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Game of Secrets
Felicity Cole sells flowers in the streets of Victorian London to feed herself and her young brother. But she has a close-guarded secret--her brother is a Tainted, born with special abilities that society fears and a shadowy organization called the Hunstsman scours the country to eliminate. When Felicity becomes the target of one of these individuals, she discovers something horrible: she's Tainted, too.
Rescued by a mysterious gentleman on the eve of execution, she's whisked away to a school funded by Queen Victoria, established to train selected Tainted into assassins in service of the crown.
Struggling to harness her incredible strength, speed, and agility, and despised by her classmates, all she wants is to use her new position to find a cure so she can be normal and reunited with her brother.
But with the Golden Jubilee fast approaching and the discovery that there's a traitor in their midst, she has no choice but to embrace the one thing she's been fighting all along.
Rescued by a mysterious gentleman on the eve of execution, she's whisked away to a school funded by Queen Victoria, established to train selected Tainted into assassins in service of the crown.
Struggling to harness her incredible strength, speed, and agility, and despised by her classmates, all she wants is to use her new position to find a cure so she can be normal and reunited with her brother.
But with the Golden Jubilee fast approaching and the discovery that there's a traitor in their midst, she has no choice but to embrace the one thing she's been fighting all along.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2018
23 people are currently reading
1724 people want to read
About the author
Kim Foster
4 books292 followersKim Foster writes YA and adult books about thieves, spies, and assassins. Her YA debut GAME OF SECRETS will be out in Fall 2017 and is a historical fantasy—a spy thriller set in an alternate Victorian world. Prior to becoming a writer, Kim went to medical school and practiced as a family doctor (don’t worry; it doesn’t make much sense to her friends and family, either).
Kim lives with her husband and their two young sons in Victoria, BC, where she’s hard at work on her next book.
Kim's Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/AuthorKimFoster
Kim lives with her husband and their two young sons in Victoria, BC, where she’s hard at work on her next book.
Kim's Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/AuthorKimFoster
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
May 8, 2018
I usually start my reviews by a quote I liked from the book, well I didn't find anything spectacular here so I won't put a quote this time! That does not mean that it has a bad writing style, but it was just mediocre?!
I like fantasy and fiction standalones because there are not many of them and because I don't want to engage into a whole series every single time I read this genre -and I read it a lot since it is my favorite- and when I read the synopsis I was not very intrigued but I downloaded an ARC anyway because I wanted to give the author a chance (she's a doctor <3).
Then I started reading this and I felt like I have read this many times before, it was like a mix of X-men (They literally say to the new recruit let's go and meet the professor!!!!) and Kingsman: the secret service. I decided to push through this hoping it will deliver something new but I expected like 99% of this.
Those expectations are due to the fact that this is like every single YA novel: an annoying heroine who does not know she has powers, she suddenly develops power, she can't control them, she learns to, she becomes powerful.... etc
So in short: this was not a bad book as much as it was redundant, if you are new to the genre then this could work for you because it is light and a standalone which is pretty good, but if you read a lot of fantasy then you may want to skip this!
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I like fantasy and fiction standalones because there are not many of them and because I don't want to engage into a whole series every single time I read this genre -and I read it a lot since it is my favorite- and when I read the synopsis I was not very intrigued but I downloaded an ARC anyway because I wanted to give the author a chance (she's a doctor <3).
Then I started reading this and I felt like I have read this many times before, it was like a mix of X-men (They literally say to the new recruit let's go and meet the professor!!!!) and Kingsman: the secret service. I decided to push through this hoping it will deliver something new but I expected like 99% of this.
Those expectations are due to the fact that this is like every single YA novel: an annoying heroine who does not know she has powers, she suddenly develops power, she can't control them, she learns to, she becomes powerful.... etc
So in short: this was not a bad book as much as it was redundant, if you are new to the genre then this could work for you because it is light and a standalone which is pretty good, but if you read a lot of fantasy then you may want to skip this!
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2018
**2.5 but rounding up**
This book is a bit of a wonder in large part because it stays pretty one note but there’s enough there that I could see it doing better in later books, the only question is whether or not they’ll be more.
‘Game of Secrets’ follows orphan Felicity Cole, a street vender hoping to make enough money to support herself and her kid brother when unknown enemies rip her life apart and while sitting in a jail cell waiting on a death sentence she is offered a unique opportunity to join an elite academy to harness her talents and protect the Queen, but when the desire to be normal outweighs the opportunity to serve, she is forced to make a decision to accept who she truly is and learn the secrets of her past or to abandon those in her new circle to go back to the life she had before, that is if it’s still there at all.
There’s a lot of this book I enjoyed mostly the little snippets of other famous works as headings for the chapters that gave a bit of a teaser for the general mood and movement of the plot within those pages. The main character was pretty much what was to be expected for a girl thrown into a new life after everything she knows gets ripped away but she was street smart which I liked especially when she was thrown into a room with people very different from herself.
The reveal of the powers themselves were a bit disappointing but I might have Disney to blame for that and because of the title they gave themselves my mind when to Merlin when in actuality I guess I should have been thinking Milo. Also the antagonist was a bit anticlimactic because while there were moments leading up to the twist it wasn’t done in a way to make me remember them enough to have the betrayal hold the weight it needed to really sell it.
The ending though has me confused and I think that was done nicely if there is to be more books because I’d very much like to know the answer even if the book as a whole was just okay.
With a bit of a Victorian Era ‘Kingsman’ and a dash of magic mixed in this book has the potential to really be something great if given the opportunity to work out the kinks and lean into what was done well now that a majority of the exposition is done and I look forward to seeing if that’s an option!
**special thanks to the publishers and edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
This book is a bit of a wonder in large part because it stays pretty one note but there’s enough there that I could see it doing better in later books, the only question is whether or not they’ll be more.
‘Game of Secrets’ follows orphan Felicity Cole, a street vender hoping to make enough money to support herself and her kid brother when unknown enemies rip her life apart and while sitting in a jail cell waiting on a death sentence she is offered a unique opportunity to join an elite academy to harness her talents and protect the Queen, but when the desire to be normal outweighs the opportunity to serve, she is forced to make a decision to accept who she truly is and learn the secrets of her past or to abandon those in her new circle to go back to the life she had before, that is if it’s still there at all.
There’s a lot of this book I enjoyed mostly the little snippets of other famous works as headings for the chapters that gave a bit of a teaser for the general mood and movement of the plot within those pages. The main character was pretty much what was to be expected for a girl thrown into a new life after everything she knows gets ripped away but she was street smart which I liked especially when she was thrown into a room with people very different from herself.
The reveal of the powers themselves were a bit disappointing but I might have Disney to blame for that and because of the title they gave themselves my mind when to Merlin when in actuality I guess I should have been thinking Milo. Also the antagonist was a bit anticlimactic because while there were moments leading up to the twist it wasn’t done in a way to make me remember them enough to have the betrayal hold the weight it needed to really sell it.
The ending though has me confused and I think that was done nicely if there is to be more books because I’d very much like to know the answer even if the book as a whole was just okay.
With a bit of a Victorian Era ‘Kingsman’ and a dash of magic mixed in this book has the potential to really be something great if given the opportunity to work out the kinks and lean into what was done well now that a majority of the exposition is done and I look forward to seeing if that’s an option!
**special thanks to the publishers and edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
June 18, 2018
You can also find my review herehttps://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Game of Secrets was great. It was a book that combined some of my favorite topics to read about; spies and supernatural abilities. It was incredibly fast-paced and the plot was interesting. By the time I had reached the fourth chapter I was absolutely hooked. I tore through this action packed novel within 24 hours.
The pacing of the novel kept me turning the pages as the action rarely let up through the course of the book. I love fast paced books like this. I expected this to be a slow historical fiction book with spies, but it was so much more than that. For some reason I didn't expect this to be that good, but quickly after picking it up I realized that I misjudged this book.
It does lack a bit on character development. Well I did like all of the characters, I didn't feel overly attached to any of them. The relationships between them felt surface-level. Since I didn't feel overly attached to any of the characters I didn't find myself becoming emotionally invested in the book.
The other thing that could've been better was that I didn't feel like the intensity rose in correlation with the big moments of the story. It just kind of felt level all the way through. There was a big plot twist that I totally didn't see coming, that I think could have been done better. It could have been emotionally heart-wrenching moment, but it wasn't.
Overall I did really enjoy reading this book. It went really fast and it was certainly a good page turner. I didn't know that there would be characters with supernatural abilities, which is probably a big part of the reason that I didn't have high expectations. I guess I forgot what the book was about by the time that I actually picked it up. That was a nice little surprise for me, because I love anything fantasy. This is the first novel that I've ever read by Kim Foster, but I would definitely come back for more of her books.
I received an advanced review copy from Edelweiss and Sky Pony Press.
Game of Secrets was great. It was a book that combined some of my favorite topics to read about; spies and supernatural abilities. It was incredibly fast-paced and the plot was interesting. By the time I had reached the fourth chapter I was absolutely hooked. I tore through this action packed novel within 24 hours.
The pacing of the novel kept me turning the pages as the action rarely let up through the course of the book. I love fast paced books like this. I expected this to be a slow historical fiction book with spies, but it was so much more than that. For some reason I didn't expect this to be that good, but quickly after picking it up I realized that I misjudged this book.
It does lack a bit on character development. Well I did like all of the characters, I didn't feel overly attached to any of them. The relationships between them felt surface-level. Since I didn't feel overly attached to any of the characters I didn't find myself becoming emotionally invested in the book.
The other thing that could've been better was that I didn't feel like the intensity rose in correlation with the big moments of the story. It just kind of felt level all the way through. There was a big plot twist that I totally didn't see coming, that I think could have been done better. It could have been emotionally heart-wrenching moment, but it wasn't.
Overall I did really enjoy reading this book. It went really fast and it was certainly a good page turner. I didn't know that there would be characters with supernatural abilities, which is probably a big part of the reason that I didn't have high expectations. I guess I forgot what the book was about by the time that I actually picked it up. That was a nice little surprise for me, because I love anything fantasy. This is the first novel that I've ever read by Kim Foster, but I would definitely come back for more of her books.
I received an advanced review copy from Edelweiss and Sky Pony Press.
October 14, 2018
Historical fantasies are a sleeper genre for me--I don't read many, but when I do, they hit the mark. GAME OF SECRETS was a lighter sort of dark (if that makes sense haha) with violence of the PG-13 variety. The first half of the book felt a little rushed, and I wish the world building in regards to the powers had been fleshed out more. During the last hundred pages or so, I had to keep putting the book down to tend to adult responsibilities and it made me quite stabby because so much was happening! Talk about reveal-central! Several major twists went down, and I do love when I don't see things coming.
