These Vicious Masks

Evelyn's sister Rose is simply perfect. No one has met her that did not immediately adore her. No one could imagine a dull life without her until she leaves a note that she has run away. This event creates a chasm between Evelyn, who is convinced she has been kidnapped and is desperate to organize a rescue, and her parents who are desperate to protect their social standing. Does Rose need saving and who can save her?

To be quite frank, I should have marked it as a DNF and moved on early into the book. I just kept hoping the ending would be worth the time invested-it wasn't. The writing was shallow and did not create an emotional connection between myself as a reader and any of the characters. Least of all, Evelyn, the main character. She show more is supposed to be headstrong, independent, and a trailblazer. However, she came across as arrogant, irritating, and weak. Furthermore, the main objective is for her to rescue her sister, Rose, but her attention keeps getting misdirected towards the love triangle that forms between her, Mr. Kent, and Mr. Braddock.

Another issue that I had with the writing in regards to the characters is that the supporting characters are not well established. For example, halfway through the book Mr. Braddock becomes Sebastian, which is initially confusing. Another example is the character of Robert, the gentleman who has had his heart set on Rose since childhood. He is introduced in the beginning and then is absent until about halfway through the book where is expected to have been remembered by the reader. He does not really serve a purpose except to get in the way and remind the reader that Rose is missing. He is an annoying obstacle rather than a big help. The love of his life is kidnapped and all he does is get drunk, whine to anyone who will listen, and talk down to Evelyn. I had hoped he would snap out of it at some point and get to helping Evelyn and the others rescue Rose rather than wallowing in his self-pity.

The final issue that I had with the book was the love triangle. It. Serves. NO. Purpose! It does not enhance the story. In fact, it seems to be more of a filler than anything. The romantic connections are lacking in emotion. The only "romance" is Evelyn being defiant towards their advances. Also, the powers of each gentleman are not mind-blowing. The only thing I am willing to bend on my opinion of this is that, in regards to Mr. Braddock, his powers do somewhat provide a tragic backstory for him.

This book claims to be "Jane Austen meets X-Men" but it tragically fails. There is not any depth to any of the characters. The ending seems rushed in order to make it into a series of books rather than a standalone. The powers of some of the characters are lacking and therefore does not even compare to the superpowers of the X-Men. The only thing I can see where they desperately attempted to make a connection to X-Men is that in the end they are trying to recruit other people with powers to form a team. Also maybe that the former governess of Rose and Evelyn, Miss Grey, is kind and can find and communicate with people through the mind, kind of like Jean Grey/Marvel Girl/Phoenix in X-Men (but this Miss Grey communicates with others in their sleep) but even that is a stretch.

In conclusion, I would not recommend this book to any reader, although there are many reviews that state the opposite. I would also not recommend this book in the AudioCD edition. I listened to it and the voice of the narrator was monotonous and did not do anything to liven up the plot. Finally, I would not recommend this book for readers who may be offended or triggered by violence, mild foul language, prostitution, rejection, gossip, and death.

Please note: A AudioCD copy of this book was generously provided for free through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, in exchange for an honest review. show less

"The absolute joy in life, in friendship, in love, is learning about a person, deciphering them, taking each and every mask off to find a new one, waiting to be explored and understood.”

Evelyn is not the typical Londoner consumed with society balls and high-rising affairs of the heart and social status - instead she tries to shy away from societal obligation, much to the annoyance of her determined mother. After leaving a particularly strange ball that opens the story, she finds out that her sister has disappeared - and is reputed to have healing powers. Convinced she was kidnapped instead of running off, she enlists in the help of some unconventional and surprising allies. What follows is a fun ride filled with adventure and humor, show more but also the reader has in store for them a bittersweet and surprising ending.

It's kind of hard not to fall head-over-heels with the writing style. Shanker writes easily and effortlessly it seems, with plenty of convincing humor that left me grinning as much as it did my gnawing my bottom lip in suspense. The plot is paced perfectly to coincide with the story's events, and while it does stay humorous through most of the story, it doesn't shy away from uncovering the underside of London's seedy societal woes.

Scheming and backstabbing women, money-motivated parents, shunning matrons? Check.

Magical powers, psychics, secret societies, and mad scientists? Check.

I don't think the potential, dangling love triangle was needed. It's not a heavy one and the main heroine is consumed with finding her sister, not tying the knot, so romance isn't actually on the horizon with anyone - it just seems like the possibility of romance between two exists, but this is solved by the end of the book anyway so it's a non-issue.

There isn't an actual cliffhanger but there are some dangling ends, especially with one of the main characters she pairs up with; since this is to be a series, that's acceptable. It's not an over-the-edge, almost fall off ending. I will say the book feels slightly incomplete at the end, though.

It's fun, it's adventurous, there's actual detecting involved with the investigation, I laughed a few times, the story players are quirky and enjoyable, and the story's depth held my interest the entire ride. Recommended for fans of historical fiction especially, but any should enjoy it since it's a blend of leading heroine meets hidden X-men. show less

ORIGINALLY POSTED: http://bibliomantics.com/2016/02/08/mutant-and-proud-cassie-la-teleports-into-th...

When I saw that These Vicious Masks -- the first in a trilogy about people with super powers set in Victorian-era London -- was dedicated to Calvin and Hobbes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I knew I was in for a treat.

While the book is by no means a completely original concept but rather the mashing of two genres (described by the publisher as Jane Austen meets the X-Men) I found it to be a fun and enjoyable read, and sometimes that's all I want out of my YA literature.

