, I personally feel outside of a teenage boy who likes to gamble and run a ragtag gang scraping to get by by getting involved in cons there is nothing to compare.

The characters, plot, motives, magic are true all unto itself. So, there you have it. Levi and Enne take us on a little ride through the City of Sin, New Reynes. Basically Las Vegas but with a much darker, criminal nature. Enne comes searching for her adoptive mom and ends up working with Levi who is in over his head in a con gone wrong. Throw in the controlling ‘mafia’ queen and now there are obstacles coming from multiple directions.

I grew to like Enne, she was a little annoying with her prim and proper, stick up her butt demeanor at the start of the story, but as she grows and discovers the truth about Lourdes (her mom) and herself, she finds strength and attitudes that she never knew while at finishing school. I also appreciate a character who has growth but still isn’t perfect. She is naïve and flawed and ultimately clueless. Ironic, because Levi is probably my least favorite character. The one who is Lord of the Irons and skilled gambling man, but he has so much self doubt and lacks the confidence that you would think this character should possess. Thank God Lola entered the story. The blood gazer is pretty snarky in a dark alley kinda way, and she serves as a better companion to Enne than Levi does. 

I enjoyed the two girls' adventures much more than the ones with Levi. He began to become more and more of a shadow character as the plot progressed allowing Lola and Enne to find their importance. I want to see Lola become even more instrumental to the plot as the series continues.

There are side characters that do a proficient job in their roles, but remain pretty flat in their development as the story progresses. Overall, this is a story where you never really lose sight that the characters are teenagers. They act like teenagers, they talk like teenagers and for the most part think like teenagers. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, just that it’s a thing. It does allow for more room to evolve the characters as they mature from their clueless, consequences-be-damned behaviors.

While the plot is engaging and kept my interest as Enne searches for her mom, Levi struggles with his con-gone-bad, and all the little stops along the way, there are so many elements of the plot that are glossed over and not explained. I still feel confused about the Mizers and the Monarchists. I’m not really sure what the issues are there and what the history is. I just wish that there was a little more time spent on the world development. More depth is needed on the different sectors of New Reynes and Levi’s connections to the different people. I think my frustration comes from the fact that what Foody develops and provides is on point, but when I want the next page to paint the Picasso masterpiece in my mind, I’m left with more of a Jackson Pollock abstract.

I’m left fascinated with the Phoenix Club and the Shadow Games. It is all these little elements and ideas that are strung throughout that intrigued me. What am I missing?!?!?!?

The talent aspect of the characters and their family lines is quite interesting. It is another area I  want to understand a little more as the series goes on. Being a blood gazer and rubbing other people’s blood in your eyes, what?!?!? Like how does that come about. It’s like magic, but not really presented in a magical sense like you would see in fantasy books. It’s just part of how people are, but people are also defined and identified by their talents. It makes it hard to hide who you are when talents are so telling.

Where does this book land on my bookshelf?

I would place it solidly on my middle shelf. I enjoyed it. I did not compare it to Six of Crows, and neither should you! I also plan on finishing the series. It is unique and interesting in the plot, and I am holding out hope that some of my questions and frustration with world building will be addressed and answered in the coming books. The slow burn romance is almost a non-element for me. It’s not distracting to the plot and it in no way enhances it. The characters in general are diverse and have more hidden histories that need to be explored, I just know it. It’s fun and kept me reading. Kudos on the ending. It’s not really a cliffhanger, but it clearly sets up a new twist that is coming in book 2.

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