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Midnight Thief

(Midnight Thief #1)

Livia Blackburne (Goodreads Author)

3.72 · Rating details · 9,864 ratings · 981 reviews

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—a ...more

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Hardcover, 376 pages

Published July 8th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion

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Nov 22, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: why-do-i-hate-myself

Actual rating: 1.5

She didn’t look like an assassin. She looked like a young girl—a pretty one at that, with her small stature and delicate features.

Why hello there, generic special snowflake Mary Sue heroine who's a dumb, weak, pussy-ass delicate little flower with every guy desiring her and powers that she never earned.

“You’re beautiful to watch, you know...Your grace—it’s impossible to ignore. Did you notice the way my men looked at you? And it wasn’t just them.”

Oh, and there's a sad a ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Livia Blackburne added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-by-me

This story is my homage to the medieval fantasies I grew up reading. Most notably, Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness, which I've read and reread countless times. Unlike the Lioness Alanna, Kyra is a thief instead of a knight, and the challenges she faces are different. But I hope I've captured the same spirit, vulnerability, and courage that drew me to my favorite girl-power fantasies from my childhood. ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it it was ok

Shelves: that-bastard, assassins, rabid-reads-reviews, not-your-ordinary-creatures, some-kinda-magic, meh, weres-shapeshifters, ya, fantasy, skulduggery

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Before I read MIDNIGHT THIEF, I took the advice of various and sundry others, and read the prequel, POISON DANCE, and I really liked it. Having since read the book, I'm going to hazard a guess that the point of the prequel was to, if not make a sympathetic character out of MIDNIGHT THIEF's villain, then to at least explain why he was the way he was.

But it didn't quite work that way for me.

I feel like I've said this recently, so if I'm repeating myself, I apologize, but in ...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Alyssa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
Book One of the Midnight Thief series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, s ...more

flag 43 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2013 Faye, la Patata rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, supernatural, questionable-heroine, no-instalove, multiple-povs, superpowers, fantasy, slow-and-steady-romance, lovely-romance-but-not-central, black-white-and-gray

I must admit that I was first smittened by this book because of the synopsis. Anything that involves going sneaky and stealthy earns itself my full attention, as there is something about assassins, and well, I guess in this case, faux-assassins, that utterly fascinate me. They come like thieves in the night, arrive when you least expect it, and are super silent in the things they do. So when I was able to get an ARC of this, I was totally screaming, "GIMMEEEE!!" complete with an out-of-the-world ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 Isa Lavinia rated it it was ok

Shelves: why-the-hype, arc, netgalley, disappointment, boring, tstl

actual rating: 2.5 stars

ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion through Netgalley

Kyra is a thief trying to make ends meet when she's taken into the Assassins Guild. There she hones her skills and learns a few new tricks.
Tristam is close to his knighthood when barbarians riding demon cats attack and kill his best friend. This makes Tristam choose a path which will allow him to seek justice for his fallen friend.

I was really, REALLY excited for this book, but that excitement died down within the ...more

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Nov 13, 2013 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, arcs-and-galleys, netgalley, shapeshifters, young-adult, review-copy, assassins, thieves

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

I was introduced to the world of Midnight Thief late last year when author Livia Blackburne offered me a review copy of the prequel novella, Poison Dance. After reading it I came to two conclusions. First, Ms. Blackburne obviously puts a lot of care and effort into her writing, and knows how to tell a great story. And second, if what I saw in her novella was any indication, the actual book is going to be awesome.

In Midnigh 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

I was introduced to the world of Midnight Thief late last year when author Livia Blackburne offered me a review copy of the prequel novella, Poison Dance. After reading it I came to two conclusions. First, Ms. Blackburne obviously puts a lot of care and effort into her writing, and knows how to tell a great story. And second, if what I saw in her novella was any indication, the actual book is going to be awesome.

In Midnight Thief, we get to meet a couple of brand new protagonists: Kyra, the thief who barely manages to eke out a living by stealing or doing the odd job, and Tristam of Brancel, the newly promoted Palace Knight (or glorified Palace Guard, depending on how you look at it). If you’ve read Poison Dance, some familiar faces turn up too, like James, now leader of the Assassin’s Guild, who approaches Kyra with a lucrative offer. All she has to do is train with the guild, run a few errands, and he promises her that she will never lack for anything again.

Meanwhile, trade in Forge is disrupted as a clan of vicious raiders begin targeting the caravans to and from the city. These Demon Riders and their wild cats keep young Tristam and his fellow knights busy on patrol as gradually the attacks grow bolder and closer to Forge. On one fateful raid, Tristam and Kyra’s paths cross and their lives become irrevocably intertwined. Thief and Knight must join forces and learn to work together if they’re going to uncover a greater conspiracy rotting at the heart of Forge.

