Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"Thieves' Gambit" by Kayvion Lewis is a thrilling ride through the world of high-stakes thievery, where trust is a currency as valuable as the treasures sought after. The novel introduces us to Rosalyn "Ross" Quest, a seventeen-year-old prodigy born into a legendary family of thieves. Ross's life is a paradox, torn between the thrill of the heist and the desire for a normal life away from the shadows of her heritage.

The narrative takes off when Ross's mother falls into peril, and the only way to save her is to win the Thieves' Gambit—a cutthroat competition where the world's most skilled thieves vie for a prize that grants any wish. The stakes are as high as they can get, and for Ross, it's not just about the win; it's about family, survival, and legacy.

Lewis's writing is cinematic, with each chapter unfolding like scenes in a high-octane movie. The settings are vividly described, transporting readers from one exotic locale to another, making them feel the rush of adrenaline with every narrow escape and daring plan. The pacing is relentless, with twists and turns that keep the pages turning well into the night.

The heart of the story, however, lies in its characters. Ross is a compelling protagonist—smart, resourceful, and deeply human. Her internal conflicts add depth to the breakneck plot, making her more than just a thief; she's a young woman on the cusp of defining who she wants to be. The supporting cast is equally engaging, from the charming and enigmatic Devroe to Ross's childhood nemesis, Noelia. Each character is well-crafted, with motives and backstories that weave seamlessly into the narrative.

"Thieves' Gambit" is a thriller and a story about choices and consequences, about the fine line between right and wrong, and about finding one's place in a world where every alliance is temporary. It's a testament to Lewis's skill that the novel manages to be both an edge-of-your-seat adventure and a thoughtful exploration of identity and belonging.

"Thieves' Gambit" is a must-read for fans of the genre and a standout debut for Kayvion Lewis. It's a book that promises—and delivers—a grand adventure, but also leaves readers pondering long after the last heist is pulled.

A solid four stars for a tale well told.

I just could not focus on making my way through this one. I might switch to audiobook to finish this one once I'm out of my current reading slump. But for now, I just couldn't finish the print version.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I thought that the book was okay. I won't be picking up the rest of the series. The beginning was a little slow and then it picked up again. The ending wasn't my favorite. I'm not sure about this author's writing style. It just wasn't for me. I thought there was one too many pop culture references in this book. The ending was kinda of a let down. As a mother myself I wouldn't sign my child up for anything like that. The mom needs to learn to let her kid go and be their own person.

This is a great Adventure/mystery for anyone who liked Mr. Lemoncello’s series but needs a more advanced read. The main character works with her mom as a thief. They are experts at stealing expensive jewels, money or anything else they want to get. Ross is a master at what she does. If anyone asks, she tells them she is home schooled. She can’t very well go to school when she may need to go help her mom at a moment's notice. But, Ross has finally had enough of the crime world for a while. She wants a normal life. She wants to go to a regular summer camp. Of course, her mom will have none of that so Ross must run away. Little does she know that this will almost cause her mom her life. The only way to save her mom is to enter the most deadliest heist of all time. The Thieves Gambit. If she wins, she could save her mom’s life. If she loses, she could lose her mom, her own heart, or her life.

This was well written. It was along the lines of the Inheritance Games without as much of the puzzles or the love triangles. I say it is geared for younger kids than Inheritance Games. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This book is basically Ocean’s Twelve: High School Edition. Teenage master thieves traipsing around Europe executing heists? Yes please.

Was some suspension of disbelief required? Of course. But it was also an entertaining romp that kept you captivated to the very end. They clearly couldn’t end the story where it did and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

This was entertaining, but cheesy. More middle grade than high school in its vibe. Lots of action, decent premise.

This was amazing. Couldn’t put it down! I just jumped right in. It looks like it will be a series and I can’t wait! Oceans 11 vibes but honestly way better.

