I was sold on the premise of FIRE & HEIST the minute I read it - thieving were-dragons? Sign me up! While FIRE & HEIST wasn't without its issues, I really had fun reading this story of Sky and her heist.

When I first opened FIRE & HEIST, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to be able to get into it. The beginning pages lay it on a little thick, in terms of Sky's narration style and her telling the reader things, instead of showing. But, by the end of the chapter, I was hooked. Sky is snarky, sure, and sentences like "My name is Sky Hawkins" in the first few pages of the book normally drive me insane, but for Sky, it worked. I honestly could imagine her narrating this way in her head (I tend to be a bit dramatic in my internal monologue on occasion as well).

While Sky is certainly lovable, my main issue with FIRE & HEIST is that the other characters are mostly one-dimensional. Gabriela is a good sidekick, and certainly I didn't dislike any of the others, but it was impossible to guess at motivations or what they were going to do. For example, the wizard behaved exactly like I expected but for reasons I didn't anticipate, because the reader isn't given a ton of info about his background. Overall, it was kind of annoying to have most of the characters be so flat.

I also didn't love the middle part of the book. It's kind of impossible to explain why without spoiling the plot, but I felt that the middle dragged the rest of the book down. I understand the logic behind what happened, but ... it felt off.

All in all, however, FIRE & HEIST is fun and a bit zany, but I felt it fulfilled the author's desire (mentioned in the acknowledgements) to write "Ocean's 11 with dragons." And how could that not be a good time?

Amazing writing, spectacular worldbuilding, and a truly magical read that was hard to put down. The characters were great and I expect to find more great things from this author.

Sad to say but I just didn't like this. Or rather I couldn't finish it. I was bored and hoping for more but there wasn't.

I enjoyed the idea behind the story but couldn't connect much with the characters. I love stories with dragons so this kept me entertained.

Vollständige Rezension auf Books on Fire
https://www.booksonfire.de/2019/01/fire-and-heist.html

Zitat
"I understood that they said no - and that I was saying yes. I was stealing that jewel, reclaiming our family honor, and finding Mom. And I was doing it without them." - Kapitel 4.

Meine Meinung
Auf "Fire and Heist" bin ich durch den monatlichen internationalen Bloggernewsletter von Penguin Random House aufmerksam geworden. Von der Beschreibung her, dachte ich, dass es sich um ein High Fantasy Buch handelt, aber nein, es ist tatsächlich Urban Fantasy.

Sky lebt in einer Welt, in der Wyvern den Menschen bekannt sind und auch mehr oder weniger von ihnen akzeptiert werden. Wyvern stammen eigentlich aus einer anderen Welt, die sie nur Heimat nennen. Skys Vorfahren wurden, wie auch alle anderen, aus Heimat zur Erde verbannt, doch die Tür zwischen den Welten ist seit Jahrhunderten verschwunden. Das größte Ziel eines Wyverns ist Gold anzuhäufen und darin besteht auch der größte Stolz. Je mehr Gold man hat, desto mehr Einfluss und Macht hat man. Stehlen ist keine Strafstat sondern wird zelebriert. Nun ja, es ist so lange keine Straftat wie man erstens nicht erwischt wird und zweitens nur Gold stiehlt.

Der Schreibstil von Sarah Beth Durst gefiel mir so gut, dass ich unbedingt weitere Bücher von ihr lesen möchte. So scheint es auch der Random House Verlagsgruppe zu gehen, denn nach der "Königinnen von Renthia"-Reihe hat man sich, laut Website der Autorin, auch die Rechte für "Fire & Heist" gesichert.

Fazit
"Fire and Heist" ist eine Actionkomödie in einer Urban Fantasy Welt, welche die perfekte Balance zwischen Witz und Spannung findet. Von mir gibt es eine klare Leseempfehlung!

My Review: I really loved Queen of the Blood by Sarah Beth Durst and knew I wanted to read this book, dragons, gold and a heist, yes please. Unfortunately, I really struggled with this book, it took me a while to find the motivation and mood to pick it up and then once I did I had a really hard time staying focused on it. It is fantasy, but it is more of an urban fantasy, almost along the lines of paranormal, so we have a teen girl in the modern world but she has her special abilities and upbringing due to being wyvern. We still get a bit of that teen drama that I have very little patience for anymore. I also figured out pretty early on what happened to her mother and where the story would end up leading, so that also made it hard to continue, there was more to the end than I expected but it was still pretty much along the lines I had already come up with. I also found it difficult to find a character I really cared about, I didn't have much connection to any of them, except maybe Gabrielle but we didn't spend enough time with any one character except Sky, and I wasn't a huge fan. I can see how other readers would really enjoy this one and I urge you to try it but it really just wasn't for me. It would be a great bridge from YA contemporary to YA fantasy for those who have struggled with fantasy in the past.

