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Thieves of Shadow #1
Children of the Fox
Five kids with unusual talents are brought together to commit an impossible crime.
A magic-infused fantasy that brings together a ragtag group of kids to pull off a crime so difficult, countless adults have already tried and failed. Lured by the promise of more money than they've ever dreamed of, five young criminals are hired to steal a heavily guarded treasure from the most powerful sorcerer in the city. There's Callan the con artist, Meriel the expert at acrobatics (and knives!), Gareth the researcher, Lachlan who can obtain anything, and Foxtail, whose mysterious eyeless mask doesn't hinder her ability to climb walls like a spider. Though their shadowy backgrounds meant that they've never trusted anyone but themselves, the five must learn to rely on each other in order to get the job done.
But as Callan has been warned most of his life, it's best to stay away from magic. It can turn on you at any moment, and make you think you're the one running the con game, when in reality you're the one being fooled. Faced with these unsurmountable odds, can the new friends pull off this legendary heist, or has their luck finally run out?
A magic-infused fantasy that brings together a ragtag group of kids to pull off a crime so difficult, countless adults have already tried and failed. Lured by the promise of more money than they've ever dreamed of, five young criminals are hired to steal a heavily guarded treasure from the most powerful sorcerer in the city. There's Callan the con artist, Meriel the expert at acrobatics (and knives!), Gareth the researcher, Lachlan who can obtain anything, and Foxtail, whose mysterious eyeless mask doesn't hinder her ability to climb walls like a spider. Though their shadowy backgrounds meant that they've never trusted anyone but themselves, the five must learn to rely on each other in order to get the job done.
But as Callan has been warned most of his life, it's best to stay away from magic. It can turn on you at any moment, and make you think you're the one running the con game, when in reality you're the one being fooled. Faced with these unsurmountable odds, can the new friends pull off this legendary heist, or has their luck finally run out?
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
81 people are currently reading
4685 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Sands
21 books976 followersSince escaping from university with a pair of degrees in theoretical physics, Kevin Sands has worked as a researcher, a business consultant, and a teacher. He is the author of the bestselling The Blackthorn Key series. His brand new fantasy adventure, Children of the Fox, is out now.
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January 12, 2021I will read ANYTHING this author puts out!! Can't believe we're getting another book!
September 18, 2022
Vielen Dank erstmal, dass ich dieses tolle Hörbuch vorab hören durfte!
Erstmal zum Cover: ich find es super schön gelungen und sehr ansprechend.
Jetzt zur Story selbst, die hat es nämlich in sich. Verraten werde ich nichts, nur so viel: Selten habe ich ein so spannendes "Kinderbuch" gehört/gelesen! Die Figuren sind allesamt sympathisch und etwas verschroben - und ziemlich ausgebufft, was mir vor allem an Hauptfigur Callan sehr gefallen hat. Er ist quasi ein kleines Gaunergenie und es hat wirklich Spaß gemacht ihn zu begleiten😁
Die Welt ist historisch und wirkt wie zur Jahrhundertwende, denn es gibt Luftschiffe und Droschken und auch die Beschreibung der Kleidung passt in die Zeit. Ich liebe dieses Setting❤️
Der Schreibstil ist nicht kindlich, aber auch nicht zu ernst, nur einige Szenen, vor allem aus der Vergangenheit der Charaktere, waren wirklich dramatisch beschrieben. Ich weiß nicht ob das Buch wirklich schon ab 11 Jahren gelesen werden sollte, ich würde es persönlich eher für ältere Kinder empfehlen, weil es teilweise echt zur Sache geht🙈
Sprecher Oliver Rohrbeck hat einen super Job gemacht und der Geschichte noch das gewisse Etwas verliehen.
Zum Schluss gibt's noch nen miesen Cliffhanger, aber das hab ich mir von vornherein gedacht😉 Ich freue mich schon auf die Fortsetzung!
