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Masks of Aygrima #2
Shadows
In Masks, Mara Holdfast's life changed forever. As the daughter of the Autarch’s Master Maskmaker, she had a clearly defined future: a quiet, ordered life in the capital, making Masks with her father and doing work important to the ruling Autarch. But when her Mask, specially made by her own father, cracked and fell to pieces during her Masking ceremony, Mara was exiled from everything she once knew. Soon, she becomes part of an underground rebellion, rejecting the unjust rules of a Masked society and uncovering a horrifying plot of mind control over the entire population of the empire.
In a moment of crisis, Mara finds herself possessed of a volatile magical power that neither she nor any of her allies can truly control. In Shadow, Mara faces terrifying new challenges and dangers as she struggles to understand her unprecedented ability to use all types of magic—and to tear magic from the living bodies of those around her. With the arrival of Chell, a young man from across the sea, the world beyond the borders of the Autarchy of Aygrima begins to make itself felt. Then an act of brutality tips Mara dangerously close to madness…and in the midst of a desperate and bloody battle, she discovers just how horrifying her power can be….
In a moment of crisis, Mara finds herself possessed of a volatile magical power that neither she nor any of her allies can truly control. In Shadow, Mara faces terrifying new challenges and dangers as she struggles to understand her unprecedented ability to use all types of magic—and to tear magic from the living bodies of those around her. With the arrival of Chell, a young man from across the sea, the world beyond the borders of the Autarchy of Aygrima begins to make itself felt. Then an act of brutality tips Mara dangerously close to madness…and in the midst of a desperate and bloody battle, she discovers just how horrifying her power can be….
292 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2014
6 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
E.C. Blake
6 books60 followersE.C. Blake was born in New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment,” and the state’s nickname seems to have rubbed off: he started writing fantastical stories in elementary school and wrote his first fantasy novel in high school. He’s been a newspaper reporter and editorial cartoonist, a magazine editor, a writing instructor and a professional actor, and has written (under another name) more than 30 works of nonfiction, ranging from biographies to science books to history books, but his first love has always been fantasy. He now lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, with his wife and a daughter whose favorite stories all involve “sword-fighting princesses.” Come to think of it, so do his.
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August 19, 2014
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/08/18/b...
I think Masks slipped under a lot of radars last year, and even as someone who read the book, I really had no idea what a strong impression it made on me until the sequel Shadows showed up and I found myself wanting to dive right in. I do remember being struck by the richness of the world and magic, and realized that I was very much looking forward to continuing the story of protagonist Mara Holdfast.
One thing I should mention is that while nothing about these books ostensibly scream Young Adult (at least not on the surface – it’s not really obvious from the cover, not published under a YA imprint, and not mentioned in the description), this really does read like a YA series. It’s more than just the age of the protagonist, who is fifteen years old in Shadows and for most of Masks; thematically and stylistically, the way it was written also made me want to categorize the first book as a YA, and book two only furthered my belief. This is neither good nor bad. However, I just think readers going in should be aware of it since it may affect expectations. I personally chose to view and rate this one as YA.
Last we saw her in Masks, Mara had escaped from the mining camps where the tyrannical Autarch sends all those who are labeled traitors and not fit to be part of society. She ends up back at the system of secret coastal caves where a group of underground rebels calling themselves the unMasked Army have made their home. The rebels’ leader has asked Mara to use her gifts to craft special masks for them, which would hide the user’s intent from the Autarch and his Watchers, but untrained and inexperienced with her magic, Mara is frustrated when her attempts to do so fail.
At the same time, a mysterious young man washes up on shore, claiming to be a scout from Korellia, a city long thought to have been lost, sunk beneath the seas. But Chell is even more than he appears, and though the unmasked Army remain wary of him, they allow him to accompany Mara on a dangerous mission back into the city in the hopes of reaching Mara’s father, the Autarch’s Master Maskmaker, in order to glean information about the secrets of his trade.
Like most second books in a dystopian series, this is the point where the danger and desperation starts to really come to the forefront and can be keenly felt by the reader. The Autarch’s forces continue to close in, pushing Mara and her allies to make riskier decisions, and sometimes those decisions lead to disaster. Mara is already an unstable vessel of magic, trying to learn how to handle her one-of-a-kind powers, and just when the slightest spark can set her abilities off, something akin to a mega-ton explosion happens in her life. It was a twist that was wholly unexpected to me, one that I didn’t think the author would carry through, but in retrospect I shouldn’t really have been that surprised. In both Masks and now in Shadows, the story has taken some pretty dark turns, and the emotional trauma transforms Mara into an uncontrollable element, adding unpredictability to her powers which are already little understood.
Mara also grows as a character, in ways that are more than just about her magic. The fact that she is played up to be the most powerful person in Aygrima is still a bit vexing, but it’s also clear from the events in this book that she is far from perfect. To put it simply, some of the decisions she makes are impulsive, inconsiderate, embarrassing, and in several cases, downright dumb. This, however, is not always a negative. Her bad choices indicate vulnerability in her character, showing that despite her staggering power, she’s still just a teenage girl who is prone to mistakes, not to mention she can barely control her gifts. I think it humanizes her and makes her less exasperating than she was in the first book where it almost felt like she could do no wrong.
There are definitely more high points than low points in this novel, though there are still a couple weaknesses I should mention. Despite viewing Masks as YA, I did note that a wider audience can probably appreciate it too, since the nature of the fantasy setting and the characters that E.C. Blake has created sets the book apart. Shadows, however, feels distinctly more YA, if that is a comparison I can make. One example is a not-so-subtle hint of a love triangle which manifests itself into a full-blown LOVE SQUARE within the first 40 pages. It eventually resolves itself, and I won’t spoil how, since that in itself is a pretty interesting side-plot. However, it did bug me a little to see romantic drama worm its way into the picture so soon in the story, when there’s so much else that’s more important in Mara’s life. There are also some very dramatic, very exciting developments in this book, but also large chunks of it that felt drawn out, most of it boiling down to Mara being on the run.
