King of Fools is the sequel to Ace of Shades, a series of books focused around a gambling city. The characters to me personally were not very likeable. The story had some interesting features but I just didn't love this one. I know others have and will though!

Thanks to HQ Young Adult and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

You know every so often there's a book that you just can't get into no matter how hard you try? This was that book for me.

I enjoyed Ace of Shades, the first book in this series. I didn't love it, but it was an entertaining enough read with intriguing characters and fast paced action. This book...not so much.
 
I felt like it was overly bloated and rather than being pulled into the plot, I just felt a bit bored. It wasn't helped that the pacing was weird and the action was all over the place.

I can deal with a more sedate pace, but I wasn't into the characters this time around either. I didn't feel some of their actions were consistent to who they were supposed to be. Also, it was difficult to suspend my belief and accept that 16/17 year olds were gangsters and mafia bosses. I know this is a thing in YA, but I felt like I was transported back in time 20 years and playing Final Fantasy VIII for the first time and trying to accept that a bunch of kids held senior military positions.

Anyhoo, I don't want to labour the point, it just wasn't for me.

I adored how action packed this was, as well as watching how Enne is changing. I think adding Jac's POV was a genius idea and I just can't wait for the next book at all, Amanda is such an amazing writer!

WOW this book was beyond amazing I thought the first was breathtaking but this surpassed it in so many ways its like falling in love with a book all over again but in a new magical way ......i can't wait to see what Amanda comes up with next I really cant she outdid herself with this one from the story she wove in the most magical way to the characters she grew more and more as this story went on, I loved it from start to end .

This was a super exciting read! I adored the dark world of Ace of Shades, and it felt brilliant to revisit that in King of Fools.

The characters continue to be my favourite thing about this series. The first book revealed that neither Enne or Levi were what they appeared to be on the surface, and this sequel really develops their complex relationships with morality. The pair make some really brutal and selfish decisions, but Foody is able to create characters that are likeable despite their flaws, and I still found myself rooting for them. This sequel also introduced Jac's perspective which I possibly enjoyed the most out of the three. I was thrilled to learn more about him and his motivations, and I'm so glad we got to see more of his relationships explored.

I admit I liked this book a tiny bit less than it's predecessor. The pacing is a little slower and I had hoped to see a bit more magic and political development. However, King of Fools is still a thoroughly enjoyable sequel, and I am eager to see how everything unfolds in the finale.

Diversity note: Levi is black and bisexual

Warnings: past drug addiction, past drug overdose, murder, death, gore, struggling with sobriety, torture, attempted forced drug use

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin UK for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Please note that this book does contain spoilers for Ace of Shades so please only continue reading if you’ve read that!

During her journey to find her missing mother, Enna Salta has found herself becoming allies with Levi Glaisyer, New Reynes most famous con man. After playing the Shadow Game and saving Levi’s life, Enne is forced to take on the identity of Séance, a new underworld figure that should be feared.

Now that the Chancellor of the Republic is dead, Enne and Levi find themselves playing a dangerous game of politics and crime along with having bounties on their heads. New Reynes fate is on the line and the two will do anything in order to survive.

Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Viance Augustine’s estranged son who has returned to New Reynes after hearing of the downfall of the Chancellor whilst Enne is trapped by her binding oath, doing the mafia donna’s bidding causing her to play the role of both a cunning street lord and a darling lady.

Enne is starting to lose sense of who she really is but finds herself embracing the role of the street lord, walking the path of unimaginable wealth along with Levi, making new relationships and unravelling secrets which could lead both to ruin.

It isn’t long before the two are given an impossible choice: do they sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to live or do they die as legends?

This is the second book in The Shadow Games series, and I didn’t realise until I started reading it how much I needed this book series in my life.

I’m very attached to these characters and really loved that they gave Jac more of a main role in this book, giving him his own chapters and allowing us to love him even more. I felt extremely sorry for Jac in this book (in more ways then one) and I was somewhat happy that he was finally seeing how reckless and dangerous Levi can be. I loved the friendship between Jac and Lola (who was introduced in the first book). I loved their banter and felt like it was nice to hear from the two people who never willingly asked to be part of this war.

Levi is still obsessed with become a famous street lord and is willing to sacrifice the people and the things he loves the most for this. At times I wanted to scream at Levi but then other times I felt incredibly sorry for him.