Though classified as Young Adult, the book feels like it could be aimed at younger readers, perhaps closer to upper Middle Grade. There is a strong thread of romance, but it isn’t a big part of the novel, nor does it come into play until much later. Tristam doesn’t even make his first appearance until after a handful of Kyra’s chapters, and it also surprised me how long it took for them to finally meet face-to-face for the first time. This struck me as an oddity, until I realized I didn’t actually mind. It’s nice to see a YA novel once in a while that doesn’t follow the formula, and we were able to get to know Kyra and Tristam a lot better individually without the overbearing pressure to thrust the two of them into a relationship right away.

The story was also in line with my thoughts on the target audience -- straightforward and suitably complex, if a bit predictable at times (there were a lot of not-too-subtle hints at Kyra’s “startling secret” about her past, for one). In spite of this, I still found this book greatly enjoyable and entertaining; the plot may not have held any unseen surprises for me, but the characters sure did. The dynamics were so intricate and layered that I never could determine which faction were the “good guys” or the “bad”, because nothing was ever so simple or black and white. In the end, I just gave up trying to put a label on anybody’s motivations and ultimately settled for rooting for Kyra. I liked her, and no matter what I knew I wanted to see things end up well for our talented young thief.

Which reminds me, if you haven’t read Poison Dance yet, I do highly recommend making the effort to pick it up first before tackling this novel. It’s not required, but it’s a short read and won’t take up much of your time. More importantly, the novella will help you see a certain character in Midnight Thief in a whole different light, and perhaps make him a lot more sympathetic in your eyes. It definitely served to enhance my experience.

If you’re looking for a good medieval era inspired YA fantasy and don’t mind a narrative that skews a tad towards younger readers, I would recommend this novel. It’s fun, adventurous, and strong on character development. ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) rated it really liked it

Shelves: high-fantasy

3.5 stars

Review can be found on my brand new blog Here ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Lindsay Cummings rated it it was amazing

One of the best books I've ever read! It was an absolute pleasure, and Livia Blackburne is now one of my top authors.

MIDNIGHT THIEF starts out with a bang. With a killer plot and really great motivations behind the characters, the reader is sure to fall in love with this story.

MIDNIGHT THIEF bounces back and forth between two characters: Kyra and Tristam.

Kyra is a teenaged thief who is one of the best climbers around. She's grown up on the streets of Forge, and she knows how to survive because ...more

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Sep 20, 2013 Stephanie Diaz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-want

A fast-paced adventure story with lots of intrigue, danger, and a kick-ass heroine. If you like YA fantasy with an exciting twist, definitely check this out!

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Feb 04, 2014 Rebekah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-addiction, favorites

What to make of the AMAZING book! Where do I begin? The author has a PhD in neuroscience for heavens sake! Go figure she wrote such an incredible book! And for the love of all that is holy I have to wait a whole year for book 2! Let me just say I was riveted by the end of paige one. I could not put this book down. Everything about it was worth reading every word, line and savoring the picture she created as you get involved in the world and it's characters. This book truly has everything a story What to make of the AMAZING book! Where do I begin? The author has a PhD in neuroscience for heavens sake! Go figure she wrote such an incredible book! And for the love of all that is holy I have to wait a whole year for book 2! Let me just say I was riveted by the end of paige one. I could not put this book down. Everything about it was worth reading every word, line and savoring the picture she created as you get involved in the world and it's characters. This book truly has everything a story needs to make a good story. Likeable characters, political situations that were not presented as pure black and white but showed many gray areas, good vs evil, historical context (language/setting), romance, mystery, action, adventure, twists, plot changes, characters killed off that tear at your heart strings, etc. I could go on and on about what this book hold that makes with worth reading and owning.

The writing alone in this book was fantastic! The detail described is enough to give you the framework, but not too much that you were overwhelmed with too much information. Make sense? The author also did a great job of pacing. There wasn't a time I wanted to book to go faster or I wanted to skim to move on with the story. No, this was so well written that I was able to really enjoy the pace of the book. I've read some people complain that this book as "too slow" I would have to politely disagree with those who felt that way because I sure did not feel like this book was slow. There were to many twists and turns in the story I really was reeling by where the author took me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and it's pace.

This story follows a girl named Kyra who is an orphaned who grew up on the streets and doesn't even know her real age, but living on the streets taught her how to survive. She has an amazing ability to scale walls and bypass guards in order to steal what she needs in order to survive. As a character she is pretty stinkin awesome. She always kept things interesting, and what was so great about her as a character she isn't this completely sword wilding bad-A-don't-mess-with-me type of chick that is becoming so big. No, she is flawed, she makes mistakes, but she isn't whiny, she is strong and real. Someone readers can relate to. Through out the story you really get to see growth from Kyra as we watch her choices and actions and the consequences (good or bad) play out. She is a character to admire. When Kyra is offered a job from a mysterious James who needs her help and only she can do it since she is so skilled in the art of doing things without getting caught. She hesitates but then desires this new challenge he presents to her.