But as you can see, I really enjoyed this for the most part, especially if I’m looking at it as a YA novel. I probably still liked Masks a little more, if I had to compare the two books in the series so far, but Shadows was a worthy sequel and promises to bring even more thrills and delights in the next installment. A 3.5 to 4 star read for me.
I think Masks slipped under a lot of radars last year, and even as someone who read the book, I really had no idea what a strong impression it made on me until the sequel Shadows showed up and I found myself wanting to dive right in. I do remember being struck by the richness of the world and magic, and realized that I was very much looking forward to continuing the story of protagonist Mara Holdfast.
One thing I should mention is that while nothing about these books ostensibly scream Young Adult (at least not on the surface – it’s not really obvious from the cover, not published under a YA imprint, and not mentioned in the description), this really does read like a YA series. It’s more than just the age of the protagonist, who is fifteen years old in Shadows and for most of Masks; thematically and stylistically, the way it was written also made me want to categorize the first book as a YA, and book two only furthered my belief. This is neither good nor bad. However, I just think readers going in should be aware of it since it may affect expectations. I personally chose to view and rate this one as YA.
Last we saw her in Masks, Mara had escaped from the mining camps where the tyrannical Autarch sends all those who are labeled traitors and not fit to be part of society. She ends up back at the system of secret coastal caves where a group of underground rebels calling themselves the unMasked Army have made their home. The rebels’ leader has asked Mara to use her gifts to craft special masks for them, which would hide the user’s intent from the Autarch and his Watchers, but untrained and inexperienced with her magic, Mara is frustrated when her attempts to do so fail.
At the same time, a mysterious young man washes up on shore, claiming to be a scout from Korellia, a city long thought to have been lost, sunk beneath the seas. But Chell is even more than he appears, and though the unmasked Army remain wary of him, they allow him to accompany Mara on a dangerous mission back into the city in the hopes of reaching Mara’s father, the Autarch’s Master Maskmaker, in order to glean information about the secrets of his trade.
Like most second books in a dystopian series, this is the point where the danger and desperation starts to really come to the forefront and can be keenly felt by the reader. The Autarch’s forces continue to close in, pushing Mara and her allies to make riskier decisions, and sometimes those decisions lead to disaster. Mara is already an unstable vessel of magic, trying to learn how to handle her one-of-a-kind powers, and just when the slightest spark can set her abilities off, something akin to a mega-ton explosion happens in her life. It was a twist that was wholly unexpected to me, one that I didn’t think the author would carry through, but in retrospect I shouldn’t really have been that surprised. In both Masks and now in Shadows, the story has taken some pretty dark turns, and the emotional trauma transforms Mara into an uncontrollable element, adding unpredictability to her powers which are already little understood.
Mara also grows as a character, in ways that are more than just about her magic. The fact that she is played up to be the most powerful person in Aygrima is still a bit vexing, but it’s also clear from the events in this book that she is far from perfect. To put it simply, some of the decisions she makes are impulsive, inconsiderate, embarrassing, and in several cases, downright dumb. This, however, is not always a negative. Her bad choices indicate vulnerability in her character, showing that despite her staggering power, she’s still just a teenage girl who is prone to mistakes, not to mention she can barely control her gifts. I think it humanizes her and makes her less exasperating than she was in the first book where it almost felt like she could do no wrong.
There are definitely more high points than low points in this novel, though there are still a couple weaknesses I should mention. Despite viewing Masks as YA, I did note that a wider audience can probably appreciate it too, since the nature of the fantasy setting and the characters that E.C. Blake has created sets the book apart. Shadows, however, feels distinctly more YA, if that is a comparison I can make. One example is a not-so-subtle hint of a love triangle which manifests itself into a full-blown LOVE SQUARE within the first 40 pages. It eventually resolves itself, and I won’t spoil how, since that in itself is a pretty interesting side-plot. However, it did bug me a little to see romantic drama worm its way into the picture so soon in the story, when there’s so much else that’s more important in Mara’s life. There are also some very dramatic, very exciting developments in this book, but also large chunks of it that felt drawn out, most of it boiling down to Mara being on the run.
But as you can see, I really enjoyed this for the most part, especially if I’m looking at it as a YA novel. I probably still liked Masks a little more, if I had to compare the two books in the series so far, but Shadows was a worthy sequel and promises to bring even more thrills and delights in the next installment. A 3.5 to 4 star read for me.
August 1, 2014
This review is also found at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
After another round of ‘what should I read next?’ I picked up Shadows by E.C. Blake. This book is not under a Young Adult imprint, but it’s young adult in my opinion. It’s not that it’s dumbed down in any way, in fact the author doesn’t hold back, but the main character is 15 and for me it reads like a young adult book. Not that adult readers wouldn’t like it because that’s not the case at all. But it’s on the lighter side for fantasy (mostly in size) and it’s much easier to read (a bit less detail). But this book, to me, was EPIC. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. I devoured it in two sittings and thought about it when I slept, or I should say, tried to sleep.
Let’s start with Mara, the main character. Mara is 15 and I was amazed at how well the author balanced this. Think about 15 year old’s and the poor choices they often make, the rash decisions, the high emotion, all of that. Add to that a girl that has power and is stuck in some impossible situations. Mara shouldn’t always make the right choices, how real would that be? But even though she made some poor ones I understood why. I got it. I was frustrated and angry, but that was the way it needed to be. Mara is not unlikable. And she’s not weak at all. She is in a situation that is basically between a rock and hard place. Over and over again. And the way Mara was felt real and right. She felt authentic. And I found myself always rooting for her.
The characters in the book are well fleshed out. Though I felt Keltan was a bit glossed over in this one as there’s a new character in play and he kind of stole the show. Don’t worry, any romantic conflicts are resolved in this book (and they didn’t have time to become anything in the first book) so while there’s some possibility of a love triangle initially it never becomes one.
This is a book where the characters are well done and the world building is fantastic as well. There was a lot more to learn in this book, there’s always more, right? Well it was nice to learn more, to see more and to experience more. Some was good, most was bad, but a lot was all about hope. About finding a way to move forward. Mistakes are made. People die (lots and lots of people die). The author does not hold back with the tough situations. There’s no hold on action or even gore (though the gore pieces are brief and necessary).
