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    These Vicious Masks
    These Vicious Masks
    These Vicious Masks
    Audiobook8 hours

    These Vicious Masks

    Written by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

    Narrated by Heather Wilds

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 1, 2017
    ISBN9781541478992
    These Vicious Masks
    Author

    Tarun Shanker

    Tarun Shanker is a writer living in Los Angeles whose idea of paradise consists of kung-fu movies, David Bowie and chai tea. Since completing his first horrible screenplay in high school, he's written everything from one-act plays and film criticism to humour pieces and strongly-worded emails. He's also magnetized, crushed and burned the hard drive where that first screenplay can be found. He is the co-author of These Vicious Masks.

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    Reviews for These Vicious Masks

    3.5/5

    106 ratings23 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I bought this book after hearing it described as "Jane Austen meets X-Men," as those happen to be two of my favorite things. Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas didn't disappoint. Imagine the usual snark of Austen (Northanger Abbey in particular, I'd say), mixed with mutant-like super powers, and written in the YA Romance genre. That's really everything you need to know.
    • 3/5
      Though this was a hard book to get into, I was determined to get through this story. Now I am thoroughly disappointed. I felt that the characters were not fully developed and lacking believability. I would recommend this to my 7th - 8th-grade girls, I feel that the boys would have a difficult time getting to the story like I did. It could also be that I had just finished Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, and was still thinking about that story, which is the difficulty in going from book to book.
    • 3/5
      X-Men set in the Victorian period. It has its charms if you like that premise but... I don't know.
    • 5/5
      I loved everything about this series. The dialogue was so witty and had me laughing out loud a lot. I really fell in love with the characters, even the secondary and tertiary characters. The narrator was also very enjoyable to listen to and definitely got Evelyn's dry sarcasm down. It was incredibly enjoyable and is definitely a new addition to my list of favorite books/series. I highly recommend it.
    • 5/5
      This story begins like a historical romance. Our heroine Evelyn is bored with the Season and wishes she could travel instead. She is stubborn and snarky. She and her younger sister Rose also do some nursing which appalls here society conscious mother. In fact, they have quite a reputation in the area where they live for their success in treating illness and injury. They are attending a ball one evening when introduced to the nephew of the host. Mr. Sebastian Braddock who is a regular Byronic hero. This annoys Evelyn who believes that he is only playing a role to attract women. They also meet a very large Frenchman who wants Rose to come cure his ailing sister. Also in attendance is Mr. Nicholas Kent who is a persistent suitor and co-conspirator of Evelyn's.When Rose is disappears leaving a note that seems false to Evelyn and packing an odd assortment of clothing, Evelyn is certain that she has been kidnapped. Her parents are more concerned about their family reputation than finding Rose which leaves headstrong Evelyn to do it.She heads off to London to find and rescue her sister where the story takes a turn to the magical. It seems that there are people who have fantastic talents and at least one mad scientist who wants to study them. This scientist has taken Rose because he sees her as having a talent for healing. In fact, it is Evelyn who has that talent though she doesn't know it at first. Mr. Braddock offers to assist her in finding her sister if she will use her talent to heal a friend. Mr. Kent is also eager to be of assistance to Evelyn.As the exciting story goes on, we learn that both Sebastian and Nicholas has talents of their own and what could be a typical historical romance quickly becomes something quite different. Fans of strong heroines, adventure, and mystery will enjoy this excellent story.
    • 5/5
      can't wait for the sequel!
    • 3/5
      While I usually love historical romance, this one just isn't doing it for me. I do love the heroine's snark and wittiness, but something just isn't hooking me for this series. Me thinks the lady dost protest too much. And she is clueless about Mr. Kent. For all she is supposed to be so smart, she definitely doesn't have the social smarts going on, and that annoys me. Sigh. I'll keep up with the series for my library, but probably won't finish it myself.
    • 3/5
      Though this was a hard book to get into, I was determined to get through this story. Now I am thoroughly disappointed. I felt that the characters were not fully developed and lacking believability. I would recommend this to my 7th - 8th-grade girls, I feel that the boys would have a difficult time getting to the story like I did. It could also be that I had just finished Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, and was still thinking about that story, which is the difficulty in going from book to book.
