Rory Blake lives in the world of Rime, a world where the gifted, those with magical abilities, are sent, not to flourish, but to survive. Filled with disease, lawlessness, and a brutal winter’s chill, the number one rule of Rime is to look out for oneself.
Emmett Santos, also a resident of Rime, has a unique ability. He can steal a person’s heart but allow his victim to live up to forty-eight hours later. The leaders of organized crime, known as Syndicates, find Emmett’s ability useful. One keeps him prisoner, only allowing him free when he must commit a theft.
When Emmett botches a job for his cruel boss, he knows he must make up for it somehow. He chooses to steal Rory’s heart, hoping the Syndicate leader won’t notice. Rory quickly realizes she’s been robbed of her heart and tracks down Emmett, demanding it back. It won’t be that easy. Emmett has already given her heart away.
Thus begins Thief of Hearts, an adult fantasy. Rich world-building, well-meaning but gray-motived characters, and high-stakes action comprises most of this 300+ page novel. Rory is a fighter and determined to get her heart back. She must, to some extent, trust Emmett to help her, although this will put Emmett’s son at stake. The plot is a clever premise of an odd couple that must work together to achieve their goals.
The chapters alternate between Rory’s and Emmett’s point-of-view, and the choice of viewpoint has been carefully thought through. Knowing the other character’s personality, the reader anticipates the next chapter. The novel excels at jumping into a character’s head when the reader wants to see a different perspective.
The level of detail in this world is immersive. Clearly, much thought was spent plotting out the setting. Rime feels old and lived in, as if there could be multiple volumes with other Syndicates and other people with abilities. It may take a while to fully understand Rime’s culture and locations, but it’s worth it.
The high stakes end goal drives the majority of the story. Most of the time, the characters remain clever and true and those qualities serve them in the end. Only a couple of times does fortune more than skill land in our heroes favor. The climax is carefully plotted, and the denouement is well-earned and a highlight of the book. So few books know how to end; this novel gets it right.
Thief of Hearts, a novel by Heather Clark, is an amazing debut from a new voice in fantasy. A beautifully descriptive, pulse-pounding action adventure, you’ll be so engrossed that this story will steal all your reading time away.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5HS2C4M