User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Kazi, a legendary former street thief.I think this reminds us
all of a certain someone.
Edit: erright people I realize that the majority liked this review because of the reference but pleaseeee give this book a go. It's really really good.
Rating: really liked it
ok, so i’m lowering my rating to two stars bc i’ve been sitting on this book for two days trying to figure out what i want to say about it and there’s just…nothing. it’s not bad per say, but at the same time i’m struggling to find anything to really praise about it.
forgettable. that’s it, that’s the review.
Rating: really liked it
three words: i am obsessed.
this is just one of those stories that really gets everything right. the plot is super engaging, i would die for any of the characters, and the writing feels like breathing.
i wasnt the biggest fan of the remnant chronicles, but i will say i am glad i read them because it just added so much more to the background context and history of the story. i love how this series expands and builds upon the original series, but is such a strong standalone story in its own right.
definitely excited to pick up book two!
β 5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Check out this review (and more) over on my blog!
Quick Stats:
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Dance of Thieves surprised me. I knew I would enjoy it, but I never expected to become completely obsessed with it. This book is so fun, and full of so many of the best possible tropes.
“Choose your words carefully, even the words you think, because they become seeds,and seeds become history.”// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Torture, Rape Mention, Animal Death, War Themes, Murder, Illness, PTSD, Kidnapping/Abduction //“The ghosts, they never go away. They call to you in unexpected moments, their hands lacing with yours and pulling you down paths that lead nowhere.”Release Date: 6/7/2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 491
Premise:Dance of Thieves is the first in a duology that takes place in the same world as The Remnant Chronicles. But don’t worry, if you haven’t read those books, you will still get full enjoyment out of these. Kazi of Brightmast grew up a thief, alone on the streets after her mother was taken from her. However, her skills as a thief earned her a spot as a member of the Queen’s most elite soldiers, the Rahtan. When she is sent on a mission to another kingdom to find a missing war criminal, under the pretense of investigating treaty violations, she has no doubts that she will get the job done. Until she meets Jase. Jase Ballenger is the new
Patrei, head of the Ballenger clan. While his lands may not be “officially” recognized as a kingdom, his family has a tight hold on them. However, he knows that his transition into power will be rocky. When Kazi and her friends come into the picture, Jase knows better than to trust her, but the more he learns about her, the harder it is to stop himself from falling for her.
“You must find the magic that warms your skin in winter, the magic that perceives what cannot be seen, the magic that curls in your gut with fierce power and will not let you give up, no matter how long or cold the days.”- Writing & Setting- Mary E. Pearson won my heart with
The Kiss of Deception. It was a refreshing, fun read and I truly loved it. The final book in that series,
The Beauty of Darkness wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad and I still had fond memories of the series as a whole. This book reminded me of why I loved
The Kiss of Deception so much. Mary E. Pearson’s writing style is elegant yet easy to jump into. It’s fast and fun but still packs a punch. And the worldbuilding… The Remnant Chronicles had fantastic worldbuilding when it came to the physical world, but I always felt kinda murky about the magic system.
Dance of Thieves does not have that problem. In fact, it clarified all of the confusion I felt in the first series. The mythology and magic of the world actually made sense to me, and the kingdoms themselves all felt fully realized and fleshed out.
“It began with the stars.”- Plot -Listen guys, this book got it all. Fake dating, no strings attached relationships, enemies to lovers, deciding between duty/family and love, spying, found family… honestly what trope doesn’t this book have? If you’re worried it may be too much- don’t. All of these tropes are perfectly woven into a very intricate plot full of scheming, betrayal, and violence. This book is a little long, just over 500 pages, but it never lags. There is so much packed into this one book, I swear. The pace alone is brutal, not to mention all of the violence and murder.
