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Queen of Thieves #1-4
Queen of Thieves
They killed her family. They ripped apart her home. But to repay her debts, she'll have to sacrifice her innocence.
4 gripping novels, 1300+ pages of grim, dark intrigue in the underworld of thieves and cutthroats!
Robbed of everything she loves, Viola mourns the sudden loss of her mother. Now burdened with an impossible debt to the Night Guild, she’s forced to train as a cunning thief. Subjected to cruelty at every turn, the scrawny criminal apprentice vows to survive long enough to become the kingdom’s best.
Thrown together with unlikely allies, her burgeoning skills draw the attention of sadistic bullies and jealous rivals with dark intentions. But fueled by grief-filled rage, Viola won’t let anything distract her from preparing for The Guild’s most treacherous test.
In a cutthroat den of thieves, can Viola rise to power and outrun a brutal death?
Child of the Night Guild is the first book in the gripping Queen of Thieves epic fantasy series that’s not for the faint of heart. If you like grimdark battles, improbable heroines, and graphic scenes, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s unflinching coming-of-age tale.
Buy Queen of Thieves for a pitch-black tale of a thievery today!
Warning: This book contains one scene of graphic sexual assault and is not suitable for all ages.
In this Box Set:
Child of the Night Guild (Book 1)
Thief of the Night Guild (Book 2)
Queen of the Night Guild (Book 3)
Traitors' Fate (Book 3.5)
From the Author: This Omnibus is a self-contained, standalone series set in the same world as Defenders of Legend #1 and #2, but can be read either before or after. Chronologically, it occurs before the events of the previous collections.
1565 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2019
208 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Andy Peloquin
91 books1,298 followersI am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 24, 2023
A giant ebook omnibus of the Queen of Thieves series containing 3 novels and a novella!
Child of the Night Guild
This first book was brutal. If you are easily triggered, avoid this - child abuse, rape and child trafficking feature prominently. We are first introduced to Viola, whose moderately happy life is interrupted when her alcoholic father sells her to the Night Guild (the local thieves guild) to pay off some debts. What follows is a story of dehumanising trials and brainwashing as the guild molds the young 'slaves' it has bought into beggars, thieves, bounty hunters and assassins. All trace of their old life is beaten out of them.
The world Andy has built is firmly in the grimdark end of the spectrum. We are following a guild of thieves, who whilst having their own code are populated by brutal and morally grey people. Viola becomes Illana and ends up specializing as a hawk, a housebreaker who specializes in entry from above the third story. We follow her from Tyro, to Apprentice and finally her trials to become a journeyman. She is the soul of the story and through her many trials we are given a thorough glimpse into the workings of the guild. This is also a found family type story - having been abandoned by her own, it is the relationships she builds with others going through a similar journey as her that is the key to the story.
This is a brutal and powerful story and a gripping start to the series
5/5
Thief of the Night Guild
Having become a Journeyman Illana is now trying to make enough money to buy her freedom. Already the highest earning Hawk she now has a plan to make millions with a single heist. Moving on from the coming of age story in the first book this is a pure heist story, plain and simple. Everything is around the machinations and plotting around this giant heist. This is a fantasy Oceans 11. Trying to break into one of the most closely guarded mansions in the city, break through an unbreakable door, and escape with an extremely heavy load. The intricate plotting, the utilization of the side characters and the feeling of growth with respect to all the characters is nicely done.
4.5/5
Queen of the Night Guild
Illana is angry. More than angry - she is furious. Whilst the first novel was coming of age and the second was a pure heist, this one is a revenge story.
The Bloody Hand have come to Praamis. A rival guild from a neighbouring city they are trying to push the Night Guild out. Illana has been recognised as a major threat to their aims so a Machiavellian plot has been hatched to frame her for a murder and embezzlement to take her out of the picture. This time Illana does not have the resources of the Night Guild and has to turn to unusual allies.