Tristam is a wonderful character. He is just someone you automatically like. He is just trying to get by while doing what he thinks is right. He has a desire to uphold his family's name and honor. He doesn't aspire to be anything but good. But when his friend is killed by the Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats. Tristam seeks his revenge and vows to take them down. When Tristam's world collides with Kyra things get intense as the plot in the story thickens and twists and turns in way you were completely not expecting.

Overall I would own this book, it's a good decent sized book that is clean and full of adventure. I highly recommend this book

Sexual Content: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (knowledge of murders, fight scenes, throat cutting-not graphic)

*Thank you to the Hyperion for a copy of the book, which I got in exchange for an honest review*

...more

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Apr 28, 2014 Jilly rated it liked it

Shelves: y-a, fantasy

As I have mentioned many times, I am a dog person, definitely not a cat person. So, any book with giant killer cats has already got a strike against it in my eyes. Cats give me the creeps with their independent attitudes and crapping in a box. Seriously? I have to keep a box of your shit sitting in my house all day? I have yet to walk into someone's house and be surprised they have a cat. Why? Because they have a box of cat shit sitting in their house.

dogs rule photo: Dogs rule Dogs3_zps301c098f.jpg

Exactly my point!

dogs rule photo: Dogs rule Dogs2_zps0fd067a6.jpg

Obviously, the crap As I have mentioned many times, I am a dog person, definitely not a cat person. So, any book with giant killer cats has already got a strike against it in my eyes. Cats give me the creeps with their independent attitudes and crapping in a box. Seriously? I have to keep a box of your shit sitting in my house all day? I have yet to walk into someone's house and be surprised they have a cat. Why? Because they have a box of cat shit sitting in their house.

Exactly my point!

Obviously, the crap in a box is a problem for other people as well as myself.

...but I digress....

Back to the book! So, we have Kyra, a thief who can do amazing things, like scaling the sides of buildings and sneak in to places that others can not get in to. James, the head of the Assassin's Guild, decides to offer her a job that involves her sneaking in to the palace and mapping out the place. She is happy to get the security that the money will mean to her and accepts the job. She also develops a bit of a crush on James himself. In the meantime, we have another story going on with a palace knight named Tristam, who had his partner killed by these wild barbarians with "demon cats" that rip people and animals to shreds. He is determined to stop these vicious attacks and to protect the palace. The two of them end up crossing paths a few times.

The character of Kyra was okay. She was a small girl who had been orphaned and raised on the street, only to learn to steal from an older boy who took her in. She seems pretty simple, for the most part, and very very naive for a girl who was raised on the streets as a thief. She is super soft considering her background, which gives her character less credibility. The character of James is a tough one because I read the prequel book and he was a sympathetic character. I kept expecting the best of him, and I still am hoping that something will change in the next book for the three main characters to work together. The prequel mind-f*cked me. And, the character who seemed the most likable, in my eyes, bites the dust as usual. Why not just name him "Deadmeat" like in the Hot Shots movie?

The story, itself, was pretty good. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting, and the pacing was fast enough. I wasn't a fan of the wild cat society (see above), but the book held my interest. I will read the next one. I'm hoping some giant wolves come along to kick these cats' asses. ...more

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Nov 17, 2013 Tanja (Tanychy) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

When Livia Blackburne approached me last year and asked me to read the prequel to this story, Poison Dance, I jumped to it. Assassins are always my favorite bunch to hang out with and luckily it turned out for the best. Ever since then I've been frantically checking NetGalley for Midnight Thief and finally it is here.

First I'd want to start this review by saying that you should read Poison Dance before reading this book (it's free on Amazon so go and grab i ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Jo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, ya-fantasy

4.5 stars
Absolutely riveting! I kept putting off reading this one, and now I am left wondering why. Kyra is a great addition to the canon of kick butt heroines (Katniss, Celaena, Elisa, Tris, Katsa, Saba, Enna, you get the point). I truly fell in love with Kyra's character from the first chapter. She is just the right balance between being vulnerable and being steel. Her drive to survive is incredible and makes you cheer for her from the start.

This is a great world to lose yourself in. It is we ...more

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Jul 29, 2014 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Completely unexpectedly, Midnight Thief was a very pleasant surprise. It came at a time when I had a hard time focusing on any read and I really needed something different and well done to pull me in. In many ways, The Midnight Thief was both those things.

