Thief of the Night Guild

Queen of Thieves #2

by Andy Peloquin

The impossible becomes inevitable with the fate of her loved ones hanging in the balance…

A cunning thief of unrivaled ingenuity, Ilanna is determined to secure her freedom at any cost. No price is too high to break the shackles of the Night Guild's callous cruelty.

With her future on the line, nothing will stand in her way, not even the most powerful man in Praamis, Duke Phonnis.

Commanding a crew of pickpockets, bounty hunters, poisoners, and assassins, Ilanna schemes to disgrace the Duke and empty his coffers. She must survive blackmail, a bloodthirsty rival syndicate, and enemies within her own House to claim vengeance for the deaths of her friends and gold to buy independence.

But all Ilanna's skill may not suffice to protect the one person who matters most: her son.

Thief of the Night Guild continues the gripping story of Ilanna, the Queen of Thieves. If you like grimdark worlds, death-defying adventures, and gritty heroines, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s gripping fantasy heist tale.

Buy Thief of the Night Guild for a robbery caper of epic proportions today!

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Dark, Epic Fantasy

400 pages, ebook

Published July 18, 2017

About the author

I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.

Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is a professional thief, a rare female in a world dominated by young men, raised to steal, to be the best of the best and few could even hope to match her. Ilanna is good, as she says, she does the impossible and it is NOT braggadocio, it is fact. Smarter, more daring and determined to be a big money-maker for the Night Guild, Ilanna has her own agenda, she wants to buy her freedom, she wants out of the life she lives, the lies she tells and the dangers she endures. Ilanna lives a secret life and it is time to live that life to the fullest, so she proposes the ultimate theft, the ultimate danger and the money maker that will set her free.

This is the story of Ilanna’s greatest theft ever, the planning, the setbacks and the allies she gains along the way. A powerful man in government, a monster is about to pay for his sins against the people and Ilanna will be the collector, but first she must cover all angles, bow to the expertise of those she trusts and hope that no cog in her well-oiled machine breaks down, because timing is everything and everything important to her rests on her last hurrah.

Andy Peloquin’s THIEF OF THE NIGHT GUILD is a page by page tale of adventure, desire, love and the determination to achieve exactly what one needs to find a new direction in their life. Ilanna is the character we all want to be, want to know and want to be as brilliant as. Her inner fears never show, and the façade she uses among her peers is ironclad.

What Andy Peloquin has done is phenomenal! He has created a heroine who is not squeaky clean, but has the cunning to and the daring to believe in herself, her allies and in the quest she WILL fulfill. Feel the world Ilanna lives in. Walk the streets, the alleys and rooftops with her. Get the adrenaline rush of racing against time and discovery. Edge of your seat reading, intense, detailed and believable…I left this world to live in Ilanna’s and an hour after finishing, still had one foot within the pages of this fabulous tale. Ilanna proves there is honor among thieves, even if they are as good as she is!

I received an ARC edition from Andy Peloquin in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Queen of Thieves - Book 1
Expected publication: July 18th 2017 by Dragonblade Publishing
Kindle Edition, 400 pages
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com


"I am Ilanna, Journeyman of House Hawk. I do the impossible."
My thoughts: Yes, she can and really does!

Full Review coming!

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

THIEF OF THE NIGHT GUILD is the sequel to CHILD OF THE NIGHT GUILD and probably one of my all-time favorite indie fantasy series. Andy Peloquin did something I was very annoyed by as for years I had the idea for doing a story about a young woman in a classic Dungeons and Dragons fantasy Thieves' Guild. Unfortunately, I can't write that book now as Andy did a much better job than I ever could.

Illana is a woman sold by her parents to the mysterious Night Guild and suffered tremendously in the previous book. She lost the man she loved, gave birth to his child in secret, and also was traumatized by an assault that even vengeance can't remove the scars of. She has come to hate the Night's Guild and seeks some way to leave it without fearing its vengeance.

After the death of her two remaining friends, Illana decides to make one enormous heist that will be able to buy her freedom and allow her to make a new life for herself, her son, and her son's nursemaid. It will require massive preparations, expensive equipment, and pin point timing. Unfortunately, it is happening right as the Night's Guild is fighting a takeover an even more dangerous and powerful gang.

I love Illana's characterization as she's not entirely likable. It's a bold choice by Andy Peloquin that she is willing to torture and murder an innocent man in order to accomplish her big heist. She's also someone who is fully capable of manipulating someone who genuinely loves her while feeling nothing but disgust for him. It makes the book more interesting that she's probably every bit as bad as a "typical" Night's Guild member and doesn't care anymore.

