A review by venti
Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i liked this a lot more than i thought i would. the strength of this novel definitely resides in its characters — and also the subtle worldbuilding behind the adept. i loved ryia as a character, because oddly there is a very unexpanded upon market for unrepentant female murderers in fantasy. clem was another surprising second favourite, and i thought his air of menace was well communicated even with him not being the focus of many chapters.

there’s a little weakness in the backstory of some characters — especially ryia — but i suppose it’s expanded upon in the following entry (out july 2023) rather than vague flashbacks for her i would have preferred to live in ambiguity (or if mj kuhn had gone full throttle in favour of a backstory also) for the entirety of the book and been happy, but that’s a personal preference more than anything. i am a go big or go home kind of person.

as for the fact this is labelled as lgbtq+ i would not completely disagree with that idea but i would protest to it being a driving force for why you should read this novel. it’s very vague, but once again i suppose it’s expanded upon in the following entry, which i’m sorely wishing is releasing on schedule.

i liked it! give it a shot if you like evil women 
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