Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I struggled au first to get into the book but soon found it hard to put down. The characters are fun and well written. The story line was exciting and quite a fun adventure to go on with the characters. I loved Saskia, she worked her butt off to provide for everyone and despite being a thief she didn't have poor morales. I wish we had gotten to know more about Castor and why he left the clan lands, there was definitely hints but they were so small my imagination ran wild while reading thinking of all the things.

I'm so excited for the second book, I highly recommend book!

Rate - 5/5
Spice - 2

This book had me captive in the world. I couldn’t get enough. This was very different in terms of story so it was really intriguing for me! And the slow burn was fantastic. I honestly cannot wait for another book from this amazing author.

The only thing was that the book was long i think that the book could’ve been easily split into 2 and make things a little easier to read. I find that when a book is this long its easy for readers to get discouraged.

Other than that the book was FANTASTIC and i would recommend it to anyone!

A human thief just trying to survive and keep the other members of her guild fed and healthy and a royal guard who lives at the palace and just happens to turn in to a dragon. When they discover they each have a problem the other can help them solve, they decide to work together and the real danger begins. How much will you risk for a stranger and possible enemy?
I was on the edge of my seat, I laughed, I cried. This is a great book! I can't wait to read more from this author.

Overall Dragon’s Thief is a really solid read and I enjoyed it alot. Looking at the kindle version I was expecting this to be a longer read (based on the number of pages) but I absolutely flew through it in a few hours so I think that’s a huge green flag.

If you are looking for an easy, fast-paced fantasy with a slow-burn romance then this might be worth picking up.

As much as I enjoyed it (and I definitely did), I wasn’t blown away and I won’t be reaching for the next installment. That’s not to say this was in any way a bad read, but for me this genre is so oversaturated that I’m just not wanting to spend my time on series that don’t blow me away. There are lots of positives here but ultimately Dragon’s Thief just wasn’t ‘gripping’ enough for me.
I wanted to see more of the romance. I did enjoy the gradual slow burn of the romance but I needed to SEE it build more. I felt like I spent a lot of the book being told about their chemistry rather than seeing it unfold.
I wanted a more developed and complex plot line. There were just too many convenient plot tools and it all felt overly simplistic for my personal taste. I never felt any tension that everything wasn’t going to work out and some of the events you could just seen coming from a mile away.
I wanted more nuanced characters. There were moments of complexity with the characters which I loved but more often than not the characters fell into classic stereotypes so it became tricky to really connect with any of them. And, in turn this made the whole read rather emotionless for me.

So in summary, it was good but I wanted MORE. Despite my personal gripes, I did enjoy this and I am confident there are going to be so many people that love this - for me I just want more grittiness and complexity in my fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

So, I just finished reading The Dragon's Thief and let me tell you, it's absolutely amazing! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The story revolves around Saskia, a skilled thief, and Castor, a dragon shifter. When Saskia tries to steal from Castor, their paths cross, and things get really interesting. It's a thrilling adventure filled with twists and turns.

The chemistry between Saskia and Castor is off the charts! Their dynamic kept me hooked from start to finish. Plus, the world-building is incredible. I could vividly imagine the dragons and all the Elven magical elements.

Overall, The Dragon's Thief is a captivating tale of adventure, friendship, and unexpected alliances. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and strong female characters. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down! 🐉💫

If you liked Throne of Glass you should definitely read this book.

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Saskia, a human thief who spends her life trying to blend into the background, has her whole life turned upside down when she picks the wrong target to steal from: a dragon shifter.

Castor, a dragon shifter who has dreamed of dethroning the empress for a century, has no clue how he can get to his goals. That is until he meets Saskia at least, impressed by being a victim to her scams.

Together can they overthrow the empress?

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I have struggled to find a book like TOG to fill the void for two years now - however Ava Richardson has only gone and done it.

If you like enemies to lovers with the slowest slow burn romance known to man kind - this one is for you.

A bad*** FMC and a talk dark and handsome dragon - what more could you wish for?

