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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 ⭐️
i’m very indifferent about the book, but overall, it was FUN. my only issue was sometimes it felt slow??! like some chapters i could’ve done without but i’ll tune in for the sequel.
i’m very indifferent about the book, but overall, it was FUN. my only issue was sometimes it felt slow??! like some chapters i could’ve done without but i’ll tune in for the sequel.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rosalyn “Ross” Quest is a master thief at seventeen, having learned all the tricks of the trade from her family who are in legendary in the business. But she has always wanted more than just the lonely life of a thief and makes a plan to escape for a while – only, that plan goes sideways, ending up with her mother being captured by some very dangerous people. In order to save her, Ross agrees to take part in the Thieves’ Gambit, a deadly competition involving international heists, with a grand prize of one wish for the winner. Ross knows that she needs to stay focused and trust no one, just as her mother taught her, but winning is easier said than done however, as an old enemy turns up as a competitor along with some equally skilled thieves from around the world.
I absolutely adore heist novels, so I didn’t have to think twice about adding this to my TBR, especially when I got an eARC.
The premise was such an intriguing one, heists in combination with a dangerous competition where the stakes for the main character couldn’t be higher. Each challenge in the competition was thrilling and it was fascinating to see how the competitors would solve it, by hook or by crook. There was no shortage of plot twists, unexpected alliances, scheming and backstabbing, making this a book that easily holds the reader’s attention. As a side note, I feel like this would be a fantastic choice for getting out of a reading slump – such an engrossing read is sure to be beneficial in restoring an interest in reading.
One thing I would have liked to see more of from a plot angle were the smaller details of the heists. A lot of the planning seemed to happen off screen, and while that made things more exciting when it unfolded, I thought it also left several aspects of the plan kind of vague.
There certainly wasn’t a dull moment in this book! With the gripping plot and non-stop action, it’s definitely a story that would be fantastic on screen and it’s no surprise that the film rights have already been acquired for this book. This was a such a fun ride and an easy, quick read that had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Ross was an interesting protagonist and her arc was very well written. Honestly, I’m more impressed that the author managed to work in a rather nice character arc in the middle of all the excitement and chaos of the plot. The other competitors were equally fascinating and though they didn’t have POVs, I felt like we got to know them a lot. It was fun trying to predict their motives and figuring out who was going to betray the others next.
The final chapters brought with it multiple twists and while I had begun to suspect one of them, the other was a complete shock. I also didn’t realize that this was, at the least, a duology until that point, but after that cliffhanger ending, I’m glad there’s more to this story.
Thieves’ Gambit did not disappoint at all, and I’m looking forward to see what Ross will do following the revelations at the end. This book reminded me a lot of Six of Crows and The Inheritance Games, so if you liked either of those, I would highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rosalyn “Ross” Quest is a master thief at seventeen, having learned all the tricks of the trade from her family who are in legendary in the business. But she has always wanted more than just the lonely life of a thief and makes a plan to escape for a while – only, that plan goes sideways, ending up with her mother being captured by some very dangerous people. In order to save her, Ross agrees to take part in the Thieves’ Gambit, a deadly competition involving international heists, with a grand prize of one wish for the winner. Ross knows that she needs to stay focused and trust no one, just as her mother taught her, but winning is easier said than done however, as an old enemy turns up as a competitor along with some equally skilled thieves from around the world.
I absolutely adore heist novels, so I didn’t have to think twice about adding this to my TBR, especially when I got an eARC.
The premise was such an intriguing one, heists in combination with a dangerous competition where the stakes for the main character couldn’t be higher. Each challenge in the competition was thrilling and it was fascinating to see how the competitors would solve it, by hook or by crook. There was no shortage of plot twists, unexpected alliances, scheming and backstabbing, making this a book that easily holds the reader’s attention. As a side note, I feel like this would be a fantastic choice for getting out of a reading slump – such an engrossing read is sure to be beneficial in restoring an interest in reading.
One thing I would have liked to see more of from a plot angle were the smaller details of the heists. A lot of the planning seemed to happen off screen, and while that made things more exciting when it unfolded, I thought it also left several aspects of the plan kind of vague.
There certainly wasn’t a dull moment in this book! With the gripping plot and non-stop action, it’s definitely a story that would be fantastic on screen and it’s no surprise that the film rights have already been acquired for this book. This was a such a fun ride and an easy, quick read that had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Ross was an interesting protagonist and her arc was very well written. Honestly, I’m more impressed that the author managed to work in a rather nice character arc in the middle of all the excitement and chaos of the plot. The other competitors were equally fascinating and though they didn’t have POVs, I felt like we got to know them a lot. It was fun trying to predict their motives and figuring out who was going to betray the others next.
The final chapters brought with it multiple twists and while I had begun to suspect one of them, the other was a complete shock. I also didn’t realize that this was, at the least, a duology until that point, but after that cliffhanger ending, I’m glad there’s more to this story.
Thieves’ Gambit did not disappoint at all, and I’m looking forward to see what Ross will do following the revelations at the end. This book reminded me a lot of Six of Crows and The Inheritance Games, so if you liked either of those, I would highly recommend this book!
What an adrenaline rush!
The author hits the ground running and never lets up, hurling the reader into the world of high-stakes crime, and tying it together with teenage coming-of-age conflict. The contest posits teens who have been trained since babyhood as thieves, which means they can get along in any language and in any city, infiltrate a high-end antiquities auction, use martial arts, drive like Mario Andretti, with the ease of James Bond; they drive, fight, which is thoroughly fun wish fulfillment storytelling. The pacing is so frenetic that the romance felt a bit tacked on, but that was entirely overshadowed by heroine Ross's friendship with the awesome Noella.
All in all it reads like it was written to be adapted to a TV series. I'd watch it!
The author hits the ground running and never lets up, hurling the reader into the world of high-stakes crime, and tying it together with teenage coming-of-age conflict. The contest posits teens who have been trained since babyhood as thieves, which means they can get along in any language and in any city, infiltrate a high-end antiquities auction, use martial arts, drive like Mario Andretti, with the ease of James Bond; they drive, fight, which is thoroughly fun wish fulfillment storytelling. The pacing is so frenetic that the romance felt a bit tacked on, but that was entirely overshadowed by heroine Ross's friendship with the awesome Noella.
All in all it reads like it was written to be adapted to a TV series. I'd watch it!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm DNF'ing this ... I tried... I really did. The absolutely LOVE the Inheritance Games and all of the subsequent books .. I just finished The Grandest Game and while I can see the similarities btwn Inheritance and this book, this book just feels like a knock off of a really well written puzzle. I'm sorry, not for me.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced