Review of Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

Read for: Requested Review/ Netgalley & Book Box

Synopsis: "Leading your first heist is a major milestone in Sky Hawkin’s family—even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated—especially when you’re a wyvern, a human capable of transforming into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky’s mission uncovers deep secrets about the mother who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist—and get back the people she loves in the process. But instead, she ends up discovering a dark truth about were-dragon society—a truth that is more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be."

My Review: I really loved Queen of the Blood by Sarah Beth Durst and knew I wanted to read this book, dragons, gold and a heist, yes please. Unfortunately, I really struggled with this book, it took me a while to find the motivation and mood to pick it up and then once I did I had a really hard time staying focused on it. It is fantasy, but it is more of an urban fantasy, almost along the lines of paranormal, so we have a teen girl in the modern world but she has her special abilities and upbringing due to being wyvern. We still get a bit of that teen drama that I have very little patience for anymore. I also figured out pretty early on what happened to her mother and where the story would end up leading, so that also made it hard to continue, there was more to the end than I expected but it was still pretty much along the lines I had already come up with. I also found it difficult to find a character I really cared about, I didn't have much connection to any of them, except maybe Gabrielle but we didn't spend enough time with any one character except Sky, and I wasn't a huge fan. I can see how other readers would really enjoy this one and I urge you to try it but it really just wasn't for me. It would be a great bridge from YA contemporary to YA fantasy for those who have struggled with fantasy in the past.

My Rating: I am so bummed that this book didn't work for me.  I am starting to think that heist books aren't for me, but this one was more of an issue with the characters and the mystery of what happened to Sky's mom.  I give it a rating of Two Paws but again, I think it would be great for those readers wanting to get into fantasy but who have struggled in the past.

I received this complimentary book via Netgalley, the above is my honest review.

You can find out more about Sarah Beth Durst and her books on her Goodreads Page or Website.

Fire & Heist was just released on December 4th, you can now obtain your own copy in print or digital format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or check with your favorite local bookstore.