I had a good time reading Among Thieves, M.J. Kuhn's debut novel. It was easy to see the Six of Crows and Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire inspirations in this adult fantasy, heist novel. The similarities would sometimes make it hard to distinguish between characters, but as both of those book series are some of my favorites, I still had a fun time with this novel. Kuhn's writing is very fast paced, making this a quick read. What I would love to see in any futures novels by her is some more world building. There were so many things in this story that I wanted to be more flushed out and expanded upon (i.e. the magic system and some of the political powers/governments). I probably would have been a little more invested if we had those.

Overall, a good time. 3.25/5 stars

Such a fun read! The world the author created is so cool and the premise in general turned out to be fun.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I had seen so many comparisons to Six of Crows, and while I definitely could see the similarities, I think that this comparison does a disservice to the things that make this story different.

I would say that this was intended to be a more adult version of the Six of Crows duology, although I'm not entirely sure that Among Thieves succeeded in that goal. Regardless, I enjoyed the journey with characters that had a lot more depth than I expected.

You follow Ryia, the "Butcher", who works as her gangleader's assassin, but with a secret that could get her killed, Tristan, a con man and card-sharp, Ivan, a master of disguise, Nash, a smuggler, and Evelyn, a disgraced former captain of the guard, as they plan and execute a heist that could set all of them up for life. Unfortunately, they're all in it for their own reasons, and have their own ulterior motives behind the job that don't include loyalty to each other.

The overall story was enjoyable, and the characters were interesting, but it didn't quite have that same found family feeling I was expecting from the Six of Crows comparison. I can see it leading that way, and expect that it will come to fruition in following books, but I just didn't connect to them in the way I had hoped. The humor felt as though it was trying a little too hard to land on the adult side, and because of that occasionally felt more like teenagers making everything into a sexual innuendo.

I ended up giving this three stars, and will likely move on in the series when the next book comes out, because I do want to know what will happen next, but I feel as though comparing this to Six of Crows gave me unrealistic expectations for the character dynamics.

DNF @50%
So, I feel like this was not the right time or format for this book to work for me. I picked up the audiobook so I could whittle down the tremendous number of new books I had on my review list and it never quite clicked. Partially, I think this was due to narration style - the narrator had the same voice for every character and they all muddled together. 

This was a weird situation because this book has SO MANY THINGS that I usually love! Ryia is a gang enforcer with a bloody terrifying reputation. She’s also hiding under an assumed name and she’s running from the Guild because she has magical powers. People with these powers are usually spirited away shortly after birth to become slaves to the guild. When the opportunity to steal a powerful object from the Guildmaster arises, she takes the offer and sets off with a group of harebrained fellow criminals. 

It sounds so awesome, right?? I just never connected with any of the characters and even though I listened to it for four hours straight while driving (and therefore with nothing else to do) I couldn’t tell you much beyond the basic synopsis I just gave. Rather than force my way through a book I wasn't enjoying, I decided to DNF at around the 50% marker. I might give this a second chance in the future.

It's been a bit since I gave a book five stars. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed a lot of books I've read recently, but there has to be something special for me to give a book five stars. And I'm thrilled to say Among Thieves had that special something!

The plot was fast-paced, but didn't feel rushed. I loved that Kuhn got right into the action, but also did a good job explaining why the action mattered. Sometimes when a book dives straight into action, it can feel a little jarring and lead me to have a hard time figuring out exactly what's going on. But Kuhn did a great job balancing the excitement and explanations.

I also adored these characters. I have a soft spot for amoral characters, particularly thieves and crooks. But I loved that these criminals in particular all had different motivations and felt like real people. It was easy to feel connected to each of them.

If you enjoy a good heist, fantasy book with entertaining characters and plenty of banter, I would highly recommend picking this book up! Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

We've all heard the phrase "thick as thieves" but what actually happens when a group of thieves, con artists, assassins and others get together. Will they truly work as a team or is each out for themselves?

