These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks #2)

                Hello happy readers!  Its drawing ever closer to ApollyCon and I am beyond stoked!  I have my books stacked and waiting to be sticky-noted and packed.  I’m not going to be able to read as many books by authors attending as I had hoped but I have done pretty well.  Today I’m going to share my thoughts and feels on a new release that comes out tomorrow and an ARC I was thrilled to get approved for on NetGalley, These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks #2) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                I have been waiting for this book since the end of These Vicious Masks (review) last year.  It had been a while for me and many books in between so I went back and read my old review and skimmed the end again to make sure I had all my facts straight.  It was so easy to dive back into this world of powers and upper England society.  We start out running, Evelyn still in pain over losing her sister Rose, is working to find other gifted people like herself and keep them safe starting with a telekinetic her old tutor knows.  Things don’t go smoothly and they come face to face with the Society of Aberrations, the same society that the evil doctor worked for.  Not a great first impression.  They try to convince Evelyn and her friends that the doctor was rogue and they were really all about what she is, finding and helping those like them and making the world better.  They offer much from repairing her reputation, restoring her family’s fortunes, and the like she wants to believe them.  To be part of something so good, but she is still leery that it is too good to be true and there must be something more sinister beneath the surface.

                Evelyn has really embraced her abilities and the whole new world of powers as a whole.  She is trying to be the best that she can be, what she things Rose would have wanted her to do.  She is still grieving but still things around her keep moving.  She is unable to tell everyone about her ability or what really happened to Rose or risk being thrown in the asylum.  She is a strong character who really moves forward with gusto.  She doesn’t always make the smartest choices, there is one in particular that has serious consequences I still haven’t recovered from I don’t approve of but she is true to who she is at each step.  She grows throughout the series thus far but doesn’t magically change into a different person it’s a development that I like.  Mr. Kent, the good friend who has feelings for her is so much fun to read.  I love when they are together their banter is just so on point.  He has some of the best lines and moments throughout the book and constantly had me laughing.  On the flip side of the romantic feelings we have dark and moody Mr. Braddock who has a horrible ability in making those he is near or touch ill or die.  Yep not a winner on powers.  He is such a good guy with a good heart who is plagued by this power and the devastation it causes.  I like him well enough but I do prefer Mr. Kent.  We also get to meet several others with different powers which was pretty fun seeing how they came into play.  Some we love others we don’t care so much for. 

                Book two is by far set at a faster pace and it really drives you through your reading in the best way.  They are constantly on the move between secret missions, training, snooping, and even the society obligations.  There is never a dull moment and the dialogue is on point.  The constant game of who can you trust really keeps the suspense high.  At one point I stopped and made a note to myself where I was at and my prediction about it being important and this whole theory from one little part so I could see if I was right.  I was in part but I went deep in my own thought process there and I look back and love that it made me so curious.  I’m still holding out that part of it will play in later. 

                I really enjoyed this installment and all the action packed feels.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series because the ending...well it left me with those feels.  Like TONS of them.  Like I re-read the ending several times hoping to see something that could fix what broke my heart but so far not looking good.  But we shall see. 

                Until next time…