This book had me fully emotionally invested and at one point I found myself literally sitting on the edge of my seat, and I was sitting on the couch! It’s an intense ride but very well done and in my opinion this series doesn’t have nearly as much attention as it should have. This is the second book but it’s even better than the first, which is rare! And strangely enough I wasn’t lost at all, I remember the previous book quite well (which is rare since I tend to forget most things).
Raw, powerful, emotional and intense. Shadows is a book that captivated me from page one and had me literally on the edge of my seat. A year until the next book?! It’s going to be a long year, I need it NOW!
After another round of ‘what should I read next?’ I picked up Shadows by E.C. Blake. This book is not under a Young Adult imprint, but it’s young adult in my opinion. It’s not that it’s dumbed down in any way, in fact the author doesn’t hold back, but the main character is 15 and for me it reads like a young adult book. Not that adult readers wouldn’t like it because that’s not the case at all. But it’s on the lighter side for fantasy (mostly in size) and it’s much easier to read (a bit less detail). But this book, to me, was EPIC. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. I devoured it in two sittings and thought about it when I slept, or I should say, tried to sleep.
Let’s start with Mara, the main character. Mara is 15 and I was amazed at how well the author balanced this. Think about 15 year old’s and the poor choices they often make, the rash decisions, the high emotion, all of that. Add to that a girl that has power and is stuck in some impossible situations. Mara shouldn’t always make the right choices, how real would that be? But even though she made some poor ones I understood why. I got it. I was frustrated and angry, but that was the way it needed to be. Mara is not unlikable. And she’s not weak at all. She is in a situation that is basically between a rock and hard place. Over and over again. And the way Mara was felt real and right. She felt authentic. And I found myself always rooting for her.
The characters in the book are well fleshed out. Though I felt Keltan was a bit glossed over in this one as there’s a new character in play and he kind of stole the show. Don’t worry, any romantic conflicts are resolved in this book (and they didn’t have time to become anything in the first book) so while there’s some possibility of a love triangle initially it never becomes one.
This is a book where the characters are well done and the world building is fantastic as well. There was a lot more to learn in this book, there’s always more, right? Well it was nice to learn more, to see more and to experience more. Some was good, most was bad, but a lot was all about hope. About finding a way to move forward. Mistakes are made. People die (lots and lots of people die). The author does not hold back with the tough situations. There’s no hold on action or even gore (though the gore pieces are brief and necessary).
This book had me fully emotionally invested and at one point I found myself literally sitting on the edge of my seat, and I was sitting on the couch! It’s an intense ride but very well done and in my opinion this series doesn’t have nearly as much attention as it should have. This is the second book but it’s even better than the first, which is rare! And strangely enough I wasn’t lost at all, I remember the previous book quite well (which is rare since I tend to forget most things).
Raw, powerful, emotional and intense. Shadows is a book that captivated me from page one and had me literally on the edge of my seat. A year until the next book?! It’s going to be a long year, I need it NOW!
November 10, 2014
Previously published at TheQwillery.com
E.C. Blake provides an excellent sequel in Shadows. We continue Mara Holdfast's journey in discovery of her magical gift and how to properly control it, before it controls her. I still really enjoy this magical system. It's not your basic rainbow spectrum magical system. I found myself thinking about the magical system even when I wasn't reading the book, trying to figure out all the facets it might hold. In general, Blake does a great job of building on the foundations he laid in the first book when it comes to both the magical system and world building. Blake expanded his world by introducing a new island kingdom, Korellia, represented by Chell, and another kingdom, Stonefell, that is only mentioned in conversation, which leaves enough mystery in the world to leave you with questions and wonder.
Mara deepens as a character as we learn more about the struggles she faces in controlling her gift. It becomes more clear the power she can wield is more addictive than she realizes, which is a wonderful allegory for many things any one of us might face in life. We also see her fail and triumph in Shadows, which continues to make her relatable and engaging as a heroine. The love triangle I found a little annoying in the first book began to scare me in this book as it appeared to morph into a love square, but thankfully Blake took care of that in a very real and respectable way.
Some sequels are easier to read as a stand alone novel or a jumping in point book, this is not one of them if you truly want to understand Mara and the world she lives in. Blake does not give a lot of background information about what's happened before. He does mention events and people from the first book, which helps readers remember events if it's been a year since reading the first book, but these references would probably confuse a new reader. As a person who strictly believes in reading a series in proper order, this is not an issue for me.
I had mentioned in the first book's review that I would like to learn more of the villain, sadly I did not learn many new things in Shadows. I feel this is the only real weakness in the book. I understand the less is more approach to a villain, but as a series progresses I want to learn more about them and their motivations to truly fear them. Otherwise, they start feeling like a cut-out villain. This could still be remedied in the third book, by making the villain more prominent or even a POV character.
Blake ends Shadows in one of those perfect 'no, no, no there's got to be one more chapter' moments. You can see Blake planting plenty of seeds for future books in the series beyond book 3. I'm looking forward to going on many more adventures with Mara. There are still several descriptive acts of violence, minor language and minor sexual situations, so I'd recommended it to older teens and adults. Anyone who liked Masks needs to read this book. Fans of realistic heroines will love Mara.
E.C. Blake provides an excellent sequel in Shadows. We continue Mara Holdfast's journey in discovery of her magical gift and how to properly control it, before it controls her. I still really enjoy this magical system. It's not your basic rainbow spectrum magical system. I found myself thinking about the magical system even when I wasn't reading the book, trying to figure out all the facets it might hold. In general, Blake does a great job of building on the foundations he laid in the first book when it comes to both the magical system and world building. Blake expanded his world by introducing a new island kingdom, Korellia, represented by Chell, and another kingdom, Stonefell, that is only mentioned in conversation, which leaves enough mystery in the world to leave you with questions and wonder.
Mara deepens as a character as we learn more about the struggles she faces in controlling her gift. It becomes more clear the power she can wield is more addictive than she realizes, which is a wonderful allegory for many things any one of us might face in life. We also see her fail and triumph in Shadows, which continues to make her relatable and engaging as a heroine. The love triangle I found a little annoying in the first book began to scare me in this book as it appeared to morph into a love square, but thankfully Blake took care of that in a very real and respectable way.