However, I will say, the romance does take center stage in this book. Yes, there’s a lot of action, but the romance plotline is at the heart of most scenes. Some people may think this is a bad thing, but this is exactly what I wanted. Seriously. I want more YA books like this- epic fantasy but with a heavy romance plot. I know, I know, a lot of people are sick of heavy romance plots. But I’m not. I need more. This book was the perfect balance for me and I wish more books were like it.
“Truth that came too late was as useful as a meal to a dead man.”- Characters - Kazi and Jase are killer protagonists (literally and figuratively). Both of them have equally compelling character arcs and are very well developed. They both also have their own quirks and personalities that distringuish them from the many YA fantasy protagonists like them. I especially loved Jase’s dedication to family, tradition, and storytelling, and I loved Kazi’s fierceness, love of riddles, and dedication to her duty. Their relationship is absolutely perfect- there is so much angst and so much cuteness I thought I would explode. But contrary to what it may seem like from how I keep going on about those two, there are other amazing characters in this book as well. All of the side characters are extremely well developed, with their own journeys and personalities. I also loved the emphasis on friendships (especially female friendships) and family.
“Every exchange of words between Jase and me seemed like a dance, a step forward, a step back, circling, both of us leading, anticipating, wondering what the next move would be. He didn’t trust me any more than I trusted him.”- Conclusion -Pros- Strong characters, great worldbuilding, and omg all the best tropes
Cons- Some people may not like all the romance. They’re wrong, but I thought you should know
Overall- 5/5 stars.
I never expected Dance of Thieves to captivate me the way it did. I constantly have to struggle with my urge to reread it again and again (I’ve already failed this battle once, and I can tell I’ll be failing it again soon).“Let me show you the stars.”Follow Me Here: Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter|| Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This book relies more heavily on the romance than the plot, so that left me disappointed for most of the book. But the plot picked up at the end so I think I will be finishing this duology.
Rating: really liked it
I can’t even begin to explain how much I’ve missed this world and our old characters. I think it might be time for a reread soon!
Although The Remnant Chronicles has a special place in my heart and will probably never be replaced as my favorite Mary Pearson series, Dance of Thieves did not disappoint. It was great to see more of this world beyond just Morrighan, Dalbreck, and Venda.
Every character in this spin-off has already captured my heart. Kazi, Wren, and Synové? BAD ASS FEMALE CHARACTERS. Period. I want to be them. That is all. Jase and the Ballengers? PRECIOUS. All of them. Protect them at all costs.
And the romance? Mary Pearson knows how to write good romance, no doubt about it, and I ship literally everyone in this book. I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between Kazi and Jase to a certain extent. I did get annoyed at some points where I just wish they’d stop lying to each other. But I’m used to it by now since lack of communication always seems to be an issue with the characters of the Remnant Chronicles universe considering how I’ve had this same problem before with Lia, Rafe, and the rest of the gang. π
There were some parts where I did feel the story drag on and I had to put the book aside for a bit but I don’t think I was ever bored. There was always something new to learn about in this world and I was absolutely fascinated by the Ballenger history and how their “kingdom” began.
And of course, it was a pleasure seeing and reading about the familiar faces of The Remnant Chronicles. It was great to see how Lia’s reign as Queen was going and how the rest of our favorites were faring. I desperately wanted to know how my ship was doing after the events of The Beauty of Darkness since we didn’t get too much of an epilogue. But there was definitely some closure after reading this book.
Dance of Thieves really lives up to its name along with the Remnant Chronicles hype. If you loved the Kiss of Deception books, I don’t think you will be disappointed. I was feeling super nostalgic the whole time reading this book and I’m so grateful to Mary Pearson for bringing us back! I already can’t wait for the next book especially with that ENDING. π°
Rating: really liked it
The cover is a work of art.
Rating: really liked it
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Read the Dance of Thieves
Else i'll crucio you!
I'm sorry I couldnt help myslef! Okay now onto the review
“Choose your words carefully, even the words you think, because they become seeds, and seeds become history.”5β
OH MY GOD!!! MY FAV READ AS FAR AS 2021. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!
