Heist For A Life

by China Andie

Roguerest is a city of dreams and demons, though which you succumb to is entirely up to you.

Rosie Wren is cursed. Quite literally. Confined to the taunting bounds of The Ruby Talisman Hotel and Casino, she must endure ten years of unpaid servitude as penance for a failed art heist.

When the most famous card game in the Twelve Territories comes to town, along with it arrives the elusive, reigning champion: Kitty Khalar. The crowds are in awe of her formidable persona but Rosie is determined to uncover the enigma beneath the wealth and splendour.

Provided with the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on those who sentenced her, Rosie must decide who she can trust in a corrupt city full of liars, thieves, and gamblers-all in aid of pulling off her biggest heist yet and gaining the ultimate prize of her freedom.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

416 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2022

Reviews

[_aimsreads_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover is a bit misleading, i thought there would be more gambling and such from the main character, but there was little in it. Actually, when it was happening, the main character wasn’t even interested in it. So i wouldn’t say this went where i expected it to. Nevertheless, i did get emotional, and i did like the characters. I am kind of unhappy with Jakob’s ending, and i wish the plot would’ve happened over just 3 days because it feels to short to have formed such a connection to the other characters but maybe that’s just me. Not to mention the plot twists were quite predictable. Overall it was a nice read and i didn’t get bored.

[David Hamilton-Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt story that has you laughing and heartbroken in equal measure, Rosie's time set in the Ruby Talesmin is a sauve stylised tale of family, consequences of actions, finding hope in the darkest places, and taking back power of your own worth.

A must-read for 2023 of an authors debut novel

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ve had this book for nearly a year and every time i’ve gone to pick it up i’ve put in back down and boy was i stupid. this book was so good and the fact that it’s a debut novel is insane. the only thing that let me down a little was i thought this book was going to have a romance subplot in it and it didn’t so i was a bit disappointed by that but otherwise this book was incredible.

[One Confused Abs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be available, be observant, be invisible.

Rosie Wren made a mistake; she relied on and trusted another person; that cost her freedom. Now a year into a 10 year sentence of cursed, unpaid, absolute servitude in The Ruby Talisman hotel and casino, she receives the opportunity to gain her freedom back; but is it worth the risk? and can she really trust anyone again?

This book has:
Magic that divides the classes
A card game tournament
Secret messages and revenge plots
Curses and closure
Self discovery and found family

This debut young adult fantasy novel had me wondering who I could trust, what to believe, and how Rosie would make it out of her imprisonment. The characters were wonderful and given backstories that explained their actions, the uses of magic interesting with everyone’s skills falling into one of 3 classifications; Imperial, Elemental, Artistic; and the plot kept me guessing with lots of information and avenues eventually woven together into a hopeful, wholesome ending.

There were times it made me snort, times it made me tear up, and times I was on the edge of my seat panicking along side Rosie. I like that the romance was a past romance and resolution of previous mistakes rather than a current evolution, it made a nice change. I really enjoyed this book, I can’t wait to see what else happens in Twelve Territories.

Be truly extraordinary.

Lost souls are always better together.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dazzling debut from a new author. This novel is thrilling and captivating, and I devoured every word during my beta read. I cannot wait to read the finished product.
China is definitely one to watch.

[Sophia Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! I beta read it and loved it. I strongly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy, action, and adventure.

[China Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My debut novel is finally out! If you love heists, hotels, curses, and a big ole found family - this one is for you :)

[Zoë O’Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, compelling story, brilliant world building, what more do you need?!

[Bryony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I have read this year, the author had been feeling the whole range of emotions. The characters are very well developed, each had their own personalities, which for a story that must have had near 10 characters in this is amazing, but mixed together very well to make this epic story. The plot was amazing, I was hooked from the first chapter. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Throughout the story we are given snippets of information, and they come into the bigger plot point with nothing feeling irrelevant, a few of things I guessed at but there was so many more revelations I didn't see coming. There was enough to keep me hooked throughout all while being desperate to get answers to everything that was happening. This story works well as a standalone novel, but believe this is a series and I cannot wait to see where it goes next

This is a fantasy book, the characters have thier own powers and ways of using them, but with an air of mystery around it surrounding the overall plot.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued by the premise and the whole story was really engaging! The ending was really hopeful and I too am hopeful there might be a sequel one day, I just want to see what they'll all do next!