This book is told from two perspectives, that of Kyra, a skilled thief, and a young knight named Tristam. Tristam’s point of view came as a surprise somewhat late in the story, just when I was starting to get comfortable with Kyra’s voice. Asid Completely unexpectedly, Midnight Thief was a very pleasant surprise. It came at a time when I had a hard time focusing on any read and I really needed something different and well done to pull me in. In many ways, The Midnight Thief was both those things.

This book is told from two perspectives, that of Kyra, a skilled thief, and a young knight named Tristam. Tristam’s point of view came as a surprise somewhat late in the story, just when I was starting to get comfortable with Kyra’s voice. Aside from the poor timing, his POV was a welcome addition – in the end, he was my favorite character, the one that showed consistent integrity, intelligence and strength.

Throughout the novel, Kyra makes many mistakes. She is a flawed character with good intentions. She tends to take the path of least resistance, and it’s very hard to blame her for it after the childhood she had. She always comes to her senses, no matter how long it takes, and she does whatever is needed to correct her mistakes. I loved that she was always ready to take responsibility for her actions, it made me respect her all the more.

Midnight Thief is full of exciting twists and turns, with betrayals and surprises around every corner. Aside from the two POV characters, it’s very hard to know who to trust when even those closest to them have some kind of hidden agenda.

After listing all the advantages, I should mention what I thought was Midnight Thief’s biggest flaw. As much as I liked the characters, I thought the worldbuilding was sadly lacking. The world wasn’t nearly detailed enough, which made me feel disconnected at times. Perhaps more details were given in the prequel, but I shouldn’t be obligated to read it in order to enjoy the full length novel. I wanted to know more about absolutely everything, and yet details on this world were few and far between.

All things considered, though, Midnight Thief is a very strong debut and Livia Blackburne an author to watch. I can’t wait for more of this story, there is so much more to learn.

...more

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Sep 05, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) marked it as dnf

Shelves: arc

Amount Read: 169 pages

I tried, guys. In fact, I got 40% into this book. The thing is that it's NOT bad. The world building is cool, the writing is totally acceptable, and the plot is, so far, quite promising. I didn't want to DNF because there's so much that's right about this book.

That said, I just DO. NOT. CARE. The characterization really isn't here for me, which leads me to not care about the interesting plot and world building. If it's a fantasy plot line of "oh no, these humans might die," ...more

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Apr 08, 2022 Alaina rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, paranormal, mystery, 2022, fantasy, fiction, young-adult, romance

Midnight Thief was a pretty interesting book. In it, you will meet Kyra. She's your typical assassin who doesn't look like an assassin. When she's offered a job by the Assassin Guild, she definitely hesitates to take it. Rightfully so in my opinion. She's not used to this world or the rules, but it is an intriguing offer.

For most of this book, I was pretty invested with what was happening. Then I hit some boring parts where nothing was really happening. Also, the romance was kind of annoying me ...more

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Feb 26, 2015 Viktoria Winter rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

“When you lose a friend in battle, it’s natural to feel like you’re to blame. But don’t let those thoughts consume you. War is fickle. Just fight your best and let the ghosts of every battle rest in peace.”

It’s rare when I find a book on my own―without all the cluster of social media or friendly recommendations. At some point or another, I’ve probably heard of a book through blogs or Instagram or BookTube, and when I see it at Barnes & Noble I have a sort of "ah-ha!" moment (it’s quite exhilara “When you lose a friend in battle, it’s natural to feel like you’re to blame. But don’t let those thoughts consume you. War is fickle. Just fight your best and let the ghosts of every battle rest in peace.”

It’s rare when I find a book on my own―without all the cluster of social media or friendly recommendations. At some point or another, I’ve probably heard of a book through blogs or Instagram or BookTube, and when I see it at Barnes & Noble I have a sort of "ah-ha!" moment (it’s quite exhilarating). This was not one of those times. And I freaking loved that. Never have I even heard of the title Midnight Thief, and I was merely browsing through an old indie bookshop two towns over when I came across the interesting cover. So naturally, I had to read the synopsis. Assassins, knights, and kingdoms? Sounds a bit like Throne of Glass. Count me the hell in!

description

The writing style was fast paced and ambitious, but there were times when I felt that it was too quick. I’m all for clipped sentence structures when they’re needed (ie. for action scenes), but there were many moments that had unnecessary reductions. One moment Kyra would be frustrated or upset, and walk out of the room. I figured she is a growing YA heroine and a break-down is only natural. However, when only a page later she returns back inside the room full of the same people she just stormed out on…it was a bit unsettling. It made her character unstable, and with little support as to why she performed her actions other than the obvious stress. I was hoping for more build-up in the romance department (I’m a real sucker for fictional love, ok?) but sadly it was a poor metaphor of the writing style. Short and lacking depth.

Although I do applaud Kyra for not throwing herself on men (like so many other YA female characters *sigh*), I was hoping her budding romance with Tristman would be stronger than just a mere peck on the lips and a nod. Their romance felt more like a friendly handshake rather than the beginning of a tragic love story. And don’t get me wrong, I adore platonic romances/friendships (ie. ToG) but this was just overly platonic. Forgive my cliché phrasing, but there wasn’t any spark to this pairing. And truthfully, it was one of the only pairings I was looking forward to.

That being said, I actually did enjoy Kyra’s character. Although being a bit unstable, I admired her soft heart and moral complexity. She grew up a “gutter-rat” yet after her unsavory rise from poverty, she still goes back to look after the other homeless children, especially two sisters who remind Kyra of herself. Her love for challenges allured me to believe that she’d be of the Celaena Sardothien badass type, but I quickly found out that she was a lot gentler than that. There’s nothing wrong with showing emotions and being a sweet character, but Kyra’s brighter side verged on childish at times. Seeing as we’re around the same age, I think it’s allowable for me to say that I was hoping she’d be stronger.

description

The world-building was invigorating and I applaud Blackburne for her originality with using Demon Riders, shape-shifters who change into predatory cats, as the antagonists rather than the stereotypical vampire or werewolf. (I knew there was a deeper reason behind my dislike of cats!) But other than those cats, it was a fairly common medieval-inspired realm wielding knights and forests and social classes. If anything, I wish these things were more focused on so that Blackburne could further explain the workings behind this supposedly fictional realm, so that (aside from those Demon Riders) it didn’t feel like a history book. Historical fiction is great, but that’s not the genre I thought I was reading. For a high-fantasy novel, I felt that this book could’ve used some more mystifying aspects.

Overall I was pleased with this novel and I would recommend it to anyone who desperately needs more fantasy books to read. However, I’m still on the fence about whether I truly love it. If you’re a Sarah J Maas fanatic such as myself, you might want to give it a try. It has some parallels and other entities (however stretched). I will most likely give the sequel a try because I’m interested in seeing where Tristam and Kyra go with their relationship, and I also want to know what becomes of Pashla, my favorite side-character!
...more

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Apr 17, 2014 Alicia Batista (Addicted Readers) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, r2r, a-must-read, strong-female, you-ll-be-sorry-if-you-miss-this-bo, young-adult, print-arc-owned, arc-paperback, fav-s, arc-own

4.5 Stars

MIDNIGHT THIEF was a fascinating, emotionally-punched, action-packed, thrilling, fantasy book that I devoured so quickly it had me tripping over words trying to get them read so fast!! It was SO much fun, with twist and turns that just kept coming!! It will definitely go down as one of my favorite fantasy's of 2014!!!

Livia Blackburne delivers WAYYYY more then I anticipated in this novel!!! When I read the synopsis about the Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty ...more

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Nov 10, 2013 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

This was really good. I loved watching the main character, Kyra, go through all these situations and actually make mistakes (Yay for a non-perfect YA fantasy heroine!) and watching the world building expand was an absolute thrill. I did wish that the plot were a bit tighter but I don't even care because this book was still very entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

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Series Review

Why should you check out ...more

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Mar 14, 2014 ~Tina~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, arc, netgalley-edelweiss

Wow! Now this was impressive!
Midnight Thief, is a brilliant medieval fantasy adventure that was such a blast to read. I love fantasy books, but for whatever reason I really have to be in a certain mood to get into them, so color me shocked when I opened this book just to catch the first chapter, only to be instantly hooked. I could not put this down.

I can't believe this is Livia Blackburne debut novel. I'm in love with the way she can write. For some reason I thought this was a historical fantas Wow! Now this was impressive!
Midnight Thief, is a brilliant medieval fantasy adventure that was such a blast to read. I love fantasy books, but for whatever reason I really have to be in a certain mood to get into them, so color me shocked when I opened this book just to catch the first chapter, only to be instantly hooked. I could not put this down.

I can't believe this is Livia Blackburne debut novel. I'm in love with the way she can write. For some reason I thought this was a historical fantasy, which is why I was hesitant to pick this up at first, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the dialogue was smooth and easy to absorb. The pacing and the flow was pitched perfectly for feeling out the characters, learning the plot points and enjoying the world building. It was beautifully detailed without being dull or dragged out by the usual politics I find in fantasy books. This just had pure intrigue, suspense and amazingly witty well developed and likeable characters that had me completely invested from minute one. I also really loved the twist and turns Blackthorn took, especially when we are introduced to the Markvani clan. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the direction the story was going. On one hand the clan is a very intriguing group, but I'm not overly fond of their customs and means of survival. 'For the good of the clan' seems barbaric and vicious, but then I realized that it's not any different how manipulative the Council or the Guild's actions were when they wanted something done. It seems that the running theme is motivated for selfish gain no matter who is caught in the crossfire. Still, my conflicts aside, I have to admit that Blackburne is a skilled writer. The storyline wasn't as cut and dry as I thought, it's unpredictable and it kept me on my toes and entertained throughout the entire length of the novel.

