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Thieves & Kings #1
To Steal from Thieves
In this high-stakes heist novel, an alchemologist and a con man team up to steal a rare necklace—but complicated feelings of attraction and deception threaten to destroy everything and everyone they love—for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Judy I. Lin.
Within the dazzling halls of London’s Crystal Palace, the event of the season has arrived: The Great Exhibition. An opportunity for the greatest minds of the century to come together under one roof in an unprecedented display of art and invention. And for two unlikely partners in crime, it’s about to become the score of a lifetime.
Charming conman Kane Durante works alone—or on occasion with his best friend, Fletcher. But when his boss, the infamous Kingpin of London’s magical dark market, gives him the impossible task of stealing a priceless artifact from the Great Exhibition, he knows it’s a job he can’t pull off alone. Enter Zaria Mendoza, daughter of one of London’s greatest alchemologists. Ever since her father’s death, Zaria’s been struggling to keep her underground business afloat, and impatient clients are becoming violent. When the infuriatingly handsome Kane offers her the promise of enough money to get out of debt and leave London entirely, she knows she can’t walk away from this dangerous partnership.
But robbing one of the most public, heavily-guarded buildings in London isn’t going to be easy, especially when love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked so hard for.
Within the dazzling halls of London’s Crystal Palace, the event of the season has arrived: The Great Exhibition. An opportunity for the greatest minds of the century to come together under one roof in an unprecedented display of art and invention. And for two unlikely partners in crime, it’s about to become the score of a lifetime.
Charming conman Kane Durante works alone—or on occasion with his best friend, Fletcher. But when his boss, the infamous Kingpin of London’s magical dark market, gives him the impossible task of stealing a priceless artifact from the Great Exhibition, he knows it’s a job he can’t pull off alone. Enter Zaria Mendoza, daughter of one of London’s greatest alchemologists. Ever since her father’s death, Zaria’s been struggling to keep her underground business afloat, and impatient clients are becoming violent. When the infuriatingly handsome Kane offers her the promise of enough money to get out of debt and leave London entirely, she knows she can’t walk away from this dangerous partnership.
But robbing one of the most public, heavily-guarded buildings in London isn’t going to be easy, especially when love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked so hard for.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2025
60 people are currently reading
9,631 people want to read
About the author
M.K. Lobb
5books478followersM. K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark� be it literature, humour, or general aesthetic. She grew up in small-town Canada and now lives by the lake with her partner and their cats. When not reading or writing, she can be found at the gym or contemplating the harsh realities of existence.
Her debut novel, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS, releases Feb 7, 2023 from Little, Brown. The sequel, DISCIPLES OF CHAOS, is to follow in 2024.
Her debut novel, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS, releases Feb 7, 2023 from Little, Brown. The sequel, DISCIPLES OF CHAOS, is to follow in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
April 10, 2025
two reluctant allies set to double cross each other but you don’t find out who actually pulls it off until the very end� plus an ending that will have you screaming for the next book!!!
this book was addicting and i had such a fun time reading!!! each character was so complex and well written, i love them all. the magic was so unique and like nothing i’ve seen before, the heist had me on the edge of my seat, and the ending has me wanting more! i’m beyond excited and looking forward to the sequel!!!
thank you to netgalley for the advanced readers copy!
this book was addicting and i had such a fun time reading!!! each character was so complex and well written, i love them all. the magic was so unique and like nothing i’ve seen before, the heist had me on the edge of my seat, and the ending has me wanting more! i’m beyond excited and looking forward to the sequel!!!
thank you to netgalley for the advanced readers copy!
March 28, 2025
« For anyone who has ever been willing to risk it all. » ❤️�
💎 Sky high stakes
💎 Heist
💎 Reluctant allies to lovers
💎 Tension/banter
💎 Unique & complex alchemy system
« She tended to approach people the same way she did alcohol : she kept them around while they were fun and shoved them out of sight when they gave her a headache. »
This was a really unique story. I honestly didn’t know how it would end and was surprised by it. I loved the writing and the characters. We follow 4 characters (2 MCs and 2 secondary characters) and they were all well fleshed out and had depth. Personally, Fletcher (despite being a secondary character) was my absolute favourite. He was the definition of dandelion child and that just resonated with me a lot. I hope he becomes a MC in the next instalment!
I don’t think the heist is the main focus of this story� it’s our main plot, but not the sole focus. There’s a big story set up before the heist and I think it was beneficial, considering everything that happened afterwards.
I’d actually really love a spin-off or stand-alone from the Kingpin’s past.
It ends on a cliffhanger and if the next book was already out, I’d definitely pick it up right away!
💎 Sky high stakes
💎 Heist
💎 Reluctant allies to lovers
💎 Tension/banter
💎 Unique & complex alchemy system
« She tended to approach people the same way she did alcohol : she kept them around while they were fun and shoved them out of sight when they gave her a headache. »
This was a really unique story. I honestly didn’t know how it would end and was surprised by it. I loved the writing and the characters. We follow 4 characters (2 MCs and 2 secondary characters) and they were all well fleshed out and had depth. Personally, Fletcher (despite being a secondary character) was my absolute favourite. He was the definition of dandelion child and that just resonated with me a lot. I hope he becomes a MC in the next instalment!
I don’t think the heist is the main focus of this story� it’s our main plot, but not the sole focus. There’s a big story set up before the heist and I think it was beneficial, considering everything that happened afterwards.
I’d actually really love a spin-off or stand-alone from the Kingpin’s past.
It ends on a cliffhanger and if the next book was already out, I’d definitely pick it up right away!
Shelved as 'lost-interest'
April 18, 2025I'm slumping, and this book deserves better. So it's on pause for now.
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I love a good heist
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I love a good heist
Want to read
April 18, 2025"girl but you said no romantasies anymore"
I KNOW but...this is like returning to your toxic ex
you think next time it will be different
I KNOW but...this is like returning to your toxic ex
you think next time it will be different
Want to read
July 13, 2023You had me at "charming con man"
March 31, 2025
2025 reads: 72/300
2025 tbr: 29/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
kane durante likes to work alone, but when his boss gives him the impossible task of stealing a priceless artifact from the great exhibition, he knows he’ll need help to pull off this heist. he teams up with zaria mendoza, the daughter of one of london’s greatest alchemologists, who has been struggling to keep her underground business afloat following her father’s death. robbing such a public and well-guarded building will be nearly impossible, especially when feelings of love and betrayal are thrown into the mix, but the two are determined to pull this off.
i loved m.k. lobb’s seven faceless saints duology, so i was very excited when i heard she had another book releasing this year! i love heist novels, as well, so i was very interested in seeing how this one played out. sure enough, i really enjoyed this book! the plot was interesting enough, but i also loved the characters. kane and zaria were such a great duo, and there were some secondary characters i enjoyed, as well. i’m so excited to see where the story goes in book two!
2025 tbr: 29/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
kane durante likes to work alone, but when his boss gives him the impossible task of stealing a priceless artifact from the great exhibition, he knows he’ll need help to pull off this heist. he teams up with zaria mendoza, the daughter of one of london’s greatest alchemologists, who has been struggling to keep her underground business afloat following her father’s death. robbing such a public and well-guarded building will be nearly impossible, especially when feelings of love and betrayal are thrown into the mix, but the two are determined to pull this off.
i loved m.k. lobb’s seven faceless saints duology, so i was very excited when i heard she had another book releasing this year! i love heist novels, as well, so i was very interested in seeing how this one played out. sure enough, i really enjoyed this book! the plot was interesting enough, but i also loved the characters. kane and zaria were such a great duo, and there were some secondary characters i enjoyed, as well. i’m so excited to see where the story goes in book two!