I liked the supporting cast of the book as well with the majority of the thieves being lovable rogues but all of them having dark sides as well. Illana struggles with her own feelings of camaraderie and the deep burning hatred she feels for the betrayal she feels. The Night Guild didn't help her with her friend's murder or her assault, so it will never be forgiven by her even as that causes her significant distress whenever someone tries to befriend her.

The book is full of action, twists, and turns with the final heist being done amazingly well. I was a big fan of the Thieves Guild quests in both Oblivion as well as Skyrim. This game certainly feels like it manages to capture the fun of both, only exceeding them with excellent characterization. I also appreciate the fact Andy is willing to make Illana bisexual as just another character element, which is not something you see often in fantasy.

In conclusion, amazingly fun book and some of the best "thief" related fantasy you're going to find out there. I'm already reading the third book in the series and hope this continues for some time more.

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Andy Peloquin storyline about this strong young lady. How she goes through all this hell to become this person she has to be. Stronger than most of all in the Night Guild. She is head strong an pulls of any an all hist that she set's her mind to. This story shows us women what it means to be strong, stand on our own two feet against all the odds that life throws at us.
The only thing that stuck in my crawl in this book is there are just a lot words that go over an over when one time or two is enough. It makes for a boring read. But other than that it's a Damn fine read.

[my_two_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m chugging through this series at an alarming rate—and loving every minute. I’ve been craving a story like this for quite some time. The first book was an excellent coming-of-age tale, but I’m really here for the high-stakes thief scenario—and this book absolutely delivered.

It builds on the foundation of book one by deepening character relationships, expanding the gritty underworld setting, and raising the stakes in the guild’s internal politics.

With themes of family and survival woven into a cunning heist, I can’t wait to dive into the conclusion of this trilogy.

[Al Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to the Child of the Night Guild takes a leap forward from Ilanna's training and great deed to complete her apprenticeship to roughly five years down the road where she is an accomplished journeyman in the Night Guild. The first chapter opens nicely, painting a picture of Ilanna as a skilled thief. I liked this book less well than the first in the series, mostly because much of the first quarter is a mish-mash of filling in new readers on the first part of the series, and also adding in new parts of Ilanna's life that happened in the previous few years. The problem is, some of these new additions seemed tacked on, McGuffins if you will, and I found myself mildly irked at times.

Once we get through this though, the last three quarters of the book is a blast, as Ilanna goes on heist after heist while showing her development as a player in the Night Guild, setting up the grand finale for the Queen of the Night Guild - with an awesome cliffhanger to boot. I'm glad I'm finishing the series with my next read, I'd hate to have to wait months to find out.

The book deserves more than four stars, not quite five, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who'll listen. If you've always wanted a grimdark Ocean's Eleven (with some political machinations thrown in) - sign here.

[Lesia Connelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. My head is still spinning. Journeyman Ilana of House of Hawk has done the unthinkable task to buy her freedom from The Night Guild. Against all odds, Alana has pulled off the impossible. She has broken into the most guarded mansion to steal a solid gold sarcophagus. The weeks of training and sneaking into orders that aren't even suppossed to exist because they are so secret. The mind altering preparation and planning for this one heist that will gain her the freedom from The Night Guild but will cost her dearly. Soo much loss and pain, my heart broke for her and her family of thieves that The Night Guild trained and conditioned for years. Alana has been a Hawk for 15 years. One of her greatest tests was The towering , onyx Black Spire. But even this magnanimous feat is not enough for the greedy masters of The Night Guild. This book is totally unpredictable and had me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

Holy smokes…what an amazing storyteller Mr. Peloquin is!

Read full review in the 2017 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illana has been through hell in her relatively short life and she has fought for her status in the Thieves Guild with blood. She now stands as a Journeyman in her own right and one with enough dark secrets of her own to bear. Her coming of age was one filled with violence, suffering and rage and she is a far harsher person than the frightened girl child who was sold to the Night Guild. She is in service to the Night Guild but she keeps many secrets; the most important that of her young son, a product of a violent rape and yet the focus of all she works for. And what she works for now is freedom.

Thief of the Night Guild sees Illana planning the biggest and most ambitious heist the Guild has ever seen. Her reasons are diverse but two things stand clear in her mind; revenge against the Duke who is determined to take yet more from her with his brutal regime against the Guild and freedom for herself and her son. If she can pull it off, this will be a theft that will go down in history and ruin the Duke in the process. Illana will stop at nothing to make it happen, her hands may be red with the blood of innocents and guilty alike, but she is determined to make this work. An impossible heist made possible. And so begins a tale of action and intrigue, a plan beset by multiple complications and set-backs.

