Dance of Thieves

An addicting new fantasy from one of my favorite YA fantasy authors. This book has it all. Romance, danger, conflict, fierce characters, and humor. Pearson's rich storytelling once again swept me off my feet, and had me falling head over heals in love with her characters, and their story. I absolutely loved being back not only in the Remnants world, but in a Mary E. Pearson book. This book is definitely my new favorite book of hers. It's richly detailed fantasy world set within a world I already loved. It's a new story with a rich history (which is the Remnant Chronicles), new characters, some previously introduced characters, a villain you'll love to hate, character chemistry that will you wanting more, and two characters that I absolutely loved falling in love, and whose stories I loved reading. It wasn't hard for me to quickly fall in love with Jase and Kazi. Individually, both are incredibly resilient, street smart characters who show no fear, and don't back down from a challenge. Both are on opposite sides of things, but it made things that much more interesting and complex for each other. After they find themselves in a complicated situation, they're forced to trust to each other enough to work together. It's during that time they form an deniable bond. Their bond felt right, and natural, but it also leads into their pretend relationship. Which really was my favorite aspect of the story, because while it's all pretend politically, neither can deny their true feelings, which makes things really interesting and complicated for the two of them. Having this story told in alternating points of views between Jase and Kazi was brilliant! I don't think this story would have worked any other way. It allows readers to really see the various situations that arise, and the full picture of everything that's going on both with Kazi's mission, and Jase's ruling, and now the situations between the two of them. It also allows readers to really get to know both the characters more, and understand where they're both coming from, their feelings for each other, intentions, and the reasoning behind their actions. I loved getting to know Jase and Kazi. The rest of the characters in this book are great. Having the dual povs of views also allow readers to really get to know these other characters more. From those in Jase's family, to those with Kazi, these characters all added a lot to the story. The world building is just what I'd except from Mary's books. It's richly detailed, easy to visualize, and adds an new element to a world that I already had fallen in love with. The overlapping of the previous history in this book was perfectly done. I loved the way Mary included that in the story. If you read The Remnant Chronicles prior to reading this book, the characters, and events mentioned from that series will make more sense, but this book is definitely it's own storyline, and one you may be fine with reading on it's own. While Dance of Thieves is a continuation of the series, I love that it's a new storyline, and series set after those events. This book is everything I knew it would be, and much more. That ending! I can hardly wait to dive into the next book in this series.