Von mir gibt's volle 5 Sterne für dieses spannende (Kinder-)Buch und eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung, auch für Erwachsene!
Erstmal zum Cover: ich find es super schön gelungen und sehr ansprechend.
Jetzt zur Story selbst, die hat es nämlich in sich. Verraten werde ich nichts, nur so viel: Selten habe ich ein so spannendes "Kinderbuch" gehört/gelesen! Die Figuren sind allesamt sympathisch und etwas verschroben - und ziemlich ausgebufft, was mir vor allem an Hauptfigur Callan sehr gefallen hat. Er ist quasi ein kleines Gaunergenie und es hat wirklich Spaß gemacht ihn zu begleiten😁
Die Welt ist historisch und wirkt wie zur Jahrhundertwende, denn es gibt Luftschiffe und Droschken und auch die Beschreibung der Kleidung passt in die Zeit. Ich liebe dieses Setting❤️
Der Schreibstil ist nicht kindlich, aber auch nicht zu ernst, nur einige Szenen, vor allem aus der Vergangenheit der Charaktere, waren wirklich dramatisch beschrieben. Ich weiß nicht ob das Buch wirklich schon ab 11 Jahren gelesen werden sollte, ich würde es persönlich eher für ältere Kinder empfehlen, weil es teilweise echt zur Sache geht🙈
Sprecher Oliver Rohrbeck hat einen super Job gemacht und der Geschichte noch das gewisse Etwas verliehen.
Zum Schluss gibt's noch nen miesen Cliffhanger, aber das hab ich mir von vornherein gedacht😉 Ich freue mich schon auf die Fortsetzung!
Von mir gibt's volle 5 Sterne für dieses spannende (Kinder-)Buch und eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung, auch für Erwachsene!
July 26, 2021
I was able to obtain an e-ARC of this book from the publisher at a School Library Journal conference, I think it was Day of Dialog. I am a huge fan Kevin Sands' The Blackthorn Key Adventures and had been anticipating the start of this new series for about a year. When my youngest child (11) saw it on my device she asked if she could choose it for our Family Read Aloud, and that is the only reason I have not read and reviewed it sooner.
Whereas The Blackthorn Key Adventures are historical fiction with some mystery thrown in, this is a new genre for Sands-fantasy. The setting feels Victorian influenced to me, with a hint of steampunk but there is a moderate amount of world building, creating an original setting for this cast of characters.
The characters include several youth are brought together to pull off a heist by the mysterious Mr. Solomon. The incredibly challenging job they are meant to pull off will require the divergent talents that each individual possess, them to work as a team, and to go against a powerful group of magic users that should not be crossed. To me, it ended up feeling like Oceans 11 meets Peter Nimble.
The story is told through Callan, who has been warned to stay away from magic but needs to pull off this biggest con of his life in order to have the life he never dreamed he could have. He becomes the boy with the plan and feels a lot like Kevin Sands earlier protagonist, Christopher Rowe in that he has had an apprentice in the past that he draws wisdom from but is really on his own now. I mean that a positive because I really enjoyed that character as well.
This is clearly the first in a promising new fantasy series for middle grade readers, complete with its own mythology, magic and world building.
Whereas The Blackthorn Key Adventures are historical fiction with some mystery thrown in, this is a new genre for Sands-fantasy. The setting feels Victorian influenced to me, with a hint of steampunk but there is a moderate amount of world building, creating an original setting for this cast of characters.
The characters include several youth are brought together to pull off a heist by the mysterious Mr. Solomon. The incredibly challenging job they are meant to pull off will require the divergent talents that each individual possess, them to work as a team, and to go against a powerful group of magic users that should not be crossed. To me, it ended up feeling like Oceans 11 meets Peter Nimble.
The story is told through Callan, who has been warned to stay away from magic but needs to pull off this biggest con of his life in order to have the life he never dreamed he could have. He becomes the boy with the plan and feels a lot like Kevin Sands earlier protagonist, Christopher Rowe in that he has had an apprentice in the past that he draws wisdom from but is really on his own now. I mean that a positive because I really enjoyed that character as well.
