Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game, #1)

by Amanda Foody

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

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, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a 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.

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on

5 of 5 stars

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Don't take the City of Sin lightly - it will change you.

Ace of Shades sets up a world where nobody is what they seem.  Everyone wears a magic, everyone has a talent they hide, and everyone has sworn an oath.  Whether it is to a street lord or one of the powerful casino families, oaths mean blood is spilled, loyalties are split, and nobody can be trusted.  It makes the city fascinating, because you never really know who is a friend and who is going to pull a knife on you.

Amanda Foody's second book does not disappoint.  She remains a world building master.  New Reynes sparkles.  Her magical systems are as fascinating as in Daughter of the Burning City, but in Ace of Shades we've only touched the surface of the amazing things the characters can do.  Every street, every building has a personality and life of its own.

While New Reynes breathes, it is really Enne and Levi's growth that spurs the story forward.  Erienne Abacus Salta enters the city cringing from the muck and corruptions, but as she seeks out her mother and becomes involved in the city, she slowly becomes a part of it.  There were moments with Enne that completely took me by surprise.  I expected a sweet, mild girl but Enne was anything but.  This girl is fierce.  Levi is a great match for her - he is both comfortable in his skin and cautious of the tricks of the city.  There was a lot going on in Levi's storyline - from Enne to Vianca to Chaz.  I really look forward to seeing more of Levi in this series, because I think his character has a lot of untapped potential.

Lola, Jac, and Raymond all deserve mentioning as excellent side characters.

My favorite part of this story was the Shadow Game itself.  Amanda Foody is amazing at building a tense situation.  It was completely not what I was expecting, but it was excellent.  I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of this Game and the house in the future (I mean, the series is called "The Shadow Game") and I cannot wait.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 February, 2018: Finished reading
  • 16 February, 2018: Reviewed