People. Heist stuff? I’m all over it. I can’t get enough of ‘they’re murderers and thieves but friendship is for life!’ That’s great. That part is highly entertaining to my little unhealthy brain. Heists did not start in Young Adult. It’s one of the oldest tropes in SFF but lately people have been forgetting that yes, this is something that’s a part of adult Science Fiction & Fantasy. Something to do with the fact that adult SFF doesn’t get nearly as much attention. Right along those lines.

Among Thieves is essentially you’re gay but can you be a bunch of corrupt little murderers and thieves? Hard yes.

Lately, I’ve been struggling to find a book that doesn’t sink me into the slump abyss. Books I’ve been really excited for, ones I’ve put on my most anticipated lists, left me with an overwhelming mountain of a slump. I wanted something good. Just fun high adventures and messy characters. Among Thieves sucked all the dull out of me and gave me a level of enjoyment that even my sick depressed brain couldn’t combat.

What makes this book shine? The characters. The group dynamic. The swashbuckling. The bantiest of banter. Not exactly the cheeriest bunch but I’m a big fan of morbid humor.

In Thamorr on the Lottery are thieves, smugglers, and nefarious souls surviving by only looking out for themselves. Clashes between the noble classes and turf wars with the Harpies, The Saints, live on these streets, and by whatever means necessary, they do what the boss and king of the Lottery commands. Steal. Kill. Plot. Smuggling Brillish drugs can bring the coin but only their boss can give them the type of comfort the upper classes deny them. Callem Clem offers survival but once you’re a Saint it’s until death. On the horizon, the noble classes fight for the thing they always want more of: wealth and power, specifically by means of the Adepts. Taken from the homes at birth, Adepts have magical abilities, all of which are commanded by their guildmaster.

The Saints are sent on a voyage to steal the source of his power. Together, a smuggler, a thief, a butcher, and a conniving card dealer band together along with a grumpy ex captain named Evelyn, on a swashbuckling adventure of murderous and nefarious intent. Gay thoughts are very much included.

This book reminded me how much I love books like the Princess Bride and King of the Swashbuckles, Monsieur Dumas. The gloom, the weird names only fantasy authors come up with, the assassins all dressed up in boots and a cloak, and thievery in the rain. The Butcher of Carrowwick. The Empress of Three Seas. Callem Clem and his Saints of the Wharf. That’s the stuff I like.

Many of these characters are messy, and as a neurodivergent person, I found that relatable and endearing. There’s just something about people having to do with cards they have. And, this group is the result of luck not being on their side. M.J. Kuhn gives characters having to do with their circumstances. What I love about this group is the care and love for each other, despite the tendency to squash their feelings by any means necessary—a bunch of sharp tongued, gold hearted pirates.

Among Thieves is one of those rare books that would appeal to both Adult and Young Adult readers. The plot is just one thing after another, and readers are bound to sink into Kuhn’s witty prose. For me, this would be one of those books I took on vacation.

I love books with strong female characters- and is an assassin for hire exactly that?

This is an interesting story with an ensemble of quirky, untrustworthy, smart ass characters who form an unlikely family of criminals.

The more dangerous the job - theft, assassinaction, impersonation, the more enthusiastically the group works. The problem? Can they trust each other beyond the completion of the job?

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga for an ARC of Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn.

Reading the description of this plot: a "Six of Crows" esque heist, a band of thieves and outlaws, queer representation, and an expansive world with corresponding magic system, I thought this was right up my alley. The main character (I think?) is also extremely unlikable and damaged, which is usually up my alley as well.

But this did not quite work for me. Something ended up feeling very hollow about both the characters and the world itself, so that none of it felt real. Yes, there was banter amongst the team, but unlike SoC or The Gilded Wolves, the characters (with maybe the exception of Ryia) lacked the back stories and emotional depth to make me care about them outside of quips and fun "I might kill you, no I might save you" scenarios.

I also really couldn't place any of the settings. If you asked me to describe any of them, I don't think I could. I'm realizing more and more that settings are so important in my fantasy.

If you really enjoy heists and maybe older school fantasy, I think you would enjoy this book, but it just wasn't right for me.

