I really enjoyed this book. I found this book to be such a fun read. I thought he world building was so fun and the magic system was so fun to read about. I found this book to be such a fun read. I really enjoyed the heist/dragon novel. I really loved the lead character so much and just love the heist side of this novel. I thought the various locations we went to was also so well crafted. I also love the complex family dynamics that was featured in this novel. I read this book so fast and it just made me smile. I really loved this as standalone but would love too see more stories told in this world!

I was provided an eARC of this in exchange for a fair review.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It has pseudo-dragons and a family of thieves and a sassy female MC. However, I just couldn’t get into it. Something about the writing style, or maybe the plot holes, or just the fact that I never seem to like modern contemporary fantasy of this ilk. In many ways it reminded me of the Talon series by Julie Kagawa, but without her talents. I likely will not read more from this author.

This book took two of my favorite things to read about, heists and a fantasy world, and put them in the same novel. I had pretty low expectations for this book, but it was actually really cool. Wyverns, or dragon shifters, were a really fun fantasy species to read about. They all steal and have a horde of treasures, so theft is part of the culture and looked upon highly if properly pulled off without getting caught.

 The characters, in my opinion, were the downfall of this novel. They were rather vanilla, boring and felt run-of-the-mill. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything special either. I had a hard time finding this book as interesting as it should've been because the characters were so dull. 

 The plot was what kept me reading. The author said she wanted to write Ocean's Eleven, but with dragons, and she did. The planning of the heist takes up a good portion of this novel, but the execution of it is glossed over. There is a fun fantasy twist that helped keep some of the excitement, but I think the planning of the heist should have been explained less and execution of the heist explained more. The tension and excitement are not brought for what should have been a very interesting part of the book. 

 It was okay overall, but a lot of things could have been done better. When I think of combining fantasy with thievery I think of Six of Crows, this came nowhere near the heights that novel reached. Fire and Heist could have been done way better, but it was still a fun fast read.

I've read a few of Ms. Durst's books and enjoyed them -- as I did with Fire and Heist. I've tried reading other were-dragon (wyvern) themed books without being thoroughly invested but this book was so much fun to read and I read it in one sitting. To me, it just makes sense for were-dragons to be thieves! Sky's mother is missing, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and her family due to its secrets has lost rank among the wyvern community. As much as I had hoped for romance, this book was more about Sky coming into her own as a thief, beginning her wyvern hoard, as well as her family and the mysteries of the wyvern. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Durst (especially if this is a series :D).

This book was fast paced and I loved every minute of it! Can't wait to reccomend this book to all the avid readers that I know. THank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of "Fire and Heist" by Sarah Beth Durst. I loved this book and will likely be purchasing it for the library. It felt like a more conventional fantasy version of a heist story which will please fans of "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo. Also, the writing style of fantastic. The author has really grown as a writer since the last book I read by her.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.
Fire & Heist is, well, a heist story as evidenced by the title. Sky Hawkin is a teen Wyvern (dragon). Wyvern’s are like famous people in human society, and tend to have an affinity for shiny and expensive things, like gold. Wyvern’s pride themselves on their ability to steal such valuable objects, and it’s view as a big step into adulthood in Wyvern society if you are able to pull off a heist without getting caught.
Sky’s family was exiled when her mother attempted to steal something from another Wyvern and got caught and disappeared. Sky’s family does not want to know what happened to Sky’s mother, and instead, keeps their heads down and tries to move on.
So the one positive note this story has is that it’s a stand-alone. I’m tired of reading a book and finding out at the end that it’s the beginning of a series. Fire & Heist was a cue and light read, but I found myself wishing that it was more mature. Yes there are teen dragons and that likely comes with teen drama, but it lacked nuance and character development that would make me care about the characters. Unfortunately, I’d say to pass on this one.

A really cute stand alone YA fantasy, this is one you won’t want to miss. It’s got action, dragons, a hint of romance, and great characters.

Sky is a wyvern and her mother is missing. Having three older brothers, Sky is used to fending for herself. She takes it on her own to lead her first heist, and plans on using what she steals as leverage for info on her mom. Little does she know the secrets and conspiracies she’s about to unravel.

The highlight of this book is the relationship between Sky and her family. She’s got three older brothers who annoy her but are there when it counts, a dad who is missing his wife but still involved with his children. It’s refreshing to see family dynamics in YA fantasy, most of the time it’s an orphan who steals the show.

There is some romance, it’s not great but it’s also not the point of the book. The point of the book is the heist, which is a lot of fun. This book is firmly young adult, the voice is young but not grating. It will be a great addition to school libraries.

