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Thief's Cunning
(Assassin's Heart #2)
by
With her past stolen, she’s taking the future into her own hands.
All her life, Allegra’s had to live in secret. She is the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana—but since the Saldanas have gone from the strongest clipper Family to the most hunted, Allegra and her clan must keep their identities hidden. Now they’re constantly watching their backs for an attack from the ...more
All her life, Allegra’s had to live in secret. She is the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana—but since the Saldanas have gone from the strongest clipper Family to the most hunted, Allegra and her clan must keep their identities hidden. Now they’re constantly watching their backs for an attack from the ...more
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Hardcover, 409 pages
Published
June 13th 2017
by HarperTeen
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LuLu
You can read this as a standalone book, but you will most likely not understand the family relationships which is half of the story.
Community Reviews
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Start your review of Thief's Cunning (Assassin's Heart #2)

Pros
• Ahiers always manages to write such epic endings.
• Ahiers is also always on point with the character developments again. I love the themes of family, identity, and freedom here. I liked how things were resolved in these areas.
• The mythology and the different gods we learn about in this book are so interesting. These gods are frightening, powerful, and amazing. I honestly would love more books just to meet more gods and learn more about them.
• Seeing Lea and Les again. They are the sweete ...more
• Ahiers always manages to write such epic endings.
• Ahiers is also always on point with the character developments again. I love the themes of family, identity, and freedom here. I liked how things were resolved in these areas.
• The mythology and the different gods we learn about in this book are so interesting. These gods are frightening, powerful, and amazing. I honestly would love more books just to meet more gods and learn more about them.
• Seeing Lea and Les again. They are the sweete ...more

I'm so excited to see Lea in her thirties!
...more

Assassin's Heart Series Ratings:
Assassin's Heart: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s but I am feeling generous.
Thief's Cunning: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Allegra has always had to look ove ...more
Assassin's Heart: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s but I am feeling generous.
Thief's Cunning: Actual rating 3.5 ★'s
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
But I knew what it must be like for the travelers. To feel bound and trapped and then want to live wildly while you had freedom, even if it was just for a moment, really. A small breath in a lifetime of feeling unable to breathe.
Allegra has always had to look ove ...more

May 29, 2018
Colleen Houck
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ghosts,
survival,
death,
animals,
fantasy,
prison-prisoner,
outdoors-camping,
assassin,
curse
I loved learning even more about this world. The ghosts were fascinating as was the way the community kept them at bay. My favorite scene was the confrontation between the two mothers when Lea stormed the castle as it were.

What a let-down.
I might have liked this better if Allegra wasn't such a little brat. It's hard to feel bad for her when she's running around like a snotty teenage girl who kisses random boys to prove that she's rebellious and can do whatever she wants.
I think I'm supposed to feel bad for Allegra because Lea "stole her" from the Da Vias family...but I actually feel sorry for Lea because she has to put up with her.
I feel like Allegra never had to apologize for anything terrible that she does in t ...more
I might have liked this better if Allegra wasn't such a little brat. It's hard to feel bad for her when she's running around like a snotty teenage girl who kisses random boys to prove that she's rebellious and can do whatever she wants.
I think I'm supposed to feel bad for Allegra because Lea "stole her" from the Da Vias family...but I actually feel sorry for Lea because she has to put up with her.
I feel like Allegra never had to apologize for anything terrible that she does in t ...more

*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Thief's Cunning is the second installment in Sarah Ahiers' Assassin Heart series. Some publications are calling this a companion novel. Assassin’s Heart was set in the Kingdom of Lovero, where paid assassination is legal if you belong to one of the nine chosen Families. Thief’s Cunning, which takes place nearly twenty years after Assassin's Heart, introduces a completely new part of this world—Mornia—an expansive, ...more
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Thief's Cunning is the second installment in Sarah Ahiers' Assassin Heart series. Some publications are calling this a companion novel. Assassin’s Heart was set in the Kingdom of Lovero, where paid assassination is legal if you belong to one of the nine chosen Families. Thief’s Cunning, which takes place nearly twenty years after Assassin's Heart, introduces a completely new part of this world—Mornia—an expansive, ...more