Overall, I think GAME OF SECRETS would be an excellent read for younger fans of YA, but even as an adult, I'll for sure be reading more (if there are--series potential is certainly possible).
Big thanks to Thomas Allen & Son for a finished copy!
Overall, I think GAME OF SECRETS would be an excellent read for younger fans of YA, but even as an adult, I'll for sure be reading more (if there are--series potential is certainly possible).
Big thanks to Thomas Allen & Son for a finished copy!
September 12, 2023
3/5
Date Reviewed: 8 September 2018
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
There was something that grabbed my attention about Game of Secrets. I always like a story that involves superpowers, but I think was more drawn to the idea of some secret organization involving those only with the abilities. Enter Felicity Cole and her brother. During one ordinary day, Felicity finds herself caught in some unwanted attention and discovers that she has some ability, officially making her a Tainted, just like her brother. They’re rescued and taken to some top-secret organization that works for the Queen Victoria.
My first thought was Kingsman. Kingsman is a comic that depicts a secret organization of spies and the like. If you heard of Kingsman, chances are that you know of the movie. The movies are filled with action scenes and cool props and weaponry and interesting details. (It’s a cool movie, especially the sequel, The Golden Circle. You should definitely check it out.) The second thought I had was of the X-Men, which I am sure that everyone has heard off. Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey are some of the members of the team. When you mix X-Men and Kingsman together, it sounds like a super cool idea to have a book about, right? Some may say this could describe Game of Secrets.
I would agree with having Kingsman crossed with X-Men would be a super cool idea. However, Game of Secrets fell short of that. I am not even sure if it could be the proper comparison. Game of Secrets is a good debut for the YA genre and it follows a typical YA story as well. It has the common feeling throughout most YA genre stories. I am not saying to avoid this at all. It deserves a chance. However, just don’t expect much anything new in the story.
I do have to admit that I was really interested during the beginning. There was something that was grabbing my attention. I really thought this was going to be something worth raving about. Instead, I started to get a little less interested in the story by the chapters. It was still enjoyable enough to read through the end, but I only wondered when I was going to see something new, or something interesting again. I don’t know if this is a series or not. I haven’t seen anything yet. Therefore, I am choosing to believe this is a just a stand-alone. If it ever becomes a series, there is need for a something new.
There is one other thing I also have to admit. I really liked one of the twists the story pulled on me towards the end. It wasn’t anything shocking or completely revealing, but I did not see it coming. I thought it was interesting twist. The twist did show that some hard work did, in fact, go into the story.
Game of Secrets is a good debut, but clearly shows the need of more work. It has the right plot and details, but both needed more emphasis and effort. Is the book bad? No, not at all. Is it worth reading? I would say so if you are a major fan of spies and super powers. If you’re looking for something new, perhaps try this book at a later time.
Date Reviewed: 8 September 2018
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
There was something that grabbed my attention about Game of Secrets. I always like a story that involves superpowers, but I think was more drawn to the idea of some secret organization involving those only with the abilities. Enter Felicity Cole and her brother. During one ordinary day, Felicity finds herself caught in some unwanted attention and discovers that she has some ability, officially making her a Tainted, just like her brother. They’re rescued and taken to some top-secret organization that works for the Queen Victoria.
My first thought was Kingsman. Kingsman is a comic that depicts a secret organization of spies and the like. If you heard of Kingsman, chances are that you know of the movie. The movies are filled with action scenes and cool props and weaponry and interesting details. (It’s a cool movie, especially the sequel, The Golden Circle. You should definitely check it out.) The second thought I had was of the X-Men, which I am sure that everyone has heard off. Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey are some of the members of the team. When you mix X-Men and Kingsman together, it sounds like a super cool idea to have a book about, right? Some may say this could describe Game of Secrets.
I would agree with having Kingsman crossed with X-Men would be a super cool idea. However, Game of Secrets fell short of that. I am not even sure if it could be the proper comparison. Game of Secrets is a good debut for the YA genre and it follows a typical YA story as well. It has the common feeling throughout most YA genre stories. I am not saying to avoid this at all. It deserves a chance. However, just don’t expect much anything new in the story.
I do have to admit that I was really interested during the beginning. There was something that was grabbing my attention. I really thought this was going to be something worth raving about. Instead, I started to get a little less interested in the story by the chapters. It was still enjoyable enough to read through the end, but I only wondered when I was going to see something new, or something interesting again. I don’t know if this is a series or not. I haven’t seen anything yet. Therefore, I am choosing to believe this is a just a stand-alone. If it ever becomes a series, there is need for a something new.
There is one other thing I also have to admit. I really liked one of the twists the story pulled on me towards the end. It wasn’t anything shocking or completely revealing, but I did not see it coming. I thought it was interesting twist. The twist did show that some hard work did, in fact, go into the story.
Game of Secrets is a good debut, but clearly shows the need of more work. It has the right plot and details, but both needed more emphasis and effort. Is the book bad? No, not at all. Is it worth reading? I would say so if you are a major fan of spies and super powers. If you’re looking for something new, perhaps try this book at a later time.
July 12, 2018
I have a lot of feels going on inside of me over this book. My emotions are running wild and I am not exactly sure if I loved this book or just thought it was okay?? Hence the 4 star rating, I figured somewhere in between was good:)
Felicity (love the name BTW) lives in a world where some folks have special abilities and they are called "tainted". You do not want to be tainted because it is very much frowned upon and most of the time you are given a good hanging in towns square just for being different. In a horrible turn of events, Felicity finds out that she is a tainted and gets taken to a special school for tainted where they teach you how to become a spy/assassin. Sounds pretty cool right?
The premise of the book sounds awesome! And the plot was super awesome but I could not handle our little female heroin, Felicity. She kept putting herself in harms way and getting into trouble without a thought or care about anyone else involved. To me, she seemed very selfish. Honestly, there were quite a few times while reading that I literally rolled my eyes and thought to myself, here we go again. *double eye roll*
I really liked Kit for the short period of time that we knew him. He seemed like he had it all figured out and knew exactly whom he was and didn't back down for what he believed in. Not quite sure about Julian. He seems sweet enough but I felt that we really couldn't get a read on him since there was so much else going on and Felicity was always out on a rampage somewhere needing to be saved. And no, there is not a love triangle. Just two boys that happened to touch Felicity's heart.
The shocker of an ending I DID NOT SEE COMING!! That was a complete surprise and it actually made my heart skip a beat! That may have been only one of 2 times that I felt for Felicity, the first being in the beginning with Kit and the second being when she learns of Nate.
I am not sure if this is going to be a series. I feel that it could definitely be since the bad guys are still out there and Felicity has a lot more to learn! I only hope that if it is...I get to see her mature over time and that would make me super happy!!!
Felicity (love the name BTW) lives in a world where some folks have special abilities and they are called "tainted". You do not want to be tainted because it is very much frowned upon and most of the time you are given a good hanging in towns square just for being different. In a horrible turn of events, Felicity finds out that she is a tainted and gets taken to a special school for tainted where they teach you how to become a spy/assassin. Sounds pretty cool right?
The premise of the book sounds awesome! And the plot was super awesome but I could not handle our little female heroin, Felicity. She kept putting herself in harms way and getting into trouble without a thought or care about anyone else involved. To me, she seemed very selfish. Honestly, there were quite a few times while reading that I literally rolled my eyes and thought to myself, here we go again. *double eye roll*
I really liked Kit for the short period of time that we knew him. He seemed like he had it all figured out and knew exactly whom he was and didn't back down for what he believed in. Not quite sure about Julian. He seems sweet enough but I felt that we really couldn't get a read on him since there was so much else going on and Felicity was always out on a rampage somewhere needing to be saved. And no, there is not a love triangle. Just two boys that happened to touch Felicity's heart.
The shocker of an ending I DID NOT SEE COMING!! That was a complete surprise and it actually made my heart skip a beat! That may have been only one of 2 times that I felt for Felicity, the first being in the beginning with Kit and the second being when she learns of Nate.
I am not sure if this is going to be a series. I feel that it could definitely be since the bad guys are still out there and Felicity has a lot more to learn! I only hope that if it is...I get to see her mature over time and that would make me super happy!!!
May 7, 2018
Felicity lives in fear that the Peelers will discover her younger brother is Tainted and he will be ripped away from her. With both parents dead, she takes care of her brother by selling flowers in London's market. One day a carriage appears with two menacing men taking pictures of the poor residents trying to sell food, remedies, and items for their own survival. A brawl erupts between these men and her boyfriend/best friend Kit that results in Kit shot dead. Unbeknownst to her, Felicity discovers she is also Tainted when she channels her anger into attacking the two assailants, injuring one and killing another. She is hauled off to prison and next in line to be hanged when a mysterious man appears and offers her a way out. All she has to do is trust him and venture to Greybourne Academy where she will learn to harness her ability among other Tainted students.
This is an intriguing and fresh addition to the YA industry. I enjoyed the story and didn't predict the two big reveals (halfway point I think and then the end). Regardless, there were still a few issues. The instant love between Julian and Felicity was absurd. They barely exchange words and interact and by the 60% mark they have their first kiss. From there Julian pretty much ignores her and then they kiss again towards the end. This story would have been stronger without a romance factor that way it would have solely focused on teamwork between top ranking agents at Greybourne, especially since the factor is teamwork is stressed so much.
Another issue regards Felicity's lack of intelligence. Every time she sneaks away from Greybourne she is attacked by the Huntsmen (they abhor and hunt Tainted) and Julian (and sometimes classmates) always end up saving her. You would think after the fourth time she would learn her lesson about sneaking off but she never does, and the Huntsmen always find her. On one of her excursions she stupidly gives out the password to a professor that she meets so he can venture into Greybourne whenever he pleases to give Felicity insight about a proposed cure. And of course he is followed by Huntsmen and Greybourne is breached.
The final issue regards Felicity's abilities. She taps into her powers once during the fight at the beginning, and then a tiny bit when she first meets Julian. She cannot harness it after that point and regularly gets beat up during sparring lessons with her classmates. About halfway through the book Julian takes her aside in attempt to help her out. She grasps onto her a power enough to barely lift up a huge potted plant, and then suddenly in the next chapter she is attacks a student during a sparing match and knocks him out. The point is, there isn't any practice of using her power. She goes from not knowing how to use it, to barely picking up a plant, to all of a sudden lethal.
