I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Prince and the Thief was an okay book. I'll admit that the pacing seemed a bit off throughout it and the whole mystery prince thing was pretty predictable to me. As for the little cliffhanger at the end, well - it was okay. Nothing super spectacular happened in this book but it was pretty easy to devour.

In it, you will meet Will and Aiden. They were pretty likable but that's a bit it. When they were together, it was kind of cute and such. Yet, when they were apart I didn't really seem to care what was happening to them. I think if they had more growth throughout the book, I probably would've liked them a lot more but I will accept the bits and pieces I got.

Other than that, I feel confused on some parts that were missing in this book so I'm hoping that the second one will dive more into them. Or just mention it for a while. Either way, I would probably dive into book two whenever it is available.

Honestly, I was a bit confused with this book. I cannot say I disliked it because I've started reading it and only stopped at the end, it only took me an afternoon. However, there were some things I didn't quite enjoy.

Firstly, one of the things that bothered me was how the story was fast and slow paced at the same time, if that makes any sense. When the plot was finally going somewhere and getting interesting, the book ended. I was a bit disappointed by that. I feel like this book was a bit under developed, there was room for so much more, and the ending felt a bit rushed. Even though the cliffhanger at the end tells us there will be more books, I still think the author could deepen the story a little bit more before the ending.

The characters were interesting, I liked the general idea of them, but we could get way more information and depth on them. Also, their motivations could be more worked on. For instance, Will's uncle. Why did he do that, in the first place? We get to know he did that, but we don't quite know why or what motivated him to act that way. What's in it for him? How could be benefit from it? I have this sort of questions for more characters, hence my opinion on that matter.

Also, I wanted to talk about the world building. I liked the idea of the different countries and what they represented, the setting the story takes place and the fact that only aristocracy has magical powers.

Other thing that was a bit confusing for me.... I didn't quite get why the city would shake and reconstruct from time to time, though. But that probably escaped me.

In the end I would like to finish this book with a little more knowledge of the rest of the world, since we only get to know a little bit of Aqua and Chronos besides the city this takes place. We don't have much more information on the other countries, except a few lines in the beginning of the story, and I would like that.

Interesting premise, not so great execution. This, unfortunately, was a DNF for me. I know, receiving this book, that it wasn't a completely final product. But, it also needed another round of editing.

Will is a thief whose current assignment is to steal a mysterious ring from the royal palace of Ambrosia. All he wants is to live a life of luxury, while keeping his illegitimate birth a secret. The son of an unknown noble, he has the ability to use water magic, something only the gentry possess. Then one might he meets Aiden. Aiden is a prince ill at ease, engaged to a girl he can’t love while his power-hungry uncle blackmails him with letters to his former lover that may reveal the secret that he is gay. After a chance meeting, Aiden hires Will to steal back the letters and as they grown closer, they begin to fall for one another, creating a dangerous alliance. In the background, revolution stirs in the city and whispers of a lost prince entangle the two boys in a web bigger than either of them could have guessed.

This book is mostly supported by the well-rounded characters as well as the budding romance between Will and Aiden. The subplot of revolution and Will’s mysterious past keep the action fresh and propel the plot forward at a good pace. The magic system and politics, while intriguing, are only briefly explained and could have been more developed for a richer world-building. The editing needs work as well to fix several inconsistencies (the princess’s eyes turn from blue to green, the season changes from summer to spring and back again, cycle of the moon also changes). Overall, it was a quick read with a slow-burn romance, a dusting of magic, and a side of political intrigue that ends with a cliffhanger for the next book.

3.5/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and PS Scott for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review***

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I have read quite a few lgbt+ heist novels lately and they have just fallen flat so I held myself at arm's length from this book. I was drawn in by the story and found myself loving the characters.

I saw later that this book was compared to Pacat's Captive Prince series. I personally do not find many comparisons (this book seems to be for a tad bit younger of an audiance) so I would advise you to read this without comparing it to other books.

I would recommend this book, it was super fun!!

3/5🌟: this was a quick, fast paced read that i would recommend to anyone who's looking for a short and easy to understand fantasy novel. there's not too much world building, not too many new words that will take you two hundred pages to understand. the characters were likeable, if a bit bland. i was super happy that there was no insta love, the building friendship between the boys felt real. there's definitely some potential to this story and at last i'm hoping for more and better female representation in the sequel!

thank you netgalley for the digital arc.