    • 4/5
      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 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!!
    • 3/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      Review based on ARC (advanced readers' copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).Review based on audio CD.I've often said that a reader can make or break a book... sometimes, however, the reader isn't your favorite, but the story withstands it. This was one of those instances. The reader for this book stated essentially every non-dialog sentence archly (and a fair number of the dialog sentences too). It was irritating and distracting. Although I understand the main character, and maybe a couple others, were supposed to be, I don't know, sardonic or sarcastic or whatever would naturally result in their thought process coming across that way... it just just fell awkwardly when every single sentence was phrased that way. And I know the reader *could* read in other ways because dialog was read more naturally (except for the more "arch" characters), so I'm not sure why she made the decision. But it was weird.Nonetheless, the story was interesting enough that I kept listening and eventually *largely* became accustomed to the reading style. I was so into the story, in fact, that I checked out the e-version from the library so I could get through it faster (flipping back and forth between the e-version and the audio version)! (That's one of the down-sides to listening to audio on CD -- you can't speed up the reading to 1.5x speed, which is how I listen to most books.) It is about a young girl (I believe she is seventeen), Evelyn, whose sister Rose is taken by some unsavory characters and Evelyn's seeking her sister in order to rescue her -- aided in large part by two men who she may or may not have a romantic interest in... or vice versa. I know, teen love/teen triangles. Normally very eye-roll worthy. But it was actually okay for me in this one -- maybe because I liked the rest of the story. And sure, I thought the triangle-aspect was ... confusing and ... contrived. As I usually do. But it wasn't enough to put me off of the rest of the story. And I clearly thought there was one "worthy" contender here, but a triangle can't exist without a second, right? Aaaaanyway. I don't want to spoil the story, so I won't say much. But there is fun in the discovery of things, in the interpersonal relationships other than the love-triangle, even in some of the relationship development within the triangle, and in the figuring it all out. I will add that there is a "supernatural" element to it all ... though it is "based" in science. I like that sort of thing. I enjoy new explanations for made-up things. :) Overall, FOUR of five stars. Definitely will read (or listen to!) the next in the series!I'll add as a spoiler PS my biggest "complaint" (and it's not much of a complaint...) I found the resemblance to a lot of X-Men a bit obvious. But, hey, at least I enjoy the X-Men.
    • 2/5
      Full disclosure: I’m a baby-boomer male so I am not exactly your target audience for a Victorian-era urban fantasy about a precocious teenage girl with superpowers. That said, the blurb about this book did sound intriguing so I decided to give it a try. Sometimes when you take a chance you find some real gems. This isn’t one of those times. The story starts out great with a dedication to Calvin and Hobbes but unfortunately, it goes downhill from there. Some readers have described it as a mix between Pride and Prejudice and the X-Men which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing if it also added the exquisite character development and dialogue of the former and the original mutant abilities of the latter. Unfortunately, what the authors clearly hoped was the inspired wrangling of Darcy and Elizabeth was in reality tedious bickering interspersed on rare occasions with mawkish romance. What came off as headstrong in Elizabeth Bennet was just plain rude and tiresome in Evelyn Wyndham. The plot is little more than an incessant string of arguments, chase scenes, fights featuring uninspired special abilities. Bottom line: I realize that it takes a lot of work and often hardship for an author to write a book and get it published so I take no pleasure in giving any book a negative review but there are so many inspired young adult novels out there that it is a shame to have to spend time reading one that falls short. Had I not committed to writing a review for this I probably would not have finished it. * The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending. *1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
    • 3/5
