These Vicious Masks

Characters

Where do I start? I loved Evelyn. Loved loved loved. She had spark, gusto, whatever else you want to call it. She was an Elizabeth Bennett (I'm going to do a lot of Pride and Prejudice comparisons, so be prepared for those). Evelyn, while not being able to do a lot of things because she was a woman in the late 1800s, she was still able to get a lot done in her search for her sister. She wasn't helpless which made me so, so happy.

Mr. Kent, I was afraid about him. It was clear he was Mr. Wickham in this story, but turns out, not quite. I loved him too. He had so many lovely interactions with Evelyn. I just loved his voice and his personality. He calls himself a detective and at one point he has a Sherlock Holmes moment, giving this elaborate explanation on how he noticed so many things about this clerk. When Evelyn, shocked by his ability to do this, asks if he really noticed all of that, he goes "No, don't be absurd. It's not that complicated. I just appealed to his humanity, (58). It was at that moment I said, Yes, I love you. Please don't be a horrible person at the end.

And then we get to our Mr. Darcy: Mr. Sebastian Braddock. He was very standoffish at the beginning. But like his Pride and Prejudice counterpart, he had many secrets and reasons for his behavior. He wanted to protect Evelyn, like Mr. Kent, but he did it in a way that excluded her. She would leave her behind and try to do things on his own, which always lead to Evelyn sneaking off to do her own detective work.

I loved Braddock too. I just loved all the characters.

Plot

Pride and Prejudice feel with a missing sister and magical abilities? Count me in! Ugh, I cannot express enough how much I loved this story. The magical abilities that certain people have in this story are great. There was a surprise person (no spoilers of course) who had a power, and I was like YES! This person is awesome! The way these abilities work were interesting too. I also liked that there was not a perfect ability. Everything/everyone had a flaw.

Reading the different ways that Kent and Braddock went about searching for Rose, the tension between the two men. There is even a love triangle, and I'm not a huge fan of those, but in this story, it works. I like that it's not clear who Evelyn would pick, and I'm not sure who she should pick. Both men have their secrets, have their flaws.

And that ending! Very well done. Lots of actions, twists and turns. Just an overall, fabulous read.

Rating: 4.5 / 5 STARS ~ Fantastic! Like, you don’t understand how fantastic this was. READ IT.

REVIEW.
From the moment I saw the description of the book, Jane Austen meets X-Men set in Victorian London, I wanted to have this one. To me, this is a perfect mix. I love everything Jane Austen, and combining that with the X-Men is just amazing ! Totally fangirling over the combination haha. Unfortunately, it was not released yet. So I kept waiting, and when it came out I got it as soon as possible.

I had some trouble with finding a new book that would stick to read after my last ones, Underwater and Illuminae. Sometimes when I read a good story it is harder to pick something new.. I try a couple ones, put them away again after a few pages, because I’m just not in the mood for anything. So after a few misses I remembered this one and decided to give it a try.

It is always a guess if it will be a good one or not. Even though the summary sounded amazing, the writers could still mess it up. But, luckily this was not the case. I really LOVED and thoroughly ENJOYED reading this book. The story enthralled me from the beginning and I wanted to read more and more. And of course, I could not stop reading until I had finished it.. so I had quite the late night yesterday haha.

I had quite the surprise at the beginning of the story. I just started to relax and get in the zone, sipping from my cup of tea, when suddenly something came by I really did not expect (it was quite funny) and I sprayed my tea all over ! Fortunately for me, I was alone at the moment haha XD But well, it made me like the book instantly, getting right over my mini reading block.

So basically this story is about Evelyn traveling to London to find her sister. She disappeared and nobody else believes she is kidnapped for her healing abilities. So, Evelyn will go herself and rescue her, to safe her sister and protect her reputation. Luckily she gets help from the charming and funny Mr. Kent, followed soon by Mr. Braddock as well. Of course, things do not go as planned and they seem to have no success in finding her. And not only that, but soon she finds out she has powers herself. Luckily they find some leads of her sister and end up on a wild chase all around London. But time is pressing when they find out some crazy doctor who wants to find the science behind their powers has her. And.. I don’t want to spoil more ^^

The story is set in Victorian England (London) and I love that time period. Women in beautiful dresses, going from one ball to the other, calling each other Miss and Mister.. It all seems so classy and pretty. Of course it wasn’t, and women were supressed a lot.. but nowadays everyone is so blunt and rude, I love how decent everyone was around that time, even though, below the surface, it was all fake.
Because it all happened in this time period, you have multiple things to consider when writing it. It is not all fantasy, but it has to be accurate in some ways as well. Society’s standard was everything around that time and you have to put it in consideration with everything you do, and how that might reflect on your reputation, and the reputation of your family.
The writers did a pretty good job shaping that world, and I felt, well, like I was in the middle of a spectacular Jane Austen novel, surrounded with all kinds of crazy powers.

