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A review by bluejayreads
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
5.0
This is the book I've been looking for.
I haven't been reading a lot of novels lately. The reason is that I haven't been able to find a novel that engaged me enough that I actually wanted to read more. (I'm honestly not sure if that's more a reflection on the books or on me.) But this book - this book was absorbing and I loved it.
Let's start with Sal. Sal is genderfluid, but it's not a Big Thing - everyone just accepts it. They're driven by revenge against the nobles who let their people die, and they have no preparation for being an assassin other than having been a thief and getting in street fights. They were just so determined to succeed, and I love reading about characters that are unprepared but do well through pure determination.
I love books about assassins, but despite Sal being in a competition to become an assassin, there wasn't a lot of assassin-ing. It was more about competition-ing. Sure, there was some killing of other competitors, but the story was more about the training and learning, the dynamics between characters, and Sal adjusting to their new life and not getting caught while working toward vengeance.
I tried to come up with a "basic plot" for this book, but it's hard because the two major plots combine so thoroughly. Sal wants to kill the nobles who let her people die, and they are using the audition competition as a means to that end. Some of it is trying to scheme and find which nobles are at fault, a lot of it is trying to survive (and win) the audition. It's all fantastic and sucks you into the story. There's a lot of violence, quite a bit of assassin skills (both learning and used), and some great characters in the form of the three members of the Left Hand and in Sal's maid.
Really though, even the characters the book doesn't spend a lot of time with are well done. There isn't much court intrigue but what there is is great, Sal's love interest is adorable and sweet (although their relationship does develop a little quickly), and the competition is fantastic.
I don't have enough good things to say about this book. If you can stomach some blood and violence, I highly recommend it, especially if you need something to get yourself out of a reading slump.
I haven't been reading a lot of novels lately. The reason is that I haven't been able to find a novel that engaged me enough that I actually wanted to read more. (I'm honestly not sure if that's more a reflection on the books or on me.) But this book - this book was absorbing and I loved it.
Let's start with Sal. Sal is genderfluid, but it's not a Big Thing - everyone just accepts it. They're driven by revenge against the nobles who let their people die, and they have no preparation for being an assassin other than having been a thief and getting in street fights. They were just so determined to succeed, and I love reading about characters that are unprepared but do well through pure determination.
I love books about assassins, but despite Sal being in a competition to become an assassin, there wasn't a lot of assassin-ing. It was more about competition-ing. Sure, there was some killing of other competitors, but the story was more about the training and learning, the dynamics between characters, and Sal adjusting to their new life and not getting caught while working toward vengeance.
I tried to come up with a "basic plot" for this book, but it's hard because the two major plots combine so thoroughly. Sal wants to kill the nobles who let her people die, and they are using the audition competition as a means to that end. Some of it is trying to scheme and find which nobles are at fault, a lot of it is trying to survive (and win) the audition. It's all fantastic and sucks you into the story. There's a lot of violence, quite a bit of assassin skills (both learning and used), and some great characters in the form of the three members of the Left Hand and in Sal's maid.
Really though, even the characters the book doesn't spend a lot of time with are well done. There isn't much court intrigue but what there is is great, Sal's love interest is adorable and sweet (although their relationship does develop a little quickly), and the competition is fantastic.
I don't have enough good things to say about this book. If you can stomach some blood and violence, I highly recommend it, especially if you need something to get yourself out of a reading slump.