This is clearly the first in a promising new fantasy series for middle grade readers, complete with its own mythology, magic and world building.
December 8, 2021
I hate to be the "this is like Six of Crows!!1!1!!" person but this very much is middle grade Six of Crows. Yet as the best books usually are, it's similar in concept while managing to distinguish itself as its own unique story.
It's really good! And a lot of fun! Absolutely delivers as a heist (even comes with a bonus casino scene! bless) and as a found family origin story.
Also I think it's funny that if you've read the Blackthorn Key books you can tell it's the same author bc there's a very specific Thing that happens in his books
It's really good! And a lot of fun! Absolutely delivers as a heist (even comes with a bonus casino scene! bless) and as a found family origin story.
Also I think it's funny that if you've read the Blackthorn Key books you can tell it's the same author bc there's a very specific Thing that happens in his books
July 31, 2024
"𝖥𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅," 𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽. "𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗂𝖽, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌."
kevin sands you have done it again.
➸𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍.
fast-paced, full of action, and never dragging. perfect!
➸𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀.
kevin sands knocked it out of the park with this one! it was very interesting, it was very six of crows coded, but not a copy and paste. i loved the magic system in this one!
➸𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇.
•𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇. i could write an entire essay on him. his backstory is so heartbreaking, the kid didn’t deserve all that😭
•𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗅. she is such a girlboss! i loved her snark and her banter with call was hilarious (definitely shipping them🤭) she reminded me of inej ghafa, but with nina zenik’s spunk :)
•𝗀𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗁. the poor kid!😭like callan, his backstory was sooooo sad. the kid just wants to read books
•𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗅𝖺𝗇. the little cinnamon bun! he little comments made me smile! although, i am worried for him in book 2.
•𝖿𝗈𝗑𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗅. she was so interesting and adorable, definitely wonder what’s ahead for her!
➸𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍
•𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝖻𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗎𝗌
•𝗅𝖺𝖻𝗒𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗁 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝖿𝗍
•𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝖻𝗈𝖽𝗒 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝗎𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌
•𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂 𝖻𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗓𝗂𝖾𝗋
•𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗈 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝖿𝗍
•𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗈𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗇 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗒
➸𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾...
•the blackthorn key series (kevin sand’s other series)
•the found family trope
•heists
•six of crows by leigh bardugo
•snarky male main characters
•unique cast of characters
➸𝗊𝗎𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌.
"𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐," 𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽.
"𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗌?"
"𝖶𝗁𝗈𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗆-𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗀𝖾. 𝖨 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇... 𝖨 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗉𝗎𝗓𝗓𝗅𝖾𝗌. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾."
"𝖨 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍," 𝖨 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽. "𝖨𝗍 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗍𝗈 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽."
"𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝖲𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖺'𝗌 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾...?" 𝖨 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽.
𝖲𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖺 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖺𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗆𝖾. "𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗌. 𝖠𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗌."
"𝖨𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗎𝗅𝗍. 𝖬𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗅, 𝖦𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗁, 𝖥𝗈𝗑𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗅, 𝖫𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗅𝖺𝗇.. 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝖽 𝗉𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝖾. 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆. 𝖨𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖽, 𝖨'𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖠𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖮𝗅𝖽 𝖬𝖺𝗇, 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖨'𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇𝖾𝖽. 𝖨𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽, 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗄."
"𝖭𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉?"
"𝖭𝗈," 𝖨 𝗀𝗋𝗎𝗆𝖻𝗅𝖾𝖽.
"𝖡𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉, 𝖨'𝗆 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎."
"𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌."
"𝖱𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒, 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗌𝗄."
i hope y’all enjoyed my review !!
~•~•~•~
post-read:
i am unwell
~•~•~•~
pre-read:
kevin sands + heists + magic system = hopefully new favorite series?!🤞🏻
kevin sands you have done it again.
➸𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍.
fast-paced, full of action, and never dragging. perfect!