Plotline Ballenger family is feared nad respected for the power they hold. In a family of problemakers and outlaws Jase is no exception. Taking on the role of the Hier and the ruler, he must now guide and make sure his kingdom is safe. But the arrival of a new group of people changes eveything for him
Kazimyrah is the legendary street thief known as 'Ten' . When the queen enlists her help to investigate the problems in Hell's mouth, Kazi knows that it will be anything but simple. Arriving with her group, Kazi meets Jase the Patrei and she learns there's more to Jase than what he appears to be.
One thing leads to another as events spiral out of control and Jase nd Kazi find themselves in a position them never thought they would be in - together. Together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions while trying to stop themselves from falling for each other.
World Since I've already read the Remnant chronicles, im already familiar the world. I loved the world in the those books and I loved it here as well. The new kingdoms were awesome and I really loved them!
Romance“I do want tomorrows with you, Jase. I want a lifetime of tomorrows.” YES YES YESSSS. I love it soo much. I ship them sooooo hard. The romance was well built and I felt it wasnt insta-love. It was super cute and I loved it.
The romance is an equally imporatant plot point in this book! Kazi nd Jase forever y'all.
There are many lovey quotes...but they're long so im not adding it here.
Writing“The ghosts, they never go away. They call to you in unexpected moments, their hands lacing with yours and pulling you down paths that lead nowhere.” I adored Pearson's writing in the Remnant chronicles. This book was no exception. I saw soo much development in her writng in this book. It was beautiful<3
Lets talk abt charcters!Kazi is awesome! I love her charcater. She's a thief and a spy. I loved her charcterization. At first she seems inpenetrable nd hard as a rock. But as she interacts with Jase , I saw her soft side<3
She has such a sad backstory. It broke my heart. But she's super strong.
Jase, I mena who does'nt love the prince. The princes are the most lovable characters. Rafe, Nikolai, Cal, Mavey. Im adding him to my list. He's a morally grey character and I love him. He fiercely loves his family and Kazi.
Jase's family was great. Kazi's friends were great. In most YA books, the girl MC don't have girl friends. But she does. She has a great relationship with them<3
Watching Natiya, Pauline, Kaden, Lia nd Rafe all grown up made me cry
Final thoughts If u havent guessed so far, I'll tell u. I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! This is not ur typical YA. It was nice to read this book after reading the books I've read (irritating books i mean).
--------------------------------
Re Read #2 with Naomi and Héloïse ππ
Tis as good as the first time. However, I'm giving it 4.5 stars this time
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My rating system
5β - I loved it soo much! New favorite
4β - It was really good! But something was missing
3β - It was nice..but had more potential
2β - I did not like it at all!... It could have been soo much better
1β - Nope. Just No. I hate it
Rating: really liked it
“Choose your words carefully, even the words you think, because they become seeds, and seeds become history.”And 4 stars for the thieves that stole my attention and a plot that had my head spinning as I was immersed in a book of political intrigue, a battle between kingdoms, and with some cunning, unpredictable and devious characters that brought song, music, and rhythm to this dark fairy tale story – the Dance of Thieves.
Wonderfully deceptive, creatively written and perfectly layered that had my head twirling as many of the steps / subplots threw me off balance. Another great shimmy with Fantasy and a story for (mostly) everyone.
The PlotKazi, one of the queens trusted soldiers and spies is sent on a mission to locate and bring back Captain Illarion who was responsible for killing hundreds of Vedan citizens including some of the elite in the queen’s guard. However, a chance encounter sees her tied to Jase, the new ruler of the Ballenger empire and kidnapped by labour hunters.
Was this a chance encounter or moves orchestrated by both? Choreography that went wrong? Well now chained together the ‘Dance’ can begin. Kazi is lured to Hell’s mouth by her companion / lover Jase, but instead of having to sneak into the palace, she believes is providing sanctuary to the captain, Kazi has been invited in as a guest allowed to roam the city.
