I have mixed feelings about this book. It starts off interesting, gets a little boring in the middle, and picks up again before delivering a killer ending that now has me eagerly waiting the next book. I love the movie Aladdin and the Selection book series so I decided to give this one a try and I've enjoyed the ride.

What was supposed to be a peaceful and quiet life for Adelaide suddenly turns chaotic when she's forced into a game to choose the next princess while also trying to steal a mysterious lamp. Then she meets Cyrus, an elusive servant in the palace who seems to take a liking to her and even tries to help with her quest.

This book is appropriate for ages 13 and up for mild language.

(TAGGING THIS REVIEW AS HAVING A POTENTIAL FOR MINOR SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)
The Good: This is such an amazing start to a series. Adelaide is a young woman who just wants a place to call home, and she finally thinks that she found one. All of this changes the night of the town festival when Adelaide and her “adopted family” are kidnapped by a witch needing her special talents as a thief. For those of you who play video games (and for many who don’t) the Easter eggs hidden in this novel easily show you what they mean by it being a series of interconnected fairytale retellings. Adelaide’s best friend is named Bonnie, a girl who always has her nose in a book and lives alone with her father. Adelaide has a run in with a girl who lives with her stepmother and stepsisters and is forced to do their chores. During the “princess test” as I am going to call it she hears gossip that there are two families who have a beast in their family. That is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fairytale references found in this book.
Adelaide as a character is highly relatable, even for those who have never imagined themselves as a thief in a fantasy world. She is an orphan who has lived her life running from place to place, sometimes homeless, always having to lie to be able to survive. She just wants somewhere she can call home, somewhere where she can live her life without worry or stress (something many of us dream of). She would do anything to save the lives of those that she cares about (which is proven many times during this amazing novel). She is guarded, but also wears her heart on her sleeve. She is goal oriented but is willing to make time for those who need her. Overall, she is a strong female lead who also has a soft side.
The story is supposed to be reminiscent of Aladdin, which it is, but it also tells its own story in a fantastical new way. I have always been a fan of those books that are fairytale retellings, they give you new stories related to those that you loved before. Lucy Tempest easily has done this with this novel.
The Bad: There aren’t many things that I can say are bad about this novel. I know that I say this a lot in my reviews, but I feel like I am just getting so lucky with the ARC’s that I am receiving. At times it seemed like the plot was forgotten in lieu of descriptions of the scenery or the people. This could be a nod to the fact that Adelaide is a commoner who is having to deal with seeing all of these wasted riches, so I don’t know that I would fully consider this a bad thing. It did cause me to want to skip over the descriptions at times to get back to the action though. My biggest complaint about this book was THAT IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER! I know that it says in the description that her story continues, but I need more now! I read this book in less than a day, and I wish I would have taken more time. The next book (which I am planning on preordering if I don’t get lucky again to get an ARC copy) isn’t due to be published until the end of October. My heart is devastated right now, I need to know what is going to happen. This is a bad thing, but also shows just how amazing Lucy Tempest is as a writer.
Final Thoughts: Please please please pick up this book. It is an amazing read, and this author is an amazing writer. If you are a fan of fantasy, strong female leads, story retellings, thieves, princes, princesses, or tests. If you aren’t a fan of any of these but need a new book to read. If you like to judge a book by the cover and saw how beautiful the cover of this one is. No matter why you pick this book up, pick it up! Read it! Preorder the next book! Support this amazing writer. It is available on the Kindle Store for $2.99, which is a steal for a book as great as this one. The sequel (Prince of Cahraman) is available for preorder for $3.99.

First of all, the cover of the book is very intriguing. The cover model is exactly as I envisioned her to be from reading the book. The synopsis drew me in to request this title and it was definitely a very enthralling read.

