Thief's cunning

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Title:

Thief's cunning

Author:

Ahiers, Sarah, author.

ISBN:

9780062363831

Edition:

1st ed.

Physical Description:

407 pages ; 22 cm

Series:

Assassin's heart novel ;

Reading Level:

HL 640 L Lexile

Subject Term:

Kidnapping -- Fiction.

Vendetta -- Fiction.

Assassins -- Fiction.

Teenagers -- Fiction.

Summary:

All her life, Allegra, niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, has had to keep her identity hidden. She and her family are constantly watching their backs for an attack from the Da Vias, a rival family whose thirst for retaliation has lasted for almost two decades. But what really happened the night Lea made the Da Vias pay for murdering her family? Allegra wants to know--just like she wants to know her parents' identity, another secret Lea and Uncle Les are keeping from her. When Allegra finally learns the truth, her world crumbles. She is a Da Via. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted most, Allegra turns to Nev, an intoxicating Traveler boy who makes her feel alive in ways she's only dreamed of. But Nev has secrets too, and when Allegra is kidnapped by his group and taken to their desert home, she soon learns their pasts are tangled in ways she couldn't have guessed. And if she can't escape back to Yvain soon, her life and that of her family's could be forever changed.--

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Bayport Public Library	TEEN FICTION AHI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	TEEN FICTION AHI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	TEEN FICTION AHI	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The companion novel to Assassin's Heart--an action-packed fantasy that Printz Award winner Laura Ruby said "will keep you turning the pages all night long"--Thief's Cunning picks up eighteen years later and follows Allegra Saldana as she uncovers the secrets about the line of killers she descends from.

Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas--or what's left of them--are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.

But lately Allegra's getting fed up with everything being kept from her--including her parents' identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though--that she's a Da Via--her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she's only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev's world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.

In this dark and enthralling fantasy that fans of Sarah Maas and Leigh Bardugo will devour, one girl must decide if she's destined to pay for the wrongs of her family's past--whether Saldana or Da Via--or if the future is hers for the taking.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Set 18 years after Assassin's Heart, this work features Allegra Saldana, the niece of Lea Saldana, the protagonist of the first book, as she becomes involved in a more mature relationship with Nev, the Traveler boy who is free from the chains of Allegra's world, where she is a hunted assassin. While the Saldanas were once the most feared assassins, now they are the most sought after. This companion novel reveals the answers to Allegra's questions about being part of one of the most infamous families of assassins. As the truth about her family is exposed, readers, along with Allegra, will be surprised at the outcome. The Da Vias are still the number one enemy of the Saldanas and are seeking revenge, but this time their vengeance comes with a price as Allegra is kidnapped and taken to a land where secrets about her family are uncovered. Just as the first title was full of fantasy and adventure, this companion does not disappoint. While the previous volume may have been appropriate for a middle school audience, this one will appeal to older teens. VERDICT Older fans of the previous installment will tune in as it becomes clear how Allegra and her family became such legendary assassins. Purchase where the author's debut is popular.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Allegra, niece of hunted assassin Lea Saldana (Assassin's Heart), has constantly felt out of place in her family. An unexpected romance blooms with traveler boy Nev after Allegra learns the truth about her identity, which leads to her kidnapping and more revelations. Set eighteen years after its companion novel, Ahiers's latest YA fantasy contains strong world-building, plenty of plot twists, and a sympathetic heroine. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Allegra Saldana, from Assassin's Heart (2016), is full-grown and plunged into new dangers.An invitation comes from the king of Lovero, summoning the Saldana presence out of exile, to swear fealty as one of the nine clipper Families to his daughter now that the princess has come of age. Allegra's especially excited at the chance to finally learn more about her parents, whose fates were covered in the first book and whom Allegra's aunt Lea refuses to speak of. When Allegra learns the truth, however, she's devastated, and her whole sense of identity is undermined. The repetitive prose from the first book is more effective here when read through the lens of a conflicted character who's replaying what she knows to try to make up her mind. She also throws herself into the arms of a handsome traveler boy, Nev, for comfort in steamy hook-ups that feel like a deep connectionuntil Nev spots Allegra's pendant, a gift from her half-traveler uncle, Les: it's sacrilege when the singura's worn by a nontraveler. Thematically, love and freedom are set in compelling opposition. The climactic battles thrill. Allegra's a blonde, white woman, and, borrowing further from Romani tropes, Nev's olive-skinned, a traveler characteristic; otherwise both racial and sexual diversity are common and unremarkable in this fantasy. A well-realized fantasy with strong action and romance. (Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Lea Saldana, famed clipper a legal assassin of Assassin's Heart (2016), now takes a backseat in this stunning sequel. Lea's niece, Allegra, has led a life of secrets solely because she was born into a family of wanted assassins. Hunted and in the dark because of their feud with the Da Via family, the remaining Saldanas have spent most of Allegra's life in hiding. A holiday in Lovero, the original home of the Saldanas, gives Allegra the chance she's longed for to escape her stifling life but a kidnapping changes her outlook significantly. When she falls for a member of a traveler clan and is stolen away, she must rely on her clipper instincts to save her life. Can she have freedom, love, and the answers she needs and will they be worth the cost? The similarities between Lea and Allegra will draw fans of Assassin's Heart to this companion. The characters are richly developed and appealing to readers. Ahiers is certainly one to watch.--Comfort, Stacey Copyright 2017 Booklist

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Horn Book Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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