Midnight Thief

Gr 6 Up—This debut novel, sure to be the first in a series, is filled with adventure and intrigue. Kyra is a young woman with an unknown past who grew up on the streets. She survives on her skills and talents as a thief. Kind and good-hearted Kyra finds herself in a quandary when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers her a lucrative job. Her uncanny ability to scale walls and pick locks allows her to gain entrance into the city's fortified palace where she copies maps and other important documents for the guild to use in planning attacks on palace guards. One of the palace's newest knights is Tristam of Brancel. He and Kyra are soon intertwined in a conspiracy involving the guild and a clan of shape-shifting forest dwellers who can transform themselves into monstrous demon cats. Surprisingly, Kyra finds that her past is tied to this clan. The plot breathlessly unfolds as Kyra and Tristam work together to save their home city. They must also account for—and make amends for—their participation in lawlessness, thievery, disobeying orders, murders, and betraying of solemn oaths. Bianca Amato capably voices the host of characters, both good and bad. Her exquisite use of vocal tones and speech dialects is outstanding.