Some sequels are easier to read as a stand alone novel or a jumping in point book, this is not one of them if you truly want to understand Mara and the world she lives in. Blake does not give a lot of background information about what's happened before. He does mention events and people from the first book, which helps readers remember events if it's been a year since reading the first book, but these references would probably confuse a new reader. As a person who strictly believes in reading a series in proper order, this is not an issue for me.
I had mentioned in the first book's review that I would like to learn more of the villain, sadly I did not learn many new things in Shadows. I feel this is the only real weakness in the book. I understand the less is more approach to a villain, but as a series progresses I want to learn more about them and their motivations to truly fear them. Otherwise, they start feeling like a cut-out villain. This could still be remedied in the third book, by making the villain more prominent or even a POV character.
Blake ends Shadows in one of those perfect 'no, no, no there's got to be one more chapter' moments. You can see Blake planting plenty of seeds for future books in the series beyond book 3. I'm looking forward to going on many more adventures with Mara. There are still several descriptive acts of violence, minor language and minor sexual situations, so I'd recommended it to older teens and adults. Anyone who liked Masks needs to read this book. Fans of realistic heroines will love Mara.
August 6, 2014
Mara Holdfast returns in the second novel by E. C. Blake to a frightening past and future. In Masks, she failed on her Mask Day, causing death and having to flee the land where the evil Autarch rules tyrannically over every man, woman and child. Her father, the official Mask-Maker, it seemed, had either not put enough magic in her mask or a bad combination of something; either way she seems very confused about that awful day!
Now she has been rescued by the group called the Unmasked who want her to create those same masks but she needs magic to do so. There are only two sources of this magic, one lying in other people and the other back in her homeland where she cannot go without risking death. For now every mask she makes crumbles upon being touched. The only idea she has left is to sneak into her father’s home and get him to help her so she can create these masks for the people who have saved her life.
This goal is somewhat blocked with the appearance of a boatload of people, with only one survivor who claims to come from a far-away land. He claims he is a leader of their Navy but will only tell the truth to the leader of the Unmasked Community. Mara is attracted to him for sure while her male friends are constantly bickering over her lack of attention due to their insane jealousy.
To say more would be a spoiler – heaven forbid! However, it is to be noted that Mara has the power to take magic from other people but the exertion of that power could and does kill the ones from whom she takes the power. Not a pretty talent to have; add to that that the more she uses this talent the more she wants do it again and again and again – addictive desire indeed!
Mara will meet several very painful disasters and learn so much about herself and other characters before she learns to modify her wants with a realistic motivation and even then will be continuously tempted! Mara is clearly a flawed character but one for whom the reader winds up constantly rooting for! The ending also suggests another sequel might be in the works – hopefully?
This is a work of even greater adventure than Blake’s first novel. Adventure, battles, scenes of devastating power and ruthlessness, mistakes galore, kindness, compassion, love, and so much more fill these pages which will be sure to delight every fan of fantasy, science fiction, adventure, thrillers and mysteries! Well done, indeed, E. C. Blake!
Now she has been rescued by the group called the Unmasked who want her to create those same masks but she needs magic to do so. There are only two sources of this magic, one lying in other people and the other back in her homeland where she cannot go without risking death. For now every mask she makes crumbles upon being touched. The only idea she has left is to sneak into her father’s home and get him to help her so she can create these masks for the people who have saved her life.
This goal is somewhat blocked with the appearance of a boatload of people, with only one survivor who claims to come from a far-away land. He claims he is a leader of their Navy but will only tell the truth to the leader of the Unmasked Community. Mara is attracted to him for sure while her male friends are constantly bickering over her lack of attention due to their insane jealousy.
To say more would be a spoiler – heaven forbid! However, it is to be noted that Mara has the power to take magic from other people but the exertion of that power could and does kill the ones from whom she takes the power. Not a pretty talent to have; add to that that the more she uses this talent the more she wants do it again and again and again – addictive desire indeed!
Mara will meet several very painful disasters and learn so much about herself and other characters before she learns to modify her wants with a realistic motivation and even then will be continuously tempted! Mara is clearly a flawed character but one for whom the reader winds up constantly rooting for! The ending also suggests another sequel might be in the works – hopefully?
This is a work of even greater adventure than Blake’s first novel. Adventure, battles, scenes of devastating power and ruthlessness, mistakes galore, kindness, compassion, love, and so much more fill these pages which will be sure to delight every fan of fantasy, science fiction, adventure, thrillers and mysteries! Well done, indeed, E. C. Blake!
September 2, 2014
This book was enjoyable and a fairly smooth read. As with Masks, Blake caught my attention with a rather inventive magical system. It's funny, but I'd read some of the goodreads reviews for Masks and I felt like some, though not all, complaints about the first book were addressed in Shadows.
In Shadows, we finally see Mara training her magical abilities rather than instinctively using them as other users disliked. The parts devoted to training were useful in further understanding Blake's magical system. We also see the beginnings of loss and betrayal, experiences which are common in life, being introduced into Mara's storyline. I thought this was important in developing her as a character, although the loss was rather contrived and had no emotional pull.
It's a difficult task to write without broadcasting intention, and this seems to be one of the issues within the book. In addition to forecasting deaths, scenes involving the development of Mara's sexuality needed work; it felt very in your face every couple of pages. While the author was trying to stir up the "will they, won't they" kind of tension we see in YA novels, there was too much telling and not enough showing. It didn't remind me of adolescence, nor of young adulthood. It felt like the author was determined to capitalize on the love triangle craze that seems to populate other fantasy novels.
By the end of the book, I felt like Mara was destined to end up with one of three characters. That alone is problematic of course, but the fact that each possibility was cut down matter of factly so that Mara had to "settle" with option 3 was a bit irritating. Though Mara says (in her thoughts) that she is in love/lust with option 3 by the end, the reader doesn't feel it. It felt like she literally chose one of the boys because she had to.
She had her hands down the pants of option 1 days before "falling for" option 3. She stood on the shore and looked to see if she could still have both men, and was rejected in favor of Alita. And then she turns to option 3 and decides she's in love with him? In what universe? I just didn't see the point. So that was a sticking point with me, but to others maybe they were able to suspend belief.