Among Thieves is a viciously ground-breaking and stunningly high-octane original story that is sure to enthrall and ensnare its readers. It is built within a world of grit and betrayal that is as far reaching as it is corrupt. This spectacular adventure brings you non-stop thrills and wicked twists that are sure to keep you guessing. Just when you think you have the story figured out, the rug is unexpectedly pulled from under your feet leaving you grappling for steady ground in the midst of yet another explosive revelation. There is nothing boring or lifeless about this story. It will shake you awake and leave you shivering and curious about each and every person you meet.

Ryia is one of many in the city of Carrowwick. She is nothing special, and yet she is so much more. One of many labeled as thieves or thugs, she lives her existence by her own rules, and yet she is under the rule of another. She is eager to hide and yet will show off her skills to anyone who will take notice. Who she truly is is anyone's guess, but her true nature is one she holds tightly to her heart. All that matters is that she is ready to reclaim her life. However, with that task comes immense risk. Has she finally found a task that she cannot complete, or will her goal come with a risk far greater than she could have ever imagined?

Ryia and her band of thieves are an extremely interesting rag tag group. Each possesses a very unique ability and together they make the perfect unit to pull off most any job. Danger means nothing to them. More danger means greater reward, so they gladly take any job no matter the risk. I loved getting a viewpoint from each of them as this story progresses. It helped me to fully grasp the wonderful complexity and marvelous beauty of this story and its amazing characters. What an extraordinary masterpiece!

M.J. Kuhn is a magnificently gifted and incredibly talented author who has captured both my attention and my heart with this astounding story! She has shaken me awake, and now I need to know more about this dark and dirty yet beautifully raw world of hers. Her brilliantly complex characters have made their way to my heart, and I can't wait to see where this story leads and how it takes shape before my eyes. This is a story for discerningly ravenous fantasy readers or for those who just want something new and utterly breathtaking to savor and enjoy!

3.5* rounded to 4
I didn't read Six of Crows so I can't say if there's a lot in common, I think there's a lot of potential as the world building and the magic systems are fascinating and the morally grey characters are interesting.
It's a grimdark fantasy that can become a very interesting series.
I found it entertaining but I didn't appreciated the cliffhanger as it was like waiting for any type of conclusion and being left with a "To be continued"
I want to read the next book to know what will happen.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Final review score: 3.5/5 Stars

Ryia has a secret, one the Guildmaster of Thamorr would kill to keep hidden. That’s why she’s been on the run for the last six years, moving from city to city to stay one step ahead of his agents. In her latest stop, she’s fallen in with a gang known as the Saints, where uses her many axes to great effect as the Saints’ enforcer. But when the Saints get wind of a contract to steal an artifact from the Guildmaster, Ryia realizes the magic item is the key to being free of the Guildmaster once and for all. She’ll have to betray her crew in the process, but she’s willing to make that sacrifice for her freedom. Unfortunately for Ryia, every other thief on the job has a reason to take the artifact for themselves – so who will betray who first?

AMONG THIEVES is a fun escapist heist adventure with an excellent set-up, though the characters run a little thin. The author does a great job of painting a world where magic users are essentially enslaved from birth scooped up by the Guildmaster’s minions to be trained for a life of servitude to the highest bidder. Magic users come in two varieties: Kinetics, with enhanced strength and occasional telekinetic abilities, and Sensors, who can detect when someone is planning harm. Both Kinetics and Sensors exhibit no will or personality of their own, merely following their magically branded owner’s instructions. Seeing the ways Ryia’s found to exploit this lack of initiative is fun, but running afoul of a Kinetic can have deadly consequences.

The heist elements themselves were a good time, with plenty of misdirection, false identities, and of course, carefully laid plans gone horribly wrong. These parts were the highlight of the book, enhanced by the fact that the author does a great job of establishing reasons for each crew member to want to or need to betray the rest of the crew, providing plenty of tension. The one element of the plotting that felt a bit off is that this book is currently a standalone, but it is very much full of cliffhangers and unresolved plot lines. I’m sure the author has hopes of returning to this world and continuing the story, but if this ends up being the only book in the series, the ending proves unsatisfying. Should the author get to write a sequel, however, there’s plenty of set-up for the next adventure.