Oceans 11 with dragons. If that sounds like fun to you, this is a book you’ll want to check out.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley and the opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book, and I really hate giving these type of reviews. Maybe the biggest problem I had with this book was too high expectations, I was hoping for this to be similar to Six of Crows. It was definitely no where near the Ocean's Eleven level of sophistication the author was inspired by. I felt like the entire thing was lacking. Sky's crew for instance wasn't really chosen by talents but more happenstance and convenience. Her ex boyfriend, who knew the system they were trying to break into. A wizard who only became part of the crew because they needed a potion from him and wouldn't get it unless they let him join. And then there's the human, who I liked but was only part of the crew for the fact that she was human.

The book seemed to spend more time talking about the reckonings than the heists. I didn't really understand the reckonings and the whole world Sarah created just didn't seem to work for me. Overall the book just felt juvenile and flat. There are some YA books that are written more like adult novels and those are the ones that I prefer. I don't like feeling like I'm back in high school. I think this book might appeal to a younger crowd but it definitely wasn't for me.

Having never read anything by this author, I was not exactly sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by Fire and Heist. There is teenage drama, but it is tempered by real emotional depth in other situations. The heist scenes were well done and the world-building was too. I found the ending satisfying, but open-ended enough to continue if it becomes a series.

Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst is a young adult fantasy read that is a standalone story. The author described her idea for this one as wanting to write Ocean's Eleven with Were-dragons so of course this odd description definitely got my curiosity aroused. It's safe to say when done too this doesn't really remind me of anything I've read before which for me is a good thing.

Sky Hawkin is a teenage Wyvern, a human with the ability to shift into a dragon, although the Wyvern here on Earth have lost the ability to shift and can only conjure fire. Wyvern's also have a fetish for shiny expensive things, especially gold so how do they go about acquiring it you ask? By stealing of course.

Sky's family however is on the outs in the Wyvern community after her mother went on a heist and didn't return. Obviously something went wrong but Sky's brothers and father refuse to do anything to find out what happened so Sky intends to plan her own heist to try to find her mother.

Now, with a book about dragons I wasn't quite expecting to jump into what reads more YA contemporary with family drama but the story started a little on the funny side and piqued my curiosity regardless. As the book went along and I'm beginning to wonder if the world is basically ours with these supposed "dragons" that aren't more than humans without a lighter to create fire what was the point to including Wyverns but thankfully the story eventually got around to more dragon-ish things to satisfy my curiosity. In the end I found it a rather cute mostly contemporary with a dash of fantasy read and would suggest giving it a try.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I read Fire and Heist by Sarah Durst because I love reading and watching stories about crime. This book sounded right up my alley and in ways, it was.

Let's start with the characters. I have both admiration and annoyance for the main character, Sky Hawkins. She is the "baby" of one of the were-dragon (called Wyverns) families. Sky and her family used to be super wealthy, and over this last year, it seems as if they lost everything. Their wealth and mother, which has made the family on edge with each other. Sky likes to take matters into her own hands, which I respect, but at moments, she does it and takes the lead in entirely unreasonable situations. If a character is like that in the beginning, I am okay with it. However, it never really seems like Sky learns the proper time to take the lead and when it is the right time to take a step back and allow someone to take the lead. So considering what she does and goes through in Fire and Heist, I expected some change in her tactical planning. As for the other characters, they are your typical run of the mill type. You have the older brothers who think they know everything but still care for their sister, the father who becomes distant when his wife disappears, and the ex-boyfriend who maybe still has feelings for his ex. While all these characters are essential, no one really stood out as remarkable or memorable.

For the most part, the world was pretty believable. I mean, as believable as a society with people who can transform into dragons is. I appreciated how Durst talked about how the Wyverns are seen in the community and how their kind effects "normal" life. There were definitely places where I had to pause and consider how somethings were possible considering how other things weren't. The balance of the world just seemed off, if you know what I'm talking about.
I do wish that the world was explained more as the book continued, it seemed like the information was dumped on the reader in the first couple of chapters and then the reader is expected to be an expert in everything Wyvern. Yes, there is a small bit of more description in the middle of the book, but I always feel like semi-constant bits of information about the world makes it much more cohesive and understandable.

