ARC Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

I got this as an advanced e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, which will follow.

I'd heard a few things about the author of this book, Sally Green, before I saw this on Netgalley, and then when I saw this beautiful cover I was drawn in, and who wouldn't be?! It's so beautiful with the smoke against the white background. So, I requested it and got accepted (Yay!).

Here it is:

A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner's block. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell. As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our five heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

The first thing I have to mention about this book is that it is split into 5 different POVs. I'm not used to books with this many POVs so it did take me a little while to get into it, but eventually I started to like it. I especially liked that at the beginning of each chapter there was a little drawing to show which MC you would be listening to next - a jug for March, a flower for Catherine, a Sword for Ambrose, an eagle seal for Edyon and smoke for Tash.

I think that one reason why I came around to so many different perspectives was that it really kept me guessing as to how all of the MCs would end up meeting and interacting, and just how the plot would bring them all together. It wasn't until quite far through the plot that you saw everything coming together - and I definitely liked that it kept me on my feet guessing what would happen near the end of the book.

I definitely had a favourite character in this book - Catherine. She was so strong and had her own personality despite how she was brought up in a land where females are supposed to be obedient and quiet wives. I loved how she was able to make a name for herself in Pitoria and really come out of her shell after going there for her wedding.

Most surprising of all for me was the fact that for once I wasn't routing for one of the MCs love interests. When it came to Catherine I didn't ship her and Ambrose at all (despite the fact that it would have been an obvious ship). No, instead I really ship her and Prince Tzsayn, and I can't wait to see where everything goes in the next book (I see a love triangle maybe and I adore love triangles!).

Overall, it's such an interesting book, with an intriguing plot about demons and demon smoke, and I really just want the next book already to find out more about what's going to happen now all the characters were together!

I give this book: 4.5 cats!

If you want to read it, this book comes out May 3rd, and I would definitely recommend it! Have you read this, or are you planning on reading this? Comment below!