Tag Archives: spies

Review: Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis

Heist Royale (Thieves’ Gambit #2)
Kayvion Lewis
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published November 12, 2024

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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.

Review: A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter

Book Review and Content, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

A Traitorous Heart
Erin Cotter
Simon & Schuster
Published January 7, 2025

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About A Traitorous Heart

A noblewoman in the scandalous French court finds herself under the dangerous and watchful eye of the Parisian royalty when she falls in love with the handsome king who is betrothed to her former lover in this bisexual The Three Musketeers by way of Bridgerton and F.T. Lukens.

Paris, 1572. Seventeen-year-old Jacqueline “Jac” d’Argenson-Aunis is lady-in-waiting to her best friend and former lover, the French Princess Marguerite “Margot” de Valois, but she dreams of more. If Jac plays her cards right, one day, she’ll become a full member of the Societas Solis, a secret society of spies—just like her uncle and guardian, Viscount Gabriel d’Argenson-Aunis.

But it’s hard to think about her own ambitions while France is on the brink of war, and the only thing that might save the country is an alliance—a marriage between the Catholic Princess Margot and Henry, the awful son of the Huguenot queen. Who would be the perfect person to play matchmaker? Jac, of course.

Jac resents lying to her best friend almost as much as she resents the brazen and arrogant King Henry, but it’s her one chance to prove to the Societas Solis that she belongs among their ranks before her uncle can marry her off or worse. The more time Jac spends in the French Court’s clandestine corners, though, the more she starts to wonder if Henry is…not as terrible as she once believed. And the Societas Solis may not be what they seem.

Politics. Spies. Chaos in the French court. Perhaps even witchcraft? Everything’s more dangerous when love is involved.

My Review

I enjoyed this book, but it took me longer to read than I expected. I liked the main characters for the most part. Truthfully, I wanted to like Margot more than I did. I felt like the plot kind of easily dismissed her as selfish and frivolous, though there was obviously more to her. Her goal was to open a school where women and people of any class could be educated. So she obviously had a lot of depth.

I appreciated the development of the romance between Jac and Henry. At first, they don’t like each other at all, but as they’re forced to work together on a common goal, they each surprise the other, and gradually, they grow to like one another. I appreciated that the relationship developed more slowly, giving us time to savor it as it developed.

Jac’s complex relationship with her oncle also added some layers to her character and backstory. Sometimes she interpreted his behavior to mean pretty dramatic things, but I felt like that fit her character and her age. I appreciated that the story included some changes in their relationship and how they saw one another and understood what the other needed from them, if that makes sense.

All in all, I enjoyed this one, and I can see how the marketing comparisons to Bridgerton and F. T. Lukens fit. If those ideas appeal to you, I think you’d enjoy ]A Traitorous Heart.

Content Notes for A Traitorous Heart

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
I don’t think there was much in the book in terms of profanity. Maybe some mild profanity infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex.

Spiritual Content
Reference to religious differences between the Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants). References to spells, potions, and occult practices. Jac investigates a graverobbing group, looking for evidence of occult activity, possibly reanimating the dead.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. An assassin comes after Jac and her allies. After she ties him up, Jac tosses one would-be assassin over a wall into a moat. A fire consumes a building with a child inside. Jac attempts to save him and his cats. References to a prisoner potentially being tortured. (Not shown on scene.)

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at social gatherings. The King of France is consistently embarrassingly drunk at the events.

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.

Review: Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke #2)
Marie Lu
Roaring Brook Press
Published June 4, 2024

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About Icon and Inferno

Spies meet romance meet popstars in this thrilling follow up to Stars and Smoke by bestselling author Marie Lu.

A year has passed since superstar Winter and secret agent Sydney Cossette went undercover – on a dangerous mission to bring down the baddest man in London.

Winter hasn’t stopped thinking about Sydney since, and she’s been trying not to think about him

Family secrets and nasty newspapers has Winter desperate to re-enter the secret world. And it’s not long before he gets his chance.

Sydney is back, and this time the mission goes right to the heart of the United States of America. A rescue gone wrong, an assassination attempt – and the return of an old flame – puts Winter right back into the action . . . and into a country on the brink of chaos.

And when a murder accusation has Sydney on the run, suddenly it’s not just a life at stake, but all-out war.

My Review

Winter and Sydney are back, and I am so excited! Stars and Smoke, the first book in the series, swept me away with its romance and danger. I knew I’d be back for more. I love the contrast between these two characters. When he’s with people he trusts, Winter is wide open with his heart totally available. Sydney, however, never opens herself that way. That kind of vulnerability terrifies her, which makes sense for someone with a life as a secret agent. For her, letting people in is literally dangerous.

The story begins with a bit of miscommunication or maybe bad assumptions between Winter and Sydney, where she thinks he’s seeing someone and is disappointed but trying not to show it. And he’s hurt that she’s not disappointed, etc. It’s not my favorite romance trope, but the story doesn’t lean into it too heavily since the romantic tension between Sydney and Winter is secondary to their assignment from Panacea.

I like that the task gets layered with complications, though. Winter has to manage the expectations of his ex, whom he invited to a social event as his date. Sydney must find and rescue her own ex, the guy who ended their last tryst by stealing her passport and stranding her overseas. So, yeah, she’s really looking forward to that. Mr. To-Be-Rescued has his own agenda as well, and Sydney and Winter have to decide whether to listen to him or stick with the original plan.

One thing I absolutely loved is the way the story uses Winter’s fame to achieve objectives in his work as a secret agent. It seems like being internationally celebrated and recognized would be a setback for someone on a secret mission, but he makes it work. I love how he uses his position as an asset for Panacea on their missions.

Conclusion

I think even more than the first book, Icon and Inferno leans more into adult fiction. The characters have full-time careers. They’ve had adult relationships. They have adult independence. It’s marketed as YA, and I think will have a fair amount of crossover appeal. Fans of Chloe Gong’s Foul Lady Fortune will enjoy this.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Winter is Chinese American and has had romantic relationships with boys and girls in the past.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a past relationship Winter was in, in which he slept with his partner. Same for Sydney. Kissing between boy and girl. In a couple of scenes, the characters kiss and undress. One vaguely references a sexual encounter.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Sydney and Winter witness someone killed by a gunshot and explosion. A couple of scenes involve a high-speed car or motorcycle chase. Someone points a gun at another person’s head. Someone injects a drug into another person, knocking them out.

Drug Content
References to Winter’s dad smoking cigars.

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.

Review: Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, New Adult 18up, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2)
Chloe Gong
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 29, 2023

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About Foul Heart Huntsman

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.

Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back.

But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?

When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.

My Review

The first book in the duology ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, with Orion in danger, and Rosalind finally aware of her feelings for him, so I was really excited to get to read the rest of the story. Though my review of FOUL LADY FORTUNE won’t post for a while, (My calendar is so packed that I don’t have much room for backlist reviews.) I actually finished reading it a few days before beginning FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN, so the story is pretty fresh in my mind. Which is great because so much happens in that book!

First, if you haven’t read FOUL LADY FORTUNE, you’ll want to do that before starting this book. In fact, if you haven’t read THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS and want to read that duology without spoilers, you’ll want to do that before reading either of the books in this newer duology. You can definitely read FOUL LADY FORTUNE without reading THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, as I did, but there will be some spoilers.

I think I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one, even though it doesn’t stand on its own. It was nice to pick up already knowing the characters and their relationships with one another and see those relationships play out. I also enjoyed the high-stakes, captive-swapping team efforts to save the day and all the ways they went sideways. Some moments were satisfying because I saw them coming. Others came as a complete shock.

All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I read it pretty quickly, despite it being over 500 pages. As with the first book in the duology, this is really adult fiction marketed as YA. My guess is that that’s because of the speculative elements.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are Chinese. Alisa and her brother are Russian. Orion has had romantic relationships with both boys and girls. Celia is transgender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to a boy’s past romantic relationship with another boy.

Spiritual Content
One character repeats a spiritual mantra in an intense moment.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes show soldiers and other operatives attacking one another. References to torture.