Want to read
July 24, 2024But robbing one of the most public, heavily-guarded buildings in London isn’t going to be easy, especially when love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked so hard for.
Ain't that just how it always is...
Ain't that just how it always is...
Read
November 22, 2024tl;dr
Reluctant partners pulling a heist while backstabbing each other make for some high drama stakes. Big cliffhanger promises more to come.
Thoughts
A quick peek at my recent reading shows I've been in the mood for adversarial relationships lately. Rivals? Absolutely! Enemies? Let's go! Thankfully, this book serves up a heaping helping of conflict in the leads Zaria and Kane, so it hit my mood perfectly. You've probably heard this setup before: Boy is a criminal who needs specialized skills to steal something important. Girl is a specialist down on luck and in need of money. They'd be a perfect match if they didn't hate each other so much. But in a town as rough as this, who can afford to love? Certainly not these two! And this is where the story takes a turn from the expected. While there are definitely hints of slow burn romance, don't expect this to be about them falling in love. Rather, it's a story about two desperate people trying to extract as much use as they can out of the other while the clock ticks down. It's messy, and ugly, and very human. Our leads aren't necessarily likable, but you can't help but want to see what happens next. (Also, two extremely likable supporting cast members really help keep the leads from getting too frustrating.)
This books is ostensibly historical fiction, based on The Crystal Palace, but with alchemy in the forefront (and the author's own admission), historical accuracy is minimal at best. I would recommend approaching it as the fantasy that it is. Also, this books ends on a cliffhanger, and dang if it didn't make everything leading up to it feel even more satisfying. I look forward to the next installment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Reluctant partners pulling a heist while backstabbing each other make for some high drama stakes. Big cliffhanger promises more to come.
Thoughts
A quick peek at my recent reading shows I've been in the mood for adversarial relationships lately. Rivals? Absolutely! Enemies? Let's go! Thankfully, this book serves up a heaping helping of conflict in the leads Zaria and Kane, so it hit my mood perfectly. You've probably heard this setup before: Boy is a criminal who needs specialized skills to steal something important. Girl is a specialist down on luck and in need of money. They'd be a perfect match if they didn't hate each other so much. But in a town as rough as this, who can afford to love? Certainly not these two! And this is where the story takes a turn from the expected. While there are definitely hints of slow burn romance, don't expect this to be about them falling in love. Rather, it's a story about two desperate people trying to extract as much use as they can out of the other while the clock ticks down. It's messy, and ugly, and very human. Our leads aren't necessarily likable, but you can't help but want to see what happens next. (Also, two extremely likable supporting cast members really help keep the leads from getting too frustrating.)
This books is ostensibly historical fiction, based on The Crystal Palace, but with alchemy in the forefront (and the author's own admission), historical accuracy is minimal at best. I would recommend approaching it as the fantasy that it is. Also, this books ends on a cliffhanger, and dang if it didn't make everything leading up to it feel even more satisfying. I look forward to the next installment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
March 23, 2025
Calling all heist enthusiasts!
When I heard about a new historical fantasy that features reluctant allies and a high-stakes heist, I knew I had to get my hands on the book. And I'm glad I did! There's so much I liked about To Steal from Thieves.
For starters, I think the author does an incredible job combining different genres. This book has history, fantasy, and the smallest sprinkle of romance. There's something for almost everyone! I also like how the genres complement each other. Each genre adds something to the story.
And then there's the characters. This book follows Kane (a charming con man) and Zaria (a talented alchemist) as they work together to steal a necklace. I feel like Kane and Zaria are the definition of reluctant allies. Their skill sets complement each other, but their personalities? Zaria says it best when she states, They were too similar—perhaps that was the problem. They would break each other into unrecognizable pieces. They would set the world on fire purely by accident and watch as it burned down around them.
I definitely think this book is fantasy-forward, but I lived for the romance crumbs. The few scenes we get are worth the wait.
I also appreciate how unapologetic Kane and Zaria are. They don't try to hide their sharp edges, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top. If you enjoy morally gray characters, you're in for a treat! That said, I think there's a fine line between writing morally gray characters that seem unlikable versus ones you can't help but root for. Personally, I found it hard to care about Kane and Zaria.
I also struggled with Kane and Zaria's dialogue. I think their conversations are supposed to make them seem cool and dangerous, but instead, I felt like I was reading about hormonal teenagers who were trying to sound edgy. I cringed during several of their conversations, which is never a good sign.
Moving back to what I like, I think the heist is well written! I went into this book expecting a high-stakes robbery, and it delivers. I also like how the heist comes with a healthy dose of backstabbing and betrayal. That's my kind of fantasy!
Overall, I definitely recommend this book. I think it's a great fit for readers who prefer morally gray characters and high-stakes heists. 3.5 stars—it's a fun read!
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher; all opinions are my own.
When I heard about a new historical fantasy that features reluctant allies and a high-stakes heist, I knew I had to get my hands on the book. And I'm glad I did! There's so much I liked about To Steal from Thieves.
For starters, I think the author does an incredible job combining different genres. This book has history, fantasy, and the smallest sprinkle of romance. There's something for almost everyone! I also like how the genres complement each other. Each genre adds something to the story.
And then there's the characters. This book follows Kane (a charming con man) and Zaria (a talented alchemist) as they work together to steal a necklace. I feel like Kane and Zaria are the definition of reluctant allies. Their skill sets complement each other, but their personalities? Zaria says it best when she states, They were too similar—perhaps that was the problem. They would break each other into unrecognizable pieces. They would set the world on fire purely by accident and watch as it burned down around them.
I definitely think this book is fantasy-forward, but I lived for the romance crumbs. The few scenes we get are worth the wait.
I also appreciate how unapologetic Kane and Zaria are. They don't try to hide their sharp edges, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top. If you enjoy morally gray characters, you're in for a treat! That said, I think there's a fine line between writing morally gray characters that seem unlikable versus ones you can't help but root for. Personally, I found it hard to care about Kane and Zaria.
I also struggled with Kane and Zaria's dialogue. I think their conversations are supposed to make them seem cool and dangerous, but instead, I felt like I was reading about hormonal teenagers who were trying to sound edgy. I cringed during several of their conversations, which is never a good sign.
Moving back to what I like, I think the heist is well written! I went into this book expecting a high-stakes robbery, and it delivers. I also like how the heist comes with a healthy dose of backstabbing and betrayal. That's my kind of fantasy!
Overall, I definitely recommend this book. I think it's a great fit for readers who prefer morally gray characters and high-stakes heists. 3.5 stars—it's a fun read!
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher; all opinions are my own.
February 18, 2025
3.5 stars!
Do you like heists? What about reluctant partners, both plotting to betray the other? Oh, and what about platonic soulmates? And some explosives? Then boy, do i have the book for you.