The other element that felt a little lacking to me was the character depth. For those of you just here for the heist, there’s enough on the page to get you through the story and you’ll still have a great time. But it felt like there was a lot of telling instead of showing about how various relationships developed. I didn’t feel the group growing tighter as a crew, though multiple characters remark on the job has made them a family. And I didn’t really buy the romantic relationships. There just weren’t enough beats for me to see or feel those emotional developments, leaving me slightly underwhelmed.

At the end of the day, however, I did have a good time reading AMONG THIEVES, and I admit that the author kept me on my toes with some of their twists. It’s an entertaining escape, but one made less memorable by characters that could have used a little more time to develop and shine. But if you need a new fantasy heist story for your TBR, AMONG THIEVES is worth giving a read!

Fantasy is not one of my usual genres so I'll leave comparisons to others. This heist novel was distinguished, for me at least, by it's broad representation of LGBTQ characters. While Ryia gets the most attention here, there's room for development of the others as the series progresses. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting world building and an accessible plot made this a good read.

OKAY, I am going to lead off by saying that I was SO impressed by this book!! There is so, so much to love here. If you are a fan of Six of crows, found families, morally grey characters, LGBTQ rep, fast paced adventures, bands of misfits, multiple perspectives, and a unique and interesting magic/fantasy world, you need to add this to your TBR like, yesterday. This book does all of these things, and it does them well.

Ryia is known as the Butcher of Carrowick, the most notorious assassin and member of local gang, the Saints. She has a dark past, that leads the most powerful man in the realm to have been hunting her for her whole life. Now, she and her crew get a job that could turn the tides of the realm, and dramatically shift the power structure. Her crew doesn’t know that she has an ulterior motive, one that she is willing to betray them all for. Too bad for her to at every one of them has their own motivations, too.

This book starts out strong right out the gate, painting the most badass picture of our leading assassin while giving us a taste of the action that is to come. The world is interesting (but is there going to be a map I’m the final published edition? There should be, a visual aid would really have helped my experience here!) and the power structure is unique as is the magic system. There is tons of action, but not so much so that the plot or world building suffers for it. This is a very, very easy book to absolutely blow through.

This was so, so close to a five star read for me. The only thing that holds me back is wanting a bit more background on the characters. We get some from Ryia, but still not as much as I would like. The rest of the characters get vague nods to their life before the Saints, and that is even as you are reading their perspectives. It seems like this is going to be a series, so I assume that this will be developed upon in the next book. However, I believe the story could have benefitted from a bit more of this sooner rather than later. What with how easy this book is to read, I don’t think an added 100 pages or so would have hindered it. I found myself wanting something similar about the different kingdoms of Thamorr, as the names are thrown around frequently without much description to separate one from the next.

All in all, I’m giving this a solid 4.5/5 stars. I anticipate the sequel to have picked up at least some of the threads I wanted more follow through from. I absolutely CANNOT wait to get my hands on the sequel, and I can see this book being incredibly successful!

Thank you Gallery Books/Saga press, MJ Kuhn and NetGalley for this eArc!

An excellent mash-up of Six of Crows and Throne of Glass, a new heist novel that I could not put down! There's LGBT characters, lots of secrets, and action scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend!

I had so much fun reading this book. After I read six of crows I started looking for more heist novels to read because of how exciting it is when everything does not go according to plan, and this book did not disappoint at all in that aspect. Everything was exciting and I was wondering what was going to happen next the whole way through.

I also prefer books with multiple POVs because I like to be able to see what's going on in everyone's heads and what they think about the other people around them. I thought that these characters were well fleshed out and believable in terms of their own personalities, and I enjoyed reading every single POV.

The magic system was super interesting and I really appreciated the the extra darkness it brought to the setting with how this magic is treating and interacted with in the world. I really want to know more about the history of it.

One criticism of this book is because the book skips a lot of the more "boring" scenes to get to all the exciting parts, we do not really see a lot of the character development that happens "off-screen". I know this is very much a matter of opinion as a lot of people are not reading heist novels for character development, but I just felt that some interactions between the crew and how they felt about each other didn't feel completely natural because I didn't really get to read about those kinds of feelings developing.

I do like where the book ended things off, I've seen in other reviews that I think this book is supposed to be a standalone, but I would not complain if there were more books in the future, or even just books set in the same world.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of Among Thieves in exchange for an honest review.