With any fantasy I read comes with a large cast of characters and Midnight Thief is no different. But I truly loved every single one of them. The good and the bad.
Kyra is an amazing put together protagonist. She's an orphan living on the streets of Forge who has a specific skill set for thieving for food and lodging, but she's also a thrill seeker and loves a good challenge as well, something that always gets her into trouble. So when she took up the offer to join the Assassins Guild for more coin then she can count, despite feeling like something was wrong, she still accepted. Kyra isn't a perfect character but her remorse, revenge and redemption was extremely commendable. But a big part of me believes that her faults weren't entirely her own. Yes, she made a bad decision that became to costly, but the Guild, Counsel and even the Markvani seem to have their own agenda where she is concerned and tended to use her emotions against her. This makes it very hard to know who to trust and where her true allegiances lie, which is one of the factors I'm looking forward to seeing play out in future books.
Tristam was the second perspective we got next to Kyra and I'm very thankful for that since we learn more about him and his emotional situation first hand. He's a palace Knight that is clever and skilled in combat and strategy. He joined the city guards to avenge his friend, Jack who was killed by the Demon Riders who ride on ferocious wildcats. He's a firm but fair character who was easy to admire and respect for his kindness and morals.
Flick was also an instant character that I loved. I adored his banter, good humor and brotherly protective nature. He's one of the rare characters that I can faithfully depend on. At one point I even cared for James. I was easily charmed and deceived by his convincing tactics. There are also three secondary characters that I really liked but didn't make it. It surprised me how affected I felt at each lost. A testament to fantastic writing.

There is no real romance in this one, but there are strong suggestions of attraction between Kyra and another character. Those moments were light, but very sweet and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing that being explored.
As for the ending, it wraps up quite nicely, which I found refreshing since fantasy novels tend to leave us on evil cliff-hangers, this book left me content, but I still anticipate the potential and promise of so much more.

Bottom line, I couldn't have love a book more. It has everything I like in my escape. Incredible storytelling, action packed adventure with an amazing cast of characters. This is my new favorite fantasy and I can't wait to read the next book in this richly riveting and heart pounding new series. Loved! ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Christine rated it it was amazing

MIDNIGHT THIEF is a riveting page-turner full of action, intrigue, secrets. It is a fantasy but reads like historical fiction set in Medival Europe. The fantasy doesn't kick in until 110 pages before the ending. (I suspected early, but won't give away any spoilers.)

Forget Ye Old English speech, too, because the language is as easy to read--no dialects except one word (in't instead of ain't) and understandable as contemporary novels, only with a historical setting and tone. Even when the Barbari MIDNIGHT THIEF is a riveting page-turner full of action, intrigue, secrets. It is a fantasy but reads like historical fiction set in Medival Europe. The fantasy doesn't kick in until 110 pages before the ending. (I suspected early, but won't give away any spoilers.)

Forget Ye Old English speech, too, because the language is as easy to read--no dialects except one word (in't instead of ain't) and understandable as contemporary novels, only with a historical setting and tone. Even when the Barbarians speak, the author tells in the tag that it is with an accent.

MIDNIGHT THIEF is even accessable to older middle grade readers in both content (nothing too graphic, no sex, chaste characters, no vulgar language) and understandability. My only pick has to do with the designers and not the author. Livia Blackburne wrote MIDNIGHT THIEF in two third person POVs. But it doesn't switch to the male knight POV until Chapter 5. (Children do not comprehend time and POV shifts until age 8-9.) Several chapters later I looked back to try to figure out how the designer was signaling POV chapter changes. Note to readers: there are two very faint grayscale marks--not that different, both with an X--in the left hand corner peeking from underneath the first word of each chapter. At first the POV and place shift is jarring because one doesn't expect it so far into the novel (Chapter 5). Once this reader figured out the faint symbol and expected it to be uneven in switches, then the reading continued smoothly again.

There were a multitude of very likable characters, and the political situations were never presented as black-and-white, virtuous-versus-evil. This could lead to lively political, historical context discussions in classrooms.

Blackburne set up this first book to continue as a series. And yet it felt organically satisfying in the end as a stand-alone, too. But I suspect fantasy lovers will be shouting for more story, because once the story reaches the ending, it is firmly in the fantasy genre. (Withholding spoilers)

I received this ARC from the author in a OneFour KidLit ARC tour and was not paid for my review.