Zaria Mendoza has been struggling to fulfill her father’s remaining alchemology commissions since his passing. The illegal trade takes pieces of you each and every time you create, and if she doesn’t find a magic source soon, she knows she’s going to follow in her father’s footsteps. She and her best friend Jules have been dreaming of escaping London’s Slums, and so after unsatisfied clients start hunting her, Zaria is more desperate than ever.
Kane Durante wants out. He’s been serving the kingpin Alexander Ward since he was a small child, and lately Ward has been threatening his friend Fletcher’s life. His one and only chance at saving Fletcher arrives with The Great Exhibition, and the mysterious necklace Ward wants brought to him at any cost. But he and Fletcher can’t do this alone- and so Kane recruits Zaria, plotting to betray her at the Exhibition and flee with the necklace as soon as possible.
I loved the high stakes in this book, but i do wish that Zaria and Kane’s feelings for each other were developed a little better! I also struggled with the pacing- the plot felt like it moved a little slow. The ending left me with more questions than answers, so hopefully a sequel is in the works soon!
Thank you to Netgalley and Brown Books! To Steal from Thieves debuts on March 25!
Do you like heists? What about reluctant partners, both plotting to betray the other? Oh, and what about platonic soulmates? And some explosives? Then boy, do i have the book for you.
Zaria Mendoza has been struggling to fulfill her father’s remaining alchemology commissions since his passing. The illegal trade takes pieces of you each and every time you create, and if she doesn’t find a magic source soon, she knows she’s going to follow in her father’s footsteps. She and her best friend Jules have been dreaming of escaping London’s Slums, and so after unsatisfied clients start hunting her, Zaria is more desperate than ever.
Kane Durante wants out. He’s been serving the kingpin Alexander Ward since he was a small child, and lately Ward has been threatening his friend Fletcher’s life. His one and only chance at saving Fletcher arrives with The Great Exhibition, and the mysterious necklace Ward wants brought to him at any cost. But he and Fletcher can’t do this alone- and so Kane recruits Zaria, plotting to betray her at the Exhibition and flee with the necklace as soon as possible.
I loved the high stakes in this book, but i do wish that Zaria and Kane’s feelings for each other were developed a little better! I also struggled with the pacing- the plot felt like it moved a little slow. The ending left me with more questions than answers, so hopefully a sequel is in the works soon!
Thank you to Netgalley and Brown Books! To Steal from Thieves debuts on March 25!
January 7, 2025
I once wrote a single paper on the Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition so yes, I was in fact fully prepared for this heist.
I think the day MK Lobb writes a book I don't like will be the day I give up reading for good. Because this is her third book and the third I have absolutely adored. The Seven Faceless Saints duo was good but this is already shaping up to be even better. I mean, a historical fantasy with magical weapons, a unique and clever heist, a cruel and shady villain, and two main characters who are always fighting but you're begging them to kiss mid-argument anyway? It's everything I wanted. And that ENDING?! I am hurt, wounded, in eternal agony. How I am supposed to wait so long to see what happens next, I do not know. Just pray for me that I survive until then.
A million thanks to the author for the early copy!
I think the day MK Lobb writes a book I don't like will be the day I give up reading for good. Because this is her third book and the third I have absolutely adored. The Seven Faceless Saints duo was good but this is already shaping up to be even better. I mean, a historical fantasy with magical weapons, a unique and clever heist, a cruel and shady villain, and two main characters who are always fighting but you're begging them to kiss mid-argument anyway? It's everything I wanted. And that ENDING?! I am hurt, wounded, in eternal agony. How I am supposed to wait so long to see what happens next, I do not know. Just pray for me that I survive until then.
A million thanks to the author for the early copy!
April 1, 2025
One of the many things I love about MK Lobb is that she knows how to do enemies to lovers right. Her main characters are most assuredly fierce enemies at the beginning of these stories–the kind that will screw you over without blinking. They fight things like caring tooth and nail. The romance? It burns slow. Very slow. The attraction burns faster, but sometimes you can’t help who makes you hot.
Anger is at the center of every interaction and every page of To Steal From Thieves, which may be a very fun read but is also a book that seethes with injustice. A fantastical story set in an alternative history surrounding the 1851 Great Exhibition that took place in London, its root plot is a jewel heist. I’m a sucker for heist plots, especially those involving jewels. It reminds me of gentleman thieves and slick female cat burglars who can navigate complex traps to get their prize. The jewel heist in TSFT is more about survival and less about pretty shiny stones, though, in a time when so many Londoners were unhoused, starving, and in debt to gangsters. Our two main characters, Kane and Zaria, each have something to live for and something worth dying for. This heist is the key to a freedom of sorts.
Lobb never scrimps on worldbuilding, and with so many real-world details to get exactly right to match up with the overlaid fantasy world, I was so happy to see just how intensive and accurate it got (if you can spot the Karl Marx cameo, you deserve a cookie!). The magic system seems to be some sort of fictional cousin to alchemy but is no less fascinating, and is explained rather well without dumping information on the reader.
I’m glad I knew going in this was going to be a duology, because as I approached 80% I felt the pressure of a turn coming, and I wasn’t ready. I can’t wait for the sequel. 4⭐️
I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Action Adventure/Duology/Disability Rep/Fantasy/Romantasy/YA Fiction/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy
Anger is at the center of every interaction and every page of To Steal From Thieves, which may be a very fun read but is also a book that seethes with injustice. A fantastical story set in an alternative history surrounding the 1851 Great Exhibition that took place in London, its root plot is a jewel heist. I’m a sucker for heist plots, especially those involving jewels. It reminds me of gentleman thieves and slick female cat burglars who can navigate complex traps to get their prize. The jewel heist in TSFT is more about survival and less about pretty shiny stones, though, in a time when so many Londoners were unhoused, starving, and in debt to gangsters. Our two main characters, Kane and Zaria, each have something to live for and something worth dying for. This heist is the key to a freedom of sorts.
Lobb never scrimps on worldbuilding, and with so many real-world details to get exactly right to match up with the overlaid fantasy world, I was so happy to see just how intensive and accurate it got (if you can spot the Karl Marx cameo, you deserve a cookie!). The magic system seems to be some sort of fictional cousin to alchemy but is no less fascinating, and is explained rather well without dumping information on the reader.
I’m glad I knew going in this was going to be a duology, because as I approached 80% I felt the pressure of a turn coming, and I wasn’t ready. I can’t wait for the sequel. 4⭐️
I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Action Adventure/Duology/Disability Rep/Fantasy/Romantasy/YA Fiction/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy
March 30, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ebook!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
A fav quote: “Just because you have not done something doesn’t mean you are incapable of it.�
Book 1 in Thieves and Kings involves Kane and Zaria working together to steal a necklace. With their best friends Fletcher and Jules also joining the heist. The synopsis was what made me request this book and i was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading it so much that i needed my physical copy. Two things i loved the most was the friendship between the main characters with their best friends. To see what each main character was willing to do for their loved ones. I also loved the build up between Kane and Zaria. With the dual POV i was able to see how each one felt. The “Miss Mendoza� got me every time! The build up between them felt realistic to me and i can’t wait to see more of that in book two. It took me a little to understand how the magic worked but i understood it later. I also wish to see more continuing the duology. The story finished in a cliffhanger and was a surprise. Will be waiting for the next book! Overall loved it and i definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
A fav quote: “Just because you have not done something doesn’t mean you are incapable of it.�
Book 1 in Thieves and Kings involves Kane and Zaria working together to steal a necklace. With their best friends Fletcher and Jules also joining the heist. The synopsis was what made me request this book and i was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading it so much that i needed my physical copy. Two things i loved the most was the friendship between the main characters with their best friends. To see what each main character was willing to do for their loved ones. I also loved the build up between Kane and Zaria. With the dual POV i was able to see how each one felt. The “Miss Mendoza� got me every time! The build up between them felt realistic to me and i can’t wait to see more of that in book two. It took me a little to understand how the magic worked but i understood it later. I also wish to see more continuing the duology. The story finished in a cliffhanger and was a surprise. Will be waiting for the next book! Overall loved it and i definitely recommend!