So about those powers.. I liked how they wanted to give it a logical explanation, trying to do research and making it more into a science. It does fit with the time period as well, because science was making big leaps. Though I would have preferred other methods.

So for the romance. It was there. She had two suitors so to say, and both of them have some really good qualities.. but I’m team Sebastian. I adore him much more, and well.. he needs her more than Mr. Kent. Even though Mr. Kent is quite funny and I just love his bashful attitude. I had some trouble in the beginning who I wanted her to end up with.. But after a while Sebastian really grew on me and at the ending of the book, it is still not really clear who she will end up with, but I had my preferences clear.. so hooray for that one.
But, before you think “Oh no not another useless love triangle completely ruining everything”, this is not the case. Yes there is some romance, some flirting, but it is not the main event of the plot. Even though she has some feelings for them it really is not the main focus of the book, and I for one am very happy about that.

So, of course I want to talk a little bit about the main characters as well. I loved Evelyn, our narrator and main focus of the book. For someone of her time she was very progressive and active. I loved that she wanted more out of life then just being someone’s wife. How, when her sisters disappeared, she did not doubt for one moment not to go out and find her sister back. How, even though she is a woman in a difficult time, she still went places she should not go and threw herself in the middle of fights. She really is an admirable person. Oh, and how I loved her bickering with Sebastian (Yes I want to call him Sebastian and not Mr. Braddock). The sparks and attraction flew around my ears and damn.. how I loved them together. Sebastian was kind of a tortured soul.. happens with someone of his background, but he really tried to help and I felt so sad for him (and Evelyn) at the ending..

I do know that it was written by two authors, but when reading this book, it all fell in harmony and I noticed nothing of it. They fit really well together.

FAVORITE QUOTES.
“Good, for I can see my mother getting ready to arrange a dance with Mr. Braddock.”
“I see.” Something lit behind his eyes as they landed on Mr. Braddock, and I couldn’t tell if it was amusement or jealousy. “Would that be the fellow over there? He certainly seemed to have gathered quite a following.”
“Indeed, it is.” And Mr. Kent was right. It wasn’t just my mother and a few young women. Every mother in the county was eyeing him, fans fluttering and bosoms quivering. Simpering misses subtly pinched their cheeks and smoothed down their hair. How absurd.”
.
“Before I understood anything, a rough large hand brushed my chin, my face tipped upwards, and his mouth caught mine, and suddenly my entire body was on fire. Whatever odd sensation had thrummed between us before was just the stroke of a violin bow to this clash of an orchestra. I felt the world pass between our lips, tasting champagne, hunger, and something indefinably darker, while his hand ignited sparks down my cheeks to the nape of my neck. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer, forcing that elusive essence to run deeper than my skin, deeper than my veins, until my very bones vibrated.”
.
“We do not remain the same each minute to the next. Every word you hear, every sight you see, every smell, every thought you have, every moment – it all changes you. We keep putting on mask after mask, layer over layers. That’s how one grows.”

FINAL THOUGHTS.
I REALLY REALLY loved this book and the world they shaped around it. I love how action-packed this book was, so many things were happening and it was all really exciting. You just flew right through the pages, going from one event to the next, never really standing still.
At the moment I am totally bummed I have no idea when I can dive back into this world, because I miss it already. So, I would like to give this one *surprise* 5 Freyja’s, because it is worth all of them. And, if you are like me and love this time period and humans gaining powers, I would absolutely recommend this one to you. It is really worthwhile. If you would excuse me now, I’m going to watch Pride & Prejudice (for the hundred time) because it really made me ache for more !

I enjoyed this book. There were parts that were a little drab but for the most part I liked it. I started to feel like everyone she knew was going to have powers. I totally like Mr. Kent and Mr. Braddock and having to choose between the two would be rather hard. I wanted more from the ending but I do like where it ended. I love that it is described as Jane Austen meets X-Men, that is the best way to describe it.

Wow this was intense and amazing! So much going on with incredible characters with insanely awesome powers. I had a hard time putting this book down. Everyone says Jane Austen meets X-men and I think that is a great way to describe what this is like. But that ending is tearing me apart and I need the next book and to know what happens next! Can't wait to continue this story.

This was really fun. The pacing could have used some work in some areas, but I had fun with Evelyn and Mr. Braddock and Mr. Kent. Holy smokes, that's the kind of love triangle that really gets me fired up - I shipped Evelyn with both of the men and at the same time didn't want to see her with either of them. I also enjoyed the way everyone's powers unfolded and the moral dilemmas attached.

