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Assassin's Heart #2
Thief's Cunning
The companion novel to Assassin’s Heart picks up eighteen years later and follows Allegra Saldana as she uncovers the secrets about the line of killers she descends from.
Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.
But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.
In this dark and enthralling fantasy that fans of Sarah Maas and Leigh Bardugo will devour, one girl must decide if she’s destined to pay for the wrongs of her family’s past—whether Saldana or Da Via—or if the future is hers for the taking.
Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.
But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.
In this dark and enthralling fantasy that fans of Sarah Maas and Leigh Bardugo will devour, one girl must decide if she’s destined to pay for the wrongs of her family’s past—whether Saldana or Da Via—or if the future is hers for the taking.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2017
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October 10, 2017
Pros
• Ahiers always manages to write such epic endings.
• Ahiers is also always on point with the character developments again. I love the themes of family, identity, and freedom here. I liked how things were resolved in these areas.
• The mythology and the different gods we learn about in this book are so interesting. These gods are frightening, powerful, and amazing. I honestly would love more books just to meet more gods and learn more about them.
• Seeing Lea and Les again. They are the sweetest (and Lea is again super badass). <3 And I love seeing the family they have created since the 18 years or so that have passed.
• Nev: Sweet. My OTP still goes to Lea and Les, but Nev has been cool. I also love that we get to learn more about the travelers and their beliefs and traditions. In addition, it’s intriguing to learn about Nev’s family dynamic with Metta and Isha. They have been great characters too.
Cons
• It took me a while to like the protagonist, Allegra. I understand her frustration and she certainly has the right to be mad at her family. However, it was frustrating to see her so quick to blame the family that raised her, without asking herself, “aye why did Lea choose to do that?” Especially as a reader who has seen Lea struggle throughout the 1st book, it sucked to see this protagonist judge Lea and want to leave this family. Lea certainly could’ve handled this better (and really? How did she expect to hide this secret when so many people knew? Wasn’t a very smart move IMO). Allegra just didn’t feel very appreciative for like 75% of the book. (To be fair, she did learn her lesson, and I understand that she had to figure it out herself with space and time. It just was irritating to hear her narration and dialogue when she’s lashing out on my fav.)
Also, I have one thing that confuses me a bit on the ending.
I like this book, but I certainly love the 1st one more – in terms of the plot and characters. However, this has been a nice addition, and it’s actually once again making me crave more of this world. I honestly think there’s so much good material here. This world is filled with such interesting ideas and characters and gods – it would be awesome to more books about the other characters. In particular, I would love to see storylines about characters from the OTHER families, not just the Saldana and Da Via. The possibilities are endless because there are many characters and other concepts that could be explored. Anyway, great world-building and I love seeing the characters’ journey in these past 2 books. 3 stars (maybe 3.5)
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
------
That cover is gorgeous, that cover is gorgeous, I am so elated! I feel like I've waited forever for this 😭😭😭
------
OHMYGOSH I cannot believe that the companion novel/sequel of Assassin's Heart is already coming out in June 2017! I can't wait to see all the characters grown up, being cute, and kicking ass - like usual. Plus, the title and cover are so on point! <3
• Ahiers always manages to write such epic endings.
• Ahiers is also always on point with the character developments again. I love the themes of family, identity, and freedom here. I liked how things were resolved in these areas.
• The mythology and the different gods we learn about in this book are so interesting. These gods are frightening, powerful, and amazing. I honestly would love more books just to meet more gods and learn more about them.
• Seeing Lea and Les again. They are the sweetest (and Lea is again super badass). <3 And I love seeing the family they have created since the 18 years or so that have passed.
• Nev: Sweet. My OTP still goes to Lea and Les, but Nev has been cool. I also love that we get to learn more about the travelers and their beliefs and traditions. In addition, it’s intriguing to learn about Nev’s family dynamic with Metta and Isha. They have been great characters too.
Cons
• It took me a while to like the protagonist, Allegra. I understand her frustration and she certainly has the right to be mad at her family. However, it was frustrating to see her so quick to blame the family that raised her, without asking herself, “aye why did Lea choose to do that?” Especially as a reader who has seen Lea struggle throughout the 1st book, it sucked to see this protagonist judge Lea and want to leave this family. Lea certainly could’ve handled this better (and really? How did she expect to hide this secret when so many people knew? Wasn’t a very smart move IMO). Allegra just didn’t feel very appreciative for like 75% of the book. (To be fair, she did learn her lesson, and I understand that she had to figure it out herself with space and time. It just was irritating to hear her narration and dialogue when she’s lashing out on my fav.)
Also, I have one thing that confuses me a bit on the ending.
I like this book, but I certainly love the 1st one more – in terms of the plot and characters. However, this has been a nice addition, and it’s actually once again making me crave more of this world. I honestly think there’s so much good material here. This world is filled with such interesting ideas and characters and gods – it would be awesome to more books about the other characters. In particular, I would love to see storylines about characters from the OTHER families, not just the Saldana and Da Via. The possibilities are endless because there are many characters and other concepts that could be explored. Anyway, great world-building and I love seeing the characters’ journey in these past 2 books. 3 stars (maybe 3.5)
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
------
That cover is gorgeous, that cover is gorgeous, I am so elated! I feel like I've waited forever for this 😭😭😭
------
OHMYGOSH I cannot believe that the companion novel/sequel of Assassin's Heart is already coming out in June 2017! I can't wait to see all the characters grown up, being cute, and kicking ass - like usual. Plus, the title and cover are so on point! <3
October 2, 2018
Assassin's Heart Series Ratings:
Assassin's Heart: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s but I am feeling generous.
Thief's Cunning: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.
But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.
Note to self: Learn to read the synopsis of books right before you start reading them so you're not wildly confused because you got a habit of thinking books are entirely different to what they actually are.
Will I learn? Probably not.
I read Assassin's Heart not that long ago in preparation of Thief's Cunning. I quite enjoyed it, I liked the concept of groups of people murdering others in the name of their god because let's be real, it ain't that different from real life. I went into this book thinking it would pick off right where we left off but no... it did not.
So you can imagine my utter confusion when the POV is no longer Lea and is actually her niece Allegra who was a baby when we last saw her. I quickly discovered that Thief's Cunning picked up nearly 18 years after Assassin's Heart. Once I got past my confusion I was okay though, and honestly I can't even blame the book for it in the first place. As the reader I really should have read the bloody synopsis, but you live in you learn.
I really enjoyed Allegra's character, she was different than Lea but if I'm honest, not by a lot. Lea is more cut throat and her world revolved around her seeing revenge for her family's deaths where as Allegra's world revolved around feeling trapped and then discovering whole parts of her life were kept secret from her.
I really connected with her though, maybe more so than Lea. I feel like I picked this book up at the perfect time. Although it did take me a while to read it, I saw myself in Allegra.
Like Allegra, I have felt extremely trapped in my lately, like I am holding my breath and am desperate to be free. And like Allegra, my cage is my family right now.
Thief's Cunning does a great job at exploring the complexities of families and how loving people can keep you restrained to one place. That sometimes that is harmful, but sometimes, with the right people, it feels less like a cage and more like home.
A lot happened in this book, while also a lot didn't happen. I don't know if it's just me, but I do find Ahiers's writing drags a bit for me. I'm never desperate to find out what happens next, it never feels like a race to get there. It's more a leisurely stroll which, with my lack of reading lately, might have been right for the occasion.
I enjoyed each of the new characters introduced, they all felt like fully fleshed out, with personalities of their own no matter how small the part they played in the story was.
Ahiers is great at building a world that feels tangible, she did an incredible job at extending that world here as well, giving us more cultures to explore.
There's honestly not a whole lot more I can say. Thief's Cunning was a good book, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me, but I enjoyed the ride regardless.
___
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Assassin's Heart: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s but I am feeling generous.
Thief's Cunning: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
But I knew what it must be like for the travelers. To feel bound and trapped and then want to live wildly while you had freedom, even if it was just for a moment, really. A small breath in a lifetime of feeling unable to breathe.
Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.
But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.
Note to self: Learn to read the synopsis of books right before you start reading them so you're not wildly confused because you got a habit of thinking books are entirely different to what they actually are.
Will I learn? Probably not.
I read Assassin's Heart not that long ago in preparation of Thief's Cunning. I quite enjoyed it, I liked the concept of groups of people murdering others in the name of their god because let's be real, it ain't that different from real life. I went into this book thinking it would pick off right where we left off but no... it did not.
So you can imagine my utter confusion when the POV is no longer Lea and is actually her niece Allegra who was a baby when we last saw her. I quickly discovered that Thief's Cunning picked up nearly 18 years after Assassin's Heart. Once I got past my confusion I was okay though, and honestly I can't even blame the book for it in the first place. As the reader I really should have read the bloody synopsis, but you live in you learn.
