What do you think?
Rate this book
The Canarvier Files #1
A Philosophy of Thieves
Leverage meets Parasite meets Six of Crows in multi-award winning author Fran Wilde’s thrilling, high-tech adventure heist wrapped in a gaslamp fantasy where thieves are entertainment for the wealthy.
The Canarviers are the premier performance thieves in New Washington, blending astonishing acrobatics, clever misdirection, and daring escapes to entertain their rich patrons. As King Canarvier has always told his children, their work is art. Who else could titillate audiences with illicit history lessons and tease them through the gaps in their much-prized security?
Now that they’re adults, King’s children feel their divisions more than their bonds. Roosa attends an exclusive finishing university, blending in so well she’s unsure where she belongs. Her brother Dax craves a chance to prove himself, stifling under his father’s caution.
Then King disappears.
With only days to buy mercy before their father is lost forever, Roo and Dax must compete in a high-stakes Grand Heist, pushing down their resentments to work together. Against a technocrat wagering more than he can lose, a security chief with a taste for pain, and a society beauty with secrets of her own, any misstep promises catastrophic ruin.
But Canarviers are artists. And they perform best when the pressure is on . . .
The Canarviers are the premier performance thieves in New Washington, blending astonishing acrobatics, clever misdirection, and daring escapes to entertain their rich patrons. As King Canarvier has always told his children, their work is art. Who else could titillate audiences with illicit history lessons and tease them through the gaps in their much-prized security?
Now that they’re adults, King’s children feel their divisions more than their bonds. Roosa attends an exclusive finishing university, blending in so well she’s unsure where she belongs. Her brother Dax craves a chance to prove himself, stifling under his father’s caution.
Then King disappears.
With only days to buy mercy before their father is lost forever, Roo and Dax must compete in a high-stakes Grand Heist, pushing down their resentments to work together. Against a technocrat wagering more than he can lose, a security chief with a taste for pain, and a society beauty with secrets of her own, any misstep promises catastrophic ruin.
But Canarviers are artists. And they perform best when the pressure is on . . .
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
58 people are currently reading
14763 people want to read
About the author
Fran Wilde
116 books525 followersTwo-time Nebula Award-winner Fran Wilde has (so far) published nine novels, a poetry collection, and over 70 short stories for adults, teens, and kids. Her stories have been finalists for six Nebula Awards, a World Fantasy Award, four Hugo Awards, four Locus Awards, and a Lodestar. They include her Nebula- and Compton Crook-winning debut novel Updraft, and her Nebula-winning, Best of NPR 2019, debut Middle Grade novel Riverland. Her short stories appear in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Tor.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Shimmer, Nature, Uncanny Magazine, and multiple years' best anthologies.
The Managing Editor for The Sunday Morning Transport, Fran teaches or has taught for schools including Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She writes nonfiction for publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and Tor.com. You can find her on Instagram, Bluesky, and at franwilde.net.
The Managing Editor for The Sunday Morning Transport, Fran teaches or has taught for schools including Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She writes nonfiction for publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and Tor.com. You can find her on Instagram, Bluesky, and at franwilde.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 8, 2025
Full disclosure: I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
One of the latest fashions among the wealthy elite is the hiring of thieves for entertainment. Nothing spices up a party like a flashy announcement–perhaps accompanied by smoke and holograms--that thieves have struck, and various guests suddenly realize that their jewelry, wallets, and other valuables have been skillfully removed. Then comes the thrill of the hunt as the guests join in the search for the perpetrators. If the thieves can elude them until time runs out, they win. And of course the gracious hosts will ensure that everything is returned, paying necessary ransoms as needed.
The Carnaviers are among the best in the business, their star on the rise until one of their number is captured. All must be risked in a desperate attempt to reunite their found family …
Honestly, there was more depth to this than I was expecting. I think I was envisioning something along the lines of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat or Walter Jon Williams’ Drake Maijstral books. But, while there are theatrical flourishes to the Carnaviers’ antics, the book is really more interested in the vast gulf between the Haves and the Have Nots in this deeply-imagined future society.
Fran Wilde seems to delight in taking the story in unexpected directions. The book opens with a theft in progress, and the viewpoint character is so confident that they're going to succeed that they're already daydreaming of what they'll do with the profits from the job. So I was cheerfully expecting them to get caught, or at least that things would start to fall apart pretty quickly. Rules of Fiction, right? But Wilde somehow pulled a reverse half twist and, well … let's just say that what I thought was going to happen didn't, and leave it at that. I was pleasantly surprised and invested in the book at the same time.
And, without spoiling anything, there are sooooo many sudden reversals and surprises in the last few chapters of the book that it's honestly staggering.
There are a few threads left dangling for future volumes, but there's enough of a satisfying climax that I don't feel cheated. One of the better SF novels I've read in a while. Recommended!
One of the latest fashions among the wealthy elite is the hiring of thieves for entertainment. Nothing spices up a party like a flashy announcement–perhaps accompanied by smoke and holograms--that thieves have struck, and various guests suddenly realize that their jewelry, wallets, and other valuables have been skillfully removed. Then comes the thrill of the hunt as the guests join in the search for the perpetrators. If the thieves can elude them until time runs out, they win. And of course the gracious hosts will ensure that everything is returned, paying necessary ransoms as needed.