Each chapter is written from the point of view of a character thus enabling the reader to be privy to the motivation of the character. The secrets continue building throughout since not everyone is what they seem.

I got this arc from NetGalley awhile back and I finished it when the storm first hit I just haven’t found time to actually write a coherent review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Among Thieves by @mjkuhnbooks

This book was very interesting and I loved every second of it, the plot is was really got me hooked. It was very quick paced and everything linked to something else.

All of the characters and their backstories had me dying to know more about them, I can’t wait for the next one. So much to be resolved and so much to look forward too.

If you loved six of crows and enjoy characters like Celaena from Throne of Glass then I definitely recommend this book to you!

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. The story is apparently trying hard to be complicated, mistaking complexity for depth—the the tens of names for nations, organizations, gangs, magic, peoples are thrown around with no context or proper weaving into the plot is very tiring. There is no attempt to tie things together, even late in the book. Many reviewers have also commented on how the book handles sensitive topics like slavery and abuse, and I strongly recommend you find and read those reviews. Overall this didn't work for me at all.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a pretty good YA Fantasy that promises to turn into a fun, exciting series.

Ryia is known as "The Butcher" of Carrowick, a dockside city run by various gangs. Ryia is on the run from the powerful Guildmaster, the ruler of 5 kingdoms of Thamorr. Certain people are born with a gift for strength, speed, mind reading, sensing and other gifts and are called Adepts. They are taken by the Guildmaster as a baby and trained on an island. When they reach adulthood they are stripped of all identity and are sold to rich people as obedient servants who have no mind or will of their own.

Ryia is determined to kill the Guildmaster and steal his means of controlling the Adepts. She gets her chance, but must rely on a group of other criminals that she doesn't trust and who have their own agendas.

This book started off really slow. The worldbuilding is a bit uneven. The characters are fairly well-formed, and hopefully will be fleshed out a bit more in the next book. The book is told from several different characters' perspectives, which makes for a lot of unreliable narrators. The book was a bit jumbled until the characters set off on their quest to infiltrate the Guildmaster's island. After that, there was plenty of action and the story started to gel better.

The book ended on a juicy cliffhanger, so I'm assuming there will be a second book. If so, I will most likely read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press. All opinions are my own.

Among Thieves is one of my favorite books of 2021. The premise focuses on a group of individuals who have to work together in order to conduct a heist. While the heist storyline was intriguing, the best part of the book for me were the characters. Every character had their own motivations and secrets. None of the characters were all "good" or all "evil" - they were truly "gray" characters whose ultimate goals were to survive. For me, I particularly enjoyed Tristan and Ryia's chapters. While there were small hints of romance, there wasn't a main romantic storyline, which I enjoyed. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Among Thieves was everything I wanted in a fast paced Fantasy!! The world building was fantastic, the characters were morally gray and super fun. I also really love the magic system and can't wait to see more on this. This book switches between different characters to tell the story. Usually I find myself gravitating towards one character, but in this one I really couldn't choose a favorite! They are all so unique, completely fleshed out, and I just loved them all. This is compared a lot to Six of Crows as far as having a heist. While this is true, this one is a bit more gruesome and full of betrayal! This debut is fantastic, and is definitely not one to miss if you're a lover of fantasy and heists. I can't wait to read the sequel!!

I freaking loved this book. Why isn't it plastered all over bookstagram right now? Seriously. It's sooooooooo good. If you're a fan of heists, morally grey characters, magic, cities run by gangs, and witty banter then this is the book for you. Go buy it now. You'll thank me later!

Among Thieves follows a set of outcasts that have two things in common: they all have the same boss and they are all criminals. Forced to work together for a heist with a large payout, they have to set aside their differences to succeed or face the wrath of their boss. The only problem is everyone has their own motives and plans, all of which are unknown to each other.