Angry Illana is somewhat illogical at times, which can make for a frustrating read. The prince is also an amazingly scummy person for someone who claims morals. These character tendencies can make things a little more frustrating to read at times. Nonetheless this is a very satisfying end to her story arc
4/5
Traitor's Fate
This is an odd one. Kind of two novellas stitched together into a longer one. The first half follows Illana going back to The Bloody Hand's city to try and track down a people trafficking ring. A nice little titbit bringing us back to some of the more fun characters from the original story. Their mission ends mostly in failure as they are forced to retreat so they buy in the services of the Hunter of Voramis. I have not yet read any Darkblade books, but I assume this story ties more closely into those ones now as we switch our main POV to the Hunter. I struggled to identify with him as a character in this story, and I do wonder if reading more of the Darkblade books first might help, but the second part of this novella definitely fell a bit flat for me.
3/5
Child of the Night Guild
This first book was brutal. If you are easily triggered, avoid this - child abuse, rape and child trafficking feature prominently. We are first introduced to Viola, whose moderately happy life is interrupted when her alcoholic father sells her to the Night Guild (the local thieves guild) to pay off some debts. What follows is a story of dehumanising trials and brainwashing as the guild molds the young 'slaves' it has bought into beggars, thieves, bounty hunters and assassins. All trace of their old life is beaten out of them.
The world Andy has built is firmly in the grimdark end of the spectrum. We are following a guild of thieves, who whilst having their own code are populated by brutal and morally grey people. Viola becomes Illana and ends up specializing as a hawk, a housebreaker who specializes in entry from above the third story. We follow her from Tyro, to Apprentice and finally her trials to become a journeyman. She is the soul of the story and through her many trials we are given a thorough glimpse into the workings of the guild. This is also a found family type story - having been abandoned by her own, it is the relationships she builds with others going through a similar journey as her that is the key to the story.
This is a brutal and powerful story and a gripping start to the series
5/5
Thief of the Night Guild
Having become a Journeyman Illana is now trying to make enough money to buy her freedom. Already the highest earning Hawk she now has a plan to make millions with a single heist. Moving on from the coming of age story in the first book this is a pure heist story, plain and simple. Everything is around the machinations and plotting around this giant heist. This is a fantasy Oceans 11. Trying to break into one of the most closely guarded mansions in the city, break through an unbreakable door, and escape with an extremely heavy load. The intricate plotting, the utilization of the side characters and the feeling of growth with respect to all the characters is nicely done.
4.5/5
Queen of the Night Guild
Illana is angry. More than angry - she is furious. Whilst the first novel was coming of age and the second was a pure heist, this one is a revenge story.
The Bloody Hand have come to Praamis. A rival guild from a neighbouring city they are trying to push the Night Guild out. Illana has been recognised as a major threat to their aims so a Machiavellian plot has been hatched to frame her for a murder and embezzlement to take her out of the picture. This time Illana does not have the resources of the Night Guild and has to turn to unusual allies.
Angry Illana is somewhat illogical at times, which can make for a frustrating read. The prince is also an amazingly scummy person for someone who claims morals. These character tendencies can make things a little more frustrating to read at times. Nonetheless this is a very satisfying end to her story arc
4/5
Traitor's Fate
This is an odd one. Kind of two novellas stitched together into a longer one. The first half follows Illana going back to The Bloody Hand's city to try and track down a people trafficking ring. A nice little titbit bringing us back to some of the more fun characters from the original story. Their mission ends mostly in failure as they are forced to retreat so they buy in the services of the Hunter of Voramis. I have not yet read any Darkblade books, but I assume this story ties more closely into those ones now as we switch our main POV to the Hunter. I struggled to identify with him as a character in this story, and I do wonder if reading more of the Darkblade books first might help, but the second part of this novella definitely fell a bit flat for me.
3/5
July 3, 2022
Child of the Night Guild: A Grimdark Epic Fantasy Thief Adventure (Queen of Thieves Book 1), my first read from prolific author Andy Peloquin. With more than 60 books published, it’s hard to believe I’ve not read him before.
Thief of the Night Guild: A Grimdark Epic Fantasy Thief Adventure (Queen of Thieves Book 2), my second read from prolific author Andy Peloquin, picks up seamlessly from the end of the first book, resolving its cliffhanger ending.
