To Steal from Thieves immerses readers in the dark and gritty world of 1851 London. This fast-paced novel takes place in Devil’s Acre, the city’s most notorious slum. Readers follow Zaria Mendoza, an orphan forced to continue her father’s dark market business after his death. Living amidst crime and desperate poverty, Zaria must navigate a life marked by bad choices and terrible choices. Those choices only get worse when Kane Durante forces his way into her life. Young, handsome, and ruthless, he is the adopted son of the slum’s kingpin. When Kane coerces Zaria to help him steal a priceless necklace, she has little choice but to use her alchemist skills to help him pull off an impossible heist. Her ability to craft magical objects might be the only way to save her best friend.

This novel offers a thrilling heist story with all the surprises of an Ocean’s Eleven film, but the themes of friendship and class inequality are just as satisfying as the plot. Through Zaria’s eyes, the reader sees the stark contrast between the opulence of the era’s elite and the desperate poverty of those trapped in places like Devil’s Acre. After all, Kane Durante is one of those people, and as they struggle to do the impossible, Zaria finds empathy for someone she had thought a monster. I highly recommend this book for teens aged fourteen and up who love adventure, danger, and a little romance.

To Steal from Thieves was exactly the book I've always wanted to read! With a heist set in London's Crystal Palace, a unique magic system, and an entertaining cast of characters, this story was a perfect balance of whimsy, adventure, comedic relief and a touch of romance. The contrast of the dark underbelly of the magic market and the FMC's cynicism, against the witty and charming conman companion is so well balanced.

The plotline and world building where crafted well and left me eager and excited for book 2!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Though I love the premise and line-level writing, the story felt much more heist-focused than I had initially expected, and I just wasn't quite interested enough to keep reading. However, I hope I return to it some day!

To Steal from Thieves is a story of double-crossing thieves, murderous enforcers, and magical arms trafficking. It is much darker than I expected from the premise. The story is more layered than I expected too, but it falls victim to the classic thief plot blunder: it spends too much time on planning, and not enough on the aftermath of a heist, which is to me the most interesting part. Nothing ever goes according to plan, so laying it out multiple times frustrates me as a reader.
The magic system is very interesting, the idea that magic takes a piece of you forever. Despite everything I've said so far, I am immensely invested in these characters. They were extremely well developed. Kane is simultaneously a villain origin story and serious potential leading man material. Incredibly impressive to pull off both, and I applaud the author for this feat. Zaria is likewise fascinating, loyal yet selfish, uninspiring yet clever, and above all GOOD at her job, which takes the kind of effort you don't often see in a protagonist. She's not a secret princess or a wealthy heiress. Zaria is poor and angry and I absolutely respect that.
This book sets up a sequel, and I'll be adding it to my TBR immediately. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this ARC!

This was okay! The stakes felt a little low to me, so I wasn't as interested/ hooked while reading. I might've not finished it if I wasn't listening to the audiobook in tandem with the ebook. The audiobook narration was good, and this was a good flight read.

This is the third book that I have read by M.K. Lobb and I just want to say that her writing style is incredible. The characters, plot, and wordlbuilding really draws you in and keeps you wanting for more. To Steal from Thieves is an adventurous historical fantasy with a touch of slow-burn romance. The ending... the cliffhanger... I need book 2 IMMEDIATELY. This was such a great start to the Thieves & Kings series, I'm so excited for the ext installment in the series

I just finished this book and am feeling the urge to tell to everyone show good it is and how they need to read it.

This book is so well written a en every character is so complex and has so much depth. I love every single one of them.

The magic system was insanely unique, I don’t think I’ve ever read about a magic system like it. I think it was so well thought out and cool.

Also every time the two main characters argue I was just begging for them to kiss. But also the tension was so good I needed more fighting. It’s like I was torn in two. M K Lobb truly knows how to write tension.

Also the ending?!?!? Has me shocked. I need book two immediately

Describing something as a heist is a sure fire to get my attention and this succeeded incredibly 👏🏻 I had such a good time and the story was engaging the entire time. I didn’t know what was going to happen and was excited to find out.

Thank you for the ARC!

