5 Words: Power, war, adventure, magic, loyalty.

AUDIOBOOK

I listened to this as an audiobook after several false-starts with the book itself (which I got in a subscription box). The audiobook is amazing, the narrators did an excellent job and really brought the characters to life with their performances. I feel that this is a book that's meant to be heard rather than read.

This is a brilliant story once you get into it. Yes, it starts slow, and stays slow for a while, but once it picks up the pace is incredible.

But oh man I'm in love with Catherine! I can't wait for the next book to see what happens to her, although I suspect I'll go for the audiobook again.

Too many narrators. None of them were in first person either so it made narrator changes in the middle of a scene very odd and kind of pointless.

The story was slow moving at the start, a lot of unnecessary travelling. I liked the way the individual stories eventually connected. My favourites were Catherine and Tash, feisty women with their own minds in a very medieval misogynistic society.

I was curious how the smoke would be involved and the eventual reveal was interesting, I'd like to know where that goes. Oh and if demon smoke is illegal why is there a hand-sign in a book for it?

Also Ambrose annoyed me. He was whiny and pathetic, too willing to be the hero and selfish I'd say. The world building was magnificent though! So detailed and so much thought put into everything.

Um.... I loved the writing, and I loved the characters, and I loved it. I can't be more help than that!

Although Sally Green is a bestselling author, I hadn't read anything by her before, so I didn't know what to expect. I'm not a huge lover of the fantasy genre, but I decided to give this a go. I am so glad I did. I fell in love with the characters, the world and the story. I devoured this book and it is easily one of my favourite books of the year. I was completely sucked in and did not want to leave. I hope I don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next.

This was a great read. I don't often read YA fantasy but this was an interesting read. I enjoyed this more than Green's previous series and this is down to the variety of characters that were in it. Green's characters were done really well and my favorites were Tash and Catherine. They were strong characters and most importantly, they were believable female characters. The plot was built up really well and the ending made me want to get the next book as I need to know what happens to the characters. One point that surprised me was how invested I got into the story and the characters.

I found this book disappointing. I was so excited to read it but it started to drag. It took so long for the characters to all come together and at times I just felt like I was reading two unconnected stories. By the time they did all link up, it was too late to draw me back in. I feel like this had a lot of potential. I did like most of the characters. I really liked Edyon, March, Tash and Gravell. I didn't like Catherine as much as I would have liked and I just didn't care about Ambrose. I loved the Demon Smoke but it just wasn't explored enough in this book for me. I know it's the first in what I assume will be a series but it didn't draw me enough, the pace was too slow. I don't know how much of this is the book and how much of it is my own personal taste. I'm sure there are loads of people that will like this book but I'm not one of them.

Final Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Smoke Thieves is a story set in a fantasy world, following the lives of 4 characters - A princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief - and how their destinies meet.

The first thing I liked about this book is that we get to follow each individual character as they all get their own chapters. This could however be a little overwhelming if you are not used to multiple POV. My favourite character were Catherine and Tash (and I have to admit I tended to not really care about the other 2).
The world was also complex enough and not too hard to understand. I really love a very in depth world building, which is usually lacking in YA Fantasy books, but was pleasantly surprised here.

I found the pacing very irregular as the first part of the book felt quite slow and not much happened. All the action and plot twists were packed in the last quarter of the story.

All in all I thought this was a strong first book in the series and I cannot wait to read the next one.

There is so much to enjoy in this story (and not just for the intended YA audience).

With five heroes being led to a pivotal time and place you may be thinking you would get ‘lost’ in each narration but you would be wrong. Sally Green has given her lead characters different roles and very different voices so it’s easy to stay with the narration you’re reading and pick it up again when the time comes. I’ve enjoyed each one and although I don’t have a favourite character, Catherine is awesome. Always questioning directives, her determination and initiative make for some entertaining as well as heartbreaking scenes. She is on the brink of growing into a formidable leader who will gain loyalty and love because she puts people first. I loved the banter between Tash and her boss Gravell, this relationship caused me laughter and tears. Having five different places with all the associated customs and people makes for an interesting read.