The Carnaviers are among the best in the business, their star on the rise until one of their number is captured. All must be risked in a desperate attempt to reunite their found family …
Honestly, there was more depth to this than I was expecting. I think I was envisioning something along the lines of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat or Walter Jon Williams’ Drake Maijstral books. But, while there are theatrical flourishes to the Carnaviers’ antics, the book is really more interested in the vast gulf between the Haves and the Have Nots in this deeply-imagined future society.
Fran Wilde seems to delight in taking the story in unexpected directions. The book opens with a theft in progress, and the viewpoint character is so confident that they're going to succeed that they're already daydreaming of what they'll do with the profits from the job. So I was cheerfully expecting them to get caught, or at least that things would start to fall apart pretty quickly. Rules of Fiction, right? But Wilde somehow pulled a reverse half twist and, well … let's just say that what I thought was going to happen didn't, and leave it at that. I was pleasantly surprised and invested in the book at the same time.
And, without spoiling anything, there are sooooo many sudden reversals and surprises in the last few chapters of the book that it's honestly staggering.
There are a few threads left dangling for future volumes, but there's enough of a satisfying climax that I don't feel cheated. One of the better SF novels I've read in a while. Recommended!
October 22, 2025
While it took me a second to get into this, I really ended up loving it. It definitely gave the Leverage vibes along side (I think) some sorta hunger games veins with the Haves and Have Nots post near end of the world history. Definitely keeping this one on the shelf for a revisit and looking forward to the next installment in the Canarvier Files!!
October 4, 2025
I want to, firstly, thank Fran Wide, Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read this books as an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit that I don't know how to start this review, there were many things I liked, specifically at the beginning, but there are some things I couldn't get my head around.
The premise is so good and has an incredible potential but there were too many turns and twists that, together with the difficulty to know when the POV changed and which character was talking, made the story too difficult to follow. The last half was difficult for me to read because I didn't know who was bad, good, truthful, or deceiving. I didn't get what the protagonist was trying to avoid or what the objective was until the end, in which obviously it was resolved.
I feel so bad because I really liked the characters. The initial plot was so enjoyable, but it got too complicated too fast and made it difficult to follow.
I hate to give bad reviews, and I am happy to see many people enjoying it so much. It is just a shame that I was not one of those.
I have to admit that I don't know how to start this review, there were many things I liked, specifically at the beginning, but there are some things I couldn't get my head around.
The premise is so good and has an incredible potential but there were too many turns and twists that, together with the difficulty to know when the POV changed and which character was talking, made the story too difficult to follow. The last half was difficult for me to read because I didn't know who was bad, good, truthful, or deceiving. I didn't get what the protagonist was trying to avoid or what the objective was until the end, in which obviously it was resolved.
I feel so bad because I really liked the characters. The initial plot was so enjoyable, but it got too complicated too fast and made it difficult to follow.
I hate to give bad reviews, and I am happy to see many people enjoying it so much. It is just a shame that I was not one of those.
May 6, 2025
A Philosophy of Thieves is a propulsive romp, full of twists and reveals that left me breathless. Wilde’s intricate near-future world holds a mirror up to our own, skewering excess and access while delivering thrills and an unexpectedly tender family story. The Canarviers will dazzle and delight you, right before they steal your heart.
July 29, 2025
This was my first book by Fran Wilde, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in.
Thank you to the giveaway that gave me the opportunity to read this story and find this author!
The Canarviers are a family of professional thieves; as in they are hired to stealthily steal from wealthy parties while being hunted as a game. If caught they win nothing, if they escape they sell back their stolen goods to the 'victims'. This premise alone had me interested.
I think it was a bold choice that the grand heist, which most heist stories build up to for the climax, in this case, is just the opening act to the real plot; the fallout. The story runs far deeper than just a heist family doing what they do best.
This book immediately drops you into the action and the story's main catalyst; King's disappearance, before we even meet him. It's exciting and fast-paced, and then right after it slows down quite a bit until about halfway through. Planning, sneaking around, letting the audience explore the world and dropping hints for later.
Everything speeds along in the second half, multiple conflicts are thrown at the characters, with all of the moving parts clicking together, and all of these minor details becoming major plot devices full of twists and turns. A Chekov's gun moment introduced early on had me a bit worried at first it wouldn't come into play again until the next story, but it finally pays off in the last 50 pages, to bring everything together and set us up for the next adventure.
Wilde shows a mastery of 'show, don't tell'. The characters exist in this world and they understand how their world works. We learn how the world works through them and their interactions with it, rather than through lengthy exposition and interjections about what things mean from the narrator.
This does have a drawback of being hard to understand at times. In a scifi environment there are new concepts being introduced constantly. When first going into the story, it was difficult for me to define what a lot of the things being mentioned were. The characters know what they are and aren't aware of the reader, so there's no reason to explain them in great detail, but just by their name and a vague description of function I couldn't picture anything.
It got much easier in the second half, once everything was put into a proper context it made sense, but in the first half there were moments that were a real struggle for me, especially when the story introduced Mason and his business. Real world tech and business jargon is hard enough, adding fantasy tech and business jargon on top of that broke me a little.
The tech itself has some classic scifi vibes to it and also introduces a lot of new really creative ideas [like the 'safes'] which fit very nicely into the world.