The Quest family has legendary status in the world of thieves and while Ross is a master thief herself she’s desperate to break out on her own. But when her plan to escape goes awry, her mother’s life is left at risk. With no other options Ross enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a heist competition that will put her skills to the test. Winning won’t be easy, especially when she finds out her competition includes her childhood nemesis and a handsome charmer intent on making a play at her heart. Ross must figure out who to con and who to trust because in the end, only one will win.

When I saw this book described as Inheritance games meets Ocean’s Eleven, I was sold. Then I read the full synopsis and was drooling to get my hands on this book and man it did not disappoint!

Now I love a good rivals to lovers so seeing a romance wove within the bigger story was nice. However I can’t lie, I was basically addicted to the heist storyline. My husband even commented that I must really be enjoying this book because it seems to be all I wanted to do this past weekend. Well duh…with short chapters, quick pace, and captivating storyline it was impossible to put this book down.

While this is a book full of thieves, we obviously had a lot of morally gray characters but I found myself loving almost all of them.

Honestly, this book was just so much fun to read and the twists at the end left my head spinning in the best way. There is a sequel coming out later this year and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! I need more Ross Quest in my life.

3.5/5 stars. This book was fun. I like the concept, it just didn’t leave me wanting more (even with a “to be continued” ending).

I am at a point where I dislike books with competitions more than I enjoy them, but this book is an exception. This was so much FUN! It knew exactly what it was and leaned into some of the absurdity. I enjoyed every one of the characters, thought the different activities were interesting, and liked how we didn't know who to trust. I enjoyed the twist at the end conceptually, but thought that the pacing went off the rails and the book could have actually been a bit longer and been more successful. Despite the pacing issues, I am very intrigued by the ending and definitely plan to read the second book!

17-year old Ross Quest belongs to a legendary family of thieves. She dreams of bigger things, and plans to escape from her family, only for a little while. On the night of her escape, her mother is kidnapped. She must now enter The Thieves Gambit, a competition of challenging heists where the winner will be granted a single wish for anything they desire. When she arrives, she comes face to face with her childhood nemesis, along with a very cute boy.

Although a bit predictable, this was a really fun story! It was very fast paced, and extremely easy to read. I liked Quest as a main character, she was interesting and went through a lot of character development in the end. I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance, I do see how it was necessary for Quest to show her vulnerability, but I probably would have liked the story a bit more if the focus had solely been on the competition and getting her mom back. I think that the challenges were the best part of the book, and I liked watching Quest work with the rest of the competitors in the end.

I am intrigued by the next book, and will most likely be picking it up if I get the chance!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis.

A really fun, action-packed, high-stakes book that was reminiscent if Oceans 11, The Inheritence Games and Hunger Games.

I really enjoyed this book, it would make a fantastic movie!

I want a movie for this book SO bad!! I’m always looking for fun action packed movies like Kingsman: The Secret Service or Tomb Raider and this book felt like that!! There’s a series of heists (we pretty much all love a good book with heists) throughout this entire book! There’s also crime families and friendships made and a ton of action packed into this book! This book literally gripped me from the start and had me until the very end! I’m also super excited to find out there will be a sequel 🥹.

The characters were all unique and fun, especially the main character, Ross Quest! I quite loved her personality and the fact that she has so much to lose throughout the Thieves’ Gambit made it so much more thrilling! Also the twist?! 👀 Rude!! lol

Overall, this book was such a pleasant surprise for me. I seriously look forward to the sequel releasing!

Okay! This was a good read! It was action packed and the stakes kept getting higher with every phase they went through. The danger and the difficulty was increasing, and never knowing if you can trust anyone. Because who would be stupid enough to trust another thief? I did guess at part of the big ending, but I still wasn't prepared for the cliffhanger that occurred. I really hope Ross's mom has a redemption arc in the next book, because right now, as of this ending? I kinda wanna kick her off a yacht into shark infested waters. I didn't know I could dislike a character so much that barely had any page time, but here we are. There is a smidge of romance, but nothing more than a kiss occurs (like any good YA book)

Ross is part of a master thief family. They are legends around the world. She has been training her whole life, never making friends, and never trusting anyone but family. And all she wants is a normal life. She is about to make a run from her family, when her mom is kidnapped and the ransom is a billion dollars. They don't have that much, even if they are great at what they do. So she enters the Top Secret, high stakes competition called The Gambit. Because while there is danger and difficult tasks around every corner, the winner gets a wish. And she is going to get her mom back.