March 13, 2025
Possibly my new favorite heist book?
Reluctant partners-to-situationship? ✔️
Gaslamp & steampunk vibes? ✔️
Cons on cons & double-crosses? ✔️
Alchemy-based magic mixed with machinery? ✔️
Morally grey found-family? ✔️
Breaking into The Crystal Palace for some jewelry? ✔️✔️
Between a fast-paced plot that's twisting and turning page-by-page, to the desperation of all parties involved, to the insane shenanigans these characters get up to in their thieving & inventing... I'm FULLY convinced anyone (and everyone) will enjoy this book about a boy with no heart & a girl with nothing to lose.
Also... the cliffhanger, THE CLIFFHANGER!? AGH!!??
I acquired this ARC from my local library at a fantasy event. All reviews will be posted to my socials (Netgalley, ŷ, Fable, IG).
Reluctant partners-to-situationship? ✔️
Gaslamp & steampunk vibes? ✔️
Cons on cons & double-crosses? ✔️
Alchemy-based magic mixed with machinery? ✔️
Morally grey found-family? ✔️
Breaking into The Crystal Palace for some jewelry? ✔️✔️
Between a fast-paced plot that's twisting and turning page-by-page, to the desperation of all parties involved, to the insane shenanigans these characters get up to in their thieving & inventing... I'm FULLY convinced anyone (and everyone) will enjoy this book about a boy with no heart & a girl with nothing to lose.
Also... the cliffhanger, THE CLIFFHANGER!? AGH!!??
I acquired this ARC from my local library at a fantasy event. All reviews will be posted to my socials (Netgalley, ŷ, Fable, IG).
March 2, 2025
This was such a fun, fast-paced read! To Steal from Thieves has all the things I love—heists, found family, and just the right amount of tension between characters. The worldbuilding was interesting, and the twists kept me hooked, though I wished for a bit more depth in some areas. Still, M.K. Lobb delivered an entertaining story, and I’ll definitely be picking up the next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2024
Thank you to Little, Brown Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
𝘛𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 is an atmospheric historical YA fantasy featuring a heist of an alchemical necklace displayed at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in Victorian London. Full of banter, deception, and betrayal, this dual-POV novel is sure to entertain until the last page!
Kane Durante, a crafty con man, has been tasked with stealing a priceless necklace to save his best friend from an early grave. His attempts to complete the heist become more complicated when he is unsuccessful in nabbing the artifact in transit, forcing him to involve clever alchemologist Zaria Mendoza in the scheme. Zaria, drowning in orders and debt from her late father's black market business, reluctantly agrees to the partnership. As the pair prepare for the ultimate heist, complicated feelings begin to emerge, causing them both to doubt their early plans to betray each other.
I was quickly immersed in the story, eating up the historical setting and beautiful prose. The characters have complex emotions and motivations, leading to a web of decisions and betrayals. I really enjoyed the rather complicated reluctant allies to lovers to enemies relationship between Kane and Zaria. I'm left wounded from the ending and desperate for the next book!
𝘛𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 is an atmospheric historical YA fantasy featuring a heist of an alchemical necklace displayed at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in Victorian London. Full of banter, deception, and betrayal, this dual-POV novel is sure to entertain until the last page!
Kane Durante, a crafty con man, has been tasked with stealing a priceless necklace to save his best friend from an early grave. His attempts to complete the heist become more complicated when he is unsuccessful in nabbing the artifact in transit, forcing him to involve clever alchemologist Zaria Mendoza in the scheme. Zaria, drowning in orders and debt from her late father's black market business, reluctantly agrees to the partnership. As the pair prepare for the ultimate heist, complicated feelings begin to emerge, causing them both to doubt their early plans to betray each other.
I was quickly immersed in the story, eating up the historical setting and beautiful prose. The characters have complex emotions and motivations, leading to a web of decisions and betrayals. I really enjoyed the rather complicated reluctant allies to lovers to enemies relationship between Kane and Zaria. I'm left wounded from the ending and desperate for the next book!
March 29, 2025
TO STEAL FROM THIEVES is M. K. Lobb's third published book, and I am here for all of it. It is an ambitious novel, not only in what the characters experience but in who they are. Ms. Lobb takes familiar tropes and skews them ever so slightly. In doing so, she creates two characters who seem familiar at a surface level but are so different underneath as to be new and fresh. The heist, the characters, the chemistry, the magic - each element of the story is stellar in its own right. Together, they combine to make an explosive story that lingers in your memory.
There is maturity to the writing that makes the novel feel more like a new adult or adult novel rather than a young adult one. Zaria and Kane may be young, but they are so very old in experience, loss, and jadedness. You feel the tiredness of their souls through the pages, and it becomes very easy to forget that these two are still in their teens. Ms. Lobb reminds you of their true ages from time to time, but such reminders serve to drive home the sense of heartache you, as the reader, feel at everything they have and must still endure.
Zaria and Kane are the perfect foils, and Ms. Lobb pits them against each other with skill. The chemistry between them smolders quietly but steadily, exploding out in one scene that had me mentally standing in applause, before dying back down to hide underneath the surface once more. This heightens the tension of the entire novel, which is saying something since the story already has built-in tension from the planned heist and the threat that hangs over Kane regarding the heist's success.
Ms. Lobb excels at highlighting the duality of any society, and in TO STEAL FROM THIEVES does so with a clarity that is disturbing in its honesty. From the slums of Devil's Acre to the gated luxury of Hyde Park, Ms. Lobb presents one of the most vivid portraits of the poor in Victorian England I've ever read. Life in the slum was one of abject misery and hopelessness, made worse by the fact that the upper class lived only a few blocks away. Zaria's struggles to adjust to the dichotomy of the two areas, so close in geography but so far apart in every other aspect that matters, and no wonder. Her reaction is not just a point of empathy between the character and the reader; it also feels like a pointed nod to the ever-increasing disparity between the haves and the have-nots in modern society. This is just one of the many ways in which TO STEAL FROM THIEVES is historically accurate and yet very much in tune with the lived experiences of today's reader.
TO STEAL FROM THIEVES ended way too quickly for me, and yet I wouldn't have it end any other way. I love a story where the idea of good and bad doesn't exist, and by the time you turn the last page, there is nothing but moral greyness over every aspect of the story. The ending is something of a cliffhanger, but it doesn't leave you in shock so much as in despair - at what could have been and what is. All you can do now is cheer Ms. Lobb on as she works to finish the second book as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Zaria and Kane and their shared and individual stories are going to stick with me for a long time to come and should hold me until that second book hits its release date.