➸𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀.
kevin sands knocked it out of the park with this one! it was very interesting, it was very six of crows coded, but not a copy and paste. i loved the magic system in this one!
➸𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇.
•𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇. i could write an entire essay on him. his backstory is so heartbreaking, the kid didn’t deserve all that😭
•𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗅. she is such a girlboss! i loved her snark and her banter with call was hilarious (definitely shipping them🤭) she reminded me of inej ghafa, but with nina zenik’s spunk :)
•𝗀𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗁. the poor kid!😭like callan, his backstory was sooooo sad. the kid just wants to read books
•𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗅𝖺𝗇. the little cinnamon bun! he little comments made me smile! although, i am worried for him in book 2.
•𝖿𝗈𝗑𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗅. she was so interesting and adorable, definitely wonder what’s ahead for her!
➸𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍
•𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝖻𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗎𝗌
•𝗅𝖺𝖻𝗒𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗁 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝖿𝗍
•𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝖻𝗈𝖽𝗒 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝗎𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌
•𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂 𝖻𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗓𝗂𝖾𝗋
•𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗈 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝖿𝗍
•𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗈𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗇 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗒
➸𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾...
•the blackthorn key series (kevin sand’s other series)
•the found family trope
•heists
•six of crows by leigh bardugo
•snarky male main characters
•unique cast of characters
➸𝗊𝗎𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌.
"𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐," 𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽.
"𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗌?"
"𝖶𝗁𝗈𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗆-𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗀𝖾. 𝖨 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇... 𝖨 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗉𝗎𝗓𝗓𝗅𝖾𝗌. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾."
"𝖨 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍," 𝖨 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽. "𝖨𝗍 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗍𝗈 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽."
"𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝖲𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖺'𝗌 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾...?" 𝖨 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽.
𝖲𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖺 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖺𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗆𝖾. "𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗌. 𝖠𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗌."
"𝖨𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗎𝗅𝗍. 𝖬𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗅, 𝖦𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗁, 𝖥𝗈𝗑𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗅, 𝖫𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗅𝖺𝗇.. 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝖽 𝗉𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝖾. 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆. 𝖨𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖽, 𝖨'𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖠𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖮𝗅𝖽 𝖬𝖺𝗇, 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖨'𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇𝖾𝖽. 𝖨𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽, 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗄."
"𝖭𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉?"
"𝖭𝗈," 𝖨 𝗀𝗋𝗎𝗆𝖻𝗅𝖾𝖽.
"𝖡𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉, 𝖨'𝗆 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎."
"𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌."
"𝖱𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒, 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗌𝗄."
i hope y’all enjoyed my review !!
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post-read:
i am unwell
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pre-read:
kevin sands + heists + magic system = hopefully new favorite series?!🤞🏻
June 23, 2022
Nice adventure fantasy with magic. Kids are smart. Took me a while to read it. Not my favorite.
November 25, 2025
I LOVED IT!!! It was if Blackthorn key were fantasy.
December 12, 2023
"Children of the Fox" by Kevin Sands is an enchanting journey into a world where magic, mystery, and misfit kids converge in a daring heist that is comparable to the excitement of Harry Potter. The author weaves a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat as a group of unlikely heroes, each with their unique talents, embarks on the impossible. From the con artist Callan to the acrobatic Meriel, the characters are vibrant and lovable, making it easy to root for their success.
Sands brilliantly blends mythical lore with riddles and dangers, creating a narrative that captures the imagination. The unfolding of secrets and the camaraderie among the kids add layers of depth to the story, keeping readers engaged at every turn.
Magic, with its unpredictable twists, adds an extra layer of joy to the narrative. The story beautifully explores themes of trust, friendship, and the courage to ask for help when needed. Callan's journey of overcoming obstacles resonates with readers, making the story not just a thrilling adventure but also a heartwarming tale of personal growth.
As the tale unfolds, the suspense builds, and the ending delivers a perfect blend of satisfaction and anticipation, leaving readers eager for the next installment. "Children of the Fox" is a must-read for anyone seeking a magical, adventurous escape into a world where the impossible becomes possible. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and a craving for more of Kevin Sands' captivating storytelling.
