Today it's my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour King of Fools by Amanda Foody. It's a complex combination of dystopian meets fantasy, which is enhanced tenfold by the excellent world-building.
Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.
Daughter of the Burning City was her first novel. Her second, Ace Of Shades was released in April 2018. The second book of The Shadow Game, King of Fools, was released 2nd May 2019 and the third in the trilogy will be released in 2020.
Follow @AmandaFoody @HQStories on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit amandafoody.com
Buy King of Fools
About the book
Indulge your vices in the City of Sin, where a sinister street war is brewing and fame is the deadliest killer of them all...
On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.
Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.
As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive...
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..
Buy King of Fools (The Shadow Game#2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Young Adult; pub date 2 May 2019. Buy at Amazon com.
Read my review of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody.
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