Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Synopsis:
A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict.

In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.

As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

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This was the first book I’ve ever read by Sally Green, I really need to remedy that! After reading this I will definitely be picking up her other books.

Plot: This has been compared to Game of Thrones, I can kind of see the similarities. This book is high fantasy, has political intrigue, there are royalty, Lords and commoners etc.
The POVs are also spread out geographically, it is set out kind of like A Song of Ice and Fire/ GoT. However, since this is YA, it is a lot tamer and there’s no sex, graphic violence or sexual assault/rape. Trigger warning for drugs maybe? The demon smoke is essentially a drug.

This book was a quick read for me, I found it really easy to read but also super interesting. I really enjoyed most of the character’s perspectives(More about each character below) It is a really great set up for the rest of the series, I will definitely be carrying on with the rest of the books.
I’m always quite sceptical with YA fantasy, they’re usually really cliché, full of badly done tropes and sometimes just plain cringe-worthy, however, this book really impressed me. The fault I can find in this book is that (basically) everyone is matched up… It didn’t bother me too much, I just don’t understand why authors think everyone character needs a love interest. Like I said, it isn’t too bad but it’s still there. There is a hint to an LGBT romance (M/M).

Characters:
Tash: I love Tash! Her perspective was one of the most interesting, as she is a demon hunter. She was sold as a child to a demon hunter, Gravell, because she’s an unusually fast runner. She’s the youngest being only 13. She’s feisty, sassy and will take on anyone.
Catherine: Catherine is a Princess, she’s hugely oppressed, being a woman. She’s in love with her guard but betrothed to a Prince from another Kingdom for a political alliance.  Catherine was another of my favourite perspectives to read from, I like her story arc and she seems like such a good person. I look forward to seeing where her character goes!
Ambrose: Wasn’t hugely keen on Ambrose, he wasn’t bad but I don’t really think he was needed. He’s a decent guy but his perspective wasn’t my favourite to read from.
March: He was my least favourite perspective. I didn’t really connect with him nor did I really like him as a person. That being said, he did have good character development and was more likeable towards the end.
Edyon: He is so funny, his perspective was very fun to read. He’s mischievous, a thief and liar, but I cannot help but really like him.

Overall: A really good first book for a series, I look forward to continuing. Sad I have to wait for the next one! I love the cover of this book, I may have to invest in a physical copy…

Rating: 4 Stars
The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green is out May 3rd

*I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review

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