Thief of the Heights: A Graphic Novel – Where Inventors Choose Between Dreams and Justice in a Vertical City

by Son M., Robin Yao (Illustrator)

Enter the world of Muqadas, where the climb to the top of this vertically stacked city—away from disease-ridden waters of the lower levels—is paved with betrayal, secrets, and rebellion in this debut graphic novel from author Son M. and artist Robin Yao.

Lifelong friends Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah have carved out a place for themselves in their corner of Muqadas, where they dream of climbing from their place in the city’s lowest level, above the limb-snatching, disease-infested waters, to the very top of their vertical city. Young inventors who’ve seen firsthand the havoc the Habar infection causes set out to dazzle the masses with their innovative prosthetics and escape the dangers of Lake Saha.

When their inventions catch the eye of a scout who is on the hunt for new talent to bring to the higher tiers, their dreams are suddenly within reach. But as the wonders of the upper tiers enchant, Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah begin to question why the bounty of Muqadas falls short of reaching Lake Saha's inhabitants.

Behind the beauty of the city's upper tiers lie dark and dangerous secrets—ones that threaten not only everything they’ve worked for but everyone they love. And when Mustafa and Aarfah are cast away for their allegiance to Lake Saha, Basem is faced with the difficult choice: Fight to bring justice to all of Muqadas? Or abandon his friends and fall in line to achieve everything he’s ever dreamed of?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBT, Comics, Queer

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2024

About the author

a fan of the brutal and the beautiful

Reviews

[taylor ⛅️ ann wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy of Thief of the Heights by Son M.!

This was a complex fantasy graphic novel about three teens trying to change their world for the better. I enjoyed the characters and their dynamic with one another. It was sweet to see their connection and their loyalty when the need for sacrifices arose.

The main thing I had a struggle with was the world building & overall conflict. I found it hard to follow sometimes and had to reread a few pages to fully comprehend what was going on. The resolve at the end felt a bit rushed to me. I liked the very ending, and being able to see what became of our characters.

Overall a solid story! Would recommend it if you're looking for an action-packed, fantasy read!

3⭐️ (solid read)

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA dystopian graphic novel breaks no new ground.

I liked the diversity rep and worldbuilding. It's a quick read with a slow buildup, which made the ending feel rushed and abrupt.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the art, and this is a good introduction for kids (or adults if they need it) about the intentional maintenance of classes to benefit the wealthy, and how the system strings people along into thinking that upward mobility (literal in this setting) is possible, even in situations that revolution is required.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing concept but the world building was a bit too rushed and failed to be immersive. I appreciated the themes in the story but felt it needed more time to fully develop and depict them, as it felt rather rushed by the end.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longer review to possibly come but one of my main takeaways is that this gave major Arcane vibes which I loved.

[Toriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay for NetGalley letting me read this. This work was so well paced and compiled. The art was beautiful, and the story, a revolution well fought. Graphics are so often lacking in cohesive plot or compelling characters, this is not lacking. Some reviews below state frustration in a lack of exploration of the world—but everything that you need is given to you. It’s richly atmospheric and establishes the conflicts of each level of the heights clearly. There’s some reliance on trope, the elite in excess living off of the efforts of the very best of those who are held back by the circumstances of below. But the turning point and the climax of this piece made me gasp.

Well done. I’d love to see a 12ep adaptation animated some day.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thief of the Heights by Son M. is a solid standalone YA fantasy sci-fi dystopian0, but it takes awhile to get going and then it's rushes a little too much to really stick the ending. I definitely appreciated the diversity and the atmosphere. I wished for more in terms of world-building though. I may be back for more from the author in the future.

[Jescasreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter the world of Muqadas, where the climb to the top of this vertically stacked city—away from disease-ridden waters of the lower levels—is paved with betrayal, secrets, and rebellion.

The trio, Basem, Mustafa and Aarfah have made a living in their corner of Muqadas. Helping those around them to create prosthetics. Their goal is to climb their way out of the cities lowest level and make a well living. Their inventions catch the eye of a scout who is on the look out for new talent and help them rise to a higher tier. Their dreams seem to be coming true but is it too good to be true?

I really enjoyed the art style and I loved the representation in this graphic novel. The plot was very interesting and I really enjoyed how it developed. I do wish we had more expansion on the relationship between Basem & Mustafa. I did find the text in the speech bubbles a little difficult to read down to the font style but I believe that's a personal preference.

I feel the class issues was portrayed quite well and I liked how it had a Middle Eastern influence. The portrayal of disabilities I feel was well done too. I do feel the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked to see the aftermath of the ending.

[Hannah DCamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was lovely, and the premise was definitely interesting. The ending felt rushed, the lil plot twist about the resistance felt less plot-twist-y and more like it was being dumped in my face. There was a lot that could've been done here, but I felt like there wasn't as much depth as I wanted. Alas.

[Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper360YA for sending me an e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Warning for vague spoilers ahead:

I went into this book having forgotten what it was about, but still wanting to read it knowing nothing. However, it didn’t mean that I struggled to understand the themes and story being explored in this graphic novel. The book follows three inventors/engineers from the lowest tier of their society, one of whom has lost both her legs due to a disease spread through the bacteria-riddled waters. Another we later find out has also contracted that same disease on his hand and is struggling with accepting what will happen to him, regardless of when he decides to do or say anything about it. The three friends all share a dream to help their community through their creations, but one in particular wants to rise through to the higher tiers of their society to reach the top. Whilst his ambition comes from a good place, it causes him to become blind to what is really happening around him and how much he’s losing himself in the process of ascending. This graphic novel discusses themes of class, wealth, greed - in terms of wealth, resources etc - and revolution which you see slowly building up in the background. I wasn’t able to give this 5 stars as I do think the revolution plot could have been built up over a few more chapters to give the story a better and much more satisfying ending. Perhaps even have a certain protagonist learn about it and then give him more time to think about what he truly wants for himself and his community/people back down below before acting so that the pay-off at the end is once again more satisfying to read. I do think a longer book would have helped strengthen the way in which the story was told. There was also a weird mix-up with the pages at one point in which a page appeared twice, once earlier than it was meant to and subsequently breaking up a scene and confusing the reader, then in its rightful place. I really enjoyed the art style, it was so vibrant and the use of colours really helped distinguish the different levels our protagonists inhabit as they ascend bit by bit.

[Hari Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the best SFF, this immediately-engaging story is set in an imagined world that serves and builds on the book’s powerful themes. It really uses the visuals - right on the first spread you see the city’s structure with the bright, expensive homes of the elites above, and the stark contrast with the gloomy, atmospheric depths you and the characters are immersed in from the start.

For those on the bottom tier living right alongside the diseased lake, it’s not a question of IF you’ll get infected, but when. The story follows the young characters struggling to survive through illnesses and disability those higher up never have to deal with - and deciding what it’s worth to them to ‘ascend’.

Honestly thought the ambitious story was very well paced given that it’s a GN and not a series, and so naturally covers a shorter span of scenes than prose at this length. The tighter scope is focused not on the world-allegory but the characters, whose interactions and expressions visually hold a lot of weight.

Hopeful, chilling and challenging, just really well-executed and a real standout. Keen to see more from the creators, would love to see publishers picking up more young genre graphic novels like this.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Look Up
BFF Charms: Eventually x3
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Revolution
Arty Art: Levels
Bonus Factor: Disability Representation
Relationship Status: Let’s Hang

Read the full book report here.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three young engineers are head-hunted by an elite member of high society. Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah make prosthetics for victims of Habar, a limb-stealing water-borne disease that infests the lowest level of their city. They must decide what is more important, family or status.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel that takes on class discrimination, physical discrimination and other issues and it does those things beautifully. Highly recommend for any high school reader or even adult!

[Michael Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too safe for my tastes. I would have liked to see more of the world fleshed out rather than falling into the dystopian tropes that bog the genre. Main cast is alright.

[aforestofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was actually pretty good and so relatable/applicable to our horrible, fascist, corporate-ruled lives. And even better when the characters are Muslim.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense world building, that doesn't actually leave space for the dramatic climax. This probably could have been a duology, to allow the uprising at the end to take up more than a handful of pages.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dystopian science fiction. Good solid story for a graphic novel. The three youths are sympathetic and likable characters with a real feeling friendship. I’d definitely read another book by this person if they did another science fiction or fantasy book

[Deja · Rating 2 out of 5]

No spoilers, it was a really weird read and I honestly felt lost the entire time. But it’s okay

[Ronnie Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Son's writing and Robin's art are a match made in comic heaven.

The level of detail brought to this world and script is absolutely spectacular. You can feel the difference in the social classes and environment as the trio moves throughout the city, with the colors and patterns becoming brighter and bolder as they move up the (literal) social ladder. The desperation to survive versus the desire to make a tangible difference in one's community is repeatedly brought to the forefront as more truths about how their world actually works is revealed. And the love among the trio, both romantic and platonic, feels so natural and endearing in the small acts they do for each other.

-----SPOILERS!-----

I truly empathized with each of the protagonists, which can sometimes be difficult to master when juggling with ensemble casts: I felt the pragmatic Aarfah's frustration when she had to have her legs amputated, I felt the anxiety dutiful Mustafa felt at having to hide his own contraction of Habar, I hoped alongside Basem's blinding optimism that they truly could make a difference if they ascended to the top of the social hierarchy. They all share the same dream, but they come from slightly different perspectives that lead to conflict but also wholistic resolutions.

Also, I loved the use of a nazar as a LITERAL means to destroy the evil "eyes" of the surveillance systems oppressing the lower levels. It's such a fun, but earnest nod to Son's muslim background, and just an overall brilliant plot device. It's something that someone who is unfamiliar with a nazar's purpose may not fully appreciate but can understand its use in the story, while someone who IS familiar can feel that sense of foreshadowing and subsequent glee when it finally gets revealed later on.

My main critique of this book is that I wish I had more of it! It EASILY could have made for a solid duology or trilogy with how much of the world was alluded to. As a multi-level city, with the social classes and wealth literally exhibiting a trickle-down system, I could have spent an entire book exploring each level. Especially with the reveal that the trio's serendipitous ascension was a part of a greater liberation movement, I would have loved to see how others had failed and made it more urgent that these three break that cycle.


Overall, this book had me gripped from beginning to end, and I loved every minute of it! I can't wait to see what else Son and Robin create, individually or together.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did you like about the book? Best friends Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfeh live on the bottom level of the vertical city Muqadas. They scrap for parts and engineer prosthetics for people who lost their limbs to the Habar Infection, a disease that pollutes the lower Lake Saha. The trio dreams of climbing up the city’s rank using their inventor skills to impress officials. When they finally catch the attention of an upper level scout, Basam, the most eager of the three, jumps at the opportunity. But Mustafa hesitates, hiding his infection and conflicted about whether his help is really needed above compared to below. And Aarfeh has her own secrets, and, after losing both legs to the Habar, is willing to put everything on the line to make things better for the lower city. Will the three climb the city and live a more glamorous life together, or will their conflicting ambitions split them apart forever?

Thief in the Heights is an artful dystopian about friendship, engineering, and making the right choice. Readers will follow the confident and headstrong Basem, the timid and caring Mustafa, and the empathic and determined Aarfeh as they climb the city, discovering the harsh truth about Muqadas. Two main political topics drive the story in this clever and well-done story. The concept of individualism vs. collectivism differentiates the three characters, with Baseem leaning into the former and Aarfeh and Mustafa falling into the latter. Second, “trickle-down economics” is the main argument for the vertical city and why higher levels don’t help the lower ones. The world is set in a Muslim-inspired dystopian; the language, dress, food, and other aspects reflect the culture, the characters come in an array of skin tones, the art design resembles Middle Eastern architecture, and the color palette has a cool desert/sunset vibe. The stylized art can be rough/sketchy in places, creating a textured look that aligns with the lower city’s feel or the tension in tough scenes. Overall, Thief in the Heights is a great teen dystopian graphic novel of tight friendship bonds and a community-focused drive. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Alyssa]

