Heyyyy, Book Friends! Hello!
Today I am here to chat about one of my most anticipated books of the year, Amanda Foody’s, Queen of Volts, the third and final installment of The Shadow Game trilogy.
Queen of Volts is published by Inkyard Press and was released on September 1st.
As I generally do with series I love, I am taking my sweet time with this final book. It is a frequent habit of mine to put off final books for months, even years sometimes, just because I am not ready to say goodbye to the characters, or the world.
After being asked to join the Blog Tour for this release, I knew I couldn’t put it off. I really wanted to take part in the celebration of a series I LOVE!!!
I am 50% through this currently and already my heart is aching. I swear, Inkyard Press is out to get me this year. On March 31, 2020, they published the final book in my other favorite YA Fantasy series, Shadow of the Fox, by Julie Kagawa. I’m still recovering, y’all.
If you have never heard of The Shadow Game trilogy, which consists of Ace of Shades, King of Fools, and this novel, Queen of Volts, let me sum it up for you real quick; or at least try. This YA Fantasy is set in a City of Sin called New Reynes. Think Las Vegas, but with magic. The narrative follows a group of well-rounded, edgy characters, who essentially rule the underworld of the city.
There is a ton of political strategy and maneuvering, power plays, dangerous games and beautiful, complex friendships, as well as ruthless ambitions and cunning. I cannot express enough how much this series feeds my soul. It really has everything I love; it’s like Macbeth on steroids.
There is quite a wide cast of characters to follow over the course of the trilogy and it is told from multiple perspectives. I think Foody really excelled at developing the characters. The arcs and growth within them all as the series unfolds, and I do mean all of the characters, not just the main characters, is incredibly well done.
My favorite evolution is that of our main female protagonist, Enne Salta. At the start of the first book, Ace of Shades, Enne is just arriving in New Reynes on a search for her mother, who had recently gone missing.
When Enne arrives, she is straight out of finishing school and the seedy environment of New Reynes is a huge culture shock for her. I love how instead of being scared, she sinks her teeth in and with each book grows stronger and more confident, to the point where you can barely recognize the naive girl who first stumbled onto the scene in Book 1.
Like Enne, the books in this trilogy continue to grow stronger with each release. Additionally, they continue to surprise me, which is such a treat. Foody definitely knows how to draw the Reader in and keep them invested. With this book, each chapter is filling me with dread, at this point, I have no idea how this is going to end!
There is so much suspense. I just need all of my babies to be okay. New Reynes is a dangerous place and at the point I am at in the story, the stakes are higher than ever.
I highly recommend this series. If you have yet to pick it up, now is the time. This is the perfect story for binge-reading and I know I will be rereading it in its entirety again someday!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review, as well as including me in the Blog Tour. I have received early copies of this entire trilogy and have been on the front lines of singing its praises. I appreciate it so much!
As I said above, I have no idea how this one is going to turn out, but you better believe you can find my full review here once I finish it!
Queen of Volts is available now, as are the other two books in the trilogy. Pick them up and make a weekend of it. You won’t regret it!