This is my first book by Lucy Tempest and I really enjoyed reading Thief of Cahraman. Her words indeed drew me in with the steady pacing and flow and the descriptions of the people and the scenery. The only thing that I would have liked more of was if she delved more into her world building. It's like the author started getting really into the descriptions, but then just stopped. If she had expanded the fantasy and mythical world in which the heroine lived in, then I would have felt more connected to the story. The little snippets of descriptions were still quite vivid and interesting so that had helped in learning a bit more of Ericura, Cahraman, and the other mystical countries. However, I wasn't too sure how any of the countries that the other ladies came from were connected to each other, or if they were even connected. Perhaps I was comparing it to our planet, where there were continents and countries.

I did like the main heroine, Ada and later on Cyrus, the mysterious "thief" and servant at the palace. Ada was described wonderfully - her easy mannerism and her big heart made me take her side every time she faltered or doubted herself. Ada was a thief by necessity, having been left alone to live with her best friend and her father. She also worked at a local tavern/bar and would defend the honor of those she cared and loved. Ada was sort of an anti-heroine. She wasn't perfect in any sense, but she would rather fight for someone else's honor than being made to look pretty or act like a demure lady. The description she gave herself was one of a giant lady, with dark hair and light skin that didn't quite match the natives of Ericura. Where she is truly from and who her mother was, it was a mystery in this story. I liked how Ada had no fear for herself, yet she wouldn't hesitate to do something to help those who desperately needed it. She endeared in my heart the more the story unfolded.

Then there was Cyrus - the mysterious servant and guard of the palace of Cahraman. While I did like Cyrus as he was kind and funny and helped Ada when she needed him. But the one thing that bugged me was how he so easily helped her get into the palace's treasury. I mean, why would someone so easily just trust a guest at the palace to find and steal a rare artifact? I wouldn't have trusted Ada so easily even if as a reader, I knew she had her own reasons for finding this mysterious artifact - a magical lamp. But Cyrus was a good guy and though he had his own secrets to hide, he was still a dashing and brave hero to Ada.

Other minor characters in the story helped the plot move along. While the plot was a bit slow now and then, it was leading up to something that was a big deal at the end. The description of the story indicates that it's a weaving or several fairy tales and similar to the story, The Selection. I did find elements of Cinderella and Snow White in the story and I suppose the choosing of the various brides from around the world was similar to The Selection.

Overall, Thief of Cahraman was a great book to read. I am definitely interested to read the next two installments to see how everything works out for Ada, Cyrus, and the other people in the Kingdom and the world.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Thief of Cahraman is the story of Aladdin with a twist. I loved Lady Ada and the Prince & that she was able to show her thief's talent in the bride competition. Tempest created a great talent of the underdog. Lady Ada definitely makes an impression on everyone she encounters. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to the next book and other offerings from this author.

This is more The Selection with a small dash of Aladdin if we are being honest here, which is not a bad thing.

I will admit that it started out slow for me, I found the use of similes off putting at the start. The world building was heavy at the beginning and missed the opportunity of introducing the world slowly once all the fifty girls were introduced. Its a small complaint that didn't deter from the overall book, which was an easy and enjoyable read.

I enjoyed Adelaide as a character. She was strong, compassionate, friendly and herself. I didn't feel like her continuing on was forced by the plot seeing how the background of the rest of the girls varied. Her background, especially her mother are hinted at to possibly be more than shown and I hope that it explored more in the next book. The rest of the characters are made up of the mean girl Fairuza, flighty girl Cherine, Cora (who I adored) and Cyrus.

The book ends just as thinks start to ramp up and I look forward to reading the next book.

Not the retelling I expected but still a good story. Parts of the plot were predictable, at times in a way that you wanted to yell at characters for not seeing how predictable it was. Overall I enjoyed the vivid world and fun characters in the story.

Loved this. I was able to guess a bunch of what was happening but it was a great book and I can't wait for the next one.

This book was a great read. It was fast paced. The characters were likeable and you could really connect with. I would recommend this book to others and I am eager to read more from this author.

