Mask of Shadows

By: Linsey Miller

Narrated by: Deryn Edwards

Gender-fluid Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and to get closer to the nobles who destroyed home. So when auditions to become a member of The Left Hand - the Queen's personal assassins - are announced, Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. But a childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the audition: a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. But Sal succeeds in the competition, winning the heart of an intriguing scribe at court, and, together, they begin to dream of a new life and a different future - a future that they can have only if they both survive....

©2017 Linsey Miller (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

I am thrilled to have found a book featuring a gender fluid protagonist!

I was particularly e traced by the easy way the world building was done. No long sections of text describing the who and what and why of it all, just a story told the way someone living it would tell it. Marvelous work!

loved it!

Despite some little things in writing, and there being more than a few times it was hard to tell whether the narrator was supposed to be speaking out loud or simply thinking to themselves, I can whole heatedly suggest listening.

Very much enjoyed Sal, the protagonist and point of view character. Always glad to have a non-binary main character who feels realized like them.

Perfect Narrator

Every minute not listening to this, I was thinking about listening to it. Perfect narration.

Interesting

I don't review often, but this book was interesting and different! Give it a chance

Take a wild ride!

Sal is one of the most enjoyable characters I've read in a long time. I loved going with her as she robbed, schemed, and killed her way through the book, eyes always on the prize. Sometimes it seems like teen fiction assassins are that in name only--not here. Death has consequences and revenge is a dish best served cold.

New Favorite Series

Excellent writing, great characters and just the right amount of fun. Fan of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir will enjoy this series and author as well. Worth buying!! :)

The story is so wonderfully constructed.

A Queen who stopped a civil war by destroying the magic that allowed “shadows” to flay people alive. A Queen who was still working to hold her new kingdom together while one faction retreated to the mountains to plan their bloody return. Our Queen’s Left hand: Ruby, Emerald, Opal, and Amethyst. The rings she wore on that hand. Also the names of her four personal guards/assassins.

An audition for a new Opal, the previous one having been killed by the nobles in the mountains. Twenty-three possible new opals. Five invited due to reputation or nobility. The rest walk-ons. Kill your competition without being caught or killed yourself. Survive combat, poisons, the competition.

Sal (auditioner number Twenty-Three) is the protagonist. One of the most brilliant characters I have ever encountered. Sal has a heart of rage because of what happened. Nacea, a peaceful land, was overrun by “shadows” created by mages who flayed people alive. The nobles let it happen by withdrawing all the troops to protect themselves and leave Nacea undefended. Sal saw the shadows destroy Nacea, person by person and were only one of two survivors. Sal has an adoration for the Queen who stopped the shadows and ended the war. Sal has a desire for a better life than a thief and fighter. Sal has motivation and mystery.

The story is so wonderfully constructed. Sal takes the measure of his competitors. The entire court and the Opal auditions are like a huge puzzle Sal must make sense of. Piece by piece a plan develops, not only for Sal in the competition but for the Queen to deal with her unruly nobles. I loved all the characters. Even the side characters had a depth to them and felt like real people, not like parts of the scenery. The action scenes were very well written. I could see them in my mind and do not get confused about who was where or had what weapon.

Deryn Edwards does a fantastic job narrating. She creates a totally believable voice for Sal as well as the other members of the Queen's Hand and the contestants. Her speech is clear, her accents understandable, and her pacing perfect. The quality is fantastic. I am interested in checking out other books she has narrated.

I ordered the hardback of Mask of Shadows I am excited to see what Ms. Miller does with Sal and the plot in the sequel. The world Ms. Miller has created in Mask of Shadows is rich and begs to be explored.

#LGBTQIA+ #Suspenseful #TorturedHero #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

beautiful narration and wonderful storytelling

I had no problem at all finishing this audiobook. the narrator did a wonderful job with the voices and making each one unique. The story was well paced and very descriptive. I am very eager to start the sequel to this. I will definitely listen to it again.

Sal is amazing!

Sal is such a wonderful character, and the dynamic of the competition is fun and thrilling.

Wow!

Expertly written, clever politics and elegantly executed! The protagonist is a delight to follow, and the other characters are complex and deoightful to read about! Absolutely loved this book!