Queen of the Night Guild: A Grimdark Epic Fantasy Thief Adventure (Queen of Thieves Book 3), my third read from prolific author Andy Peloquin, picks up seamlessly from the end of the second book. Rebecca McKernan’s narration added to the enjoyment of the well-written 12-hours 25-minutes/416 page work. “I received a free Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Thief of the Night Guild: A Grimdark Epic Fantasy Thief Adventure (Queen of Thieves Book 2), my second read from prolific author Andy Peloquin, picks up seamlessly from the end of the first book, resolving its cliffhanger ending.
Queen of the Night Guild: A Grimdark Epic Fantasy Thief Adventure (Queen of Thieves Book 3), my third read from prolific author Andy Peloquin, picks up seamlessly from the end of the second book. Rebecca McKernan’s narration added to the enjoyment of the well-written 12-hours 25-minutes/416 page work. “I received a free Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
February 13, 2023
There are so many things to love about this world the characters and the action. It is thousands of pages of a tense roller coaster ride that does not always work out the way your mind would like. The last installment gives you an insight into the famed Hunter of Voramis and leaves you wanting more of Ilanna’s story! I will definitely be exploring more of Andy’s work after this one! Highly recommended
June 2, 2020
Amazing series. It still has a grip on my heart. I love this series so much. The audio books bring the books to life. I highly recommend it. I couldn't put it down at all. I lost track how many yes I read this series but simply love it. ♥️😍 It's one of my favorite series of all time
July 19, 2020
It was more like a 4.9. Did I thoroughly enjoy it... definently! The loss was a bit over the top. I get he was going for gritty but then the compassion she ended up showing was a bit incongruous to the level of torment she suffered. Just my opinion, but still a really fun read.
April 6, 2021
Another great tale
I have gradually fallen under the spell that Andy has woven. I have binged on his books for the last few months. Another cracking read.
I have gradually fallen under the spell that Andy has woven. I have binged on his books for the last few months. Another cracking read.
March 31, 2020
Andy Peloquin does an amazing job building an immersive world that pulled me in from the very first page to the very end while sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what will happen next and never able to fully predict anything that did happen. This author is definately on my must read everything and anything he ever has/will write! Highly recommend reading this and all his other books!
January 29, 2020
Excellent Series! Amazing, powerful story of a remarkable woman who eventually becomes the queen of the Night Guild. I highly recommend this series and all of Andy Peloquin’s books in this world.
Child of the Night Guild, Book 1
Powerful Story! The life of a child who ends up in the Night Guild is not easy. Ilanna barely survives the hardships she must endure after her father gives her to the Night Guild to settle his debts. But with the support of good friends, she not only survives...she thrives. I read the Hero of Darkness & Heirs of Destiny series before this book, and it is interesting to see how characters and organizations I am familiar with came to be who & what I know.
Thief of the Night Guild, Book 2
Intense! Ilanna has a secret that she will do whatever it takes to protect. Including pulling off an impossible heist. Great characters and lots of action and intrigue. Not sure I’m going to like what comes next.
Queen of the Night Guild, Book 3
Wow! Non-stop, heart pounding action that just never seems to stop. After pulling off a legendary heist, Ilanna must work to save the Night Guild from the Bloody Hand and the Duke’s justice while trying to avoid death at the hands of the Bloody Hand, the Duke, and the Night Guild. Both heart warming and gut wrenching, this story will take your emotions on a ride and keep you enthralled long past when you should be doing something else.
Traitors Fate, Book 3.5
Excellent! A great follow up to Queen of Thieves series and lead in to the DarkBlade series. It shows how Ilanna transformers the Night Guild into the organization we see in ‘future’ series and tells the story of why they hired the Hunter to kill Lord Damuria. Having read the DarkBlade series first, it was nice to have a few mysteries explained. A great addition to the stories of this world.
Child of the Night Guild, Book 1
Powerful Story! The life of a child who ends up in the Night Guild is not easy. Ilanna barely survives the hardships she must endure after her father gives her to the Night Guild to settle his debts. But with the support of good friends, she not only survives...she thrives. I read the Hero of Darkness & Heirs of Destiny series before this book, and it is interesting to see how characters and organizations I am familiar with came to be who & what I know.
Thief of the Night Guild, Book 2
Intense! Ilanna has a secret that she will do whatever it takes to protect. Including pulling off an impossible heist. Great characters and lots of action and intrigue. Not sure I’m going to like what comes next.