Sands brilliantly blends mythical lore with riddles and dangers, creating a narrative that captures the imagination. The unfolding of secrets and the camaraderie among the kids add layers of depth to the story, keeping readers engaged at every turn.
Magic, with its unpredictable twists, adds an extra layer of joy to the narrative. The story beautifully explores themes of trust, friendship, and the courage to ask for help when needed. Callan's journey of overcoming obstacles resonates with readers, making the story not just a thrilling adventure but also a heartwarming tale of personal growth.
As the tale unfolds, the suspense builds, and the ending delivers a perfect blend of satisfaction and anticipation, leaving readers eager for the next installment. "Children of the Fox" is a must-read for anyone seeking a magical, adventurous escape into a world where the impossible becomes possible. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and a craving for more of Kevin Sands' captivating storytelling.
January 8, 2022
Sands brings mystery, magic and a pretty major con-job to his first fantasy novel, a story where things are never quite as they seem. [from NPR]
June 6, 2024
Five thieves of differing backgrounds and skills are brought together in Children of the Fox. Their target? The ultimate treasure, sealed away from prying eyes and snatching hands. The reward could be everything they’ve ever wanted, but is it all too good to be true?
The Blackthorn Key series established Kevin Sands as not only a talented debut author, but also one of my personal favorites. This setup for his new series (which unfortunately seems to be just a trilogy this time around) cements that fact for me. It scratched an itch I didn’t know I had when it came to books: a fantasy heist with fingers dug deep into magic and mythology. Callan is a fantastic POV protagonist, his insights into the human body language a reflection of Christopher’s knowledge of puzzles and ciphers in TBK—not to mention the both of them having the voice of their mentor, albeit very different ones, in their head.
CotF entertained and intrigued from start to finish, every moment a captivating dive into the world that Kevin has constructed. I already want to read the sequel thanks to where we left off in this installment. If you have yet to read any of his work, you are doing yourself a massive disservice.
The Blackthorn Key series established Kevin Sands as not only a talented debut author, but also one of my personal favorites. This setup for his new series (which unfortunately seems to be just a trilogy this time around) cements that fact for me. It scratched an itch I didn’t know I had when it came to books: a fantasy heist with fingers dug deep into magic and mythology. Callan is a fantastic POV protagonist, his insights into the human body language a reflection of Christopher’s knowledge of puzzles and ciphers in TBK—not to mention the both of them having the voice of their mentor, albeit very different ones, in their head.
CotF entertained and intrigued from start to finish, every moment a captivating dive into the world that Kevin has constructed. I already want to read the sequel thanks to where we left off in this installment. If you have yet to read any of his work, you are doing yourself a massive disservice.
July 7, 2025
3.5 This started off a little slow for me, but got progressively more interesting. I might read the sequel.
October 31, 2025
4,5 ✨
Auf jeden Fall spannend, durchaus witzig, aber mir an manchen (wenigen) Stellen zu brutal.
Auf jeden Fall spannend, durchaus witzig, aber mir an manchen (wenigen) Stellen zu brutal.
October 16, 2021
"Thinking don’t make it so, does it?”
I'd like to thank Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: Blood, physical abuse, scars, chronic pain, self harm (not on page), violence, death, bodies/corpses, murder, fire, burning buildings
From the first page I was immediately sucked into this book. We're thrown head first into the action of a past heist. My favourite aspect of this book was the characters. We have a ragtag group of young thieves, all loveable in their own way. Each member of the group is unique from the others and I found myself wanting to get to know them all. While we did learn a bit about each character, we learned most about their leader Cal. The book was written from his perspective and we got to look into his past with various flashbacks. I thought the writing style fit the mood and tone of the book very well. While this is middle grade there was still a lot of dark themes that I thought were handled with care. I felt that the writing style conveyed the age of the characters and how they had to grow up fast because of their pasts. However aside from Cal, I didn't feel very connected to the other characters. I think that if I had gotten to know them more I would have been more invested in their roles as a whole. I also felt that the group grew very close together a bit too quickly.
