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    Mask of Shadows
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    Mask of Shadows
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    Mask of Shadows
    Audiobook9 hours

    Mask of Shadows

    Written by Linsey Miller

    Narrated by Deryn Edwards

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    Genderfluid 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...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateSep 1, 2017
    ISBN9781520079189
    Author

    Linsey Miller

    A wayward biologist from Arkansas, Linsey previously worked as a crime lab intern, neuroscience lab assistant, and pharmacy technician. She can be found writing about science and magic anywhere there’s coffee. She is the author of the Mask of Shadows duology, Belle Revolte, and What We Devour. Visit her online at linseymiller.com.

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    Reviews for Mask of Shadows

    4/5

    75 ratings13 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Genderfluid (sometimes he, sometimes she, sometimes they) Sal is a thief and, quickly, a killer, setting out to become the Opal, one of the Queen’s trusted servants/assassins. To do so, Sal must kill the other contenders (which has always struck me as a really inefficient way to get the top person—so destructive to a true reservoir of talent!). Suffering from PTSD from the deaths of their family—in fact their entire nation—because of the perfidy of nobles in the destructive war that resulted in the end of magic in the land, Sal has a secret mission to kill all those responsible while rising to the post. It’s a decent palace intrigue, but I couldn’t really get over the “kill all others with the guts and training to the job” part, even when it turned out to have a small asterisk.
    • 4/5
      I saw the words “gender fluid assassin” and was sold. I immediately requested an ARC, even though I already had a number of other books to read. Then I saw the back blurb comparing it to Throne of Glass, and I started getting nervous. I hated Throne of Glass. Turns out, I shouldn’t have been worried. Mask of Shadows is way better, and it delivers practically everything I want from a YA fantasy book about a battle of assassins.Sallot Leon makes a living as a thief, but Sal doesn’t plan on staying a thief forever. They are still haunted by memories of their family and homeland… and the twisted Shadows that destroyed them both. Sal planned on joining the army to try and gain their vengeance, but then they find a flyer announcing that the Queen is holding trials for her new Opal, one of her four most trusted assassins. And Sal spies an opportunity. But it’s not until they’ve already joined the competition that they realize this is a fight to the death.Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Mask of Shadows is a story about a gender fluid person and not a story about being gender fluid. I’ve seen other reviews complaining that Mask of Shadows didn’t teach them anything about gender fluidity. Look, if you want to learn more about the subject, go read a gender fluid author writing about their experiences. As far as I’m aware, Mask of Shadows isn’t own voices, so it’s not were you should be going for an education anyway. It’s simply a fun, fantasy adventure novel where the protagonist happens to be gender fluid. You know, just like some protagonists happen to be cis men or cis women. Cis people shouldn’t have the monopoly on fun adventure stories!I don’t want to discuss this aspect too much more, since I’m cis and can’t talk about the accuracy of Sal’s portrayal. As far as I know, I didn’t see anything harmful. But then again, I could be completely missing something. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found any reviews by trans authors at all, much less by gender fluid reviewers. If you know of such a review, please send me a link!I liked Sal as a protagonist. They’re (Sal uses she, he and they) smart, quick and nimble. All great traits for a rouge type character! Sal may not be the strongest or most well trained competitor, but they are able to use their cleverness to their advantage. Plus, Sal has a ruthless streak. They’re a tad more anti-heroic than I see in most YA protagonists. This makes total sense. Sal is competing to be an assassin, so ruthlessness is key.When I said Sal was haunted by memories of war and twisted magical creatures, I meant it. It’s to the level where I’m wondering if Sal might have PTSD? In reflection, a couple of scenes read that way. I’m no psychologist, so don’t put too much faith in my speculations.The entire cast of Mask of Shadows was fairly diverse. Sal is described as having dark brown skin, and their love interest is a bisexual girl! There’s also an aromantic supporting character and lots of other characters of color, including the Queen. The culture felt gender egalitarian, and female characters occupied a number of different roles, including ones that other fantasy books typically reserve for men. And guess what? There were multiple significant and sympathetic female characters, none of whom is ever implied to be superior to other women.While I infer that Sal’s culture is gender egalitarian, it was hard to get much of a feel for it otherwise. World building in general is scanty, which is too bad. It’s one of my favorite parts of the fantasy genre. Besides the gender egalitarian aspect, it basically seemed like every other faux-medieval fantasy I’d read.Mask of Shadows is a debut novel, and I can sort of tell. It’s not bad! In fact, I’d say it’s really good for a debut! But I did come away with the sense that it could be stronger. World building is probably the weakest point. Everything else is as good as it needs to be… it’s just not as good as it could be? I hope that makes sense. So while I do think it could be improved, I still enjoyed it a lot. And I am definitely reading the sequel and whatever else Linsey Miller writes.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
    • 5/5