...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review, fantasy

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Kyra has grown up on Forge’s streets and with her ability to scale walls and avoid the attention of guards, she is able to take what she needs to survive. When James, the leader of the Assassin’s Guild, offers her a job to help them steal from The Palace, she agrees but struggles against the guilds rules and James, who is darkly alluring. Tristam is a young knight who is on a mission to stop Demon Riders after they ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Minni Mouse rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy, stars-4, 2016, pleasantly-surprised, stars-3

Errybody be posting Empire of Storm or Crooked Kingdom updates and here I be, reading some no-name book from 2014...haha.

Anyway. 3.5 star rating. I feel like I gave up my seat at the cool kids' table by liking this book so much, particularly after reading Khanh destroy this book in her review, haha. But 'ey, I liked it!

I read Poison Dance first, which nicely set me up to like this book. Once I started to get a few chapters in I was struck by how much the vibes paralleled Final Empire in ...more

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Apr 16, 2016 Gergana marked it as zzz-books-not-for-me

DNF:75%
Read in April, 2016.

Dammit! So close to finishing this one. So close...

One word: CLUTTERED

Imagine a huge mix of Shadow and Bone, Poison Study, The Darkest Minds and many many others. It's a book that combines the best elements from my favorite YA books and has a TON of plot twists in order to fit them all in in one single book.

Well, to be completely honest, Midnight Thief is one of the better YA fantasies I've ever read - it's is fast-paced, well-written and action-packed. It has believa DNF:75%
Read in April, 2016.

Dammit! So close to finishing this one. So close...

One word: CLUTTERED

Imagine a huge mix of Shadow and Bone, Poison Study, The Darkest Minds and many many others. It's a book that combines the best elements from my favorite YA books and has a TON of plot twists in order to fit them all in in one single book.

Well, to be completely honest, Midnight Thief is one of the better YA fantasies I've ever read - it's is fast-paced, well-written and action-packed. It has believable characters, a descent world-building, a pretty good audio-book narrator and a 100 plots that, although predictable, are interesting enough to keep you hooked.

I almost feel bad for placing this book in my zzz-books-not-for-me shelf, but in the end of the day, I was so so so bored and detached from everything that was going on. (view spoiler) ...more

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Apr 01, 2014 Danny rated it really liked it

This review was originally posted on Bewitched Bookworms

I admit, I was drawn in by the cover because I think it's absolutely fantastically awesome. Then, reading the synopsis I was hooked and I really wanted to know Kyra!

Epic Fantasy as it's finest!
Lately, I've been in the mood for Epic Fantasy and Midnight Thief comes with a fantastic setting. A medieval land which is suddenly faced by some mysterious dangerous creatures. Kyra our heroine is an orphan who grew up in the streets and finally realized how talented she is in stealing, but moreover she can climb things with a grace and silentness that no one else has ever seen before. Soon she attract the assassin guild who want to recruit her to help them fight against the authorities of the city. Of course, they make her believe that she's fighting for the good of all people. So there is political intrigue, fight for power and some power hungry men that add in the perfect space and backdrop of this story.
Kyra - our "robin-hood-like" thief with the big heart.
I loved Kyra as a heroine because she was simply not perfect. Leave alone that she was actually stealing, she still had her heart at the right place and only did "robin hood" like stealing. But, really Kyra wantes to fight for her people, meaning those that no one ever fights for. The poor, the orphaned kids. However, Kyra went into all of this with a little naivety that actually felt perfectly genuine. She is 17 after all and raised by others of her kind. I loved her strength and again, I loved her good heart, despite all the mistakes she made along the way.
Then there is Tristam- our knight in shining armor!
Besides Kyra - the other main character who also gives us chapters from his POV is Tristam and he's the perfect counterpart to Kyra. They both complete each other in so many ways. They open each other ways and make them think more deeply. When they cross path and actually thrown together to fight against the mysterious dangerous creatures, they develop a beautiful slow budding romance, that was quite adorable!
Slow beginning, fantastical showdown
Admittedly, the beginning was rather slow and it took me a while to get into the book. I can't exactly what was missing in the beginning - but soon I was super hooked! Especially when Kyra made her biggest mistake yet and she suddenly has to fight to stay alive the plot thickened, because more intriguing and detailed. And of course I was waiting for a magical element, which I always love to have in a Fantasy story. So after I got over the slow beginning I was completely hooked and in love with Kyra, Tristam and the whole story.

Bewitched Rating

Rating 4.5

Bottom Line
Midnight Thief is the perfect story for all lovers of fantasy. It has all the elements for a rich story, filled with political intrigue, mysterious creatures and a romance that is adorably cute! I would even go ahead and say if you love Robin Hood themed story, or a fan of the Throne of Glass series than please add this book to your list!