Very excited to see what the next book will bring (please tell me there is a book 2).

Rating: 3.5

These Vicious Masks really was an origin-type story for the crossover of Jane Austen+X-Men that you may have been looking for.

PLOT:
now 'm gonna type in lowercase. the plot was fine but i think the societal restrictions really dragged for a while. i mean, i guess that's the point. Victorian society sucks. put that on a t-shirt. the villain's motivations were pretty standard so that in itself was not super great. the ending was shocking enough that it made it worth it, and i did like Evelyn so....

CHARACTERS:
honestly, Evelyn really carried this for me. her humor was *on point* and i laughed a lot. Sebastian was an interesting enough love interest and the way his "darkness" was called out was enjoyable enough. Nick (uhh i forgot his last name) was the suave snarky love interest so obviously i loved him?? i wish Rose had more character development besides being the angel-who-does-no-wrong but i did care about her peril. anyway, Evelyn was hilarious and determined and unafraid so A+

OVERALL:
this was a fun book. romance really took a backseat. i'd say Evelyn was more like Katniss in the way that she didn't care about boys, just help her get to her sister, dang it. the X-Men-y part of everything was also present but not too heavy. most of the superpowers our protagonists had were passive so that was a little bit of a disappointment (although the way Sebastian's power and Evelyn's power worked together made for an interesting situation that i'd be happy to explore in the next books). i stand by giving this book 3 stars with a .5 due to Evelyn's surprising likability.

**REVIEW COPIED FROM MY GOODREADS PROFILE**

This book was really fun and witty. Think Jane Austen meets X-Men meets Libba Bray's A GREAT & TERRIBLE BEAUTY. I had a lot of fun reading and thought it was a fast read (always nice when you're in school). I do think though there needs to be a sequel because not everything was explained well. Hopefully that will happen so we can really understand the world building and Evelyn too

I loved this book, it was definitely something different. The characters are unique and interesting and there are some really funny parts. I can't wait for the next one. The only thing I did not like was there is some growth with the main character and you want to yell "seriously" you didn't think of that? All in all though I could not put it down!!!

If anyone wants to read a paranormal romance set in the Victorian era, read the Arcane Society Series by Amanda Quick/Jayne Anne Krentz! That series is awesome! Personally I love romance novels, and I don't think there's anything wrong with a book being a romance novel. Instead this book sells itself as a young adult Jane Austen meets the X-Men novel, when pretty much its just plain ol romance, but without any romance!!

One of my main problems with the book is that is set in the Victorian era, but the authors can't quite keep to the rules and norms of said era. Why bother? Only one time does Evelyn face the consequences of behaving badly in society, but I felt that was more for the authors benefit than because of any societal expectations. The authors never explain how she is going to support herself or where she gets money, etc. Especially after the authors go out of the way to tell us that Evelyn's parents are broke.

Second, I really didn't like Evelyn at all. Yes, she is spunky, intelligent and independent but she's also a big ol dummy (in my opinion). She goes to a brothel?? She almost gets raped, killed, etc. Everyone is trying to protect her but she just can't let anyone do what they are best at. I just absolutely hate when authors make smart women act that way. Smart women DO NOT act like nagging idiots. All she does is go running around trying to get herself killed in every chapter

Third I have a problem with everyone's ages and how the book presents itself. The main character, is I think 16. But she acts more like 18-21. Her two love interests seem like 25-30. That would never fly in a young adult book. Way too creepy even if its the norm by Victorian standards. In most romance novels, the heroine is a little older for that particular reason. And in young adult fiction the characters are all about high school age. Again it just makes me think that the authors created this world without any thought of really having their characters live it in. Things were just a little to easily explained without any background.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

What I Liked:

I should probably give this book a lower rating but I can't. I enjoyed some aspects so much! Other aspects really REALLY annoyed me. Not nearly as polarizing as Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - the only thing I really couldn't stand about that book was the ending (everything else was lovely!). But there were some big things that didn't sit well with me - it could just be me though!

Evelyn has always been bored when it comes to society and balls and operas and social gatherings. She's made her debut so she's supposed to be on the hunt for her husband. Unfortunately, her younger sister mysteriously disappears, and it's up to Evelyn to find her. She heads to London with her friend Mr. Kent, but stumbles upon a situation must larger than her or Rose. To save Rose, Evelyn must accept Mr. Braddock's help, as well as accept some frightening things about the world - and herself.