And for what it's worth, Peloquin writes a fantastically well paced novel full of chaos and complications. Illana goes from set-back to set-back, finding ever more convoluted ways to achieve the impossible. What it did lack in somewhat though was the character development and immersive relationships that we see in the first novel. A few old characters show their faces here, but there is a lot of new characters and aspects and I would have loved to see explored more thoroughly. It's an exciting and tense novel, but it doesn't have the poignant moments that you find in the first as the focus is on the action rather than characterisation and world building. This would have sat a little better with me if there had been more familiar faces where the character development is less necessary.

So. This is a quick, thrilling and sometimes brutal read but it didn't have quite the emotional punch that Child of the Night Guild brought to bear. It's good, there is no doubt of that, but it felt as though there was something just slightly lacking. It's enjoyable mind you and Illana is a character I want to see more of.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought "Child of the Night Guild" (book one in the "Queen of Thieves" series) sent me on an emotional rollercoaster... it was just mild preparation for "Thief of the Night Guild". My heart is still pounding so hard after finishing that I can actually see dark spots appear in front of my eyes with every beat...
The characters we met earlier are like old friends (or, in some cases, enemies), and there are a few extra characters added that give a huge amount of depth to the story.
The writing is superb (as I've come to expect from Andy Peloquin - who has set himself up a monumental task to keep this level for the rest of his writing career... hopefully many, many more years).
The story... Just read the book. You'll love it.

[Bret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the story and characters. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book after what happened at the end.

[Tiffany Landers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely have I come across a book, a series, written so eloquently, full of passion, joy, trauma, adventure, determination, and a will to succeed above anything else. What does one write after reading such perfection? Thief of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves #2) is a perfect rendition of the exact manner in which one should write a fantasy novel.

In book one, Child of the Night Guild, I was so traumatized by the happenings of a little girl known as "7" who is later named Ilanna. Ilanna was determined to prove herself worthy of being one of the apprentices of House Hawk. After reading book one, I was convinced it was the best novel I'd ever read. Until I read book two, Thief of the Night Guild.

Ilanna wants to buy her freedom from the Guild, but can she survive a monumental task she sets for herself? One that no one before her has ever accomplished? Read on to be led on the adventures of a lifetime.

My fingers could not turn the pages fast enough while reading Thief of the Night Guild. Seriously, I WATCHED this book play out before me .. like reading a movie. Speaking of movies, both books thus far in this series should be movies. Imagine a series with similarities to The Divergent Series, or The Hunger Games Series. To me, better than Game of Thrones, and comparable to Lord of The Rings. I highly recommend this phenomenal series by Andy Peloquin. If you're looking for romance or erotica, move on, but if you want that something DIFFERENT, exciting, heart wrenching, and full of speed, look no further. This book is for you.

~Have You Heard? Book Blog

[Petey Karalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series! The story, the characters, they're exactly what I want in a book like this.
I love the heist trope in stories, when a cast of characters is assembled for an impossible mission, and it was executed so well in this book.

The only thing keeping this from a 5 ⭐ read was that I didn't have the 'pull' to read this every chance I had, like the first book.
Definitely loving my time with this series and excited to read the 3rd!

[Heather Kirchhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book. Even more addictive than the first. I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

        WELCOME BACK TO THE GUILD .  This is the second book in the series and Ilanna has grown up and has become one of the best thief's in the guild . She is cunning and has a vision of buying her freedom from the guild . There are many obstacles standing in her way from blackmail and a rival syndicate . Will she survive the onslaught to get out to the only thing that matters in her life her son,
        I love  all the characters in this book but Ilanna is my favourite girl . She is kick ass and takes no prisoners . She has been through a lot but it seems the more she gets knocked down the more she gets up and fights back. She goes through a lot in this installment .  She has taken all that the guild has thrown at her. She has honed her skills and plans on using them to save herself and get out of the guild . To the only person that she loves , her son , the only person that matters to her.   She is five years older and tougher then nails . I so love her attitude and her guts . She will do anything to survive and be free . 
  I can't tell you about all the characters in this book cause I will be writing forever . But the guild members that can call Ilanna a friend are all there to watch her back and help her out in the heist that she is planning to pay for her way out . The characters that you think are bad turn out to be on the Ilanna's side and the ones closest to her are the ones that can not be trusted . I will say you will fall for these characters , they are very complex and deep . You will also want to slap a couple of them upside the head a few times . 
       While I was reading this book , which I couldn't put down , I could see the book in my mind . Playing like a movie . Which to me is a sign of a very well written story . It takes you on a roller coaster ride . You will be on the edge of your seat most of the time . You will cheer for Ilanna and her group of thieves . You will have a couple of chuckles along the way . Trust me your heart will melt when you read her story with her son . I was an emotional wreck when I was reading parts of this story . This isn't your run of the mill book where there is a happy ever after in the end . You will have your heart broken into a million pieces .  The ending will destroy you trust me on this , I really just wanted to yell at the author for what he did . If you like fantasy this is the book for you . If you like dark fantasy this is the book for you. It is going to be one of the books I read over and over . This isn't a stand alone , you have to read the first book to keep everything straight .  So if you want a great dark series that will keep you up all night long turning the pages . This is the series for you . A definite must read for your summer reading list . 