There’s plenty happening on the separate quests and each of our characters find out more about themselves as they face and overcome challenges. Themes include sexual identity/orientation, a love triangle, forbidden love, war/assassins, betrayals, tyranny, court intrigue, secrets and prejudice.

Demon smoke is the one thing that draws them together. Leaving our heroes at the start of the plateau, I’m intrigued as to where the story will go next. I’m thinking there’s a different perspective to come on this, that it’s not what we understand on the surface of things… I’m looking forward to finding out more about the world of the demons (hopefully we will!).

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green sets the foundation for this YA fantasy series and in my opinion does it really well! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters as they’ve made their way to Pitoria and excited to see what happens in the next story now they’re all together.

If you’re looking to get stuck into a new trilogy this could be exactly what you’re looking for.

After a very strong start - demon hunting goes awry, told from the perspective of a feisty 13-year-old girl - the book quite quickly went downhill. Firstly, the title feels quite misleading - apart from Tash's opening chapter, there's not really any more demon hunting or demon involvement. Secondly, the pacing for the rest of the book - after such a heart-racing start - was all over the place and overwhelmingly slow.

It was hard to tell if this book was meant to be character-led or plot-focused - the multi-perspective implies character-led, but the balance between different-perspective chapters was all wrong, and some characters were (I'm sorry to say) plain boring. But if the novel was meant to be plot-focused, then the pacing issues threw that way off course.

Catherine was one of the most appealing characters - she's got her head on straight, wants a better, fairer world for everyone and has enough gumption to stand up against tyranny when necessary. But her romance with her bodyguard, Ambrose, was dull and unbelievable. There's nothing worse than being sold a romance that has essentially already happened - where's the tension? And more importantly, in this case, where's the chemistry?

Here is where Edyon and March's burgeoning relationship should have filled in the gaps - but March was too passive and quiet a character to really engage with, and I found Edyon frankly annoying, so that relationship didn't have a spark either (particularly sad given its 'forbidden romance' element).

There was so much potential for this story, but throughout reading it I kept feeling frustrated - like there was always something just out of reach which would have made the chapter I was on more gripping, or nuanced, or insightful.

It's been a while since I read a YA fantasy with multiple point of views and after reading The Smoke Thieves, I don't know why I don't read it more often. I loved all the intrigue, change of perspective (and most of the time, country/nation) and waiting to see how it'll all tie together in the end - or will it do that at all. It made the world more alive to see it through different eyes and to learn more about the four countries/nations through the eyes of natives there. Princess Catherine's perspective offered court life and responsibilities, while March was a servant so his chapters gave insight to the another end of the social spectrum. Then there was Edyon, who was son of a merchant and a bastard, which caused social stigma for him, and young Tash who was a thief. One of Catherine's guards, Ambrose, also got some chapters from his point of view, which also drove the plot forward.

Of all the perspectives and characters, Tash was only one I couldn't stand at all; with everyone else, there was something I could identify with and understand their motives. Tash was just annoying, spending all her time jabbering about new boots, and her chapters didn't seem to drive the plot forward. I liked everyone else's chapters, but I must say that Edyon and March were my favourites. March's grumpy and guarded while Edyon was bubbly and outgoing, and that contrast was everything.

It's difficult to say much, because I don't want to spoil anything. The Smoke Thieves was a clever mix of character and plot driven story. I enjoyed the whole book thoroughly, because I liked connecting the dots and trying to guess what might happen next. There's a map on the book, which I consulted a lot, because I love to see where everything is and where the characters are going.

I highly recommend The Smoke Thieves, because of how captivating beginning for the series it is. I yearn to learn more, especially since there was a lot happening by the end of the book. Also, I just need to know that Edyon and March are going to make it!

I will start off by saying that I have read 'Half Bad' by the author Sally Green a few years ago. When I heard that she had written another novel, I was a bit intrigued to see what she would do with a different story line.

I have found that I enjoyed 'The Smoke Thieves' a lot more that I did with 'Half Bad', which I will eventually re-read.

So this book is a fantasy, and fantasies aren't normally my forte.

'The Smoke Thieves' is the first book in a new series, and I actually look forwards to when the sequel comes out.

This book for me was quite slow-paced. There is a lot of being introduced to all characters and their back story, as well as watching them travel through the lands.

There are several characters who hold sections of the book: Princess Catherine, Ambrose, March, Edyon and Tash. Each introduction is explained well, and I didn't find myself confused.

When reading the book, one of the things that I found, was that I could picture the scenes well. I can honestly see this book as being a TV show.

Two characters I despised was Boris, the brother of Catherine, and Catherine's father, King Aloysius. However, we as a reader are meant to have a dislike for these two. I was suspicious of Boris about fifty or so pages into the book.

There is a big event around three quarters of the book where there is a plot revealed, and I really enjoyed finding this out, and it kept me going.

The ending contained some suspense and action, which leas me to wanting to read the sequel when it's out just to find out what happens next.

I think the reason I docked half a star was because there were some of the sections I found more exciting than others, however I still persevered, and ended up enjoying the book in general.

In general, I definitely recommend people to give this book a read. It's different, and I think if more people read it, it will go far.

Impressive start to what promises to be an intriguing trilogy from the author of the Half Bad series. The five perspectives and balanced and compliment each other, with none of the characters crowding the other voices out. I'm especially looking forward to learning more about the smoke of the title.

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres and this book didn't disappoint. Very good start to what has the makings of a great series. The cliff hanger conclusion makes reading the next in the series, essential

The Smoke Thieves is the first in a fantasy series bringing together the lives and stories of four different characters: a princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief. Catherine's father and brother dictate her every move, and are preparing her to marry a prince she has never met to strengthen their alliances. but she might just be in love with one of her guards. Tash is working with Gravell hunting demons and capturing their smoke to sell (side note: that's illegal). March is looking for revenge and Edyon is moving around from town to town stealing things. The stories are all very distinctive and well-written, but Catherine and Tash's interested me most, and I did find myself skimming the other chapters at times to get back to their stories. The Smoke Thieves is a very political novel. I found it slow to start and couldn't understand how the different story-lines worked together, but it grew on me and I cannot wait to read more.

Like many, I was so disappointed by this book especially after hearing that it was being sold as a Game of Thrones for younger readers. I'm always a fan of multiple POV when they are executed well but in Green's case the storyline wasn't strong enough and the constant switching meant that it was difficult to connect with any of the characters. It sounds horrible but I just found this book very boring and dull.

Major apologies for how late this review is! Unfortunately The Smoke Thieves was one of the books caught up in my dissertation month but better late than never, right? Personally it took me a little too long to get into this story than I would have liked, and it left me needing to go back and read a little at a time to finish it.

In the end I was relieved but it was only down to three of the main characters, which left two perspectives that I cared less for. First up, Catherine’s character (the Princess) was my all time favourite from the book. I loved how strong and smart she was and her side to the story is really what kept me reading. The hunter, Tash, was my second favourite. I didn’t like her at first because she was like a 12 year old who swore like mad and I guess that’s just one of my personal pet peeves with a character but just because I’m not a fan of swearing generally even when the character is like 50. Edyon was another I found endearing – the Thief – he was quite the joker and I loved how open he was with his feelings too. He’s also a character who is either bisexual or gay whilst technically being a prince, and I’m always a fan of seeing LGBTQ+ representations like that in fantasy because I guess in a sense it makes the world more believable for me?

Catherine’s soldier Ambrose was fairly interesting but sometimes I found myself a little bored with his character, he was fairly one-dimensional with a sole interest in protecting Catherine though that did make him a believable love interest simultaneously. Oh yeah and then the last character was the traitor, March. I just didn’t like him. He seemed very easily manipulated and I think because I liked Edyon so much I hated him more because I thought he could do better for a love interest?

The ending “revelation” discovered by Catherine was a little frustrating because it’s something that the reader sees several times throughout the book, personally I found myself just getting annoyed that it hadn’t been realised sooner, especially as the nature of it seems like something many would have come across before it’s reveal? My favourite scenes were most definitely Catherine’s travels around Pitoria, which were made better by her purposefully going against her brothers wishes (you’ll hate him, just trust me) because he’s vile.