Definitely high up on my fantasy recs that are easy to read and easy to be sucked into.

The Dragon’s Thief shines with its concepts and its heartfelt character moments. Ava Richardson puts a twist on fantasy concepts that, while feeling familiar enough to make the book a light and casual read, have an original flair. If you’re looking for a laid-back but long fantasy book, Dragon’s Thief is a good option. It gives a charming story that, while not gripping me emotionally, was still a pleasant read.

However, if you’re looking for something to become invested in, Dragon’s Thief will fall short of expectations. While the world of Delphire was interesting, its characters and plot often felt lackluster.

Richardson obviously put a lot of thought into the world of Delphire. Its history is rich and nuanced. I found myself perking up any time the war between dragons and elves was mentioned, when long gone dragon ancestors spoke of times past or when elves spoke of the power of their factums, carved from ancient magical trees. Near the end of the book, the past of Delphire’s inhabitants even became morally complicated as elves and dragons both had conflicting retellings of events, not only with each other but amongst their own races. I greatly enjoyed the idea of complicating both sides of the story. Especially since, up until that point, the elves seemed to be cookie cutter villains. It was a delightful surprise and was handled with a subtlety that I think a great deal of fantasy books attempting to use this plot device lack.

These moments of complication and in depth lore being sprinkled throughout the book kept me turning pages. But it also made it frustrating when the rest of the story fell flat. Richardson has an odd way of see-sawing between thoughtful and heartfelt moments between characters and blander scenes that hold no consequence to the greater plot.

The greatest weakness of Dragon’s Thief is that it’s uneven. Sometimes the world and characters are complicated, sometimes they’re stereotypical and flat. Sometimes there are subtle moments of foreshadowing, sometimes there are completely unnecessary, overdramatic quests that are forgotten about two pages later.

I found myself wishing I could linger in the warm, human moments between Saskia and Castor or see more of Saskia joyfully playing with young elven children, proving right before my eyes that she really was the caring older sister figure the book claimed her to be.

Richardson’s writing shines in those moments.

I also found it surprising that Dragon’s Thief was labeled as Young Adult. I don’t believe it fits into that genre category, as it doesn’t utilize any of the main aspects of YA literature. The protagonist is 19-years-old, there’s no addressal of themes or life complications unique to young adults and there are a few sexual plot points that are out of place for YA (and for this story in general, to be honest). The only reason I could think it would be tagged as YA would be that there’s a popular opinion that anything not on the level of Lord of the Rings can’t be considered “adult” fantasy.

Richardson has a great base for a wonderful fantasy story. The lore is interesting and complex and there’s obviously enough plot to fill out a whole trilogy if not a larger series. I fear that in attempting to fit Dragon’s Thief into a preconceived concept of YA fantasy, the book’s potential has become stinted.

I would love to see more in depth and polished work from Richardson in the future.

** 4.5 Stars **

I did not think I was going to enjoy this as much as I did. I also did not look at the page count before starting... almost 800 pages! But wow did Ava Richardson surprise me with this one. This is the first book I've read by her but it will not be my last!

I loved her world building. In a world where dragons are forced to act as armed guards to the elven royals and nobles who had stripped them of their magic, we meet an unlikely duo who team up against their normal hierarchy to help each other achieve a goal they can't complete on their own. Along the way, we learn about how & why the elves & dragons went to war over the magic lands, & why the elves stripped the dragons of their magic when they won that war. All while leaving humans at the bottom of the totem pole and subservient to all.

I really liked the dual POV's and how we were able to see both Saskia's & Caster's perspectives on the same situations. I didn't think I would like Saskia as much as I did. It can be hard to write a confident, mouthy FMC without her coming across annoying and cringey, but I think Richardson hit the nail on the head with this one. Saskia is headstrong and isn't afraid to say exactly how she feels, which is both a blessing and a curse. She is also incredibly loyal - with everything she does driven by her need to protect her family in the Guild. After Caster helps rescue her sister from the elves, will she do as she agreed and put her life on the line to help Caster steal a precious artifact from the palace? I like how we see her shift from only aiding Caster because in return he will help Saskia rescue her sister, turn into actively helping him because she wants to and believes its the right thing to do to help her people escape from what is essentially paid slavery to the elves.