I really enjoyed Allegra's character, she was different than Lea but if I'm honest, not by a lot. Lea is more cut throat and her world revolved around her seeing revenge for her family's deaths where as Allegra's world revolved around feeling trapped and then discovering whole parts of her life were kept secret from her.
I really connected with her though, maybe more so than Lea. I feel like I picked this book up at the perfect time. Although it did take me a while to read it, I saw myself in Allegra.
Like Allegra, I have felt extremely trapped in my lately, like I am holding my breath and am desperate to be free. And like Allegra, my cage is my family right now.
Thief's Cunning does a great job at exploring the complexities of families and how loving people can keep you restrained to one place. That sometimes that is harmful, but sometimes, with the right people, it feels less like a cage and more like home.
A lot happened in this book, while also a lot didn't happen. I don't know if it's just me, but I do find Ahiers's writing drags a bit for me. I'm never desperate to find out what happens next, it never feels like a race to get there. It's more a leisurely stroll which, with my lack of reading lately, might have been right for the occasion.
I enjoyed each of the new characters introduced, they all felt like fully fleshed out, with personalities of their own no matter how small the part they played in the story was.
Ahiers is great at building a world that feels tangible, she did an incredible job at extending that world here as well, giving us more cultures to explore.
There's honestly not a whole lot more I can say. Thief's Cunning was a good book, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me, but I enjoyed the ride regardless.
“Did someone else hurt you?” he asked.
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. “I think I’ve been hurting all my life, I just didn’t know why.”
___
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August 6, 2017
What a let-down.
I might have liked this better if Allegra wasn't such a little brat. It's hard to feel bad for her when she's running around like a snotty teenage girl who kisses random boys to prove that she's rebellious and can do whatever she wants.
I think I'm supposed to feel bad for Allegra because Lea "stole her" from the Da Vias family...but I actually feel sorry for Lea because she has to put up with her.
I feel like Allegra never had to apologize for anything terrible that she does in this book. She acted like a brat, got into trouble, but still got what she wanted by the end even if it meant other people got hurt. She may have felt sorry about it, but no one ever got an apology out of her.
As if Allegra wasn't already self-centered enough, this entire story was about people and even GODS fighting over her. "She's mine!...no she's mine...I've come for what's mine...no ones taking you away from me again." Guys guys guys...she's not even that great. No one owns her and honestly no one should want to because she's the worst.
Also, POOR LES. He deserved better than what he got in this book! He's probably thinking "what the heck did I marry into?"
While it doesn't bother me that these books are obviously religious and deal with feuding beliefs and jealous gods, I was really unimpressed with their disciples a.k.a. most of the humans in this book. They claim they do everything in the name of the gods they worship, but there's no true substance or spirituality to their actions. It doesn't feel like faith when they talk about it - just empty sacrifices and words.
First half of the book was alright. Second half was a mess. The writing was fine except the author would sometimes write pointless things. For example, when Allegra notices Claudia is missing from their meeting spot, she says "She's not here. She's somewhere else." *slow clap* EXCELLENT DEDUCTIVE SKILLS, ALLEGRA. Or when one of the characters says to Allegra "Snakes like the warmth and the dark [...] They aren't like you and me. They are snakes." YEAH WOW OK, I GET IT. SNAKES AND HUMANS ARE NOT EQUAL. LETS MOVE ON, SHALL WE?
I might have liked this better if Allegra wasn't such a little brat. It's hard to feel bad for her when she's running around like a snotty teenage girl who kisses random boys to prove that she's rebellious and can do whatever she wants.
I think I'm supposed to feel bad for Allegra because Lea "stole her" from the Da Vias family...but I actually feel sorry for Lea because she has to put up with her.
I feel like Allegra never had to apologize for anything terrible that she does in this book. She acted like a brat, got into trouble, but still got what she wanted by the end even if it meant other people got hurt. She may have felt sorry about it, but no one ever got an apology out of her.
As if Allegra wasn't already self-centered enough, this entire story was about people and even GODS fighting over her. "She's mine!...no she's mine...I've come for what's mine...no ones taking you away from me again." Guys guys guys...she's not even that great. No one owns her and honestly no one should want to because she's the worst.
Also, POOR LES. He deserved better than what he got in this book! He's probably thinking "what the heck did I marry into?"
While it doesn't bother me that these books are obviously religious and deal with feuding beliefs and jealous gods, I was really unimpressed with their disciples a.k.a. most of the humans in this book. They claim they do everything in the name of the gods they worship, but there's no true substance or spirituality to their actions. It doesn't feel like faith when they talk about it - just empty sacrifices and words.
First half of the book was alright. Second half was a mess. The writing was fine except the author would sometimes write pointless things. For example, when Allegra notices Claudia is missing from their meeting spot, she says "She's not here. She's somewhere else." *slow clap* EXCELLENT DEDUCTIVE SKILLS, ALLEGRA. Or when one of the characters says to Allegra "Snakes like the warmth and the dark [...] They aren't like you and me. They are snakes." YEAH WOW OK, I GET IT. SNAKES AND HUMANS ARE NOT EQUAL. LETS MOVE ON, SHALL WE?
Read
May 29, 2018I loved learning even more about this world. The ghosts were fascinating as was the way the community kept them at bay. My favorite scene was the confrontation between the two mothers when Lea stormed the castle as it were.
July 30, 2017
You know, I distinctly remember being so utterly in love with the first book in the series. Lea was my stubborn little spitfire of a hero. I loved everything about the first book, and when I heard there was going to be a sequel, I was so exited.
And also scared.
Because I said to myself, what if they fuck it up. What if they take an amazing series and trash it by trying to push a story that doesn't need to be told. The first book was amazing as a standalone, and frankly should have been. I worried, what if they fuck it up.
I knew they were going to fuck it up.
You know when I knew? About a half dozen pages in, I knew. Because that was around the time I figured out that the main character of this book, Allegra, was the most ungrateful, spoiled, immature, selfish, irritating little brat I had come across in a long time. This little bitch, instead of being appreciative and humble, and kind, kind of just flails around and complains, OH, LIFE SUCKS SO MUCH, OH, PAY ATTENTION TO ME, OH, WOE IS MY PITIFUL AND MYSERIOUS HISTORY. Forever. Seriously. For pages and pages and pages she flounces about complaining about how no one trusts her, and how she DESERVES BETTER, and how her life is just so damn horrible, you know, despite being safe, warm and protected, fed and clothes, and given every advantage possible.
This is why I don't have children. Because you can't beat them anymore when they're like this.
And I really started to downright hate this book when Allegra, who apparently was still on her I'M THE MOST MISTREATED PERSON EVER BECAUSE MY AUNT WHO RAISED ME AND LOVED ME AND PROTECTED ME DIDN'T TELL ME A SECRET THAT WOULD RUIN ME, decides she's going to go find herself some fuckboy and fall insta in love with him.
Seriously. Fucking seriously.
This girl is supposed to be 18. She doesn't even act 8. And while yes, I do actually approve of how sexually liberated all these characters seem to be, and how there's pretty much zero slut shaming, that doesn't make up for the fact that there's so much instalove in this book it's unbearable, and it's all compounded by Allegra using this instalove as a coping mechanism because she feels betrayed.
I just can't.
I wish I'd never read this book. I wish I never knew it was out there. This was so downright terrible I can't even properly describe it. The only shining parts of this book were the sections that featured Lea being a BAMF, and Les being an outstanding leading man.
Don't read this book. Don't read about this ungrateful little bastard of a child complain about how she's entitled to things. Don't waste your money. It's not worth it. Trash is trash.
And also scared.
Because I said to myself, what if they fuck it up. What if they take an amazing series and trash it by trying to push a story that doesn't need to be told. The first book was amazing as a standalone, and frankly should have been. I worried, what if they fuck it up.
I knew they were going to fuck it up.
You know when I knew? About a half dozen pages in, I knew. Because that was around the time I figured out that the main character of this book, Allegra, was the most ungrateful, spoiled, immature, selfish, irritating little brat I had come across in a long time. This little bitch, instead of being appreciative and humble, and kind, kind of just flails around and complains, OH, LIFE SUCKS SO MUCH, OH, PAY ATTENTION TO ME, OH, WOE IS MY PITIFUL AND MYSERIOUS HISTORY. Forever. Seriously. For pages and pages and pages she flounces about complaining about how no one trusts her, and how she DESERVES BETTER, and how her life is just so damn horrible, you know, despite being safe, warm and protected, fed and clothes, and given every advantage possible.
This is why I don't have children. Because you can't beat them anymore when they're like this.
And I really started to downright hate this book when Allegra, who apparently was still on her I'M THE MOST MISTREATED PERSON EVER BECAUSE MY AUNT WHO RAISED ME AND LOVED ME AND PROTECTED ME DIDN'T TELL ME A SECRET THAT WOULD RUIN ME, decides she's going to go find herself some fuckboy and fall insta in love with him.
Seriously. Fucking seriously.