I'm gonna get this question out of the way: do you need to read the Remnant Chronicles before you read this? The quick and technical answer is "No, you do not." This is an entirely separate story, but in terms of plot and characters. Where the two overlap is historical context. A lot of the history of this novel is comprised of events that took place in TRC, and so you're spoiled for the previous series. Spoiled a lot. So, if you would ask me - I'd suggest reading the series first, and then getting to this. You don't HAVE to, but you'll thank me for it. Likes: ✨The characters. Pearson is a master of characterization; she constructs distinct personalities and voices for her protagonists, giving them their own unique flavor. Our two main characters with perspective chapters are Kazi and Jase, both of whom are deeply flawed in their own ways but that's what makes them so fascinating. Their internal struggle and deep-rooted sense of loyalty - whether it be to their kingdom, to their family, to their values - are traits that largely define both of them, causing intense friction between their relationship, but also a profound sense of understanding. The result is a back and forth, a push and pull between them that's so delicious to watch unravel. But that's not all - the side characters are also well fleshed out with their own personalities and their own goals. You get a good sense of who each major side character is. Their relationship dynamic with each other, whether they're on good terms or mortal enemies, are also given proper weight. Pearson utilizes this chunker of a book to the best of her ability in terms of characterization, because even after you turn the last page, you still feel like they're standing right beside you. And you KNOW I'm a sucker for good characterization. ✨The romance. I can't tell you how long it's been since a 'ship' has made me swoon like this, but Kazi and Jase's relationship was genuinely all-consuming. For a lot of the reasons I mentioned above and their characters' positions in this story, their relationship is complicated to say the least. Kazi is a reformed thief-turned-guard for the queen, and Jase is the head of the Ballenger family - a family that doesn't have the best reputation in the kingdom. For all intents and purposes, they're rivals. Or at least they should be, but they're so similar in so many ways that they can't stay away. Another great thing Pearson does is stay far, far away from the 'will-they-won't-they' trope. They do. And they fall for each other very early on in the novel. It's so unexpected, because a lot of the events that take place in the first 25% of the book are events I usually expect in a sequel! But Pearson structures her books confidently and smartly. She gets the trope-y stuff out of the way (and does it deftly, naturally!) so she can focus on the issues the way they need to. Because of this, the reader is fully invested in the romance because they've already tasted it. But the complications that exist are fully explored, delved into deeply, which makes the relationship and characterization all the more rich and powerful. ✨ I was going to talk at length about characterization and the romance, which I've done, but just because these next points are shorter doesn't mean they're any less well done. The richness in the world-building and the political system made for a very complex plot, chock-full of betrayal, deceit, traveling (I sure love traveling in a medieval-inspired world!), thievery, fighting, sneaking around and illicit kisses. What's not to love! ✨ The writing was beautiful, but I expected nothing else from Pearson after she totally blew me away with her Remnant Chronicles series. Dislikes: ✨ Honestly, my only true gripe with this book was some of the world-building and its info-dumpy nature. I understand because the political system and the mapping out of the world is extremely important to the overall story of the novel, and a lot of this cannot be done unless you have (1) info-dumps or (2) maps. Since I had an ARC of the book, I did not have access to the maps so I sometimes found myself confused. I feel if the information was complemented with a visual element, it would have been a lot easier. But as it was, parts of my reading experience were confusing. I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was most ecstatic to read Mary E. Pearson’s Dance of Thieves that is set in the world of The Remnant Chronicles. It’s been many reads since I read that series, so I couldn’t quite remember everything about it, but in a way, that works best, for this new series isn’t about Lia and Rafe, it’s about Kazi and Jase. If you’ve read The Remnant Chronicles than you can pretty much expect the same greatness that series held in this first installment of the new series, Dance of Thieves. The beginning of this one was a touch confusing for me, perhaps because I was looking for familiar names and faces, struggling to remember what had happened in the first series. I do this to myself a lot and really need to find a way to get over that. Lol. But within just a few chapters I was finally able to see where Kazi’s story began, as there was a bit of a recap of sorts of what her past was like and it was necessary to help set the story, I see that now. Kazi is being sent by the queen to go to Tor’s Watch to search for a criminal who escaped long ago. Her friends will be joining her as well. Kazi and her friends were once thieves, and maybe still are, but they have also been trained by the queen herself to become the perfect solider, the ones that no one would ever suspect. Jase has just become Patrei after his father passed away, he’s basically king of his country. He knows that many of his father’s enemies won’t be too happy that he’s in charge now and when he sees Kazi causing a bit of mischief in his town, he gets curious. Though, it’s his curiosity that will be his doom for it’s not long after they meet that both Kazi and Jase are kidnapped by slave laborers to be taken to who-knows-where to be forced to work in harsh conditions until the keel over. Naturally, this idea doesn’t make either of them happy and Kazi manages to free herself, Jase, and the other prisoners…only they didn’t get themselves unchained before losing the keys. Kazi and Jase will have to work together if they want to stay clear from the slave laborers and get to the next town which is some hundreds of miles away. So they walk barefoot and chained a great distance. Naturally, you can pretty much guess that these two who hate each other are going to end up falling for one another. They are chained together after all. Oddly enough, this journey of theirs is only the beginning of the story. Much more will happen to them afterwards and it will be nearly impossible to guess the future outcomes. Kazi has her mission. Jase has his kingdom to protect. They are at odds with each other and yet, neither one can forget the events they went through while chained together. I wouldn’t exactly call the relationship that developed insta-love. True, it happens quick and is foreseeable, or perhaps I’ve just read too much, but yet I have to say, it was rather sweet, and incredibly swoony! Though just because they fell into these feelings rather quickly, doesn’t mean things will continue to go well for them. There will be many more trials and tribulations that will affect their growing relationship. We get both Kazi and Jase’s points of view in this one, there’s no guessing games this time around, sadly. Lol. I really enjoyed getting both their views for you saw how they truly cared for one another despite what they might actually say to each other and you were better able to understand what was driving them to complete their goals. Except for my initial hiccup in the beginning, I have to say that this novel was incredibly well-paced! I don’t want to get into the details explaining why, but I never felt like the story dragged. Not one bit. It was purely page-turning (as I am one who could never grip the book to damage the spine and say “spine-gripping”, lol!). The characters were lovable in their own ways, I especially enjoyed Kazi’s friends, Synove and Wren. They had their quirks but were hysterical as well! Jase’s many siblings were also a riot! I truly loved his family. Needless to say the characters were all winners for me! The ending though was quite the puzzle! There’s some different going on after a nice steady stream of a pattern, you could say. I’m not sure what to make of it and I think that was Mary’s point. She led me into this false sense of security where I felt like I knew what was going on and what might happen and then POW! I see what you did there Mary, and I applaud you for it! ;) Dance of Thieves may be a new story with new characters, but it’s set in the familiar world we already know from The Remnant Chronicles. It’s a story that you will be quick to fall in love with as you did its predecessor. Dance of Thieves was a truly marvelous piece of artwork from its cover to the very last word on the page. There is no doubt about it that I will be very much looking forward to its sequel! Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson is a spinoff of The Remnant Chronicles. Dance of Thieves features Kazi, a street thief turned guard, who is tasked with investigating wrongdoings against an area settlement. Along the way she meets Jase, a member of the Ballenger family, who quickly takes an interest in Kazi. Kazi has to complete her mission all while trying not to fall for Jase's charm (or lack thereof). So, to be very short: I loved this book! I adored The Remnant Chronicles, so it was so much fun jumping back into this world. Mary E. Pearson's writing style is wonderfully descriptive--beautiful imagery and rich world building. I was sucked into the opening chapter, and I never wanted to come up for air. The story concept is so cool! The book is set just after The Remnant Chronicles, when the queen begins her reign. Kazi and Jase's cat and mouse game was intriguing. They both had hidden agendas and a mountain's worth of secrets between the two of them. It was fun watching their relationship develop, even as deceit ran rampant on both sides. I liked Kazi's backstory, which was slowly unveiled throughout the book. Kazi is rough around the edges, but her history helped shape her personality and tough demeanor. I liked her sass, and ever-present compassionate streak. I also liked the inclusion of riddles in the book. This was so fun and unique, and I truly enjoyed puzzling through each riddle before reading on to get the answer. They were very clever. The ending of the book was encore worthy (the whole book is encore worthy, really). It ends on a positive note, while still remaining open-ended enough to feed into the next book, Vow of Thieves (set to publish August 2019--are we there yet?) Outside of Kazi, who was a strong female protagonist, the rest of the cast of characters were equally awesome. Jase was swoon-worthy, motivated by honor and compassion. Wren and Synové were exciting, unique, and at times, downright hilarious. All characters not mentioned were just as interesting. There were no cookie-cutter characters in this book! If you haven't read a book by Mary E. Pearson, I highly recommend you read The Remnant Chronicles trilogy and then quickly pick up Dance of Thieves. They're well worth the time!

