Review: Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

From the Back Cover:

A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

My Thoughts:

I loved the Remnant Chronicles, so when I saw that Mary Pearson was writing a spin-off series, I was all in. Now several YA series have been resurrected over the past two years that probably shouldn't have been (I'm looking at you Shatter Me and Mara Dyer), so I was apprehensive given how much I enjoyed the first trilogy. I'm happy to say this continuation works and works well, and a big part of that is that we are given new characters and obstacles to overcome within the same story world. I quickly grew to love both new lead characters--Kazi, a soldier/assassin for the Queen of Venda, and Jase, leader-to-be of an outlaw tribe that's been stirring up trouble. I also anxiously awaited each little nugget of news as to what was happening with Lia and Rafe and their friends back home.

The romance between Kazi and Jase does take center stage, but that is only natural given the way they are thrown together and forced to fight for survival. We get to meet new friends and new enemies. The plot is pretty much nonstop, written with Pearson's beautiful prose and her signature blend of  human observation, suspense, character development, and plot twists you don't see coming. There is an underlying thread of unrest and betrayal simmering, and I can't wait to read the next book to see how it all plays out.

My Rating:  4 Stars out of 5

**Please Note: This review references an advance copy received from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. These are my honest and unbiased opinions, and I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.