Game of Secrets is a mixture of Divergent, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight so fans of those will definitely enjoy this one.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss.
This is an intriguing and fresh addition to the YA industry. I enjoyed the story and didn't predict the two big reveals (halfway point I think and then the end). Regardless, there were still a few issues. The instant love between Julian and Felicity was absurd. They barely exchange words and interact and by the 60% mark they have their first kiss. From there Julian pretty much ignores her and then they kiss again towards the end. This story would have been stronger without a romance factor that way it would have solely focused on teamwork between top ranking agents at Greybourne, especially since the factor is teamwork is stressed so much.
Another issue regards Felicity's lack of intelligence. Every time she sneaks away from Greybourne she is attacked by the Huntsmen (they abhor and hunt Tainted) and Julian (and sometimes classmates) always end up saving her. You would think after the fourth time she would learn her lesson about sneaking off but she never does, and the Huntsmen always find her. On one of her excursions she stupidly gives out the password to a professor that she meets so he can venture into Greybourne whenever he pleases to give Felicity insight about a proposed cure. And of course he is followed by Huntsmen and Greybourne is breached.
The final issue regards Felicity's abilities. She taps into her powers once during the fight at the beginning, and then a tiny bit when she first meets Julian. She cannot harness it after that point and regularly gets beat up during sparring lessons with her classmates. About halfway through the book Julian takes her aside in attempt to help her out. She grasps onto her a power enough to barely lift up a huge potted plant, and then suddenly in the next chapter she is attacks a student during a sparing match and knocks him out. The point is, there isn't any practice of using her power. She goes from not knowing how to use it, to barely picking up a plant, to all of a sudden lethal.
Game of Secrets is a mixture of Divergent, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight so fans of those will definitely enjoy this one.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss.
September 27, 2018
This book was a great introduction to this author's writing. I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller filled with characters and their unusual abilities. The storyline was wonderful especially the action between the Tainted and the Huntsmen. I look forward to reading more from this author.
April 7, 2018
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and we are always looking to expand our young adult collection and promote young adult fiction especially in high schools to involve more teens into loving reading again. This book in particular I was a fan of because it gave a twist on the Victorian Era and the adventure in the plot was very captivating. I hope Kim Foster makes this a series because I think our reader's will be asking about it. Truly a fascinating read that we are looking forward to adding to our collection. 5 stars!
April 25, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
Game of Secrets by Kim Foster took far longer for me to finish and review than any book has a right to if it's less than 500 pages. And why was this? Well, Game of Secrets is your typical run-of-the-mill YA dystopian about a girl with powers who didn't know that she had powers. A novel with an interesting enough sounding premise, Game of Secrets really didn't do anything new with it. The novel, as a whole, was forgettable. Nothing about it ever really stood out or grabbed your interest in any real way that made you want to keep reading. If I didn't have the summary to look back on, I would have forgotten everything that this book was about shortly after reading it.
Main character, Felicity, lives in a world where anyone with magic is considered Tainted and basically executed. Since her little brother happens to have powers of his own, Felicity has spent her life after the death of their father taking care of him and working as hard as she can to ensure that his secret is not found out and he is kept safe. But one day when, despite her own unawareness, Felicities magic suddenly appears in public, she is immediately arrested and now unable to protect her little brother as she is scheduled for execution. It is only when she is offered the chance to work for a rebellion who promises to protect her brother that Felicity is taken out of her troubling situation.
Somehow I was never able to really get into this novel, especially when one of the few interesting characters was killed off within minutes of the book beginning, his role quickly degraded simply to be a point of grief for the main character to hold her back from the real love interest who would appear later on. This is annoying in a lot of ways. I cannot even begin to explain how pointless and aggravating it is for an author to kill off an initial love interest solely to create tension between the main character and the guy that she always planned to have the character end up with in the first place.
Moving forward, Game of Secrets is really just a giant walking cliche, with all the trope-ish characters and plots you'd expect from the gorgeous and basically perfect in every way guy to the bitchy for no reason mean girl to ridiculous pining with useless tension to difficulty controlling magic that everyone else seems to have in lock, only to later find out you're more powerful than everyone else. It's nothing new, it's nothing exciting, it's nothing interesting. I've read this story a thousand times with much better characters and much more interesting plot twists. And, as much as I've always loved dystopian novels...I'm bored of it by now. Give me something new because Game of Secrets is not it.
I was provided a free copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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Game of Secrets by Kim Foster took far longer for me to finish and review than any book has a right to if it's less than 500 pages. And why was this? Well, Game of Secrets is your typical run-of-the-mill YA dystopian about a girl with powers who didn't know that she had powers. A novel with an interesting enough sounding premise, Game of Secrets really didn't do anything new with it. The novel, as a whole, was forgettable. Nothing about it ever really stood out or grabbed your interest in any real way that made you want to keep reading. If I didn't have the summary to look back on, I would have forgotten everything that this book was about shortly after reading it.
Main character, Felicity, lives in a world where anyone with magic is considered Tainted and basically executed. Since her little brother happens to have powers of his own, Felicity has spent her life after the death of their father taking care of him and working as hard as she can to ensure that his secret is not found out and he is kept safe. But one day when, despite her own unawareness, Felicities magic suddenly appears in public, she is immediately arrested and now unable to protect her little brother as she is scheduled for execution. It is only when she is offered the chance to work for a rebellion who promises to protect her brother that Felicity is taken out of her troubling situation.
Somehow I was never able to really get into this novel, especially when one of the few interesting characters was killed off within minutes of the book beginning, his role quickly degraded simply to be a point of grief for the main character to hold her back from the real love interest who would appear later on. This is annoying in a lot of ways. I cannot even begin to explain how pointless and aggravating it is for an author to kill off an initial love interest solely to create tension between the main character and the guy that she always planned to have the character end up with in the first place.
Moving forward, Game of Secrets is really just a giant walking cliche, with all the trope-ish characters and plots you'd expect from the gorgeous and basically perfect in every way guy to the bitchy for no reason mean girl to ridiculous pining with useless tension to difficulty controlling magic that everyone else seems to have in lock, only to later find out you're more powerful than everyone else. It's nothing new, it's nothing exciting, it's nothing interesting. I've read this story a thousand times with much better characters and much more interesting plot twists. And, as much as I've always loved dystopian novels...I'm bored of it by now. Give me something new because Game of Secrets is not it.
I was provided a free copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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August 31, 2018
I'm dead. The ending, oh my GOD. DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
My heart hurts.
I actually cried twice at the end of the book.
Kim Foster, WHY?!?!?!?!?
(When does book two come out?)
My heart hurts.
I actually cried twice at the end of the book.
Kim Foster, WHY?!?!?!?!?
(When does book two come out?)
May 7, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is likely going to be one of my most disappointing reads this year considering the premise sounded so interesting and the book began promisingly enough. But by half way through, this began to hit every trope/cliche in the YA genre (and not even creatively at that) and the writing began to feel rushed and simplistic through to the end. It felt as if the author spent a lot of time on the beginning and then hurried through the rest in order to get this published.Story: Surviving in the streets of Dickensensian White Chapel isn't easy for Felicity Cole; especially considering she and her brother are orphans and he has a fatal flaw: supernatural powers that would immediately see him mob murdered like her mother. When someone close to her is brutally murdered by an aristocrat, she loses control of her anger and discovers she has powers as well - physical ones. Hunted, imprisoned, she is saved by a mysterious benefactor and taken to a hidden academy to train to become an assassin and bodyguard to Queen and country. But Felicity only cares for being reunited with her young brother who may be walking the streets alone without her. Fortunately, a fellow aristrocratic student is hot and interested.
I wish I could determine if it was lazy or just unsophisticated writing. But the tropes/cliches were painful:
- unique snowflake with mysterious past no one tells her about and mysterious superpowers she will have to learn to use by herself because no one wants to help her despite it being in their best interest
- Perfect bog standard overidealized love interest who inexplicably instaluvs her - super handsome, intelligent, in a position of respect, and 100% devoted only to her for no particular reason
- Mean girl rival for melodrama so author can show 'spirit' by giving her comeuppances and cat fights
- Perfect sweet best/friend maid who has the personality of a pansy but makes our gal look feisty
- Girl does completely brain dead actions, constantly, that always results in trouble for everyone else and needing to be rescued - and no one seems to mind that it gets them nearly killed several times.
- Girl had previous love interest who was murdered - does she think about him? Not more than "I should be sad about Kit but the new boy makes me tingle and blush." Oh and the brother she's desperately trying to get back to? Pretty much forgotten while she's so busy with super hunk and mean girl.
- Everyone puts new girl in positions of power for NO REASON - she's a moron, she screws everything up, she doesn't even care about those people. But hey, let's pick her for missions even though she doesn't have powers and over competent handsome boy even though she's proven several times to ruin missions.
- Betrayal from within their rebel group! Who'd a thunk it? Could it be the nice sweet older guy??
And then there are the logic holes about the worldbuilding. How no one seems to know anything about the 'tainted' except only a few yet everyone in London wants to kill them. Zero world building (why was Warwick photographing that day? Why does he want her? Why does the world hate tainted? What do the Hunters want? Why haven't they gained access to the academy before? etc. etc. etc. - don't expect answers this volume). She was supposedly raised in the slums but speaks perfect formal English - just missing some mannerisms like good curtseying that deportment school will fix?. Damn her father was a good English teacher! Her father was Greek - with the last name of...Cole? Something about Shakespeare and Marlowe - making her even MORE special. And don't get me started about the 'stunning' reveal of what the Tainted are - it was hard not to giggle derisively even for a YA book.
Typically, I'd suggest this is a no-brain Summer read that is fast and easy. But the writing is so bad in the second half and the book so much in need of a rewrite that I just can't recommend Game of Secrets (even the title is generic and meaningless). It's a cut above many Harry Potter fanfictions - but that's the best I can say about it. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
April 27, 2018
ARC provided by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
--2.75/5 stars--
I always love me a good Victorian setting to a fantasy novel; it's somehow comforting--yet also anxiety-ridden at the same time. Maybe it's because of all the drama that inevitably follows, or the politics of the time, or maybe the way the steampunk genre always seems to be set in the Victorian era.
This novel does not fall into the steampunk genre in any way, though. It's an historical fiction with some fantasy elements and, because every good historical fiction apparently needs it, romance as well. The romance was kind of...meh, but more on that later.