The plot was very exciting. You guys know by now that I love a good heist story and this book definitely delivered. We had an impossible crime, plans being made, daring escapes, and underground contacts. Around 70% of the way through this book took a turn I wasn't expecting. It threw me off guard a little but once I understood what was happening I enjoyed it. This turn made for a unique read and set it apart from other heist books I've read. We were left on a cliffhanger and I'm definitely excited to see what will happen next.
A thrilling heist book sprinkled with fantasy.
I'd like to thank Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: Blood, physical abuse, scars, chronic pain, self harm (not on page), violence, death, bodies/corpses, murder, fire, burning buildings
From the first page I was immediately sucked into this book. We're thrown head first into the action of a past heist. My favourite aspect of this book was the characters. We have a ragtag group of young thieves, all loveable in their own way. Each member of the group is unique from the others and I found myself wanting to get to know them all. While we did learn a bit about each character, we learned most about their leader Cal. The book was written from his perspective and we got to look into his past with various flashbacks. I thought the writing style fit the mood and tone of the book very well. While this is middle grade there was still a lot of dark themes that I thought were handled with care. I felt that the writing style conveyed the age of the characters and how they had to grow up fast because of their pasts. However aside from Cal, I didn't feel very connected to the other characters. I think that if I had gotten to know them more I would have been more invested in their roles as a whole. I also felt that the group grew very close together a bit too quickly.
The plot was very exciting. You guys know by now that I love a good heist story and this book definitely delivered. We had an impossible crime, plans being made, daring escapes, and underground contacts. Around 70% of the way through this book took a turn I wasn't expecting. It threw me off guard a little but once I understood what was happening I enjoyed it. This turn made for a unique read and set it apart from other heist books I've read. We were left on a cliffhanger and I'm definitely excited to see what will happen next.
A thrilling heist book sprinkled with fantasy.
October 8, 2021
Thank you PenguinTeen Canada for sending me an ARC for an honest review
4/5 stars
This was such a fun read! I went in expecting it to be mostly focused on a heist, but it was so much more than a heist story.
This is a story about a group of kids (11-14ish) who have never met each other, but they are brought together in order to pull off an impossible heist. We have our narrator Cal who is a gaffer, and he’s the leader. As a gaffer, Cal is able to read body language and understand the best way to trick someone. Then we have Meriel who is a thief and also really good with fighting and throwing knives. Lachlan is the youngest of the group, and he has contacts all around the city. Gareth is the reader and researcher, and he’s able to find things for the group. And then there’s Foxtail who is their cat burglar and communicates through a form of sign language because her face is covered by a metal mask with no mouth or eye holes. I have so many questions about Foxtail, and I hope we learn more of her story in the next book!
This group of kids is tasked with stealing from the High Weaver who is the most powerful magic person in their world. And they only have 3 days to do it. This kicks off a series of small plans that they need to enact in order to find a way to complete this impossible heist.
The pacing was good, and the short chapters made it feel fast-paced when all the action was happening. I also liked the writing style and I thought it was easy to read and understand. The world building was good, and I liked all the little stories about Fox and Bear.
Overall this was a great middle grade fantasy heist story with awesome characters and an intriguing world, and I can’t wait for the next book!
4/5 stars
This was such a fun read! I went in expecting it to be mostly focused on a heist, but it was so much more than a heist story.
This is a story about a group of kids (11-14ish) who have never met each other, but they are brought together in order to pull off an impossible heist. We have our narrator Cal who is a gaffer, and he’s the leader. As a gaffer, Cal is able to read body language and understand the best way to trick someone. Then we have Meriel who is a thief and also really good with fighting and throwing knives. Lachlan is the youngest of the group, and he has contacts all around the city. Gareth is the reader and researcher, and he’s able to find things for the group. And then there’s Foxtail who is their cat burglar and communicates through a form of sign language because her face is covered by a metal mask with no mouth or eye holes. I have so many questions about Foxtail, and I hope we learn more of her story in the next book!
