Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller (Mask of Shadows #1)
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on August 29th 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

The Review

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller is the first book in a new fantasy series about a gender fluid pickpocket who joins an elite assassin competition in order to infiltrate and take down the nobles that let his people get massacred. With lots of blood, fights, schemes, and court drama, Mask of Shadows has it all.

I really enjoyed reading Mask of Shadows. I thought it was a great beginning to a new fantasy series; especially one with a genderfluid main protagonist which hasn’t been done before.

Miller’s writing and characterization were on point. The world that she has created was immaculate and wondrous. Although the assassin type games have been done before, this one was far better than the ones in the past. I just wish the majority of the story didn’t revolve around them.

I also quite enjoyed the romance between Sal and Elise. I thought it was adorable and didn’t take away from the plot but added a nice human element to it. The plot was very fast paced and was pretty easy to read. The ending few chapters were the highlight for me to be honest. It sets up what could be an explosive next book.

I highly recommend Mask of Shadows if you’re looking for awesome characters, tons of action and a fantastic ending.

Let me know what you guys thought of Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller! I would love to hear your opinions as well!

Until next time,

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A wayward biology student from Arkansas, Linsey has previously worked as a crime lab intern, neuroscience lab assistant, and pharmacy technician. She is currently an MFA candidate represented by Rachel Brooks of Bookends Literary. Her debut novel MASK OF SHADOWS is the first in a fantasy duology out now (8/29/17) from Sourcebooks Fire. She can be found writing about science and magic anywhere there is coffee.