This girl is supposed to be 18. She doesn't even act 8. And while yes, I do actually approve of how sexually liberated all these characters seem to be, and how there's pretty much zero slut shaming, that doesn't make up for the fact that there's so much instalove in this book it's unbearable, and it's all compounded by Allegra using this instalove as a coping mechanism because she feels betrayed.
I just can't.
I wish I'd never read this book. I wish I never knew it was out there. This was so downright terrible I can't even properly describe it. The only shining parts of this book were the sections that featured Lea being a BAMF, and Les being an outstanding leading man.
Don't read this book. Don't read about this ungrateful little bastard of a child complain about how she's entitled to things. Don't waste your money. It's not worth it. Trash is trash.
December 5, 2017
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Thief's Cunning is the second installment in Sarah Ahiers' Assassin Heart series. Some publications are calling this a companion novel. Assassin’s Heart was set in the Kingdom of Lovero, where paid assassination is legal if you belong to one of the nine chosen Families. Thief’s Cunning, which takes place nearly twenty years after Assassin's Heart, introduces a completely new part of this world—Mornia—an expansive, secluded desert where Travelers abound.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Thief's Cunning is the second installment in Sarah Ahiers' Assassin Heart series. Some publications are calling this a companion novel. Assassin’s Heart was set in the Kingdom of Lovero, where paid assassination is legal if you belong to one of the nine chosen Families. Thief’s Cunning, which takes place nearly twenty years after Assassin's Heart, introduces a completely new part of this world—Mornia—an expansive, secluded desert where Travelers abound.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
September 18, 2017
A routine was just another trap, one you forced yourself into. I refused to trap myself. I was already caged enough.
It's been eighteen years since Lea Saldana exacted her revenge on the Da Vias. She's now the head of the Family, living in Yvain and secretly continuing to carry out their duty as clippers. It also means reigning in her niece, Allegra, who is rash and reckless. Allegra is bothered by the secrets surrounding her birth, and when she finds out she should've been raised as a Da Via, she finds solace with a traveler boy named Nev. But he's not being completely honest with her either, and when she is kidnapped by his group and taken away, she learns that not only their pasts are entwined, but their futures as well.
Thief's Cunning is a book I was wary about. Actually, I'm wary about almost all companion novels that take place full years after their predecessors. In the end, it seemed like my worries were realized, because I just didn't really like this book that much - 2 stars.
It mostly comes down the fact that I found Allegra to be whiny and spoiled, so I struggled to bring myself to care about what was bothering her. I realize that it's terrible to find out that the people you love have been lying to you your entire life, but the way she went about it was childish and did not reflect the mindset of an eighteen year old.
The entire first half of the novel consisted of Allegra complaining that Lea had lied to her and wanted to "cage" her by keeping her in the dark. She says that she needs to fix it by promptly leaving the Family that loved, fed, clothed, and taught her for her entire life and join the Family she knows next to nothing about. Essentially, she acts like a petty child, and instead of feeling sorry for her, I felt like Lea and Les should've punished her for her transgressions.
The second half of the book wasn't much better. After being kidnapped, Allegra continues to complain that the travelers have now caged her. She claims that Lea will come for her (but she still plans to return to the Da Vias.) She gets caught up in an instalove with Nev, the traveler boy.
Nev had been the single bright spot in my life since I'd reached Lovero. It had only been a few hours, but my life had been completely overturned in that time, and Nev had been warm and simple and sweet and I suspected I would want more of that in the next few days.
The ending of the book left much to be desired for me. Allegra never apologized for all of the troubles she caused and she still got a version of what she wanted in the end, so I didn't really feel like she'd grown as a character at all. Additionally, the entire thing felt really anticlimactic, to the point where I started to skim just to finish the book.
The second star came from the mythology aspect. Even so, it wasn't as good as it was in the first book. I felt that in Assassin's Heart, Lea was a character whose every movement was in dedication to her faith. In this book, the differing faiths of this fictional world are still a main point, but they didn't feel as fleshed out.
Thief's Cunning just wasn't the companion book I was hoping for. I think I might like to pretend that the entire thing just ended with Assassin's Heart, if that's okay with you.
August 23, 2017
World-building: A+
Mythology: A++
Plot-Twists: A+
Suspense: A
Girl Power: A+
Guy Hero: A
Villains: A
Love Interests: A
Feels: A+++
The first few chapters were fatiguing for me to read because it felt like the first book was being retold a generation later. However, Ahiers quickly took that misconception of mine behind the tool shed (so to speak).
"Thief's Cunning" is an excellent finding-your-place story filled with magic, mystery, and powerful messages of nature, balance, justice, and love (romantic and otherwise). I feel there is something in it for everyone. Safraella and the Three bless you!
For you clean-readers: this book DOES have some mature content, though nothing explicit.
Mythology: A++
Plot-Twists: A+
Suspense: A
Girl Power: A+
Guy Hero: A
Villains: A
Love Interests: A
Feels: A+++
The first few chapters were fatiguing for me to read because it felt like the first book was being retold a generation later. However, Ahiers quickly took that misconception of mine behind the tool shed (so to speak).
"Thief's Cunning" is an excellent finding-your-place story filled with magic, mystery, and powerful messages of nature, balance, justice, and love (romantic and otherwise). I feel there is something in it for everyone. Safraella and the Three bless you!
For you clean-readers: this book DOES have some mature content, though nothing explicit.
July 13, 2017
A big letdown. I found Allegra insufferable; all she did was whine and act spoiled. A disappointing protagonist.
January 23, 2019
Although it’s been about a year since I read the first book, Assassin’s Heart, I found I was able to really get into this book and follow on with the story without any difficulty. The previous story and characters really came to life. This story however is quite different to the first one but I liked both books for different reasons. The first I loved for the action, mystery, intrigue and magic. This one, yes I loved the action and magic however the journey to learn the truth of Allegra’s true identity was really captivating. It was a very easy and fast paced read and action in every chapter – always something happening!! I have to say, there were times I got frustrated with Allegra (the main character) as she had a tendency to jump to conclusions too quickly and half the time she was wrong but I guess that’s what furthered the plot and held my attention to then very end.. and yes.. that was an epic ending. This is highly recommended to those who enjoy YA fantasy fiction. Special thanks to Harlequin Publishers for sending me a review copy of this book.
Want to read
July 5, 2019
All right, I'll bite. It helps that this is set 18 years after the other book . . .
July 14, 2017
Maybe closer to 4.5 than 4. No sophomore slump on this one. I wish there were more planned, but you have to tell the stories that need to be told, not the ones that need to be read, right?
August 14, 2020
I'm giving this a low 3. First of all, it's called Thief's Cunning, which is why I picked it up—who doesn't love a good thief story? But the protagonist isn't a thief! She's part of a family of assassins and in fact the point is made early in the story that if they were to stoop to thievery in the course of their duties as assassins, their reputations would be destroyed. So what the heck? The only "thief" association I could discover was that Allegra, in the course of her life, has been stolen several times, and not told from whom, so she doesn't have a clear sense of who she is. But boy can she whine about it! The entire book is seething teenage rebellion against nothing in particular. Oh, these people took you in and made you part of their family and loved you, fed and clothed you, trained you, but you can't stand being with them for one more minute because they're not "your" family? Oh, you have discovered your real family and long to go to them but you aren't sure you'll fit there either? Oh, you have fallen in with a lovely boy and some pretty interesting people, but you still feel caged by their wants and needs and have to be on your own? Well, aren't you special. Honestly, apart from the lifestyle depicted for the Travelers, which was interesting and in line with Travelers from our culture, I was so wearied by this book. It reminded me of the worst of the teen fantasy novels (I'm looking at you, Throne of Glass), in all of which the heroine can't decide who she is and rather than take positive steps to find out, she just lashes out and gets herself in more and more trouble because she can't control her temper or her impulsiveness or whatever we're calling it in that book.
I also didn't know this was a sequel when I bought it, and was initially going to stop reading it, but I realized that the events of the previous novel had taken place 18 years earlier, and plenty of context was given in this one so that I didn't feel like I missed anything crucial. It's possible I might have liked this better had I read that first...but I don't think so. That one sounds like a fairly kickass story about a woman who goes all out for her goddess and is rewarded with resurrection for her and her companion, which was interesting. This one was not.
I also didn't know this was a sequel when I bought it, and was initially going to stop reading it, but I realized that the events of the previous novel had taken place 18 years earlier, and plenty of context was given in this one so that I didn't feel like I missed anything crucial. It's possible I might have liked this better had I read that first...but I don't think so. That one sounds like a fairly kickass story about a woman who goes all out for her goddess and is rewarded with resurrection for her and her companion, which was interesting. This one was not.
July 3, 2017
First thoughts: Very enjoyable story...
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would say about 3.25-3.5 stars. This a companion novel to Assassin's Heart. It takes 18 years after the events of the first book and we get to see an adult Lea. We also find that Les and Lea are still madly in love with each other - Yay!
This is the story of Allegra. Lea's niece, taken from the Das Via home as it was being overrun by ghosts. Lea and Les take Allegra and Emile as they leave Lovero and start a new life together.
