Blog Tour: Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody

 So, I have been on the tours for all of the books in this series and I knew that when I saw that HQ were asking for people to join in with the third and final book, I had to be a part of it. My review for this stop on the blog tour is below!

If you are interested, you can find the previous book reviews HERE (Book 1)  and HERE (Book 2).

And, here's the book:

Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin…and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes.

After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed…and any misstep could turn deadly.

Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are only losers…

And monsters.

Guys, I cannot get over this book, it was packed with action from the very beginning and it was just the best final book in the series. In this book you get to see even more POVs - Levi and Enne like usual, but also Sophia, Lola and Harvey as an added extra, it was great to get into the minds of even more characters and see what they were thinking during the whole process. I never thought I'd like a series where more and more POVs were added in each book, but for this series it works and totally changed my mind - it really helps you to see all the different points to the plot as the new game begins.

I mentioned in the King of Fools review that different points were slowly coming together, and in this book you finally see all of these drips of information morph into one big spectacular plot, with so many crucial points in previous books all making sense. Whilst reading this I had multiple 'lightbulb' moments, when I finally saw just what Amanda Foody had been planning and hinting at - it all came together and made this into the perfect finale to a series.

I won't spend too much time on talking about Enne and Levi,  but I will say I adored them in this book, the relationship between them is so beautiful, and their journey together throughout the series, although tumultuous, is so intense and in this book it all finally comes together and they make such an amazing team. I admit, I squealed at times in this book with the dynamic between these two, I just love it and I love their coupling.

The final moments of this book were sheer brilliance, and I think that Amanda gave us the best ending to the series there could have been, I won't spoil anything, but for me it was amazing and just what I wanted when I finished this series - I hope you all agree when you read it.

Overall, I give this book 5 cats! (as well as the series overall)

Make sure to check out the other stops that were on the tour as seen below!

Blog Tour: King of Fools by Amanda Foody

So today on my blog I am part of the blog tour for the amazing King of Fools by Amanda Foody! I was part of the previous tour, and as soon as I was asked I knew I wanted to be a part of it as Ace of Shades was such as amazing book.

I was lucky enough to get an extract of the book for you all to see, so here it is:

This is a key beat from Jac's opening chapter--his first ever point of view in The Shadow Game series. Now that Enne and Levi have been made notorious by the events of the Shadow Game, Jac has become a wanted man entirely by association. And Jac has spent so many years as Levi's friend, listening to him go on about his destiny for greatness, knowing that Levi wanted this, that Jac has to unpack how he has now become collateral damage in his best friend's story.

**************

Jac struck a match and watched it burn like a votive candle. 

“I can turn on the radio, if you want,” Lola offered. “But Levi’s probably fine.” 

“I’d rather you didn’t.” 

“Afraid you’ll hear your name?” 

He inhaled his cigarette deeply. It was no secret that he worked with Levi; that he lived on 125 Genever Street in Olde Town, apartment 4C; that he covered the Wednesday through Saturday shifts at the Hound’s Tooth tavern. The whiteboots had probably already interviewed his boss, already rummaged through his home and what little he had. He tried to imagine what conclusion they could’ve drawn from his possessions. A loner, this one, they’d say. No decorations. No sentimentals. Jac had lived there for two years and still treated his place like it was temporary—a side effect of someone who’d never really had a home. 

“I wasn’t in a good place not that long ago, but I have been lately, or at least in a better one,” he explained. He didn’t normally share these details with anyone, even ones so vague. But he needed to unload his thoughts on someone other than Levi, someone who could feel sympathetic without also feeling responsible. “I guess that’s gone now.” 

Levi and Enne had made sure of that last night. 

He squeezed his hand into a fist. He knew Levi hadn’t wanted to start that shatz investment scheme that got him invited to the Shadow Game. And Levi had looked out for Jac time and time again, so Jac didn’t feel he had a right to be angry. Hell, he was angry at himself for feeling angry. 

But Jac also knew Levi and his reckless dreams. And if Levi was safe right now, then Jac would swear some part of his friend was mucking pleased—even if Levi had put everyone around him in danger. 

But he didn’t say that. Instead, he bitterly spat out, “I hate this casino.”

Lola pursed her lips, and Jac waited for her to say something about how, while he’d sworn his allegiance to Levi willingly, she’d been forced to give Enne her oath with a knife at her throat. Or how good people did bad things, and bad things happened to good people, and neither they nor their friends could really call themselves good people anyway. She was annoying and wise like that. 

But all she said was, “Deal the cards. You’re clearly very vulnerable right now, and I intend to take advantage of that.” 

Jac snorted and tapped his cigarette ashes into the rim of a teacup as he slid back into his seat. 

“Enne will hate that, you know,” Lola told him. The teacup was porcelain, covered in some floral design that Enne would find pretty. Jac realized Enne, who’d only lived here for ten days, probably didn’t possess much she could call her own, so he retrieved his cigarette guiltily and pushed the cup away.

Lola leaned over and slid it back toward him. “But fuck them.” The corner of her lips slid into a smile. 

Jac barked out a surprised laugh, and the knots in his shoulders loosened. Over the next ten minutes of Tropps, the teacup’s bottom steadily grew coated in ash. 

*************

And that is all for the extract post, now I'll share a few thoughts on the book before this blog tour post ends!

First, I can't believe how action packed this book was, there were so many points all coming together I seemed to spin through reading all of the action - but it was written so well that I never felt like I was being overloaded or left behind with the plot.

Secondly, I just have to mention that there are now 3 POVs in this book - and one of them is Jac. I adored Jac as a character in Ace of Shades, and I was so excited to find out that he had his own POV in King of Fools, which is why I was so glad I got an extract of his first chapter in the series. Now, it wasn't only because of how much I love Jac that I was glad he got his thoughts out in this book - I think it was really good to get in a POV that shows just how Enne's and Levi's plans have effected the others in the books, and even how much it will effect them as the plans change.

On that point, I think Enne is such a complex and beautifully written character - warring with herself as to whether she should be the woman she was raised to be - or if she should accept that she enjoys being a street lord and living in New Reynes. Watching her change and grow is definitely one of my favourite things about the series, and I think she's going to grow even more in the future, which I can't wait to see.

I could write so much on this book, but I think leaving you with a small extract, and a small review is for the best, so I will just say this: GO READ THE SERIES. It's such a unique series, with a setting that I've not come across before and absolutely love, that I think everyone will get something from reading it. I can't wait to see where Amanda takes the next book after it was left where it was - I don't know how I'll be able to wait!

Overall, I give this book: 5 cats.

Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour, below!

Blog Tour: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, which comes out today! I'm so excited to share my review with you all!

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…

and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

This book really sucks you straight into the action. You get thrown right into the deep-end with this, as you follow Enne, the main character, into the City of Sin for the first time, so I felt like I was learning everything with her. I do admit though, it did feel like there was a lot of information thrown at me and I took a while to catch up at the beginning - but as soon as I started to understand everything I absolutely fell in love with this world.

I think if I had to sum up this book in a sentence it would be: a fantasy, dark and twisted version of Vegas all wrapped up in glitz and glamour. Bit of a mouthful I know, but that is essentially what I thought whenever I jumped back into this book - well that and it was fascinating. I think that if you are a fan of Caraval you'll definitely like this book, it has the same kind of vibes!

The thing I adored most was the relationship between Levi and Enne - it didn't jump right in (and I usually like that kind of thing) but instead it took time to build and I felt like it was more real than most relationships I read about, and I will forever be routing for them in any future books - they're just so cute together. And some of the scenes between them were absolutely beautiful and had me so wishful for something like their relationship. I think the one line that made me feel like that was when Levi said to Enne: "You impress me every time I'm with you". Such a simple line, but it stuck with me for some reason.

But, I can't keep talking about the ship, even if I wanted to! I also have to talk about Enne. Her character development was so complex and you could really see her developing throughout the whole book from one thing to another, from her old self to her new self - and I really can't wait to see where Amanda Foody takes her in the next book, especially because by the end of the book she really comes into herself and sees herself as new - the description of this is fascinating, as I'm sure you'll see when you read this book yourself.

I could talk about this book so much - I've even got little post-its in my book for bits I loved too much to forget, but I'll just say this: it's an intriguing book, full of mystery and little dark pleasures, and you should definitely read it if you get the chance. I give this book: 5 cats!

Thankyou to the HQ team for letting me be a part of this blog tour! Comment below if you liked the book or are planning to read it!