Heist Royale (Thieves’ Gambit #2)
Kayvion Lewis
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published November 12, 2024
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Heist Royale
The high-stakes sequel to Thieves’ Gambit, for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Ally Carter.
It’s been six months since the end of the Gambit. Instead of winning an impossible wish, Ross has the threat of her family’s execution hanging over her head. Devroe, the only person Ross thought she could trust, could wish the Quests into oblivion at any time. Shockingly, despite his betrayal, Devroe is still making a play for Ross’s heart as the two work together pulling jobs for the Organization. But Ross has learned her lesson: A Quest can only trust another Quest.
When Ross finds herself at the center of a power struggle within the Organization, she sees her chance to change her fortunes. As a new deadly Gambit develops for control of the criminal underworld, Ross strikes a risky deal to guarantee protection for herself and her family.
In this final clash, Ross will square off against a ruthless opponent who will stop at nothing to seize power, and in their corner will be not only Devroe but his mother, who wants to destroy the Quests at any cost.
The new Gambit takes Ross and her crew into the intoxicating casinos of Monte Carlo and across treacherous snow-covered slopes in Antarctica as Ross competes against Devroe in a fight for her life. Loyalties will be tested, backs stabbed, hearts broken. May the best thief win.
My Review
Ross is back in a new high-stakes adventure that had me on the edge of my seat. The story took her to a variety of places, including Antarctica and an elite casino.
I was a little nervous in the opening chapters of the story because of the dynamic between Ross and Devroe. She rebuffs his romantic advances in no uncertain terms and he continues to pursue her, convinced that underneath her “no” is a “yes.”
That kind of storyline makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it’s romantic when someone wants to be pursued, but it also romanticizes ignoring boundaries. Not great.
A few chapters in, though, the story veers away from that dynamic, and Ross is more open about her conflicted feelings for Devroe. He gets drawn into other relationship issues, and their romance takes the back burner for a while. When the romantic tension builds again, Ross and Devroe speak more openly about their boundaries and feelings, though the story continues to offer obstacles they must overcome if they want to try a relationship.
The story continues to examine questions about trust and what true friendship looks like. Some of the things Ross goes through as she tries to build friendships for the first time are cute. I enjoyed that journey.
An inclusive cast appears on the page, with team members of different races and nationalities. A side romance develops between two boys. Fans who shipped these two in the first book will love how that plays out.
All in all, this is an excellent finish to a high-energy duology. It’s a good choice for readers who’ve aged out of middle grade books but aren’t ready for some of the content in upper YA novels.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used pretty infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture and murder.
Drug Content
Some scenes show Ross and her teammates in a casino and other places where alcohol is served. A couple of people pretend to be drunk.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