A routine was just another trap, one you forced yourself into. I refused to trap myself. I was already caged enough.
It's been eighteen years since Lea Saldana exacted her revenge on the Da Vias. She's now the head of the Family, living in Yvain and secretly continuing to carry out their duty as clippers. It also means reigning in her niece, Allegra, who is rash and reckless. Allegra is bothered by the secrets surrounding her birth, and when she finds out she should've been raised as a Da Via ...more

World-building: A+
Mythology: A++
Plot-Twists: A+
Suspense: A
Girl Power: A+
Guy Hero: A
Villains: A
Love Interests: A
Feels: A+++
The first few chapters were fatiguing for me to read because it felt like the first book was being retold a generation later. However, Ahiers quickly took that misconception of mine behind the tool shed (so to speak).
"Thief's Cunning" is an excellent finding-your-place story filled with magic, mystery, and powerful messages of nature, balance, justice, and love (romantic and ...more
Mythology: A++
Plot-Twists: A+
Suspense: A
Girl Power: A+
Guy Hero: A
Villains: A
Love Interests: A
Feels: A+++
The first few chapters were fatiguing for me to read because it felt like the first book was being retold a generation later. However, Ahiers quickly took that misconception of mine behind the tool shed (so to speak).
"Thief's Cunning" is an excellent finding-your-place story filled with magic, mystery, and powerful messages of nature, balance, justice, and love (romantic and ...more

Although it’s been about a year since I read the first book, Assassin’s Heart, I found I was able to really get into this book and follow on with the story without any difficulty. The previous story and characters really came to life. This story however is quite different to the first one but I liked both books for different reasons. The first I loved for the action, mystery, intrigue and magic. This one, yes I loved the action and magic however the journey to learn the truth of Allegra’s true i
...more

You know, I distinctly remember being so utterly in love with the first book in the series. Lea was my stubborn little spitfire of a hero. I loved everything about the first book, and when I heard there was going to be a sequel, I was so exited.
And also scared.
Because I said to myself, what if they fuck it up. What if they take an amazing series and trash it by trying to push a story that doesn't need to be told. The first book was amazing as a standalone, and frankly should have been. I worried ...more
And also scared.
Because I said to myself, what if they fuck it up. What if they take an amazing series and trash it by trying to push a story that doesn't need to be told. The first book was amazing as a standalone, and frankly should have been. I worried ...more

Jan 12, 2017
♠ TABI⁷ ♠
marked it as to-read

All right, I'll bite. It helps that this is set 18 years after the other book . . . ...more

I'm giving this a low 3. First of all, it's called Thief's Cunning, which is why I picked it up—who doesn't love a good thief story? But the protagonist isn't a thief! She's part of a family of assassins and in fact the point is made early in the story that if they were to stoop to thievery in the course of their duties as assassins, their reputations would be destroyed. So what the heck? The only "thief" association I could discover was that Allegra, in the course of her life, has been stolen s
...more

First thoughts: Very enjoyable story...
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would say about 3.25-3.5 stars. This a companion novel to Assassin's Heart. It takes 18 years after the events of the first book and we get to see an adult Lea. We also find that Les and Lea are still madly in love with each other - Yay!
This is the story of Allegra. Lea's niece, taken from the Das Via home as it was being overrun by ghosts. Lea and Les take Allegra and Emile as they leave Lovero and start a new life t ...more
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would say about 3.25-3.5 stars. This a companion novel to Assassin's Heart. It takes 18 years after the events of the first book and we get to see an adult Lea. We also find that Les and Lea are still madly in love with each other - Yay!
This is the story of Allegra. Lea's niece, taken from the Das Via home as it was being overrun by ghosts. Lea and Les take Allegra and Emile as they leave Lovero and start a new life t ...more

I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first. The story and main character was just not really to my liking. It was a quick read, though. And I liked that. But I just couldn't connect.
...more

Jun 25, 2017
Milly
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
supernatural,
teen-romance,
young-adult,
series,
paranormal,
sequel,
action-packed,
kick-ass-heroine,
magic
Definitely liked Lea and Les' story. Allegra was too impulsive, too stubborn, and too reckless for my liking. I almost feel bad for Nev because she is a lot too handle. Interesting story though!
...more