There is maturity to the writing that makes the novel feel more like a new adult or adult novel rather than a young adult one. Zaria and Kane may be young, but they are so very old in experience, loss, and jadedness. You feel the tiredness of their souls through the pages, and it becomes very easy to forget that these two are still in their teens. Ms. Lobb reminds you of their true ages from time to time, but such reminders serve to drive home the sense of heartache you, as the reader, feel at everything they have and must still endure.
Zaria and Kane are the perfect foils, and Ms. Lobb pits them against each other with skill. The chemistry between them smolders quietly but steadily, exploding out in one scene that had me mentally standing in applause, before dying back down to hide underneath the surface once more. This heightens the tension of the entire novel, which is saying something since the story already has built-in tension from the planned heist and the threat that hangs over Kane regarding the heist's success.
Ms. Lobb excels at highlighting the duality of any society, and in TO STEAL FROM THIEVES does so with a clarity that is disturbing in its honesty. From the slums of Devil's Acre to the gated luxury of Hyde Park, Ms. Lobb presents one of the most vivid portraits of the poor in Victorian England I've ever read. Life in the slum was one of abject misery and hopelessness, made worse by the fact that the upper class lived only a few blocks away. Zaria's struggles to adjust to the dichotomy of the two areas, so close in geography but so far apart in every other aspect that matters, and no wonder. Her reaction is not just a point of empathy between the character and the reader; it also feels like a pointed nod to the ever-increasing disparity between the haves and the have-nots in modern society. This is just one of the many ways in which TO STEAL FROM THIEVES is historically accurate and yet very much in tune with the lived experiences of today's reader.
TO STEAL FROM THIEVES ended way too quickly for me, and yet I wouldn't have it end any other way. I love a story where the idea of good and bad doesn't exist, and by the time you turn the last page, there is nothing but moral greyness over every aspect of the story. The ending is something of a cliffhanger, but it doesn't leave you in shock so much as in despair - at what could have been and what is. All you can do now is cheer Ms. Lobb on as she works to finish the second book as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Zaria and Kane and their shared and individual stories are going to stick with me for a long time to come and should hold me until that second book hits its release date.
March 25, 2025
I received an advanced reader's copy of To Steal From Thieves (Thieves & Kings #1) from Net Galley. I hadn't read anything by M.K. Lobb before but the description caught my attention. It seemed like a young adult romantic fantasy with a mix of Six of Crows and Heartless Hunter. Also, I attended an In Conversation at Indigo last year with M.K. Lobb and other Canadian authors, which I enjoyed, so I wanted to read some of her work.
The story follows two characters' points of view: Zaria, an alchemologist, living in the slums operating her late father's business of selling dark market magic weapons, and Kane, a con man, working for the infamous Kingpin of London as his right-hand man. It's a high-stakes heist story, where the two main characters agree to work together to steal a necklace for the Kingpin, which happens to be located at the most public, heavily-guarded Crystal Palace in London. Although the scheme comes together nicely, love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked towards.
**SPOILERS**
The story hooks your attention quickly. At about 25% into the novel, I was invested to see how it ended. The world-building and magic system was well executed. The magic system was creative; I have yet to read something similar. Alchemologists trained in blood magic create "primateria", a red crystal material, to power objects for various purposes. Usually, dark market materials, such as guns, bombs, etc. The setting was very descriptive, especially the slums and Crystal Palace.
I liked the friendship dynamics between Zaria and Jules as well as Kane and Fletcher. I'm glad the author didn't make Jules secretly in love with Zaria as I'm not a huge fan of that jealousy trope. The romantic relationship between Zaria and Kane, I felt had just the right amount of "reluctant coworkers to lovers to enemies" tension for their interest in each other to be believable. I'm interested in how their storyline pans out, especially since the novel ends with multiple cliffhanger betrayals.
Overall, several themes include loyalty, trust, friendship, violence, love/lust, sacrifice, and betrayal. I would love for this story to continue, so I hope it ends up being a duology at least. I will be buying a copy myself on March 25, 2025. Ultimately, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others to read.
A special thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story follows two characters' points of view: Zaria, an alchemologist, living in the slums operating her late father's business of selling dark market magic weapons, and Kane, a con man, working for the infamous Kingpin of London as his right-hand man. It's a high-stakes heist story, where the two main characters agree to work together to steal a necklace for the Kingpin, which happens to be located at the most public, heavily-guarded Crystal Palace in London. Although the scheme comes together nicely, love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked towards.
**SPOILERS**
The story hooks your attention quickly. At about 25% into the novel, I was invested to see how it ended. The world-building and magic system was well executed. The magic system was creative; I have yet to read something similar. Alchemologists trained in blood magic create "primateria", a red crystal material, to power objects for various purposes. Usually, dark market materials, such as guns, bombs, etc. The setting was very descriptive, especially the slums and Crystal Palace.
I liked the friendship dynamics between Zaria and Jules as well as Kane and Fletcher. I'm glad the author didn't make Jules secretly in love with Zaria as I'm not a huge fan of that jealousy trope. The romantic relationship between Zaria and Kane, I felt had just the right amount of "reluctant coworkers to lovers to enemies" tension for their interest in each other to be believable. I'm interested in how their storyline pans out, especially since the novel ends with multiple cliffhanger betrayals.
Overall, several themes include loyalty, trust, friendship, violence, love/lust, sacrifice, and betrayal. I would love for this story to continue, so I hope it ends up being a duology at least. I will be buying a copy myself on March 25, 2025. Ultimately, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others to read.
A special thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2025
It’s been a long time since I read a book that hit all the boxes of things I love to find in a book, and this one didn’t disappoint!
Kane. My angry, sad boy Kane. *sigh* he made this book so dang good. Mr. Con man who didn’t want to drown in emotions..
“Perhaps he would have asked if she regretted it, that kiss.
Perhaps he would have told her that he didn’t.
Perhaps he would have apologized in advance.
He might have told her something that surprised them both if she hadn’t said merely, “Good night, Kane.�
By then, it was too late.�
Ugh, my heart! He was such a great character!
Zaria. I almost don’t want to admit how much I can relate to her 😩
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m careless, but also very particular. I’m too easily frustrated. I’m terrible at connecting with people, so everyone assumes I don’t like them, and I don’t bother to change their minds. I don’t want to change their minds because I’m terrified they’ll decide I’m not good enough, and then I’ll look like a fool. I’m constantly thinking fifteen thoughts at once, and yet I can’t remember a single one of them. I say all the wrong things at the wrong times, …�
I wanted to tell her to stop a thousand times and yet I also couldn’t help but agree or find myself believing her choices were right� and yet.
And yet.
The ending was deliciously perfect and I really really need to know where this all goes from here!!!
*if you loved What the River knows, you would love this!
Kane. My angry, sad boy Kane. *sigh* he made this book so dang good. Mr. Con man who didn’t want to drown in emotions..
“Perhaps he would have asked if she regretted it, that kiss.
Perhaps he would have told her that he didn’t.
Perhaps he would have apologized in advance.
He might have told her something that surprised them both if she hadn’t said merely, “Good night, Kane.�
By then, it was too late.�
Ugh, my heart! He was such a great character!