Among Thieves was…disappointing. I have to admit that this book immediately grabbed my attention due to the Six of Crows comparisons and the amazing cover. But as I started reading and meeting all the characters (who each had their own POV), it felt a little too much like Six of Crows-there was little to no originality. Don’t get me wrong I’m completely aware that Six of Crows didn’t invent heists, but the character similarities and plot (subplots as well) were uncanny. I started this book confused with worldbuilding and ended it exactly the same. It honestly took all of my willpower to get through this. I do have to say the budding romance between two characters at one point had my full attention, but it fell extremely flat in the end, especially for a standalone novel. In fact, I finished this book feeling nothing for the characters, and I didn’t care if any of them lived or died, which says a lot in itself.

This book follows a group of criminals sent on a heist to steal a magical quill that many want control over. Obtaining the quill would mean certain fame and fortune. Oh yeah, and some individuals are exploited because they have powers and are forced into slavery for those who can afford to buy them at auction. In a world where the stakes are high, and the characters are selfish (rightfully so, I too wouldn’t trust anyone in this setting), it is up to teenagers once again to either give up their morals for the greater good or stick to their guns and compromise their entire mission.

I did like the inventive use of disguises Ivan concocted throughout their journey, it felt refreshing, and I never read anything like that before. But everything else was excessive. I don’t mind cursing in books, but it was to the extreme in this one, which was detrimental to how serious I took the storyline. Overall, the confusing worldbuilding, underdeveloped plots, one-dimensional characters, and the unsatisfying ending left me feeling very upset that I decided to finish this book and not stop midway through.

Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, graphic descriptions, slavery

I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before it’s release. This is a really fun debut filled with morally grey characters that are all the rage nowadays. There were quite a few typos throughout which was a bit frustrating, but hopefully those get edited out. I didn’t find any of the reveals to be surprising but they still fit the progression of the story so it was still enjoyable. The dialogue is fun, but the characters still seem to fall a bit flat; for a debut these characters still had enough life that you wanted to follow them through to the end. The story overall is a good one and I look forward to seeing where the author takes this storyline.

Among Thieves is a fantasy heist novel in the vein of Six of Crows with the book’s central gang of misfits attempting to pull off their most dangerous job yet. Everyone in the crew has their own reason for taking on the risk — and for planning to betray the others once the mission is completed. But while all these conflicting motivations and how they impact the crew’s relationships with one another should make for a compelling read, it unfortunately falls a little flat.

Other than Riya, an assassin running for her life (and from her past), the other protagonists don’t get much in the way of backstory or complex inner lives. The fact that the chapters switch POVs only highlights how little differentiation there is between the characters’ voices. Among Thieves also lacks Six of Crows’ inclusivity when it comes to race, religion, culture, and disability, as well as any real exploration of how these aspects of a character’s identity influence their lives. The book has all the pieces set up for a really fun story, but it never dives deep enough into its characters and their dynamics to inspire a lot of emotional investment in how things play out. The foundation is solid enough to warrant giving the sequel a shot, and I'm hoping the next book will give the characters more room to breathe and grow.

This book had so much potential! Ryia in particular was so intriguing but almost everything fell flat. There was really no depth to any of the characters and the plot seemed to only be half thought out. I feel like I was being told what was happening instead of being immersed in the story and watching things develop.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into this one -- maybe I am burnt out of this kind of fantasy. I seem to be unable to stay engaged with new worlds and plots and feel connected to the characters. That being said, this did feel a bit derivative of other popular heist books like Six of Crows. The character arcs, the general hijinx, and the universe building felt rather similar in ways that just did not do it for me. However, I bet this would work great for people who just love the heist plot.

There are so many characters here that I was trying ti figure out who was who way into the plot. But basically we have: the Butcher, a woman on the run who is really good at killing people; a former guard who is disgraced and joined the ragtag crew for revenge; a very mean and maybe insane mob boss; a kid hiding his identity from everyone; a privateer with a lost sister; and a disguise master with a lost brother. Did I get everyone? No telling. They have to go on an impossible mission to get a mystical object and obviously there is betrayal and fighting and chaos.