      A Victorian age detective thriller story with super powers. The plot is good, if not a generic super hero plot. Based on the ending though, it most likely is a setting for future books. The main protagonist and supporting characters are well written and interesting. The writing and narration is well done as it does have a Victorian age feel. Like most super hero stories, the villain is generic and doesn't really stand out. Also some super powers are bit too convenient. Overall, though, it is a good book with a good story. If you are looking for a novelization of super heroes and enjoy alternate history books, you'll most likely enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.These Vicious Masks was an enjoyable blend of Jane Austin and X-Men. The book was about a high-born society girl, who is not at all enthralled with society life. When her sister mysteriously goes missing, Evelyn decides she will do anything to get her back. On her journey she encounters people with inexplicable powers and learns that she has a power as well.The story was well written and had wonderful character development of the main characters. You truly grow to love the main character’s personalities and their personal growth throughout the story. I do wish the development of the antagonist was a bit better as it would have strengthened the story, but the main characters are so wonderful that they help you look past that.My best recommendation for this book is, against my initial expectations, I immediately purchased that second book in the series. It is a fun read with a historical and supernatural twist.
    • 3/5
      I got this title as an audiobook free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book in the beginning. It was lighthearted and fun. I giggled and smiled at several points throughout this book. It's plot was sweet and original and I enjoyed the time period it was set in, but I felt that the story could have been wrapped up more quickly than it was. If it had ended sooner, my score would have been higher. I listened to the audiobook on my hour long commute home from work. After 2 weeks of the story going on I was ready for it to be done. There were several times I thought the ending was near but the story kept going. Overall I found it to be a sweet read and the plot was interesting but after hearing it for so long I was ready for the end.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. The main character's sarcasm made me laugh out loud many times! The idea of gifts people have is pretty cool, but the plot got too tangled up in drama/mystery. The ending felt a bit abrupt and unfinished.
    • 4/5
      A brilliant book. I figured it would be. Well written, well researched, and a sequel coming soon! I couldn't as for more. Such a great book. I would recommend it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.It's not that I disliked this book so much as that it didn't particularly stand out to me. It's an interesting premise and I suppose I should have been more attached to the characters. I liked that the plot wasn't predictable and I enjoyed the idea behind it...but for some reason, this book seems forgettable to me. I have no intention of reading the sequel(s).
    • 4/5
      If you want something like Miss Peregrine with a Regency romance-ish taste, this novel is for you.Evelyn lives in English in 1882, but she isn’t your typical girl wanting marriage and money. She wants to travel and see the world; her mother, however, says she must make a match. The story quickly takes a totally different turn when her sister is kidnapped. Only Evelyn spots the clues that indicate Rose has been kidnapped, so she leaves her parents home and travels to London with Mr. Kent to find and rescue her sister. Evelyn isn’t a detective, so she wonders how she’ll find her sister. Mr. Kent delivers her to his own family’s house to have a place to stay. The problem is that his family does not like her. She doesn’t help by disappearing and going about town unaccompanied and soiling her reputation. Sebastian Braddock also arrives in London to help--a man that Evelyn doesn’t trust or understand. As she begins to uncover the mystery of Rose, Evelyn uncovers another truth--there are people with extraordinary abilities and a man experiments on them. It’s this man that has Rose and believes Rose to be special. As Evelyn collects other “specials,” she gets closer to saving her sister.I read this book in about four hours. I was in a reading mood and enjoyed the story. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be a historical romance set in the London season about a girl choosing between two men. There would be some danger, one would save her, and they would fall in love. I was wrong. This is merely book one, and the story only partially ends. The extraordinary people will be the story in book two. This was just the beginning. It reminded me of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children in some ways--because of the abilities of the characters, but it’s not as fanciful. It is meant for an older reader (8th grade+), reading like a romance almost. I like the characters, the interesting twists, and the curiosity of where it’s going. I also didn’t expect the end--I was surprised. Overall, I liked it.