This book is FULL of witty banter, schemes, backstabbing, secrets, and action. I loved how I never knew where the story was going. One thing after another set the plot off in a different direction and I was left guessing until the very end. This was mostly in part because not one character was especially great at coming up with a plan. Or I should say, a successful plan.

Fast-paced plot aside, it was the characters that made this book shine. You've got a mercenary, pirate smuggler, master of disguise, dirty card dealer, and an ex-captain with a moral compass. It's the perfect set up for the found family trope, even if most of them hate each other. Riya, aka The Butcher, is the main character and will definitely give you Aelin vibes. She's ruthless, flirty, and only interested in looking out for herself. The chapters alternative POVs giving you a glimpse into each character and their scheming. Although, I do wish there was a tad bit more backstory for the others. I really, really hope there is more to come for this band of misfits.

I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of: morally grey characters, witty banter that makes you laugh out loud, Six of Crows, Throne of Glass, heist stories, and twisty plots.

Thank you to @sagasff @mjkuhnbooks & @netgalley for a digital advanced copy for review.

Thank you to NetGalley, M.J. Kuhn and Gallery/Saga Press for an e-arc of Among Thieves in exchange for an honest review.

Ryia Cautella has gained a reputation for the quickest, deadliest blades in Carrowwick. However, Ryia is not her real name, and a reputation is not something she particularly desires. For the last 6 years, Ryia has been hiding from the Guildmaster, the real ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr, but somehow his servants have always been able to track her down. Now Ryia is forced to team up with a group of misfits to journey into the Guildmaster's stronghold and steal the source of his power. Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn is a fun new fantasy heist story featuring a band of unlikely allies working together to overthrow the status quo, while also working towards their own goals.

This book was very intriguing. The magic system is very unique and I loved that we just jump right into the action without to much preamble. With some fantasy novels, jumping straight into the plot without the necessary world building leaves the reader confused, but Kuhn is able to integrate it seamlessly into the plot to make learning about the world enjoyable and not a large info dump.

The found family trope in Among Thieves was also handled well, but I would have liked to have seen a little more of the friendship building done on the page as opposed to off. A few of the character's "secrets" were a bit predictable as well, but it didn't draw away from the enjoyment of seeing the others finding out what everyone else was hiding.

I really hope Kuhn continues on and writes at least a sequel. I would love to see more from these characters.

M.J. Kuhn creates a band of crazy criminals that are trying hard to keep to their personal code. The author creates compelling characters with a well written story line that will pull readers into the story. The story is well paced keeping the story moving forward with character development that has readers taking sides and wondering who is the good guys and who are the bad guys.
The story has moments that could have used either more detail or understand as to how the band got together.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Among Thieves.

The premise of this tale sounds amazing - morally gray band of merry people fighting the good fight. Unfortunately, the world building was very basic and almost non-existent and the cast of characters felt so muddled to me that I struggled to remember who was who and who did what. I’ve never been a fan of every chapter being dedicated to a different POV. It barely kept my attention and I struggled to finish.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This debut fantasy novel has all the things that pique my interest, starting with a motley team of rogues coming together for a daunting heist, each with their own ulterior motives and back stories that unfold as the novel progresses. There's adventure, romance, multiracial representation and plot twists galore! So I should totally love this book, right?

Alas, reading Among Thieves felt like a chore for me for one reason alone: the pacing was godawful. All the information came in a fevered rush, there was no suspense, no build up, and all the plot twists were dropped in like anvils from heaven. When something genuinely surprised me (which it only did at the end,) I was moved so far as to raise an eyebrow and murmur, "Clever." And that's it! The entire reading experience was like lying down in rapidly rushing water, with a big wave at the end: pleasant but rather mindless, and extremely one note.

