Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Published by Sourcebooks on August 29th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA, Young Adult
Goodreads

“I love every aspect of this amazing book—a gender fluid hero, a deadly contest, and vicious courtly intrigue. Get! Read! Now!” —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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

I received a copy of this review from the publisher. This does not influence my thoughts on this book or this review.

I’ve heard so much about Mask of Shadows and while I’m not usually into fantasy, I really liked this one. I’m not typically into fantasy because world-building is not something I particularly look for when I read books but the characters and fast-paced plot kept me engaged enough to enjoy this.

Sal is a thief, one who’s good at what they do. When they come across a flyer with auditions for The Left Hand, the Queen’s personal assassins, Sal decides to take a chance and try to change their future. Mask of Shadows is a fast-paced fantasy with a great main character.

At the centre of Mask of Shadows is a high-stakes competition that kept me entertained and had me rooting for more than one character. The side characters felt really fleshed out for me and I really cared about a lot of them. I also really liked the romance and thought it was just cute.

If you’re looking for a new YA fantasy with court intrigue, compelling characters and fast-paced action, I highly recommend this one. Now if you’ll excuse me, I can’t wait for the sequel.