Book: A Thief Among Fae by Maddy Calder
Reviewed by A.Hampton Reads
Rating: 4/5
I received an advance copy of this book as a member of the ARC team, and I am so glad I did! I finished A Thief Among Fae in two days, which probably says more about my experience with this book than anything else I could write.
I will admit that first-person present tense took some adjustment for me. Most of the fantasy I read is written in third person, so my brain had to retrain itself a little at the beginning. Once it did though, I found the perspective gave the story an immediacy that worked particularly well during its action sequences and kept the story moving.
Cynthia and Desmond were easily the heart of the story for me. I loved the parallels between two characters whose lives and upbringings were vastly different, yet who carried many of the same insecurities and desires. Their relationship develops as a true slow burn, with plenty of tension and more than one “just kiss already” moments. Desmond’s reluctance to let Cynthia get too close adds another layer to their chemistry, and watching that gradually unravel was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The story balances romance with plenty of fantasy action, mystery, magic, and morally gray choices. The tomb sequence was a particular standout for me. It brought together the action, danger, character revelations, and romantic tension that had been building throughout the story, and I couldn’t put the book down.
I tend to read sprawling, worldbuilding-heavy fantasy, so I would have happily spent more time exploring this world and its magic. Some of the traveling felt quick, and one important conflict near the end moved faster than I wanted it to. I found myself wanting Cynthia to have a little more space to reckon with what happened.
Still, the pacing never dragged, the magic remained consistent, the dialogue felt natural, and the story gave me enough surprises to keep me guessing.
The central story reaches a satisfying stopping point without pretending these characters are finished, and I was left genuinely wanting to know where they go next. If you like fantasy action as much as romance, slow-burn chemistry, morally gray characters, and magical worlds, A Thief Among Fae is absolutely worth adding to your list!