Felicity Cole is a poor girl living in the slums of London trying to take care of herself and her little brother, Nate. It quickly becomes clear that both she and Nate are both Tainted--this book's derogatory term for someone possessing unexplained powers--and are pursued by both police specialized in hunting and extricating Tainted from normal society and those who wish to recruit them for some other greater good. You can probably guess which one Felicity "chooses" to turn toward to help her out.
This started out pretty strong. However, as I got to the meat of the novel, it sort of stumbled around trying to find a straight course but not entirely getting there. Felicity is recruited by a secret Hogwarts-esque school that was started specifically for the Tainted to learn and control their gifts, and there she is subjected to a myriad of tropes that typically follow the "new girl in school" scenario, including, but not limited to:
1. the pretty but talented mean girl
2. the mysteriously attractive and talented boy
3. the maid best friend
4. the teacher that hates her but also helps her, and
5. all the secrets the staff are hiding.
The book just kind of mashes all of these together in about 100 pages and then moves on to what should be the plot, which I couldn't really discern between the strange romance going on between Felicity and the mysteriously attractive and talented boy, Julian. I won't spoil anything here, but it's very....sudden, and not very subtle. So I guess we can add instalove to the list of tropes up there.
Unfortunately, the worldbuilding is also very lackluster here: we're not given how the Tainted came to be until about 75% through, just points that they possess unimaginable powers and are looked down upon by the general masses. I am assuming that Ms. Foster withheld this kind of information for so long for some sort of shock effect or "big twist" at the end, but in the long run, it just makes the plot weak.
I won't lie, I did enjoy this, especially the fight scenes, especially because those kinds of scenes involving people with weird powers like slowing time and superhuman speed can get kind of repetitive to the reader, but Ms. Foster does an excellent job of detailing just the right amount. The cliffhanger at the end left me a little bewildered, but I suppose that'll all be cleared up in the next book.
--2.75/5 stars--
I always love me a good Victorian setting to a fantasy novel; it's somehow comforting--yet also anxiety-ridden at the same time. Maybe it's because of all the drama that inevitably follows, or the politics of the time, or maybe the way the steampunk genre always seems to be set in the Victorian era.
This novel does not fall into the steampunk genre in any way, though. It's an historical fiction with some fantasy elements and, because every good historical fiction apparently needs it, romance as well. The romance was kind of...meh, but more on that later.
Felicity Cole is a poor girl living in the slums of London trying to take care of herself and her little brother, Nate. It quickly becomes clear that both she and Nate are both Tainted--this book's derogatory term for someone possessing unexplained powers--and are pursued by both police specialized in hunting and extricating Tainted from normal society and those who wish to recruit them for some other greater good. You can probably guess which one Felicity "chooses" to turn toward to help her out.
This started out pretty strong. However, as I got to the meat of the novel, it sort of stumbled around trying to find a straight course but not entirely getting there. Felicity is recruited by a secret Hogwarts-esque school that was started specifically for the Tainted to learn and control their gifts, and there she is subjected to a myriad of tropes that typically follow the "new girl in school" scenario, including, but not limited to:
1. the pretty but talented mean girl
2. the mysteriously attractive and talented boy
3. the maid best friend
4. the teacher that hates her but also helps her, and
5. all the secrets the staff are hiding.
The book just kind of mashes all of these together in about 100 pages and then moves on to what should be the plot, which I couldn't really discern between the strange romance going on between Felicity and the mysteriously attractive and talented boy, Julian. I won't spoil anything here, but it's very....sudden, and not very subtle. So I guess we can add instalove to the list of tropes up there.
Unfortunately, the worldbuilding is also very lackluster here: we're not given how the Tainted came to be until about 75% through, just points that they possess unimaginable powers and are looked down upon by the general masses. I am assuming that Ms. Foster withheld this kind of information for so long for some sort of shock effect or "big twist" at the end, but in the long run, it just makes the plot weak.
I won't lie, I did enjoy this, especially the fight scenes, especially because those kinds of scenes involving people with weird powers like slowing time and superhuman speed can get kind of repetitive to the reader, but Ms. Foster does an excellent job of detailing just the right amount. The cliffhanger at the end left me a little bewildered, but I suppose that'll all be cleared up in the next book.
August 10, 2018
*My gratitude goes out to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy for review!*
What I Liked:
I liked Felicity. She was headstrong and yet afraid of the new world she was thrust into. She comes from a lowly background which is much unappreciated by her new peers. She is one who looks for loopholes to get out of the world until she finally becomes a willing part of it.
None of the other characters really stood out to me. The love interest was really–in my opinion–bland. He had some substance but it was more like water. You can hold it for a while, but then it slowly slips away leaving just a wet feeling that lasts only until it dries. And yet I need him in the story to add in some interest. (How poetic, Rendz)
The magic was very cool and I liked how well it fit into the Victorian setting. All these Victorian books I have been reading always include a secret society of some kind and I honestly love it. It leaves room for mystery and adventure in an otherwise pristine and aristocratic era.
The plot was fine. It was not utterly astounding, not too complicated in terms of following and keeping up with all the secrets, but it lacked that bit of oomph. It had some great action scenes, but not nearly enough. If this is a secret society of training assassins, how come there is so little action????
It is an evenly paced book. The writing is very smooth and I sped through it rather fast. I will say that the chapters were very short, sometimes where they paused was a little awkward. I felt like some could have been combined, just to keep up a better flow.
What I Disliked:
Most of my dislikes comes from the fact that this book is tropey. You have the special snowflake MC. With powers that are better and more magnificent than all others. I would have been fine with this if there was a solid reason as to why she was so crazy amazing. And don’t spring up this “one in a million chance” thing on me. That’s not a solid origin. There was also some girl-on-girl hate. Not as terrible as other books I’ve read, but it would have been nice to see the girls not be competitors and instead allies in this mans world.
The book was not boring per se. I just thought that it could have used more excitement, more risk and more twists to make this something that really grabbed at my attention. It held it while I read, but I could close it to easily. There was never a need to read it. That’s what I found quite disappointing.
Overall, the book was okay. It was neither utterly amazing, nor terribly awful. It holds your attention, the MC is quite fun at times, there is some drama and the few action scenes are ones to look forward to. And the author does bring up quite a mini twist at the end, which I found wrapped this historical fantasy quite good.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
Recommend: Like Historical fiction but want a fantastical twist? Then sure.
What I Liked:
I liked Felicity. She was headstrong and yet afraid of the new world she was thrust into. She comes from a lowly background which is much unappreciated by her new peers. She is one who looks for loopholes to get out of the world until she finally becomes a willing part of it.
None of the other characters really stood out to me. The love interest was really–in my opinion–bland. He had some substance but it was more like water. You can hold it for a while, but then it slowly slips away leaving just a wet feeling that lasts only until it dries. And yet I need him in the story to add in some interest. (How poetic, Rendz)
The magic was very cool and I liked how well it fit into the Victorian setting. All these Victorian books I have been reading always include a secret society of some kind and I honestly love it. It leaves room for mystery and adventure in an otherwise pristine and aristocratic era.
The plot was fine. It was not utterly astounding, not too complicated in terms of following and keeping up with all the secrets, but it lacked that bit of oomph. It had some great action scenes, but not nearly enough. If this is a secret society of training assassins, how come there is so little action????
It is an evenly paced book. The writing is very smooth and I sped through it rather fast. I will say that the chapters were very short, sometimes where they paused was a little awkward. I felt like some could have been combined, just to keep up a better flow.
What I Disliked:
Most of my dislikes comes from the fact that this book is tropey. You have the special snowflake MC. With powers that are better and more magnificent than all others. I would have been fine with this if there was a solid reason as to why she was so crazy amazing. And don’t spring up this “one in a million chance” thing on me. That’s not a solid origin. There was also some girl-on-girl hate. Not as terrible as other books I’ve read, but it would have been nice to see the girls not be competitors and instead allies in this mans world.
The book was not boring per se. I just thought that it could have used more excitement, more risk and more twists to make this something that really grabbed at my attention. It held it while I read, but I could close it to easily. There was never a need to read it. That’s what I found quite disappointing.
Overall, the book was okay. It was neither utterly amazing, nor terribly awful. It holds your attention, the MC is quite fun at times, there is some drama and the few action scenes are ones to look forward to. And the author does bring up quite a mini twist at the end, which I found wrapped this historical fantasy quite good.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
Recommend: Like Historical fiction but want a fantastical twist? Then sure.
November 2, 2018
Game of Secrets by Kim Foster is such an interesting title and matched with that attractive cover, I thought, “Wow, this looks like a good book!” And so I went my way and read it. And it isn’t what I expected it would be.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Felicity Cole, a mere human. But her seven-year-old brother is a Tainted.
The Tainted. They are a plague to society. Having the ability to defy the laws of matter, these people are dangerous and needs to be completely annihilated. Anyone manifesting signs beyond human strength is captured by the Huntsmen, taking them away from the eyes of society. Not even the rats living in the gutters would dare bat an eye at them.
Driven by the responsibility to shield him from prodding eyes around them, Felicity must keep her guards up at all times to keep her brother safe. But when an encounter with a stranger turns out into a bloody mess, Felicity reveals something she didn’t even know about herself.
After reading this book, I have three things in mind. BUT FIRST LET ME SAY THIS: It’s been sooo long since I’ve written a book review so please forgive me if it isn’t organized! Okay??
Let’s start.
First of all, word usage. Is it just me or some word usage was really uncomfortable? For me, this was the major reason that drove me insane when I read this book. There were so many instances that this happened and boooy, how it left me questioning my whole life.
Disclaimer: I am not an English Major and I built my vocabulary box from the books I’ve read and other reading materials. Just another reviewer trying to express my thoughts on books! So if in your point of view, there’s nothing wrong with the word usage, then I guess the mistake was on my part and I’m probably not reading enough.
But here are some example sentences that sounded weird to me:
Sentence 1: I secreted away from headquarters when everyone else went down for dinner.
Sentence 2: An idea germinates in my head.
Second of all, the characters were well-described but their essence were barely noticeable. While the book was written in Felicity Cole’s point of view, I did my best to understand that everything that was happening in the story revolved around her. But it made me feel as if she’s the only character in the story. The way she narrated everything sounded as if she was self-centered.
So much focus was given to the main character that it reached the point where all the other characters became powerless, even the most experienced and Felicity became the only person capable of delivering an almost-impossible task despite being inexperienced, with little help. But I guess that could’ve been the adrenaline kicking or a beginner’s luck. It was hard to find a thrill in that.