As someone who loved Oceans 8 and all its sequels as well as had a ball with inheritance games I can say if you enjoyed those you will fall hard for this. It reminds me of Caraval but contemporary and with a POC lead (with the wish and finding a family member ) and Hunger Games but for thieves and less brutal, especially with the “ sponsors “. The representation was so great we need more black male characters ( say it for the back) “We need more black male characters”. Like this was fresh air I didn’t know I needed to breathe. I was giggling and screaming! I laughed at similar points when she did so It’s definitely YA humor and true to age which is nice though I think some older crowds can enjoy its youthfulness as well. I don’t want to spoil but It gives enemies to I don’t want to hate you to lovers to you’ll have to find out.

I have had the same problem with other books, where the premise had sounded so exciting, but I just couldn't get into it. I've seen so many influencers say that this book was phenomenal, and while I wanted to believe them, something about this book couldn't capture my attention. I did like the main character, from what I read of her, but I felt as though if I tried to read this book it might put me in a reading slump. The premise sounds so good, which makes me upset that I didn't have the motivation to read it. Maybe once I get a print copy of this book, I'll be able to read it, but for now, I just really can't find it in me to enjoy it.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Thieves’ Gambit was an exhilarating and tightly plotted debut novel that really scratched my itch for YA action/adventure. With a thrilling heist and large and intriguing (if slightly unwieldy) cast of characters, Kayvion Lewis’s debut is sure to be a hit for anyone looking for a refreshing action-packed YA read.

Main character Ross was a well-developed protagonist, and I especially appreciated how, despite that high-stakes heist plot, her characterization and flaws felt authentically YA/teen. Her insecurities were relatable, and I think Lewis did a great job of using her trust issues to explore deeper themes of emotional abuse and parental toxicity. While Ross’s constant distrust could get repetitive at times, it never felt formulaic.

While most of the side characters were just serviceable to me (ie they served their purpose to the plot but could have been further developed), I thought that both Devroe (Ross’s love interest) and Noelia (Ross’s ex-friend) added additional tension that amped up the emotional stakes of the story. It was refreshing to see a heist story place equal emphasis on the external stakes as well as the emotional ones. Devroe was the perfect YA love interest: charming, mysterious, and with a secret affectionate side. His backstory was fascinating and I’m looking forward to learning more in the sequel! Noelia added some additional emotional depth to this story and heightened Ross’s personal growth, and I really enjoyed how Lewis was able to address the racial aspects between her and Ross.

Although I expected this book to be plot-heavy, I actually found the plot to be on the thin side when compared to the emotional story. Many things felt a hint too convenient, and while a healthy dose of suspension of belief is necessary for heist stories, I found the miraculous getaways a bit too much of a stretch. However, Thieves’ Gambit is a YA novel, and I’m sure my skepticism isn’t reflective of the more general YA reader. The pacing of the Thieves’ Gambit competition and various heists was well done, though I felt that the final reveal could have been stretched out a chapter or two more so that the plot implications could land as equally as the emotional ones did.

Overall I really enjoyed Thieves’ Gambit! This fun, compulsively readable heist action story was the book I never knew I needed!

3.75/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Teen) for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. I loved the premise but I just felt like I couldn't get into the story! I think that mainly had to do with me and not the book or the author! I am looking forward to picking this book up again though.

Oh this was so fun! The characters, the plot, the cliffhanger!! I heard the author speak on a podcast and knew I would enjoy reading the book. Definitely recommend this YA read to anyone interested in a good heist. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley (THANK YOU) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.