**No Spoilers in First Half** Overall, I really liked this addition to the Remnant Chronicles. This book is set in the same world, but follows different characters. Technically, you could read this without reading the other books, but I would recommend reading the books in order to better understand the history/motivation for why the world is the way it is and how the characters fit into it. There are also references to characters from the trilogy that would be much easier to understand. The pacing was a little slow for the first 3-4 chapters in my opinion (mostly familiarizing readers with the world/characters) but it is well paced from there. The POV alters between the two main characters, which gives interesting perspective. If you like action, adventure, and romance, you’ll likely enjoy this book. Age Recommendation: 14+ Violence: There is a lot of violence in this book, some instances described and others implied: kingdoms have fought/are fighting for territory, punching, stabbing, slicing off fingers/ears, raiders, illegal slave market, old battle scenes littered with skeletons, victims of war/crime dealing with PTSD, dangerous animals, etc. Sex: Lots of kissing and attraction between main characters (and implications they both have been sexually active in the past, but no sex for the main characters). Several supporting characters discuss possible relations between characters, but nothing explicit. A character mentions not wanting to get pregnant as a reason to avoid it. There is one instance where a character can hear moaning when he sees two other characters kissing against a tree, but moves on quickly. Language: a few versions of h***, a**, D***, b****. No F word **SPOILERS BELOW** I really like Kazi and Jase’s characters. As soon as their worlds collide, the book pacing is great. The story takes place six years after the trilogy. I usually hate secrets between love interests, but in this case it was well done and was a major plot point rather than creating unnecessary conflict just for kicks. These characters come from different worlds with different agendas/goals. I like that they care, but are still set on their own paths. They are both strong willed, yet compassionate to others. I also loved the name drops of familiar characters from the trilogy throughout, and especially the fact that readers finally have confirmation that Lia and Rafe did in fact, end up together.