I was not entirely surprised by the ending, but that's not unusual for me. Overall enjoyable enough read. I look forward to book three.
In Shadows, we finally see Mara training her magical abilities rather than instinctively using them as other users disliked. The parts devoted to training were useful in further understanding Blake's magical system. We also see the beginnings of loss and betrayal, experiences which are common in life, being introduced into Mara's storyline. I thought this was important in developing her as a character, although the loss was rather contrived and had no emotional pull.
It's a difficult task to write without broadcasting intention, and this seems to be one of the issues within the book. In addition to forecasting deaths, scenes involving the development of Mara's sexuality needed work; it felt very in your face every couple of pages. While the author was trying to stir up the "will they, won't they" kind of tension we see in YA novels, there was too much telling and not enough showing. It didn't remind me of adolescence, nor of young adulthood. It felt like the author was determined to capitalize on the love triangle craze that seems to populate other fantasy novels.
By the end of the book, I felt like Mara was destined to end up with one of three characters. That alone is problematic of course, but the fact that each possibility was cut down matter of factly so that Mara had to "settle" with option 3 was a bit irritating. Though Mara says (in her thoughts) that she is in love/lust with option 3 by the end, the reader doesn't feel it. It felt like she literally chose one of the boys because she had to.
She had her hands down the pants of option 1 days before "falling for" option 3. She stood on the shore and looked to see if she could still have both men, and was rejected in favor of Alita. And then she turns to option 3 and decides she's in love with him? In what universe? I just didn't see the point. So that was a sticking point with me, but to others maybe they were able to suspend belief.
I was not entirely surprised by the ending, but that's not unusual for me. Overall enjoyable enough read. I look forward to book three.
August 18, 2014
Unlike its predecessor, Shadows had a slow beginning. It wasn't until Chapter 7, about 60+ pages or so, that I found myself really absorbed in the story. This may be to blame on the introduction of a strange young man that Mara discovers along the shore. A lot of the focus in the beginning is on this boy and, of course, Keltan and Hyram's hostility toward him. Since my interest is in Mara and her developing powers, this part of the story line just couldn't hold my attention. But after this little hiccup, the remainder of Shadows was gold.
Once the pace picked up and Mara's visit to her father created a very interesting change of events, I devoured this story. I was hanging on to every word, fascinated by Mara's predicament with the Autarch and the darkness that threatened to consume her. There was plenty of deaths and gore and Mara's life continued to become more complicated.
New alliances were formed, old alliances broken, and the love triangle that began in Masks found a resolution that the majority of readers will be pleased with. It seemed as if I reached the end of the story just as it was truly beginning and I can't wait to see where Mara's journey will take her next.
The Masks of Aygrima's dark magic, powerful young heroine, and group of rebels plotting to overthrow a tyrannical leader make this an addictive series that I would recommend to any fantasy fan.
Once the pace picked up and Mara's visit to her father created a very interesting change of events, I devoured this story. I was hanging on to every word, fascinated by Mara's predicament with the Autarch and the darkness that threatened to consume her. There was plenty of deaths and gore and Mara's life continued to become more complicated.
New alliances were formed, old alliances broken, and the love triangle that began in Masks found a resolution that the majority of readers will be pleased with. It seemed as if I reached the end of the story just as it was truly beginning and I can't wait to see where Mara's journey will take her next.
The Masks of Aygrima's dark magic, powerful young heroine, and group of rebels plotting to overthrow a tyrannical leader make this an addictive series that I would recommend to any fantasy fan.
August 13, 2015
I just finished this book, and it was fantastic. I was very happy to see that my one main complaint about the first book, the overuse of the threat of sexual violence as the main source of tension for the main character, made no appearance here.
Though he confused me a bit at the end, I really do like the new character that was introduced in the book. Especially, I'm thrilled that there was no actual love triangle played out in the narrative with him, or any other character. I hate love triangles in most books because they are so rarely written well, and I was afraid for a bit that the author was going to have one here. I'm glad there wasn't, and what was written in, love interest-wise, was done well.
I spent most of the book continually surprised, as with the last. I was off on almost all of my thoughts about where the book was going (one thing at the end was not much of a surprise, but how it played out definitely was). Looking forward to the next one.
Though he confused me a bit at the end, I really do like the new character that was introduced in the book. Especially, I'm thrilled that there was no actual love triangle played out in the narrative with him, or any other character. I hate love triangles in most books because they are so rarely written well, and I was afraid for a bit that the author was going to have one here. I'm glad there wasn't, and what was written in, love interest-wise, was done well.
I spent most of the book continually surprised, as with the last. I was off on almost all of my thoughts about where the book was going (one thing at the end was not much of a surprise, but how it played out definitely was). Looking forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2016
The Shadows kept me involved from the start of the book. The world building developed gradually, but the author held true to its rules. The characters were interesting and the twist between Mara and Chell I didn't see coming. It was unexpected and interesting in that it kept the story moving, but allowed the character to find the truth of her heart which wasn't Chell. The ending, left the reader wanting more and loop holes to be filled. But over all with writing style and pace kept me involved wanting to read more.
August 1, 2015
Satisfying second installment in the series that began with Masks. Mara continues to be an interesting heroine, with both agency and vulnerability and some very hard choices. I liked how she "leveled up" magic-wise and how the world expanded. While still focussed on Aygrima and the ovethrow of the evil Autarch, we find out about other lands from the new character, Chell, a young man who washes up on the shore and has his own secrets. Some nice plot twists, especially the one at the end.
January 26, 2015
I'm really loving this series and I can't wait to read the third one! Wonderful, and I would love to see this trilogy made into a series of feature films one day! Psst...I'm an Actress...call my agent! ;) Just throwing that out there!
August 12, 2014
Way too short. I eagerly anticipate the third installment.
August 7, 2014
loved it!!
September 6, 2014
Without spoilers, this book suffers the problem of most second books in that it ends I a cliffhanger. But outside of that quibble, I very much enjoyed it. Just read it in one sitting.
April 28, 2015
A really strong sequel. Lots of action, believable plot progression, and I have little choice but to read the next installment when it comes out. Well played, Mr. Blake.
April 21, 2015
An interesting sequel to Masks.
April 14, 2016
Not what I was expecting, but it left me even more firmly hooked than Masks.
December 16, 2014
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Last year, I read Masks and, much to surprise, I really enjoyed it, despite my cover-based skepticism. The world was really interesting and the characters, while young, seemed promising. Now, I’m left doubting my analysis from last year. Were my expectations so low I was easily impressed? Was I drunk? Is book two just worse? I’m not sure if it’s one of these things or maybe all three in tandem, but I was severely disappointed in Shadows.
To start with the good, I still think that the world Blake created is an interesting one. The fact that magic can be drawn either from natural pools or from within people by the strongest magical people is really cool. I think that Blake does a great job with the power dynamics in his story. He even adds in another country in Shadows, one thought destroyed across the sea. The new character, Chell, throws an additional consideration into the heroine’s possibilities and Aygrima’s. The foundation of this series is pretty solid. There’s a lot of promise here.
Up to a point, I was kind of enjoying Shadows. Then this one scene happened. First, though, some backdrop. The heroine, Mara Holdfast, is fifteen years old. She can wield all forms of magic. She could even be the most powerful person in Aygrima, though she lacks the training to actually be that strong. Her potential is massive. Even without training, she’s undoubtedly one of the strongest in the country. That’s a lot of pressure on a fifteen year old. Mara is, for the most part, very convincingly fifteen. She’s naive and, though she tries really hard to help out and come up with good plans, she really just doesn’t. This, on its own, I don’t mind so much. I mean, she was born with this power, but she’s not old or wise enough to know what to do with it yet.
This is who we’re dealing with. The plot of Shadows is set in motion by two events: Chell’s arrival, washed up on the shore, and the fact that Mara cannot make the counterfeit masks for the Unmasked Army. To deal with the latter, Mara decides that the only solution is to visit her father and learn the secret magics needed to complete a mask. As such, an incredibly dangerous trip to the main city is planned with Chell, Keltan (love interest #1) and Edrik (love interest #2’s dad). Unsurprisingly things do not go as planned. The thing is that Mara’s dad just gives her a book on mask-making, which a) I think was completely forgotten about since the Autarch doesn’t ask how she got it and Keltan doesn’t give it back to her, as he would have done later and b) probably could have been stolen from the Maskmaker’s shop where Catilla got the rest of the maskmaking supplies.
There’s your background. Mara’s young and her big plan for the rebels was to go to her dad. Yes, he’s the master maskmaker, but he’s not the ONLY maskmaker and that was a completely unsound plan. Even more unsound was her idea that she could View Spoiler » Mara is a young girl, struggling with a strong urge to use magic and even to kill.
Then there are two scenes basically back to back that threw me for a loop. First, Mara, who has never been kissed, sticks her hand down Chell’s pants and basically begs him to have sex with her. Holy fucking shit. FIFTEEN. He, thank everything that’s bookish, turns her down with the news that he’s 25, not twenty like she thought, and that he is actually married. Right after that uncomfortable embarrassment of a scene, Mara gets into a fight with a magic-wielding Watcher. She takes the magic he throws at her into herself, but all of her clothing burns off in the process, leaving her naked with a bunch of adult men. Reminder: she’s FIFTEEN. Neither of these scenes had to play out that way for plot advancement purposes, and I find the needless sexualization of a fifteen-year-old uncomfortable.
After that, the love triangle between Keltan, Hyram and Mara proceeds to resolve in the most idiotic way possible. Mara suddenly decides (after being rejected by Chell…hmmmm) that she likes Keltan, aka the first one to use the l word. Conveniently, though, Hyram’s got someone else now and he hates her anyway. What a romantic resolution! I have so many feels about this middle grade love triangle. #sarcasm
On top of that, the writing was really annoying. I’m unsure whether Masks had the same drawbacks, but I definitely didn’t like a couple of the stylistic choices. For one thing, dialog tags abound. Though, actually, I should say dialog tag abounds, since it’s really just “said” over and over ad infinitum. There’s also this continuous lame attempt to increase the drama of a moment by ending one paragraph with an ellipsis and then beginning the next with an ellipsis. Check it out yourself:
This does not increase my suspense; it makes me roll my eyes with judgment. Just so you know, this happened quite frequently. In some cases, there were two of these on a page. No. All the no.
Though the ending introduced a new character who might actually be interesting (in a completely telegraphed twist), I just can’t handle anymore of this. I’ll not be back for book three.
Last year, I read Masks and, much to surprise, I really enjoyed it, despite my cover-based skepticism. The world was really interesting and the characters, while young, seemed promising. Now, I’m left doubting my analysis from last year. Were my expectations so low I was easily impressed? Was I drunk? Is book two just worse? I’m not sure if it’s one of these things or maybe all three in tandem, but I was severely disappointed in Shadows.
To start with the good, I still think that the world Blake created is an interesting one. The fact that magic can be drawn either from natural pools or from within people by the strongest magical people is really cool. I think that Blake does a great job with the power dynamics in his story. He even adds in another country in Shadows, one thought destroyed across the sea. The new character, Chell, throws an additional consideration into the heroine’s possibilities and Aygrima’s. The foundation of this series is pretty solid. There’s a lot of promise here.
Up to a point, I was kind of enjoying Shadows. Then this one scene happened. First, though, some backdrop. The heroine, Mara Holdfast, is fifteen years old. She can wield all forms of magic. She could even be the most powerful person in Aygrima, though she lacks the training to actually be that strong. Her potential is massive. Even without training, she’s undoubtedly one of the strongest in the country. That’s a lot of pressure on a fifteen year old. Mara is, for the most part, very convincingly fifteen. She’s naive and, though she tries really hard to help out and come up with good plans, she really just doesn’t. This, on its own, I don’t mind so much. I mean, she was born with this power, but she’s not old or wise enough to know what to do with it yet.