Frankly, I don't know how to feel about this book. It was enjoyable enough to finish it, but I didn't feel attached to any of the characters. I just feel neutral towards them. Also, I find that Kane and Zaria were both hypocrites in their quest to protect their best friends. The magic system was interesting and I would like to learn more about it. The heist itself is fine for what we got. I just wished it was more challenging.

A magical romance disguised as a heist novel, To Steal from Thieves is a delight to read. M.K. Lobb brings her witty charm and complex characters to life in the pages of this novel (if you liked Seven Faceless Saints, you'll love this one).

I love a good Heist, and in a historical fantasy romance, say no more! this was really interesting and reminded me of Divine Rivals in moments, but I don't read a lot of historical fantasies so I don;t have much to compare. I think it was done perfectly and set at a fast and steady pace. My only disappointment is the lack of romance, it was still in there but barely. otherwise this was a solid read, I'm new to the author so I'll have to check out more.

I also love when I find a book that interweaves historical fiction into fantasy, and this book did just that. Set against the backdrop of the Great Exhibition in London, magic hides in the streets. Intriguing, suspenseful, and a forbidden romance make a novel that you won't be able to put down!

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.--

I flew through this book, honestly it was such a fun ride! To Steal from Thieves has all the good stuff: clever heists, found family vibes, and just the right amount of character tension. The worldbuilding was cool and the twists kept me hooked, even if I wanted a bit more depth here and there. Still, M.K. Lobb totally delivered, and I’m definitely picking up the next one!”

A super fun heist and fantasy novel! This is my first book from M.K. Lobb, and I definitely plan to check out their other books. I loved the grittiness of this world, with super high stakes for our main characters, Zaria and Kane. Their individual backstories were very interesting to learn about and it was fun watching their paths intersect for this shared goal of stealing a rare necklace. As you read about them, you realize that they're essentially each other's mirrors or two halves of the same coin, and these types of character dynamics always hit so hard. Both of them present a hard front to society, but deep down, there's nothing either of them wouldn't do for the people they love. The romance between them was also filled with so much tension and I'm very curious to see where things go in book 2. Thank you to the NOVL for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To Steal from Thieves has a lot going for it—a gritty, magic-filled world, a pair of snarky, morally gray characters, and some solid tension throughout. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the leads, and the heist element gave the story a fun edge.

That said, it didn’t fully grab me. The pacing felt uneven (the beginning dragged a bit), and while the world-building was interesting, it sometimes got bogged down in too much detail. A few plot points were easy to see coming, which took some of the punch out of the reveals.

It’s not a bad read—just not a standout for me. But if you like dark fantasy with flawed characters and some slow-burn intrigue, it’s worth checking out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book prier to its publication.

This book was such a fun ride! To Steal from Thieves mixes magic, clever cons, and just the right amount of romantic tension. Kane and Zaria make a great (and sometimes chaotic) team, and following along as they navigate trust, betrayal, and a nearly impossible heist at the Great Exhibition kept me turning the pages. The world feels rich and unique, and the pacing makes it hard to put down. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I really enjoyed this. It's fast-paced and has a good mix of more "old" London times and steampunk in it. I also enjoyed the magical bit, but I wish there had been more world building. I didn't know this was apparently not a standalone until the end when I was going EXCUSE?!?!?!?!?! I really liked the two main characters and their banter and the tension??? SO GOOD. I also think the side characters are well developed. It was really just the world building that was lacking.

Lobb always fills my need for angsty, dark fantasy. I didn't enjoy this one as much as her first duology, but it was still a richly imagined tale. (However, I could definitely tell the author had no experience with firearms judging by the way the characters handled them. Really did annoy me).

After loving the SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS duology, I was so excited to have the opportunity to read TO STEAL FROM THIEVES EARLY and confirm that MK Lobb remains the queen of historically inspired fantasy. I loved the characters in this book (especially Zaria and Fletcher) but the world is so beautifully rendered that London, and the Exhibition itself, ultimately became my favorite character. I love a wall-plotted heist and adding a deliciously tense Will-they-or-won’t-they was just the cherry on top.

I love a heist. I love flawed characters who would literally do anything for the people they love. I love a unique magic system. And this book had all three plus the bonus of taking place in Victorian England.
Kane and Zaria were complicated characters and their interactions were full of mutual dislike and yearning and hating that they were attracted to each other.
I enjoyed the adhd representation as well.