Ocean’s Eleven meets The False Prince in this thrilling heist story for young readers, in which five kids with unusual talents are brought together to commit an impossible crime. Failure is unacceptable…but success could be deadly.
From the bestselling author of the Blackthorn Key series, this magic-infused fantasy brings together a ragtag group of kids to pull off a crime so difficult, countless adults have already tried and failed. Lured by the promise of more money than they’ve ever dreamed of, five young criminals are hired to steal a heavily guarded treasure from the most powerful sorcerer in the city. There’s Callan the con artist, Meriel the expert at acrobatics (and knives!), Gareth the researcher, Lachlan who can obtain anything, and Foxtail, whose mysterious eyeless mask doesn’t hinder her ability to climb walls like a spider. Though their shadowy backgrounds mean that they’ve never trusted anyone but themselves, the five must learn to rely on each other in order to get the job done.
But as Callan has been warned most of his life, it’s best to stay away from magic. It can turn on you at any moment, and make you think you’re the one running the con game, when in reality you’re the one being fooled. Faced with these unsurmountable odds, can the friends pull off this legendary heist, or has their luck finally run out?
Format
Page Count
Trim Size
Dewey
AR
Lexile
Genre
Scholastic Reading Counts
JLG Release
Book Genres
Topics
Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
Gr 5 Up-This stunning tale of betrayal, trickery, and friendship takes the reader on a wild ride. Callan, a 14-year-old thief, accepts an invitation to participate in a heist that offers tremendous rewards. But he soon learns the possibility of great reward carries with it great risk. Con artist Callan teams up with four other children: Merial, the gymnastic knife expert; Gareth, head of intel; Lachlan, who can acquire supplies; and Foxtail, who can climb any and everywhere. The foursome combine their skills in an attempt to steal an artifact of great but unknown power. Even if they succeed, the price may be more than they are willing to pay. As the stakes get higher, it will take every skill these children possess to overcome the challenges in their way-assuming they survive at all. Sands has created a rip-roaring story full of frantic twists and turns that leave readers questioning what is real and what is not. The magic is believable, and the world is easy to imagine. And one cannot help but root for these young protagonists whose lives have been so difficult and yet who manage to hope for a better future. Characters are cued as white. VERDICT A fabulous choice for libraries where action-packed fantasies are popular.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elem. Sch., Smithfield, UT