I was slightly wary going into Thief's Cunning, as I knew the story would be about a character that I felt was not treated ethically in Assassin's Heart. I won't go into specifics in case you haven't read the book, but basically there was a big decision at the end that the main character Lea made that I completely disagreed with. The character that was impacted most by that decision is Allegra, the main character of Thief's Cunning.
Taking a step back from this particular plot point, I thought th ...more
Taking a step back from this particular plot point, I thought th ...more

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW*
Allegra is an assassin who kills in the name of her god. She's also an orphan, who has been raised by her aunt Lea.
Though Allegra has never felt like she fits with her family, and Lea is keeping secrets from Allegra.
When Allegra finds out that her mother wasn't dead like she had been told her whole life, she starts to question everything she has known, and turns to a traveler boy, Nev, for comfort and distraction.
Th ...more
Allegra is an assassin who kills in the name of her god. She's also an orphan, who has been raised by her aunt Lea.
Though Allegra has never felt like she fits with her family, and Lea is keeping secrets from Allegra.
When Allegra finds out that her mother wasn't dead like she had been told her whole life, she starts to question everything she has known, and turns to a traveler boy, Nev, for comfort and distraction.
Th ...more

Original Post: http://booknauthors.blogspot.com/2017...
This story takes place eighteen years after the first book. Matthew's daughter, Allegra is all grown up now. She wants freedom and wants to know more about her mother. She knows there's a dark secret but she just can't figure it out. When she finally meets her mother, she ends up more confused and seeks help from Nev. Her world totally turns upside down and she might have to end the problem with her life. Can she being peace without any sacr ...more
This story takes place eighteen years after the first book. Matthew's daughter, Allegra is all grown up now. She wants freedom and wants to know more about her mother. She knows there's a dark secret but she just can't figure it out. When she finally meets her mother, she ends up more confused and seeks help from Nev. Her world totally turns upside down and she might have to end the problem with her life. Can she being peace without any sacr ...more

Ahiers always makes me care about her characters. I was invested in Lea's story from Assassin's Heart and curious about Allegra's in this second installment. I felt her world is built nicely and most things were properly shown/explained. My one issue is there wasn't enough exploration of Claudia and Matteo. Matteo was barely mentioned and Allegra never asked Lea more. If you read the last book then you know what really happened, but Allegra doesn't. Even though she takes her own freedom, I think
...more

A great follow up book to Assassin's Heart. Thief's Cunning expands on what has happened since the end of that book. Eighteen years later Lea and Les are back as clippers or assassins. Working together alongside them is their niece Allegra, who has never seemed to fit in with the Saldana family. When on a trip to Lovero, Allegra learns the truth of her parentage and the secrets that have been kept from her she turns to Nev, a traveler whose life of freedom she admires. But the freedom she admire
...more

Aug 06, 2017
Dark Faerie Tales
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed-by-kristie
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Creative fantasy setting but ultimately, I couldn’t stand the main character.
Opening Sentence: I didn’t fit.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Thief’s Cunning is the second book in the Assassin’s Heart series. It is a companion novel set eighteen years after the events of the first novel, Assassin’s Heart. I would recommend that you read the first novel because the entire situation with Allegra revolves around the ending. Also, aspects of the world are set ...more
Quick & Dirty: Creative fantasy setting but ultimately, I couldn’t stand the main character.
Opening Sentence: I didn’t fit.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Thief’s Cunning is the second book in the Assassin’s Heart series. It is a companion novel set eighteen years after the events of the first novel, Assassin’s Heart. I would recommend that you read the first novel because the entire situation with Allegra revolves around the ending. Also, aspects of the world are set ...more

