Review--The Guild of Thieves

There's a new author in town!

Jaiden Phillips, part of the writing trio Sisters Three, released her debut novel on Monday. The Guild of Thieves is an exciting adventure story full of Aladdin and Robin Hood vibes, perfect for a quick summer read or a cosy winter's evening by the fire.

To celebrate the release, the book is going on tour! Today is the last day, but you can catch up on all the posts through the schedule below.

First, though, here's a bit more about the book, followed by my review...

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“Being a thief is easy, but getting caught…now, that’s when it gets tricky.”

Dice is a street boy in the poor district of Raheren, forced to be what he must to survive. A liar, a cheat, and a thief. But just like all thieves in Arkrindon he abides by the rules of thieves, stick with your unit, stay in your district, and don’t get caught.

When Dice is jumped by another group of thieves trespassing in pickpocket territory, things quickly escalate. These aren’t just any thieves, this is a whole new breed of thieves, ones who don’t play by the rules. Rogues, burglars, and pickpockets have come together, abandoning districts and uniting under one man, Azic, the master of The Guild of Thieves.

For his freedom and the lives of his unit, the Guild presents a deal: Steal the King’s Jewel or watch everyone in his unit die. If Dice steals the jewel he’s dooming the kingdom but if he doesn’t everyone he cares about will pay the price.

Title: The Guild of Thieves

Author: Jaiden Phillips

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Rating: 4/5 stars

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

It had me at "Robin Hood vibes."

I love a good story about street thieves with noble hearts, and this one was no exception! This is an amazing debut novel, filled with fun characters, a twisting plot, and high stakes. There's so much to enjoy here!

Characters: Dice is a great protagonist (with an equally great name, I must add!), flawed but still lovable. He wants so hard to do the right thing, even though he really has no idea what that is, and that's such a relatable trait. Bless him.

I really liked Addi! She's sweet and kind and eager to stand for the truth.

The villain is quite well-written, too. He felt kind of like Inigo Montoya if he ever went to the dark side. I can't really explain it better than that...

Content: There's a good bit of stabbing and slashing and shooting. Characters are wounded, and several are killed in rather violent ways. Injuries and deaths are described, though nothing's graphic.

Characters are said to curse, but we don't hear the actual words.

There's a hint of an adorable romance.

A character's father was a gambler.

Writing: Phillips has woven an amazing story that kept me interested all the way through! She's especially strong in descriptions. I could easily visualize the settings, and she's done a great job of creating an otherworld that still feels familiar enough to our own to be real. I'm also impressed with how well she communicated the gospel without it coming across as preachy.

Parts of the plot do seem a little contrived. Things are resolved a bit too easily. I was also never quite certain why the King's Jewel was so important. But it's still a fantastic, intriguing story!

Summary: I quite enjoyed this book. It has all the Robin Hood and Aladdin vibes that made my heart happy, and the ending left me eager for a sequel. I'm excited to see where the author's writing journey takes her! I would recommend this book to fantasy fans aged 10+.

Amazon || Goodreads

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About the Author

Jaiden Phillips is a Christian author and artist from Western North Carolina. She's the youngest kid in her family of nine (counting her parents). Often you'll find her bringing a crazy idea to life with her art supplies, or fiercely typing away on her tablet because she refuses to use a laptop. When not lost to the world of her imagination, you can find Jaidie (as her friends call her) hiking with her family, fangirling over LotR and HTTYD, or goofing off with friends.

Jaiden is also part of a writing trio known as Sisters Three, which consists of her and her sisters Kaytlin and Marisa. To learn more about Jaiden, and her books, visit www.sisters-three.com.

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