Allegra is now 18 years old and feels like an outcast. Lea and Les decided to keep secrets from her, as in she has no idea about her heritage. And this is the reason the book doesn't have a higher rating in my mind. Keeping things quiet from Allegra was stupid and created a lot of unnecessary angst in the first part of the book. Lea lost the opportunity to own the story and, as a result, she allowed the Das Via to spin the story on their behalf.
The second part of the story was better. I really enjoyed the travelers' world. The matriarchal society and Nev. He was cute. I liked the resolution of the story and the fact that Allegra got what her heart really wanted.
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would say about 3.25-3.5 stars. This a companion novel to Assassin's Heart. It takes 18 years after the events of the first book and we get to see an adult Lea. We also find that Les and Lea are still madly in love with each other - Yay!
This is the story of Allegra. Lea's niece, taken from the Das Via home as it was being overrun by ghosts. Lea and Les take Allegra and Emile as they leave Lovero and start a new life together.
Allegra is now 18 years old and feels like an outcast. Lea and Les decided to keep secrets from her, as in she has no idea about her heritage. And this is the reason the book doesn't have a higher rating in my mind. Keeping things quiet from Allegra was stupid and created a lot of unnecessary angst in the first part of the book. Lea lost the opportunity to own the story and, as a result, she allowed the Das Via to spin the story on their behalf.
The second part of the story was better. I really enjoyed the travelers' world. The matriarchal society and Nev. He was cute. I liked the resolution of the story and the fact that Allegra got what her heart really wanted.
August 4, 2019
I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first. The story and main character was just not really to my liking. It was a quick read, though. And I liked that. But I just couldn't connect.
September 27, 2023
a bit hard to follow but pretty good overall. also i finished it in like a day so extra points for that.
June 25, 2017
Definitely liked Lea and Les' story. Allegra was too impulsive, too stubborn, and too reckless for my liking. I almost feel bad for Nev because she is a lot too handle. Interesting story though!
June 17, 2017
Not enough assassinations.
August 23, 2017
I was slightly wary going into Thief's Cunning, as I knew the story would be about a character that I felt was not treated ethically in Assassin's Heart. I won't go into specifics in case you haven't read the book, but basically there was a big decision at the end that the main character Lea made that I completely disagreed with. The character that was impacted most by that decision is Allegra, the main character of Thief's Cunning.
Taking a step back from this particular plot point, I thought the book was relatively well written overall. The story is engaging and fast paced. We see different aspects of the fantasy world that Ahiers has built, and it's a well developed one. I found the different gods and different magics of the cultures quite interesting, and definitely wouldn't mind seeing another book set in the same world.
In terms of the negatives, the main one was probably that Allegra was, to be frank, a bit of a brat. She was the classic rebellious teen that we all hear about, but she's also (unlike most rebellious teens in the real world) a prime target for many rival clipper (assassin) families. She made a lot of poor choices which could have ended pretty badly, and refused to listen to her surrogate parents who mostly gave her some pretty reasonable advice. I also wasn't sure about how much I liked the romance as it was pretty fast.
Overall, the book was a decent follow up to Assassin's Heart. I would recommend reading that novel first before reading this one so that you have a better understanding of the world that is presented.
Ratings
Overall: 7/10
Plot: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
World Building: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Taking a step back from this particular plot point, I thought the book was relatively well written overall. The story is engaging and fast paced. We see different aspects of the fantasy world that Ahiers has built, and it's a well developed one. I found the different gods and different magics of the cultures quite interesting, and definitely wouldn't mind seeing another book set in the same world.
In terms of the negatives, the main one was probably that Allegra was, to be frank, a bit of a brat. She was the classic rebellious teen that we all hear about, but she's also (unlike most rebellious teens in the real world) a prime target for many rival clipper (assassin) families. She made a lot of poor choices which could have ended pretty badly, and refused to listen to her surrogate parents who mostly gave her some pretty reasonable advice. I also wasn't sure about how much I liked the romance as it was pretty fast.
Overall, the book was a decent follow up to Assassin's Heart. I would recommend reading that novel first before reading this one so that you have a better understanding of the world that is presented.
Ratings
Overall: 7/10
Plot: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
World Building: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
August 13, 2017
*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW*
Allegra is an assassin who kills in the name of her god. She's also an orphan, who has been raised by her aunt Lea.
Though Allegra has never felt like she fits with her family, and Lea is keeping secrets from Allegra.
When Allegra finds out that her mother wasn't dead like she had been told her whole life, she starts to question everything she has known, and turns to a traveler boy, Nev, for comfort and distraction.
This sets about a whole turn of events Allegra never imagined possible.
Ok, so I actually really liked this book. I haven't read the first book in the series (which was set 18 years earlier, and had Lea as the protagonist), but I never felt lost at all. This book would work just as well as a stand alone, or in the series.
The world building was really great. We learn about several different Gods, and these Gods actually 'interact' in a way with the people who worship them.
There are ghosts (angry dead) who come out at night and want to steal souls.
Allegra was a bit annoying at times, if only because she was constantly harping on about how she was always stuck in a metaphorical cage. Pretty much for the entire book. But, she did have some great character growth so all was not lost.
I felt like the story became a lot more interesting when Nev came into the picture. Mainly because he seemed to bring out the best in Allegra.
The plot is fast paced and there are some pretty cool fight scenes. These assassins are bad-ass, and feel no remorse for taking a life.
If you love stories about assassins, then look no further than this book. You won't be disappointed!
Allegra is an assassin who kills in the name of her god. She's also an orphan, who has been raised by her aunt Lea.
Though Allegra has never felt like she fits with her family, and Lea is keeping secrets from Allegra.
When Allegra finds out that her mother wasn't dead like she had been told her whole life, she starts to question everything she has known, and turns to a traveler boy, Nev, for comfort and distraction.
This sets about a whole turn of events Allegra never imagined possible.
Ok, so I actually really liked this book. I haven't read the first book in the series (which was set 18 years earlier, and had Lea as the protagonist), but I never felt lost at all. This book would work just as well as a stand alone, or in the series.
The world building was really great. We learn about several different Gods, and these Gods actually 'interact' in a way with the people who worship them.
There are ghosts (angry dead) who come out at night and want to steal souls.
Allegra was a bit annoying at times, if only because she was constantly harping on about how she was always stuck in a metaphorical cage. Pretty much for the entire book. But, she did have some great character growth so all was not lost.
I felt like the story became a lot more interesting when Nev came into the picture. Mainly because he seemed to bring out the best in Allegra.
The plot is fast paced and there are some pretty cool fight scenes. These assassins are bad-ass, and feel no remorse for taking a life.
If you love stories about assassins, then look no further than this book. You won't be disappointed!
June 29, 2017
Original Post: http://booknauthors.blogspot.com/2017...
This story takes place eighteen years after the first book. Matthew's daughter, Allegra is all grown up now. She wants freedom and wants to know more about her mother. She knows there's a dark secret but she just can't figure it out. When she finally meets her mother, she ends up more confused and seeks help from Nev. Her world totally turns upside down and she might have to end the problem with her life. Can she being peace without any sacrifice?
This book wasn't great like book 1 but it was far more cinematic and complex. The plot was just so intense. Not many twists plus it was pretty fast paced. I got annoyed at one point but Thank God I didn't DNF it! My most favourite character actually ends up dying in the book so :( I did end up swearing this dude Nev alot! Allegra was annoying too many times because of her childish stupid decisions but nevertheless she was really kick-ass.
Overall, the sequel was not as great as it's predecessor but it was pretty awesome. I'd definitely recommend this series!
This story takes place eighteen years after the first book. Matthew's daughter, Allegra is all grown up now. She wants freedom and wants to know more about her mother. She knows there's a dark secret but she just can't figure it out. When she finally meets her mother, she ends up more confused and seeks help from Nev. Her world totally turns upside down and she might have to end the problem with her life. Can she being peace without any sacrifice?
This book wasn't great like book 1 but it was far more cinematic and complex. The plot was just so intense. Not many twists plus it was pretty fast paced. I got annoyed at one point but Thank God I didn't DNF it! My most favourite character actually ends up dying in the book so :( I did end up swearing this dude Nev alot! Allegra was annoying too many times because of her childish stupid decisions but nevertheless she was really kick-ass.
Overall, the sequel was not as great as it's predecessor but it was pretty awesome. I'd definitely recommend this series!
April 9, 2018
Ahiers always makes me care about her characters. I was invested in Lea's story from Assassin's Heart and curious about Allegra's in this second installment. I felt her world is built nicely and most things were properly shown/explained. My one issue is there wasn't enough exploration of Claudia and Matteo. Matteo was barely mentioned and Allegra never asked Lea more. If you read the last book then you know what really happened, but Allegra doesn't. Even though she takes her own freedom, I think she should eventually know. As it stands, it's just another hidden truth because everyone wants to shelter her from the past.
August 7, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Creative fantasy setting but ultimately, I couldn’t stand the main character.
Opening Sentence: I didn’t fit.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Thief’s Cunning is the second book in the Assassin’s Heart series. It is a companion novel set eighteen years after the events of the first novel, Assassin’s Heart. I would recommend that you read the first novel because the entire situation with Allegra revolves around the ending. Also, aspects of the world are set up better in the first novel i.e. understanding the ghost situation. Lea and Les do appear throughout this novel while it is told in the first-person point of view of Allegra, Lea’s niece.
The novel begins on Allegra’s eighteenth birthday and they are celebrating as only a clipper family would. Life is Yvain isn’t much fun when they don’t celebrate Clippers or death/reincarnation. Allegra just doesn’t feel like she fits in in Yvain or with her family. She is severely disappointed when Lea announces that she is going back to Lovero for a celebration and Allegra isn’t allowed to go. Allegra won’t take no for an answer. After a somewhat botched assassination, Allegra is allowed to go to Lovero but Lea has a good reason for Allegra not going. If you’ve read Assassin’s Heart then you know why Lea doesn’t want Allegra going. Although as a reader, I do have a huge beef with how the end played out and what is happening here but I won’t say more because of spoilers.
On Allegra’s first night in Lovero, she quickly finds the answers that she’s been looking for her entire life. She’s conflicted yet excited. She’s found somewhere she belongs. She also meets a strangely hot Traveler boy with whom she spends the night with. The next night Allegra finds herself the target of assassination but after a strange encounter she survives. A series of unfortunate events ensue and Allegra finds that the future she had envisioned for herself has now been taken away from her.
The first line of the novel is “I didn’t fit.” It refers to Allegra not being able to fit through a window but it also reflects Allegra Saldana’s feelings about her family and her life. She doesn’t feel like she fits. She repeats this over and over throughout the novel. She whines and complains that her life was taken away from her, whatever that life may have been because Lea won’t tell her. She keeps arguing about how she will leave her old life for her new life, old family for new family. At first, she isn’t even remorseful about it eventually her feelings begin to change. I just didn’t like how ungrateful she was towards Lea.
Thief’s Cunning is a novel that held quite a bit of action and definitely kept me in suspense most of the time. I had no idea where the events would lead to as the course of the story played out. Things just kept happening to Allegra that I didn’t entirely see coming. The moral lesson isn’t a surprise. I do really like the aesthetics and creativity of this world. It is terrifying and definitely not a world I would want to live in especially the worshipping of a goddess of death. In the end, I did feel like some things may have been left unfinished but that could have just been me thinking there was more of a story in some of the things that happened with Allegra.
Overall, I enjoyed delving back into this world even if I did find Allegra a wee bit annoying. I would recommend checking out this series if you like fantasy novels and your young adult novels a little on the darker side.
Notable Scene:
Lea exhaled slowly through her nose. “I took you,” she said. “I took you from your crib and we walked out of that house and I never once looked back and never regretted it. You want to call me a child thief, then go ahead, but it was the right thing to do and I would do it again.”
Her words hit me like a bucket of canal water. I closed my eyes and rocked back on my heels. Dumb. I was so, so dumb. All my life I’d been living a lie. I was a stolen child and now to have any sort of relationship with my mother, with the Family I’d been stolen from, I would have to give up the Family I was raised in, give up the people I’d spent my entire life loving.
It was unfair.
But I’d never fit with them. And I never would.
FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Thief’s Cunning. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Creative fantasy setting but ultimately, I couldn’t stand the main character.
Opening Sentence: I didn’t fit.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Thief’s Cunning is the second book in the Assassin’s Heart series. It is a companion novel set eighteen years after the events of the first novel, Assassin’s Heart. I would recommend that you read the first novel because the entire situation with Allegra revolves around the ending. Also, aspects of the world are set up better in the first novel i.e. understanding the ghost situation. Lea and Les do appear throughout this novel while it is told in the first-person point of view of Allegra, Lea’s niece.
The novel begins on Allegra’s eighteenth birthday and they are celebrating as only a clipper family would. Life is Yvain isn’t much fun when they don’t celebrate Clippers or death/reincarnation. Allegra just doesn’t feel like she fits in in Yvain or with her family. She is severely disappointed when Lea announces that she is going back to Lovero for a celebration and Allegra isn’t allowed to go. Allegra won’t take no for an answer. After a somewhat botched assassination, Allegra is allowed to go to Lovero but Lea has a good reason for Allegra not going. If you’ve read Assassin’s Heart then you know why Lea doesn’t want Allegra going. Although as a reader, I do have a huge beef with how the end played out and what is happening here but I won’t say more because of spoilers.
On Allegra’s first night in Lovero, she quickly finds the answers that she’s been looking for her entire life. She’s conflicted yet excited. She’s found somewhere she belongs. She also meets a strangely hot Traveler boy with whom she spends the night with. The next night Allegra finds herself the target of assassination but after a strange encounter she survives. A series of unfortunate events ensue and Allegra finds that the future she had envisioned for herself has now been taken away from her.
The first line of the novel is “I didn’t fit.” It refers to Allegra not being able to fit through a window but it also reflects Allegra Saldana’s feelings about her family and her life. She doesn’t feel like she fits. She repeats this over and over throughout the novel. She whines and complains that her life was taken away from her, whatever that life may have been because Lea won’t tell her. She keeps arguing about how she will leave her old life for her new life, old family for new family. At first, she isn’t even remorseful about it eventually her feelings begin to change. I just didn’t like how ungrateful she was towards Lea.
Thief’s Cunning is a novel that held quite a bit of action and definitely kept me in suspense most of the time. I had no idea where the events would lead to as the course of the story played out. Things just kept happening to Allegra that I didn’t entirely see coming. The moral lesson isn’t a surprise. I do really like the aesthetics and creativity of this world. It is terrifying and definitely not a world I would want to live in especially the worshipping of a goddess of death. In the end, I did feel like some things may have been left unfinished but that could have just been me thinking there was more of a story in some of the things that happened with Allegra.
Overall, I enjoyed delving back into this world even if I did find Allegra a wee bit annoying. I would recommend checking out this series if you like fantasy novels and your young adult novels a little on the darker side.
Notable Scene:
Lea exhaled slowly through her nose. “I took you,” she said. “I took you from your crib and we walked out of that house and I never once looked back and never regretted it. You want to call me a child thief, then go ahead, but it was the right thing to do and I would do it again.”
Her words hit me like a bucket of canal water. I closed my eyes and rocked back on my heels. Dumb. I was so, so dumb. All my life I’d been living a lie. I was a stolen child and now to have any sort of relationship with my mother, with the Family I’d been stolen from, I would have to give up the Family I was raised in, give up the people I’d spent my entire life loving.
It was unfair.
But I’d never fit with them. And I never would.
FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Thief’s Cunning. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 4, 2018
*Spoiler Warning Y'all*
Also note that I haven't read the first book. What I've gathered though is that it merely adds on to the characters of Les and Lea, which I don't particularly care about.
Okay, this book was an interesting read. I want to start off with the good things first.
What I liked:
- The ideas presented within the novel
- The Gods
What I didn't like:
- The writing style
- The infodumping
- The characters
You: That's basically the entire book you didn't like.
Me: I have my reasons.
My Reasoning:
The writing within this novel is childish. I understand it's YA Fantasy novel, but it feels as though it was a book written for 13 year old girls about a cute badboy in high school. The way I've gone about describing it to my friends is: "the author has big fantasy ideas but a teenage crush on writing". Sarah Ahiers' is trying to hard to market to the YA audience with this book and that has made it extremely immature.
Despite this novel being immature I wouldn't recommend it to the little ones. This isn't just due to the heavy use of murder and death but the cringey romance. The main character Allegra meets some Traveller called Nev who has a snake. Anyways they talk for, like, 12 lines and then are making out. After this Allegra is acting all smoochy-smoochy "oh, I am so in love with this boy. He is perfect. Blah blah blah" crap. The second time they meet they BLEEPING HAVE SEX AFTER ONLY TALKING TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get that that isn't that big a deal, one night stands are a thing. I'm only bringing it up because they act like they've been together for years and are madly in love and are gonna have a gazillion kids. Oh, she also gets turned away the morning after because Nev sees a necklace and blah blah blah. The point I'm trying to make is that this romance was hella unrealistic and stupid.
Ahier's also info-dumped a lot. Whether it be about the gods or a card game the Travellers played there'd be paragraphs on it. When it got to deep and emotional concepts within the characters though Ahier's would do an okay job of it for a line or two before just getting lazy. I made the mistake of not writing down any examples and I've already returned the book to the library but think of it like this:
"Her hands shook and her face grew to be as pale as a corpse. A shiver crept up her spine like a fine mist rolling through a cemetery. Allegra be hella scared y'all."
Remember that wasn't an actual line from the story. It could easily fit in there, but it's not from there.