But, you know, some readers will dig that, and if that's you then I'm happy for you, because here's a book you'll love! The premise, briefly: the port city of Carrowwick is run by its street gangs in the same way that the five kingdoms of Thamorr are run by their monarchies. The Saints, led by the ruthless and potentially mad Callum Clem, have just suffered a rather large reversal, but Callum has a plan for getting his gang back on top of the power structure. This will involve bringing together Ryia (and I really want somebody to tell me how that's pronounced,) the assassin known as the Butcher of Carrowwick; Tristan, a light-fingered street urchin indebted to Callum; Ivan, the foreign master of disguise; Nash, the smuggler captain who styles herself the Empress of the Three Seas, and Evelyn, the disgraced former captain of the Needle Guard, the security force that patrols Carrowwick for its ruler.

And as the ruler guides the country, so does the Guildmaster rule Thamorr, due to his being the only source for the gifted warriors known as Adepts. Ofc, our team is sent on a heist to steal something extremely valuable from said Guildmaster. But since each of our rogues has their own interests at play here, will they be able to score their prize without betraying and possibly dooming each other to death or worse?

Like I said, this is an extremely fun premise, and if you like turning your brain off and going along for the ride, then you will very much enjoy this book. I just wanted so much more from the execution of it! I can 100% ignore the often juvenile humor or sudden, less than convincing changes of heart, but the unvaryingly info dump quality of the writing absolutely flattened whatever enjoyment I could find from the plot.

That said, I'm rather surprised that there's no sequel planned for this, given how open the ending was and how it clearly wanted to tell more story. For all that I wasn't a huge fan of the storytelling, I'm hoping M. J. Kuhn does get a shot at honing her craft and telling us more. Tho I'm also hoping that that happens without the gratuitous, jarring use of unnecessary Britishisms in an otherwise American English text. Anyway, promising writer, meh debut, definitely has loads of potential.

Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn was published September 7 2021 by Saga Press and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781982142148">Bookshop!</a>

Before I tell you why I cherished this book (without spoilers), I simply want to say WOW. Among Thieves is a first-novel triumph for M.J. Kuhn and in my top ten list for 2021! M.J. demonstrated she had a marvelous writing ability and just carved herself a seat at the table with the brilliant authors of our time, and can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. Bravo!

And my fondness for this book starts with how well plotted it was. I was astonished and delighted at every turn, pages and twists unfolding in front of me, and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. M.J. weaved a series of events where nearly every character’s wants and needs included and properly executed. She also built a splendid world filled with fascinating places, governments and magic ingredients that beg expansion beyond this first novel.

Then, if the plot wasn’t enough, M.J. established a gang of misfits—all different in their own ways and in dire need of an arc—and delivered by allowing us to live the scenes, dialogues and betrayals that make these characters shine (and 3-dimensional). Each had a well-developed history that we’ve experienced through the finely tuned narrative. Her prose was perfect, written with a slight touch towards the poetic, yet widely accessible for all to enjoy.

Now, if, like me, you stay at the end credits of every Marvel movie expecting to see a sequence revealing new plot points for the MCU, wait until you read the epilogue of Among Thieves. I loved the book before the epilogue. Then my expectations were snatched and thrown to the wall to reveal that not everything was what it seemed... but what an ending. A “what’s in a box/Seven” moment. She closed all the doors and answered all questions set throughout the book, yet left a window open to let a breeze in, whispering to us…”but there is more…”

In conclusion, if you love (who wouldn’t) an amazingly well plotted fantasy/heist novel, with spicy-well-written characters and a top-notch ending, do yourself a favor and read M.J. Kuhn's incredible first novel Among Thieves.

As soon as I read Among Thieves was to be like one of my favorite books, Six of Crows, I was on board. However, besides having random people pulled together by an unseemly leader to pull a heist that is about all I felt were the similarities between the two books. I did not find the characters nearly as engaging nor did I really want to cheer them on. This is a fast paced read and there is a heist so there is that for all you readers out there.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Thank you Gallery Books, Saga Press, Netgalley, and M.J. Kuhn for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review of this amazing book.

"Long after gold had lost its charm and men no longer had a taste for bread and wine, words would still hold their value."