I absolutely adore Evelyn. She's hilarious and so snarky/sassy - her sarcasm and wit is EXACTLY like my sense of humor/camaraderie, so we'd probably get along well (I don't *think* we'd hate each other?). Evelyn is a bit angry, confrontational, bold, and outspoken. She's somewhat impulsive, and she's absolutely determined to find her sister when Rose disappears. Evelyn's qualities make her a very likable heroine, one that I enjoyed following.

The story is set in nineteenth-century England, which I'm very familiar with and really love (I read waaaay too many adult historical romance novels!). The authors did an excellent job of constructing the world and getting the time period correct, as well as authentically creating the setting and dialogue and whatnot. And then there is the paranormal aspect, which I also thought was well-written.

There are people with extraordinary abilities, like superhuman strength, healing, being able to create doors out of nowhere and travel through them, see the future. Several key players in the story have abilities, which Evelyn slowly discovers. At first she's skeptical, but then she sees the abilities at work with her own eyes.

There are two male protagonists - unfortunately. Sebastian (Mr. Braddock) is our lovely brooding hero who helps Evelyn enter and understand the hidden paranormal world. Sebastian is such an intriguing and captivating character, and I really liked interactions and scenes with him involved.

Nicholas (Mr. Kent), on the other hand, just wasn't as interesting. He's Evelyn's friend, but I had a weird feeling about him from the start. I think he's an okay guy in general, and he's loyal to Evelyn, but there is something off about him.

There is romance in this book, but not nearly enough to really discuss. You could say that things have transpired between Mr. Braddock and Evelyn, but not enough to say that they have some earth-shattering love or something. I adored the interactions between Evelyn and Sebastian - they had a lot of cute banter and temperamental "fights" and general hilarious encounters.

I think I was a bit let down by the end of this book! This book could benefit from a sequel (I really really hope there will be a sequel). A lot happened all at once, and the ending felt open. Hopefully there will be more to follow!

What I Did Not Like:

For a book published by an imprint called "Swoon Reads", there was a distinct lack of actual swoon. That would be my first complaint. Where the heck are all the feels and swoony scenes? And kissing scenes too? Hmph.

Next complaint - you could say that there is potential for a love triangle to appear. Sebastian has feelings for Evelyn. I think Nicholas always had feelings for Evelyn. Evelyn... doesn't love Nicholas and has feelings for Sebastian, but the ending of this book isn't good enough for me, in terms of the romance, to make me think that there will be NO love triangle ever. Like it really wasn't a love triangle in this book, but I could see the authors throwing one in there just for the heck of it, in future books. If there will be anything to follow this one.

On that note, my third complaint. What the heck was up with that ending?! It wasn't necessary cruel, but it wasn't "nice" either. Hello? Swoon Reads? There was little swoon and no HEA. Not to mention the romance could have been a little more *there*. Also kissing. There was a death in the ending, and that didn't really bother me. The lack of resolution in terms of the romance? Definitely bothered me.

So... sequel? I'm pretty confident that there'll be one, but it would help to know for sure. It probably wouldn't make my rating go up to know that there will be one (if there will be one), but it would certainly make me feel better. Or worse, if the authors are planning to develop a love triangle. In that case, no thank you. End everything where it is.

Would I Recommend It:

Okay look. I think I liked this book. It was good! But those things mentioned above are pretty big and pretty annoying to me, so the rating went down and so did my chances of recommending this book. Perhaps read it at once book two publishes (I'm almost 100% sure there will be a sequel. Gut feeling.). This book is a feel-good cute one but like, up until a point.

Rating:

3 stars. I'll definitely read the next book (I'm going off the assumption that there WILL be a second book), but I'm slightly disappointed by this book. It's so sad because of all of Macmillan's spring publishing, this was the one I was looking forward to the most! And it was... okay. Somewhat.

An amazing, lush read with excellent characters and slow-burning romance. Think X-Men meets the Victorian era, and you’re somewhat on track, although the book is much more than that. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to just about anyone. Go read it. NOW. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great romp through a world of underground magical talent. It was mentioned that there are X-Men similarities and that's absolutely the case. Evelyn has the power to heal both herself and others. When her sister, Rose, is stolen, Evelyn is the only one who believes she didn't run away. She travels to London to rescue Rose. Along the way she meets others with powers, such as Sebastian, who has the terrible power of making anyone around him sick with prolonged exposure.
This is an entertaining mixture of mystery and romance with a handful of magical powers thrown in.

England, 1882. Evelyn would rather do anything than spend another night at another interminable party with the same vapid women and the same eligible bachelors that her mother considers ideal candidates for marriage. Evelyn has no desire to be married off so quickly and disappear behind the veiled curtain of domesticity.