And lastly, the plot. I think the plot was great! But if it were well-written, then undoubtedly I would have loved it! It all happened real quick. There was no roller coaster ride, no sitting at the edge of my seat, no GAAHH-HELP-ME-SURVIVE-THIS-BOOK feels and so everything went downhill. I felt sad.
Now that I finished the book, I’m not even sure if the story really was a game of secrets.
If you’re a fan of historical fantasy, then maybe you would like Game of Secrets. Read it now and let me know what your take on this book! The comment section is there for you anytime ❤
P.S. Bless lunch breaks because that’s the only time I could write blog posts.
“The beautiful thing is that people are absurdly predictable, including their fascination with elaborate celebrations.”
The story unfolds through the eyes of Felicity Cole, a mere human. But her seven-year-old brother is a Tainted.
The Tainted. They are a plague to society. Having the ability to defy the laws of matter, these people are dangerous and needs to be completely annihilated. Anyone manifesting signs beyond human strength is captured by the Huntsmen, taking them away from the eyes of society. Not even the rats living in the gutters would dare bat an eye at them.
Driven by the responsibility to shield him from prodding eyes around them, Felicity must keep her guards up at all times to keep her brother safe. But when an encounter with a stranger turns out into a bloody mess, Felicity reveals something she didn’t even know about herself.
After reading this book, I have three things in mind. BUT FIRST LET ME SAY THIS: It’s been sooo long since I’ve written a book review so please forgive me if it isn’t organized! Okay??
Let’s start.
First of all, word usage. Is it just me or some word usage was really uncomfortable? For me, this was the major reason that drove me insane when I read this book. There were so many instances that this happened and boooy, how it left me questioning my whole life.
Disclaimer: I am not an English Major and I built my vocabulary box from the books I’ve read and other reading materials. Just another reviewer trying to express my thoughts on books! So if in your point of view, there’s nothing wrong with the word usage, then I guess the mistake was on my part and I’m probably not reading enough.
But here are some example sentences that sounded weird to me:
Sentence 1: I secreted away from headquarters when everyone else went down for dinner.
Sentence 2: An idea germinates in my head.
Second of all, the characters were well-described but their essence were barely noticeable. While the book was written in Felicity Cole’s point of view, I did my best to understand that everything that was happening in the story revolved around her. But it made me feel as if she’s the only character in the story. The way she narrated everything sounded as if she was self-centered.
So much focus was given to the main character that it reached the point where all the other characters became powerless, even the most experienced and Felicity became the only person capable of delivering an almost-impossible task despite being inexperienced, with little help. But I guess that could’ve been the adrenaline kicking or a beginner’s luck. It was hard to find a thrill in that.
And lastly, the plot. I think the plot was great! But if it were well-written, then undoubtedly I would have loved it! It all happened real quick. There was no roller coaster ride, no sitting at the edge of my seat, no GAAHH-HELP-ME-SURVIVE-THIS-BOOK feels and so everything went downhill. I felt sad.
Now that I finished the book, I’m not even sure if the story really was a game of secrets.
If you’re a fan of historical fantasy, then maybe you would like Game of Secrets. Read it now and let me know what your take on this book! The comment section is there for you anytime ❤
P.S. Bless lunch breaks because that’s the only time I could write blog posts.
“The beautiful thing is that people are absurdly predictable, including their fascination with elaborate celebrations.”
July 19, 2020
Thank you Edelweiss for this review copy of Game of Secrets by Kim Foster.
Game of Secrets is a young adult “magic academy” type novel with a teenage girl exploring her abilities and power. It isn’t a exactly a unique storyline and actually reminded me of a few recent novels. I did find the pacing enjoyable and it kept my interest throughout.
Although I did enjoy Felicity’s character arc she tended to suffer from the “watch me do something stupid” trope along with the “I don’t know what I’m doing” storyline. I think authors forget how hard it is to watch a character blunder their way through only to pull their act together at the end. Once it started going that direction I found myself enjoying it less and less as we got to the last 20%.
I also found the magical world- building confusing and empty. I wasn’t really sure who had what skills and why.
I will say that I enjoyed the poetry at the beginning of each chapter and the details about London as they approached Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. It also ended on an intriguing thought that could be explored in a sequel.
For me this read as an average sort of “magic academy” YA novel and I will consider a sequel to this only to see how that last small plot twist pans out.
Game of Secrets is a young adult “magic academy” type novel with a teenage girl exploring her abilities and power. It isn’t a exactly a unique storyline and actually reminded me of a few recent novels. I did find the pacing enjoyable and it kept my interest throughout.
Although I did enjoy Felicity’s character arc she tended to suffer from the “watch me do something stupid” trope along with the “I don’t know what I’m doing” storyline. I think authors forget how hard it is to watch a character blunder their way through only to pull their act together at the end. Once it started going that direction I found myself enjoying it less and less as we got to the last 20%.
I also found the magical world- building confusing and empty. I wasn’t really sure who had what skills and why.
I will say that I enjoyed the poetry at the beginning of each chapter and the details about London as they approached Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. It also ended on an intriguing thought that could be explored in a sequel.
For me this read as an average sort of “magic academy” YA novel and I will consider a sequel to this only to see how that last small plot twist pans out.
September 10, 2018
So, I'll keep this short. This is Victorian X-Men. I don't know how to elaborate more. The pacing is absolutely brilliant, the characters that are actually developed are great, and conceptually Victorian X-Men is pretty fun. On the other hand, several of the characters (namely most of the mutants, um, Morgana, and Stryker-magneto or Warwick) were not as developed as they should be. There is also the fact that it's so unoriginal. I predicted every step because it is literally Victorian X-Men! Also, the big "shocker" at the end is spoiled by one off-hand comment by Hawksmoor and a bit of historic knowledge. I won't ruin it, though, because this is a book for teens and they might be shocked by it. Usually I'm super flexible with YA bc I'm not the intended audience, but teens know X-Men. This book will even be predictable by their standards.
July 9, 2018
I did really like this book, loved the main character and the worldbuilding but it just all went a bit fast. I think the storyline progressed a bit too fast and maybe it would've been better as a duology though I wouldn't rule out a sequel since certain things were left up in the air. Also, the ending confused the hell out of me. Did that mean what I think it meant? Basically, gimme a sequel.
August 19, 2018
The font size of this book threw me off; it made it feel like it was written more for a middle grade audience than a YA one. Other than that, the story was a pretty cool one, and honestly, it was about a spy/assassin school, and people with unique abilities who work for/protect the Queen of England. Learning more about the Tainted and how their abilities worked and everything made for an entertaining adventure.
April 5, 2019
Think Victoria England X-men with the usual cast of characters. The main character is the young woman who hasn't yet come into her own, yet soon to be most powerful. It was a slow first quarter though quickly became more action oriented.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review. In no way have the publisher or the author influenced my review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
This book definitely didn’t disappoint me which made me very happy. It doesn’t so much focus on the etiquette and such of the time period, which makes sense given as Felicity is training as a spy and assassin which would not be run of the mill in Victorian London. It reminded me a lot of The Dark Days Pact series but told from the point of view of a commoner. I would also describe this book as Buffy in the Victorian era. It was as badass, twisty, action packed and adventure filled as I wanted it to be and more.
I love Felicity so much as a character. The only thing I didn’t really understand about her character is that she didn’t really mourn for Kit. I understand that she had to move on and focus on her ever changing situation but I feel like she should’ve properly mourned him before moving on. She does feel guilt for liking Julian after what happened to Kit but if she had just dealt with her feeling that could’ve been sorted out much sooner. But other than that she was amazing! She was level headed, family focused, caring, smart, curious, daring, always does what she believes is right and had common sense. I actually think she had an advantage by being a commoner, it is easier to act noble, snobby and proud than it is to learn humility and act less than you are. And most of the missions I would imagine would entail them being out and about around commoners and interacting with them. Felicity knows that world already and if she makes a mistake with the upper crust she could explain it away as being new money. It is easier for a commoner to blend in which I think helped her in this process rather than hinder her. Now that she realizes that she no longer has any family and isn’t tied down to taking care of her brother I wonder how her character will change.
Julian is an interesting character but right now he is just a bit too shallow for me to get a full grip on him. I feel like he has secrets that he hasn’t been willing to share quite yet and I am looking forward to exploring them more. He seemed to honestly care for Felicity from the beginning but I don’t quite understand what was holding him back. If it was because they were both competitors? He could come out and say that though. Or if it is because he doesn’t trust Hawksmoor to not use it against him? I feel like that was someone they could discuss too. I don’t 100% trust Julian yet for these reasons and I look forward to exploring his character more.
Hawksmoor was a character that I kind of flipped back and forth between liking and disliking as a character. I understand as the head of a secret society that he has to have secrets. But he kept secrets that were detrimental to those within his own society. He didn’t properly inform Felicity before she joined at the Academy, he manipulated her, he didn’t tell any of the initiates about the Huntsmen having power. I wonder if now that he trusts Felicity and she is a part of the team that he will be more forthcoming with information and more helpful. Because I can’t help but feel like he knows more about Felicity and her parentage than he lets on.
I was kind of disappointed when there wasn’t more interest in why the Huntsmen want Felicity and her blood. I assume that is going to be the topic for the next book. I think it is very important that they were after her this entire time and I feel like not enough concern was expressed. It was almost like as long as she is a part of the society she is safe enough. Even knowing the Huntsmen were after her they sent her out on missions where she could be captured. Which again leads me to believe that they know more about the situation than they let on. Is she believed by the Huntsmen to be a pure blooded Atlantean descendant with powers from both of her parents? I’m looking forward to finding out more about the situation.
I was surprised to find that Julian wasn’t in the final two in the competition. It also seemed a bit odd given he’s been training for basically half his life, for him to give in to the temptation and say he is an assassin to an old school buddy. I thought it was going to be this tense final mission where you couldn’t decide who to root for: Felicity or Julian. But it turned out to be easy because Hugh is a prig and of course you want Felicity to get the position. But it just seemed incredibly out of character for Julian to act like that and I wonder if it wasn’t because of some other reason or mission.
I don’t understand how Felicity could want this position as Morgana in this society and yet she was still looking for a cure. She wouldn’t be able to be a part of the society if she no longer had her powers. And I think it is mighty presumptuous of her to decide her brother’s future for him by deciding he should get rid of his powers. Of course I suppose she just wants to give him that option should he decide that is what he wants. But they could never go back to their old lives, she is technically dead. I am glad in the end she decided to embrace her powers and join the society.