I wish there was a little bit more information on the Mess that gets referenced, but that isn't really what the story is about and the characters have no reason to be doing any sort of deep dive into it [yet]. Perhaps we'll get more in the future.
The characters are lovable, though some a bit underdeveloped [at the moment]; maybe the villains a bit too obviously villainous, but still interesting. Spent a long portion of the book going 'this person who is always around for no currently explainable reason is going to be a bad person I just don't know how or why yet he's just standing there...menacingly'
I'm also still not entirely sure I understand the purpose of the chips and the pros/cons of having one, but maybe that was me missing something when I was trying to wrap my head around everything else happening. For all the time spent talking about them, they didn't really seem to have much of a function in the plot [yet] beyond the symbolism of being in the upper class and a way to establish trust, like a branding.
Overall, I really love the concepts and the characters and the world building. I'm looking forward to what comes next. The story surprised me in a lot of ways and often avoided expectation.
I think most of my criticisms stem from some things feeling left unfinished, and I have to remind myself that this is titled (The Canarvier Files, #1). It wouldn't make sense to close all of your loops right now if you plan on continuing. There is time for development and resolution.
The thieves have the time.
Thank you to the giveaway that gave me the opportunity to read this story and find this author!
The Canarviers are a family of professional thieves; as in they are hired to stealthily steal from wealthy parties while being hunted as a game. If caught they win nothing, if they escape they sell back their stolen goods to the 'victims'. This premise alone had me interested.
I think it was a bold choice that the grand heist, which most heist stories build up to for the climax, in this case, is just the opening act to the real plot; the fallout. The story runs far deeper than just a heist family doing what they do best.
This book immediately drops you into the action and the story's main catalyst; King's disappearance, before we even meet him. It's exciting and fast-paced, and then right after it slows down quite a bit until about halfway through. Planning, sneaking around, letting the audience explore the world and dropping hints for later.
Everything speeds along in the second half, multiple conflicts are thrown at the characters, with all of the moving parts clicking together, and all of these minor details becoming major plot devices full of twists and turns. A Chekov's gun moment introduced early on had me a bit worried at first it wouldn't come into play again until the next story, but it finally pays off in the last 50 pages, to bring everything together and set us up for the next adventure.
Wilde shows a mastery of 'show, don't tell'. The characters exist in this world and they understand how their world works. We learn how the world works through them and their interactions with it, rather than through lengthy exposition and interjections about what things mean from the narrator.
This does have a drawback of being hard to understand at times. In a scifi environment there are new concepts being introduced constantly. When first going into the story, it was difficult for me to define what a lot of the things being mentioned were. The characters know what they are and aren't aware of the reader, so there's no reason to explain them in great detail, but just by their name and a vague description of function I couldn't picture anything.
It got much easier in the second half, once everything was put into a proper context it made sense, but in the first half there were moments that were a real struggle for me, especially when the story introduced Mason and his business. Real world tech and business jargon is hard enough, adding fantasy tech and business jargon on top of that broke me a little.
The tech itself has some classic scifi vibes to it and also introduces a lot of new really creative ideas [like the 'safes'] which fit very nicely into the world.
I wish there was a little bit more information on the Mess that gets referenced, but that isn't really what the story is about and the characters have no reason to be doing any sort of deep dive into it [yet]. Perhaps we'll get more in the future.
The characters are lovable, though some a bit underdeveloped [at the moment]; maybe the villains a bit too obviously villainous, but still interesting. Spent a long portion of the book going 'this person who is always around for no currently explainable reason is going to be a bad person I just don't know how or why yet he's just standing there...menacingly'
I'm also still not entirely sure I understand the purpose of the chips and the pros/cons of having one, but maybe that was me missing something when I was trying to wrap my head around everything else happening. For all the time spent talking about them, they didn't really seem to have much of a function in the plot [yet] beyond the symbolism of being in the upper class and a way to establish trust, like a branding.
Overall, I really love the concepts and the characters and the world building. I'm looking forward to what comes next. The story surprised me in a lot of ways and often avoided expectation.
I think most of my criticisms stem from some things feeling left unfinished, and I have to remind myself that this is titled (The Canarvier Files, #1). It wouldn't make sense to close all of your loops right now if you plan on continuing. There is time for development and resolution.
The thieves have the time.
October 6, 2025
When I saw this described as Leverage meets Parasite meets Six of Crows I knew I wanted to read it!!
I thought the premise was very interesting, taking place in a future dystopian Washington, DC. The ultra wealthy hire thieves to steal from their rivals and The Canarviers are the premier performance thieves.
While this is all entertainment for the rich, there are very real consequences for the players and when their father King is arrested, the siblings have to fight to get him released.
This is a book with twists and surprises. It’s fast paced and the setting is very high tech with a sprinkle of magic. But it also feels familiar in a way that should make you a little uncomfortable…climate change, wealth redistribution, class issues, media suppression - yeah, it doesn’t feel too far off from reality.
✨What To Expect:
🔥Dystopian Setting
🏙️ Gaslamp SciFi Fantasy
🎭 Professional Heist Crew
🧡 Found Family
🧩 Cat x Mouse Games
💰 High society vs. underworld
🕵️ Master thieves / con artists
I thought the premise was very interesting, taking place in a future dystopian Washington, DC. The ultra wealthy hire thieves to steal from their rivals and The Canarviers are the premier performance thieves.