Queen of the Night Guild, Book 3
Wow! Non-stop, heart pounding action that just never seems to stop. After pulling off a legendary heist, Ilanna must work to save the Night Guild from the Bloody Hand and the Duke’s justice while trying to avoid death at the hands of the Bloody Hand, the Duke, and the Night Guild. Both heart warming and gut wrenching, this story will take your emotions on a ride and keep you enthralled long past when you should be doing something else.
Traitors Fate, Book 3.5
Excellent! A great follow up to Queen of Thieves series and lead in to the DarkBlade series. It shows how Ilanna transformers the Night Guild into the organization we see in ‘future’ series and tells the story of why they hired the Hunter to kill Lord Damuria. Having read the DarkBlade series first, it was nice to have a few mysteries explained. A great addition to the stories of this world.
December 5, 2023
There sure was a lot of action in this series! Andy Peloquin has created a world that’s easy to imagine yourself in (even though I’d probably just run and hide if I were actually in the criminal underworld of Praamis). The Night Guild is complex, with different houses specializing in different aspects of thievery. From House Serpent (the assassins), to House Bloodbear (enforcers and intimidators), to House Hawk (thieves that take to the skies and rooftops), there’s a little bit of everything.
The story centers on Ilanna, who is sold to the Night Guild by her father when she’s eight years old. She becomes a member of House Hawk, and soon becomes one of the best thieves in the Guild. There are high stakes heists which are a blast to read, and I really loved the friendships she formed.
Don’t get too comfy, though. This is a Grimdark book, and lots of people die. Two of the character’s deaths made me kind of mad at the time because they were favorites of mine and I wanted them to make it. I didn’t like who the traitor ended up being because they were one of my favorites as well. There is also a sexual assault scene that happens near the end of the first book, so just keep that in mind.
Overall this was a pretty good series and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Grimdark books and high stakes heists.
The story centers on Ilanna, who is sold to the Night Guild by her father when she’s eight years old. She becomes a member of House Hawk, and soon becomes one of the best thieves in the Guild. There are high stakes heists which are a blast to read, and I really loved the friendships she formed.
Don’t get too comfy, though. This is a Grimdark book, and lots of people die. Two of the character’s deaths made me kind of mad at the time because they were favorites of mine and I wanted them to make it. I didn’t like who the traitor ended up being because they were one of my favorites as well. There is also a sexual assault scene that happens near the end of the first book, so just keep that in mind.
Overall this was a pretty good series and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Grimdark books and high stakes heists.
December 16, 2019
Pretty decent tale. I loved the MC and the dark and crime ridden fantasy World created. At times the Author piles on so much adversity and every single thing that could possibly go wrong to get in the way of an improbable outcome that it gets a bit tedious and almost farcical at times but it's still an interesting read. By "Traitor's Fate" though I think the author had noticeably improved as a writer. The plot was better paced and more nuanced and characters and their inter personal relationships were better portrayed. Definitely would love to read more about Ilanna if possible and the Hunter of Voramis after reading his introduction.
February 18, 2025
In my early days of playing Dungeons and Dragons, there was frequently mention of a Thieve's Guild in the major cities...but rarely was that explored.
Peloquin does a marvelous job of that in this series, which Kindle recommended after I finished the Darkblade Assassin series. This was well worth the read. Peloquin says it's grim and dark, and it is. Poor Viola is sold off to the Praamis Thieve's Guild to pay a debt her father has incurred, and this series of well written books covers the events of her life as she struggles to thrive against all odds in the callous Guild.
Good characters, good villains.
Peloquin does a marvelous job of that in this series, which Kindle recommended after I finished the Darkblade Assassin series. This was well worth the read. Peloquin says it's grim and dark, and it is. Poor Viola is sold off to the Praamis Thieve's Guild to pay a debt her father has incurred, and this series of well written books covers the events of her life as she struggles to thrive against all odds in the callous Guild.
Good characters, good villains.
September 2, 2019
This boxset is yet another series by a cracking author. After reading some of his other books I knew a little of what to expect. I certainly was not disappointed. Ilana is one of a feisty woman, and anyone who has read any of my reviews will know I like feisty women. Read all these one after another, couldn’t put them down. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews