King of Masks

Queen of Faces #2

by Petra Lord

Anabelle Gage emerged from the ashes of Paragon Academy having done the impossible—slaying the infamous Black Wraith, and stealing her body. As Caimor and Shenten race toward all-out war, Ana will risk everything to save her loved ones caught in the crossfire. Her friend Korin has been imprisoned by a vicious Shenti warlord, and only has days to live. To save him from execution, Ana and her allies must cross rising seas and withstand enemies on all sides.

Across the ocean, Nell Ebbridge is reunited with her father, Caimor's ruthless king, and find herself torn between her duty and her feelings for Ana. As she draws closer to dark truths, Nell must decide who she is willing to become—and who she is willing to sacrifice.

Krakens prowl the seas and ancient horrors stir beneath the waves. As armies clash and loyalties fracture, Ana and Nell are set on a devastating collision course.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dark Academia, Queer, LGBT, Fiction, Romance

432 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 26, 2027

Reviews

[Ashra]

ohhhhh yes i want to read

[labibliofille]

When THEY asked ME to read this early copy of King of Masks you bet your butt I screamed and hopped on the opportunity IMMEDIATELY!! I can't wait!!!!

[ReadingOceanside]

An explosive sequel with heart-pounding tension and loyalties that twist as unexpectedly as the magic. There are devastating secrets unmasked, allegiances tested, and a war stoked into a ravaging flame as the threat of rising tides looms ever closer.

I adore this series. It’s one of my favourite that I’ve read in a long time. I was so invested after the incredible writing of book 1, and care for these characters as if they were real-life friends.

Petra did such a good job of gradually building the relationship between Wes and Ana in book 1 that their dynamic in this book hurts excruciatingly more; their anakin and obi-won rivalry and final face-off was devastating. The whole book you are desperate for them to be back together and then dealt the earth-shattering card of them being on different sides of a deadly war…It hurt that Ana and Wes were separated for most of this book, (I LOVED their dynamic in book 1!) and I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL BOOK 3 DROPS AND THEY CAN FINALLY BE IN THE SAME ROOM AGAIN !!! That last chapter with them interacting made my heart ache. There’s so much trust to rebuild again now. I mean, Wes literally tried to kill Ana, it made me absolutely sob to see them reach that point. Even if they hate each other now, at least they will be forced to talk ?:( I am praying for sweet moments again in book 3, I miss their snark and hilarity.

Something that really struck me with this sequel is how excellently Petra portrayed the way in which someone can become radicalised in an extremist view; often not even because they agree with the leader’s views, but because the crumbs of pride and recognition they receive in return for carrying out their leader’s orders sates their affection-starved mind. It’s important as a society that we recognise the vulnerability of loneliness, and how it can make it easier for someone to be indoctrinated and manipulated. This feels incredibly relevant in the current social and political climate.

Oh Wes:( Seeing a trans character forced to be in a body they aren’t comfortable in, to please their family, made me hurt. Just like in the first book, it was blatantly obvious that there is no love in Wes’ family. It was more important to his mum that Wes upholds a fake image, than for him to be happy. And then for him to find out his one anchor of support in his fiancé was also a manipulation by his family.. the rage I felt on behalf of him and was glad he killed his fiancé and mum.

Petra continues to portray the cruelty of imperialism and colonialism with heart-wrenching rawness. When the oppressor writes the story, how do we get a truthful account of the atrocities they have committed, when they will always write themselves in a favourable light? The Babel curse is horrific; that someone chose to delete an entire nation of people’s language is a cruelty I cannot fathom. The fact they couldn’t even think or speak. As humans our communication is VITAL, and to take that from someone is unthinkable. It reminded me of times in history when certain (white) countries have tried to eradicate entire religions, people, and queer stories. Adding to this was the way Carriwitch used his power throughout their takeover to make groups of the opposition blind themselves and perform in ways meant to embarrass them. Humiliation has been a tool used by oppressors for centuries and an inhumane way to treat people they consider lesser.

The Dark Elders are something from a horror novel! I was so impressed by the descriptions (that made me grimace and want to cover my eyes!). Their parasitic nature and ability to hide from the host was intriguing, and far scarier than if they had been traditional monsters. As a horror enjoyer I really liked what they added to the story, although I imagine they may be too gruesome and dark for some readers. My heart broke for Jun and it physically HURT when Nima helped him realise what he is. My god I sobbed. Poor Jun and poor Nima. I really hope they can find eachother and find peace in book 3:(

Ana had wonderful character development in this book. You should have seen the way I cheered out loud when Ana triple bluffed and even tricked Wes, who knows how her brain strategises. Ana’s cleverness continues to prevail and crown her as one of the most tactical, badass and likeable protagonists, who you genuinely root for and are continuously surprised by.

I think this did what middle books should, with some questions answered, but many more raised. I continue to love this series and am DESPERATE for book three! It has taken me a few weeks to write this review since finishing the book, mostly because I needed to sit with the groundbreaking way that it ended! I will continue to recommend this book to my friends on booksta and my customers in the bookshop! This series means a lot to me, and I continue to feel proud and hopeful that such a queer, trans fantasy is taking the book world by storm <3

[Nancy]

I feel like there's not much I can say lest I risk spoilers--and you most certainly do not want to be spoiled for this book. It's chocked full of twists and turns, tension and action. Our morally grey characters continue to make morally grey choices; they are all a mess and it's a great. The plot moves forward, the world expands, and we're definitely in the dark middle chapter of this story. (The question is whether there will be any light at the end of the tunnel?) I loved this book, but also: I hate it here. And the wait for the finale is going to be excruciating. ARC provided by NetGalley.