While this is all entertainment for the rich, there are very real consequences for the players and when their father King is arrested, the siblings have to fight to get him released.
This is a book with twists and surprises. It’s fast paced and the setting is very high tech with a sprinkle of magic. But it also feels familiar in a way that should make you a little uncomfortable…climate change, wealth redistribution, class issues, media suppression - yeah, it doesn’t feel too far off from reality.
✨What To Expect:
🔥Dystopian Setting
🏙️ Gaslamp SciFi Fantasy
🎭 Professional Heist Crew
🧡 Found Family
🧩 Cat x Mouse Games
💰 High society vs. underworld
🕵️ Master thieves / con artists
October 25, 2025
🎭
4.5/5
Tropes to Expect:
🎭 Heist Crew / Found Family 🏙️ Gaslamp Fantasy Setting 💰 High Society vs. Underworld 🧩 Cat-and-Mouse Games 🕵️ Master Thieves / Con Artists
My Thoughts:
This book throws you into the story right away and I kind of loved that! You get the world building while in the middle of the adventure. This was a high tech dystopian book where thieves are entertainment for the wealthy. It’s futuristic but doesn’t feel too far fetched. This book was so unique and fun that I was just along for the ride and never knew what would happen next. I’m pretty excited this is a book one too because I’d love to dive into this world again! I even think this will be a fun one to reread occasionally. If you enjoy a heist style book then def check it out!
4.5/5
Tropes to Expect:
🎭 Heist Crew / Found Family 🏙️ Gaslamp Fantasy Setting 💰 High Society vs. Underworld 🧩 Cat-and-Mouse Games 🕵️ Master Thieves / Con Artists
My Thoughts:
This book throws you into the story right away and I kind of loved that! You get the world building while in the middle of the adventure. This was a high tech dystopian book where thieves are entertainment for the wealthy. It’s futuristic but doesn’t feel too far fetched. This book was so unique and fun that I was just along for the ride and never knew what would happen next. I’m pretty excited this is a book one too because I’d love to dive into this world again! I even think this will be a fun one to reread occasionally. If you enjoy a heist style book then def check it out!
June 14, 2025
I am super grateful to receive an advanced reader copy of this book. I haven't read this author before and love to try new things.
Pros: The story and world is very intriguing. This post apocalyptic world is deeply divided between the haves and have nots. The haves delight in the pretense of vice and often invite performers who pose as thieves to their parties to add a bit of excitement. It's a world of technology and poverty. The author shows real creativity in the different ideas and uses for technology in this story.
Cons: You are dropped into this world with zero explanations. I had to check to make sure this was the first book in the series. I really could've used more exposition. The ideas were so interesting, but I really wanted to know what caused "The Mess" and why the rich were so taken with the concept of thieves.
I feel like the author just scraped the surface of a really good story and really wished it had more depth.
Pros: The story and world is very intriguing. This post apocalyptic world is deeply divided between the haves and have nots. The haves delight in the pretense of vice and often invite performers who pose as thieves to their parties to add a bit of excitement. It's a world of technology and poverty. The author shows real creativity in the different ideas and uses for technology in this story.
Cons: You are dropped into this world with zero explanations. I had to check to make sure this was the first book in the series. I really could've used more exposition. The ideas were so interesting, but I really wanted to know what caused "The Mess" and why the rich were so taken with the concept of thieves.
I feel like the author just scraped the surface of a really good story and really wished it had more depth.
January 15, 2026
This is the opposite of the austere in "All That We See or Seem" (that I just read). Both share similar merits, will lead to a potentially fantastic series of sci-fi pre/post dystopia urban fantasy. I prefer this version for its rompish, less nerdy, gilded-age reminiscent, even with a glimmer of utopia.
December 16, 2025
A deeply disappointing first half with a stronger back half, but not quite strong enough to fix the first half's problems. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The first half of the book, particularly the heist, did not do it for me at all. I found the details of the world somewhat confusing, which is not at all helpful in a heist novel. I had basically no idea what Dax and Roo were doing on the heist or why one thing was particularly good or bad. Obviously, stuff being stolen good and things being found bad, but I had such little understanding of how everything worked that I felt confused and bored. It's not entirely clear to me if this is adult or YA (I've seen it categorized as both, which isn't unfair), but particularly if it's YA, I think a little more exposition, or even something like a map of New Washington and associated areas would have been incredibly helpful. I did not particularly care about the sibling drama between Dax and Roo; I found Dax in particular incredibly petty (I am a Roo stan forever, I support her).
Quite literally as the book hit the halfway mark (and a major twist was revealed), I felt my interest dramatically increase and finished the book that morning. That said, I really would have loved more interactions between the siblings in general. I simply don't think they have enough interactions to justify much of a shift in their relationships with each other, and it feels choppy. I also had something of a difficult time tracking the time jumps. I suspect this is an ARC-specific problem, as my ebook copy did not mark POV shifts in any way, but particularly in the second half, I had trouble tracking when things were happening in relation to other events. The ending was extremely abrupt for how neatly it wrapped up everything, while also giving a few obvious sequel hooks.
I'm honestly somewhat surprised that this isn't a first novel. I could see myself being interested in a second book in this series, but I would have to hear stellar things about it to give it a try.
The first half of the book, particularly the heist, did not do it for me at all. I found the details of the world somewhat confusing, which is not at all helpful in a heist novel. I had basically no idea what Dax and Roo were doing on the heist or why one thing was particularly good or bad. Obviously, stuff being stolen good and things being found bad, but I had such little understanding of how everything worked that I felt confused and bored. It's not entirely clear to me if this is adult or YA (I've seen it categorized as both, which isn't unfair), but particularly if it's YA, I think a little more exposition, or even something like a map of New Washington and associated areas would have been incredibly helpful. I did not particularly care about the sibling drama between Dax and Roo; I found Dax in particular incredibly petty (I am a Roo stan forever, I support her).
Quite literally as the book hit the halfway mark (and a major twist was revealed), I felt my interest dramatically increase and finished the book that morning. That said, I really would have loved more interactions between the siblings in general. I simply don't think they have enough interactions to justify much of a shift in their relationships with each other, and it feels choppy. I also had something of a difficult time tracking the time jumps. I suspect this is an ARC-specific problem, as my ebook copy did not mark POV shifts in any way, but particularly in the second half, I had trouble tracking when things were happening in relation to other events. The ending was extremely abrupt for how neatly it wrapped up everything, while also giving a few obvious sequel hooks.
I'm honestly somewhat surprised that this isn't a first novel. I could see myself being interested in a second book in this series, but I would have to hear stellar things about it to give it a try.
September 23, 2025
This one is a little hard for me to rate, so I am breaking it down and rounding up. 4 Stars for concept but 3.75 on the story and writing.
I think the concept of this book was so cool b/c I am always chasing the high of that dystopian post-apocalyptic high that some of my favorites gave me when the genre first emerged or I started reading it in high school. I think the idea of the class divide in here was so cool and so in your face with how out of touch these rich people are like: Oh i am so rich and bored that for excitement I am going to hire people to rob me and my guests and then buy all my stuff back at a markup and if you don't do this are you really rich enough to be in our circle. People go into debt to have these experiences and get kicked out of social circles when they can't pay. Another activity they talk about is going garbage hunting like the poor people do for survival bc it's fun. Kind of reminds me of those clothing brands that charge hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans or a shirt that have dirt stains on it.
This book also had a bit of a sci-fi feel to it with some of the innovations that these people came up with to survive and it was very interesting. Overall, the concept of this world and the society was interesting and that's what kept me interested and coming back.
BUT for me it feels like the author is relying on how popular this genre is and how there is a lot of overlap when it comes to the breakdown of society and environmental disasters (like with air masks, sand baths bc can't afford water) that they give absolutely no world building on how we got here or what happened during what they refer to as the "mess". We are just plopped right into the story and have to use the clues given in the story to understand how things are now but sometimes we don't get the details until chapters later, sometimes and it would just leave me confused and frustrated at times because I felt like I was missing something. And then sometimes if you got that information (sometimes you didn't) I don't always thing the explanations where well rounded enough other than to give you the basics of what the element was.
I am not looking for things to be spoon-fed to me but if I wasn't experienced with the genre and the message that the author was trying to convey, my experience would have been a lot less enjoyable for what I did enjoy about the book.
---
The Canarviers are elite performance thieves in New Washington, dazzling wealthy audiences with acrobatics, misdirection, and daring escapes for the rich elites who hire them. For King Canarvier, their heists are art where they tease them with the gaps in the security, they use to keep them separate from the rest of society. But for his children who have grown up under his tutelage his children Roosa and Dax, now struggle with identity and their own rivalry. With Roosa attending a finishing school to gain a respectable job with less risk and her brother trying for the group to take more risk in an effort to prove his worth and readiness to take over for his father over the objections of his father. But then their father King goes arrested and they have to put their differences aside to pull off the biggest heist of their careers to pay for their father's release before his is shipped off to places where they will never see him again. But this heist will have them going up against their host who is a technocrat with everything on the line as well as those within this high secretive society with their own agendas. Thankfully they are experiences artists who preform best when they are under pressure.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I think the concept of this book was so cool b/c I am always chasing the high of that dystopian post-apocalyptic high that some of my favorites gave me when the genre first emerged or I started reading it in high school. I think the idea of the class divide in here was so cool and so in your face with how out of touch these rich people are like: Oh i am so rich and bored that for excitement I am going to hire people to rob me and my guests and then buy all my stuff back at a markup and if you don't do this are you really rich enough to be in our circle. People go into debt to have these experiences and get kicked out of social circles when they can't pay. Another activity they talk about is going garbage hunting like the poor people do for survival bc it's fun. Kind of reminds me of those clothing brands that charge hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans or a shirt that have dirt stains on it.
This book also had a bit of a sci-fi feel to it with some of the innovations that these people came up with to survive and it was very interesting. Overall, the concept of this world and the society was interesting and that's what kept me interested and coming back.
BUT for me it feels like the author is relying on how popular this genre is and how there is a lot of overlap when it comes to the breakdown of society and environmental disasters (like with air masks, sand baths bc can't afford water) that they give absolutely no world building on how we got here or what happened during what they refer to as the "mess". We are just plopped right into the story and have to use the clues given in the story to understand how things are now but sometimes we don't get the details until chapters later, sometimes and it would just leave me confused and frustrated at times because I felt like I was missing something. And then sometimes if you got that information (sometimes you didn't) I don't always thing the explanations where well rounded enough other than to give you the basics of what the element was.
I am not looking for things to be spoon-fed to me but if I wasn't experienced with the genre and the message that the author was trying to convey, my experience would have been a lot less enjoyable for what I did enjoy about the book.
---
The Canarviers are elite performance thieves in New Washington, dazzling wealthy audiences with acrobatics, misdirection, and daring escapes for the rich elites who hire them. For King Canarvier, their heists are art where they tease them with the gaps in the security, they use to keep them separate from the rest of society. But for his children who have grown up under his tutelage his children Roosa and Dax, now struggle with identity and their own rivalry. With Roosa attending a finishing school to gain a respectable job with less risk and her brother trying for the group to take more risk in an effort to prove his worth and readiness to take over for his father over the objections of his father. But then their father King goes arrested and they have to put their differences aside to pull off the biggest heist of their careers to pay for their father's release before his is shipped off to places where they will never see him again. But this heist will have them going up against their host who is a technocrat with everything on the line as well as those within this high secretive society with their own agendas. Thankfully they are experiences artists who preform best when they are under pressure.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2025
I received this ARC from a GoodReads giveaway and am reviewing it voluntarily.
4.5 Stars!
This book was a wonderful read of intrigue from the beginning to the end. I loved diving into the world of New Washington. From the dusty Skirts to the sparkling Enclave, this techno-thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. With a cast of interesting characters, there was always a new side of the story.
Throughout the story, I loved the blending of high society and tech. But in between the fantastic fashion and futuristic tools, there were darker themes. Class divides, climate change, media suppression, and a city where law enforcement answers to the rich - sound familiar? I felt a bit uncomfortable at times with the parallels. And then, the concept of Safes really made my skin crawl. Sam and Evangeline were very dynamic characters - I hated them, but also liked them at the same time. It was hard to tell what their true intentions were and if they were as good as they portrayed themselves. All of the characters were flawed and realistic, which made me enjoy the book even more.
I loved the subtle sapphic romance and I hope we get more of that in future installations. I think there is a great world and story here that can be built upon. I can't wait to read future releases. That being said, I felt there could have been a bit more information provided about the Mess and the Turbulence. They were mentioned, but information was very vague. Perhaps we will get more information in future books.
4.5 Stars!
This book was a wonderful read of intrigue from the beginning to the end. I loved diving into the world of New Washington. From the dusty Skirts to the sparkling Enclave, this techno-thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. With a cast of interesting characters, there was always a new side of the story.
Throughout the story, I loved the blending of high society and tech. But in between the fantastic fashion and futuristic tools, there were darker themes. Class divides, climate change, media suppression, and a city where law enforcement answers to the rich - sound familiar? I felt a bit uncomfortable at times with the parallels. And then, the concept of Safes really made my skin crawl. Sam and Evangeline were very dynamic characters - I hated them, but also liked them at the same time. It was hard to tell what their true intentions were and if they were as good as they portrayed themselves. All of the characters were flawed and realistic, which made me enjoy the book even more.
I loved the subtle sapphic romance and I hope we get more of that in future installations. I think there is a great world and story here that can be built upon. I can't wait to read future releases. That being said, I felt there could have been a bit more information provided about the Mess and the Turbulence. They were mentioned, but information was very vague. Perhaps we will get more information in future books.
October 14, 2025
4.5 / 5 stars
In a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, the rich and powerful live within domed cities, while the poor and downtrodden do what they have to to survive amid the ruins of the lost world. Enter the Canarviers, a group of performance thieves who are hired by the wealthy as a sort of party game. The thieves steal what they can while providing a spectacle of calling cards and heists in plain sight. If the thieves escape, they get to ransom back what valuables they stole to their owners. If they get caught, they get nothing.
One evening, after a heist, King Canarvier goes missing. His children, Dax and Roosa, find out that he has been arrested, and that they have to unite in order to pull off a job in order to earn enough to free him.
However, that heist is just the beginning. At first, this seems like it's going to be a simple heist story, but it quickly turns into a story packed with corporate espionage, secrets and lies, and lost family.
I really, really enjoyed this. If you know me, you know I'll read anything starring fictional thieves, and the comps to both Leverage and Six of Crows got my attention. From the blurb, I thought this was going to be more steampunk/gaslamp fantasy, when it turned out to be more cyberpunk, with people having chips implanted in them and other body modifications.
I found the setting fascinating. The worldbuilding is rolled out for the reader organically without much in the way of infodumps, and I would love to learn more about it. At some point in the past, a mysterious event happened. Most characters call it the "Mess", while the wealthy call it the "Turbulence". It's unclear exactly what it was, but seems to have been some sort of environmental disaster. The world is left divided into the "haves" — the Enclavers — and the "have-nots" — the people living in the city of New Washington outside the domes, or in a moving caravan known as the Skirts.
Definitely a recommend from me. I want more books in this setting, and would love to see these characters return.
In a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, the rich and powerful live within domed cities, while the poor and downtrodden do what they have to to survive amid the ruins of the lost world. Enter the Canarviers, a group of performance thieves who are hired by the wealthy as a sort of party game. The thieves steal what they can while providing a spectacle of calling cards and heists in plain sight. If the thieves escape, they get to ransom back what valuables they stole to their owners. If they get caught, they get nothing.
One evening, after a heist, King Canarvier goes missing. His children, Dax and Roosa, find out that he has been arrested, and that they have to unite in order to pull off a job in order to earn enough to free him.
However, that heist is just the beginning. At first, this seems like it's going to be a simple heist story, but it quickly turns into a story packed with corporate espionage, secrets and lies, and lost family.
I really, really enjoyed this. If you know me, you know I'll read anything starring fictional thieves, and the comps to both Leverage and Six of Crows got my attention. From the blurb, I thought this was going to be more steampunk/gaslamp fantasy, when it turned out to be more cyberpunk, with people having chips implanted in them and other body modifications.
I found the setting fascinating. The worldbuilding is rolled out for the reader organically without much in the way of infodumps, and I would love to learn more about it. At some point in the past, a mysterious event happened. Most characters call it the "Mess", while the wealthy call it the "Turbulence". It's unclear exactly what it was, but seems to have been some sort of environmental disaster. The world is left divided into the "haves" — the Enclavers — and the "have-nots" — the people living in the city of New Washington outside the domes, or in a moving caravan known as the Skirts.
Definitely a recommend from me. I want more books in this setting, and would love to see these characters return.
September 30, 2025
I went into this book expecting a slow-burn heist like Six of Crows and was thrown into multiple hesits and plot twists instead (which isn't necessarily a bad thing😅).
The plot follows Roosa and Dax, and their family, as these Carnarvier siblings in a world where thieves are hired to entertain the wealthy at their events. After their father is arrested, Roosa and Dax decide to band together for one last grand heist and collect enough money to bail out their father. But that's when everything stops going according to their plan.
I loved the dynamic that Roo and Dax had. From the beginning, you see how different they are in terms of personalities and life trajectories, and this is reflected in the planning and execution of their heist. When everything started to unravel, we see that (contrary to what Dax thinks) Roo is willing to sacrifice a lot for her family's safety and happiness. Even when she's with the Benfords, Roo prioritises the family members that see her over those who want to use her.
I liked the incorporation of multiple perspectives into the story. POVs from the elites like Mason and Evangeline (and their scheming) added a good contrast to the carefree versions of themselves that they presented to Roo and the rest of the world. You get to sit with the siblings' thoughts and emotions about what happens to them as the plot unfolds, and how desperately they each want to cling onto what's left of their family.
Although I loved the revelations thrown at each of the siblings throughout the book, towards the end it became a bit much. It also took me a while to realise this world had both magic and science in it. The blend between magic, sci-fi, dystopian and gaslamp fantasy wasn't done well, with the gaslamp and sci-fi overshadowing the others. However, despite the last few chapters and plot twists, I was invested in the siblings' journey back to each other✨
Thank you to Hambright PR for providing me with an ARC of the Carnarvier family's story.
The plot follows Roosa and Dax, and their family, as these Carnarvier siblings in a world where thieves are hired to entertain the wealthy at their events. After their father is arrested, Roosa and Dax decide to band together for one last grand heist and collect enough money to bail out their father. But that's when everything stops going according to their plan.
I loved the dynamic that Roo and Dax had. From the beginning, you see how different they are in terms of personalities and life trajectories, and this is reflected in the planning and execution of their heist. When everything started to unravel, we see that (contrary to what Dax thinks) Roo is willing to sacrifice a lot for her family's safety and happiness. Even when she's with the Benfords, Roo prioritises the family members that see her over those who want to use her.
I liked the incorporation of multiple perspectives into the story. POVs from the elites like Mason and Evangeline (and their scheming) added a good contrast to the carefree versions of themselves that they presented to Roo and the rest of the world. You get to sit with the siblings' thoughts and emotions about what happens to them as the plot unfolds, and how desperately they each want to cling onto what's left of their family.
Although I loved the revelations thrown at each of the siblings throughout the book, towards the end it became a bit much. It also took me a while to realise this world had both magic and science in it. The blend between magic, sci-fi, dystopian and gaslamp fantasy wasn't done well, with the gaslamp and sci-fi overshadowing the others. However, despite the last few chapters and plot twists, I was invested in the siblings' journey back to each other✨
Thank you to Hambright PR for providing me with an ARC of the Carnarvier family's story.
June 6, 2025
Fran Wilde is a master worldbuilder, and New Washington will live in your mind long after you put down A Philosophy of Thieves. It gives Gilded Era meets post apocalypse. But like the world of today, access to education and opportunity is stratified by class. The generationally wealthy validate status through the collection and trade of validated pre-apocalyptic artifacts, while the rest of the world fights for access to filtered and fabricated nutrition.
Enter the Canarviers, a family of performance artists who provide an upmarket form of entertainment en vogue among the wealthy: party heists. When the Canarviers are hired to rob the estate of an up-and-coming inventor (sneer: new rich) during the birthday party he’s hosting for his fashionable (celebrity, old money) girlfriend, secrets will be exposed. Family ties will be fractured, while other relationships are repaired, leaving no one same. Amazing outfits (think haute-couture-meets-Transformers) will be worn along the way.
Enter the Canarviers, a family of performance artists who provide an upmarket form of entertainment en vogue among the wealthy: party heists. When the Canarviers are hired to rob the estate of an up-and-coming inventor (sneer: new rich) during the birthday party he’s hosting for his fashionable (celebrity, old money) girlfriend, secrets will be exposed. Family ties will be fractured, while other relationships are repaired, leaving no one same. Amazing outfits (think haute-couture-meets-Transformers) will be worn along the way.
October 22, 2025
With more twists and turns than an acrobat, Fran Wilde plunges right in, surrounding you in layers upon layers of a recovering, indulgent world that feels like it could be a thousand years from now or only a few decades in our future. She excels at imagining every little thing, though I found the characters a little flat considering how much dimension is built into their environments. Maybe this is a trick to keep everyone's true motivations a mystery. Roo is the standout, but I wanted to know more about her thieving family. There's a lot of soap opera and scheming. The book moves fast, the heist had my heart racing, and I spent the second half of the book really concerned about the fate of an amazing black dress. What a cool creation. If there's a sequel, I'm ready to head back to the Enclaves for another Wilde ride!
January 9, 2026
Little too much high society gossip and corporate politics and not enough action or ground work to make me care about any of these characters at all. I’m bummed because I waited ages for this hold to become available but it has put me deeply in a reading slump and I finally just skimmed my way to the end after 60% so I could just be done and move on to something that will get me back up to speed.
June 29, 2025
Wilde's imagination is limitless. The worlds (and the tech!) she creates in her stories just blow my mind--and it all comes together brilliantly in this futuristic heist tale that had me staying up too late to finish.
September 26, 2025
I went in for the Six of Crows comp and was blown away by the Repo! The Genetic Opera vibes, with less grunge and more glam. The plot is interesting and quick, though I did find myself stumbling to keep up in places. A fun, intriguing read.
January 9, 2026
This was fun! It’s got heists, some twisty characters, and an interesting dystopian world. It missed a lot of the YA traps, and it managed to feel fresh and engaging even as it hit a lot of the regular YA plot beats. I’m curious to see where the story will go in the next installment!
August 13, 2025
Wonderful SciFi adventure that takes place in the future after a catastrophic damage to earth. The surviving civilization of haves and have nots attempting create a life with the mess that remains.
October 5, 2025
for A Philosophy of Thieves
“Fascinating, thrilling, and completely irresistible! A Philosophy of Thieves is a wonderfully unique, heist-filled novel set in an expertly-drawn world. Highly recommended!”
“Fascinating, thrilling, and completely irresistible! A Philosophy of Thieves is a wonderfully unique, heist-filled novel set in an expertly-drawn world. Highly recommended!”
October 6, 2025
This is such a fun book! I loved the twists and turns. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
October 20, 2025
Recent Reads: A Philosophy Of Thieves. Fran Wilde's post-climate apocalypse heist saga holds multitudes: daring deeds, outrageous thefts, and convoluted family dramas. Meanwhile plot and counter plot in the feudal cities complicate things for our gang of rogues. Fight the power? No, outsmart it!
November 1, 2025
So this was surprisingly entertaining. Think Six of Crows without the magic system set in post apocalyptic future Earth. Lots of social tension between haves/have nots, surprises along the way, likeable characters, and even the morally grey ones are complex enough so that you are kind of in their corner too.
June 7, 2025
a fantastic adventure in a dystopian world with twist and turns at every step.
August 12, 2025
This book starts with the breathtaking cover and continues with every chapter that is exciting, creative, captivating, and also breathtaking!! All five stars well deserved!
November 18, 2025
A delightful, ever-evolving heist story that seems to reinvigorate that genre while recalling some of the excellent vibes of things like Westerfeld's Uglies series and B sci fi movies like in-time.
December 13, 2025
Roaring 20s vibes but with futuristic tech, this imaginative and action-packed heist story twists and turns to a satisfying finish.
November 5, 2025
I received this as an eARC via NetGalley.
This is a delightful YA heist novel. Roosa Carnarvier (Vane) and her family are professional thieves, who, in post-apocalyptic Washington DC, perform heists (with strict contracts and rules) as entertainment for the wealthy.
Only we all know what happens with heists: things go sideways, and you have to improvise.
Roo and her brother Dax have to work together and decide what really matters, where their loyalties lie, and who they want to be to save their father when he goes missing mid-heist. The stakes get higher and higher, and the thieves are not the only ones with major secrets.
Full of twists and turns, this is a rollicking adventure. My one minor complaint is that Roo only had one major scene showing off her skills with aerial silks. :-)
Strongly recommended.
This is a delightful YA heist novel. Roosa Carnarvier (Vane) and her family are professional thieves, who, in post-apocalyptic Washington DC, perform heists (with strict contracts and rules) as entertainment for the wealthy.
Only we all know what happens with heists: things go sideways, and you have to improvise.
Roo and her brother Dax have to work together and decide what really matters, where their loyalties lie, and who they want to be to save their father when he goes missing mid-heist. The stakes get higher and higher, and the thieves are not the only ones with major secrets.
Full of twists and turns, this is a rollicking adventure. My one minor complaint is that Roo only had one major scene showing off her skills with aerial silks. :-)
Strongly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews