Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns is a really great middle grade read that I think a lot of adults would enjoy too! It’s full of action, peril and interesting characters, plus an interesting twist on the ruling empires of our world.

Tom is an orphan who makes his living on the streets of London but he is recruited to Beaufort, a school for thieves where children from elite families train to be the best crooks. There he learns new skills that help him when he uncovers strange things going on.

It’s a sophisticated book with lots of political intrigue - the three empires of the world are the Republic of France, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Japanese Empire - and underneath the school-based story there is also lots of plotting and scheming going on at a larger scale. There’s lots to think about and it’s clear this book is going to be the start of a great series,

In many ways it is similar to lots of other school based stories - especially Crookhaven (which is one of my favourites) - with the found family and friendship themes running strong through the book. This differs slightly in that there are several other competing schools around the world and as well as competitions within school there are also competitions between schools. This adds another layer of drama to the story.

I both read the book and listened to the audiobook (thank you to the publishers @harpercollinschin and @netgalley for my copy of this) - the narration is great and it’s really easy to listen to.

A highly recommended read for the summer holidays!

GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW
An explosive fusion of Oliver Twist, dark boarding school drama, sly espionage and skulduggery in the shadows. Intriguing from the start, the evocative Shadow Thieves offers skilled world building with the action sparking off in a speculative London reimagined as part of a French empire.

Some reviews have likened this to the ever present Harry Potter and the popular Skandar series, but apart from a training school for young recruits in a particular discipline, house challenges, missions and vicious villains, there is no comparison. Slim parallels could also be drawn with Morrigan Crow, Percy Jackson and Stroud’s Scarlett and Browne but there are no transformative hotels, magical creatures, troublesome potions classes, Gods and monsters or special powers. It has a style all of its own, sizzling with double cross, sparking with imagination, endless invention and slippery sleight of hand.

Plucky, street hardened, work house survivor protagonist Tom encounters surprises when he accepts an opportunity that comes out of the blue. The chance for a new life at a mysterious school means leaving behind friends who are in danger. He hopes that he can find a way to save them.

But much resentment awaits him as he encounters a world full of legacy, entitlement and perilous obstacles. As a first grade tender foot in Guile House at Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts he finds himself out of his depth. What is the purpose of him being there? Just what is the ultimate agenda of the Shadow League? Is there honour among thieves?

Packed with lively characters, the action zips along, introducing the reader to ingenious classes and unusual teachers, keeping them guessing as Tom concocts a risky plan. Whom can he trust? Will he bond with others and where will it lead him?

The author counts The Count of Monte Cristo, James Bond, Indiana Jones, the Goonies, classic boarding school capers and golden age murder mysteries among his influences, clearly evident in the booby traps Tom must navigate.

Shadow Thieves is a cinematic, compulsive and entertaining read that leaves unanswered questions. This series is set to thrill and will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, Horowitz’s Alex Rider and heist dramas.

The audio book version is a delicious accompaniment with talented drama student Zac Lowe McAlley animating the nail biting action whilst providing a cavalcade of accomplished accents and building the suspense at crucial points.

GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 5 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES

boarding school for thieves that reminds me so much of Hogwarts, only without the magic! The recruitment of pupils, their sorting into houses, and the subjects they’re taught are all so fascinating; there’s not an inch of boredom here.

The only slow part is the beginning, where the plot builds from the streets, but the rest is packed with adventure. The banter between elite pupils and a nobody from the streets is quite quirky. The plot twists were great, but I couldn’t help enjoying even the most ordinary scenes that were delivered so vividly, the charachters felt alive.

The narrators were energetic and entertaining, making the whole audiobook experience next level. Between the physical book and the audio, I’d say the audio version charmed me more. I highly recommend it to fellow readers who enjoy middle-grade stories with a techie edge.

This is a middle grade book that would suit fans of Harry Potter. It's better written than HP but as to whether it has a better plotline throughout the series remains to be seen (I really didn't rate HP1 until I'd read more and could see the story developing - I thought it was a rewrite of The Worst Witch but for an older audience).

This book has an unusual way of getting the "undeserving" child to the school but many of the HP elements are there - transported by unusual transport by a lone member of ancillary school staff, "more worthy" students bullying him, dangerous side quest, saving the school......

I enjoyed the story once it got going (it was a little slow at first) and am interested to see where it goes.

Narration by #zaclowemcalley was ok but there are quite a few words that need better pronunciation.

Shadow thieves is a thrilling middle grade adventure novel that borderlines with the classics like Oliver Twist but in a world where dark forces are placed in every nook and cranny.

The story follows a 13 year old Tom Morgan who is doing everything to stay far away from the brutal workhouse. From shining shoes to pickpocketing, he needs to survive. Then one eventful day, his friends are caught and sent to the very place he depises.

Then he meets Corsiar, a mysterious man who approaches him with a proposition of joining an elite international boarding school where he along with some of most finest upcoming thieves will train together and carry out some of the well planned heists. However Shadow League is not without secrets and it's the kind that bring dangers and chaos.

With odds stacked up against him, Tom Morgan is about to meet the true danger. Will he be able to save himself and his friends or will everything perish in the darkness of it all?

Shadow theives, the very title of the book piqued my attention and going into the book, I had high expectations. And I was not disappointed. One of my favourite scenes is when he is approached by Corsair when shinning his shoes and one where he finally enters the school. It's adventurous and filled with mysteries. The characters are well developed with a thoroughly explored plot. From suspenseful secrets to elaborate scheming, "Shadow Thieves" is a page-tuner through and through.

A middling boarding school adventure buoyed by impressively varied audiobook narration.

Set in an alternate Victorian London, Tom Morgan is a scrappy orphan running con jobs so he and his friends can survive. When they get captured, Tom gets recruited to an elusive boarding school called Beaufort's Academy for Thieves. Taking a very Philsopher's Stone-esque approach to conveying school life, where the glory of the school houses and points matter enormously to the story, Tom finds himself pitted against rude classmates, eccentric teachers, and politically powerful villains whose deeds have world-altering stakes. This unfortunately contributes to SHADOW THIEVES' greatest pitfall: its lack of depth.

Don't get me wrong, this book has SO many interesting ideas, including a quintet of secret schools each for a criminal discipline (including a school for ASSASSINS) that pull the puppet strings across the world. It builds this vast criminal underbelly beneath its Victorian facade very well. But we get introduced to so much of the school, its structure, the culture, places around it, classes and, most importantly, the people, that we don't get to properly explore any of it.

The bland cast are an unfortunate result of this. Tom and the Corsair get 90% of the focus and everyone else falls by the wayside. There's Tom's thieves gang, the Beaufort's-adjacent cast, Tom's housemates Enzo and Jericho and Maxine and others, Tom's Greenhorn classmates, the Artemis house gang... so many characters and yet they feel barely fleshed out. They're true NPCs to Tom's Main Character, present when necessary and gone when not.

And if I don't care about these people, why should I care if Guile House wins the House Cup? Or that Tom's gang got captured in the first place? The book spends so much time explaining all these school terms to you instead of focusing on the heart of the story: the people that all this affects.

Frustratingly, Tom very often succeeds outside his own merit. He's forced to represent Beaufort's at the Shadow Cup (i.e., vs all the other evil schools) by pure chance because of a series of coincidences written just to make him look like a badass that don't feel earnt. He also succeeds in several class challenges over his more educated classmates and constantly outwits his seniors, young adult students about to graduate, and actual criminal masterminds with real life experience dating before Tom was alive.

I know there's always an element of wish fulfillment with these books, but he doesn't even develop as a character, which is deeply unsatisfying.

Aside from Tom's uberness the story itself is serviceable, although it does stall at about the 30% mark as Tom gets introduced to the underworld and its rules. Buoyed also by Zac Lowe-McAlley's fun and decently-paced narration, with an array of accents for all the characters, some more successful than others (thank goodness the American kid only had two lines), on the whole I was engaged. I particularly love Tom's low London timbre compared to the Corsair's airier French-esque manner, which really sold the international flavour of the story.

SHADOW THIEVES isn't a bad book, but I do think it needs some polish and a sprinkle of charm. If it tightened its focus in the next book, put the spotlight only a group of small characters and their personal plights, this has the potential to be an exciting new boarding school story in middle grade, but as it stands, a ten-year-old will revel in the shadowy antics and relatable school setting. The audiobook was excellent though, so I would recommend someone looking to consume this book to do so in audio form.

WILL I READ ON? Maybe.

My daughter and I were lucky enough to receive a gorgeous proof package containing this book. We have alternated by reading it together and listening to it on audio.
The story is set in an alternate version of London. We follow 13-year-old Tom Morgan, a street-smart orphan who, after a chance encounter with the enigmatic Corsair, is whisked away to an elite boarding school for thieves hidden in the snowy Alps. Tom soon discovers it is not all it seems and he faces danger at every turn.

