Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

'Fantasy fans won't want to miss this' Publishers Weekly A high-stakes heist novel set in a gritty world of magic and malice. WHO NEEDS FRIENDS WHEN YOU HAVE AXES? Ryia 'the Butcher' Cautella has earned her reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the city - not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name. A deadly secret has kept Ryia in hiding, running from city to city, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster - sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms. But even the most powerful men can be defeated. One last impossible job is all that stands between Ryia and her freedom - but even the Butcher can't do it alone. She teams up with the Saints, a crew of uniquely skilled miscreants, smugglers and thieves, to carry off a death-defying heist into the most tightly guarded island in the kingdoms - the Guildmaster's stronghold. Unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own . . .

The fantasy heist is becoming a staple subgenre of fantasy these days and Among Thieves is a new addition to that oeuvre. It follows the standard template of a bunch of misfit characters brought together to attempt a crazy heist of a powerful magical artifact. So far so tropey. Where Among Thieves succeeds is in the deliciously dark motivations of most of the characters. This isn't the YA black and white style world, and whilst the story definitely has a YA style pacing the storyline is definitely firmly rooted in the adult fantasy world.

I enjoyed this - it was a fun read with a suitable amount of backstabbing and twists to keep the reader interested. Yes, it plays with well established tropes, but it plays with them well.

ok but six of crows w/ betrayal??? sign me up

Excellent! Great writing, great characters, and a plot full of action, and rampant with treachery and duplicitousness.
Bring on the next book!

Pros: interesting characters, lots of conflicting motivations, challenging heist

Cons:

Ryia, The Butcher of Carrowwick, has been hunted by the Guildmaster of Thamorr for years. As the muscle for Callum Clem, leader of the Saints in the slums of Carrowwick, she has a fairly safe home. But when the opportunity comes to rob the Guildmaster and remove him as a threat she jumps at the chance. But this is a mission requiring a team, and though her teammates are mostly Saints, they've each got their own plans for how this mission will end.

The author does an excellent job of setting up the main characters. It makes the opening feel a little slow, but the payoff comes quickly when you understand who the heist team members are and the conflicting motivations that drive them. It's the motivations that make this book compelling, knowing that they all want to double cross each other, but for different reasons. You know - early on - that things are going to go poorly, and it's a wild ride seeing just how everything falls out in the end.

The characters are quite interesting with different reasons why they're working for Callum Clem. I especially enjoyed seeing Ryia, The Butcher of Carrowwick, develop a conscience.

The adepts and their telepathic/telekinetic magic is handled well, kept in a fair bit of mystery. The crew mainly uses their own form of magic, sleight of hand and make-up to achieve their ends.

After the opening chapters the book is very fast paced, with plans and counter-plans, fights and derring do. If you like grimdark fantasy but with a more upbeat feel, this is a great book.