This book is exactly what the description says. It was impossible to put down once I got into it. It took a few chapters to really get things moving but the author set the scene for future books so I appreciate that. The ending killed me as I did not realize it was the first of a trilogy. I can’t wait to read the next one.

4,5 stars.

I liked this book. The characters were interesting and I look forward to read their stories too...., it has a potential for a great series.

The plot was a bit predictable, no surprises or shocking moments, but I still enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting. I thought that every book in this series will be a standalone, it’s not.

Big thanks to Netgalley and author for this ARC.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and the publisher. This was a fun read. I enjoyed the heroine and the story.

4.5 stars

***ARC receivd in exchange of an honest opinion***

Thief of Cahraman was a delightful surprise. At first I thought it was a bit slow, but as the story progressed I kept falling more in love with it.

This book has all the elements I love in a good fantasy YA book: a kickass heroine, secrets, mysteries, a great fantastical world and a swoon-worthy hero. Not to mention the writing. That really impressed me.

I confess that when I saw the book on Netgalley the cover didn't impress me a lot (ai liked some elements of it - like the image, despite not being a fan of covers with people in them - but I don't like the lettering, font and the way the title was positioned, I felt like it was too much and trying too hard - which got me the wrong impression of how the book would go). But something stood out and I read the blurb to make sure I'd like to read it (as you know I'm not in the habit of reading synopses before reading books, but when they catch my attention - without spoiling the book or plotline - they are quite helpful). I'm really glad I requested to read it though. This book caught me by surprise and I loved it!

The plotline was quite different and I loved how witty the story was. I sense a lot of mysteries unveiling very soon (like the truth about Ada and he mother) and I can't wait for the next phase of the story.

This was definitely a good read and if you like fantasy books The Thief of Cahraman will certainly keep your attention!!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

The synopsis holds true this really was the Selection crossed with Aladdin. I appreciated the lead being the female version of Aladdin, Ada. Had no idea this was a series and was definitely upset with having to wait to find out what happens to Ada next. This was a light, clean cut retelling and made for a great vacation read!

Ok I saw the beautiful cover and read the synopsis and thought oo that sounds different although I have to admit it took me a few chapters to really get hooked. I think the problem was initially I could see a type of Cinderella vibe going on but luckily the author stepped away from that and concentrated on Ada ( a natural thief) and her trials in the palace.
Ada is a likeable heroine not wishy washy but quietly determined. She’s pitted against insufferable competition and yet manages to see good within some of them. Now obviously this wouldn’t be a fairytale retold without a handsome Prince and he’s pretty much absent throughout this book or is he ? I particularly enjoyed the way the characters Ada meet strangely remind her of fabled stories and look forward to seeing how this plays out .
So from my comments you’ve probably guessed that this is unfortunately ending on a slight cliffhanger and I think I’m right in saying that it’s part of a trilogy which I originally hadn’t realised so as I finished the last page feeling a little cheated . Ada doesn’t want to marry the Prince as she’s only there to save those she cares about but as this ended I sat thinking poor Ada is now more alone than ever which seemed a very sad place to end this book.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you!
I enjoyed Aladdin as a movie and I enjoyed The Selection series, so I was very curious how this novel would play out. I was not disappointed with the story and the characters, even though it was obvious who the prince was. Adelaide is a thief who does not know much about her family, only bits of information her mother gave her before she died. When a witch forces Ada to find a golden lamp to save her friend and her friend's father from death, she knows her time is limited. How can she catch a prince when she does not have the "requirements". There are several trials in the competition until the final five are chosen. Ada knows she has no chance and needs to find the lamp quickly before she is eliminated. She never counted on the friends she would make, or the thief who is helping her with her task. However, Ada cannot tell Cyrus the truth about why she needs to find the lamp. The more time she spends with Cyrus, she wants a future with him where they can return to her village and she can tell him the truth, that she is not really a lady. When the prince's identity is revealed, Ada knows her time is running out and she will need to the win the competition to save her friends from the witch or the witch will kill them. I cannot wait to read the next novel!