My Rating: I am so bummed that this book didn't work for me. I am starting to think that heist books aren't for me, but this one was more of an issue with the characters and the mystery of what happened to Sky's mom. I give it a rating of Two Paws but again, I think it would be great for those readers wanting to get into fantasy but who have struggled in the past.

This was my first heist novel and it did not disappoint! What was really cool about this novel was that it was set in modern times. A modern time where were-dragons exist. WHAT?! Sky, our protagonist, and her family embark on heists in order to keep rank within the were-dragon community and make a living for themselves. However, Sky’s mom goes missing on a heist of her own. The failure of the heist brought the were-dragon world down on Sky and her family, hoping to make no mistake and create their own demise. But are things as they really seem? Where is Sky’s mom? And how can Sky and her family earn their rank back?

"I am Sky Hawkins, and I’m a were-dragon. I’ve been called stuck-up both in the tabloids and in the hallways of P. Murphy Hugh, a poor little rich girl who surrounds herself with false friends and shallow dreams. Arrogant. Conceited. Egotistical. Haughty. Self-absorbed. All the synonyms, I’d heard them. But they were wrong.
It’s not arrogant to know who you are.
It’s powerful.
And I am powerful."

Sky is a likeable protagonist, while immature and egotistical at times, she is also level-headed. The writing was easy to follow and not overly descriptive. Durst made it easy to imagine every scene and every setting. The novel was action-packed and the characters were well-developed. While only a standalone (such a relief lately), a part of me wishes it were a duology.

"My friends and my family are my treasure.
They are my gold."

Fire and Heist is the perfect standalone if you like adventure, suspense, and a hint of love.

I read this along with fairy loot read along that they hosted on their blog as it was the book they included in their December box. Going into the book I knew two things it was about the heist and it was about were dragons. Now both those things together brought to mind antics and secrets that were sure to lead to heartache. The story starts out with the siblings working on a heist together, in this world dragons are not actual dragons but they are more human and have no way to get back to their home or to change into dragons.

A majority of the story focuses on how Sky is going to find her mom and restore her family legacy after she discovers that her mom disappeared in her boyfriend’s dads vault. She then gathers her crew to help her break into Ryans vault where the item her mom was trying to steal is held.

Once the vault heist happens all the secrets you been waiting for are all unveiled and this is where we get all the fun dragon stuff that you been waiting for. This book is a relatively quick read that was a delight to read it not overly heavy I would call it more of a light fantasy read. I read one other book by this author it was a middle grade and I really enjoyed that one as well. That one called the stone girl.

Dragons and heists? You know I’m here for that. I expected Fire and Heist to be a great heist novel. What I didn’t expect was for it to have me laughing out loud.


Fire & Heist CoverIn Sky Hawkins’s family, leading your first heist is a major milestone–even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.
Goodreads

I received an eARC of Fire And Heist through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fire and Heist is pitched as Oceans 11 with dragons, and that kind of sums it up, with the addition of portal dimensions.

Sky is a delightful narrator. I had a great time reading this story through her eyes. She was really funny, and despite taking her heist seriously, she didn’t take herself too seriously. There were very few pages where I wasn’t laughing out loud. Particularly when Maximus was on the page. He was ridiculous and fantastic.

Family was huge in this novel. Her brothers grew on me throughout the novel, which I appreciated. Her father was distant, but I ended up liking him by the end of the story. It was fun to see what was normal for them.

The only thing I didn’t love about this novel was the romance. Sky kept telling us how much she loved Ryan and how great he was, but I really needed more of his personality to show for me to care about the romantic subplot. Her other wyvern friends abandoning her also sucked, especially since she basically completely forgave them at the end. I would have made them beg for it rather than allowing them to follow on her coat tails now that she’s famous.

I’d love to see more in this series set at Home as they change their shitty society. It’s not the perfect place that everyone on Earth thought it was. Maybe Benden can make some big changes there once he’s gotten his confidence up. It’ll be interesting to see what Durst does next with these worlds.

If Fire and Heist sounds up your alley, pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you will, too.

Outstanding! A smart, sassy protagonist. A fantasy story with dragons and magic. A heist story. I love all three of those factors and this blended them so well! I read my review copy in one sitting and then immediately pre-ordered my own copy. This is the sort of book I'll read again. It begs to be read out loud - the "voice" is fantastic! I consider this "clean teen" as there's really no language or other mature content. Highly recommend!

Sarah Beth Durst did an amazing job to write a book that is simple and straightforward and yet holds so much meaning. Fire and Heist is not just a book about dragons, it is not just about thieves, it is not just about wealth and fame; it's about knowing who you are, trusting your family, friends, and yourself, and most importantly it's about love.