Zaria. I almost don’t want to admit how much I can relate to her 😩
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m careless, but also very particular. I’m too easily frustrated. I’m terrible at connecting with people, so everyone assumes I don’t like them, and I don’t bother to change their minds. I don’t want to change their minds because I’m terrified they’ll decide I’m not good enough, and then I’ll look like a fool. I’m constantly thinking fifteen thoughts at once, and yet I can’t remember a single one of them. I say all the wrong things at the wrong times, …�
I wanted to tell her to stop a thousand times and yet I also couldn’t help but agree or find myself believing her choices were right� and yet.
And yet.
The ending was deliciously perfect and I really really need to know where this all goes from here!!!
*if you loved What the River knows, you would love this!
December 5, 2024
I LOVE heist stories! If you tell me there is a heist book coming out (especially a YA heist book), I am THERE. As soon as I heard about this book, it became one of my most anticipated releases for 2025 and I was super excited to be able to read it early.
Set in an alternate 19th century London where some people use magic, this book follows Kane and Zaria, two characters who unexpectedly have to work together to pull off a dangerous heist. Though they are initially wary of each other, their relationship does develop even as the stakes grow higher.
I liked following both Kane and Zaria. They were very different characters each struggling with different issues. The magic in this world uses a person’s life force so Zaria is trying to find a way to use magic safely, while Kane is in the employ of a truly terrible person. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and their motivations, and Kane’s crime boss was also super intimidating which made the stakes feel very high.
I loved the heist elements and the potential for crossing and double crossing the others involved. They have such a tenuous partnership that it felt even more intense here. The ending was definitely unexpected and I can’t wait to see where the story will go from here!
If you love a good heist story, definitely try this one.
Set in an alternate 19th century London where some people use magic, this book follows Kane and Zaria, two characters who unexpectedly have to work together to pull off a dangerous heist. Though they are initially wary of each other, their relationship does develop even as the stakes grow higher.
I liked following both Kane and Zaria. They were very different characters each struggling with different issues. The magic in this world uses a person’s life force so Zaria is trying to find a way to use magic safely, while Kane is in the employ of a truly terrible person. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and their motivations, and Kane’s crime boss was also super intimidating which made the stakes feel very high.
I loved the heist elements and the potential for crossing and double crossing the others involved. They have such a tenuous partnership that it felt even more intense here. The ending was definitely unexpected and I can’t wait to see where the story will go from here!
If you love a good heist story, definitely try this one.
March 24, 2025
This was great! A high stakes jewelry heist, reluctant allies, magical weapons, mobsters, cons, and more. Zaria is a dark market alchemologist trying to make ends meet with a profession that will eventually kill her, and Kane is the morally grey son of the Kingpin of Devil’s Acre who is forcing him to steal a rare necklace or suffer a dire consequence. When Kane realizes he needs magic to complete the task, he enlists Zaria’s help.
I loved both Kane and Zaria and the dual POV was so much fun watching them plan to con each other and of course trying to deny their feelings. While their situations are very different, they’ve each had difficult lives and share the same goal of protecting the ones they love no matter the cost. This was very fast paced and attention grabbing and I absolutely loved the ending! I’m really looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to Little, Brown Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved both Kane and Zaria and the dual POV was so much fun watching them plan to con each other and of course trying to deny their feelings. While their situations are very different, they’ve each had difficult lives and share the same goal of protecting the ones they love no matter the cost. This was very fast paced and attention grabbing and I absolutely loved the ending! I’m really looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to Little, Brown Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 31, 2025
4⭐️ �
“Kissing Kane was not gentle. It was grasping fingers and bruising touch and the delicate skim of teeth. It was vicious collision and fury in the space between breathless gasps. It was the heady scent of smoke and the dizzying absence of all rational thought.�
I’ll never see the word “coward� the same again. IYKYK 😉
To Steal from Thieves by is a young adult historical fantasy novel set in an alternate Victorian-era London, where crime and alchemy collide. It follows two skilled thieves who must navigate a web of secrets, deception, and danger as they attempt an ambitious heist that could change their lives forever.
What a delectable read! TSfT has one of the best uses of dual points of view I have seen. Zaria and Kane have distinct and intriguing voices, making it enjoyable to be in either of their narratives.
The plot is super fun, entertaining, fast-paced, and emotional at times. The banter between Zaria and Kane is sexy and scrumptious!
I thoroughly enjoyed the crimes-ridden London setting. Lobb establishes it very well through her detailed exposition. It strikes an ideal balance between realism and fantasy. The setting then adds the perfect backdrop to Lobb’s alchemological magic system. It is unique and logical, making it easy to understand and believable from the start.
Lobb has THANKFULLY confirm this is a duology and there will be a sequel! This is perfect, because the book ended on quite a dramatic cliffhanger.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this complimentary ARC ebook copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
“Kissing Kane was not gentle. It was grasping fingers and bruising touch and the delicate skim of teeth. It was vicious collision and fury in the space between breathless gasps. It was the heady scent of smoke and the dizzying absence of all rational thought.�
I’ll never see the word “coward� the same again. IYKYK 😉
To Steal from Thieves by is a young adult historical fantasy novel set in an alternate Victorian-era London, where crime and alchemy collide. It follows two skilled thieves who must navigate a web of secrets, deception, and danger as they attempt an ambitious heist that could change their lives forever.
What a delectable read! TSfT has one of the best uses of dual points of view I have seen. Zaria and Kane have distinct and intriguing voices, making it enjoyable to be in either of their narratives.
The plot is super fun, entertaining, fast-paced, and emotional at times. The banter between Zaria and Kane is sexy and scrumptious!
I thoroughly enjoyed the crimes-ridden London setting. Lobb establishes it very well through her detailed exposition. It strikes an ideal balance between realism and fantasy. The setting then adds the perfect backdrop to Lobb’s alchemological magic system. It is unique and logical, making it easy to understand and believable from the start.
Lobb has THANKFULLY confirm this is a duology and there will be a sequel! This is perfect, because the book ended on quite a dramatic cliffhanger.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this complimentary ARC ebook copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 31, 2025
Give me Anastasia and Dmitri in a world where she's an alchemologist who can make magical objects and he's an adopted son of a kingpin in turn-of-the-century London and they must work together to steal a valuable artifact while trying to figure out if they must double cross the other to achieve their dreams and you got this book. I had so much fun reading this and it ends on a devil of a cliffhanger.
April 4, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sorry to say that this book and I did not mesh well. The characters felt underdeveloped; I was never invested in either perspective, nor their friendships. I enjoyed the taste of alchemology/the magic system we got but found Zaria to be incredibly detached and unrelatable. Kane's little bit of a Kaz Brekker vibe was fun at first but lacked a sense of depth. The smidge of romance felt forced and fueled by anger. The overall planning and execution of the heist was like 10 pages total and the pacing of the end was super rushed. This book was just not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sorry to say that this book and I did not mesh well. The characters felt underdeveloped; I was never invested in either perspective, nor their friendships. I enjoyed the taste of alchemology/the magic system we got but found Zaria to be incredibly detached and unrelatable. Kane's little bit of a Kaz Brekker vibe was fun at first but lacked a sense of depth. The smidge of romance felt forced and fueled by anger. The overall planning and execution of the heist was like 10 pages total and the pacing of the end was super rushed. This book was just not for me.