I didn’t expect Neville to be the mole in the Morgana Society. I thought that it might be Sig, but it made sense once it was all out in the open. I just don’t know how none of the Elders saw his subterfuge. I knew at that moment that with Neville gone as he most likely be by the end of the book, that that would leave another space for another agent. The final fight with Neville was kind of disappointing and anticlimactic for me too. I just felt like he would’ve put up a bigger fight, and he would’ve had back up. He had been planning this for years and it just seemed like he wouldn’t have made an oversight like that. Wouldn’t he have had his spy network in place to report to him? It just felt like the final battle went a little too easy.
I didn’t like how the story just kind of jumped over the aftermath of the Jubilee. I would’ve loved to have seen Felicity become an agent and while it doesn’t explicitly state it I assume Julian is as well. I thought Felicity was going to leave after the events at the Jubilee and I would’ve loved to have seen how and why she changed her mind. I feel that would be a big character development, and a big part to Felicity accepting and embracing her powers instead of wanting to get rid of them. And that is something I feel like should’ve been included.
Nate was the biggest surprise of all in this book I think. I had absolutely no inkling that he was just a construct of her mind and a part of her powers. Didn’t Kit see her brother though? And Kit!?! Omg that ending just killed me! Is her Kit actually Christopher Marlowe? Then who did the Huntsmen kill in the alleyway? If it is actually the founder Christopher Marlowe, he must have one of the powers that deal with time and be immortal. Will Kit show up again in the future? I have so many questions that need to be sorted out and answered!
Overall this book did not disappoint my expectations at all. It had twists and turns that I couldn’t even anticipate and it kept me guessing the entire time. I loved watching Felicity grow from a meek commoner to a Morgana Agent who is comfortable with herself and who she’s become. I can’t wait to find out more to the secret of her blood (Atlantean royalty?) and for her to get her revenge on the Duke. I am eagerly anticipating the next book in his series and I most definitely recommend you check this one out!
This book definitely didn’t disappoint me which made me very happy. It doesn’t so much focus on the etiquette and such of the time period, which makes sense given as Felicity is training as a spy and assassin which would not be run of the mill in Victorian London. It reminded me a lot of The Dark Days Pact series but told from the point of view of a commoner. I would also describe this book as Buffy in the Victorian era. It was as badass, twisty, action packed and adventure filled as I wanted it to be and more.
I love Felicity so much as a character. The only thing I didn’t really understand about her character is that she didn’t really mourn for Kit. I understand that she had to move on and focus on her ever changing situation but I feel like she should’ve properly mourned him before moving on. She does feel guilt for liking Julian after what happened to Kit but if she had just dealt with her feeling that could’ve been sorted out much sooner. But other than that she was amazing! She was level headed, family focused, caring, smart, curious, daring, always does what she believes is right and had common sense. I actually think she had an advantage by being a commoner, it is easier to act noble, snobby and proud than it is to learn humility and act less than you are. And most of the missions I would imagine would entail them being out and about around commoners and interacting with them. Felicity knows that world already and if she makes a mistake with the upper crust she could explain it away as being new money. It is easier for a commoner to blend in which I think helped her in this process rather than hinder her. Now that she realizes that she no longer has any family and isn’t tied down to taking care of her brother I wonder how her character will change.
Julian is an interesting character but right now he is just a bit too shallow for me to get a full grip on him. I feel like he has secrets that he hasn’t been willing to share quite yet and I am looking forward to exploring them more. He seemed to honestly care for Felicity from the beginning but I don’t quite understand what was holding him back. If it was because they were both competitors? He could come out and say that though. Or if it is because he doesn’t trust Hawksmoor to not use it against him? I feel like that was someone they could discuss too. I don’t 100% trust Julian yet for these reasons and I look forward to exploring his character more.
Hawksmoor was a character that I kind of flipped back and forth between liking and disliking as a character. I understand as the head of a secret society that he has to have secrets. But he kept secrets that were detrimental to those within his own society. He didn’t properly inform Felicity before she joined at the Academy, he manipulated her, he didn’t tell any of the initiates about the Huntsmen having power. I wonder if now that he trusts Felicity and she is a part of the team that he will be more forthcoming with information and more helpful. Because I can’t help but feel like he knows more about Felicity and her parentage than he lets on.
I was kind of disappointed when there wasn’t more interest in why the Huntsmen want Felicity and her blood. I assume that is going to be the topic for the next book. I think it is very important that they were after her this entire time and I feel like not enough concern was expressed. It was almost like as long as she is a part of the society she is safe enough. Even knowing the Huntsmen were after her they sent her out on missions where she could be captured. Which again leads me to believe that they know more about the situation than they let on. Is she believed by the Huntsmen to be a pure blooded Atlantean descendant with powers from both of her parents? I’m looking forward to finding out more about the situation.
I was surprised to find that Julian wasn’t in the final two in the competition. It also seemed a bit odd given he’s been training for basically half his life, for him to give in to the temptation and say he is an assassin to an old school buddy. I thought it was going to be this tense final mission where you couldn’t decide who to root for: Felicity or Julian. But it turned out to be easy because Hugh is a prig and of course you want Felicity to get the position. But it just seemed incredibly out of character for Julian to act like that and I wonder if it wasn’t because of some other reason or mission.
I don’t understand how Felicity could want this position as Morgana in this society and yet she was still looking for a cure. She wouldn’t be able to be a part of the society if she no longer had her powers. And I think it is mighty presumptuous of her to decide her brother’s future for him by deciding he should get rid of his powers. Of course I suppose she just wants to give him that option should he decide that is what he wants. But they could never go back to their old lives, she is technically dead. I am glad in the end she decided to embrace her powers and join the society.
I didn’t expect Neville to be the mole in the Morgana Society. I thought that it might be Sig, but it made sense once it was all out in the open. I just don’t know how none of the Elders saw his subterfuge. I knew at that moment that with Neville gone as he most likely be by the end of the book, that that would leave another space for another agent. The final fight with Neville was kind of disappointing and anticlimactic for me too. I just felt like he would’ve put up a bigger fight, and he would’ve had back up. He had been planning this for years and it just seemed like he wouldn’t have made an oversight like that. Wouldn’t he have had his spy network in place to report to him? It just felt like the final battle went a little too easy.
I didn’t like how the story just kind of jumped over the aftermath of the Jubilee. I would’ve loved to have seen Felicity become an agent and while it doesn’t explicitly state it I assume Julian is as well. I thought Felicity was going to leave after the events at the Jubilee and I would’ve loved to have seen how and why she changed her mind. I feel that would be a big character development, and a big part to Felicity accepting and embracing her powers instead of wanting to get rid of them. And that is something I feel like should’ve been included.
Nate was the biggest surprise of all in this book I think. I had absolutely no inkling that he was just a construct of her mind and a part of her powers. Didn’t Kit see her brother though? And Kit!?! Omg that ending just killed me! Is her Kit actually Christopher Marlowe? Then who did the Huntsmen kill in the alleyway? If it is actually the founder Christopher Marlowe, he must have one of the powers that deal with time and be immortal. Will Kit show up again in the future? I have so many questions that need to be sorted out and answered!
Overall this book did not disappoint my expectations at all. It had twists and turns that I couldn’t even anticipate and it kept me guessing the entire time. I loved watching Felicity grow from a meek commoner to a Morgana Agent who is comfortable with herself and who she’s become. I can’t wait to find out more to the secret of her blood (Atlantean royalty?) and for her to get her revenge on the Duke. I am eagerly anticipating the next book in his series and I most definitely recommend you check this one out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2018
A girl, trying to survive in Victorian London who doesn’t know she has a magical gift, that’s all I needed to hear to want to read this book. I think there is not enough historical YA, though there seems to finally be a shift in 2018, yay! I loved the idea of magical abilities, secret assassin schools and female empowerment (even though that’s kinda hard to achieve in this time period).
Unfortunately, though I loved the premiss and the first chapters, I feel that it’s poorly executed. I think this is more a middle grade book, except for the stabbing, it felt very simplified. The plot wasn’t spectacular, the revelations predictable, the characters one dimensional and I felt I have read this story already. The chapters were also really short with heavy quotes that distracted me from the story.
Many aspects of the story were quite unbelievable (like the MC’s grief, it disappeared in 2 pages after it happened, a character being totally out of character so he can be thrown out of the competition, the MC is within weeks as schooled in combat as her class mates that studied for years, there was of course a bitchy girl which is a trope I hate). Many minor plot points weren’t resolved and the ending was very unsatisfying and unrealistic. The writing style was very engaging however, that’s a redeeming quality, and I do think middle graders will really enjoy this book.
A copy of this book has been given to me be Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately, though I loved the premiss and the first chapters, I feel that it’s poorly executed. I think this is more a middle grade book, except for the stabbing, it felt very simplified. The plot wasn’t spectacular, the revelations predictable, the characters one dimensional and I felt I have read this story already. The chapters were also really short with heavy quotes that distracted me from the story.
Many aspects of the story were quite unbelievable (like the MC’s grief, it disappeared in 2 pages after it happened, a character being totally out of character so he can be thrown out of the competition, the MC is within weeks as schooled in combat as her class mates that studied for years, there was of course a bitchy girl which is a trope I hate). Many minor plot points weren’t resolved and the ending was very unsatisfying and unrealistic. The writing style was very engaging however, that’s a redeeming quality, and I do think middle graders will really enjoy this book.
A copy of this book has been given to me be Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
April 28, 2024
This was such a great read, loved the concept and story!
August 15, 2018
GAME OF SECRETS is a sweeping, adventurous tale set in the glitz and glamour of the Victorian Era.
Felicity Cole is a poor, orphaned teenager who sells flowers on the street to support herself and her younger brother, Nate. The two live relatively isolated lives because they have to keep Nate’s secret --- he is a Tainted, or a member of society that possesses superhuman abilities. In Nate’s case, he can read minds and communicate telepathically with others. All is well, despite their financial struggles in the slums of London, until one day something terrible happens and Felicity comes to a horrifying realization: she, too, is Tainted, born with advanced physical strength. On the eve of execution, Felicity is rescued by the headmaster of a school for other Tainted and taken there to begin training to be a member of a secret order in service of the Queen.
One aspect of the novel that I found enjoyable is the world building. Foster went to great lengths to accurately depict the world of Victorian England, and her descriptions, from the bustling city streets to the rolling hills of the British countryside, were exquisite. The world she created within the one in our history books was really fascinating, as well. Because of the secret school of superhuman kids, it reminded me a lot of X-Men, which was really fun to read about with the twist of it taking place in the past. The author also used quotes from authors active during the Victorian era and the 1800s at large for headings at the beginning of every chapter, which was really cool. The quotes matched the tone and events of every chapter, which further shows the level of research that the author embarked upon for this novel.
