This book kept me flipping the pages from start to finish. I am excited to share this title with my students and cannot wait to read the next installment!

Scott has recently delved into and been greatly enjoying The Blackthorn Key book series by Kevin Sands. So when offered the chance to try out the first novel in an entirely new series by Sands, Scott leaped at the chance.

Children of the Fox brings together five kids with unusual talents to undertake a heist to steal from a powerful sorcerer, a feat which numerous adults have not been able to pull off. Promised untold riches beyond their wildest dreams if they succeed, the five come together in an uneasy alliance full of mistrust and self-interest but they soon learn that they need to work together as a team utilizing their unique individual skills and abilities to have any chance of successfully completing the crime.

Despite a lot of world-building for the fictional location, mechanics of how magic works in this world, and introducing so many new characters, Sands manages to write a story that moves along at pace and doesn’t feel it is being weighed down with too many exposition dumps. The story is told by Callan, a 14-year-old con artist and de-facto leader of this new group, who despite being raised as a criminal since his earliest memories, still retains some semblance of morality and a good heart.

The other kids in the group clearly each have a lot of backstory which Sands drip-feeds out enough for the reader to begin to like and empathize with each character whilst holding back what will inevitably be shocking revelations and twists for future books. There is plenty of tension and banter initially but as the kids get to know each other more, respect and trust begin to grow.

Although lazy, it is very apt to say of this as a fantasy world Ocean’s Eleven with kids. This book is a joyous adventure romp with lots of action; humor and banter; twists and turns. Each kid is a unique and engaging character and it doesn’t take long to find yourself rooting for them to succeed. Children of the Fox is a fun and easy read and, even without the unnecessary cliffhanger ending, Scott will be eagerly and impatiently waiting for news of when book two will be released so he can dive into the next installment.

The start of a new fantasy series introduces readers to a group of five young criminals recruited to plan and commit the theft of a magical jewel. Each of the kids has a special skill that is put into play as they develop an elaborate heist to snatch the Eye from the powerful High Weaver. The relationships between the kids develop as the story moves along, helping readers to become invested in the outcome of the plan. The cliffhanger ending of this engaging fantasy will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment.

A wild magical middle grade adventure that will have you rooting for this eclectic group of young anti-heroes.

I was able to obtain an e-ARC of this book from the publisher at a School Library Journal conference, I think it was Day of Dialog. I am a huge fan Kevin Sands' The Blackthorn Key Adventures and had been anticipating the start of this new series for about a year. When my youngest child (11) saw it on my device she asked if she could choose it for our Family Read Aloud, and that is the only reason I have not read and reviewed it sooner.

Whereas The Blackthorn Key Adventures are historical fiction with some mystery thrown in, this is a new genre for Sands-fantasy. The setting feels Victorian influenced to me, with a hint of steampunk but there is a moderate amount of world building, creating an original setting for this cast of characters.

The characters include several youth are brought together to pull off a heist by the mysterious Mr. Solomon. The incredibly challenging job they are meant to pull off will require the divergent talents that each individual possess, them to work as a team, and to go against a powerful group of magic users that should not be crossed. To me, it ended up feeling like Oceans 11 meets Peter Nimble.

The story is told through Callan, who has been warned to stay away from magic but needs to pull off this biggest con of his life in order to have the life he never dreamed he could have. He becomes the boy with the plan and feels a lot like Kevin Sands earlier protagonist, Christopher Rowe in that he has had an apprentice in the past that he draws wisdom from but is really on his own now. I mean that a positive because I really enjoyed that character as well.

This is clearly the first in a promising new fantasy series for middle grade readers, complete with its own mythology, magic and world building.

While I enjoyed this book, it was difficult to get started in the beginning with the lack of knowledge about the world these characters lived it. As I continued reading and the world became more developed, I was invested in the story and whether they would succeed in stealing The Eye. Definitely encourage middle grade readers to keep reading and they will be hooked too!