Drug Content
A scientist uses chemical agents to manipulate and control prisoners.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN in exchange for my honest review.

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu by Erika Lewis

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , ,

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu (Academy for the Unbreakable Arts #2)
Erika Lewis
Starscape
Published July 25, 2023

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About Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu

Kelcie Murphy is back in another action-packed middle grade adventure, Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu, the second book in Erika Lewis’s magical series infused with Celtic mythology, The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.

It’s hard having a father who’s an infamous traitor. It’s even harder having a mother who’s an omen of doom.

After a summer away, Kelcie Murphy is excited to be back at the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. But she and her friends have barely settled in when they receive a visit from her mother―the war goddess, Nemain―with a warning of coming calamity.

The Heart of Danu, the legendary source of all light and warmth in the Lands of Summer, is going to be stolen. And only Kelcie and her mates can stop it. As they travel with the rest of the students to Summer City to take part in the glorious Ascension Ceremony, Kelcie has no time for the military parade, the lavish ball, or even to visit her she’s determined to protect the Heart and her new home.

But the Lands of Summer are still not a welcoming place for Kelcie. When disaster strikes, the Queen, the High Guard, and even some of her schoolmates suspect Kelcie is to blame.

As the world is plunged into darkness, Kelcie will have to does she keep fighting for a place that may always see her as a traitor’s daughter, or for a future greater than the war to come.

My Review

I’ve been curious about this book since I first heard about it earlier this year. Books about a magical school can be a lot of fun to read, so it was exciting getting to read a new one. I liked the playfulness of some of the magic elements and tricky weapons.

The story is told from two points of view. First, there’s Kelcie, who recently saved her people from a cursed eye. She returns to school for another term only to learn of a new threat to the Land of Summer. Alternately, the story follows Lexis, the leader of a warrior group from the Land of Winter, whose group is tasked with infiltrating Summer as spies.

Of course, the two sides meet and discover that not all the terrible things they’ve believed about one another are true. But with their people caught in a war without a known cause, peace seems impossible. I liked the way that Kelcie and Lexis’s relationships develop and change through the course of the story.

Though it’s a story about war, there are lots of lighthearted, cute, or silly moments between the characters. At over 400 pages, it’s a bigger book. Lots of things happen in each chapter, but some readers might find the length challenging. Fans of books about magical schools or fantasy inspired by Irish folklore will want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kelcie and some other characters are white. Lexis is described as having dark brown skin and curly hair. Niall has only one hand. Many of the magical elements or lore are inspired by Irish or Welsh folklore. Two minor characters, both men, are married.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to a first kiss. A boy and girl hold hands briefly.

Spiritual Content
Kelcie, Brona, and Jack are cousins on their mothers’ sides. Their mothers are sister goddesses. Most characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Battle scenes and references to torture. Kelcie’s clan is required to live in a restricted area filled with dangerous monsters and experiences prejudice in the rest of the realm.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of KELCIE MURPHY AND THE HUNT FOR THE HEART OF DANU in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Silver in the Mist
Emily Victoria
Inkyard Press
Published November 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Silver in the Mist

Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

My Review

I found the first few chapters of this book a little bit confusing. It seemed like there were things I was supposed to know already (magic systems, geography, etc.) that I didn’t know. I actually looked to see if this was a sequel to another book that I’d missed. Nope.

Once I was maybe four or so chapters into the book, though, I felt like the story settled into itself. I liked the whole spy network element and the magic system based on creating shapes called filigree. From the beginning I liked Dev’s character, but I think Lochlan was my favorite. I loved their snappy remarks.

I think readers who enjoy books about magic with a bit of political intrigue will like this one. It reminded me a teeny bit of DEFY THE NIGHT by Brigid Kemmerer, though I think there’s a little more world building in Kemmerer’s books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One minor character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief reference to two women who married. It seemed like there was some attraction between Dev and Alyse (two girls), but nothing is ever openly specified.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic by creating filigree. Magic mist spawns terrible monsters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. In one scene, characters fight off a monster. Other references to monster fights. One reference to torture and execution.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SILVER IN THE MIST in exchange for my honest review.