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilanna had done the impossible, she had scaled the black spire in order to become a journeyman and now she had become really daring, and she vowed to let nothing stand in her way. She had seen her friends and colleagues killed by the Justiciar and at the hands of the King's justice, and she vowed she would seek revenge on this man, brother to the King and seemingly untouchable! She planned to execute the biggest robbery ever, from the house of one of the Lords whose security measures were said to be invincible. She gains the support of members of the night guild from all houses almost, promising them all a share from the robbery and they all set to working day and night to make this insurmountable feat a success. Whilst this is being planned the Guild is facing a threat from the Bloody Hand who wanted to take them over. Ilanna wanted this robbery to succeed in order to buy her freedom from the night guild, she had had enough of being enslaved and made to steal and kill in order to survive, she had had enough of seeing her friends being killed and had suffered enough abuse of all sorts both from the guild and from members like Sabat who had made her life a living hell and got away with it! She also knew that if this heist was successful the Guild might stand a chance against the bloody hand. This 2nd book in the series is one big breath taking adventure, daring in its audacity and it is only with Ilanna's clear thinking and her friends giving their share of their expertise that this daring feat could be carried out. The dangers they faced were extreme but if this crazy idea of L
Ilanna's were to succeed she would go down in the history of the Night Guild as one of its heroes but would she really finally be free? Phew what a roller coaster ride this was!!