Felicity was a great character to get to know. She loves reading, is street smart and witty, and has some excellent one-liners. I will say that sometimes it felt like her narrative voice was very different from the voice presented in her dialogue. The novel is told from her point of view, and the tone is consistently serious, which would sometimes clash when she had verbally combative moments with the other students at the school and would rattle off witty, sarcastic remarks. Additionally, the author waited a long time before Felicity became interested in actually exploring and expanding upon her abilities, and it would have helped the story along if she had become interested in doing so sooner. Nevertheless, watching her develop from a fish out of water to a fiercely strong woman was fantastic.
While I felt that Foster did a great job developing Felicity and the world, I do think she should have spent more time developing the supporting characters. For example, I knew the male lead, Julian, well, but only because he seemed a bit too similar to other swaggering, talented and sarcastic young men in other young adult novels. While I liked parts of his relationship with Felicity, at times it felt simultaneously sudden and underdeveloped. One instant they were strangers, the other he seemed completely taken with her. I also wish Foster spent more time developing the other students at the school. We only get bits and pieces of them here and there, and since there were only five of them, I think they should have been more fleshed out.
Lastly, while the plot was interesting --- Spies, assassination plots and betrayals? Yes, please! --- it did seem at times as though there was a lot of meandering between each “big event.” Not much happens in between the big chase scenes, so to speak (though those were quite exciting). These waiting around times would have been good for starting the development of Felicity’s powers sooner, since that part of the story develops later in the novel and could have used more subtle growth.
GAME OF SECRETS is an action-packed standalone thrill ride, perfect for fans of X-Men and The Infernal Devices. Though presented as a standalone, the author could easily write another book, so I would be on the lookout in the future for some more novels about Felicity Cole and her wild adventures!
Felicity Cole is a poor, orphaned teenager who sells flowers on the street to support herself and her younger brother, Nate. The two live relatively isolated lives because they have to keep Nate’s secret --- he is a Tainted, or a member of society that possesses superhuman abilities. In Nate’s case, he can read minds and communicate telepathically with others. All is well, despite their financial struggles in the slums of London, until one day something terrible happens and Felicity comes to a horrifying realization: she, too, is Tainted, born with advanced physical strength. On the eve of execution, Felicity is rescued by the headmaster of a school for other Tainted and taken there to begin training to be a member of a secret order in service of the Queen.
One aspect of the novel that I found enjoyable is the world building. Foster went to great lengths to accurately depict the world of Victorian England, and her descriptions, from the bustling city streets to the rolling hills of the British countryside, were exquisite. The world she created within the one in our history books was really fascinating, as well. Because of the secret school of superhuman kids, it reminded me a lot of X-Men, which was really fun to read about with the twist of it taking place in the past. The author also used quotes from authors active during the Victorian era and the 1800s at large for headings at the beginning of every chapter, which was really cool. The quotes matched the tone and events of every chapter, which further shows the level of research that the author embarked upon for this novel.
Felicity was a great character to get to know. She loves reading, is street smart and witty, and has some excellent one-liners. I will say that sometimes it felt like her narrative voice was very different from the voice presented in her dialogue. The novel is told from her point of view, and the tone is consistently serious, which would sometimes clash when she had verbally combative moments with the other students at the school and would rattle off witty, sarcastic remarks. Additionally, the author waited a long time before Felicity became interested in actually exploring and expanding upon her abilities, and it would have helped the story along if she had become interested in doing so sooner. Nevertheless, watching her develop from a fish out of water to a fiercely strong woman was fantastic.
While I felt that Foster did a great job developing Felicity and the world, I do think she should have spent more time developing the supporting characters. For example, I knew the male lead, Julian, well, but only because he seemed a bit too similar to other swaggering, talented and sarcastic young men in other young adult novels. While I liked parts of his relationship with Felicity, at times it felt simultaneously sudden and underdeveloped. One instant they were strangers, the other he seemed completely taken with her. I also wish Foster spent more time developing the other students at the school. We only get bits and pieces of them here and there, and since there were only five of them, I think they should have been more fleshed out.
Lastly, while the plot was interesting --- Spies, assassination plots and betrayals? Yes, please! --- it did seem at times as though there was a lot of meandering between each “big event.” Not much happens in between the big chase scenes, so to speak (though those were quite exciting). These waiting around times would have been good for starting the development of Felicity’s powers sooner, since that part of the story develops later in the novel and could have used more subtle growth.
GAME OF SECRETS is an action-packed standalone thrill ride, perfect for fans of X-Men and The Infernal Devices. Though presented as a standalone, the author could easily write another book, so I would be on the lookout in the future for some more novels about Felicity Cole and her wild adventures!
August 18, 2018
If I had to think of an easy way to describe the book, it’ll be a collections of things I’ve seen repeatedly before, but I’m so sorry for being a sucker for these things.
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Last year I really enjoyed reading Daniel O’Malley’s The Rook which followed a very similar pattern to this one, and I think deep down it was one of the reasons why I had high hopes for this book to impress me if it was done right. Now while I don’t think that it was utilized to the fullest, I won’t deny that I read the entire thing in 4 or so hours and basically two sittings. Innate abilities and the like are somethings I’m a HUGE sucker for, the promise to be able to see more always makes me grip the book a little tighter (or should I say iPad since I always read ebooks???). Although the level of world building the before mentioned is light years ahead of Game of Secrets.
Regrettably I didn’t actually get it in the same level I was hoping for given that the abilities in this book aren’t that unique amongst the cast, it’s not like the Wolverine’s claws, Cyclopes’s laser vision or Jean’s plethora of mind based ones. At least, that’s what it seemed to me given the similarities of portrayed abilities when they were being used. Also, they were broken apart into three different categories, yet we didn’t get to see an actual portrayal of number three. That ending throws you for a loop for sure, but that’s not a real example lol.
That aside, I still found the fast pace of it interesting to see. I mean regardless of the similarities, it’s always nice to see how a school like system is implemented and how they work around getting their students better. Thing is, this book makes it incredibly difficult to see its protagonist as a smart girl, she puts herself in the worst possible situations repeatedly and although she comes close to dying, she just brushes herself off and onto the next stupid one we go!!!!! I do get where she’s coming from of course, but it’s just difficult to take seriously after a while.
Speaking of characters, the obligatory eventual romance though is probably the worst parts of this book for me, when there are many more interesting things to see in the verse, it’s a great dampener to see the precious pages being used up on nonsense. Literally nothing would have changed in this book if it was platonic more than anything but eh, guess not. I did enjoy that she made the guy in charge a clear thinker, even when you’re the protégé, your misses will not be tolerated nor brushed off without a valid reason.
I do wish she explored some of the characters a little bit more as well, they felt like walking tropes instead of ones to care about all that much. Some like Sig, I think would be quite an interesting guy to know more about it.
Despite my critique, I found this book quite engaging. Wether it’s the short chapters, the way or writing, my own personal bias towards this sort of thing or how she threw in some interesting things here and there, I found it be an entertaining 4 hours to spend on it. Even when I learned who the villain was quite early in the book, that didn’t make me want to stop reading.
Final rating: 3.5/5
November 1, 2023
The Tainted are not just feared in England. They are hunted. Kim Foster’s Game of Secrets is an amazing spy fiction novel that tells the tale of Felicity Cole, a young orphan who sells flowers in the slums of London to provide for herself and her brother. Her brother is known as a Tainted, someone born with special powers such as increased agility or the ability to read minds. Society fears and hates the Tainted, and a mysterious organization called the Huntsmen is constantly out to kill them.
Felicity has always been one to avoid conflict - until the day she found out that she was Tainted too. When her best friend Kit is killed by a snobbish aristocrat, Felicity’s uncontrolled rage manifests in an uncanny display of strength and agility. She is quickly arrested by the police and locked into a dingy prison cell, all the while fearing for her little brother’s safety and comfort.
A few days later, Felicity receives unexpected help from the founder of Greybourne Academy, a secret underground school for the Tainted. Here, Tainted are trained from a young age to be assassins and spies for the Crown. After being rescued, Felicity is quickly thrown into a competition for a coveted spot as an assassin at Greybourne Academy. Only one spot is available, and there are twelve eligible and eager senior candidates all of whom are Felicity’s age.
With no prior training or experience, Felicity struggles to adapt to a lavish lifestyle after living in the slums her whole life. Her powers are extremely strong, but she cannot summon them at will. With the final test and the Queen’s Jubilee rapidly approaching, Felicity knows that her chances of becoming an assassin and being reunited with her brother are extremely low.
This novel combined the everyday struggles of a teen girl - worrying about not having enough friends or not fitting in with others - with struggles that not many have faced, such as losing a parent. I enjoyed the development of Felicity’s personality, and how she becomes a confident young adult after completing her training at the Greybourne Academy. The only thing I disliked about the novel was how the book was rather similar to Harry Potter. It consisted of a poor character being whisked away to a magical school, and being trained to harness their newfound powers. The author could have been a little more creative and used her imagination when creating Felicity’s backstory. The language was descriptive and easy to understand, but due to the redundant plot, I would rate this book a 3/5.
Felicity has always been one to avoid conflict - until the day she found out that she was Tainted too. When her best friend Kit is killed by a snobbish aristocrat, Felicity’s uncontrolled rage manifests in an uncanny display of strength and agility. She is quickly arrested by the police and locked into a dingy prison cell, all the while fearing for her little brother’s safety and comfort.
A few days later, Felicity receives unexpected help from the founder of Greybourne Academy, a secret underground school for the Tainted. Here, Tainted are trained from a young age to be assassins and spies for the Crown. After being rescued, Felicity is quickly thrown into a competition for a coveted spot as an assassin at Greybourne Academy. Only one spot is available, and there are twelve eligible and eager senior candidates all of whom are Felicity’s age.
With no prior training or experience, Felicity struggles to adapt to a lavish lifestyle after living in the slums her whole life. Her powers are extremely strong, but she cannot summon them at will. With the final test and the Queen’s Jubilee rapidly approaching, Felicity knows that her chances of becoming an assassin and being reunited with her brother are extremely low.
This novel combined the everyday struggles of a teen girl - worrying about not having enough friends or not fitting in with others - with struggles that not many have faced, such as losing a parent. I enjoyed the development of Felicity’s personality, and how she becomes a confident young adult after completing her training at the Greybourne Academy. The only thing I disliked about the novel was how the book was rather similar to Harry Potter. It consisted of a poor character being whisked away to a magical school, and being trained to harness their newfound powers. The author could have been a little more creative and used her imagination when creating Felicity’s backstory. The language was descriptive and easy to understand, but due to the redundant plot, I would rate this book a 3/5.