I have to go with three stars here due to the derivative plot and the fac that I could not just latch on to it.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a high-stakes story set in a gritty world of magic and malice. It follows Riya who is harboring a deadly secret. She’s been running from the Guildmaster the ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. She must infiltrate the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold to gain her freedom. It is not a path she can walk alone, she must team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves.

This book definitely gave me Six of Crow vibes. It was fast paced and every twist and betrayal kept me entertained. A few times I did find my self getting a little confused with who and what was happening since there are multiple POVs and personally I struggle when there are more than 3. I did like that each character had their own specific motives which did help keep their perspectives a little easier to keep track of. If you enjoy morally gray characters this ones for you. The “team” consists all terrible people and they all know it. But I did find that each of them had enough redeeming qualities that I was still rooting for them.

Overall I think it was well written with witty dialogue that helped offset the more brutal aspects of the story. It was compelling and exciting. I’m looking forward to the sequel to see what happens next!

This book is liked a missed orgasm. So much build-up with no satisfaction. Yes, there was a plot point of the new owner of the artifact coming to a conclusion (slightly unclear imho), but most, if not all, of the characters' personal purposes/desires went unfulfilled. And then I get on goodreads and find out that this was a standalone!!! The story isn't done.

Among Thieves is a debut fantasy that is a gritty, fast paced story that follows the exploits of a gang of miscreants called the Saints. The world of Thamorr is ruled by the Guildmasters but divided up into different kingdoms with their own individual rulers. War has been outlawed for hundreds of years due to the Guildmasters use of Adepts, mostly mindless people trained by the Guildmasters who serve the elite in Thamorr while showing unique physical abilities that keep the kingdoms in line. In the most desperate part of Carrowwick, the Saints are at constant war with other gangs to control the gambling dens and are always in search of information that will give them an edge over the other bosses. The Saints are ruled by Callum Clem and his right hand is the Butcher of Carrowwick, Ryia who has quite the love and affinity for her hatchets. Ryia possesses unique gifts that have allowed her to stay ahead of all the different people who are on the hunt for her. Each member of the Saints while loyal up to a point also have innumerable secrets that may break them apart as a new opportunity for a big score presents itself to the Saints.
This was an enjoyable read and the different characters in the Saints were fun to get to know with my favorite being Ivan. Ryia's abilities and her ruthlessness certainly make her a unique character and learning about how she got her gifts was one of the best parts of the story. The story moved along quickly with many twists and fun banter back and forth with the members of the Saints. There are two main relationships in the story Ryia & Evelyn and Nash & Ivan and there are so many moments when you feel you are touching on getting real depth between the characters and you can almost touch it and then slips away. I felt at the end of the story that there were several opportunities to really add depth to these relationships and it just didn't quite get there. The story overall with the competition to get the big score was really fun and interesting and overall a good story!!

My rating is 3.75/4

I received this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I read this book thinking it was going to be a one off and was surprised to find it is the start of a series. It ended quickly and with a few cliffhangers and I eagerly await the next installment.

Kuhn is a great author and created a unique magic system and world that is reminiscent of Six of Crows but a little more adult in language and in characters ages. I thought the premise was really clever . Everyone wanting to betray each other and all for different reasons made you unsure of who to root for and it made the twists and turns really enjoyable to read! I would have liked a little more world building and inner dialogue from the characters points of view and I hope to see that in the next book. Highly recommend !

Thievery, betrayal, and looking out for oneself are traits one needs to survive in the Lottery. At least it was…

Ryia, Tristan, Nash, and Ivan have been a part of the Saints for a while now. Each with their own individual specialties, they have become a fairly productive crew. Yet, when their luck begins to fade an opportunity that could turn all their lives around reveals itself. As a new face enters the ranks, will they continue to stick with what they know or will everything change?

Overtaken by vivid descriptions and intense characters, the reader is swept in to another reality through M.J. Kuhn’s, "Among Thieves". Toss in the constant intrigue along with the everchanging obstacles, and you will struggle to put this one down.

None the less, a rating of 4 out of 5 stars is given due to an abundant amount of profanity and a few grammatical errors. In addition, the ending leaves lots of loose ends resulting in a feeling of letdown.

Overall, this is highly recommended to those who want to get away and fall in to an alternate reality. Given this is a debut novel, one can only hope these characters take off into their own series.

Thank you to #NetGalley, and #SagaPress for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy.