Thick As Thieves - Kestrels Nest: BookWyrm Edition

English language

Published July 25, 2023 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers.

ISBN:: 978-1-6680-1363-2

No rating (1 review)

M. J. Kuhn returns to the gritty world of heists, magic, and deception in this high-stakes fantasy follow-up to internationally bestselling Among Thieves perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab.

Ryia Cautella, a.k.a. the Butcher of Carrowick, and her motley crew have succeeded in the ultimate heist...with the most dire possible consequences. A terrifyingly powerful tool has fallen into the hands of Callum Clem, the criminal leader of the Saints, who was already one of the most dangerous men alive. With the newfound ability to force magic-wielding Adepts to his will, he is unstoppable.

With their group scattered throughout the five kingdoms of Thamorr—and not all on the same side of the fight—things seem hopeless. But can Ryia get the gang back together for one last job? Or will chess-worthy power plays and shifting loyalties change Thamorr as they know it?

2 editions

lastblossom reviewed Thick As Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

Recommended for anyone who wants gritty fantasy heists with high stakes and lots of backstabbing.

No rating

I've been looking forward to sinking my teeth into this sequel ever since I read the first book. There are a lot of stories that end on a "it's gonna be so big next time!" cliffhanger that don't always seem to quite hit the same highs, but this one very neatly ties a lot of the threads set up in the previous volume (BTW, these definitely need to be read in order). The blurb promises more gritty, and more gritty is what we get. Bigger fights, more drama, and a serious death toll. Just like the first book, expect lots of twists, conflicting intentions, and betrayal. There's definitely more relationship-building here, with a pairing that I've been cheering for actually getting their moment in the sun, which felt like a welcome bit of fresh air compared to how dark the rest of the book is. One of the new characters …

I've been looking forward to sinking my teeth into this sequel ever since I read the first book. There are a lot of stories that end on a "it's gonna be so big next time!" cliffhanger that don't always seem to quite hit the same highs, but this one very neatly ties a lot of the threads set up in the previous volume (BTW, these definitely need to be read in order). The blurb promises more gritty, and more gritty is what we get. Bigger fights, more drama, and a serious death toll. Just like the first book, expect lots of twists, conflicting intentions, and betrayal. There's definitely more relationship-building here, with a pairing that I've been cheering for actually getting their moment in the sun, which felt like a welcome bit of fresh air compared to how dark the rest of the book is. One of the new characters introduced is also a total badass delight. The ending is open-ended enough to leave room for future installments, but I'd also be satisfied to see the adventure end here.

Spoiler: Unfortunately, my favorite character Ivan gets an utterly lousy deal. He makes terrible choices, everyone he cares about dies, and he's never even given a shot at redemption afterwards. I was really looking forward to seeing more of him after the first book, but alas, he was destined for tragedy.

Overall, follows through on the first book pretty solidly, but I can't help but be mad about [name redacted].

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

Lists

Heists