It is not much coming from me considering I have not read that many books with dragons, but I believe many reviewers and critic will agree that each author has their own take on a world where dragons and humans coincide. And where the laws of physics and nature are different and yet still the same. Fire and Heist is just that. Durst' take on the laws of nature that governs the world she laid her story upon definitely grounds it on our reality. Making it more susceptible to being just a fantasy and making her readership believe the possibility of it all.

What is more, all of her characters are likable. And yes, that includes the antagonist of the story. Each of them has their unique characteristic and distinct belief that make them who they are. If you do not fall in love with all of them, you will most likely fall in love with one or two. The protagonist, Sky, has all the character I imagine a half-dragon would have. She is feisty, confident, but at the same time, she is full of love.

Overall, this is a fantastic read worth everyone's time. It isn't a complex book which may discourage some, but it has its own quirks that you'll definitely love. More importantly, it has dragons and unicorns. If that does not entice you, then I don't know... maybe you aren't really up for something wonderful.

This was a cute enjoyable read. A bit more juvenile than expected (younger end of YA, closer to MG). I’m grading it 3.5 stars and will be leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

wonderful book filled with magical intrigue and exciting heists! highly recommended to those who enjoy Leigh bardugo's six of crows. the writing and description were absolutely superb.

I’ve been a huge fan of dragons since I first read the Dragonriders of Pern series when I was young. It’s always so fascinating to me to see how each author can take the idea of this mythical being and make them such different creatures. When I saw that Sarah Beth Durst was writing a heist story that involved dragons, I couldn’t wait. Fire & Heist was a fun, entertaining tale that definitely provided a new take on dragons.

Fire & Heist is, as the name implies, a heist story. However, it’s also a coming-of-age tale and a family drama. And it features were-dragons (dragons who can shapeshift into humans). It’s a stand-alone novel but I think I would have preferred a duology since there was so much that I wanted more details on. It felt like a lot of things were just glossed over or mentioned once. The fast pace also meant that I never really got a chance to know or connect to the characters.

Overall, Fire & Heist was still a quick and fun read! I flew through this one and thought that it was a relatively good heist story. If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted read, definitely consider checking this one out.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is a fast, fun read. It felt more middle grade than YA to me. It was ok, but not very intriguing. The characters are forgettable, and there's not much going on as far as a plot. I would definitely recommend it for middle grade readers though.

I feel I waited a thousand years for Fire and Heist to be released (I added this book to my 2016 release wishlist). And, all I've to say is that it was worth waiting for - like, catching a glance of a magical unicorn after almost freezing in a cold night worth. Wyverns, aka were-dragons, magic, shinning treasures and a dangerous heist. What more could I ask for?

Writing: Fire and Heist is a fun light read fantasy novel, aimed at a younger YA spectrum. Without a dull moment, the story written by Durst is fast-paced, with plenty of unexpected moments and twists that couldn't be seen a mile away. The tale is told by Sky Hawkins and I truly enjoyed her narration. The author gave Sky a voice that is hilarious and mordant - she's not afraid of making fun of her kind and their peculiarities. Nevertheless, Sky knows to be serious when the situation requires it.

Characters: I quite liked Sky. She knows who she is and acknowledges her insecurities and her not-so-nice personality traits. Moreover, Sky isn't afraid of going after what she wants - even if it means to gather a crew and plan a heist to find her mother behind her three older brothers' and father's backs (by the way, the Hawkinses are such a sweet and dorky wyvern family). And, even if being shunned by the dragon society because of her mother's failed heist and breaking up with her boyfriend (who does have some secrets of his own) were truly devastating, Sky is able to find a silver lining in a new friendship with a human girl who loves researching and everything magical, Gabriela. Overall, Sky is extremely resilient, always finding a way around - or through - any setback, and never gives up fighting for her family.

World Building: Durst creates an alternate reality of our world which is inhabited by wyverns, descendent of exiled wyverns. These wyverns are just like any human, but with the ability to breathe fire and a penchant to hoard gold and gems - even if they have to steal it. Their existence has been known since the 16th century and these were-dragons have intertwined themselves with the human civilization, since no one knew how to go back to their land, Home. As you can see, the back story is very interesting and detailed. However, I was a little disappointed with the parallel world from where these magical creatures came.This society abides by meritocracy and is technologically advanced (they have robots), but not much more is shared - sadly, Sky never gets to talk with a wyvern who is deeply involved in the intricacies of Home. I wish there had been more information regarding this magical place.

The synopsis sounded amazing. A magical heist and dragons! If that's not a winning combo I don't know what is! I went into this expecting to be extremely entertained and fall in love with all these characters. Less than 50 pages in I already knew I was in for a big disappointment.

My first issue was the writing style. Where Six of Crows was dark and edgy, this one seemed juvenile. And it's not to say that this one should have been like Six of Crows. This is its own novel and the author has her own style. It's just that the style read a little childish and like I couldn't quite take it seriously in dire situations. 

