King of Fools: The Shadow Game Series, Book 2

Pros:- This book starts up shortly after the ending of Ace of Shades. And you are right back in the City of Sin, but the world is expanded in this novel. We get to see more of the South Side and learn more about the history of New Reynes. I actually really enjoyed the expansion of the world and seeing more that was going on beyond the Shadow Game and Levi and Enne's search in the first book.- This book brings a lot of new characters into the fold and also shows us more about the "secret society" within New Reynes and how everything is connected. This goes along with the expansion of the world, but I enjoyed having more characters to meet and learn about their talents and their backstory. I have to say Grace and Tock were some of my two favorites in this book.- I also love that even though some parts of the story were wrapped up in this book, there was still the bombshell at the end leading you to believe way mroe is going on than what we know about and I have so many questions after finishing (even though I will say it is still frustrating to have a cliffhanger like that when it will be at least a year before the third book is out).Cons:- So the first book was solely a story of finding Enne's mother and what happened to her. This book I thought was going to be about Enne's dealing with the revelation at the end of Ace of Shades but I really feel like this aspect was ignored in this second book. This really bothered me because it does not seem believable to me. I think there should have been a bigger focus on it from Enne's perspective.- I also would have liked to have more of Lola in this book. I really liked her in the first book, but I feel like we focused more on Jac in this book and his story as it related to the main plot. Maybe in the third book, we can get some of her POV!Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

I loved everything about this book & can't wait for the next one. The character's are well developed even the ones that are mean. This is one book series where I enjoyed every character. Love it!

Excellent follow up to Ace! Can’t wait for the third to find out how things end for Enne and the gang!!

Book 2 is action packed!

ENNE AND HER GIRL GANG ARE ALL I NEED IN MY LIFE OKAYYYY

I absolutely love this book series!!!!

I was really hoping that all the good things about the very end of the first book would carry over to this one. They didn't and I found myself struggling to get through this one, just like the majority of the first one. I didn't care about what the characters were doing or feeling. I honestly didn't care what was happening in the world or to our characters.Just like with Daughter of a Burning City, Amanda has a spectacular premise and a lackluster execution. These characters should be everything I love in a novel, but they're surface level and hard to connect to. I'm not invested in their story or world. I really wish I was because the world is unique and I love the idea of their magic. I wanted so badly for this to work out for me, but instead, it fell flatter than the first one.*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Inkyard Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

*Insert frustrated scream here*Ok, I have been sitting on trying to come up with a review for this book for weeks. WEEKS! Have I come up with anything that will do this book justice? Nope. Nothing can prepare you for the frustrating, action-packed, emotional rollercoaster that is King of Fools. NOTHING.I’ll admit, Ace of Shades was not one of my top books. I found it enjoyable but I didn’t get the same overwhelming adoration for the book or the characters that the rest of the community has had. I could see the potential for more, but I did have my reservations. Fortunately, for me, I am not a quitter and needed to give Foody’s world another chance. I am SO happy I did because I would have kicked myself in the face if I had passed up reading this sequel. I’m not a bendy person so that would be quite the trick…but I would have deserved it.For me, King of Fools had everything that Ace of Shades was missing. Sure, they both have great action, unbelievable plot twists and just enough (ok, maybe a little much) slow burn romance but where Ace of Shades seemed to be more focused on world building, King of Fools was all about the characters and this character development was something I didn’t even know I desperately needed.In the first book, a large part of my hesitation was that I wasn’t really feeling the characters. Enne and Levi just didn’t mix for me and they each irritated me, in their own special way. Now, I feel like the reader really gets to know them. We get to see their true colors and I have a whole new appreciation for each of them. Levi still annoys me, for multiple reasons and none of which have anything to do with something that rhymes with “douche”. Oops, I guess nothing rhymes properly. Oh well.I loved seeing Enne take on this whole new world. I never even knew how badly I needed a girl gang until this book and I am completely obsessed. Kicking ass and taking names! Mind you, she is still a little too vulnerable but I’m hoping that she completely comes into her own in the next book. I have high hopes for this girl and her badass gang. Don’t disappoint me!My favorite part of the whole book, though, was my little muffin…Jac. *sigh* I was instantly drawn to Jac in the first book but I fell completely in love with him here. Out of all the characters he is the one that, I felt, had the most important story to tell and I couldn’t get to his POV fast enough.Enough about the characters….I’ll get spoiler-y if I continue.King of Fools is a fast paced, action packed sequel that had me white knuckling the pages all night. ALL 600 OF THEM!! I couldn’t put this book down…I didn’t want to put it down. When I finally did….shook. Completely and utterly shook. I don’t think I have ever used that word in my life but there’s no other way to describe it. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to feel about that.Obviously, King of Fools is an amazing sequel but be warned….THIS BOOK WILL BREAK YOU!!! Into a million pieces. I was not ready and it was all I could do to not go back and immediately reread the whole damn book because, obviously I had misread something. I didn’t. I’m still not ok.Amanda….you’re an evil, evil woman.Every part of me needs the next book now. Like, right now. The wait is going to kill me.

While I was finishing up two of my MA essays I found the time to read this book, and by read I mean absolutely devour. I'm pretty sure I read over half of it in a single day. King of Fools takes what was fun about the first book but amps it up to an insane degree that I thought I was going to die reading it. The tension between Levi and Enne was such that I thought I might self-combust. My one gripe was that the timeline felt a little messy, especially given the first book had a very strict timeline, I wouldn't have minded similar time stamps. In fairness to Foody, the time is mentioned to try and establish it, but I just didn't think it was clear as she wanted it to be. Foody has expanded the world, not necessarily in size, but in detail so that I feel very at home in the City of Sin. I am in denial about the last sixty or so pages. Special shout out to Roy who I hope is a permanent fixture!

Ace of Shades was my favourite book of 2018 so naturally, King of Fools was by FAR, my most anticipated release for 2019 and I can tell you, I was definitely not disappointed!Amanda Foody is an incredible author that always has me constantly on the edge of my seat whilst I'm in her worlds. I love her world building of The City of Sin so much and I find myself being able to see it in my mind so clearly when I'm reading about it which is one of my favourite things when I'm reading a book! Her characters are also just so incredible! My favourite character is still Levi, I love Levi so much and he definitely disappoint me in this book but I also loved Enne and Jac too!Having said that, one of my favourite things about <i>King of Fools</i> was the girl gang! I follow Foody on Twitter and for months, she's been tweeting about this girl gang from King of Fools and I was very excited to meet them all and they didn't disappoint! They were all very fierce women and I loved all of them. I am very, very excited to read more about them in book 3 where their arc will hopefully continue to grow as it goes. One of my favourite things in books is a solid girl gang and I'm so happy that we have one in this world that I'm so in love with for sure!“This isn't just talk. It's a promise. And the war has already begun."After the ending of Ace of Shades, I knew that this was going to be full of tension and stress. I get very stressed reading books and I was definitely stressed whilst reading King of Fools although, there wasn't as much full on action throughout as I was expecting there to be but I'm sure that will be coming in the conclusion of the series but, there was still so much tension and the stakes were just so high in this book. I found myself very worried for Levi, Enne and Jac, so many times throughout this book and just want them to get the happy ending they deserve in book 3 :(I really, really love the relationship that is blossoming between Levi and Enne. I've shipped them since halfway through book 1 and although, there wasn't too much on that front in this one, again, I'm sure there will be in book 3 and I am most definitely here for it.Overall, I thought King of Fools was a fantastic and worthy sequel and definitely will be on my top books of the year! I am just so love in this book and this series and I can't believe there's another year now until book 3 because I just really need it now!Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review! All views are my own. Quotes may change in the final copy!

Extremely good book, a world am still slightly lost in. I cannot wait for another read. 4 morre words required

I'm not sure what the issue was with this book. I enjoyed Ace of Shade and it kept my attention. But for some reason, this book which I normally could read in a day or two, took me over a week. I just couldn't get into it. The language was awkward and the characters got on my nerves. I definitely will not be reading the third book.