Sally Green

**The first book in the new historical fantasy series from the author of Half Bad** A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner's block. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell. As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our five heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize? ****** The perfect new YA fantasy series for fans of The Red Queen, Game of Thrones and Sarah J Maas.

The Smoke Thieves

I got approximately a quarter of the way through the book and I've just decided not to continue. The only character I'm vaguely interested in is probably the least vital to the world state and even then, I'm just not interested in whether she gets her boots or not. This book is clearly aimed at a much younger reader than I, and it isn't without its qualities, but it just isn't for me. Props to the cover art though - that's absolutely lovely.

Kirsten Simkiss

A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner's block. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell. As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our five heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

Leonor Ribeiro 

Sandra Tammaru

The beginning was so so slow for me, it put me in a slump for a fortnight. But towards the end it got better and more intriguing. So happy to have finally finished

Nina Koen

I reallyyyy enjoyed the different point of views and how we were given perspective of l the characters minds but it took kinda long to get where it was heading.

Imie Kent-Muller

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I gave the book 3.5 stars 

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, but want something a little easier to follow, then The Smoke Thieves is for you. A book full of different POVs, The Smoke Thieves is set in a wonderful fantastical world where there are countries on the brink of war. We follow the story through the POVs of a princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief who all live separate dangerous lives until they all meet.

Overall I did enjoy this book, I've given it a 3.5 stars. I felt the world building has been focused upon in this book (as expected in a beginning to a new series), and it seems like a really interesting magical world. Green has clearly though out her world through the traditions placed in each of the countries, the political systems that are explained, and the way magic fits into the world. Through the world building, Green explores themes such as politics, magic and duty in the book was what drew me in to the story. These themes are then taken on by the characters in different ways but particularly in Catherine and March, who ended up being my favourite characters.

Full review: https://mythicreader.wordpress.com/20...

Jamielee Boyd

Good enticing plot line, although very predictable at times. I enjoyed the switching points of view, but this could be tricky for some readers. I really liked the world maps which help to provide more information on the setting. Slow burner but definitely gets more interesting as you go on. 

Toni Turner

This I was one of the most satisfying stories ever crafted and I loved it so much. Everything kept falling into place in a “now I’m fist punching the sky at work” kind of way and everyone is concerned about my mental health but I don’t care because YES!

In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares to marry a man she's never met, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner's block. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, Edyon stands at a crossroads : family and fortune, one way ; destruction, the other. And in the barren northern territories, Tash is facing her demons - literally. As the kingdoms' alliances shift and shatter, these five young people find their futures inextricably linked by a mysterious bottle of demon smoke, and by the unpredictable tides of war. Who will rise, who will fall, and who will unlock the secrets of the smoke ?

mary

EDIT: I've changed my rating from 3/5 to 2/5 stars.

This book was seriously underwhelming. I didn’t feel attached to any of the main characters, and the plot seemed slow and didn’t pick up until the very last few pages. 3/5 is almost too generous of a rating, however I enjoyed the world this book was set in and Sally Green’s writing style is lovely. Perhaps I’d have better luck with her other books.

everlinet

This was just amazing. 5* read! The world building, the characters? the writing style? One of the most amazing books I’ve read this year so far. 
I can’t wait to read book 2. 😭 this was beyond GORGEOUS! I love Catherine so much. All the characters are so amazing!

Lisa Beasley

I really enjoyed this book. All of the characters are strong, the plot is solid and the writing style is good. I love all the characters though one or two may have stolen my heart a little more than the others. The cliffhanger ending was a killer though. Cannot wait for the next one! Now please xx

The Smoke Thieves

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