The charcters were also very childish. They didn't feel very believable as characters and weren't very compelling or even entertaining. There were also a lot of interactions between them that felt forced like the author was trying to trick us into thinking that they were becoming friends or that they were likable and it just came out as awkward.
Another issue I had with this novel was the world building, or rather, the lack thereof. This is a world where humans know that dragons exist. What does this mean for humanity? For the power structure of mankind? What is the dragon society like? What are the rules? How is mankind just ok with dragons constantly conducting public high stakes heists? 

Lastly, I had issues with the actual heist. It was pretty anticlimactic. The heist part should be the tensest, most suspenseful part of any heist story.  It should keep you on your toes and surprise you. This heist sort of just...happened. There wasn't much else to it. I was surprised by how soon it was all over.  Even everything that came after the heist sort of just happened. I expected so much more.

Release Date: 04 Dec 2018
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Sci-fi && Fantasy, YA
Rating: 3/5
One sentence review:
Fire & Heist is the most mediocre book that I have read in quite some time.

Summary: After a failed heist ruins her family reputation and results in the prolonged absence of her mother, Sky is determined to get her mother and family’s status back.

Review: The idea of this book is superior to the execution of the story.

The main characters are shallow and underdeveloped, as is the world-building and the plot and the writing. BUT, if you remove a want for depth from the novel and want a fun book with very little thought required, this book is an entertaining way to pass some time.

It is not terribly boring or upsetting, nor is it incredibly exciting and enriching. I felt like I was watching tv to pass time while dinner cooked, drinking water because it is all we have after a few weeks of avoiding the grocery store, or going to the toilet because you have thirty minutes left before you can leave but you have finished all your work for the day. This book was a way in which to pass time between my last book and my next book.

I would not recommend or discourage anyone from picking up this book. I seriously have rarely felt so neutral about a book.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of Fire & Heist with the understanding that I would provide an honest and fair review.

The author’s pitch for the book is “Ocean’s Eleven with were-dragons”. What should I have in mind with something like that? Surely, I wouldn’t expect it to be a lofty promise of a catharsis. At the most, I would expect to be kept amused by fire-breathing thieves. And that’s about it with “Fire and Heist”. It is a ton of fun while it lasts.

What drew me in is the snarky voice of the protagonist. Even when moping from having dumped by her boyfriend, Sky Hawkins’ wry narration is entertaining. Her personality matches with everything I imagined a teenager dragon’s personality would be: confident to the point of recklessness. I like that she acknowledged that she is a self-absorbed privileged rich girl. I probably cannot stand being friends with her in real life but she fascinated me just as I am sometimes weirdly fascinated with the Kardashians.

The not-so-secret society of wyverns are filthy rich were-dragon families who can once shape-shift into real dragons. They openly live among humans but they have their own set of rules and inner social hierarchy. Their kind have a natural tendency to hoard gold. They have their own version of “honor among thieves” code in that they may steal from each other as long as they don’t get caught. Humans are naturally intrigued by them and they have a quasi-celebrity status with their private lives occasionally leaked in tabloids. Sky’s family is recently disgraced by her mother who went missing after a botched heist. Wildly overcome by her emotions from her first heartbreak and from losing a mother, Sky decided that it’s time to lead her first heist.

Though aware of her incompetence as a young wyvern, Sky’s is fired up by her motivations. She wants to restore her family’s honor and discover why her mom went missing. She might even win back her ex-boyfriend in the process. Disowned by her wyvern friends and forbidden by her family to do anything drastic, her assembled crew consists of (oddly enough) her ex-boyfriend Ryan, a human classmate, Gabriela and a full-grown adult wizard who often doesn’t act his proper age, Maximus. I enjoyed the banter among Sky and her crew. The plot is a series of actions that actually go somewhere. Without revealing too much, it follows the template of a hero’s journey. A there and back again kind of thing happened. The heist is arguably elaborate at first (they even have to do lots of practice, not without funny banter and bloopers) but Sky has to redo the same level of heist thrice over the entire course of the book that it eventually felt repetitive. The heist lost its steam in the end with the diminished excitement from all the repetition.

My actual rating of the book is more than three stars but not quite four stars. I rounded it up to four stars because I decided that it would benefit no one if I rob a fraction of a star rating from a book that I really enjoyed. The plot is flawed and familiar but still, “Fire and Heist” is an undeniably fun read, with it’s pleasures coming not exactly from the heist but from reading about its protagonist hanging out and doing stuff together with her family and crew.

I was really swept away by this dragon, heist, teen romance. Even a bit of family drama was thrown in for good measure. Sky is a wyvern, so are her friends and family. Her mother disappears failing at a heist, but no one will tell Sky the truth about the heist and where her mom has gone. Sky forms a team and sets to solve the mystery herself. Decent read, I'd read a sequel.