...more

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Jul 01, 2014 Nicole D. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-fantasy-sci-fi, a-z-2014-never2old4ya, signed-by-author

I loved the heroine Kyra. She is smart,strong,and fierce but still compassionate and will do anything for the people she loves. She doesn't have much and was a street rat before she meet her friend Flick and she started stealing for a living. She never steals from the poor only the rich. She doesn't even know her true age but she and her friends guess at around 17. She doesn't remember anything before being a street rat including how she became one or her family.

When she is approached by James t ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Colette rated it it was ok

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. The story never grabbed me completely, and I could not fully relate to the characters. Overall 2/5 stars; I will try the next boom and hope I end up liking it more.

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Jan 01, 2014 Anya rated it really liked it

Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne is not your ordinary fantasy about a thief. For one thing, Kyra is not an ordinary thief, and for another, strange things are afoot in her world these days. Midnight Thief was one of my most anticipated reads for 2014 after I read Poison Dance, the prequel novella. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I was wonderfully surprised and now must patiently wait for book two to be announced…. ;-)
Note: I received Midnight Thief from the publisher in exchange ...more

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Dec 27, 2013 Aneta Bak rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

I have been anticipating the release of this book ever since I read the prequel called Poison Dance. I instantly fell in love with the author's writing and characters.
I am extremely happy to say that Midnight Thief was a hundred times better than I ever imagined it would be. It was absolutely perfect, from the characters all the way down to the world-building.

Kyra is a thief. In a world where the rich take from the poor, Kyra is the "Robin Hood," stealing from the snobby rich folk and giving bac I have been anticipating the release of this book ever since I read the prequel called Poison Dance. I instantly fell in love with the author's writing and characters.
I am extremely happy to say that Midnight Thief was a hundred times better than I ever imagined it would be. It was absolutely perfect, from the characters all the way down to the world-building.

Kyra is a thief. In a world where the rich take from the poor, Kyra is the "Robin Hood," stealing from the snobby rich folk and giving back to the poor children who live on the streets. When the Assassin's Guild finds Kyra, they are impressed with her, and they make her an offer she can't refuse. Kyra starts working with the guild and starts training as an assassin, but being an assassin and thief are two completely different things.

The story is followed in two points-of-view. We get to see Kyra's perspective as well as Tristam's. From the very start of the book, I instantly fell in love with Kyra. She is such a well-rounded character, you can't help but admire her. She is so caring when it comes to her friends, but she can also be ruthless at times when its important. She is determined to improve herself, she never backs down from a challenge, and takes every opportunity she gets to improve her skills to learn more.
Tristam on the other hand, I had some mixed feelings about. There were definitely some moments in the book where I just wanted to yell at him for a few stupid things he did, but near the end of the book I got an understanding of his character and I couldn't help but be a little impressed with him. Hopefully he manages to impress me even more in the future books.

The romance aspect of this book was definitely the most impressive and surprising part of the book for me. I am so used to reading books with love-triangles or insta-love, I always expect one of them to be in every book I read, and even for a moment I thought this book would have a love-triangle, but it didn't. It's not very often that people in the real world find themselves in love-triangles or fall in love at first sight, most people slowly get feelings for another person, and if that doesn't work out, they move on and end up falling for someone else. This is exactly what happened in this book, Kyra started having feelings for James, but when it was obvious that it wouldn't work out, she ended up moving on, and having feelings for someone else. I absolutely love how the author wrote this part, not only is it very unique in YA books, but it's also very realistic to what happens to real people, you can't help but relate to it. Major brownie points, well done.

The writing in this book was fantastic, if you like action in the stories you read, I can guarantee that this is going to be one of those books you just can't put down. I found myself reading till the late hours of the night because I kept saying "One more chapter and then I'll go to bed," about seven or eight times before I actually put the book down. The amount of action, plot twists and hooks this book has just keeps you fully interested from beginning to end.

The world-building of this story is absolutely amazing. We get to see so many different settings in the book. We get to see places like: the forest, the town, the palace, different outskirts and farmlands. But what's even more amazing is that each and every place is described in such a way that you feel like you're actually standing right in the middle of the scene as it happens. We also get a sense of outside Kyra's town from the descriptions of travelling merchants and where they came from. You can definitely tell that the author put in a huge effort for the world-building of the story, and it definitely paid off because it made the story so much better.

Overall, I love pretty much loved everything in this book. It's going on my favorites shelf. I highly recommend this book and the prequel (Poison Dance) to anyone who loves YA and/or Fantasy books.

If you're interested in reading Poison Dance, it is currently free on Amazon. Just click HERE to check it out.

-Aneta ...more

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About Livia Blackburne

Livia Blackburne

1,225 followers

New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne wrote her first novel while researching the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, she’s switched to full-time writing, which also involves getting into people’s heads but without the help of a 3 Tesla MRI scanner.

She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTE ...more