March 30, 2025
3.75/5 stars - best heist book i’ve read since six of crows, now i just have to wait for the sequel..
December 17, 2024
2.5 stars
Something about this just didn't work for me. I'm usually all for a heist story, especially with a good enemies to lovers subplot, but this just didn't deliver.
Thank you to Little Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC!
Something about this just didn't work for me. I'm usually all for a heist story, especially with a good enemies to lovers subplot, but this just didn't deliver.
Thank you to Little Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC!
March 20, 2025
3
*Review to come*
*Review to come*
April 4, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.
In an alternate version of Victorian London, magic exists and can be used to improve technology. It's known as alchemology, and requires the magic-user to sacrifice some blood and life force to create the magical element known as primateria. It means that alchemologists tend to have shorter lifespans, which was certainly the case with Zaria Mendoza's father. Now she's an orphan struggling to complete her father's outstanding commissions to unsavoury individuals in the London underworld. Soulsteel, the material required to create primateria is rare and expensive, and she keeps having to postpone her rent payments. If her landlord wasn't the father of her best friend, she would probably be out on the streets already.
Kane Durante has been tasked by his patron, the sinister underworld kingpin Ward, to find a particular necklace coming in on one of the boats in the port. He and his best friend, Fletcher, have been working undercover on the docks, trying to intercept the necklace before it goes on display at the Royal Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, because having to steal it from such a public place will be a nightmare. Unfortunately, neither he nor Fletcher are successful and it seems like they have no choice but to pull off a dangerous, nearly impossible heist. If Ward doesn't get his necklace, he promises to do all manner of unpleasant things to Fletcher. So a-heisting they will go.
Having fetched a magical firearm from Zaria while undercover, he decides she is essential to the success of their endeavour, and manages to persuade her to cooperate through a combination of threats and promises. Zaria desperately needs enough money to get her and her best friend Julian out of London, and if she can help Kane rob the Crystal Palace, her share of the loot will be enough for them to live comfortably and get away from the squalor that is their current lives.
Of course, Kane and Zaria are both cynical, distrustful individuals used to relying on no one but themselves. They both plan to betray the other before the end of the heist, with no misgivings about how this could affect the other.
Does the heist succeed? Do Kane and Zaria turn from reluctant allies who snipe flirtatiously at each other to potential lovers? Does Kane discover that his patron and boss, Ward, clearly had more to do with his parents' death than has previously been revealed?
I don't know, because I just couldn't with this book. While I thought the magic system introduced was really interesting, I really didn't care about Kane or Zaria at all. It's nice that they both have a platonic best friend they're willing to risk everything for, to the point of stupidity (it's obvious that both Jules and Fletcher would be deeply unhappy knowing how many dangerous things their friends are willing to risk for their sakes), but having spent three days forcing myself through only the first third of the book, I decided to peak ahead to see if things got more exciting further on in the book - and I still wasn't convinced.
From what I can see, the book ends in a way that suggests at least one sequel (or the ending will be very unsatisfying), but I have absolutely no wish to read more books about these characters. Both the characters and setting felt like they were strongly inspired by and by , but unlike those books, where I pretty much gave up on food and sleep to get through the books faster, there was nothing here to hold my attention. I haven't read anything else by M.K. Lobb, so I can't say if the writing style is similar to their previous works, or something new they're trying. I'm sure this will make for an exciting heist narrative for another reader, but for me, this was a DNF.
Judging a book by its cover:I'm guessing the necklace that dominates the centre of the cover is the item they're planning to steal. I'm not entirely sure why the cover artist chose to portray him looking like a spoiled prep school boarder, but that's just not at all how he's described in the book. The girl, who I'm guessing must be Zaria, appears to have her own wind machine since her curls are so out of control.
In an alternate version of Victorian London, magic exists and can be used to improve technology. It's known as alchemology, and requires the magic-user to sacrifice some blood and life force to create the magical element known as primateria. It means that alchemologists tend to have shorter lifespans, which was certainly the case with Zaria Mendoza's father. Now she's an orphan struggling to complete her father's outstanding commissions to unsavoury individuals in the London underworld. Soulsteel, the material required to create primateria is rare and expensive, and she keeps having to postpone her rent payments. If her landlord wasn't the father of her best friend, she would probably be out on the streets already.
Kane Durante has been tasked by his patron, the sinister underworld kingpin Ward, to find a particular necklace coming in on one of the boats in the port. He and his best friend, Fletcher, have been working undercover on the docks, trying to intercept the necklace before it goes on display at the Royal Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, because having to steal it from such a public place will be a nightmare. Unfortunately, neither he nor Fletcher are successful and it seems like they have no choice but to pull off a dangerous, nearly impossible heist. If Ward doesn't get his necklace, he promises to do all manner of unpleasant things to Fletcher. So a-heisting they will go.
Having fetched a magical firearm from Zaria while undercover, he decides she is essential to the success of their endeavour, and manages to persuade her to cooperate through a combination of threats and promises. Zaria desperately needs enough money to get her and her best friend Julian out of London, and if she can help Kane rob the Crystal Palace, her share of the loot will be enough for them to live comfortably and get away from the squalor that is their current lives.
Of course, Kane and Zaria are both cynical, distrustful individuals used to relying on no one but themselves. They both plan to betray the other before the end of the heist, with no misgivings about how this could affect the other.
Does the heist succeed? Do Kane and Zaria turn from reluctant allies who snipe flirtatiously at each other to potential lovers? Does Kane discover that his patron and boss, Ward, clearly had more to do with his parents' death than has previously been revealed?
I don't know, because I just couldn't with this book. While I thought the magic system introduced was really interesting, I really didn't care about Kane or Zaria at all. It's nice that they both have a platonic best friend they're willing to risk everything for, to the point of stupidity (it's obvious that both Jules and Fletcher would be deeply unhappy knowing how many dangerous things their friends are willing to risk for their sakes), but having spent three days forcing myself through only the first third of the book, I decided to peak ahead to see if things got more exciting further on in the book - and I still wasn't convinced.
From what I can see, the book ends in a way that suggests at least one sequel (or the ending will be very unsatisfying), but I have absolutely no wish to read more books about these characters. Both the characters and setting felt like they were strongly inspired by and by , but unlike those books, where I pretty much gave up on food and sleep to get through the books faster, there was nothing here to hold my attention. I haven't read anything else by M.K. Lobb, so I can't say if the writing style is similar to their previous works, or something new they're trying. I'm sure this will make for an exciting heist narrative for another reader, but for me, this was a DNF.
Judging a book by its cover:I'm guessing the necklace that dominates the centre of the cover is the item they're planning to steal. I'm not entirely sure why the cover artist chose to portray him looking like a spoiled prep school boarder, but that's just not at all how he's described in the book. The girl, who I'm guessing must be Zaria, appears to have her own wind machine since her curls are so out of control.
March 19, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
To Steal from Thieves by M.K. Lobb is a third person dual-POV YA historical fantasy set during London’s Great Exhibition. Zaria is an alchemologist trying to survive through her illegal business. Kane has been under the thumb of London’s kingpin for a decent portion of his life, making him desperate for affection and follow through with increasingly violent acts. When the two collide for a heist, feelings grow but so do the pressures of the world around them.