I loved the development of Enne in this book, she’s had to learn the ways of becoming a street lord and in turn has to figure out a way for people to take her seriously as Séance. I was so excited to see the transition from a lady to a badass leader and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the idea of having a girl gang and I absolutely love Lola and Grace! They’re two of my favourite characters in the whole series.

This book is a lot darker than Ace of Shades and while I loved it I felt like at points it fell into the unfortunate second book syndrome I tend to encounter. This book focused a lot on the politics side and at points I found myself not caring for it.

The ending however blew my mind and I’m not sure how I feel about Amanda leaving it like that at the end. I need to know what happens and now I have to wait until next year for the third book! I cannot stop thinking about how it all ended, and I am itching to know what trials the group is going to face!

This is a series full of twists and turns with a sprinkle of fantasy on top and I do highly recommend this series! I cannot wait for the next book!

I really loved Ace of Shades when I read it at the end of last year and I have to say King of Fools doesn’t disappoint. Jumping back in not long after the events of the first book we follow Levi and Enne as they deal with the aftermath and concoct another plan, and of course get themselves into even more trouble than before.

Enne just keeps growing as a character. I enjoyed her persona as a gang lord, and how she created a gang that really suited her and stood out from the rest that already existed. Although I have to admit that the girl cliches were really there, face masks and magazine and all. I didn’t really enjoy that part? It for me really made the gang look worse because they were so stereotypically female that it took away any and all personalities. But I can see what Foody was trying to do.

Levi again is a joy. Constantly causing the biggest issues in the book I find that I really do feel for him. As he gets into impossible situations that impact his friends the most. While also he is very driven with huge goals, plus his relationship with Enne really developed throughout the book, in quite a natural way, it didn’t feel forced at any point.

Of course, this book ripped my heart out…

A sequel worthy of reading you definitely need to pick up King of Fools as soon as you possibly can.

Awww man. I didn't love the first one and I didn't love this either. I don't think it's a reflection on the book. I think I'm just a bit to old for it. Seems aimed at more 14 year old. Now don't get me wrong. I love a ya fantasy. My most favourite genre but it's getting harder to find great ones. A lot of people love this series and I can see why. The world building is fantastic it was just the style of writing for me.

King of Fools picks up where Ace of Shades left off – Enne and Levi had just survived the Shadow Game. Enne has been forced to take on the identity Seance, a name that strikes fear but also curiosity. With the old Chancellor dead, Levi and Enne are dragged into the world of politics, with New Reynes as the battlefield. Desperate for freedom, Levi enters into a partnership with an unlikely person. Enne, still trapped by the binding oath to Vianca has to play the role of a lady, and a street lord – unsure which one is the real her. Together, the two play a dangerous game with unimaginable wealth, dangerous secrets, and impossible choices.

The Shadow Game Series is a truly imaginative and unique read that I thoroughly enjoy. Ace of Shades was a very fun read and while it featured some dark topics – gambling, crime, etc, it did take on a lighter tone at times. But, King of Fools? Amanda Foody does not hold back and goes much much darker. King of Fools is all about becoming a legend. About what it takes to become one. and It is a darkly atmospheric, magical, and thrilling book about revenge, freedom, loyalty, and ambition.

One of my favourite things about The Shadow Game series is that it is filled to the brim with morally ambiguous characters and it is literally my favourite thing EVER. They do bad things for good reasons, sometimes they do bad things for selfish reasons but a lot of them are not necessarily bad people. It’s brilliant, how well Foody has shown how that line between good and evil can be a little bit blurred. It is a book about gansters, and YET they are so many likeable characters, and so many decent people.

Enne is by far my favourite character. She is a really nuanced and layered character. She has wants and desires and she goes after those despite what people expect of her. They look at her and they see a lady but really she is a ruthless gangster. She uses that to her advantage a lot, and I thought it was really great. I also adored her literal girl gang. More please.

I also really adored Levi, who made really questionable decisions at time, he was impulsive and thoughtless – he was realistically flawed which is why I love him so much. He’s also bi! Also, Jac! He is such a sweetheart, I really love him.

Amanda Foody managed to create a brilliantly plotted and complex story with a bunch of moving parts – lots of secondary minor characters with their own stories going on – I really liked it – and it really added to the world building as well.

Overall, King of Fools managed to surpass all my expectations and Amanda Foody really created a brilliant sequel that I adored more than the first which is highly unusual for me. If you are looking for a book with morally ambiguous characters, high stakes, and swoon-worthy romances then you need this series.

THE TONE OF THE BOOK WAS DARKER

While Ace of Shades was a roller coaster ride of casinos, card games and romance this felt like book one but a whole lot more heavier. With topics of politics, substance abuse and a complex exploration of morals and villains, everything felt so much more dense in this book.

Which to be honest? I wasn’t expecting. I thought we’d have the exciting, and dangerous atmosphere we had in the first book. So it took me a while to get used to if I’m honest. I definitely was not prepared for the themes in this book. And therefore it took me a while to get into the book.

POLITICS

To be honest? I’m VERY particular about politics. I’m usually not interested in the topic in books, and because of the info-dumping and how complex everything got, I was NOT invested enough to even be bothered about the politics. So I was honestly very bored by this plot line for the longest time.

After the first half of being thrown into it though, I guess I started to enjoy as things started to make sense and other things sorted themselves out, and something about my favourite character’s been swept up in all this, really made me started liking the discussion of power dynamics, leaders, and loyalties.

JAC

Jac becomes an increasingly complex character throughout the book. I genuinely felt my heart break for Jac every time I read more about his history with drugs. I personally think it was handled so well. I also enjoyed Jac and Lola’s friendship greatly. It was the perfect amount of caring, teasing and banter. ALSO JAC AND SOPHIA WERE SO AMAZING. I love Sophia SO much.

ENNE + GIRL GANG

I feel like I could have LOVED what Foody did with Enne’s character in this book. There was much potential for me to be in awe with where she went in this story. But I just didn’t. Enne’s character got really intense but she just annoyed me greatly. Her and Levi’s relationship was ugly and I feel like she never tried to be understanding. And while some of the discussions about Enne, grief and how she had changed really GOT me most of the time she got on my nerves.

If someone wanted to call her naive, then they would. If someone wanted to call her heartless, then they would. It didn’t matter whether she decked herself in knives or pearls. The world would always demand that a girl apologize for herself, but she would apologize for nothing.

I was so excited for a girl gang!! IT SOUNDED SO EPIC. But it genuinely felt so poorly done and I was just LET DOWN. All the characters in the girl seemed to have like one personality trait, and that’s that they’re unapologetically feminine. Which is great! But it got boring real quick when the book just kept shoving the message that they could paint their nails AND be bad-ass. Like I got the point after the 1st time, we don’t need to rant about this forever? IDK they just got on my nerves.

ENNE AND LEVI

I have messy feelings about everything. One the one hand, Enne and Levi’s miscommunication was annoying. But I wouldn’t mind it so much if Enne didn’t blow certain situations out of proportion. Like Levi did messed up stuff, fine, but I just felt like Enne was making big deals out of nothing? On the other hand, there were so many almost-kisses I think I had a heart attack. And the actual kiss scenes in here were so well-written and had the rights amount of tension and AHHH IM SCREAMING THIS IS SO CUTE I CANT HANDLE moments. I’m such a fangirl omg.

LEVI

I know a lot of people didn’t like Levi in this book…but I genuinely loved him. Yeah, he messed up a lot…and is constantly making stupid decisions. But he’s so aware of it. Enne is annoying and thinks she’s not…but Levi is so aware of what a nightmare he is and that’s so much better than being ignorant of your own flaws in my opinion. Also Levi’s dreams and ambitions in this book just made him so much more real in this book?

ENDING

When I tell you the ending of this book was EPIC, I mean it was EPIC. I was genuinely blown away by EVERYTHING happening in the last 70%. I was holding my breath and yelling the entire time and punching the wall. Damn, I’m still not over it? Obviously, spoilers but I loved EVERYONE at the end. No matter what I thought of them before, the entire cast was so epic and vulnerable and awesome at the end, I was just in SHOCK. Gah. Still not over it!!!!

This is the second book in the Shadow Game trilogy but it definitely didn’t suffer from second book syndrome at all; the stakes were higher, relationships began to unravel, and no-one could be trusted. The action begins almost immediately after Levi and Enne escape the Shadow Game and the fast-paced plot never lets up. Political turmoil underlies a lot of the storyline, both within the gangs and in the wider context of New Reynes. The whole book is like a game of chess with players keeping their strategies secret and plans not being revealed until near the very end.

The gangs remain my favourite part of this world and I loved seeing Enne’s role as a street lord expand as she establishes a fantastic girl squad, proving that femininity can be a powerful weapon. Their group dynamic and supportive friendship were incredible and the new addition of Grace completed a wonderful trio comprised of her, Enne and Lola. Levi is still a character that I don’t quite believe could be a successful street lord though. Where Enne is a ruthlessly manipulative problem-solver, Levi is more like a little boy dreaming of glory and admiration instead of actually proving himself, often leading to selfish behaviour at the expense of the Irons. However, I was pleased to see his character growing throughout this story and, hopefully, his character will finally click for me in the final book.

As the stakes increase, cracks begin forming in relationships, fueled by resentment, frustration, and jealousy. I particularly enjoyed the changing friendship between Levi and Jac as they tried to navigate new circumstances and shifting priorities. The slow-burn romance between Levi and Enne also risked disintegrating due to their many secrets and is now in more jeopardy than ever after a heartbreaking tragedy. After that ending, I’m hoping the final book explores Enne’s Mizer heritage further and that a certain character is somehow miraculously resurrected. King of Fools draws the reader into the action quickly and keeps them engaged page after page with conflicts, betrayals, romance and heartbreak. Now I just need to somehow wait another year for the conclusion.

Levi and Enne became reluctant allies, but now they both have huge bounties on their heads. While Levi battles with his thirst to build his own empire, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath. Both must walk a deadly line full of wealth, opportunities and danger, but with new players and deadly threats who will survive?

This series held a decent amount of promise after Ace of Shades, but after this one I honestly have zero interest in going any further with these books and I’ll likely not be dipping into any other Amanda Foody in the future either.

Firstly, as I received an eARC I didn’t realise how long this book was, but 600 pages is definitely a solid 300 too long. It took me so long to write a little synopsis because I genuinely have no idea what I just read. Nothing made too great of an impact or felt remotely memorable. The book as a whole felt like such a task to read and I’m incredibly surprised that I managed to read the whole thing. If it wasn’t an advanced copy I would have likely DNF’d it at about 10%.

I liked the characters decently after the first book. Now I’m not so sure. Enne, Levi and Jac all have POV chapters and Jac is the only one I actually wanted to read by about 20% of the way through and was the only thing keeping me reading the rest it. He had the most interesting story within the book and the most exciting chapters. Levi’s chapters were OK, but they definitely fluctuated between interesting and dull. Enne on the other hand got progressively worse. She’s a next level unqualified protagonist and while Levi has worked for everything he has Enne seems to get everything quite easily and receives zero consequence. Making her, all in all, very irritating.

I didn’t remember much in regards to setting and world from Ace of Shades and Foody does nothing to recapture the world so I never really had much of a visual or feel for the world throughout the whole thing. I found most of the action scenes very confusing and hard to follow and the story as a whole I just didn’t get. There’s essentially three inter-twining stories through the three POVs and Foody is persistent in keeping all three POVs constantly switching even if one of them isn’t doing anything making for a lot of pointless chapters. The whole thing just felt very dull.

In all, I found King of Fools to be majorly disappointing. Foody definitely has a good premise here, but her execution is poor. The ‘twists’ also come across as though Foody hasn’t made her mind up about where certain parts of the story or characters are going so they make no sense and don’t benefit the book. If anything they make the whole thing more confusing. The book lacked any form of suspense or intrigue and the characters and story failed to connect.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback

King of Fools is treacherous and bloodier than Ace of Shades. If you thought the stakes where high in Ace of Shades Enne and Levi has double down in the trouble department. Ace of Shades only takes places over 10 days, where King of Fools takes place over months. I felt like I got a better sense of New Reynes. Ace of Shades is like visiting a place on holiday. King of Fools is your decided to live there. My favourite new characters were a toss up between Grace and Tock, both strong female character with attitude. In the end if I had to pick it would be Tock, but that's mainly due to her talent. I would pick blowing things up over math, if I could choose my talent. Enne and Levi have both grown though out King of Fools, they have realised what they will have to sacrifice to keep themselves and their gangs alive. They have become darker than their were at the beginning. I wondering how this is come across in the next book. The last 30% of King of Fools, I didn't want to put it down. Drama and the danger ramped up. Its heart in your mouth moments. I may have been cursing Amanda name slightly when reading certain sections. King of Fools has;ActionGangsFemale gangsMagic TalentsBi and gay charactersGamblingRiotsRomanceBetrayal Politics Drama. My rating for King of Fools is 4.5 out of 5.