<b>Great potential that wasn’t tapped at all</b>
The blurb made me request the book because it said that it would be similar to “Captive Prince” by C. S. Pacat and I obsessed over that series. So, I had great expectations for “The Prince and the Thief” which in fortunately weren’t met at all.
Though, the plot is still quite good and when the story-telling would have been better I am sure the book could have good potential. We have a fantasy world with magic, kings, princes, revolutionaries and – the most original part for me – Crimson Street, a city quarter which alters its layout every few hours/minutes. And we have Aidan (Prince to the kingdom) and Will (a jewel thief) who come together and form an unlikely pact. Unfortunately for me, the characters stay quite flat and inconsistent mainly because they are all over the place with their thought and feelings. There is so much inconsistency in how they feel and what they think. It sometimes even led me to going back a few pages to reread several scenes in order to check whether I missed something – I hadn’t.
There are also highly illogical things happening (e.g. the revolutionary clubs are exclusive and secret, but it’s alright to talk to a complete stranger about the revolution and treasonous actions), things that led to the question of WHY (e.g. Why is there a segregated, forbidden area of the library that holds mainly erotic literature? and Why does Aidan plainly accept it without question when a stranger tells him for the first time in his 17 or 18 years old life that his father massacred an entire dynasty in order to become king?). What also bothers me is that all the discovery of secrets and plots in the book happens too coincidental; Will and Aidan seem to always be at the right place at the right time – that kills all the excitement and is far too easy for a good deep fantasy story.
Also there are wrong names (Aidan is called Will in a scene where Will isn’t present), wrong time frames and Aidan tends to be 18 at the beginning of the book but is 17 later. Additionally, the style of writing for me was repetitive and stagnant which in the end led to the 1.5 stars rating for the good plot idea and the creation Crimson Street.

If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be "refreshing". I know it may sound strange, but it really was. I can't exactly tell what I found refreshing because it would be a spoiler, but let's just say that I love heist-plot and particularly this kind of heist-plot. However, it has to be said that this book is so much more than a heist. In hindsight, probably what happens is not the most incredible plot twist of all time, but because I was only focusing on the theft, I did not see this other plot coming. So, well done, author.
The reading was light and fast. I devoured the novel in a few (pleasant) hours.
The writing style might not win a Nobel Prize in Literature, but I enjoyed it. What I did not like was when the character addressed the reader directly: I do not mind rhetorical questions, but the whole "now I should talk about..." never really clicks with me, unless the author is actually making the character break the fourth wall for reasons, but I do not believe this was the case.
I found a couple of perplexing things, like Will being afraid of his uncle seeing him... but his uncle is blind. Probably, it could have been formulated better as in "other people seeing him". However, I read the arc version; maybe the final one is fixed. And, anyway, this did not ruin my reading.
What I liked a lot was the interactions between Will and Aidan: these twos together are two precious. (Also, Aidan meeting Elysia was everything.) I suppose I'm a bit sad for the engaged princess, but really, I just want these two together.
Overall, I liked this book, I recommend it and I'll read the sequel.

Sadly wasn't able to read before it was archived. Really interested though! I love reading LGBTQ+ fantasy so I'm bummed I wasn't able to get to it.

What a way to end a book!
A great cliffhanger that’s got me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one.

Although a slightly predictable story line relating to the lost prince the book was still very enjoyable.

Maybe aimed at a lower reading age than I would usually read but would still recommend for anyone looking for a quick, fast moving and action packed read.

Can’t wait for the next book!

This book had some inklings of interesting ideas, but unfortunately, there were simply too many glaring issues with inconsistencies and lack of originality. At times, the world-building presents interesting concepts in the form of a constantly shifting and transforming street or magical currents that nobles with magical stones are able to travel along, but when the larger world is comprised of kingdoms named “Aqua” (the kingdom of water) and “Chronos” (the kingdom of time), I cannot help but feel like the potential for originality is wasted. The characters feel like cardboard cut-outs; all I know about our main characters is that they are a prince and a thief, which I already gathered from the title. The writing style is full of awkward info-dumping, spending whole pages on describing family members and settings instead of spreading them out over the narrative. The end of the book is awkwardly cut off at a cliffhanger without resolving any kind of plot, which just frustrated me endlessly after already being underwhelmed by the rest of this book. On top of all that, themes of homophobia and sexual assault are presented but were, to me, not handled with the care they needed, so this entire book just fell flat for me.

2.5 stars - The Prince and the Thief was a quick read that had an interesting plotline.

The book goes back and forth between Will’s and Aidan’s point of views. Will is an orphan and a thief with water magic – an ability that is rare and kept hidden from everyone outside of his aunt, uncle, and cousins. On his way back from one of his thefts, Will meets Aidan – the second son of the king that is betrothed to a neighboring princess. Aidan is getting blackmailed by his abusive uncle with letters from his ex-boyfriend, which is not allowed among the nobles. He hires Will to recover the letters, which begins their crazy story and quest.

While there was nonstop action – either Will or Aidan on the move to do something – it felt like a lot of these quests were pointless and didn’t contribute to the actual plot. For a book as short as this one, I felt that the editors could have found some unnecessary bits to cut out and places for P.S. Scott to add more to.
I really did like the premise of the book, keeping me intrigued and wanting to learn what would happen, but it fell short. Right when I thought the action would ramp up, the plotline died back down with some unnecessary drama. In addition, I guessed 99% of the “twists” that the book presented, which is always somewhat disappointing.