*Spoiler Warning Y'all*
Also note that I haven't read the first book. What I've gathered though is that it merely adds on to the characters of Les and Lea, which I don't particularly care about.
Okay, this book was an interesting read. I want to start off with the good things first.
What I liked:
- The ideas presented within the novel
- The Gods
What I didn't like:
- The writing style
- The infodumping
- The characters
You: That's basically the entire book you didn't like.
Me: I have my reasons.
My Reasoni ...more
Also note that I haven't read the first book. What I've gathered though is that it merely adds on to the characters of Les and Lea, which I don't particularly care about.
Okay, this book was an interesting read. I want to start off with the good things first.
What I liked:
- The ideas presented within the novel
- The Gods
What I didn't like:
- The writing style
- The infodumping
- The characters
You: That's basically the entire book you didn't like.
Me: I have my reasons.
My Reasoni ...more

Thief's Cunning transports us 18 years after the events of book one, Assassin's Heart, and we see Lea and Les have grown up, as well as the children they took from the Da Vias. The story follows the baby that Lea took, Allegra, who Lea is raising as her niece. Despite the relational ties being almost non-existent, Allegra seems to have picked up many qualities from Lea herself, specifically her feisty nature and stubborness. Allegra fights with the many social and political ties that bind her, a
...more

I received this ARC from the author in a contest that I won for pure enjoyment purposes. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Sarah Ahiers returns to the world of Assassin’s Heart in Thief’s Cunning. It’s been eighteen years since those events, so Lea and Les are grown up and as are the children they had rescued from the Da Vias. One of them being Allegra, her niece, who seems to have gained some of Lea’s own feistiness. Allegra longs to break free from the rules and constraints that she ...more
Sarah Ahiers returns to the world of Assassin’s Heart in Thief’s Cunning. It’s been eighteen years since those events, so Lea and Les are grown up and as are the children they had rescued from the Da Vias. One of them being Allegra, her niece, who seems to have gained some of Lea’s own feistiness. Allegra longs to break free from the rules and constraints that she ...more

Overall 3.5 stars
After reading a ton of ya books feature strong kick-ass girls I find that I like the assassin most of all. One of those assassins was Oleander "Lea" Saldana. I read about her last year in Assassin's Hart and she struck a chord with me. Lea was devoted to her religion (A Death God), she put her family above all others and she was a girl who was good at what she did (murder). The story was unique to me at the time and Lea is special. The story was amazing and I was sad to see Lea ...more
After reading a ton of ya books feature strong kick-ass girls I find that I like the assassin most of all. One of those assassins was Oleander "Lea" Saldana. I read about her last year in Assassin's Hart and she struck a chord with me. Lea was devoted to her religion (A Death God), she put her family above all others and she was a girl who was good at what she did (murder). The story was unique to me at the time and Lea is special. The story was amazing and I was sad to see Lea ...more

Jul 18, 2017
Vanessa Yeazel
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
high-fantasy
This book was more of a 3.5 read for me. I enjoyed it more than the previous book, though some of the issues I had with the first book continued in this one. In both, the main character is dead set on something (revenge, being free, etc). For the majority of the book, the character never changes their opinions on that topic, and are stubborn about it. Near the end of the book, they have a big revelation that changes everything, and makes them a better person. Finally, they talk about that topic
...more

I received an ARC copy in exchange for a fair review.
3.5 stars/5 stars
WARNING: There are MANY references to what Lea and Les Saldana did in the first book. If you wish to remain unspoiled about Assassin's Heart, you probably shouldn't read this one first.
Thief's Cunning introduces us to Allegra Saldana, the niece of Lea Saldana (MC of Assassin's Heart). Allegra has just turned eighteen and wishes for more freedom in her life. She is given this opportunity when the Saldanas travel to Lovero. Th ...more
3.5 stars/5 stars
WARNING: There are MANY references to what Lea and Les Saldana did in the first book. If you wish to remain unspoiled about Assassin's Heart, you probably shouldn't read this one first.
Thief's Cunning introduces us to Allegra Saldana, the niece of Lea Saldana (MC of Assassin's Heart). Allegra has just turned eighteen and wishes for more freedom in her life. She is given this opportunity when the Saldanas travel to Lovero. Th ...more
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“The stars are no less beautiful simply because we know not where their light comes from.
-Benda, Thief's Cunning, pg 366 (June 2017)”
—
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-Benda, Thief's Cunning, pg 366 (June 2017)”