      Sallot Leon earns their living as a thief, beholden to a cruel boss who will take fingers for insubordination. When they take a flyer from a rich woman that advertises a competition of sorts for the role of Opal, one of the Queen's loyal assassins. Sal gets there with proof of a kill (messy and traumatic, but necessary) and is one of 23 people to get past the screening. They are all numbered, masked, and given rules for each stage of the competition. Underneath it all, Sal burns for revenge for her dead people and ravaged land. Will their ulterior motive get in the way of the competition or will Sal be ruthless enough to succeed?Mask of Shadows is a high fantasy novel that had some unique elements and kept me reading. Sal is a genderfluid person who goes by he, she, or they depending on how they feel and indicated by their clothing. This is established and then not highlighted until people misgender them. It's treated as any other gender and fully integrated into the character. Sal is a competent thief, skilled in weapons, but lacking in other areas. Some of the applicants are wealthy, educated, and well fed while Sal learned on the street while their boss kept them poor and hungry. They are unfamiliar with advanced medicine, herbs and poisons, etiquette, and archery. It was satisfying to see them succeed in some places and struggle in others instead of being good at everything. The most unrealistic aspect of them is getting over the horror of killing people way too quickly. Sal has an affable nature most of the time with some sarcasm thrown in, but the thing that makes them the most angry is the fate of their homeland and the people who destroyed it running free and being prosperous.The world is interesting and told in small bits throughout the book. Sal came from Nacea, a place that no longer exists. It and all its people except Sal were destroyed by shadows, magical creatures who flay people alive. Nacea was caught in the middle in the war between Erland and Alona. Erland knew about the shadows, but only cleared out their own people and hoped the shadows would be slowed down by Nacean lives. Alona and the Queen only won because she took away all magic. Magic users have no other skills and take over many jobs that would have gone to less qualified people. Now, the Erland nobles are needed to keep their land as it merged with Alone in line even though they are all pretty much biding their time before they can overthrow the Queen. The court intrigue is well done and layered. So many people are plotting against each other, being nice to each other's faces, and biding their time.The competition has a similar vibe to court intrigue, but with defined rules for each stage and the knowledge that your competition will kill you when given the chance. Some spaces are safe while others are fair game, but no kill is successful unless there is no evidence tying the assassin to it. They are offered training and classes that they have the option to take with the risk that their enemies will know their routine. Sal and the other contestants have to be on guard constantly and think of ways to kill their opponents. Even though they are all assassins, the good and bad are differentiated. Which ones enjoy the kill and even torture as opposed to those who kill only when necessary. Even though they are addressed exclusively by their numbers, I found them memorable and easy to tell apart by their actions.Mask of Shadows exceeded my expectations and had me reading it in long stretches. It has intrigue, magic, assassins, acrobats, romance, and a relatable main character. The only real flaw of the book is how Sal broke several social rules and never really experienced consequences for it. As someone with very little social clout, this should have been a bigger deal. This is a pretty small detail in the bigger picture of the book. Other than that, the novel is such a fast read that kept me guessing what would happen.
    • 5/5
      The first book I have ever read with a truly genderfluid protagonist. It was impossible to decide male/female/neither/both and, truthfully and as it should be, it didn't matter as it made no difference in the action, which was tight and nerve-wracking and kept me awake until the last word.I want more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 5/5
      Sallet Leon is an orphan and one of the few survivors of her people. Sal makes a living as a thief but when the opportunity arises to try out for a position on the Queen's Left Hand, Sal sees an opportunity to finally get revenge on those who let the shadows loose in her country.Becoming one of the Queen's Left Hand isn't an easy task. Since Sal was not invited to the competition, it is necessary to prove competence. Sal does that by assassinating the man who is the boss in the gang of thieves. Sal then carries his hand to the city as proof of competence. Sal is chosen as the twenty-third competitor. Now all that has to happen is that all the others die. They prove their worth by killing each other and not falling under suspicion of doing so.Sal has a couple of allies. Maud is the attendant assigned to take care of Sal. Maud is ambitious. If Sal wins, she will get an advanced position and the she will have enough money to buy her younger siblings from an orphanage before they are sold off to be servants. Sal's other ally is Elise who is a member of the Erland -- those who Sal blames for the death of his/her people. But Elise helps Sal learn to read and write and they flirt and fall in love.The descriptions of the training and things Sal does to finally get to the position of Opal are somewhat graphic. The story is filled with action. It is also interesting to watch Sal's growth from someone who worships the Queen because she defeated the mages and shadows that killed Sal's home to someone who recognizes that the Queen is human and as prone to error as anyone else. One of the most intriguing things about this story is that Sal is gender fluid. Sal wants to be addressed by the pronoun that matches his/her appearance. She/he respects those who realize that and has disdain for those who don't.This was an entertaining fantasy with an intriguing main character. The world building was interesting and the political intrigue nicely twisty.
    • 4/5
