A review by iskanderjonesiv
Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick

DANGEROUS DAYS

It’s been three months since Drothe killed a legend, burned down a portion of the imperial capital, and found himself unexpectedly elevated into the ranks of the criminal elite. As the newest Gray Prince in the underworld, he’s not only gained friends, but also rivals—and some of them aren’t bothered by his newfound title. A prince’s blood, as the saying goes, flows just as red as a beggar’s.

So when another Gray Prince is murdered and all signs point to Drothe as the hand behind the knife, he knows it’s his blood that’s in danger of being spilled. As former allies turn their backs and dark rumors begin to circulate, Drothe is approached by a man who says he can make everything right again. All he wants in exchange is a single favor.

Now Drothe finds himself traveling to the Despotate of Djan, the empire’s long-standing enemy, to search for the friend he betrayed—and the only person who can get him out of this mess. But the grains of sand are running out fast, and even if Drothe can find his friend, he may not be able to persuade him to help in time...

**

From Booklist

Drothe, newly promoted Gray Prince of the Kin, returns under cover of night to the city of Ildrecca. He’s got problems. The most pressing one is that he’s being framed for the murder of another Gray Prince. Then he meets someone who claims to be able to make the frame job go away—in exchange for a favor. The favor is a complex one, requiring a trip to the Despotate of Djan, which requires patronage. Fortunately for Drothe, he befriended a group of players on his way back to the city, and one of the princes of Djan styles himself a patron of the arts. So Drothe heads to the capital city of Djan as patron of an acting troupe and finds himself embroiled in the underworld politics of a completely foreign city; the person he’s working for has definitely not told him the whole story, which makes for some interesting missteps. Drothe tries to do the right thing despite gaps in his knowledge, even in the midst of complicated politics he’s not familiar with. It’s an entertaining story, and enjoyable, even without knowledge of the previous volume; one hopes there will be more tales of Drothe. --Regina Schroeder

Review

Praise for Among Thieves

“An unalloyed pleasure: a fast moving, funny, twisting tale in an evocative setting with great characters…Read this book.”—New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks

"Among Thieves is a mind blowingly good read... Do not miss this book!"—Fantasy Faction

“A story that entertains from beginning to end.”—Fantasy Book Critic