With opposing loyalties and many to mistrust at court, the two dance dangerously close to death as the relationship between them strengthens.
What I loved about this book and the ‘4’ explainedThe enemies - lovers - enemies - lovers - enemies - lovers trope should have become tiresome but instead it was so carefully plotted and interwoven with the books political storyline that it felt integral to the book and very well done.
The scheming, deception, duplicity and double crossing in the book was also superb. I found it hard to keep up in a good way. This added so much intrigue, suspense, and drama to a story that started and ended well, and everything in between kept me absorbed.
There was a purity and honesty in the characters that I don’t see or comment on very often, which I felt made this an excellent choice for young adults. Lots of kissing – no sex, some swear words but no offensive language. Tame but still really interesting. So very well written in all.
The clash between kingdoms, and rival rulers was excellent if not a tad predictable which is why I downgraded to a ‘4’. That said it did not affect my enjoyment in reading the story, because whilst the overarching story and outcome was predictable - how it came together with the numerous deviations in the plot and subplots was not.
Another fantasy I would recommend. Immersive, extremely well-choreographed, a sometimes moving story of two people who flip between enemies to lovers, and back again. The world building was excellent, and we danced our way to a compelling ending that sets up the next book in the series quite nicely, without the feeling that this book was unfinished.
The best parts; the deception, trickery and duplicity.
“Laughter reveals in the same way a sigh, or a glance does. It’s an unintentional language. Worry, fear, deceit – they hide in the things unsaid”
Rating: really liked it
once again, the trope in this is enemies to friends to enemies to fake dating to lovers to enemies. and they're both assigned to assassinate each other. please read it π
Rating: really liked it
"This was more than an unexpected turn. It was an unchecked slide into hell."
4.5 stars!!! As always, I think that it’s important to point out that Mary E. Pearson is the
most underrated author in YA fantasy. And for the life of me, I can’t understand why that is! Her
world-building, character development, and plot progression abilities are
superb! This was supposed to be a buddy read with
Diana, but she went
POOF, so...¯\_(γ)_/¯
I’d also like to make note that although this is
technically a separate series from the Remnant Chronicles, as is the case with the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, it would be beneficial to
read the Remnant Chronicles first (hence, why I’m glad that I re-read the Kiss of Deception and finally finished the remainder of the trilogy beforehand). Thus, you shan’t be
spoiled about the past events that are referenced in this book. Also, you’ll have a connection to the
familiar faces (
Lia, Rafe, etc.) that pop up all over this book…much to my sheer delight!!! It’s very strange seeing Lia (aka
one of the absolute best YA protagonists) referred to as “
the Queen” and “
Her Majesty”, having watched her grow and mature over the course of the Remnant Chronicles. But I love it!!!
<3This book is
over 500 pages, but I flew through it
SO QUICKLY. I would’ve finished it in one sitting, rather than two, had I not also been reading other books simultaneously, ugh. Mary E. Pearson’s writing just
hooks you in! Once she gets her claws into you, you shan’t want to stop reading!!! Unlike the Remnant Chronicles, Dance of Thieves is told from only
two POV’s, not three. I’m, personally, a fan of multiple POV’s in this world because the plot gets
SO INTENSE that it really helps you to get more invested in the story as you see every angle of the characters’ decision-making. And it helps that the male characters in this world are
SO swoon-worthy!!! ;)
If you’re not a fan of
romance-heavy books, it might interest you to know that unlike the Remnant Chronicles, which were very political-heavy books, a great deal of the plot in this novel is dependent upon the romance. This would’ve been a full 5-star read for me, had it not been for the
teeny-weeny amount of instalove in the beginning. As the novel progressed, I did come to love the romance between Kazi and Jase, but initially, their feelings for each other were
a bit too sudden and
not entirely believable. But not to worry! Like me, I think that you’ll be fully shipping them by the book’s conclusion! :D They were so cute and sweet as a couple, disagreed over everything, and held many secrets from one another, but that only made the story
infinitely more addicting! And also, you’ll be reeling from the
cliffhanger during the last two pages (I seriously thought that
for once I’d have a nice and neat ending), so fair warning. Why must you do this to us, Mary E. Pearson???! How am I to wait an
ENTIRE YEAR???! Sniffle, sniffle… :(
As for the plot, the gist of it is that
Kazi, a former street thief (known by the name of
Ten because she still has all of her fingers, having never been caught by the Komizar for her thievery) and a current member of Queen Lia of Venda’s
Rahtan is sent to locate General Illarium, who is responsible for the deaths of Lia’s father and brother, and has reportedly sought refuge in Hell’s Mouth. This area, although unrecognised as such, is under the control of the Ballenger family, as the capital of the unofficial “First Kingdom.”