[W. Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up where Iliana’s her journey from childhood to adolescence and her success as an apprentice ended, Thief of the Night Guild finds her a full Journeyman. Just as her status has improved, she has grown older, and with that, so too have her responsibilities and the stakes for failure. Yes, this is Iliana of House Hawk, the highest earning, boldest, most respected Journeyman in the Night Guild. But she’s no longer alone. People count on her. Her son Kodyn. Ria, the woman Iliana rescued from a brothel and who now cares for Kodyn while his mother is working. The other members of her house. Even powerful members of the guild’s high council depend on her skill to keep them in power.
In this Grim Dark Fantasy Thief Adventure, her world is full of dangers. The work she does constantly puts her in jeopardy of imprisonment, injury or death. She’s surrounded by people willing to kill or betray for little more than a few coins. Yet, within this world full of assassins, thieves, beggars, dark alchemists, and brutal enforcers, Iliana has been able to carve out a small oasis of quiet. Next to the Oldtown Market in the city of Pramis, she has secretly built a precious, yet precarious home with her cobbled together family of Kodyn and Ria.
Few know of this house’s existence. She keeps it this way. For everyone’s safety.
Next, she plans to buy her freedom from the Night Guild, free herself from the life her father had sold her into as a child. More important, she will save her small family, protect her son the same hell she had to endure and allow him a future away from this dark world of theft, intimidation and assassination.
To gain this freedom though, she must take on a task more dangerous, more audacious than the nearly impossible one she’d accomplished at the end of Child of the Night Guild. Now, she plans to steal a solid gold, jewel encrusted sarcophagus from the best guarded, most impenetrable vault in the land. In so doing, not only would she be able to buy her family’s freedom but would revenge her friends from the cruel hand of the city’s ruler, the Duke, brother of the King.
To sell her idea to the Night Guild and gain their permission and resources, she appeals to both their greed and sense of vengeance. The Duke has grown ever harsher in his treatment of the Guild. He has increased policing in the city, targeting the Guild, hindering their ability to earn and publicly executed many members of the guild. Including close, personal friends of Iliana. But they cannot kill the Duke outright without bringing the wrath of the King on the guild. She has figured out the next best solution is to publicly humiliate him. And stealing the fantastically valuable sarcophagus of his wife from under his direct protection would shatter his reputation, gut the foundation upon which his power and wealth rested.
While being most accomplished thief in the guild comes certain privileges, it invites as many problems. While trying to plan this grand heist with the Guild’s blessing, jealousies from other journeymen, internecine competition and the political intrigues within the guild’s leadership provide many distractions and add unwanted dangers. These vexations add layers of complexity to an already challenging mission. Negotiating these hazards as best as she might, Iliana works herself to exhaustion, to craft and then enact an intricate plan to break into the Duke’s legendary vault.
With the savvy of Mr. Phelps of Mission Impossible, she assembles a team of specialists to plan, practice and then pull of one audacious break-in after another, each as crucial to the plan as the last. Should any step fail, the whole will collapse, possibly stranding friends, colleague or herself in the snares of one of her many enemies.
As the plans start coming together, her city and benefactors in the Council of Night Guild are assailed by the Bloody Hand, a thuggish group from Voramis, a city they control with ruthless authority. The foreigners offer easy money in exchange for complete fealty. Some of the Night Guild like the sound of their offer and work to convince the others the offer is too good to refuse.
While orchestrating this complex plan, she must untangle a continual string of snags, including the unknown hand that is blackmailing her into commit crimes outside of the Guild, a violation the Guild could put her to death for. And the demands in the mysterious notes that appear in private room have grown larger of late.
Not only must she take on these additional tasks to avoid her small oasis from being exposed, she takes on many risks of the plan herself. The most dangerous: a trip to the city of Voramis, the city of the Bloody Hand. There, she must break into the Secret Keeper’s temple, a holy site, steal explosive alchemical liquids and powders, putting personal friends in mortal jeopardy.
To make this task yet more difficult, she is forced to seduce a fellow journeyman to gain access to his skills, though physical contact repulses her, and unexpected feelings for another person arise where she could never have imagined it possible.
This intricate plan unfolds to Rebecca McKernan’s top-notch voice acting, who continues her range of voices both male and female, both kind and malevolent, and from young to old. As in the last volume, one comes to recognize characters by her giving each one a different spin, adding accents, and varying cadences and intonations.
Once the job starts in earnest, the tension keeps rising and the suspense lasts until the unexpected scene of the last paragraph. A scene that sets up the final book of the series Queen of the Night Guild, with her, her family’s and her city’s freedom remaining in the balance.
Bottom line: it’s a hell of a ride and it ain’t over yet.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really ought to come with a health warning. Not only did I lose many hours of sleep that I needed, but at times I risked asphyxia as I found myself actually holding my breath. It's a marvel of action, suspense, fear and just sheer gut-tingling, edge-of-the-seat excitement.

The actual writing is excellently done. There is no false note, nothing to jar the sensibilities in Peloquin's smooth and masterly command of both language and story.

Interestingly, in this, the second book of the Queen of Thieves series, we see the first hint of a connexion to the Hunter of Voramis series by the same author. I cannot wait to read the third book.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilanna is a cunning thief. Just an amazing fast paced book following in the footsteps of the first.

[Bevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

{4.5/5}

CW: violence, gore, death, references to trauma and rape, some mildly explicit sex scenes, some others.

What do you get if you take “Ocean’s 11”, make it an assassin fantasy, and give the heroine major PTSD? This book. You get this book. And maybe a need for some therapy; I haven’t decided yet.

It’s been 5 years since the death of Sabbat. Ilanna’s grown even more as a thief, but she wants out. After suffering even more loss and grief, she devises a plan. One that will more than pave the way for her to leave the Night Guild while striking back at those responsible for her pain. But nothing is ever that simple.

There are not enough words for the amount of incoherent screeching I did when I finished this book. It was so, so good but so, so heartbreaking. Seriously, I don’t think we’d even made it five chapters before the author was like “yeah, I’m going to stomp on any hopes and dreams you had for this character.” As always, the characters are too well written for you to not have emotions (good or bad) about them. While I did find the pacing of this one to be a bit slower compared to book 1, it didn’t feel out of place or unnecessary. I just have the attention span of a toddler. That being said, I finished it in two days and couldn’t put it down, so obviously Peloquin is doing something right. (It’s the whole thing. He’s doing all of it right.)