I loved the premise of this book so much! A world where heists are considered milestones, a jewel that can restore a family's lost wealth and status, and a group of people that have the ability to transform into dragons. It sounds like such an action-filled book with lots of suspenseful moments, but it isn't. The story just fell short for me. Yes, there were some parts that were suspenseful, but I feel like a lot of the time in the book was busywork, getting ready for what is to come. There's maybe two or three chapters to get everyone ready and one chapter to execute the plan or action. While the story itself is unique, the storyline that it follows seemed pretty standard. I wanted so much from this book (which was a mistake) and ended up with something just okay.

To summarize, I went into Fire and Heist with huge expectations. I guess that I should know by now that if I set my expectations too high, the book always falls short. And unfortunately, Fire and Heist was no exception. I went into the book expecting an exciting book about heists and people who can breathe fire and change into dragons, and I didn't really get that from the story. I also wish there was more character development. It didn't seem as if the characters learned from their experiences and mistakes, which is infuriating. I can't say that I would recommend this book as the action and heist filled books as it is portrayed. I would say that if someone is looking for a lighter, somewhat quick read with slight suspenseful moments that this book might be for them.

Sky Hawkins and her family are earthbound wyverns--half-human, half-dragon beings that have been banished from their homeland and live with humans on earth. With three older brothers, Sky is the sheltered youngest. When her mother fails in a heist--the worst shame that can befall a wyvern--the entire Hawkins family is stripped of their high rank and wealth. The entire community shuns them, lead by none other than Sky's boyfriend! Now Sky is ready to embark on her first heist to find her missing mother and restore the family name.

Sarah Beth Durst's FIRE AND HEIST is a fun, light-hearted fantasy rooted in a modern but alternate earth. The story read a bit young at times, so it's perfect for readers who are moving from middle grade to young adult. The wyvern mythology that is uncovered throughout the story was a rich surprise, and the heist aspect was fun.

What a letdown for me. We got teenagers, disappeared mothers, family dishonor, and among other things, just super simplistic high school drama crap. This read like the books I read in middle school/high school before I started to really get into reading. I did not feel any connection to the characters and I can tell you right now that I don't remember any of this book other than it's about "dragons" and this heist.

Mind you this story might be more targeted towards the younger crowed, but unfortunately it was not for me which is sad because dragons are my favorite and I felt as if they weren't what they could have been.

This book, seems like it has it all. Were-dragons and heists, what more can you need? It turns out, you need characters that are more than one-dimensional stereotypes.

The premise is amazing . Dragons like shiny things, so it makes sense that in modern times they would have a hoard of gold. It also makes sense that they would be super paranoid and protective of that treasure, thereby employing high-tech security systems. Of course, dragons want more gold, so were-dragon thieves seems like just about the coolest thing ever.

Except I hated Sky Hawkins, the main character. Her mother disappears during a failed heist, and her family loses status and wealth as a result. So she moans about her loss of wealth as she and her brothers are driving recklessly in a Ferrari. It makes it a wee bit hard to empathize with the main character when really she's still better off than 99% of the human race and whinging about her lack of wealth.

Sky is just so bland. She's the only girl in a family of boys and that trope is played to the extreme. Really, that's all she seems to be. Gabriela is the smart one obsessed with magic. Except, you really never see Gabriela being smart, you just hear her described as smart. Ryan is perhaps the worst. I kept forgetting his name, he was that vanilla. Worm was the only character I was actually interested in, but we got almost no page time with him.

The book picks up a lot around halfway through, after Sky's heist, but by then I honestly had lost a lot of interest. It's not an unexpected twist, and I wish we would have spent more time focusing on that part of the book, rather than the parts that took place in Aspen.

Man this book was so much fun! This was the perfect read when I needed something I could just easily get into and enjoy. I really enjoyed "The Queen of Blood" by Durst and was excited to see how she would do a dragon heist story. She does a cool take on wyverns. Sky is an awesome heroine who has great wit, observation and heart; she was always relatable and easy to root for. The details of the heists are a lot of fun and even the side characters had me giggling. *I also caught a Shannara reference that made me so happy* I just loved that while Sky still has feelings for Ryan, their relationship never stole center stage from the main plot which was very refreshing. The ending was kinda cheesy and a bit rushed (wanted more from it) but it's still such a fun story. Younger teens will love this story especially, or anyone who loves both dragons and heist stories. I wish this was a series. I'm very excited to see what Durst writes next!

My review will be published on November 20, 2018 at https://thebaronessofbooks.weebly.com

In possibly the most creative dragon--excuse me, wyvern--book I’ve ever read, Sarah Beth Durst brings magic into the 21st century. I enjoyed the connections between modern wyverns and mythical dragons, especially how respect and society placement is based on stealing and then hoarding gold. That was a fun set-up for Sky’s heist, which would present her as a member of wyvern society if completed successfully. I’m easily ensnared by heist novels: I love the suspense and intricate plans, a la Six of Crows and Leverage style. I don’t want to spoil the second half of the book, but I did like the direction it took plot-wise.

