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A review by lastblossom
Children of the Fox by Kevin Sands
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
tl;dr
Great for fans of heists in fantasy worlds with evil powers at work behind the scenes. Well-paced plot, somewhat lacking in character development. I am looking forward to the sequel.
About:
Callan is a conman. Or a con boy, rather. He's been on his own for a while, but thanks to the advice of the nameless conman who raised him, he's been able to make a good living for himself. At least, until a mysterious man hires him to steal from the High Weaver. The item? Unknown. But it's definitely protected with magic that only a kid can defeat - so now it's up to Callan as a ragtag group of four other young thieves to steal the mystery item, or die trying.
What I Liked:
Kevin Sands writes kids who are smart, capable, and determined, without making it seem too much like adults just talking out of child-aged characters. Callan gets the most page time, and he's a very compelling hero. A good balance of moral gray and caring for his teammates. Foxtail is my favorite character! Charming, deeply mysterious, and a lot of fun to read! I'm a huge sucker for found family, which this book does really well. Also loved the way fables about the Fox are woven in to the mystery at large. The world-building is lighter than I expected compared to Sands' other works, but it covers everything necessary to keep things consistent. Strong finale, and I am eager to read the next installment.
What Wasn't For Me:
I long for greater character development for Meriel, who didn't seem to get much further than "Pretty cool girl!" It's probably a good sign that I want to know more about the characters, but so far I am a little let down. More violence and blood than I expected from a middle grade book. It's not a turnoff, but might come as a surprise to someone not expecting it.
Great for fans of heists in fantasy worlds with evil powers at work behind the scenes. Well-paced plot, somewhat lacking in character development. I am looking forward to the sequel.
About:
Callan is a conman. Or a con boy, rather. He's been on his own for a while, but thanks to the advice of the nameless conman who raised him, he's been able to make a good living for himself. At least, until a mysterious man hires him to steal from the High Weaver. The item? Unknown. But it's definitely protected with magic that only a kid can defeat - so now it's up to Callan as a ragtag group of four other young thieves to steal the mystery item, or die trying.
What I Liked:
Kevin Sands writes kids who are smart, capable, and determined, without making it seem too much like adults just talking out of child-aged characters. Callan gets the most page time, and he's a very compelling hero. A good balance of moral gray and caring for his teammates. Foxtail is my favorite character! Charming, deeply mysterious, and a lot of fun to read! I'm a huge sucker for found family, which this book does really well. Also loved the way fables about the Fox are woven in to the mystery at large. The world-building is lighter than I expected compared to Sands' other works, but it covers everything necessary to keep things consistent. Strong finale, and I am eager to read the next installment.
What Wasn't For Me:
I long for greater character development for Meriel, who didn't seem to get much further than "Pretty cool girl!" It's probably a good sign that I want to know more about the characters, but so far I am a little let down. More violence and blood than I expected from a middle grade book. It's not a turnoff, but might come as a surprise to someone not expecting it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death