What I'm trying to get at was that there were moments when her writing seemed fitting before she stuffed it all up by telling and not showing. It ruined so many moments within the story. There could of been a murder happening and all of the sudden shit like the about line would happen.
Okay to finish this off I just want to tell you about a scene that made me want to throw the book out the window. You know how in high school stories there's always a group of bitches that are assholes? Also how in some the "nerdy girl" stops getting picked on by them because they realize midway through the insults that the "nerdy girl" is famous or a has famous family? I shit you not that this happened in this book. Allegra was strolling through a show (carnival? I don't really know what you guys call them outside Australia. It's the place with booths, games, rides and side shows) and this group of fancy rich people stop her and are giving her grief. An assassin is chasing a guy and runs passed them and Allegra trips the "mark" and the assassin kills him. Allegra then reveals how she's a part of the most famous assassin family in the world and does that stupid "what are you gonna do to me now? I'm famous. You can't touch me. I'm better then you" shit and walks off.
Not sure if you can tell, but I didn't like this book. I believe Ahier's writing style, where it is now, is more suited to YA high school stories. I don't want to disrespect her, it's just what I believe. She needs to mature more and learn to craft a story that fits into the fantasy genre instead of having one foot out the door as this one did.
Also note that I haven't read the first book. What I've gathered though is that it merely adds on to the characters of Les and Lea, which I don't particularly care about.
Okay, this book was an interesting read. I want to start off with the good things first.
What I liked:
- The ideas presented within the novel
- The Gods
What I didn't like:
- The writing style
- The infodumping
- The characters
You: That's basically the entire book you didn't like.
Me: I have my reasons.
My Reasoning:
The writing within this novel is childish. I understand it's YA Fantasy novel, but it feels as though it was a book written for 13 year old girls about a cute badboy in high school. The way I've gone about describing it to my friends is: "the author has big fantasy ideas but a teenage crush on writing". Sarah Ahiers' is trying to hard to market to the YA audience with this book and that has made it extremely immature.
Despite this novel being immature I wouldn't recommend it to the little ones. This isn't just due to the heavy use of murder and death but the cringey romance. The main character Allegra meets some Traveller called Nev who has a snake. Anyways they talk for, like, 12 lines and then are making out. After this Allegra is acting all smoochy-smoochy "oh, I am so in love with this boy. He is perfect. Blah blah blah" crap. The second time they meet they BLEEPING HAVE SEX AFTER ONLY TALKING TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get that that isn't that big a deal, one night stands are a thing. I'm only bringing it up because they act like they've been together for years and are madly in love and are gonna have a gazillion kids. Oh, she also gets turned away the morning after because Nev sees a necklace and blah blah blah. The point I'm trying to make is that this romance was hella unrealistic and stupid.
Ahier's also info-dumped a lot. Whether it be about the gods or a card game the Travellers played there'd be paragraphs on it. When it got to deep and emotional concepts within the characters though Ahier's would do an okay job of it for a line or two before just getting lazy. I made the mistake of not writing down any examples and I've already returned the book to the library but think of it like this:
"Her hands shook and her face grew to be as pale as a corpse. A shiver crept up her spine like a fine mist rolling through a cemetery. Allegra be hella scared y'all."
Remember that wasn't an actual line from the story. It could easily fit in there, but it's not from there.
What I'm trying to get at was that there were moments when her writing seemed fitting before she stuffed it all up by telling and not showing. It ruined so many moments within the story. There could of been a murder happening and all of the sudden shit like the about line would happen.
Okay to finish this off I just want to tell you about a scene that made me want to throw the book out the window. You know how in high school stories there's always a group of bitches that are assholes? Also how in some the "nerdy girl" stops getting picked on by them because they realize midway through the insults that the "nerdy girl" is famous or a has famous family? I shit you not that this happened in this book. Allegra was strolling through a show (carnival? I don't really know what you guys call them outside Australia. It's the place with booths, games, rides and side shows) and this group of fancy rich people stop her and are giving her grief. An assassin is chasing a guy and runs passed them and Allegra trips the "mark" and the assassin kills him. Allegra then reveals how she's a part of the most famous assassin family in the world and does that stupid "what are you gonna do to me now? I'm famous. You can't touch me. I'm better then you" shit and walks off.
Not sure if you can tell, but I didn't like this book. I believe Ahier's writing style, where it is now, is more suited to YA high school stories. I don't want to disrespect her, it's just what I believe. She needs to mature more and learn to craft a story that fits into the fantasy genre instead of having one foot out the door as this one did.
August 2, 2017
Thief's Cunning transports us 18 years after the events of book one, Assassin's Heart, and we see Lea and Les have grown up, as well as the children they took from the Da Vias. The story follows the baby that Lea took, Allegra, who Lea is raising as her niece. Despite the relational ties being almost non-existent, Allegra seems to have picked up many qualities from Lea herself, specifically her feisty nature and stubborness. Allegra fights with the many social and political ties that bind her, always describe her ties to the world as a "cage", one she so desperately wants to break out from.
Sarah Ahiers employs the dramatic irony plot device in placing Allegra as the protagonists, who describes her problems with "fitting in". As readers who've read the first book, we understand the reasons why, because she's undoubtably not a Saldana, but a Da Via, those she's been influenced to hate as her enemies. This story is about a character struggling to find herself in a world she feels like she doesn't fit into. Those feelings are amplified when she meets a traveler boy from a menagerie by the name of Nev. He's a wonderful distraction from her life, and she begins to question her place as a Saldana even more. What sends her really over the edge is her meeting her birth mother, Claudia Da Via, longed to be dead, and she finds out she's a Da Via and not a Saldana. During the height of this climactic plot twists, Allegra is forced to deal with consequences that are made from decisions that were not wholly her own.
This story is a lot slower than it's predecessor, and while not outright boring, there were times I wish the plot would speed up just a bit. However, I believe we can attribute it's pace to the different journey's our main characters were trying to embark on. In book one, Lea was dead set on revenge. A revenge plot should be faster paced, full of epic fight scenes, filled with plot twists. This story is more about growth and a road to find freedom within one's life.
The problem I had with this book was the romance between Allegra and Nev. I understand Lea kept Allegra sheltered, she had to due to the secret of her birth she was trying to protect. Even with living the dangerous Clipper life, Allegra was away from Lovero, the origin of Clippers. She spent her life in Yvain, a place where the Clipper lifestlye is frowned upon and illegal, so Allegra had to do it in secret. I understand that being sheltered could lead someone to latch on someone like Nev, a person who travels the world. He's something new, something she's never experienced before. Allegra is young, and their romance represents that quick love. It's probably because I'm closer to 30 now than I am 20, that I've grown tired of this quick, random loves. The ones that happen in no time at all, and almost seem groundless. I appreciate an author that masters the slow-burning relationships, the ones that take time and feel organic. For Allegra, this relationship makes sense and was the right direction for Ahiers, however it's not my cup of tea anymore. This is just a difference of aesthetics.
Thief's Cunning despite the few gripes that I had, it's a well-realized fantasy that builds on the lavishly created world Ahiers created in Assassin's Heart. Fans of Robin LaFevers' His Fair Assassins series will eat this book up. It's balance of romance, political intrigue, and it's dark adventures make this a worthy companion novel to Ahiers' first book. Ahiers has solidified her place in YA, and she's definitely an author to watch going forward.
Sarah Ahiers employs the dramatic irony plot device in placing Allegra as the protagonists, who describes her problems with "fitting in". As readers who've read the first book, we understand the reasons why, because she's undoubtably not a Saldana, but a Da Via, those she's been influenced to hate as her enemies. This story is about a character struggling to find herself in a world she feels like she doesn't fit into. Those feelings are amplified when she meets a traveler boy from a menagerie by the name of Nev. He's a wonderful distraction from her life, and she begins to question her place as a Saldana even more. What sends her really over the edge is her meeting her birth mother, Claudia Da Via, longed to be dead, and she finds out she's a Da Via and not a Saldana. During the height of this climactic plot twists, Allegra is forced to deal with consequences that are made from decisions that were not wholly her own.
This story is a lot slower than it's predecessor, and while not outright boring, there were times I wish the plot would speed up just a bit. However, I believe we can attribute it's pace to the different journey's our main characters were trying to embark on. In book one, Lea was dead set on revenge. A revenge plot should be faster paced, full of epic fight scenes, filled with plot twists. This story is more about growth and a road to find freedom within one's life.
The problem I had with this book was the romance between Allegra and Nev. I understand Lea kept Allegra sheltered, she had to due to the secret of her birth she was trying to protect. Even with living the dangerous Clipper life, Allegra was away from Lovero, the origin of Clippers. She spent her life in Yvain, a place where the Clipper lifestlye is frowned upon and illegal, so Allegra had to do it in secret. I understand that being sheltered could lead someone to latch on someone like Nev, a person who travels the world. He's something new, something she's never experienced before. Allegra is young, and their romance represents that quick love. It's probably because I'm closer to 30 now than I am 20, that I've grown tired of this quick, random loves. The ones that happen in no time at all, and almost seem groundless. I appreciate an author that masters the slow-burning relationships, the ones that take time and feel organic. For Allegra, this relationship makes sense and was the right direction for Ahiers, however it's not my cup of tea anymore. This is just a difference of aesthetics.
Thief's Cunning despite the few gripes that I had, it's a well-realized fantasy that builds on the lavishly created world Ahiers created in Assassin's Heart. Fans of Robin LaFevers' His Fair Assassins series will eat this book up. It's balance of romance, political intrigue, and it's dark adventures make this a worthy companion novel to Ahiers' first book. Ahiers has solidified her place in YA, and she's definitely an author to watch going forward.
June 6, 2017
I received this ARC from the author in a contest that I won for pure enjoyment purposes. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Sarah Ahiers returns to the world of Assassin’s Heart in Thief’s Cunning. It’s been eighteen years since those events, so Lea and Les are grown up and as are the children they had rescued from the Da Vias. One of them being Allegra, her niece, who seems to have gained some of Lea’s own feistiness. Allegra longs to break free from the rules and constraints that she grew up with and find the place where she belongs. She’s not sure where that is just yet, but the journey is what she’s looking forward to the most.
Lea and Les have kept Allegra sheltered more so than Emile, her brother of sorts since they were raised together. Emile has been content with the life he’s lived, yet Allegra longs for something more. But it seems she will always be battling with Lea on things. When she’s allowed to attend a fealty ceremony in Lea’s old hometown, she thinks that this will be the start to her great journey. Though she gets far more than she anticipated. She meets a traveler boy from a menagerie and instantly a connection forms. Nev is the perfect kind of distraction from her life. They seem to suit one another perfectly.
Then Allegra learns the truth about her parentage. She’s always been told that both her parents were dead, her father being one of Lea’s brothers. But when she learns her mother, Claudia Da Via is still alive, she can’t help but feel hurt and betrayed by Lea. It’s during this height of confusion and arguments that Allegra is kidnapped by none other than Nev and his people.
Allegra possesses a necklace given to her by Les that apparently belongs to the travelers. Les was half-traveler and he had taken the necklace from his mother before she died and gifted it to Allegra on her birthday. This necklace is a powerful thing though, only given to ones who are meant to protect the traveler clan.
Allegra finds herself with very few friends among the travelers, all except for Nev, who continues to try to protect her. The necklace is a treasured relic for them and for an outsider to possess it, angers some of them and confuses the rest. Allegra cannot simply just give it back to them for a necklace can only be passed down after death. Though there is at least one person who wouldn’t mind making that happen.
While I did enjoy this story, I found I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as Assassin’s Heart. While the first book had revenge on its mind, that is not the case here. I would say the storyline drifts more to personal journeys and freedom. Allegra feels constantly caged and she longs to stretch her wings and soar.
The pacing was a little slower as well, as I sort of expected for Allegra to be kidnapped early on and have her journey shortly thereafter. She wasn’t taken until the halfway point and then it was her struggling to escape and figure out where she wanted to run to. Her home with Lea, which had started to feel like a prison or the home with her real mother, Claudia Da Via who she recently comes into contact with?
Sadly this book didn’t feel as adventurous as its predecessor either. I know I shouldn’t expect a similar storyline but I had hopes for more. More adventure and daring feats, more romantic tension coupled with a slow building romance. More laughter, just more. While we get some of these things it just didn’t feel like enough.
The romance between Allegra and Nev was cute. They started out with a falling fast, not into love but simply lust and just fun. Naturally, deeper feelings start to come about but I feel like that too just sort of popped up instead of letting me see them fall deeper into love or something like it. True, I can’t quite remember how things went with Lea and Les and again, I don’t expect to have a replay of everything here, but at the same time, I will say that I am a fan of the slow-burning romances. The ones that take time to come about and where you can actually see the feelings being developed.
Despite these minor issues, I did still enjoy the story! I loved coming back to this fantastical world. There are still ghosts that haunt the night in the fields and towns too! I wish we could have more with them! These are dangerous ghosts that can actually kill you and try to steal your body. Granted, it can’t work, but they can kill you and then you join them in the whole misery process. I’d love to see more expanded upon with these not quite villainous characters!
Thief’s Cunning is definitely one you should check out if you enjoyed the first book, Assassin’s Heart! While I didn’t feel the same things while reading this one as I did the first, I still enjoyed the sort of nostalgia one gets by returning to a familiar world! Plus the characters are still lovable and hateable, so it all works out in the end!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
Thief’s Cunning releases June 13, 2017
Sarah Ahiers returns to the world of Assassin’s Heart in Thief’s Cunning. It’s been eighteen years since those events, so Lea and Les are grown up and as are the children they had rescued from the Da Vias. One of them being Allegra, her niece, who seems to have gained some of Lea’s own feistiness. Allegra longs to break free from the rules and constraints that she grew up with and find the place where she belongs. She’s not sure where that is just yet, but the journey is what she’s looking forward to the most.
Lea and Les have kept Allegra sheltered more so than Emile, her brother of sorts since they were raised together. Emile has been content with the life he’s lived, yet Allegra longs for something more. But it seems she will always be battling with Lea on things. When she’s allowed to attend a fealty ceremony in Lea’s old hometown, she thinks that this will be the start to her great journey. Though she gets far more than she anticipated. She meets a traveler boy from a menagerie and instantly a connection forms. Nev is the perfect kind of distraction from her life. They seem to suit one another perfectly.
Then Allegra learns the truth about her parentage. She’s always been told that both her parents were dead, her father being one of Lea’s brothers. But when she learns her mother, Claudia Da Via is still alive, she can’t help but feel hurt and betrayed by Lea. It’s during this height of confusion and arguments that Allegra is kidnapped by none other than Nev and his people.
Allegra possesses a necklace given to her by Les that apparently belongs to the travelers. Les was half-traveler and he had taken the necklace from his mother before she died and gifted it to Allegra on her birthday. This necklace is a powerful thing though, only given to ones who are meant to protect the traveler clan.
Allegra finds herself with very few friends among the travelers, all except for Nev, who continues to try to protect her. The necklace is a treasured relic for them and for an outsider to possess it, angers some of them and confuses the rest. Allegra cannot simply just give it back to them for a necklace can only be passed down after death. Though there is at least one person who wouldn’t mind making that happen.
While I did enjoy this story, I found I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as Assassin’s Heart. While the first book had revenge on its mind, that is not the case here. I would say the storyline drifts more to personal journeys and freedom. Allegra feels constantly caged and she longs to stretch her wings and soar.
The pacing was a little slower as well, as I sort of expected for Allegra to be kidnapped early on and have her journey shortly thereafter. She wasn’t taken until the halfway point and then it was her struggling to escape and figure out where she wanted to run to. Her home with Lea, which had started to feel like a prison or the home with her real mother, Claudia Da Via who she recently comes into contact with?
Sadly this book didn’t feel as adventurous as its predecessor either. I know I shouldn’t expect a similar storyline but I had hopes for more. More adventure and daring feats, more romantic tension coupled with a slow building romance. More laughter, just more. While we get some of these things it just didn’t feel like enough.
The romance between Allegra and Nev was cute. They started out with a falling fast, not into love but simply lust and just fun. Naturally, deeper feelings start to come about but I feel like that too just sort of popped up instead of letting me see them fall deeper into love or something like it. True, I can’t quite remember how things went with Lea and Les and again, I don’t expect to have a replay of everything here, but at the same time, I will say that I am a fan of the slow-burning romances. The ones that take time to come about and where you can actually see the feelings being developed.
Despite these minor issues, I did still enjoy the story! I loved coming back to this fantastical world. There are still ghosts that haunt the night in the fields and towns too! I wish we could have more with them! These are dangerous ghosts that can actually kill you and try to steal your body. Granted, it can’t work, but they can kill you and then you join them in the whole misery process. I’d love to see more expanded upon with these not quite villainous characters!
Thief’s Cunning is definitely one you should check out if you enjoyed the first book, Assassin’s Heart! While I didn’t feel the same things while reading this one as I did the first, I still enjoyed the sort of nostalgia one gets by returning to a familiar world! Plus the characters are still lovable and hateable, so it all works out in the end!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
Thief’s Cunning releases June 13, 2017
April 20, 2019
Overall 3.5 stars
After reading a ton of ya books feature strong kick-ass girls I find that I like the assassin most of all. One of those assassins was Oleander "Lea" Saldana. I read about her last year in Assassin's Hart and she struck a chord with me. Lea was devoted to her religion (A Death God), she put her family above all others and she was a girl who was good at what she did (murder). The story was unique to me at the time and Lea is special. The story was amazing and I was sad to see Lea go, then I found that the story continued with Thief's Cunning and that Lea was back but as an adult and I was so ready for it.
