Review: Midnight Thieif

Since I now travel for 50% of my job I sometimes feel like I live in airports and hotels.  That being said, I found myself the other day browsing the shelves of an unnamed airport bookstore and found myself buying Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1) by Livia Blackburne.  Now, I will preface this review by saying that I typically do not trust books purchased without research (either word of mouth, recommendation, Goodreads or Amazon or even Barnes & Noble reviews to rely on), but this cover did look interesting and I vaguely remembered seeing some hype around this when it released back in 2014.  So all that being said, let me tell you, this book did not disappoint!  My 4 hour flight went by in a flash and at the end all I could think about was getting my hands on the next installment! 

Blackburne does a great job with Midnight Thief by having all of the cornerstones I personally feel I need, first, a strong hero/heroine - Kyra definitely fits this bill as leading lady.  Kyra is full of strength and wit that helps her survive but she is not without flaws which helps her character feel genuine throughout.  She grows up a street thief to get by and provide for those in need (think Robin Hood) and is fairly decent at her craft.  She has a small group of urchins (the only family she knows) that she watches over and helps to mentor.  All in all her heart is in the right place, she has drive and is talented but she is fairly naive.  

Second key, a personal journey/great story-line - Kyra starts off in the streets of the Forge and is content there until there is a promise of more that will help her protect and care for those she loves, but it comes with a price. She takes this leap of faith and trains to help the Assassins Guild that starts off great until she gets in too deep... 

Third key, a love interest - now this can be changed out with a key second point of view or a intense friendship, but come on, we all need a little tug at the heartstrings and our "knight in shining armor" Tristam does not let us down. He is everything Kyra is not and they fit each-other perfectly in every way - except technically they are fighting on the opposite sides.  I mean if that didn't spell out star crossed then i don't know what would...

There's a fantastic twist at the end that will leave readers aching for the next installment but trust me when I say this book has it all! 

Overall, Midnight Thief has an amazing cast (a heroine you want to root for and bad guys you want to fail), magical creatures, epic fights, and a romantic pairing that is a slow build to perfection!  Definitely pick this one up for your trip, even if that trip only takes you to your favorite reading chair.