Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves, and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother’s life.
At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother’s life hanging in the balance.
In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn’t exactly off-limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world—a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.
Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn’t Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.
One-word review: Addictive
Emojis: 🫣🤯😞
Rating: 4.5🌟s
My thoughts:
Thieves Gambit by Kavyon Lewis is a wickedly intelligent YA thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more of this world and the characters. I found it completely addictive, and I loved that about it!
The characters are all morally gray and exceptionally well developed with so many conflicting layers that I could easily relate to them even though – could I really, considering they live in a world of crime entirely foreign to me? The subtle nuances brought each character to life in ways I never expected.
The pace is fast, and the narration is in the first person, with the main character Rosalynn (Ross) Quick telling her tale. Sometimes, I wished the narration had been in third, but then something would happen, and I realized the genius of keeping it in first.
I love the intelligence behind cons, and this story delighted me with an entire game of thievery and cons – from beginning to end. I never tire of witnessing characters outwit one another, so I find this story so addicting. I’m not sure if there is a plan for more stories, but I would love to read them if there are. The ending left a small opening for that but was also conclusive enough to be a satisfying standalone.
The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
“Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.“
The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book—Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes—with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.
Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose—to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.
Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel—who is fated never to be with her—have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest—alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales—has a mind of its own.
One-word review: Original
Emojis: 🌳😕👩❤️💋👨🥱😲
Rating: 4🌟s
My thoughts:
I’m still trying to decide what I thought about this book. It took me by surprise, yet it felt totally right. I don’t think I’ve ever read a retelling that took such a unique approach. I would have never expected to run into Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel in one cohesive story. Yet, there they are, uncommonly and innovatively.
My weirdly favorite character is the forest. Yes, the forest is a character in its own right, being a living, breathing (in a sense) part of the story. And it’s very atmospheric in its being, which I just loved. It felt very Grimm – the brothers would approve, I think.
The other characters, even the main character, Clara, didn’t capture my attention as much as I would have hoped. I couldn’t relate or empathize with their personal stories, which sometimes confused me and bored me with others. And the romance, well, it confused me too. It’s a very out-there situation, and I guess I never achieved suspended disbelief and buy-in.
But, I have to admit, I am curious where book 2 of this duology will go.
15 responses to “Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis and The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie #bookreviews #thrillerbook #fairytaleretelling”
Great reviews, these both sound great and you being unsure about the second one makes it even more interesting 😊
It’s an interesting retelling for many reasons. There’s just something about it that doesn’t hot right.
Great reviews, Tessa! I hadn’t heard of Thieves’ Gambit before your review but it sounds super interesting and I’m curious to check it out. Sorry to hear that you didn’t connect as much as you hoped to with The Forest Grimm characters but the combination of all those classic tales in one story still sounds very intriguing!
Thieves Gambit is awesome. I highly recommend it. And The Grimm Forest is a very interesting twist on the Grimm Fairy Tales. There’s just something that doesn’t hit right.
I am definitely interested in reading Thieves Gambit which sounds brilliant.
It is. I loved it!
Wow, Thieves Gambit doesn’t sound like YA at all! Fascinating and wonderful review, Tessa💜
It doesn’t read YA either. I guess growing up as a professional thief doesn’t leave any room for immaturity.
Great reviews! I am really excited for Thieves Gambit. I love a good mystery with morally grey characters.
It’s very good. I hope you love it if you read it ❤️
I am so glad you lived Thieves Gambit as much as I did. Excellent reviews!
It’s an excellent story. So many layers and poignancy amount all the fun cons.
Thanks for the reviews! I’ve added Thieves Gambit to my library TBR list! (They have the ebook, and are in the process of preparing the print version for borrowing)
It’s an excellent addition for sure. I hope you read it. I know you will love it! (🤞)
I agree with you about the Forest Grimm. I was more interested in who they would meet next and what the issues would be than caring about the romance developing. I found the meshing of the characters was very interesting and unique. Great review, Tessa.