I don’t know if I’ll be in a rush to read the rest of the series, but it’s something I possibly would pick up at some point further down the line.

I have never gotten over Sally's Half Bad trilogy and I went into this thinking I will never love it as much as them. I remember seeing the inscription Sally had written in the special edition of Half Lost and crying on the shop floor! However... The Smoke Thieves goes to show how brilliant Sally is. Its a completely different feel and style to Half Bad with many more characters and threads yet it easily equals the high quality of that trilogy. I may not yet be openly crying about it but I am deeply invested in where this story is going. Fabulously well thought out plot, great range of characters and a level of writing I wish I could achieve.

Gonna go with my first rating I was going to give this for around the first 90% of the book. It would have been an extra star if the whole book was like the last 10%.

It took me like a thousand years to finish this book and I'm so tired. I could literally only get through this when I was commuting places.

Just keep the characters together and I think all will be better. Catherine's POV wasn't bad, March's and Edyon's were okay, more meh than anything. Ambrose's was boring. Tash's POV was the best tbh. She's like twelve and a demon hunter at that. I would just gladly read about her and be happy.

Ah. I'm glad I've finished, not sure if I'll read the next book but we'll see.

This is my first time reading a book by Sally Green. I know loads of people read and loved her Half Bad series, but I haven’t had the chance to pick it up yet. I was therefore unsure what to expect with this book, but I thought it was an excellent start to what I’m sure is going to be a phenomenal series.

The book has been dubbed “Game of Thrones” for a younger audience and I can totally see the similarities. The world building is good, with this wide world full of magic and different kingdoms. I loved the politics in this book, so many of the characters were scheming and vying for different things. There were plenty of battles and fighting and the book was a real page turner.

The story really sucked me in and I raced through the final few chapters. The story follows five main characters (a princess, a soldier, a traitor, a hunter and a thief) and each chapter alternates point of view for them. Although I liked all the characters I did feel like five was maybe too many. There were certain ones I preferred over others – I really liked Catherine and Ambrose, but was less interested in March. The characters were well fleshed out and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they develop as the series continues.

The chapters are really short so it definitely made me say ‘oh just one more chapter’ until it was the wee hours of the morning. Fast paced and exciting, The Smoke Thieves is a fantasy book that you definitely don’t want to miss

3.5 stars

Boot-obsessed Tash lures demons to their deaths and sells their smoke for a living.
Catherine is a princess and daughter of the king of Brigant, a ruthless man who has no love for her. Catherine has feelings for Ambrose, her guard, but cannot act on them as she is soon to marry the prince of Pitoria. The match is one Catherine's father has arranged, and she has no choice but to do as the king wishes.
Ambrose is loyal to Catherine. He will protect her at all costs but must keep his feelings for the princess secret lest someone finds out - in which case, Ambrose might just lose his life.
March is a servant to the prince of Calidor, a man March detests for allowing March's people to be slaughtered. March will do anything to get revenge.
Edyon is a thief whose bad habit might just get him into trouble one day.
Can Catherine be happy in her marriage and new home?
Will March get his revenge?
Can Edyon trust the foreigner with the strange eyes?
But, most importantly, will Tash buy those boots?

The Smoke Thieves was an interesting read with some intriguing ideas - in particular, that of demon smoke.
The novel is told from five different perspectives - Catherine, Ambrose, Tash, March, and Edyon. I found Catherine, Ambrose and Tash's chapters the most interesting. I wasn't as keen on March and Edyon. I really liked Tash and Gravell's relationship.
I was worried that I might find five perspectives to be too many, but I didn't have any trouble switching between them.
The romance wasn't a huge part of the book, which I appreciated as it might have taken away from the story.
The plot was interesting, but the action scenes didn't grip me as much as they should have.
I liked the writing style, which was easy to follow.
This did feel a tad too long at over five hundred pages, but it only dragged once or twice.
I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens in the next book.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and a good start to the series.