Fire and Heist was promising in terms of thieving potential, especially since the fire affinity of wyverns leads to some new features, like fire-breathing and heat resistance. I had fun reading about Sky putting together her crew, pulling off her first heist, dealing with the aftermath, and working things out with her family but that was pretty much where my enjoyment stopped.

I would say that plot is where the book excelled, and character is where it fell flat. I read all the way through to find out what would happen next, but had a hard time sympathizing with the characters, because they all felt flat and played-out to me.

First, Sky, the only girl in a family of brothers with a missing mom and an overprotective dad. She’s not that much younger than her brothers, but the rest of her family keeps information from her “for her protection.” I’m super glad Sky didn’t buy into it, but I can’t stand that trope.

Then, there’s the crew. Other than Sky, there’s Ryan, her ex-boyfriend; Maximus, a wizard; and Gabriela, a normal human who wanted a taste of adventure. Ryan shunned Sky at his father’s instructions, leading the way for the rest of her wyvern friends to do the same. I think a lot more could have been done with his character and the turmoil Sky felt when he was the person who destroyed her, but also the only person who could help her pull off the heist.

As far as wizards go, Maximus was… kind of lame. I thought he would have super-magical powers, but alas, I was mistaken. In a world where wyverns can breath fire, I was kind of disappointed with Maximus’ range of magic.

I really enjoyed Gabriela! She is human, as I am, and longed for adventure, as I do. I liked that she had value to the rest of the team even though she doesn’t have the same skills as they do. It goes to show how everyone can find something to be good at, and nobody should feel useless, which is a philosophy I personally subscribe to.

Overall, definitely worth reading if you’re into action more than characters. I never considered DNF’ing the book, because it was compelling, but in a different way than Six of Crows or Heist Society. Overall, 4/5 stars, because despite my issues with the characters, Fire and Heist managed to be a fun read. The world-building and connections to historical dragons were amusing and ultimately, made me want to finish reading.

This was very short fantasy read. It was full of action and adventure! I enjoyed it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I am slightly torn about this book, on the one hand, the story was definitely engaging, creative and quite original. I loved the dragons, the sense of adventure, the speed and even the romance(usually not my cup of tea in these kinds of books). My only issue was with the world building, which felt a little overdone and forced at times, but that could just be a matter of personal preference. All in all, this was a fun adventure I would recommend to fans of Renee Adieh or Naomi Novik.

What drew me to this book was – dragons and heist, and it executes the concept in a satisfactory enough manner. The story is set in an alternate reality of the world where the existence of were-dragons, excuse me, wyverns, has been common knowledge from the 16th century, and modern wyverns are just affluent people who can breathe fire. The other part of their heritage they retained from their original world (the wyverns in the human world are descendants of exiles) is accumulating hoards of gold – which in the context of the book means gilding everything in vaults and also gathering wealth in the more modern investment sense, too; and being good at stealing. But they are also a close knit society, and when Sky’s family loses their status when her mother fails a heist and disappears, she determines that the best way to restore family honor and find her mother is by completing the failed heist and using the bounty as leverage.

Fire and Heist presents a mostly expected structure of society when it comes to paranormal entities living in the human world. Sky doesn’t interact much with humans, but after her family loses its status and is being actively shunned, she finds a new friend in the human Gabriella. Her family (dad, and three older brothers) don’t want to help her so she recruits others to get the job done. That is what I liked about Sky, by the way – the girl is determined and doesn’t give up. She goes in half-cocked in some circumstances, though, and that is understandable given her age, but she does manage to finish the job in the end. The mood of the novel is more or less light, with emphasis on it being entertaining than being realistic.

When it came to world-building, the book had much of generalized lore to rely on for the human world, but I wish we got more information for Home. The dragon society there seems draconian (pun intended) and presents a side of meritocracy that is ableist at its core. Also I wished they had better security, what with all the technologically advanced world they live in (how did they not know what cameras were?!) – it would have made for a second, more complicated, heist for Sky to undergo and raised the stakes for her mission. As it is, it is exciting and fast-paced enough for a standalone story, but I would have liked it better if it did not just have one heist that was much simplified due to insider help.

Verdict – good paranormal fantasy, but the second world felt like it lacked development.