Jase, the new
Patrei of the Ballenger family, finds himself
literally abducted and shackled to Kazi by labour traders, and the plot takes off from there! Jase brings Kazi back to his family as a prisoner, but Kazi isn’t completely opposed to her current situation though, because that’s exactly where she needs to be, in order to conduct her own secret mission for Queen Lia.
Betrayals and secrets run amok in this novel and I was
riveted from beginning to end!
I’d
highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys
high fantasy worlds, great romance, addictive plots, secret missions, and thieving characters. Mary E. Pearson’s latest book is
not one that you want to miss! :D
Rating: really liked it
I have a soft spot for Mary E. Pearson's books. She's a master at worldbuilding and angst, and her other series sent me over the roof with feels. Naturally, I was eager to get my hands on this new series set in the same world!
In short, I loved it, but I will say it was long and took me a while to get my bearing. Since it's been a while since I've read her other books, I had a hard time figuring out where I was in the world. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where the new country/land is - but I imagine the final book will have a map! I also had a hard time remembering the ending of the series (who ended up ruling where) so I suggest doing a quick once-over of the finale if you're coming from the other books.
While this book starts off with an entirely new cast, I was delighted to see old characters on the side. As far as the new (main) characters - this is told in a dual POV. The first is Kazi, a member of the queen's Rhatan, and Jase, a leader struggling for power in a new land we've never seen before. The beginning felt mostly like backstory on the two main characters, so it lagged a bit for me personally, but when Kazi and Jase collide, things really take off!
As always, Pearson writes characters with depth and heart, and you'll find yourself falling for both Jase and Kazi. When they meet, they hate each other -the makings of a perfectly good story. Basically, the queen sends Kazi to a semi-contested land (basically one family rules it, but the borders are unclear). They believe the captain who betrayed Morrighan is hiding there under the protection of said family. So, Kazi is supposed to fish him out and bring him back to the queen for justice. However, when Kazi runs into Jase, they have a... skirmish of sorts that I wont spoil... and both end up being kidnapped and hauled away by a slave trader.
That's all I'll say about the plot. Be prepared - the book is looooong. But that means plenty of room for betrayal on multiple levels, and angst like you wouldn't believe. I did wish the pace was a bit snappier but I can't deny the richness of the world and the details put into the characters. And as always, I loved Mary's writing!
If you're a fan of the Remnant Chronicles, definitely give this one a go!
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Rating: really liked it
“What did they do to you, Kazi?” His voice was low, earnest. Even in the dim light, I was able to see the worry in his eyes.
I pretended I didn’t know what he was talking about. “Who did what?”
“Who made you afraid of an open world? An open sky? Was it Venda? Your parents?”
“No one did anything,” I answered quietly.
“Then hold on to me,” he said. “Let me show you the stars.”
Woke up at 6:15 on a random Thursday morning with the insane urge to read this book, and thank goodness I did because I was definitely missing out.
The Remnant Chronicles will always have a special place in my heart for various reasons that are too sentimental and a bit childish to list; all you need to know is that Mary E. Pearson is probably one of my favorite writers and that this book surpassed every expectation I might have had.