      MASK OF SHADOWS by Linsey Miller features Sal Leon, a genderfluid thief who wants nothing more than to exact revenge on the Lords of Erlend—those who ensured the annihilation of Sal’s country of birth, Nacea—and left them as its only survivor. The book starts with a robbery that introduces Sal, and as a result of that robbery, Sal learns of a competition to determine the newest member of the queen’s Left Hand—four bodyguards/assassins who are charged with protecting the queen and removing anyone who is a threat to her or Igna, the country created from the war that destroyed Nacea. Sal decides to enter the competition, and that adventure continues the book’s initial break-neck pace.Upon entering the competition to be Opal of the Queen’s Left Hand, Sal becomes known as Twenty-Three—their number/name having been assigned based on the order the competitors were accepted into the competition. Sal is accepted based on fighting skills and a willingness to kill, and though Sal shows signs of being kind and caring at times, they are also ruthless. All of the competitors are ruthless, but beyond that we only know them by their numbers and the skills that will make them able killers.The early competition scenes were my favorite parts of the book. The fight-to-the-death premise of MASK OF SHADOWS is one that is found in many fantasy or historical fiction novels, but the execution of this book is interesting for many reasons. Sal’s genderfluidity is mentioned at times, and an attempt at explaining genderfluidity is woven into Sal’s initial interview with the three members of the Left Hand running the competition, but it’s not the reason for this novel, just an aspect of it. MASK OF SHADOWS has many (many many) strong female characters, but gender plays such an insignificant role in every character that the world built by Miller seems somewhat utopian when it comes to equality and the understanding that the sexes are equal. Women are just as likely as men to fill any roll, and it’s not remarked upon at all. Gender roles are definitely not a thing, and the lack of them is not a thing either. A flaw in the tale is that Sal is the only characters who is fully developed by Miller--and that’s a shame because there’s such potential in so many others. In particular, Emerald, Amethyst, and Ruby—the three remaining members of the Left Hand—are people readers want to know more about, and I hope the second book expands on their stories. The lack of character definition also made it difficult to keep track of many of the secondary characters as they stepped in and out of scenes.The love story woven into the book is sweet, but not all that interesting. That’s not something that bothers me—I don’t read adventure novels with an eye toward a good romance. The action scenes are really well written and they are constant, and the competition aspect of the book is well plotted. There are moments of far too much explaining as the book winds to a close, but that’s understandable as the author sets the stage for book two. The world building is strong except for the aspects surrounding magic and its removal from the world, and although the conflict that lead to the creation of Igna is repeatedly mentioned, more history on that would have been helfpul. Again, that could be something that will be developed more in the second book.All in all, I recommend the book to those who like sword and sorcery books—though all sorcery takes place in the past—and a lot of action. I’ll be looking forward to the second book and revisiting Sal’s world. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      I literally listened all the way through this book without break - until 3am!! Absolutely stunning, gripping, and so beautiful. I got it off of an LGBTQ+ book list and it's made it to my top 5 books list. The main character was both openly and forcefully genderfluid and also incredibly well written and complex. Hugely looking forward for the sequel. I'll have to set aside next weekend!
    • 3/5
      I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. It reminded me a bit of a Tamora Pierce book, with a young person going through trials not normally for them, and beating the odds. It had potential, but it was a bit sloppy. I felt like the timeline was very rushed, events didn't take a logical amount of time, and the book seemed to take place over only 2 days instead of realistic weeks. I also thought that Sallot made too big of a deal out of being gender fluid - I understand that people using the wrong pronouns is irritating, but it seemed like every few pages it was complained about. People you meet for the first time are rarely going to address you properly, regardless of how you change your clothes.
    • 3/5
      fantasy fiction (battle of assassins, action-adventure with protagonist who happens to be genderfluid).
      I found the gory bits (lots more gore than I'm used to--there's not usually anybody being flayed alive, much less the idea of multiple people) potentially traumatizing, but I thought the action-action-action-with-maybe-a-little-romance writing to be pretty slick. It did drag in the last 50 or so pages at the end when the outcome of all the battles was made clear and the author had to set up some political stuff for the sequels (perhaps I was just tired because I'd read the first 4/5 of the book in one sitting and was ready to go to bed), but other than that it's a solid debut from a promising new author.
      I liked that the protagonist was genderfluid (and also a total bad-ass) and the discussion of pronoun usage is always nice to see, since so many of us need to learn it somewhere.
    • 2/5
      I went into this with pretty high hopes but they were quickly dashed. I didn't find much of anything that happened interesting and I kept wishing that the action would pick up and the main character would stop whining. The story being told in first person didn't help. Some authors can make it work but I was so tired of being in Sal's head that I found myself zoning out many times. I'd give it a 1.5 according to Goodreads since I'm stuck between I didn't like it and it was ok but rounding up because it I didn't totally not like it. Just mostly.