If Andy Peloquin’s MCs were d&d characters, they’d be chaotic neutral. His stories are anthems to the morally gray; right or wrong, nothing will stop them from finishing what they’ve started. One of the best things I think I’ve seen in this particular book (really all of the author’s titles that I’ve read, but specifically this one) is that the main character doesn’t have to be unfailingly likable or good to be an excellent main character. Ilanna has major issues. They’re understandable, certainly, but her (majorly significant and severely unresolved) trauma has left her with more than just physical scars. She trusts no one, she assumes everyone is either self-serving or just belittling her because of her gender, and she uses people with little to no remorse. But despite all of that, she’s still a character worth reading about. She’s still badass and amazing and strong, and she still has redeeming qualities. She’s been solidly humanized for the reader, and it doesn’t detract from her story. There’s a fine line between ‘real’ and ‘irritating,’ and the author has managed to balance his story perfectly.

Also, that ending?!?! Holy hell of a cliffhanger, Batman! There will be no waiting to start book 3. My heart can’t take it.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I bought this book it was with the foreknowledge that the author was gifted in his work. This book had a lot to live up to.
This second book can stand proudly with its sister book, Child of the Night Guild.
The first book introduced us to the woe begone life of a child eventually to be named Ilanna. Now as time has passed, we see how the broken young woman fought back against her hard life, and we find out that she has given birth to a baby boy. She gave birth in secret and now hides both her son and a young girl she has befriended and saved from the evils of the sex trade. The young woman and Ilanna's son live in Ilanna's old home, hiding away in case the guild should find them.

Ilanna swears to do anything to keep her child free of the Night Guild. She doesn't want him raised in such an appalling and heartless way. So she hides his existence, only one person at the guild knows, and he will never tell.

Ilanna makes a decision to break away from the guild. To buy back her freedom, so she can raise her child freely and openly in safety. Thus begins the remarkable tale of Ilanna's journey to freedom.

This is a dynamic, powerful, extraordinary story, that once again swept me up, just as the first book hard done. The drama was intense, the fight scenes were very well written. The plot itself was very well written too. I loved it.

Once again, I couldn't put the book down, This intriguing story is so potent and so well put together. I was honestly gutted when it came to an end! And on a cliffhanger no less!

I love Andy Peloquin's style of writing. He always puts his heart into his books, and that shines through. His books are always very good reads and therefore good value for money. Plus, they are honestly, genuinely hard to put down.

I will be keeping a lookout for the next in this series with bated breath. I look forward to seeing what else Andy comes up with. I'm sure he will surprise us all!

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilana conquered the Spire and has been a journeyman hawk for several years now. She’s surviving the Night Guild with her “family” there. After a job goes bad, she is forced to see her family get smaller at the hands of the Duke. Vowing revenge for what he has done to her friends, she begins to plan the biggest undertaking anyone in the Guild has ever attempted. Not only does she want revenge, but she wants her freedom as well.
Ilana is woman who has survived so much and still perseveres. She now has a huge secret she must keep from the Guild and it’s her biggest reason for wanting to leave the Guild. In this book, we see even more of her cunning and even her ability to improvise as she goes. Now that her mind is made up, nothing will stop her. Even though she has some morals, they become decidedly looser in this book. She will use every tool at her disposal to keep a child from falling into the hands of the Guild. Getting to know the side characters was a roller coaster ride. I had come to love all the Hawks and we have now added in the crew from this book as well. (Although I am not sure why I bother bc surely Andy will make me regret this all over again.)
This book is full of tense moments and high stakes scenes. Even the planning phases of this heist can be deadly. There is no shortage of danger in this book. If you thought getting into the Spire was difficult, multiply that by 100 but add in a whole new reason that she has to make this work. This book is not only full of fantastical fights and heists, it's also a rollercoaster for your emotions as I hinted at above. We get to see the softer side of Ilana but we also get or hearts not only broken but stomped on as well. I was figuratively holding my breath the entire book waiting for a shoe to drop and now how can I not move on to the next book. Damn you Andy!

[Caitlin Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilanna is the best thief among all the Hawks of the Night guild. She’s proud of her skills, and proud of her status within the guild, but determined to raise enough money to buy her freedom. She could never do that on the ten percent she gets to keep of her earnings, so she steals a little extra. It’s a dangerous game, but Ilanna is a dangerous woman and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her son. After Duke Phonnis executes a close friend of hers, Ilanna comes up with a plan that will not only result in a big enough haul to buy her freedom, but will avenge her friend and ruin the Duke. With the Guild Council’s permission, Ilanna puts together a team to pull off a heist that will eclipse her conquest of the Black Spire.

