Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Enne's mother is missing.  She told her if she wasn't back in a month, it would be because she was dead.  It'd been two months and Enne was going to find her or find out what happened to her.  She was all she had left.

Harlequin Teen and Edelweiss let me read me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 10th.

She's going to the City of Sin and everything she's read about it makes her want to stay home.  The first thing that happens is that she goes to ask the local police about her mother.  They attempt to retain her and try to question her.  The boy they were harassing before she spoke up tells her to run.  She does but they are after her.  He tells her to dump her luggage and leads her off from the dock.  She has no choice, she follows.

She finds herself joining a bunch of young ones that are gang members.  She only knows one name here and they tell her he'll be back that evening.  She decides to wait since she doesn't know what else to do.  Levi is obnoxious and anxious to get rid of her.  He takes her down a street of prostitutes and other sexual trade to shock her.  It does but she's no shrinking violet.  She's embarrassed but she goes along with him. 

She's entering a world she never imagined existed.  She was going to a finishing school at home and intended to make her debut the following year.  Those skills don't help here.  She learns a lot about herself, she finds herself falling in love with Levi, and she's going to find her destiny here, too.  It's not what she thought it was.  Neither was her mother...

This is a fanciful, exciting read with danger all around.  Just to survive here is a great accomplishment.  As you read, you wonder who is going to die next.  

I enjoyed the suspense and the bits of magic in the tale.  I'm hoping there may be another in this series.