This is who we’re dealing with. The plot of Shadows is set in motion by two events: Chell’s arrival, washed up on the shore, and the fact that Mara cannot make the counterfeit masks for the Unmasked Army. To deal with the latter, Mara decides that the only solution is to visit her father and learn the secret magics needed to complete a mask. As such, an incredibly dangerous trip to the main city is planned with Chell, Keltan (love interest #1) and Edrik (love interest #2’s dad). Unsurprisingly things do not go as planned. The thing is that Mara’s dad just gives her a book on mask-making, which a) I think was completely forgotten about since the Autarch doesn’t ask how she got it and Keltan doesn’t give it back to her, as he would have done later and b) probably could have been stolen from the Maskmaker’s shop where Catilla got the rest of the maskmaking supplies.
There’s your background. Mara’s young and her big plan for the rebels was to go to her dad. Yes, he’s the master maskmaker, but he’s not the ONLY maskmaker and that was a completely unsound plan. Even more unsound was her idea that she could View Spoiler » Mara is a young girl, struggling with a strong urge to use magic and even to kill.
Then there are two scenes basically back to back that threw me for a loop. First, Mara, who has never been kissed, sticks her hand down Chell’s pants and basically begs him to have sex with her. Holy fucking shit. FIFTEEN. He, thank everything that’s bookish, turns her down with the news that he’s 25, not twenty like she thought, and that he is actually married. Right after that uncomfortable embarrassment of a scene, Mara gets into a fight with a magic-wielding Watcher. She takes the magic he throws at her into herself, but all of her clothing burns off in the process, leaving her naked with a bunch of adult men. Reminder: she’s FIFTEEN. Neither of these scenes had to play out that way for plot advancement purposes, and I find the needless sexualization of a fifteen-year-old uncomfortable.
After that, the love triangle between Keltan, Hyram and Mara proceeds to resolve in the most idiotic way possible. Mara suddenly decides (after being rejected by Chell…hmmmm) that she likes Keltan, aka the first one to use the l word. Conveniently, though, Hyram’s got someone else now and he hates her anyway. What a romantic resolution! I have so many feels about this middle grade love triangle. #sarcasm
On top of that, the writing was really annoying. I’m unsure whether Masks had the same drawbacks, but I definitely didn’t like a couple of the stylistic choices. For one thing, dialog tags abound. Though, actually, I should say dialog tag abounds, since it’s really just “said” over and over ad infinitum. There’s also this continuous lame attempt to increase the drama of a moment by ending one paragraph with an ellipsis and then beginning the next with an ellipsis. Check it out yourself:
The red-Masked Watcher thrust out his hands at them. Magic streaked across the water. . .
. . . and Mara, acting on pure reflex, leaped to her feet and called that magic to herself.
This does not increase my suspense; it makes me roll my eyes with judgment. Just so you know, this happened quite frequently. In some cases, there were two of these on a page. No. All the no.
Though the ending introduced a new character who might actually be interesting (in a completely telegraphed twist), I just can’t handle anymore of this. I’ll not be back for book three.
February 28, 2020
I give this 4/5 stars because I feel like it was kind of “predictable”. Like everything you thought could go wrong went wrong. It feel too much thrown together. I felt like there was so much going on all the time. Which it’s not really a bad thing just a lot to take in sometimes. But it DID keep reading and made me not want to put it down. So it did it’s job. I can’t wait to read the next book.
October 7, 2017
the first one was better, too much lovelife involved to get the story going forward but an exiting end.
November 7, 2022
I enjoyed this book more than the second. As I said in my review of the first book, it’s a bit simple but I love the visuals and the world building.
August 6, 2019
This character is very frustrating. I know she is 15 but she seems so stupid.
March 2, 2016
Shadows continues the story of Mara Holdfast, which started in Masks.
Mara's mission of making fake masks for the UnMasked Army is going nowhere, and quickly. During a brief stroll along the beach, she finds a stranded sailor, who she helps. Said sailor turns out to be a man named Chell who comes from a country across the sea - something that the people of Aygrima didn't believe still existed. At any rate, Mara needs to talk to her father and Chell's on a mission, so the two of them, accompanied by Edrik and Keltan, go to the capital, hoping they'd be able to come into contact with Mara's father and learn how to make the Masks.
Shadows starts off pretty slowly, but starts picking up the speed after a few chapters. The story's fairly engaging and works as a good sequel to the previous book. I enjoyed reading it.
My biggest beef isn't with the book, but with the characters in the UnMasked Army. They're a bunch of whiny tools, with a few exceptions.
The ending was a bit on the predictable side, but, if you read the beginning of the first book then you should have seen something of the like coming.
Aside from those little beefs (again, less towards the story itself, and more a wtf at the characters themselves), Shadows a fairly strong second addition to the Masks of Aygrima, and I'm looking forward to Faces.
Mara's mission of making fake masks for the UnMasked Army is going nowhere, and quickly. During a brief stroll along the beach, she finds a stranded sailor, who she helps. Said sailor turns out to be a man named Chell who comes from a country across the sea - something that the people of Aygrima didn't believe still existed. At any rate, Mara needs to talk to her father and Chell's on a mission, so the two of them, accompanied by Edrik and Keltan, go to the capital, hoping they'd be able to come into contact with Mara's father and learn how to make the Masks.
Shadows starts off pretty slowly, but starts picking up the speed after a few chapters. The story's fairly engaging and works as a good sequel to the previous book. I enjoyed reading it.
My biggest beef isn't with the book, but with the characters in the UnMasked Army. They're a bunch of whiny tools, with a few exceptions.
The ending was a bit on the predictable side, but, if you read the beginning of the first book then you should have seen something of the like coming.
Aside from those little beefs (again, less towards the story itself, and more a wtf at the characters themselves), Shadows a fairly strong second addition to the Masks of Aygrima, and I'm looking forward to Faces.
September 21, 2016
3 stars
I thought this book was a pretty good improvement over the last one. There's less the threat of rape and more the threat of magic now, which was a huge problem in the last book as far as creating suspense and tension went. As far as the characters go, Mara is still fantastic at making mistakes, but she is also beginning to discover her powers more in full.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this one, and perhaps the whole series in general, is the largely forced love triangle between Mara, and the two interests.
The new character, Chell, felt like a sudden addition too as well.