I hadn’t read the other novels and maybe that should have been in the description. A lot of history skipped over if you don’t read the previous novels in this world. Also wish I knew it was a cliffhanger. Long book to be part of a trilogy. However it was well written, very descriptive, very YA. Good story.

What will happen when a master thief and a young leader cross paths? Dance of Thieves is an exciting story full of plenty of cut-throat action, angst, and deception. In true Mary E. Pearson fashion, readers will see the truth behind these characters’ hearts and instantly fall in love with them and their story. Dance of Thieves is set after the events from The Remnant Chronicles. I’ve only read the first book in that series so I went in not as familiar with this world as others may be, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. A lot of moments that are mentioned I was able to grasp, and honestly the previous events don’t take up much of Dance of Thieves. This book feels very much like its own series. It’s told in a dual POV, and our two main characters are Kazi and Jase. Kazi is a member of the queen of Venda’s Rhatan, which means never fail, but before becoming Rhatan she was a master thief. Then there’s Jase Ballenger who is the new Patrei over a land the Ballengers claim is the “first kingdom”. I absolutely loved both of them! They have completely different backgrounds but are so alike in many ways, too. They are fiercely loyal to the people they love and this trait drove the story forward. Dance of Thieves is a long book, and there’s a lot of world building and history told. I’m definitely a fan of Mary E. Pearson’s writing. She knows how to write beautiful, detailed descriptions. But what I love most about her writing are her characters. There is so much heart behind each one and I completely fell in love with all of them! I was skeptic about The Ballengers but they are such a precious family. They reminded me a lot of my own family and I think readers will feel the same when they dive into this story. Then there was Kazi’s relationship with her team, especially with Wren and Synove. They are fierce! These three are the strong female characters we desperately want in YA literature. Everyone is fantastic because they aren’t perfect. They are flawed and relatable making it easy to root for them until the end. When Kazi and Jase’s paths cross there is a lot of drama, which is to be expected of course. It was fun to read about the relationships that formed between the characters, though. And the romance is great! This one is a hate-to-love one and I’m always up for those. Definitely expect some swoonworthy moments! The climax of the story felt like everything was going to be wrapped up nicely, up until the final chapter. I can’t wait to read what comes next even if I am scared to find out! If you’re a fan of The Remnant Chronicles then I think you’ll enjoy Dance of Thieves. It’s a thrilling ride that expands a world fans already love. Also, if you’re new to these kingdoms and characters, I think you’ll still be able to enjoy this book if you’re looking for a fun, action-packed story!

I went into this book without having read the blurb, only knowing that years ago, I enjoyed Mary E Pearson's The Remnant Chronicles and I wanted to read another one of her novels. I hadn't realized that this duology was located in the same world, but I absolutely loved this book. The first chapter was a little bit of a struggle for me, and I had put this book aside twice before because of it. It probably made more sense to those having read the previous series and known the connection between the two. Once I got past that hiccup, I couldn't set the book down. Kazi is a brilliant female character: strong, inventive, and brassy. Her life started at rock bottom, and she grew from it into a formidably strong woman, one of the Rahtan, elite warriors for the Queen of Vendan. Jase, on the other hand, has led a life of wealth and respect, but heavy lies the crown of responsability. His father has just passed away, and Jase must take on his new role as leader of his family's land. After a not-so-pleasant initial meet and greet, the two of them are stolen away by slave traffickers. With Kazi's trickery on their side, they escape, bound by chains together until they reach civilization once more. But the close intimate friendship they developed in the weeks on their own is tested at every turn once they reach Jase's home settlement because while Jase has to establish his place as leader and fend off attackers challenging his leadership, Kazi's assigned task by the Queen might just break them apart. The story was brilliantly written. The forced proximity in the first quarter of the book developed their closeness realistically. While it laid the foundation for their relationship, the romance between Kazi and Jase developed later on in the story in a very slow burn fashion despite them fighting their feelings. The political play at hand was well devised. The players and setting were a delight to get lost in. For a story with little dialogue, the prose read seamlessly, even the flashback passages.