Thief of the Night Guild is a tightly plotted novel that builds momentum from page one. There’s a fair amount of backstory since this is the second book in the Queen of Thieves series, but Andy Pelonquin elucidates all essential details as they become necessary. Ilanna is a clever, skilled, and confident character, but she’s also the stereotypical abuse-hardened woman one often encounters in fantasy novels. While I enjoy dark characters, I truly dislike it when a character’s inability to express so-called weak emotions is categorised as strength. This is a troublesome depiction of any character’s psychological response to trauma but I’ll credit Pelonquin for revealing the frailty behind this mental state. Despite this unfortunate character trope, Thief of the Night Guild is an entertaining, addictive read full of clever twists.

(Reviewed for Reader's Favorite)

[TheCandlelitScribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilanna has been raised in the Night Guild to be a thief, she has pushed herself beyond that to be quite possibly the best thief to ever emerge from the Guild, the catch, she was sold into the guild because of her fathers debts and would be assaulted by another member of the guild who thought he could get away with it and the guild did nothing to prevent it...little did he or the rest of the guild know that Ilanna is not the person to trifle with. She has spent time with members of each house and picked up a thing or two.

Now she has a family to protect from the guild that didn't protect her and is using every possible connection she has to pull off the biggest score the Night Guild has ever seen to buy her freedom. Between plans hitting snags and major losses she manages to pull it off with a little to spare. That's all well and good until she heads home to celebrate the well deserved freedom, because Andy doesn't write happy endings....

It was so nice to see the beginning of this and cheer her on. Her life with Ria and Kodyn who I absolutely adore! The trauma that she has endured, you can't help but sympathize because losing the ability to feel intimacy or have feelings for another person is not easy and while some might understand it feels shameful. Ilanna having that experience is awful and I just want to hug the poor girl. This was written so well, from the feels to the heist, to the snark. I love some good snark!

After how this one ended though I am so scared to start book three because I have a feeling Ilanna may have just won her freedom but lost her biggest reason for fighting for it in the first place...

[Bethany Hoeflich · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Deep breaths*

Okay, so there’s a big reason why I don’t usually read Grimdark.

There’s so much senseless suffering in the real world as it is, so when I read, I like for the suffering to have a purpose. Authors are pretty much sadists, but at least the characters are going to grow and save the world (or something inspiring like that).

This book is gut wrenchingly dark.

On a positive note, that meant I couldn’t predict anything. I was glued to the page, determined to figure out what would happen next.

On a negative note, Andy basically stabbed me in the gut with a cheese grater.

The book starts several years after the last one ended. Illanna has been indentured to the Night Guild for fifteen years now, and she’s so. freaking. done. All she wants is to buy her freedom so she can live with her son in peace (and to keep him out of the Guild’s clutches).

The Guild Masters name her freedom to be worth a million dollars.

Impossible, right?

Not for Ilanna. She sets to work plotting out the biggest heist the Guild has ever seen.

I’m going to need to read something light and fluffy before jumping into the third book. Because yes, I will read it. It’s like eating buffalo wings at 1:00 AM—you know it’s going to hurt, but it will be worth it.

Be warned: There are several BIG deaths in this book.

This series is perfect for you if you:
1) Like Grimdark (duh)
2) Have no soul
3) Are actually a robot disguised as a human
4) Like heists!
5) Love authors toying with your fragile emotions

[L J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up,

This is the second in a series about a talented thief named Ilanna. Ilanna is a young woman living in a dark world, in the city of Praamis, filled with different types of people, from royalty and lords and ladies, down a social strata that falls all the way to the very poor, slaves, and other unfortunates. In the first book, which was terrific, the author explained how Ilanna ended up as a member of the House of Hawk. This was one of several "houses" to which young people were indoctrinated, initially against their will, and each had a role to fill in this dark society.
In this book Ilanna becomes involved in a plan to avenge the deaths of two people close to her. She is tasked with a seemingly impossible "job", and if she doesn't succeed, she isn't the only one who could pay a terrible price for failure.
The plot is twisted and suspenseful, the characters involved are colorful and unique. This author takes the reader to a world that you can almost feel with your senses as his descriptions are so clear and completely engrossing. Ilanna has matured, this story follows her progression from an apprentice in training in the first book, to a confident, although scarred, woman and competent "Hawk" in this book. Without revealing any spoilers, this ending surprised me, and now I wait anxiously for the next book in the series!

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book of Queen of Thieves (Child of the Night Guild) was "an edge of your seat, fast-moving and unforgettable read" and I was eager to read this second book.