October 15, 2018
I had high hopes for this book. I wouldn't say I am completely disappointed but it didn't quite hit its mark, that's for sure. It didn't miss the mark, just fell short of hitting it. This book has some interesting elements, but it doesn't quite achieve its own goals. It just feels underdeveloped. I felt as if I was reading book 1 and book 2 but without the world building and depth that this story deserved. It is a fun and easy read with intrigue, spies and assassins. The only problem is that the lead girl is kind of an idiot and annoying with her constant uncertainty and ordinary girl turned super special gifted assassin. I agree with others here, this book just hits all the annoying YA trope and doesn't necessarily turn it on its head or do anything interesting with it. The powers that the "tainted" have aren't properly explored, the lead character is one dimensional, her backstory isn't fully explored or explained and so that story is left unsatisfied, the love story is unnecessary and kind of out of nowhere with really ridiculous kiss moments, the other characters aren't really properly developed and the ending is kind of rushed. So why did I like it? There were enough interesting elements to keep me reading. While the story is predictable, it's still FUN. It happens in Victorian England, and while I would've liked more of the atmosphere, history, criticism on colonialism or even an acknowledgement of it and exploration of classicism, it was still a fun and interesting setting. Especially since the lead character comes from the poorer part of town during a time when child labour was allowed and industrialization was changing the fabric of England. The school for assassins, their rank, their missions were interesting and intriguing. The villain is curious given he is aristocracy. The problem is nothing is really explored or developed or certain decisions don't make sense like just throwing Felicity into a competition to become a full agent without explaining her powers or helping her develop them. I liked that this is a standalone, I just wish that the story had been properly realized. It just had so much potential. I rate this somewhere between 2.5-3 stars. Good for a rainy Saturday afternoon, if you have the time and a handle on your to be read pile, otherwise read the other books you have in your pile and don't rush to read this one.
May 17, 2018
I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded interesting and I thought that it could be a good pick me up for the fantasy genre that I needed. Sadly, this book didn't do any of that. It wasn't bad, but because it was such an okay book, I'm not fully sure how to put my thoughts into words, but I'll try.
Within the first few pages, there's already action happening and people dying and whatnot, and normally I love being thrust into the action hoping afterwards things are explained. Things were not explained. The plot seemed to be moving too fast for the characters and the reader. It would jump from one place to the next to another place in the span of three pages but never offer an explanation. I understand the main character doesn't understand either, but after awhile you have to give some things away or the reader gets bored, like me. I needed to know things, but instead we got nothing. When you're 17 chapters into a book and nothing feels concrete, I think there's a problem.
At least the writing was really simple and easy to get into. If I hadn't had so many problems with the plot, I would have loved this book strictly for the writing. There were definitely some world building holes, but with this being an ARC, I'm hoping those will be fixed before the book is released in July.
The characters, mainly Felicity, were the other problems for me. I didn't like her. She was the definition of a Mary Sue character. There was just nothing about her that was wow. Julian, on the other hand, reminded me so much of Will from The Infernal Devices series that I had a moment of wondering. The two books are based in similar time periods so it could've just been a coincidence.
I'm hoping parts of this book change because it could be a strong book, but urgh. I can't.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded interesting and I thought that it could be a good pick me up for the fantasy genre that I needed. Sadly, this book didn't do any of that. It wasn't bad, but because it was such an okay book, I'm not fully sure how to put my thoughts into words, but I'll try.
Within the first few pages, there's already action happening and people dying and whatnot, and normally I love being thrust into the action hoping afterwards things are explained. Things were not explained. The plot seemed to be moving too fast for the characters and the reader. It would jump from one place to the next to another place in the span of three pages but never offer an explanation. I understand the main character doesn't understand either, but after awhile you have to give some things away or the reader gets bored, like me. I needed to know things, but instead we got nothing. When you're 17 chapters into a book and nothing feels concrete, I think there's a problem.
At least the writing was really simple and easy to get into. If I hadn't had so many problems with the plot, I would have loved this book strictly for the writing. There were definitely some world building holes, but with this being an ARC, I'm hoping those will be fixed before the book is released in July.
The characters, mainly Felicity, were the other problems for me. I didn't like her. She was the definition of a Mary Sue character. There was just nothing about her that was wow. Julian, on the other hand, reminded me so much of Will from The Infernal Devices series that I had a moment of wondering. The two books are based in similar time periods so it could've just been a coincidence.
I'm hoping parts of this book change because it could be a strong book, but urgh. I can't.
June 19, 2018
Game of Secrets is a magic book, but the historical setting is what really amped up the appeal.
Felicity is doing her best in Victorian London to keep herself and her little brother surviving. It isn't easy. Her brother must stay hidden since he is Tainted. His special abilities, if found out, will get him caught by the Huntsmen, and he will surely be killed.
As Felicity herself is in danger of being taken by a Huntsman, a mysterious man, Hawksmoor, rescues her and takes her to a special school to be trained to serve Queen Victoria as a spy and assassin. You see, Felicity was unaware that she is also Tainted. Her magic powers are very desired by this organization.
The training is difficult, and it's a competition between these youth to be the next official spy. In the meantime, Felicity is worried about her brother. But she can communicate telepathically with him, and he is safe, taken by the same organization and being pampered until he is old enough to attend the school. Felicity doesn't trust Hawksmoor and continues to plot her escape, but soon she becomes a very successful spy and may be in the running to win the competition.
Game of Secrets was an enjoyable mix of a historical setting, spying, and magical abilities. There is plenty of adventures and danger, as the trainees are sent on small missions. The plot moves quickly, and I was surprised more than once. I did tire a bit of Felicity's subterfuge. She keeps putting herself and others in danger by going rogue during their missions. You would think she would learn after almost being captured by the Huntsmen once (or even twice), but she keeps on risking it.
Game of Secrets is a quick read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a bit of sleuthing in the Victorian Era.
Felicity is doing her best in Victorian London to keep herself and her little brother surviving. It isn't easy. Her brother must stay hidden since he is Tainted. His special abilities, if found out, will get him caught by the Huntsmen, and he will surely be killed.
As Felicity herself is in danger of being taken by a Huntsman, a mysterious man, Hawksmoor, rescues her and takes her to a special school to be trained to serve Queen Victoria as a spy and assassin. You see, Felicity was unaware that she is also Tainted. Her magic powers are very desired by this organization.
The training is difficult, and it's a competition between these youth to be the next official spy. In the meantime, Felicity is worried about her brother. But she can communicate telepathically with him, and he is safe, taken by the same organization and being pampered until he is old enough to attend the school. Felicity doesn't trust Hawksmoor and continues to plot her escape, but soon she becomes a very successful spy and may be in the running to win the competition.
Game of Secrets was an enjoyable mix of a historical setting, spying, and magical abilities. There is plenty of adventures and danger, as the trainees are sent on small missions. The plot moves quickly, and I was surprised more than once. I did tire a bit of Felicity's subterfuge. She keeps putting herself and others in danger by going rogue during their missions. You would think she would learn after almost being captured by the Huntsmen once (or even twice), but she keeps on risking it.
Game of Secrets is a quick read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a bit of sleuthing in the Victorian Era.
January 20, 2019
Game of Secrets follows Felicity Cole, a uniquely talented and enigmatic girl from the poor side of town who's swept up in a world of magical powers, betrayal, and competition as she tries to piece together the mysteries of her past and present. The storyline is perfectly represented by the school motto: “You must be proud, bold, pleasant, resolute … and now and then stab, as occasion serves.” Is there really anything more that needs to be said?
Let's start with characterization. Majority of the characters in the story were instrumental in driving the plot, and every single one of them had their own distinct personality. I loved Felicity's independence and bravado. I mean, I wish I could come up with retorts as politely searing as hers. One of my favorite responses to a backhanded comment from the story's number one bully: '"And you’re quite right. There are worse things than being common… You know, like being so stuck-up that everyone dislikes you. I mean, that would be awful, wouldn’t it?”' I will say I would have liked to have learned a little more about all the other characters, or to have seen some character development (I mean, does being an awful person just run in Rose's veins? Does she have a touching backstory that deserves redemption? I need answers!), but regardless I still found myself enjoying reading about their antics.
And the plot twists! When I thought I had guessed what really happened, the plot just tied itself in another pretzel knot! It was great! (And can we just have a moment of appreciation for a villain who knows how to keep his dastardly plans to himself? Truly incredible.) There were a handful of instances of convenience riddled throughout the story, but they're easily lost in the fast-paced plot. There's always something happening in the book, providing a steady stream of clues and keeping Felicity's hunt for the truth interesting.
Needless to say, I loved this book. It was like a historical fantasy retelling Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, one of my all-time favorites. Admittedly, there were quite a few clichés crammed into Game of Secrets, but who doesn't like a well-written cliché? The classic retelling of rags to assassin-in-training? Yes, please. Clichés are still around for a reason, and that's because people like me can't live without them.
I received this book through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with characterization. Majority of the characters in the story were instrumental in driving the plot, and every single one of them had their own distinct personality. I loved Felicity's independence and bravado. I mean, I wish I could come up with retorts as politely searing as hers. One of my favorite responses to a backhanded comment from the story's number one bully: '"And you’re quite right. There are worse things than being common… You know, like being so stuck-up that everyone dislikes you. I mean, that would be awful, wouldn’t it?”' I will say I would have liked to have learned a little more about all the other characters, or to have seen some character development (I mean, does being an awful person just run in Rose's veins? Does she have a touching backstory that deserves redemption? I need answers!), but regardless I still found myself enjoying reading about their antics.
And the plot twists! When I thought I had guessed what really happened, the plot just tied itself in another pretzel knot! It was great! (And can we just have a moment of appreciation for a villain who knows how to keep his dastardly plans to himself? Truly incredible.) There were a handful of instances of convenience riddled throughout the story, but they're easily lost in the fast-paced plot. There's always something happening in the book, providing a steady stream of clues and keeping Felicity's hunt for the truth interesting.
Needless to say, I loved this book. It was like a historical fantasy retelling Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, one of my all-time favorites. Admittedly, there were quite a few clichés crammed into Game of Secrets, but who doesn't like a well-written cliché? The classic retelling of rags to assassin-in-training? Yes, please. Clichés are still around for a reason, and that's because people like me can't live without them.
I received this book through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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