Bom

TRAMA Un nuovo romanzo ambientato nell’universo della serie Remnant Chronicles, in cui un ladro riformato e un giovane leader di una dinastia non riconosciuta si scontrano in una battaglia che potrebbe costare loro la vita – e i loro cuori. Quando il patriarca dell’impero dei Ballenger muore, suo figlio, Jase, diventa il nuovo leader. Anche i regni vicini si inchinano di fronte alla forza di questa famiglia di fuorilegge, che ha sempre governato secondo le proprie regole. Ma una nuova era si avvicina, messa in moto da una giovane regina. Ciò fa di lei il bersaglio della rabbia e il risentimento della dinastia. Allo stesso tempo, Kazi, una leggendaria ladra di strada, viene mandata dalla regina ad investigare le trasgressioni contro i nuovi insediamenti. Quando Kazi arriva nell’ostile terra dei Ballengers, scopre che Jase è più di ciò che immaginava. Mentre eventi inaspettati accadono fuori dal loro controllo, facendo in modo che le loro vite si scontrino e facendo si che il loro rapporto cresca in modo intimo, i due continueranno a giocare al gatto e il topo con false mosse e motivi affinché non adempieranno le loro missioni segrete. RECENSIONE Molti di voi probabilmente non conosceranno i libri di Mary E. Pearson. Questo perché non sono mai stati pubblicati in Italia, e trovo anche che lei sia tra le più sottovalutate scrittrici di young adults. Lo scorso anno ho divorato l'intera trilogia delle "Remnant Chronicles", di cui "The Kiss of Deception" è il primo romanzo. Ho amato ciascun libro. Non è una trilogia che si perde per strada come molto spesso succede; è davvero ben riuscita. "Dance of Thieves" è ambientata nello stesso mondo della precedente trilogia. Per leggerlo, non siete necessariamente obbligati a recuperarla, ma lo consiglio fortemente. Primo perché è bellissima e non ne resterete delusi; secondo, vi resterà più facile comprendere questo mondo. In "Dance of Thieves" fanno comparsa molti dei personaggi dei libri precedenti, ed è stato molto bello vedere come sono cresciuti e maturati, e vedere come sono andate avanti le loro vite. Questo è un libro incentrato fortemente sulla storia d'amore, anche più di "The Kiss of Deception". Se non vi piacciono i libri dove l'amore ricopre un grande ruolo, probabilmente questa serie non farà al caso vostro. A me non dispiace, e trovo che la storia d'amore in questo libro sia davvero ben fatta. Il genere di relazione che nasce tra Kazi e Jase è tra le mie preferite, ovvero quella tra nemici che poi diventeranno amanti. Anche se i protagonisti provano subito una certa attrazione tra loro, non è uno di quei casi dove si innamorano a prima vista. La storia è sviluppata in modo graduale, naturale e credibile. “She fascinated me, her contradictions, her secrets, and the girl that sometimes surfaced from beneath her tough soldier exterior, like when she spotted the wish stalks on the bank. The girl who forgot who I was and pressed a wish stalk to my ankle. In another world, another circumstance, I think we might have been friends. Or more.” All'inizio del libro si trovano in una situazione un po' complicata: incatenati insieme. Per loro non c'è altra scelta che cercare di collaborare per sopravvivere. La fiducia sarà il problema cruciale che dovranno cercare di risolvere nel corso del romanzo. Nessuno dei due, nonostante l'amore che li lega, si fida particolarmente dell'altro. Comprensibile, visti i segreti che continueranno a tenere nascosti. Adoro il personaggio di Kia. Credo che sia la mia protagonista preferita dei libri della Pearson. Kia è un'orfana del regno di Vendan, ed ha vissuto durante il regno del Komizar. Durante questo regno, i ladri potevano rischiare di perdere le dita nel caso in cui venivano scoperti. Lei è soprannominata Dieci, perché le ha ancora tutte. Grazie alla sua abilità, entra a far parte dei Rahtvas, le guardie personali della regina Lia. Il libro è perfetto dall'inizio alla fine. Peccato per quelle ultime due pagine, che mi fanno desiderare di avere il seguito già tra le mani. Sono sicura che i libri seguenti saranno anche migliori, e "Dance of Thieves" ha tutti i buoni propositi per diventare una delle mie serie preferite! VOTO: 4.5/5 stelle!

Ich bin mit diesem Produkt sehr zufrieden! Die Qualität entspricht genau meinen Erwartungen, und die Verarbeitung ist hochwertig. Die Lieferung war schnell und gut verpackt, sodass das Produkt in einwandfreiem Zustand angekommen ist. Es funktioniert einwandfrei und erfüllt seinen Zweck perfekt. Ich kann es definitiv weiterempfehlen und werde es bei Bedarf wieder bestellen!

Szybko przyszła, nie było problemów z dostawą, zgodna z opisem

Came in a perfect condition and is definitely not a pirated version. Super excited to read it.