Book Review :: Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
ISBN: 0593625366
Series: Thieves' Gambit #1
Published by Simon & Schuster Australia
on 26 September 2023
Genres: Young Adult
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.

Last updated on 1 January 2024

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What is Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis about?

Thieves Gambit is a heist story. Seventeen-year-old Ross Quest has already totally owned the art of thievery and escape plans. A family full of thieves will do that. But when a plan goes haywire and her mother’s life is in jeopardy, a huge ransom on her head, Ross decides to enter the Thieve’s Gambit.

The Thieves’ Gambit is an international heist, where teens around the world go through a series of tasks, ruthless and cutthroat. And apparently removing your competition from the game isn’t exactly out of the rules. The winner receives a wish, and Ross wants to win and free her mother. But when some of the competitors for the Gambit include a childhood nemesis and a cute boy, things for Ross become a little more challenging.

As the book plays out, we follow Ross and the others as they undergo these heists, all in the hopes that they become the victor and can get that grand prize.

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My thoughts on The Thieves’ Gambit

Thieves’ Gambit was a combination of a bunch of things that I love in books. Heists, intrigue, family dynamics, a bit of romance thrown in on the side. I enjoyed the twists and turns that were in the story, and for the most part, liked Ross as the main character.

The competition and the Ocean’s Eleven sort of vibe was a LOT of fun and it was fun to read the different elements of a heist coming together. As I said, I do love a heist story! It was pretty fast-paced, too. I feel like we were thrown into the action pretty much straight away, with only minimal pauses for breath along the plot. There was tension and cliffhangers, family and friend relationships, and while it was a touch predictable at some points, there were other times when I didn’t quite see something coming or I hadn’t been paying attention enough to make the connection.

Challenge: Join the Thieves’ Gambit, a cut-throat competition to crown the world’s greatest thief

Rule 1: Never fall in love with your opponent

Rule 2: The only thief you can trust is yourself

Endgame: Win the heist to save your family – and yourself . . .

There was, however, something about the book that didn’t quite grip me as well as I had been hoping. But it has been announced that there is going to be a movie adaptation of Thieves’ Gambit and I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one. I can visualise how it would be a really entertaining and fun movie – literally like Ocean’s Eleven but for a younger audience perhaps – and am looking forward to seeing it whenever it comes out.

Overall, I’ve given the book by Lewis a 3/5 stars. It was fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed the heist element, but there was some depth missing for me. I think I’ll read the second in the series when it comes out, but won’t be too bothered if I don’t get around to it. I’d love to know what your thoughts are, though!

Have you read Theives’ Gambit? What did you think? 

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Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster AUS for this review copy which I received for free. This does not affect my opinion, and all thoughts are my own.