Basem's dream has been to be a successful engineer with his boyfriend Mustafah, and friend Aarfah, He wants to leave the lowest caste and work his way up the ranks to live on the upper caste of a vertical city. He can have endless supplies for his projects, better lifestyle, and all the things that comes with it being high up in the ranks. But these high ranking lifestyle and the people are not what they seem...

I didn't get to read the book description of this graphic novel. I just went in head on. And what awaited me was a good story. I like how we get transported into a world of poverty but full of hope and promise. I thought they built a good job in reimagining a world that's already so familiar to us. And that familiarity makes this graphic novel nothing really new. It focuses on injustices and broken promises that is realistic. It was just a matter of making it something their own.

Becasue it's a graphic novel, you get to see the differences of the caste system in just one glance. But what trully makes it are the characters that were presented to us. More the minor character. The difference in attitude and the sense of entitlement, I also really love the colors that they used in the differences of the caste. It was thoughtful but also they made it obvious. The main characters though are diverse and I liked how they find their places in the story.

Story-wise, as I mentioned is nothing new. I'm not certain if this is a stand-alone graphic novel, but it felt that it left me hanging. The creators definitely focused on the main characters, their lives, and their relationships with one another.

Overall, it was a good read. But it didn't make me want to pursue further if there are more to this story.

*I received and eARC of this book

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah are best friends. They live somewhere sometime in a future world in a stacked city. Those at the bottom are the poorest while those that live in the Heavens have everything. Except Habar. Habar is a disease that spreads in the water of the lower regions. It has no cure and it is deadly. Habar can start anywhere - an eye, a hand, a foot. And when it starts, the only way to stop it is to prevent from spreading by amputation.
Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah have long helped their family by digging through the garbage from the above levels and engineering devices that are useful to people from the scraps that they find. But Aarfah caught Habar and has been very ill. She is finally recovering but -- she had to sacrifice both of her legs in order to stay alive. Mustafa and Basem are determined to build her prosthetics so that she can walk again - and also to capture the attention of ambassadors from above. If they are impressed with the work that you do, sometimes that can be a ticket out of the lower regions and a path to Heaven. Unbeknownst to his buddies, Mustafa also has Habar on his hand. It's not something you can hide, however, so Mustafa also has to undergo amputation to survive. But their work is recognized and an ambassador selects them to move to one of the upper tiers. Not Heaven, but certainly not the bottoms. Then, miraculously, their team is chosen for a special project that will provide them with a path to Heaven! But is that what they really want?

This was great! I loved the illustrations and the different colors used to portray place, emotion, and mood. And it is also very thought-provoking! I look forward to future work from the author and the illustrator.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great breakdown of class politics and how trick down economics and any similar supports can never thrive under capitalism! I, personally, think that the political themes in this were made extremely well, and evidenced in ways that make it easy to follow due to character motivations being strong, even at the points where the plot is the the most fluid. This is also the only fantasy I've ever read that has most of its focus on or around prosthetics! While there's plenty of examples of disabled characters in SFF, often they're on the sidelines, or their disability is turned into something more aesthetic and effecting. I was happy to see that that's not the case here, but instead the amputations these characters had to go through, and the creation of and struggle for materials for their prosthetics is the catalyst for everything. My only real complaint is that the transitions between scenes and ideas was often abrupt, and while the secret plan obviously needed mystery which allows for confusion the totally suddenness of the conspirators twas hard for me to wrap my head around at first, as I kept thinking I'd missed something.

