Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

 400 pages | Viking | YA Fantasy | 05/01/2018

 YA fantasy isn’t for me

This is something I’ve thought and said for so long now because when it coms to the big YA fantasies e.g. The Belles, Throne of Glass, The Wrath and The Dawn … they just didn’t 100% work for me.

I guess I felt like a YA Fantasy can easily become predictable;  there are always love triangles, secret crushes,  rebellions, secret gays, captains of the guard . . . FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY IS THERE ALWAYS A CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD ???

So, Smoke Thieves.

This YA Fantasy totally worked for me and I shocked. I  think one of the major reasons is because it has an unconventional structure. The book is told from the POV of five different characters in different parts of the world, which I think bolstered the word building and gave depth to the story. There is a fierce princess oppressed by her patriarchal kingdom, a soldier who turns against his crown (okay, so he is a captain of the guard with a secret crush but like…it’s different okay)  a young thief who ventures into demon territories to steal demon smoke, a pompous secret heir on a journey home and a young servant taking revenge on the king who sacrificed his people.

Despite being called Smoke Thieves the titular smoke thieves are just a small part of the overall plot of the book, but I guess it’s a bada** name? Each character’s journey felt carefully crafted and you are on the edge of your seat watching them converge in one place.  Yes,  At times the pacing slowed down, but would quickly pick up with daring sword-fights and escapes. I am totally invested enough to check out book two, which I haven’t done for a YA fantasy in YEARS.

Attack on Titan meets Handmaid’s Tale meets Games of Thrones in an intriguing fantasy novel with a bit of a twist.

Check out the audiobook review at AudioFile !