One of the things I really liked was how most of the main cast is not British. Kane is Irish and I believe Fletcher, his best friend, is as well while Zaria’s last name is Spanish and her first name is Slavic (and her father’s name is Basque, specifically), implying she’s of mixed heritage, and her best friend Jules is of Chinese descent. It showcases the diversity of England that was already well underway in the mid-19th century and does add an entire layer to the fact that all four are in poverty. Immigrants very often are in poverty and, historically, those of Slavic descent, Asian descent, and the Irish have faced a lot of discrimination in the UK and those of Basque descent have had struggles against colonization much like the others have. The narration doesn’t deeply delve into any of this, so my own background informed a lot of it, but I think going in with that lens does enhance the text.
Zaria and Kane’s relationship, as it stands at the end of the book, is volatile, to say the least. I am very curious to see how it will evolve in the next book because there is definitely attraction there and reluctant respect, but Kane has a lot of growth and maturing and unlearning to do before he’s ready for a relationship with anyone. Zaria, at least right now, would never choose Kane over her best friend, Jules, but she doesn’t deny her attraction in any way. It’s breaking some of the rules that I think we subconsciously expect from a romance, but this isn’t a romance. At most, it’s a romantic fantasy but it’s not even really marketed as such beyond the cover, so, to me, that means it doesn’t have to match romance genre expectations. If anything, I’m actually glad that it did break those expectations because the end result feels more organic and true to the characters. This is one of those cases where I think I would recommend this to people who are asking for romance arcs in fantasy that defy Romantasy expectations more than I would recommend it to Romantasy fans, though I think some Romantasy fans could really like it.
I want more of the alchemology. We get some details for how it works, but I would love for it to be explored further in the second book. It involves blood and sacrifice, which is very cool and interesting; I love anything that even remotely touches on Equivalent Exchange a la Fullmetal Alchemist and I hope the next book goes in that direction.
I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy that don’t want a Romantasy but do want a strong romance arc and readers of historical fantasy who want something set in London in the mid-nineteenth century that isn’t a Regency romance.
To Steal from Thieves by M.K. Lobb is a third person dual-POV YA historical fantasy set during London’s Great Exhibition. Zaria is an alchemologist trying to survive through her illegal business. Kane has been under the thumb of London’s kingpin for a decent portion of his life, making him desperate for affection and follow through with increasingly violent acts. When the two collide for a heist, feelings grow but so do the pressures of the world around them.
One of the things I really liked was how most of the main cast is not British. Kane is Irish and I believe Fletcher, his best friend, is as well while Zaria’s last name is Spanish and her first name is Slavic (and her father’s name is Basque, specifically), implying she’s of mixed heritage, and her best friend Jules is of Chinese descent. It showcases the diversity of England that was already well underway in the mid-19th century and does add an entire layer to the fact that all four are in poverty. Immigrants very often are in poverty and, historically, those of Slavic descent, Asian descent, and the Irish have faced a lot of discrimination in the UK and those of Basque descent have had struggles against colonization much like the others have. The narration doesn’t deeply delve into any of this, so my own background informed a lot of it, but I think going in with that lens does enhance the text.
Zaria and Kane’s relationship, as it stands at the end of the book, is volatile, to say the least. I am very curious to see how it will evolve in the next book because there is definitely attraction there and reluctant respect, but Kane has a lot of growth and maturing and unlearning to do before he’s ready for a relationship with anyone. Zaria, at least right now, would never choose Kane over her best friend, Jules, but she doesn’t deny her attraction in any way. It’s breaking some of the rules that I think we subconsciously expect from a romance, but this isn’t a romance. At most, it’s a romantic fantasy but it’s not even really marketed as such beyond the cover, so, to me, that means it doesn’t have to match romance genre expectations. If anything, I’m actually glad that it did break those expectations because the end result feels more organic and true to the characters. This is one of those cases where I think I would recommend this to people who are asking for romance arcs in fantasy that defy Romantasy expectations more than I would recommend it to Romantasy fans, though I think some Romantasy fans could really like it.
I want more of the alchemology. We get some details for how it works, but I would love for it to be explored further in the second book. It involves blood and sacrifice, which is very cool and interesting; I love anything that even remotely touches on Equivalent Exchange a la Fullmetal Alchemist and I hope the next book goes in that direction.
I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy that don’t want a Romantasy but do want a strong romance arc and readers of historical fantasy who want something set in London in the mid-nineteenth century that isn’t a Regency romance.
January 31, 2025
To Steal from Thieves follows Kane and Zaria. Kane is a conman and son to the infamous Kingpin of London’s dark, magical market with the task to steal a priceless necklace from the Great Exhibition. Zaria is the daughter of one of the greatest alchemologists struggling to keep his business afloat after his death. Kane needs the help of magic to make his great heist and convinces Zaria to work for him so she can get out of debt. With secrets and betrayals around every corner, and enemies out for blood, Kane and Zaria risk everything in a high-stakes heist.
This was an enjoyable read and while I think it will appeal to tons of people, there some things that didn’t work for me. The main thing was the romance. I just didn’t feel the romantic chemistry--definitely felt a good friendship chemistry with their banter--or see why they should be together other than circumstances bringing them together. Both were set for betraying the other and there was such tension between them but it didn’t feel romantic to me. I’m sure others will adore their dynamic though.
Separately, I thoroughly enjoyed each character. I loved how dark and deceitful Kane was and the ending made things very intriguing for a sequel. He definitely is a character who starts in a seedy place and ends in a seedier place. He reminded me a bit of Kaz. Zaria was great and I really loved her chapters as they focused on magic. I really admired her snark and resilience. Both characters have such lovely friends—Jules and Fletcher are so great.
This alternate London was super interesting, and I loved the magic system. It was very unique, and I liked the concept of alchemology. Super intriguing and well explained. I would’ve loved a bit more focus on the magic, so hopefully in the sequel. The heist was really interesting, and the stakes were high throughout the entire novel which did make this easy to fly through. I’m definitely interested in reading the sequel when it comes out!
Overall if you love heists and Six of Crows and cool magic systems, this will be one you won’t want to miss!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was an enjoyable read and while I think it will appeal to tons of people, there some things that didn’t work for me. The main thing was the romance. I just didn’t feel the romantic chemistry--definitely felt a good friendship chemistry with their banter--or see why they should be together other than circumstances bringing them together. Both were set for betraying the other and there was such tension between them but it didn’t feel romantic to me. I’m sure others will adore their dynamic though.
Separately, I thoroughly enjoyed each character. I loved how dark and deceitful Kane was and the ending made things very intriguing for a sequel. He definitely is a character who starts in a seedy place and ends in a seedier place. He reminded me a bit of Kaz. Zaria was great and I really loved her chapters as they focused on magic. I really admired her snark and resilience. Both characters have such lovely friends—Jules and Fletcher are so great.
This alternate London was super interesting, and I loved the magic system. It was very unique, and I liked the concept of alchemology. Super intriguing and well explained. I would’ve loved a bit more focus on the magic, so hopefully in the sequel. The heist was really interesting, and the stakes were high throughout the entire novel which did make this easy to fly through. I’m definitely interested in reading the sequel when it comes out!
Overall if you love heists and Six of Crows and cool magic systems, this will be one you won’t want to miss!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
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