But don't fret. This is a good book. I am enjoying the series. The magic system, though I'll argue is almost like a piece of swiss cheese, is intriguing, and interesting. It is believable enough for me to believe that it works, although once in awhile, I'll furrow a brow and say, 'say what now? that happened?'
All in all, an exciting read with a couple major gripes. I'll definitely be reading on to see how this series concludes.
I thought this book was a pretty good improvement over the last one. There's less the threat of rape and more the threat of magic now, which was a huge problem in the last book as far as creating suspense and tension went. As far as the characters go, Mara is still fantastic at making mistakes, but she is also beginning to discover her powers more in full.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this one, and perhaps the whole series in general, is the largely forced love triangle between Mara, and the two interests.
The new character, Chell, felt like a sudden addition too as well.
But don't fret. This is a good book. I am enjoying the series. The magic system, though I'll argue is almost like a piece of swiss cheese, is intriguing, and interesting. It is believable enough for me to believe that it works, although once in awhile, I'll furrow a brow and say, 'say what now? that happened?'
All in all, an exciting read with a couple major gripes. I'll definitely be reading on to see how this series concludes.
January 13, 2017
For more reviews, visit 100 Story Reviews.
The sequel to Masks isn’t quite as strong as its predecessor, but E.C. Blake’s Shadows is a captivating read nonetheless.
The world building in the second book is just as powerful as the first, as we learn more about the Autarchy and the world outside it. The magic system — already interesting in the first book with its almost class-based system of specific types and colors of magic — deepens as Mara learns more about her powers, which are surprisingly similar to the Autarch’s. The destructiveness of her abilities leaves a clear mark on her character. Yet this is just a small part of Shadows’ powerful characterization. Blake foils his characters extensively, adding plenty of development and conflict without coming across as gimmicky. This gives the series a strong sense of progression that will no doubt make the conclusion to the trilogy, Faces, that much more powerful.
There are certainly missteps, however. The protagonists make some questionable choices. Their desperate actions can be blamed on their desperate situation, but it is odd to see the wiser members of the UnMasked Army being so risky. Blake also has a tendency to repeat too much in his writing. Repetition helps in sequels, as far as reestablishing plot points and reintroducing characters, but there are times when Blake overdoes this. Still, these minor flaws aren’t enough to stop me from seeing where Blake’s unexpected story arc and his well-crafted characters take us in book three.
Read the full review at 100 Story Reviews.
The sequel to Masks isn’t quite as strong as its predecessor, but E.C. Blake’s Shadows is a captivating read nonetheless.
The world building in the second book is just as powerful as the first, as we learn more about the Autarchy and the world outside it. The magic system — already interesting in the first book with its almost class-based system of specific types and colors of magic — deepens as Mara learns more about her powers, which are surprisingly similar to the Autarch’s. The destructiveness of her abilities leaves a clear mark on her character. Yet this is just a small part of Shadows’ powerful characterization. Blake foils his characters extensively, adding plenty of development and conflict without coming across as gimmicky. This gives the series a strong sense of progression that will no doubt make the conclusion to the trilogy, Faces, that much more powerful.
There are certainly missteps, however. The protagonists make some questionable choices. Their desperate actions can be blamed on their desperate situation, but it is odd to see the wiser members of the UnMasked Army being so risky. Blake also has a tendency to repeat too much in his writing. Repetition helps in sequels, as far as reestablishing plot points and reintroducing characters, but there are times when Blake overdoes this. Still, these minor flaws aren’t enough to stop me from seeing where Blake’s unexpected story arc and his well-crafted characters take us in book three.
Read the full review at 100 Story Reviews.
June 12, 2015
Let me say that this was a good book and a fun summer read but I must admit the only problem is the nuisances of the main character caused me to stop reading during several portions since I got so frustrated I ended up cleaning my bathroom to vent frustrations. (The bathroom only gets a through, deep cleaning when I'm severely irritated if that tells you something). If it tells you anything I started cheering when the main character gets the shit knocked out of her by a soldier that tells you how frustrating and nerve grating she can become. In the first novel I was outraged by people's apathetic nature when it came to hurting a young teenager. The second novel I was not quite as forgiving since half of the problems are caused because she's a complete dunce and doesn't think her decisions through thoroughly and age is no longer an excuse here. Some of the side characters are Mara's age and act far more mature than our leading lady. Also, someone buy Chell a drink for me because anytime he put the princess brat in her place I wanted to do a back flip. Sadly I'm liking the crazed version of Mara with her hysterical laughter a far more interesting read than Mara sitting in bathtubs wondering about what tonguing someone will feel like. (Your best friends could be getting tortured and that's where your mind travels dumbass?)
Please have more batshit insane Mara next book instead of princess brat because I can't take it anymore.
Please have more batshit insane Mara next book instead of princess brat because I can't take it anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2016
Shadows is a solid follow-up to E.C. Blake's Masks, continuing the story of Mara -- a teen with uniquely strong magical powers which everyone seems to want to use for their own purposes. My favourite part about this book is the push and pull of good versus evil happening within Mara throughout the novel. Will she become a magic addict who kills to fulfil her needs? All bad guys were children once, too, and they might not have started off so bad. It isn't really a spoiler to say she hasn't landed firmly on either side by the end of the novel, so I look forward to reading the conclusion to the series next to find out what happens.
July 14, 2016
I just can't get into it, but I know it's completely because of my age. The story is very intriguing to me, but it's just way below my reading level, which makes it really hard for my interest to last while I'm reading it. I find myself skimming. I wish this was around when I was younger! I would have loved it in middle school. I might just look up a synopsis for the last book, because I want to know what happens but don't know if I'll be able to make myself get through it.
September 3, 2019
I started this book right after the last. I was hoping for a change, but I got about the same as the last book. More political plot lines, an anti climatic story with little to keep me reading, and another failed romance. The romance fell flat. So flat that I rolled my eyes when it initiated near the end of the story. I will finish the series for closure, but I'm hoping that it's better than the rest of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2015
Although this is an easy read, it reads more like a young adult novel primarily because the protagonist is 15 yrs old and is just learning about her likes and desires. The characters are good and the plot is fast paced and keeps one's interest.
August 6, 2015
Amazing series, I truly love the characters.
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