I also enjoyed Caster. In his POV we get to see his shifting ideology as he originally forces Saskia to help him because she's only a mortal human and he can easily kill her if she doesn't, to him going above and beyond their deal to help Saskia & her family because he cares. Caster learns that humans are more than just a subservient breed, but an entire species deserving to be freed alongside the dragons from the elves shackles. I wish we got to see more of Caster & the dragon politics that go on inside the palace. I feel like we get a little of it when he starts to befriend some of the other dragons, but it also didn't drive the plot as much as I hoped it would. I don't think the outcome would be all that affected whether or not he made friends and tried to reunite the dragon factions (he was a solo dolo guard beforehand), and I wish that had more weight. Hopefully we see more of this in the next book

Would I re-read this book? IDK, probably not. I generally don't re-read unless I become obsessed with a series (think merch &/or tattoos), and even then I will wait a couple years because it's hard for me to get back into something I've already read.
Will I continue the series? Probably - I hope so! Book 1 of the Magic of Delphire has only just been released so it kinda depends on where I am at with my TBR once the sequel comes out

All in all an enjoyable read, and I finished it in about 6 days if you can believe it

Thank you so much to NetGalley & to Ava Richardson for providing me this e-Arc - otherwise IDK if I would have known to read this!


** Please note that I also noticed some grammatical and/or spelling errors, but I'm not sure how to report those

Thank you to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which was published on December 27,2023!

Dragons. Political Intrigue. Magic. All of that and it felt like I was forcing myself to read it. I was not entertained nor engaged with the plot or the characters. Logic was not anyone’s friend. I expected more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I enjoyed this. The characters and the world building were good and I liked the slow burn of the relationship between the two main characters. Very curious to see where it will go next!

Elves, dragons and the humans who are all but invisible.

The Dragon's Thief is set in the world of the elves. People are servants or beyond acknowledgement, unless they get in the way of the elves. Dragons are little more than guards for the elves.

So, what happens when a thief, used to being invisible, finds herself noticed by a dragon who's used to being essentially the same? Deals, plots, and surprising alliances are born.

The Dragon's Thief is mostly told from the perspectives of Saskia the thief, and Castor the dragon guard. I greatly enjoyed the dual point of view approach by both main characters. Hearing both of their thought processes, assumptions about each other, and changing ideologies was fascinating to read.

The book's synopsis is extremely clear as for the sequence of the book. We meet Saskia the thief, going about her everyday life of thieving and teaching others how to. One bad decision on who to steal from sets her in the sights of Castor, who has a sudden interest in the skills of a thief for his own reasons that we discovered. Their partnership, search for Saskia's sister, and search for answers for Castor, lead them both to step out of their ever day drudgery and routines that life has taken on, and become aware of a problem for both races of people.

This isn't a quick read of a book. A lot of the series that I've read lately probably would've divided it up into a separate book for all three parts in this one. I'm so glad that Ava Richardson didn't though, because it's one detailed but enthralling wild ride! The details and world building didn't detract or slow it down. They added more color and kept the pacing perfect in my opinion.

I couldn't put this book down! In fact, I stayed up all night just to finish it, because the what ifs were driving me crazy! I will definitely be continuing this series as it comes out!

What more could you ask for in a novel? Romance, mystery, adventure and steam all bottled up into one great read! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I greatly enjoyed The Dragon’s Thief. The female main character was fun to journey with and the male main character was interesting too (a thief and a dragon guard!) The two of them make a great pair and I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes them.

The fantasy world building was simple and easy to follow. Some parts were easy to guess the next steps/page but it was fun to read and entertaining from the first page to the last.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.