Thief's Cunning went differently than I thought, I knew that Lea wasn't the main character, that her niece Allegra was but I still expected something very closely resembling to Assassin's Heart. Don't get me wrong it was still filled with murder, ghosts, politics and family (both little f and big F) drama, but it didn't center on those things or the jobs that were done. Instead it focuses on Allegra as she finally discovers herself and where she may belong.
There were a few problems I had with this book. For one I did not like Allegra. I don't know it was just me but she seemed whinny, selfish, lost, rash, and naive just to name a few. I understand that she is feeling restless and that she is upset about the lies she has been told but she takes it a little to far and she refuses to see the picture around her. I don't hate Allegra but I don't like her either but it did impacted the story just the tiniest bit for me.
Another thing that bothered me was how Aheirs dealt with the Da Vias in this book. They are the bad guys who didn't really seem to change their ways for any good reason other than they were punished before. They don't seem very welcoming to Allegra but that doesn't stop her from seeing them in a golden light. Also their whole actions are just weird and don't really make any sense.
The overall story was pretty good though I really enjoyed the story, the writing was nice and there was a decent pace going on until the ending that is and then shit just got crazy. The ending was everything, it had all the action, a good chunk of drama and wrapped the story up pretty nicely.
After reading a ton of ya books feature strong kick-ass girls I find that I like the assassin most of all. One of those assassins was Oleander "Lea" Saldana. I read about her last year in Assassin's Hart and she struck a chord with me. Lea was devoted to her religion (A Death God), she put her family above all others and she was a girl who was good at what she did (murder). The story was unique to me at the time and Lea is special. The story was amazing and I was sad to see Lea go, then I found that the story continued with Thief's Cunning and that Lea was back but as an adult and I was so ready for it.
Thief's Cunning went differently than I thought, I knew that Lea wasn't the main character, that her niece Allegra was but I still expected something very closely resembling to Assassin's Heart. Don't get me wrong it was still filled with murder, ghosts, politics and family (both little f and big F) drama, but it didn't center on those things or the jobs that were done. Instead it focuses on Allegra as she finally discovers herself and where she may belong.
There were a few problems I had with this book. For one I did not like Allegra. I don't know it was just me but she seemed whinny, selfish, lost, rash, and naive just to name a few. I understand that she is feeling restless and that she is upset about the lies she has been told but she takes it a little to far and she refuses to see the picture around her. I don't hate Allegra but I don't like her either but it did impacted the story just the tiniest bit for me.
Another thing that bothered me was how Aheirs dealt with the Da Vias in this book. They are the bad guys who didn't really seem to change their ways for any good reason other than they were punished before. They don't seem very welcoming to Allegra but that doesn't stop her from seeing them in a golden light. Also their whole actions are just weird and don't really make any sense.
The overall story was pretty good though I really enjoyed the story, the writing was nice and there was a decent pace going on until the ending that is and then shit just got crazy. The ending was everything, it had all the action, a good chunk of drama and wrapped the story up pretty nicely.
July 19, 2017
This book was more of a 3.5 read for me. I enjoyed it more than the previous book, though some of the issues I had with the first book continued in this one. In both, the main character is dead set on something (revenge, being free, etc). For the majority of the book, the character never changes their opinions on that topic, and are stubborn about it. Near the end of the book, they have a big revelation that changes everything, and makes them a better person. Finally, they talk about that topic as if they were experts on it, and everything ends up fine. It's the same pattern, but with different characters and different circumstances. Though Allegra was MUCH more enjoyable to read than Lea, in my opinion. She wasn't as annoying as Lea to me, and I related to her more than Lea. That being said, I enjoyed the romance more in the previous book than in this one. I didn't hate it, but I didn't feel that much for it. I liked it, but I didn't feel a lot for them. I liked the plotline in this book more than the previous one. A lot more happened, and we weren't in the same location for a really long period of time. I love that we got to explore more of the world, and learn more about the mythology in this book. I will say it again, this world is so interesting and I love learning more about it. The world is my favorite aspect of this series. What frustrated me a little bit in both books was the ending. Both endings felt too perfect, like everything was going work out well in the end. They didn't even hint at bad things to come. I like how this book made clear that everything wasn't perfect after the previous book. In general, I enjoyed reading this book, though I did have some writing issues with it. I recommend this series to people who love in depth fantasy worlds.
June 7, 2017
I received an ARC copy in exchange for a fair review.
3.5 stars/5 stars
WARNING: There are MANY references to what Lea and Les Saldana did in the first book. If you wish to remain unspoiled about Assassin's Heart, you probably shouldn't read this one first.
Thief's Cunning introduces us to Allegra Saldana, the niece of Lea Saldana (MC of Assassin's Heart). Allegra has just turned eighteen and wishes for more freedom in her life. She is given this opportunity when the Saldanas travel to Lovero. There, she meets a Nev, a Traveler boy, and receives many revelations about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her birth. Together with Nev, Allegra tries to find the freedom she seeks.
I have to admit, I haven't read the first book yet and that made things kind of confusing. I believe there is a lot of context I'm missing about Lea and Les and possibly other characters in this book. Personally, I found Allegra's initial character quite annoying. As soon as she found out Her character eventually rounds out after she spent time in Mornia with Nev. The ending reminds me a lot of the ending of The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, for reasons that will become obvious if you read both books. Overall, it's a pretty solid book, a lot of world building probably already happened in the first book so it'd be better if you read that first.
3.5 stars/5 stars
WARNING: There are MANY references to what Lea and Les Saldana did in the first book. If you wish to remain unspoiled about Assassin's Heart, you probably shouldn't read this one first.
Thief's Cunning introduces us to Allegra Saldana, the niece of Lea Saldana (MC of Assassin's Heart). Allegra has just turned eighteen and wishes for more freedom in her life. She is given this opportunity when the Saldanas travel to Lovero. There, she meets a Nev, a Traveler boy, and receives many revelations about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her birth. Together with Nev, Allegra tries to find the freedom she seeks.
I have to admit, I haven't read the first book yet and that made things kind of confusing. I believe there is a lot of context I'm missing about Lea and Les and possibly other characters in this book. Personally, I found Allegra's initial character quite annoying. As soon as she found out Her character eventually rounds out after she spent time in Mornia with Nev. The ending reminds me a lot of the ending of The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, for reasons that will become obvious if you read both books. Overall, it's a pretty solid book, a lot of world building probably already happened in the first book so it'd be better if you read that first.
May 14, 2018
I didn't realize this book would be from the pov of Allegra....I was...disappointed.
I honestly thought that the story between Val and Lea wasn't finished. I thought this book would be set maybe a couple years in the future and have Lea escaping from Claudia as Claudia again and again tries to take back her daughter.
This was not the story I expected. And the Nev instalove and "I know what's best for you" angle was BLEURGH.
Mostly, Allegra sucked. She was whiny and entitled, a bona fide ungrateful BRAT. And let me say this: I was stolen too. Yes, one of my parents kidnapped me and kept me away (aka hid in another country) from my other parent for 18 years. No joke.
When I found out, I was devastated....beyond devastated. BUT I listened to the reasoning. I gave the person who raised me a chance to explain and I didn't act out and think of runninh away. And let me tell you, the reasoning wasn't even GOOD. There was no valid reason to kidnap me and lie to me all my life. At least Lea had a reason (aka the Da Vias killed her whole family...which was also Allegra's family...and of course Lea wanted to keep her brother's daughter safe from that nest of vipera).
I don't agree with Lea taking Allegra...I don't think anyone has a right to do that unless the child is in danger from the parent....but after all Lea had done, Allegra owed her at least an honest, non-bratty conversation.
The ending battle was AWESOME, loved it!!!
All in all, this was not the story I expected and I don't think I'll be reading the next one...if there is one.
I honestly thought that the story between Val and Lea wasn't finished. I thought this book would be set maybe a couple years in the future and have Lea escaping from Claudia as Claudia again and again tries to take back her daughter.
This was not the story I expected. And the Nev instalove and "I know what's best for you" angle was BLEURGH.
Mostly, Allegra sucked. She was whiny and entitled, a bona fide ungrateful BRAT. And let me say this: I was stolen too. Yes, one of my parents kidnapped me and kept me away (aka hid in another country) from my other parent for 18 years. No joke.
When I found out, I was devastated....beyond devastated. BUT I listened to the reasoning. I gave the person who raised me a chance to explain and I didn't act out and think of runninh away. And let me tell you, the reasoning wasn't even GOOD. There was no valid reason to kidnap me and lie to me all my life. At least Lea had a reason (aka the Da Vias killed her whole family...which was also Allegra's family...and of course Lea wanted to keep her brother's daughter safe from that nest of vipera).
I don't agree with Lea taking Allegra...I don't think anyone has a right to do that unless the child is in danger from the parent....but after all Lea had done, Allegra owed her at least an honest, non-bratty conversation.
The ending battle was AWESOME, loved it!!!
All in all, this was not the story I expected and I don't think I'll be reading the next one...if there is one.
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