I highly recommend reading the first in this series, Ace of Shades. You don't need to read it to get the gist of this one, which can be read as a standalone novel, but you are missing out on a cracking read.

Once again I can only commend Foody for creating such a complex combination of dystopian meets fantasy, which is enhanced tenfold by the excellent world-building. The characters have plenty of depth, perhaps even more so than in book one, if that is even possible.

This time the reader follows three characters or rather we get three different perspectives, of Jac, Enne and Levi, and the situations they each have to deal with. They grow individually as people and work towards their own goals, whereas previously there was more collusion between them. Having to accept certain realities about their existence and the world they live in forces maturity upon them. I think as the stakes in the game grow higher the more inclined they are to secure their own survival.

As I have said previously the whole gangs and gangland aspect of the premise reminded me of Locke Lamora, but with more of an urban fantasy vibe. This time there was a focus on political intrigue and power plays, again very different from the first book, which was all about identity and discovery of self.

I will remain purposely slightly unclear about the exact story-lines, because I think it is one of those reads that works better if you go into it without too much detail. Better to savour the intricate story-telling. What I found quite remarkable is how Foody not only managed to take things up a notch, she also took a different approach to the premise. I bet the next book is going to boggle minds. The exuberance and power of this read is palpable.

I am looking forward to reading the third book, which is due in 2020. I am genuinely intrigued as to where Foody is going to take this series next.

The Cover:
I mean, you can see it for yourself, it's so simple yet so symbolic of the story and setting. I adore the deep purple/blue colour and love the dice - similar to Ace of Shades, the gambling theme is continued on the cover.
The Intro:
This book picks up pretty much where we left Ace of Shades; Enne and Levi are on the run following the events of the Shadow Game, and more than ever they are fighting for their lives. There is a huge tension building between the North and South sides of New Reynes, and the danger is now on a much larger scale. This is no longer about small lords and gangs; their lives as they know them could be turned upside down, the city turned against itself, overruled, and ultimately destroyed.
King of Fools really throws you right in with the action, and this pace doesn't let up for the entire book. This time we also have more POVs - Enne, Levi, and now Jac. And this extra dimension allows us an insight into the world of New Reynes from a new angle - as fascinating and enticing as the first two.
The Middle:
Yes this is a long book, and almost 600 pages it certainly looks big, but listen to me when I say; at no point in this book will you be bored. There are so many events happening in this book, and with three points of view there was a great balance between scene setting, and action throughout the entire book. Some of these events made me want to jump for joy, others were such a major setback to my babies Jac, Levi, and Enne (and of course the rest of The Spirits, I just wanted to jump right into that story, save them, and give them a hug.
It really is a roller coaster of emotions, but character development is not forgotten, and as well as being endlessly entertaining, this book is also seamless; plot lines are forged strong, and underpin a breath-taking main plot.
The End:
She can't leave it like that. She can't. She can't. She can't.
So I thought the ending to Ace of Shades was good. This absolutely blew me away, and if you're questioning whether to read this, just do it. The ending is SO worth it.
Characters:
Overall relationships between all the characters are explored and developed extremely well; you sense the tension building as if you're standing in the room with them. I really feel like I develop connections with them throughout the story too, and for me this is one of the more important aspects of a good book.
I particularly liked getting to know The Spirits, and watching their interactions with existing characters was both fascinating and hilarious; I HAVE SHIPS. But mostly I have role models in those young women - not 100%, as I'm not sure some of their behaviour is legal but they are such a strong unit, as well as being strong and independent on an individual level.
Levi:
He seems to have grown more into a man in this book, no longer a boy chasing a dream, it's almost like he knows how close it is but senses the danger. His head is firmly on his shoulders and we see a side to Levi that is both gut-wrenching, and superb in that it is fundamental to his character. It explain so much, it provides depth to his character, and it also doubles up as a historical view and insight into New Reynes before the eradication of The Misers.
Enne:
Enna has really come into her own throughout this book, kind of Daenerys Targaryen style - embraced her situation, and freaking owned it.
Summary:
HOW COULD YOU LEAVE IT THERE AMANDA FOODY?! I need Shadow Game #3 now. I need to know what's happening to my precious little people! It is honestly a book full of twists and turns, deceit, murder, and blackmail, and as with the first book, a little hint at fantasy that is just so enticing. I highly recommend this series if you're a fan of Caraval, or Six of Crows, and if you enjoyed the first Shadow Game book, I have no doubts you'll love this one too.