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: England’s societal expectations aren’t the only problem for Evelyn in this first novel.Opening Sentence: Death.The Review:These Vicious Masks is the first of a new series by Tarun Shanker. In it, English society and supernatural powers clash as Evelyn struggles to find her sister, a beautiful young nurse who has gone against the odds and created a reputation for healing, despite her gender. When she goes missing, Evelyn is willing to run away from home, risk it all, and put everything on the line – but thankfully she’ll have the help of a couple allies. Mr. Kent, her good friend, is as loyal as she could ever hope, and the infuriating but gorgeous Mr. Broddock will be tagging along with his mysterious remarks. Throw a little magical power into the mix, and its sure to be a story with plenty of action.As a reader, in order to connect with a book, I really need to appreciate the setting and tone. Some of my favorite books are those with moody Southern settings or eerie, intriguing settings. I need some interesting, provocative feeling that goes along with the genre. For historical settings like these, I expect atmospheric, lush descriptions of gorgeous balls and elaborate dresses. That being said, I came into the story with an expectation of what I wanted the novel to convey. Overall, I think this was done decently, which was a relief. The imagery was lush. The characters did seem to fit in that time period.Despite how I enjoyed the setting, I did have some problems with the novel, most of which center on the YA cliche that I had hoped were done for: the love triangle. Yes, there is a love triangle – gag – but thankfully no insta love, so at least there’s that. There are two love interests, and they pretty much fit into the mold of every other love triangle ever. There is one friend that Evelyn feels comfortable with; the loyal one, the friendly one, the constant companion. Then there’s the new boy that enters the scene: mysterious, brooding, secretive, claiming to be able to explain to Evelyn the magical issue she’s dealing with. So, yeah, pretty typical.Usually, despite the cliches and the overusage of these cookie-cutter characters, I’m cheering on the brooding one. However, in this novel, I really couldn’t care less who she chose. Both were subpar, in my opinion, but then again, I’m confident that Evelyn doesn’t even need a man. She’s strong and independent, and I enjoyed her steadfast drive and motivation even when times got tough. I also liked her snarky personality. It was nice to get a bit of humor in there every once and awhile, and the banter with both boys was pretty fun.Altogether, then, I thought These Vicious Masks was a pretty good book. I liked the setting and the main character, even though I disliked the love interests. The plot wasn’t anything too unique, but the English setting added an element of originality that acted as a hook. There was plenty of action. One thing I wish I had seen was more sides to the antagonist, Dr. Beck, or a more dynamic character than the slight glimpses of humanity that we read about. Hopefully, the second book will explore an antagonist with a little bit more depth. I did enjoy the ending, which includes a pretty big twist, and took a creative risk that I really appreciated in the long run!Notable Scene:“I don’t find him particularly unique,” I cheerfully lied.He waved his folded program as if it contained his proof, and he almost hit a passing couple. “I doubt you’ll find anyone in London who is better.”“I especially liked his Hamlet,” Laura proclaimed. “And last year’s King Lear.”“Oh, yes, I saw King Lear four times!”“How unfortunate for you,” I said, finding my role as cynical baiter rather easy and enjoyable.FTC Advisory: Swoon Reads provided me with a copy of These Vicious Masks. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      I bought this book after hearing it described as "Jane Austen meets X-Men," as those happen to be two of my favorite things. Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas didn't disappoint. Imagine the usual snark of Austen (Northanger Abbey in particular, I'd say), mixed with mutant-like super powers, and written in the YA Romance genre. That's really everything you need to know.
    • 2/5
      These Vicious Masks was a good enough story while I was reading it, but each time I put it down I realized that I didn't feel driven to get back to it. The beginning started out with its nods to Pride and Prejudice, which was pleasant enough, and then the action came and went until the halfway mark before I had my first and only moment of feeling like we were onto something big. From that point on, things were slightly more interesting with the mystery. Other than Evelyn, the characters never had any real spark apart from their mystery. As horrid as this is to say, I feel like this would have made a more interesting comic book. *clears throat* Like the X-Men maybe?The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Why I Read or Shouldn't Have Read This BookAlthough I was drawn to the synopsis in general, it was the mention of Jane Austen that had me. A late 1800's time set in England appeals to me like to other time and setting.I have limited knowledge when it comes to the X-Men. I adore the cover, and as a recovering cover ****, I fell off the wagon here. I read mostly literary, classics and other adult fare that most often delivers a jaw dropping memorable experience, choosing only YA that I think can live up. In all fairness, it is the rare YA fantasy that can hold a candle to what I normally read.Enough said.