*4.5 stars*

Content Warnings:
- LOTS of cursing
- Gorey
- Brutality
- Imprisonment
- Fighting

This book was such a fun, wild ride. It definitely lived up to my expectations of being compared to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - it was almost, if not as good, as it. There was so much action, the characters were hilarious, and the worldbuilding was good. However, the two reasons I could not give this book 5 stars were:
1. The setting was described only when it was opportune for the characters - only when it was interacted with. Every other time, the scenes were not described clearly at all.
2. The twists that were supposed to be huge were really obvious, to me at least.

In Among Thieves, we follow five characters - Ivan, Tristan, Ryia, Nash, and Evelyn. Evelyn is an ex-guard, but thanks to Ryia, aka the Butcher of Carrowick, she lost her high-ranking officer position. Ryia works for the infamous Callum Clem, the leader of the Saints (kind of like Kaz Brekker and the Crows). Their rival gang is offered the job of a lifetime, but when the Crowns decide not to take it, the Saints steal it for themselves. And it could honestly be a lifetime with the level of stakes - 400,000 of their money but they are stealing from the Guildmaster, the most powerful man in the whole world. From here, the worldbuilding went downhill - the world was very 2-D - the scenes didn't pop out at me for their setting, although I knew there were five countries. Ryia escaped from the Guildmaster's clutches once before and she has not been able to take a breath since. She has been tracked and followed. But thank goodness she has the sharpest tongue and quickest wit in the Lottery, for she may be the only one to steal the item from the Guildmaster's Island. With the help of her fellow Saints, of course.

The two twists in the story - who Tristan and Ryia really are - weren't really twists in my opinion. I thought they were quite obvious and I put them together pretty quickly. Needless to say, it was a predictable plot.

The action and how much I enjoyed the grittiness made this read an exciting one for me. With that cliffhanger, I anxiously await M.J. Kuhn's sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves some thievery, assassins, political tensions, betrayment, and magic.

Among Thieves is pitched as a heist novel for fans of Six of Crows, and I think that really feels like an accurate way to describe it. It’s got a similar multiple-POV set-up, and some characters follow similar archetypes. A large part of the book is set in a city of which different parts are practically run by different gangs. The main characters are all part of the Saints, a gang led by Callum Clem. Because the gang is in monetary trouble, a crew of outcasts is brought together to steal a magical artifact from the Guild-master, the de facto ruler of the continent the book is set on. There’s just one twist: instead of becoming a wholesome group of found family like one might expect, they are secretly plotting to betray one another.

The strongest aspect of this book for me was, without a doubt, the plot. There is always something going on while you’re reading Among Thieves, which for me made it easy to get through the book. The plot-twists are fun and unexpected yet foreshadowed in clever ways, and really kept me on the edge of my seat towards the end.

However, I was not a fan of the world-building. The kingdoms in the novel’s world largely seem to be based off mixes of various European cultures, but that also ends up feeling weird when you have a country of people with what I gathered were Slavic-coded names, a Scandinavian-esque culture, and knock-off German as their language. The other countries seem to be based vaguely off other cultures, mostly European ones, although there is also a country of brown-skinned people. Nothing is described with enough detail to truly get a sense of what is really going on in these individual countries, which is a problem when part of the plot depends on international politics.

In addition to the world, the characters also were hard to get a grasp on at times, especially Nash and Tristan. I feel like I have somewhat of a sense of what Ivan, Ryia, and Evelyn are like as people, but the other two crew members really felt like two-dimensional characters, despite having a decent chunk of POV chapters. I did enjoy getting to know the three more fleshed-out characters, and I would consider picking up the sequel to find out where their character arcs are going.

Overall, I had mixed feelings about Among Thieves. If you like action-packed heist fantasy novels with a decent cast of morally grey characters, you might want to consider picking this up, but don’t expect too much from the world-building, or the magic system for that matter.