This group of kids is tasked with stealing from the High Weaver who is the most powerful magic person in their world. And they only have 3 days to do it. This kicks off a series of small plans that they need to enact in order to find a way to complete this impossible heist.
The pacing was good, and the short chapters made it feel fast-paced when all the action was happening. I also liked the writing style and I thought it was easy to read and understand. The world building was good, and I liked all the little stories about Fox and Bear.
Overall this was a great middle grade fantasy heist story with awesome characters and an intriguing world, and I can’t wait for the next book!
April 29, 2022
This was incredibly difficult to get into at first. Then, miraculously, it really started to pick up and get exciting in the middle…only to fall apart at the end again.
The small amounts of good make this book an okay read, though they are ultimately overshadowed by all of the pieces that just don’t work to well. It’s not a bad book, but it certainly isn’t brilliant.
tw: traumatic childhood events related to abuse (seen in flashbacks)
The small amounts of good make this book an okay read, though they are ultimately overshadowed by all of the pieces that just don’t work to well. It’s not a bad book, but it certainly isn’t brilliant.
tw: traumatic childhood events related to abuse (seen in flashbacks)
December 21, 2021
This was a fun read. Loved the main character. Loved the cast. Was a tad disappointed at the end, it was sorta a cliffhanger. Definitely would recommend to anyone with young teens who like heists!
October 25, 2022
This was a fabulous book! I read it to my kids. We were sucked in right from the beginning. Complex concepts in some case but very well written. Even though it was complex it was understandable. It is hard to explain how that is possible but the author did an amazing job. Highly recommend it!!
March 21, 2022
THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY
July 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this story, but then I always like a heist.
December 23, 2022
Rollicking. World-building is decent, characters are intriguing (especially Foxtail) and the plot zips along (despite a weird descent into backstory just before the climax which seemed ill-placed).
July 3, 2023
Middle Grade Fantasy read. Exciting plot with a Six of Crows vibe. Children trying to pull of a heist ending in a cliff hanger.
December 11, 2023
Cant wait for the next book!!
Its really good.😁
Its really good.😁
February 4, 2024
Kevin Sands does it again. A great group of characters, many plot twists and a story that engages the reader.
December 30, 2024
Wait this was goood ! Right up my alley! Time for part 2 !
April 14, 2025
It was slow to get into and took like 100 pgs but after that wow. for a kids book 😨 I love kevin sands one of my favs best believe assassins curse is next!!!! (And this second book)
June 19, 2023
Wow, ich habe lange nicht mehr so ein spannendes Kinderbuch gelesen!!! (Und es war brutaler als ich erwartet hätte) Aber dieser Cliffhanger, aaahhh ich hoffe, sie können ihn retten...
July 20, 2022
A middle grade novel that read more like YA, both in terms of length and heavy content. Really enjoyed the unique characters and I do love a good heist story. It was very creatively told! Ended on a great setup for the next book.
November 29, 2022
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IT.
March 25, 2023
This is an excellent new fantasy series for middle graders. The world building is great and the characters unique and resonant.
September 12, 2021
In a world where various forms of magic are practiced by a group of Weavers, there is one High Weaver. And this High Weaver has a relic that another Weaver, one descended from the original Weaver (back in antiquity) wants so badly he's willing to offer two million to a group of kids with special abilities. He's even willing to bind the contract to himself so he can't go back on his promise to give them their reward. As with all good heist stories, the five kids have little in common but somehow their skills mesh. And then, of course, they mesh as a group. This is really a fun book, something that readers of Mysterious Benedict Society or Greenglass will enjoy. This reader is already eagerly awaiting Book 2.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
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