Ace of Shades
When I started this book, I was expecting a cute, slightly adventurous, bad-boy romance, coming of age story.
And don't get me wrong, it certainly was that. But it was a lot more. There were a couple key things about this novel that I think were very interesting that will either make or break this book.
1. Glorification of sin. Gambling, sex, drugs, etc were all a main part of the book. Some of it was described in a more despicable way, but as the main character spent more time in the city, and as she changed, the negativity associated with it changed to more positive.
2. A-typical sexuality of the characters. It wasn't marketed as gay romance, and I don't think it should be. One of the characters was bisexual, and there was a same-sex kissing scene, but it wasn't one of those super hot extremely detailed make-out scenes that are generally found in YA fiction. It did make me uncomfortable, but that is only because of my personal preference.
There was also a very brief scene where another main character masturbated, though again there wasn't any detail, and just enough was told to imply what had happened.
3. A different kind of magic. This is actually something I really liked about it. I thought it was interesting and new and is certainly a fun concept to play with. I want to know more about the lore and the backstory that comes with this series.
Overall I was extremely engaged in the book, enjoyed almost all the scenes, and was impressed by the plot specifics and character development. I was also very happy with the narration and look forward to more books narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. (Her voice and accent reminded me a lot of Moira Quirk.)
Content/recommendation: Only language was made-up swear words. Some violence, some sexuality and bisexuality. Masturbation mentioned.
