For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster—the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down…but even the most powerful men can be defeated.
Ryia’s path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves very carefully. If she succeeds, her freedom is won once and for all…but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own.
I typically try to post my reviews closer to the publishing date (and have been asked to do that from certain publishers), but AMONG THIEVES has been calling to me since it showed up at my house. I mean, fucking hell. I’ve made no secret of how much I love Chris McGrath’s covers, and this might be a new favorite.
Oof.
AMONG THIEVES is the debut novel by M. J. Kuhn, and it’s a book that promises & delivers on some of my very favorite things about dark fantasy:
•A ragtag group of rogues & thieves? Check
•A grimy, dangerous, seaside city? Check
•Some scenes on a boat? Check
•A badass assassin scaling walls & then slipping away into the night? Check, and mate.
Ryia is known as the Butcher of Carrowwick, and that’s her on the cover with her weapon of choice: the hatchet. Razor-sharp mini hatchets, strapped all over her body. This is the last person you want to see crawling in through your window at night.
Ryia spends her time in an area known as the Lottery, which is teeming with different crime organizations. Ryia also has a lot of secrets in her past, which she goes to great lengths to protect.
The job she is tasked with finds Ryia working with a small group of thieves & miscreants…a master of disguise, a conman…just a motley group of colorful characters.
I don’t want to say much about what they are hired to steal because it gets a bit too close to spoiler territory, but needless to say it’s something of tremendous value, and each member of Ryia’s crew has their own motivation for attempting this heist. They are most certainly not “all in this together” and it makes for some tense moments.
Backstabbing, betrayal, dark magic, atmosphere for days, snarky humor, and just tons of hatchet-related shenanigans. Oh, and it’s casually queer too! AMONG THIEVES is a killer debut! The book functions well as a standalone, while also leaving the door open for more in this world…hatchets crossed for a sequel!
Big thanks to Saga Press for the copy!! AMONG THIEVES releases September 7th!
Grimdark Dad 
I’ve got this one up next… Great review!
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