Little surprise, then, that Evelyn immediately secures passage to London when her younger sister Rose disappears under mysterious circumstances.

Accompanied on her search by the dashing Mr. Kent and the brooding Sebastian Braddock (who claims Evelyn and her sister have healing powers), Evelyn is thrown in a world of secrets populated by extraordinary people. Evelyn isn't sure what to believe or who to trust. The only thing Evelyn knows for certain is that she has to find Rose before it's too late in These Vicious Masks (2016) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas.

These Vicious Masks is the first novel from Shanker and Zekas. It is also the start of a series.

These Vicious Masks starts with a fun premise. Victorian England. Romance. Superpowers. Action. This book literally has it all complete with a heroine with decidedly modern sensibilities (something that was, personally, less satisfying to read than a character operating within the social mores and expectations of her era).

Evelyn's narration is filled with snark and humor as she bemoans her status an a young (bored) debutante before her sister's disappearance. The story is filled with evocative descriptions but thinner on historical detail with the time period serving more as set dressing for the novel than an integral part of the plot.

Readers will follow Evelyn's search for Rose with as much interest as they will her romantic prospects with the appropriately contrasting suitors of Mr. Kent and Mr. Braddock in a love triangle that is filled with intrigue and tension.

These Vicious Masks is a fast-paced and super fun read. Ideal for fans of light historical fiction and superhero adventure. An open-ended conclusion and shocks in the denouement promise an exciting next installment.

Possible Pairings: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason, The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman, A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey, A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee, The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan, Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I absolutely loved this book - I devoured it in a few days. It was so riveting that I couldn't put it down!
I felt immediately and completely transported, which is exactly how I hope to feel when reading a book.
It's wonderful, and I would recommend it to all of my friends!

The character development and plot were unique and well done. More than I ever expected this book to be! I loved the abilities the characters had, and the ending was good - without being predictable. Nicely done!

The catch phrase from goodreads totally worked on me : “Jane Austen meets X-Men in this gripping and adventure-filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.” As soon as I saw it, I needed that book.

If you read Pride and Prejudice, you’ll smile at a lot of situations and will guess some things, but it doesn’t spoil the book at all. The X-men comparison however might not have been the best. I guess it was chosen because of the special abilities some of the characters possess, and not because there’s some kind of school or super team (maybe in the sequel?). Still, I wasn’t disappointed at all. It was all perfectly balanced according to the setting and the time.

Speaking of which, the story is set in England, 1882. The protagonist, Evelyn, resembles Elizabeth Bennet a lot, she has only one sister who’s dearly loved by her family and their neighbourhood. Evelyn doesn’t want to marry and to mingle with people, she is extremely bored by the rules of society; it really felt like a girl from our time was thrown to the 1880s and was totally not okay with the way things are (as one should). She’s also very witty and sarcastic, my favourite kind of protagonist to follow!

Mr.Braddock reminds us of Mr.Darcy in a very exaggerate way; but it’s really funny and it all makes sense when you read more about him. It’s the case for almost all of the characters, they are not really what they seem to be, which explains the title. There’s a lot of secondary characters that are very well written and that I loved to read about.

The villain is my only disappointment, he could have been better, scarier. Maybe the light tone of the novel made me not really care about him, I don’t know. But it was not a really big regret, it was still better than in other books and I’m sure we’ll see more of the true evil in the sequel!

Evelyn is constantly worried and focused on finding her sister and even if this could be a gloomy subject, the book remain funny and made me laugh out loud many times. But the book still manage to do so without turning Evelyn into some sort of weird girl or into a person glad to have an adventure at the expense of her sister. It all gravitates around this disappearance and the search which is very interesting. Alongside Evelyn, we’ll go through the streets of London, and as I love Victorian London setting (if you don’t know what I mean, picture yourself the last Christmas Special of Sherlock, or the last Assassin’s Creed game) it was a pleasure to read.

“Please wait for me, I’ll be home shortly. Feel free to save Robert’s life if you’re bored.”

Evelyn always wants to see for herself, doesn’t want the guys to go without her and to be left behind, and if that’s the case, she goes alone (quick reminder: that was not proper at all at the time). She’s betrayed, manipulated, but always heading head first into troubles. She never gives up, no matter the risks for her reputation.

As you’d guess the two men can be seen as love interests but even if Evelyn feels some things (which is understandable) she tries to keep her head on the main issue : her sister. I tend to hate love triangle but here there was almost no romance, mainly some flirtation but all this with a very fast paced story and it never bored me, it was really fun.

I will totally keep an eye open for the sequel and preorder it as soon as I can!

“All the ending does is ruin perfectly good suspense,” he said with a wink and headed for the door.”