I absolutely loved the first book of this series and this was so good too! I loved the character development and the way the story is taking its turn!

I enjoyed this, but not as much as Ace of Shades. While I felt there was a lot of interesting character development going on (and I liked the tangled knots of loyalties and relationships that were developing), I found the plot a little less engaging -- with the exception of the last 15% or so, which I found pretty gripping.

I think it's mostly because it felt a lot slower-paced than the first book. I actually checked the page count and it was lower than I thought given how long it took me to read -- I'm not sure if that's because I've been in a reading slump, or because I kept being distracted by a cat, but it did take me several days to finish this. By contrast, I raced through Ace of Shades when I reread it earlier this week, so... 🤷🏻‍♂️

The timescale of the books is totally different -- while Ace of Shades takes place across a small number of days, this one covers several weeks, possibly even months, so maybe that's what contributed to it feeling slower paced. On some levels this made it more realistic (I always felt Enne and Levi's relationship, such as it was, had developed too fast), but that and the broader scale of the action -- while I enjoyed seeing more of the city -- set a slower pace.

I also never fully understood how certain aspects worked. I didn't really get what Enne's stock market was intended to do/how it was achieving what it seemed to be achieving, and that was kind of a big plot point upon which a lot of other things hinged. Nor did I really understand the details of one character's disguise, though that might be my brain fog making it hard for me to concentrate.

Anyway, like I said, I did enjoy this, even if it sounds like I didn't. I really liked the emphasis on female friendships, and how many very different girls there were in this book. I found myself substantially more invested in Jac than I had previously been, too, although this possibly came at the cost of my investment in Levi. (I still cared about him! Just...less.)

But I think I may have to reread this one in future when I have more brainpower and am not going through a big slump, because I suspect I would enjoy it more if I'd been able to read it faster (i.e. my usual speed instead of unusually slow).

Oh. My. God.

This series has slain me. In case you somehow missed it, I was a huuuuge fan of Ace of Shades when it came out last year. In fact, it might have been my favourite book of 2018. So I was totally thrilled to be sent an ARC of the second instalment, King of Fools. We’re back with some of my favourite characters, and everything is gloriously going to shit. Seriously, I have never been so stressed reading a book. It felt like every page I was tightening my knuckles screaming DO NOT HARM MY BABIES at the page. So yes, I think I got a bit carried away, but it was a brilliant book and I was super invested.

My favourite character is, without a doubt, Enne. She’s so smart and clever, and she has a dozen and one tricks up her sleeve. It was wonderful to see her owning her devious side in this book, and to do it so fashionably too. The girl-gang was just perfection, and they are definitely criminal friendship goals. It was great to get more of a sense of Enne through the gang, and her own ambitions and desires. I thought Ace of Shades already did a good deal of that, but King of Fools delivers the cherry on top for me. Her voice is so strong, and there are so many new sides to the character that we’re just discovering along the way.

I will be honest and say, as much as I loved Levi in book one, he kind of lost a bit of his shine for me here. He’s still one of my faves, but he sort of drifted into the background a bit for me in this book, possibly because Enne’s story was so strong. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of him, but his chapters were still very entertaining and I am so excited to see what he does in the next book. I won’t be giving any spoilers since the book has only just been released but THAT ENDING SHATTERED ME. I sat there for several minutes staring at the page like wtaf, and now I am still in recovery. And yes, I need book three right now so I can see how Levi handles the latest developments because honestly I am not okay right now. Someone send help.