While 2.5 stars may seem low, I do recommend this book out to people looking for a quick LGBTQ+ young adult fantasy read. I did enjoy the plot and am interested to continue on in the story with P.S. Scott’s second book in the Ambrosia Royals series.

I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

this was an okay read! i found it funny and entertaining though it was very slow paced for me.
The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention but the plot fell short. the world building was amazing but it felt like it lead to a lot of plot holes. Alot of plot points were introduced that were dismissed in the next chapter.
I wish there was more mention of magic in the book because its so seldom mentioned we forget about it.
the book is kind of short but ends in an interesting way that sets up book 2 in a dramatic way.

i really liked the idea of this story but the plot was poorly executed with many inconsistency and plot holes.

2/5 Stars

So this book has an interesting premise, and the author has introduced some cool ideas about the magic system into the plot. But it pretty much stopped there. There are so many things that are just not fleshed out very well; it’s almost like reading the outline to the book rather than the book itself. In addition, the book doesn’t really flow very well. The author keeps jumping from here to there to somewhere else, and some things just seem to be introduced for no real reason at all. I hope that the second book in the series is better thought out, and answers all of the questions that this book brought up.

Thank you to NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Prince Aiden is set to be married to a foreign princess to secure an alliance, but a secret that his uncle uncovered is threatens his future and his uncle is using this information to blackmail him.
After Aiden runs into street thief Will, he hires Will to steal letter his uncle is using to blackmail him.
The society has an undefined elemental magic system. Only noble families have magic, and certain families have different Elements as their magic....oh and Will, Will has magic and is an orphan being raised by his uncle.

The Prince and the Thief was short start to a young adult level fantasy series.
The story was fairly predictable for an experienced reader and for such a short novel there were additional clutter that didn't need to be there (too many named side characters, the entire arranged marriage sub plot was unnecessary, Aiden's motivation would have been the same without it, the entire magic subplot doesn't seem to aid the story).

I want to first thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read <i>The Prince and the Thief</i> by P.S. Scott before its publication. Even though I am thankful for their kindness, I did not let it influence my evaluation of this book.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely something new and different. The basic story centers on a kingdom where only the rich and powerful have access to magic. In this world, there is a boy who has access to magic who is a thief and lives with a family of thieves. Although he has magic, he has to keep it hidden from others for fear that his secret would be let out and he would be put to death.

During the committal of an act of thievery, he is caught by one of the princes who happens to be being blackmailed by his uncle for a gay tryst he'd had with someone at court. Sadly, this is a world where sexuality isn't as big a deal among the commoners, but royalty must wed and continue the royal line. Sigh... I get the inclusion of this trope, but honestly, it didn't necessarily add anything huge to the overall story. If anything, it created a bit of an awkward side story. I just wish the author had been a bit more creative on this front.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun and fast read, but it does end a bit abruptly opening the book up for a sequel. I'm all for sequels, but this book just feels a bit unfinished to me at this point. I look forward to seeing how this saga plays out in the sequel.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like this book had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat. I quite liked Aiden and felt for him but Will just isn't very likeable. He isn't all that nice and quite selfish. Of course his upbringing has a lot to do with that and I understand it but I just can't relate to him at all and I was very quickly annoyed by him. The storyline progresses very slowly and while this is just the first book in a series I would have at least liked to see a hint of romance.

Even though this was just the first part in what is obviously a longer story, I really enjoyed what I did read.
I wouldn't say this was the first novel in a series, as I didn't feel it wrapped up anything but I really enjoyed it: Excellent writing and strong characters make for an intriguing start in a new series.
I look forward to reading more of Aidan and Will's story in future.

The Prince and the Thief had all the ingredients of a compelling reading but fell flat. Though quite easy to read, it offsets this by being unremarkable. The writing got in the way of the story at times - heavily dependent on clichés and dramatics. Things happened but I never felt like they were developed to its full capacity. I think the main issue is that this book just needs one more round with the editor.

I never felt connected to the characters. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I did enjoy reading about Will and Aiden. However, I think the overuse of tropes got in the way for Aiden and Will to transcend these characteristics. They weren’t fully formed characters; they were the plucky but talented orphan, and the benevolent prince.

All of this sounds very harsh, but I don't actually think this is atrocious. I just think it's disappointing.

-A YA novel with queer characters?
- magical world and people having magical powers?
- political intrigue?
-two boys becoming friends and (hopefully) falling in love?
YES to all of the above!

If you, like me enjoy this type of literature, The Prince and The Thief may be for you. The book is fast pasted and well written. It is told from two POVs, so we can see both Will and Aiden's thoughts. That gives the story more depth and the readers understand both characters and their motives better.The magical world was maybe to sparsely described, only at the end did we learn more about the source of magic. Nonetheless, the world building was convincing and story gripping.
It is a promising start of a new, queer fantasy series


Trigger Warning for mentions and thoughts of sexual abuse, violence against minors.