[pineapple tofu · Rating 5 out of 5]

For three friends (Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah) who are inventors in their own right, who live in the city’s lowest levels. Where the waters of Lake Saha contain diseases that eat away flesh and limbs, one day, a scout from the upper levels of the city recruits them to start commissions of their infamous prosthetics. While life upside is glamorous and shiny, it also holds dark and dangerous secrets for those who live downside. Secrets that can destroy the trio’s dreams at any cost.
Navy blues meets brillant whites across the pages of this story of resilience and determination. This graphic novel is part dystopian and utopian, where their world are vastly different. While these three best friends want to create items to help people, all it takes is one upper-level scout to break or make them, dreams and all. Readers will be entranced by Heaven, the highest tier of the city, and their sparkling outfits and wondrous creations, yet learn of the darkest secrets hidden in the shadows of those who live there. An absolute treasure of a story!

[Wafflepirates · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

This is a story with a lot of potential, that has a lot of interesting world building but suffers from a lack of exploring that world. The plot focuses on a group of three friends living in the disease infested, lower levels of a city. Inventors looking to seek a way to the upper levels, the trio make prosthetics for those who lose limbs due to the Habar infection that eventually catches the eye of a scout that moves them to the upper levels. There they realize their world is not so straightforward and that society is much darker than they thought it could be. The plot was pretty easy to follow, but not super interesting once things started picking up. The art is fantastic and i love the character designs and the color schemes. This is a nice standalone, but i would've like more from it to make the plot pacing work better.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A YA dystopian comic about three friends who create prosthetics for people inflected by some disease that requires limbs to be amputated. The best of the best get lifted out of the darkness to cities higher up on the food chain with better resources and daylight. It's fine. My problems are that we've read this story many times before. So many times before that Son M. doesn't really even bother to go into details about much of this world. You're supposed to just take what was given and go with it. But this is also 240 pages long so what else were they were doing with these pages? The ending feels like it comes out of nowhere too. All of a sudden there's a revolution plot that wasn't really there at all before. It was so rushed that I thought maybe towards the end, the publisher told the creators that they were not getting a second book and they had to cram the rest of the story in the last 50 pages.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was more than I expected. A physical representation of society as it stands, as well as the inequities that come with wealth and power.

Three friends, engineers, work to make prosthetics out of scraps. These prosthetics are needed because there is an epidemic in their world at the bottom of the tower. Habar is spreading through their community, making it necessary to amputate the affected parts. The desire of those at the bottom is to ascend to a higher level in the tower, to a better life.

Is life really better at the top? As these friends get noticed and get the chance to find out, they find that people care less about their neighbors, and more about themselves. At the top, there is no need for prosthetics as they have a vaccine for Habar. Prosthetics have become an accessory, a symbol of wealth and privilege.

As in any good story about class and inequities, this story ends with an uprising. It is a fast read, but very satisfying.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah have grown up together in Muqadas, and are now engineers on the lowest level. There, the people work hard, but they still struggle against Habar, a water-born infection that usually leads to amputation. The three friends are working on new prosthetics to help those in need. When a scout from the upper tiers notices their inventions, they are given the chance for a better life. Basem is excited because he sees this as a chance to be able to help more people, but Aarfah and Mustafa start to question why the abundance of the upper floors never trickles down. Basem will have to decide if he wants to follow his dreams to the top, or if he wants to stand with his friends against the injustice.

A very solid YA dystopia graphic novel about inequality. The world-building is great, the characters are good. Unfortunately the story-telling is a bit clunky and the ending is very rushed. Still very solid though. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[SW · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

A tiered society that keeps the poor people on the bottom with a water source that may or may not infect them, while the rich live in the upper tier they call heaven.
Three friends work as engineers to make prosthetics for people who catch the water disease called Habar. They quickly get scouted to move to the top tier where they soon realize being on top isn't as heavenly as they'd hoped.
I really kinda wanted more from this. Like it could have been a series of books. When it started, it seemed like the story was taking it's time, building up. But then the last quarter flew by so it could come to a conclusion. There's were just so many elements in it that IMO, could have been expounded on and really made the story something great. I wanted to see the revolution! I wanted to see more relationship building and character development! This was a good story, but I needed more.