My daughter and I found this book compelling. It was dark, exciting and fast paced. There were so many twists and turns. I loved the atmospheric dystopian setting of the school. Tom was a brilliant character that we were both routing for. I really hope there are going to be more books in this series. This was one of our favourite books of the year!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It follows the adventures of Tom Morgan who starts life in a workhouse, escapes to the streets and then gets recruited into a school for thieves (a bit of a cross between Harry Potter and Crookhaven - also a school for thieves/crooks, but thieves that do 'good'), with lessons in deception, forgery and lots of physical assault courses. Whilst I found the story a little slow to begin with, it soon got going with lots of adventure, intrigue, twists, mishaps and danger, all wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion (being left open enough for the next instalment, of course!). It's ultimately a story about friendship and trust and believing in yourself and your capabilities. The characters are well written and complex, the villains are great, and most importantly I really liked the lead character Tom who is fiercely loyal to his friends and what is 'right'.

The narrator (Zac Lowe-McAlley) has a lovely voice to listen to, great expression and lots of interesting accents.

My daughter, who loves Harry Potter, Crookhaven and Percy Jackson will definitely love this book too.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook, which I received in exchange for an honest review (all options are my own).

I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this work in audio format via Netgalley free of charge in return for an honest review.

The narration is excellent and really brings the world of the story to life. I throughly enjoyed listening to this book.

Tom was born an orphan and thus the property of the workhouse and would have lived and died there had he not met Morris who taught the children after the proper teacher died.

Morris and Tom broke out of the workhouse and Morris taught Tom all the tricks and tips of magican showing him how to pick pockets and theive. Giving him a chance at survival in the world outside the workhouse.

Then his life is flipped upside down somehow his ahd his friends hidden home is discovered and raided. Tom is saved and vows to rescue his friends. But how? And then he is wisked away to a mysterious school for thieves.

This book is full of thrills and spills and daring do. If you are a fan of Oliver Twist this is a definitely a read for you!

I enjoyed it completely.

Really enjoyed this audio book, the voice was good and enjoyable to listen too. The story is fast paced and beautifully written. A great read! Would be perfect for year 5 and 6 pupils.

The story offers fantastic opportunity to develop lessons around, ignite conversation between adult and child and between children as they progress through the book.

A great book and a highly recommended read

I loved going on this adventure with Tom, meeting all the interesting characters along the way! Peter Burns did an amazing job making the characters feel real and created the perfect atmosphere when setting the scenes. Great twists throughout!
This book is aimed at a younger audience. However, it can be enjoyed by all ages. When I was reading it, I did feel it had a modern day, Oliver Twist meets Harry Potter vibe about it. So well written. I was totally disappointed when it ended and can't wait for the next instalment! Thank you, @NetGalley, for the advanced copy.

Peter Burns has created a compelling cast of characters, led by the determined and vulnerably strong Tom Morgan. As a streetwise former workhouse kid navigating an alternate London, Tom’s journey from struggling to survive to an elite school is both gripping and emotionally deep. His friendships and rivalries within Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts, alongside how he choices to handle them, add layers of intrigue to the protagonist, making him for sure the best person to front this story. Surrounded by the morally ambiguous nature of most of the cast, trained in deception but likeable on the most part, adds a fascinating complexity to Shadow Thieves and does a brilliant job showing that humans are more than simply good or bad.

Burns’ writing is immersive and incredibly detail orientated. There is not a fragment of this world Burns doesn’t understand, effortlessly moving readers through the grimy streets of London into the secretive town of the Shadow League and beyond. His prose is both sharp and evocative, balancing thrilling action sequences with moments of reflection and feeling. His ability to maintain a fast-paced yet richly detailed story makes every page is engaging and creates a world readers will fall into.

The novel’s plot is a masterclass in tension and adventure. And when I say tension, I don’t just mean from the action, I also mean from that perceived tension we can all create or imagine sometimes when reflecting. From Tom’s desperate attempt to save his friends from a brutal workhouse to falling into a world of espionage, deception, and high-stakes heists, the concept of Shadow Thieves offers an incredibly fresh take on the ‘boarding school for talented kids’ trope. All of this continued to build and build, leading to a thrilling climax that will have readers eager for the next instalment.

Additionally, a massive shoutout has to go to Zac Lowe-McAlly, whose narration of the novel is phenomenal and delivers so much gusto to the story. With expert level build up and landing of keep tension and payoff moments, it’s an absolute joy to listen along to the audiobook. Well produced and a delight to listen to, this is one I’d highly recommend to those book listeners out there or people, like myself, who like to juggle between physical and audio.

Shadow Thieves is a brilliant debut that blends adventure, mystery, and a touch of political commentary into an unforgettable read for young readers and adults alike. With a wonderful cast of characters, marvellous world building, and thrilling plot, it’s easy to see why there’s a lot of hype around this book and this series! Burns has written a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, a true must-read for any readers aged 10+. Now while I go daydream about being in the Alps, you should get to ordering your copy…