The story itself follows Evelyn, a strong-headed Elizabeth Bennet type who finally gets to escape the shackles of societal expectations and her mother's constant attempts show more to have her married off when her sister Rose (a kind-hearted Jane Bennet type) is kidnapped.

What follows after Evelyn's decides to save her sister is a whirlwind adventure through London with help from other powerful individuals like the brooding Mr. Darcy type Sebastian Braddock and the hilariously charming Mr. Kent who may or may not be a Willoughby type.

Saving the day would be standard for any YA heroine, unfortunately for Evelyn, she has to protect her reputation while doing it.

Similar to her Regency counterpart Elizabeth Bennet, Evelyn appeals to a modern reader but is despised by other characters for refusing to stick to the societal rules that her peers are expected to abide by. While their jealousy and actions seem absolutely deplorable in a 21st century context, I found it incredibly interesting to have characters within the novel tell Evelyn exactly why they find her disregard for society's standards distasteful.

Much like Austen's works, These Vicious Masks has plenty of witty banter, with Evelyn, Mr. Braddock and sass-master Mr. Kent excelling in verbal sparring, one of the stronger aspects of the novel.

Unlike Austen's novels however, in addition to the rules of Victorian England, Evelyn finds herself surrounded by a completely different society, one made up of individuals who have extraordinary powers due to the evolutionary process of speciation. Look it up non-science types, this non-science gal did!

The powers themselves are pretty standard -- shape shifting, teleportation, precognition, healing and phasing -- with a few not so common ones thrown in, including causing sickness in others and the ability to enter dreams.

While the love triangle aspect of the novel is pretty predictable, I must say the ending had me completely caught off guard, and some stuff I could have sworn I saw coming a mile away never happened. Not in this book at least. So while These Vicious Masks may start off like your seemingly predictably young adult fare (complete with ridiculous dreams and trope-y make out sessions), don't write it off completely. It may surprise you.

THE GOOD
Love a good Victorian setting, especially with a twist
Fun and enjoyable distraction (although not groundbreaking literature)
Witty banter between witty characters is witty

THE BAD
No more love triangles and prophetic dreams in young adult novels please! show less

Evelyn is bored. Bored with dresses and balls, bored with her mother’s constant matchmaking schemes, bored with the petty gentlemen she is forced to be pleasant to.

And so begins just about every Victorian-era book, no matter the genre. This one does branch out a bit more: Evelyn’s sister Rose disappears, and her trail follows a mysterious (and huge) Frenchman into London. With her parents concerned more for their reputation than Rose’s safety, Evelyn runs off to find Rose herself. Enlisting the help of dashing Mr. Kent, Evelyn is also forced to work with the infuriating Mr. Braddock, who has a game changing revelation for her: she and her sister may have special powers.

I’m not one of those people who automatically dismiss YA show more books as beneath my notice. There’s some fantastic work out there and some great stories being told. However, this is one of those genres where it is all too easy to fall into a formulaic trap. Like many recent psychological thrillers have been diminished by trying too hard to be the next Gone Girl, a lot of YA (especially the fantasy genre, which tends to be one of my favorites) suffers by trying to be the next Twilight or Hunger Games. Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A young, headstrong girl is dissatisfied with her life, but unsure what she wants to do to improve it. After a calamitous event, she is forced to engage a wider, crueler world at its own level, discovering herself in the process. Oh, and you naturally need two potential romantic interests for her, one is “safe,” and has been around forever, the other someone she will never ever like, someone just so infuriating. . .

It sometimes seems like the same song set to different music. That’s not to say that books that follow the formula are all bad, but you need great characters, strong writing, and something special to set your story apart. Unfortunately, These Vicious Masks falls a bit short. Evelyn is intelligent and willing to defy convention if she can help others, but never becomes a truly sympathetic character. The love triangle is of the dimensions expected from the genre, and doesn’t deviate from the pattern.

Still, YA fantasy enthusiasts may want to give the book a go. I’ve always said that I am picky about the genre.

An audio book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

great little Victorian gem with a witty heroine, an awesome supporting cast and a cliffy that will make you run to book #2 Let me start by saying that I LOVED this book and I am extremely confused as to why the ratings are on the low side. Not only was it paced expertly, written beautifully and the characters were crafted magnificently it was ultimately executed perfectly. That cliffhanger was admittedly a bit difficult to digest BUT it helped that the next in the series was already available. There is a love triangle of sorts but since the setting is Victorian with a very definite Historical Fiction vibe, the budding romances were extremely tame! The character development was so rich that you couldn't help but fall in love with the show more secondary and tertiary supporting characters as well as the very witty, non damsel in distress heroine. I loved Evelyn's snarky interactions with the very dashing and ever ready to please Mr. Kent and who could resist the master of brooding hunky Mr. Braddock? Who will she ultimately choose?!? This is a rapidly consumed, addictive guilty pleasure that will have you reaching for book #2, These Ruthless Deeds, in no time at all. Enjoy!! show less

I received a free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so entertaining I finished in one sitting. The pitch "Jane Austen meets the X-Men" is pretty accurate. I adored the Victorian England setting, the characters, and the engaging adventure to find Rose. The book was narrated by Heather Wilds who is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. I can't wait to start the next book in the series.

?????????????????????WHYYYYYYYYYYY?????????? THAT ENDING?????????



Other than the ending (>.
There are a lot of really neat little nods to X-Men (of course I was gonna bring it up, it's in the pitch!!) without it being copycat-ish. Miss Grey is pretty much a human Cerebro, but she locates other super-people by dreaming about them??? etc etc

Super quick, super fun. Already need the next book ASAP.