Kazi and Jase are wonderfully round and crafted characters, and they're interesting both as a couple (I SHIP THEM SO HARD???) and independently.
Plotwise speaking, I had a bit of trouble getting back into this world, but it took me only 50 pages or so to build up a rhythm and enjoy the world building with all the geography and politic intrigues it came.
I don't know when I'll be able and in the mood to read the sequel, but I'm definitely going to re-read this one before I dive into the second book. That's how much I liked Dance of Thieves.
book #40βΎ
this hashtag is something I self-indulgently created for fun when I decided to thin out my immense tbr list as a new years resolution starting from books I added on GR back in 2017/2018/2019, and since I can't seem to do anything quietly and I'm well known for being an overachiever, I had to go and turn it into an official thing. Feel free to check out the #PenguinOnATBRMission shelf if you don't mind keeping up with this insanely over-hyped adventure I got myself into. Take it as a chance to rediscover some books from a few years ago that might have accidentally flown under your radar, or to simply share with another fellow reader your very own reading experience. Happy reading and stay penguin-y!βΎ
To Be Continued...π§
Rating: really liked it
Sooo I didn't really like
The Remnant Chronicles by this same author, but everyone seems to have loved this spin-off series so I decided to give it a try. Thank god I did because this first book was really amazing!
β
KAZI WAS A GREAT main character. I feel like more often than not in fantasy, the female character is always the "normal person" and then the guy is always the "badass" who gets to be morally grey and have all the cool powers. I loveddd how in this book,
Kazi was the one in a secret military organization and
Kazi was the one who was a renowned thief and had all the badass skills
β
NOT ONLY WAS THE PACE very quick - I read this entire book in a day and it is
long - but the characterization was really perfect too. Everyone felt like a unique character, with their own dark pasts that helped create who they were in the present
β
I LOVE A FOUND FAMILY and this definitely had a lot of found family vibes π One Kazi's side, I completely adored her relationship with Synové and Wren - you could tell they were best friends. And Jase's entire family was so amazing too! I loved seeing the groups form relationships and come together
π
YOU CAN DEFINITELY read this without first reading
The Remnant Chronicles but just know there are a lot of references and definitely spoilers for the original series. I hadn't read that series in a longg time so some of the references were a little hard for me to follow. I think it would be better if you hadn't read the original at all because then you wouldn't be awkwardly trying to connect the dots
β
THE ROMANCE was soo cute and adorable. Enemies-to-lovers (briefly), forced proximity, fake dating, forbidden love... I mean so many amazing tropes were used here π₯° Even though it all happened a little fast in terms of page count, I felt like the circumstances that pushed them together still made the romance pacing really believable. I wish it hadn't been a clean romance, but it's YA so to be expected.
β
THE MAGIC and the history behind how the world started has always been really confusing to me in this world. I'm more of a logical person and need stricter rules laid out and the backstory/magic of this world has always been sooo incredibly vague
Overall, I was really surprised by how much depth these characters all had and how captivating the story was. Mary E. Pearson definitely took the world she started in
The Remnant Chronicles and made it so much better, in my opinion. I can't wait to read the next one!
Steam Scale: π₯/3
Swoon Scale: β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ/3
Rating: really liked it
“What is this, Kazi?
I knew what he meant. This. What was this between us? Just what game were we playing?
I had wondered too. Because now our kisses were filled with pauses, our gazes filled with more questions instead of fewer.
I don’t know, Jase.
What do you feel?
Your lips, your hands, your heartbeat.
No, Kazi, in here, what do you feel in here?
His finger stroked a line down the center of my chest.
I felt an ache pressing within. A need I couldn’t name.
I don’t know.
I didn’t want to know.
Let me taste your mouth, I whispered. Don’t make me think.”Crying because this book was absolute PERFECTION and everything I didn’t know I NEEDED IN LIFEπ
*Review to come*
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