Eya’s Reviews > A Stage Set for Villains > Status Update

Shannon J. Spann blurs the line between good and evil, even the main character doesn't know where she stands anymore.

POV being an immigrant who immigrated as a child:
“Why are you so angry? Really.”
“I don't fit properly anywhere.” The words take a moment to find. “And it doesn't feel fair. Like I'm this badly cut piece of a puzzle that doesn't fit with the others.”

“Death is a matter of opinion, Alistaire. To die is to be forgotten. I imagine the world will never forget me.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly, “for coming back. [...] You won't leave a castmate behind.”
Jude watches me. “I won't leave you behind.”
I narrow my eyes. “Because we're linked.” He must want his power back.
He shakes his head once, refusing to break his gaze. “No.”
The pace of the romance is quite good. It is not the slowest of slow burn but they are not in a hurry either. For a standalone, it is good.

“You were faking!” I call, bounding after him.
“Acting, Alistaire! There is a difference.”
That was very well thought out.

What a plot twist ! And a plot twist that answers a crucial question while raising ten more ! The idea behind this novel is excellent and its execution even better.

Did you know the word hypocrite comes from the ancien greek word hupokritês meaning an actor who plays wearing a mask ? I love how the magic system and the world building are linked to theater and drama. It is very original !

“Performance in unnatural. One strung-out and outrageously public lie. It's wrong—”
“Life is a performance. [...] You might as well be applauded for it.”

“I count that four costume changes in one rehearsal,” I mutter at him as the lights go down.
“Oh? Do you have a favorite?” he asks, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket.
“Do any of them come with a gag?”
“Didn't know you were into that.”
It feels so good to finally laugh at a novel with banter instead of reading books for school.