Thief of the Night Guild is everything I hoped it would be, and much more!

Ilanna is now a strong and determined journeyman, a professional thief and a woman in what is mainly a mans world. She wants to secure her freedom from the guild and protect her son from its clutches.

The characters were so skilfully drawn that I felt as though I was living along side them.
So I joined Ilanna and her accomplices as they strived to pull off the greatest heist in Praamis.
Andy Peloquin's fluent and descriptive writing ensured that I felt the joy of friendship and suffered heartache and pain from the betrayal and loss of our friends.

Illana's story - so far - is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
And I am now waiting on tenterhooks for the next book in the series.

[Patrick Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Having read (and endure) the traumatic childhood that Andy Peloquin created for Ilanna, our heroine, in Child of the Night Guild, I was eager to dive into the second part of her saga.

In Thief of the Night Guild, Ilanna is now 23 years of age, and determined to sever all ties with the Night Guild permanently; not just for herself, but for the son that the Guild does not know about. In order to buy her way out, however, Ilanna must pull off the score of the century, a feat of thieving so impossible that none would even dare conceive it, much less attempt to pull it off.

Reading this book, I felt like I was reading a medieval version of Ocean's Eleven (one of my favorite movies), and loving every second of it. I fully expected Mr. Peloquin to throw setback after setback at Ilanna, but she did not disappoint. Her resolve is indomitable.

My favorite parts were the ones where Ilanna showed vulnerability and warmth, which was rare given her all-business attitude. I feel like we were meant to hate Allon as much as Ilanna did, but I just couldn't, and her cold attitude toward him bothered me at times. Other than that, though, I loved all the supporting characters, especially Jarl, Errik, and Ria.

Now comes the hard part - waiting for Book Three! Gah! Can January get here quickly, please?!

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilanna is a skilled thief of the Night Guild but she wants out. But freedom does not come easily. She is going to have to plan and prepare if she is going to be stealing the golden sarcophagus out of the most heavily guarded mansions. But the heist is not the only thing keeping Ilanna on her toes. Those in her own house would gladly throw her to the wolves if it would mean they gain. But Ilanna is not just fighting for her own freedom, there is more at stake than just her life.

Ilanna is one tough woman. She has gone through hell to come out as part of the House Hawk. But now the stakes are higher and she is bound and determined to get out of the Night Guild. She is quick on her feet, great at strategy and planning, and is tough as nails. She gets in over her head and takes her licks but she is still fighting in the end. She is an amazing character.

This books has action and thrills. There were times I was holding my breath and others where I was cheering for Ilanna. If you want an amazing read you need to check this series out. Andy Peloquin is an awesome author and is one of my favorites when it comes to dark fantasies.

I received Thief of the Night Guild from the author for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

[Rally Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thief of the Night Guild hits the ground running. It is eventful from cover to cover, with a twisting tale and a high stakes massive heist set up for its climax. This book sets the stage for the whole series with a sweeping story.

Here, Ilanna goes out of her way to pay for her freedom. She wants a new life, away from the guild, but to do so, she needs the funds, and they are enormous. She plans a heist with her fellow guild members to bring in a haul larger than they have seen in centuries. But it is not without its dangers.

Like the previous book, Thief of the Night Guild is dark, grim, and takes no prisoners. Death and suffering are abundant, and Ilanna's tale is full of grief and misery. She goes from highs to lows in a matter of seconds, with new obstacles to overcome wherever she turns.

If you are one of those who doesn't like character deaths, then consider yourself warned. Peloquin doesn't hold back in this area. Also, it ends on a cliffhanger, so beware!

Onto the next!

[Lara R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilanna wants to leave the Night Guild, but she needs a lot of money to do so. A spectacular heist should be able to get her the exorbitant amount. The only question is, can she pull it off?

This is book 2 of the Queen of Thieves series and it has one of the best heists I've ever read about. I loved reading about all the planning, the ideas on how to get the money and that, not like it often happens in other books, it's not as easy as it sounds.
There were a lot of moments where I held my breath and had sweaty palms because I was routing for Ilanna and then something unexpected happened and she needs to think on her feet.

Ilanna has quickly become one of my favorite females in grimdark fantasy. She's intelligent, strong of will, witty and she's not at all a bad person. The world surrounding her and the people in it just make her who she is and most of the time, I pity her and want to give her a hug.

The ending of this book crushed me though and it took me a day to get over the last chapter and the beginning of book 3. I need revenge badly and I hope Ilanna will kick a$$.