Tag: heist

Review: Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang

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Alexis sits in a cafe with a matcha latte and the cover of Inferno's Heir

Alexis:

I’m finally making my way through my ARCs! Most recently, I finished Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang, which comes out on October 15th.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Teia Carthan abandoned her morals long ago, and now there’s nothing she won’t do to stay alive. So far she has survived her parents’ deaths, the ire of the Council, and innumerable attempts on her life, orchestrated by Jura, her half brother and soon-to-be king of Erisia. Teia’s rare control over two elements marks her as both an outsider and a formidable opponent—but once Jura is crowned king, there will be no way to survive him. Not for Teia, not for anyone. 

When Jura moves to crush the rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy, Teia sees one last opportunity to ensure her own safety. She can infiltrate the rebels, locate their base . . . and betray them to Jura, trading their lives for her own. 

Yet when Teia meets the rebels, she gets far more than she bargained for. And when she gains not only their trust but their friendship, she begins to have doubts. Perhaps the rebels are right. Perhaps the Golden Palace should be torn down and the monarchy destroyed. 

But then again—what if there is another possibility? What if Teia were on the throne instead?

Review: 

Inferno’s Heir is Six of Crows meets elemental magic with a dash of The Hunger Games. It has fire and water magic, political intrigue, a band of rebels, morally gray characters, and a heist or two. 

I enjoyed the firebending vibes in the story. Wang doesn’t shy away from showing a brutal world, especially when it comes to Jura—and even Teia. Characters are forced to make decisions, whether they end up making the right one or not. 

I’m excited to see where the sequel takes us. There was an interesting bit of lore dropped near the end, and it will definitely be a major player in the next book. I’m also looking forward to getting to know the side characters better.

If you like elemental magic, political intrigue, and morally gray characters, then I recommend giving this one a shot when it comes out in a month!

VERDICT: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bindery Books for my review copy!

Review: The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly

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Alexis holds the Queen of Days next to an orange pumpkin

Alexis:

Are you looking for a new heist book?

From Goodreads: From Greta Kelly, the author of the Warrior Witch duology, comes The Queen of Days, an epic adventure that weaves together a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves, a battle between fallen gods, and stakes high enough to cause vertigo—perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows.

The Queen of Days has

✨A mysterious character named Tass who eats time

✨Dangerous mission to defeat a god

✨Crew of misfits/thiefs

✨Portal to different dimension

By far my favorite part of the book was Tass. Since she’s not human, her interactions and conversations were always funny, and I enjoyed her perspective and getting to unravel her past as the story went on. Her time-eating power was so interesting and unique, and I loved the way it was explained.

As much as I love a good band of misfits and thieves, I do wish this book had a stronger plot. I felt like there were more conversations than action. But I did enjoy the story overall.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks so much to Harper Voyager for my arc!

Review: Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

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A copy of Among Thieves rests on a gray blanket next to a candle and a dilute calico cat.

Alexis:

Among Thieves was actually the last book I read in 2021!

It’s a heist novel set in a dark, gritty world. We follow many POVs, but all of the characters are working for Callum Clem, the leader of the Saints gang. In this world, there are magical people called Adepts who are brainwashed and owned as slaves by the people in power.

There were many aspects of this book that I loved. Kuhn’s writing, and writing style, is great. She writes great descriptions, and she describes people especially well. Each time we meet a new character, we get a very Dickensen description, so that we not only know what the character physically looks like, but we get a sense of what each person is actually like, as well. 

The banter is fun and quick. The magic system is interesting and feels different from other magic systems. 

But there were a couple of things that kept me from being fully invested in the story.

  1. Cursing is realistic in adult fantasies like these, but I often felt like Kuhn could have been a little more choosy about where she inserted swear words, and it would’ve made more of an impact. Instead, the amount of cursing tended to pull me out of the story.
  2. The worldbuilding was thrown at you. I had a hard time getting through the first 100 pages because my brain was trying to play catch up, all while reading from multiple new POVs.
  3. And finally…I wanted a map. I know this is a small thing, but a map definitely would’ve helped me imagine the world a little better.

Overall, this was a fun read. I think if you like heist novels like Six of Crows but are looking for an adult version with a full cast of characters, then you might like this.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐.5 /5