by Amanda Foody

YA Fantasy, 2020 by Inkyard Press, 632 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

There’s a LOT of players this time around. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially since they all have their names and then their card names. Plus, with that many characters there are a lot of moving parts.
The on again off again relationship continues to battle its way through this one, in almost annoying ways. It seemed to flip on and off quickly this time around too, with little or no warning.
Slow moving. Similar to book 2, this one feels like it’s riding the uphill of the roller coaster for a long time, building that tension and setting the pieces in motion.

Reminders of what happened in previous books are sprinkled throughout the opening chapters. It’s not too much where it would annoy you if you were reading them back-to-back. It’s perfectly balanced.
Fake dating trope (sort of) but make it heartbreaking. This was such a good addition to the story. It added suspense and intrigue.
As always, the magic system is extraordinary. What set this series apart from others like it was the strict rules for their gifts and the consequences of using them. This really brought that to a beautifully fine point.

If you like complex magic systems, dystopia with gangsters, and multi-POV books, this series (begin with Ace of Shades) DELIVERS.
Fans of Six of Crows