The twists and turns of this book definitely kept me hooked. Although I was a little confused by the ending. I think maybe it is more of a personal problem than an actual issue in the book- I just have a bad memory for side characters, and I felt like you had to remember a lot to keep up with the final few chapters. I got the sense that it was very smart and twisty, but I missed all the smaller brushstrokes. Oh well, I won’t commit to a re-read anytime soon, but I think I might add it to the pile before book three comes out.

All of the new additional characters really added a new level to the series, and I am going to be so excited to see how they develop along the way. I am already in love with Enne’s girl gang, and some of the other shady political figures will definitely add a lot to the plot along the way. I’m pleased this is a series that continues to surprise me. I’m rather amazed to say I haven’t figured out many of the plot twists so far 😀

Overall, I’m giving King of Fools a 9.5/10 stars. I absolutely loved it, but I am docking half a star simply because I wasn’t entirely sure I understood all the nuances of the ending, which frustrates me a bit since I imagine it was very clever. And even though that’s probably just me and my bad memory of side characters and their roles, I still think it detracted just a smidge for me. But yes, awesome protagonists, a delightfully agonising romance and a lot of chaos and pithy one-liners. What more could a girl need?

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. King of Fools was everything I wanted from this book and more. We get to see Enne come to terms with both sides of herself. We get awesome political wrangling and gang life. We get a winner girl gang I would die for - I especially loved Grace! We get Levi realising he’s a bit of a muppet sometimes and can’t always win but still trying. And Jac, oh Jac. He is a thing of glory and his arc is amazing. And Sophia! Who is also awesome. Basically I love all the characters.

Part of my issue with Ace of Shades (I say issue, I still adored it!) was that Levi didn’t seem like he could be a Lord. Here he learn so much more about him that makes it more reasonable, and I loved that so much. And we get so much with his relationship with Jac, even when it’s in a state. Jac is life. I love that we see him realise what he wants from life and take on more with Sophia, and also come out stronger from his addiction. I think the frank discussion about temptation and trust was really good.

Enne is glorious. She is still learning how to be a sinner and I love that she realised how to do it her own way and to own both sides of herself. And recruiting her girls is love. And Roy. *laughs* Her relationship with Levi is probably my least favourite thing, but it’s still well done - I am seriously intrigued as to what will happen next with them given the end of the book. I’m hoping things may not quite be as they seem... 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Same with Sophia, he actions right at the end are so intriguing and I’m dying to know what they mean for what will come next.

All in all a great read, and why isn’t book 3 out yet??? 😭 4.5 stars.

Okay so some of you might remember my mixed review of Ace of Shades last year, which was another NetGalley book I was approved for. King of Fools is book two in this series (The Shadow Game series). I enjoyed Ace of Shades but there were aspects of it that I felt were lacking and missing, especially the world building and the magic system. It was a 2.5*/5* rounded up to 3* for Good Reads.

When King of Fools was released for request on NetGalley I did um and ah over whether or not to apply, but at the end of the day I did enjoy Ace of Shades and I did want to know what happened to Levi particularly so I hit request and ended up getting approved! I have to say I am really glad that I did request this book 😊 I enjoyed this more than the first one, and here’s the key bit for me, it filled in a lot of the blanks for me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still don’t particularly understand some of the background and the magic system particularly BUT I do know understand more of it! I almost wish that level of detail had been available in the first book.

So we return to the City of Sin to find out how Enne and Levi fare after the end of Ace of Shades and what happens next. We see new characters introduced and old ones fleshed out. Jac becomes almost the main character at some points rather than just Enne or Levi, which I didn’t see coming. To be honest I didn’t even really think about it til after I finished the look and I was thinking back on it. We hear a lot from him and I really enjoyed his POV. It was different, subtle and incredibly dark at points. Levi’s ambition becomes even more than what it was and Enne, well, Enne is no longer that Hallmark channel girl I described in my previous review.
Again, I had negatives with this book, almost identical negatives to Ace of Shades. The world building – it was better. Much much much better, but I still feel like I’m missing lots of pieces of the puzzle. The language used. I still really don’t like the inability to use swear words, and instead use made up words.

Overall a 3.5*/5 for this one. I’m going to round this down to a 3* rather than round up because although it was a 3.5, it wasn’t because it blew me away.