      I was hoping for a new fantasy author to follow but unless I hear something compelling from a trusted book-friend, I'll pass on the sequel.

      I received the book from the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book and can't wait for the final book in this duology! there was action, romance, and great character development! 5 out of 5 stars for me!
    • 3/5
      Last night, I finished reading Linsey Miller’s debut novel, Mask of Shadows. With it being Pride month, I figured a genderfluid main character would be a nice learning experience. Mix that with murder and mayhem, and you’ve got my perfect cocktail. Unless, of course, you’ve already read Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, because it’s essentially the same story (with a much more interesting background). Before I delve into the plot and hash out my thoughts about it, I’d like to take a moment to focus on Sallot Leon, our main character. As a disclaimer, I am going to try my best to stick with them/they pro-nouns throughout this review; however, it is difficult for me to so easily dismiss grammatical rules in my writing. (This is purely grammar related; I have no issues with non-binary gender roles.)

      Sal’s gender, in their words, depends on what they are wearing. If they dress like a woman or man, they expect to be called by their respective pronouns. This makes sense; however, I feel it simultaneously reinforces the idea certain clothes are “feminine” and others are “masculine” which seems counterproductive in a book set in a fairly progressive world that blurs the lines between gender roles. In fact, Sal’s genderfluidity simply exists. It is there and it is accepted, no questions asked. Well, aside from those unsure what to call them. It seems that Sal is less tolerant of others than others are of them. For example, in some cases, when referred to as the wrong pronoun, Sal becomes irritated and snide. It’s not a pretty look to wear. Other than that, it works. Sal’s fluidity is a key element of their ability to perform as an assassin.

      Other characters in Mask of Shadows don’t seem to have much depth. Sure, a vibrant history is teased at for some of them, but most of them feel like nothing more than objects. The feelings that blossom between Sal and Elise feel forced, rather than natural. In contrast to my usual complaint, the romance in this book does not feel complete.

      Earlier I mentioned the plot’s striking resemblance to The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. It’s a “fight to the death” scenario to achieve a goal, and thus there’s nothing new. Miller does weave a fantastically beautiful, dark world for her characters though. Erland, Alona, and Nacea, the three lands that later become Ignis, are vastly different. The blight that fell upon them and led up to their union as a single country is fascinating. In fact, I would love to see Miller do a prequel series. I really would like to read about the shadows, the mages, and the lengths the Queen went to in order to save her people, beyond what’s hinted at in the book.

      Overall, I enjoyed reading Mask of Shadows and may read the second part of the duology. My biggest qualm with this book has more to do with its flow than anything else. There are several times where I had to re-read passages in order to understand what was happening. For me, this can be a deterrent. Beyond that, Miller definitely has a way with words and I look forward to more of her work in the future. Also, she’s an Arkansan. That makes her pretty kick-ass in my book.

      I would like to thank NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Linsey Miller for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      "I would make Erlend remember"!An engaging new novel ripe with assassins, political intrigue, the pale remnants of dark magic, and the need for vengeance.Sallot Leon is a thief with a shattering history who wants to be more. And that more happens the day they (I say they because Sal is apparently gender fluid, although it took me a while to realize this) hold up a coach, steal a ring from a young woman, and find in her purse a flyer inviting those who might, to audition for the role of one of the Queen's left hand assasins--Opal.Sal decides to audition, an audition that includes taking evidence of their abilities and suitability.Sal has a future ambition nourished in the darkness of their situation.. To pay back the nobles who caused her homeland of Nacea to be decimated, all slain without mercy or notice by the dreaded Mage created shadows. They would be the "perfect soldiers [but] ... couldn’t be called back. The shadows had no bodies and no minds, only broken souls." They searched for their bodies killing all before them.Sal gaining admission to the auditions is the beginning of no holds barred training that includes the right to kill off the opposition.Sal's quest, their search for meaning and information about those who betrayed their homeland also comes to the fore, adding a certain piquancy to the trials and upping the ante.The plot is not an unfamiliar one, although obviously the march towards resolution is unique. I couldn't put this down. Whilst some aspects come to fruition, the future for Sal holds more questions to be asked and answered and more diabolical plots and mysteries to be unraveled.A NetGalley ARC