Review: The Blood of Crows by Alex C. Pierce

Blurb:

Ren is a thief and a con-man. You want something stolen, big or small, he'll get it. No matter how well it's protected. All while being the only person in the city without any magical knack.

There's just one rule: He doesn't kill people.

Murder is rare in the walled city of Lenmar, thanks to the magic-eating Inquisitors that can sniff out and track any individual by their particular knack. So, when a serial killer starts killing the nobility leaving no trace for the Inquisitors to follow, Ren becomes the prime, and only suspect.

All Ren wants to do is stop a serial killer, clear his name, and protect the people he cares about.

To do that, he’ll have to pull one more high-stakes heist— And steal the proof he needs from the very people who want to catch him.

Review:

Once again there were a couple of things that drew me to this book. For one was the cover, done by Thea Magerand, as it is jaw droppingly beautiful. The colors just mesmerized me and I needed to know what this book could possibly be about. The next item that hooked me was that this is a heist novel. Between those two items, I knew that I would be reading this book. After reading just the first few pages, I forgot about what really brought me to the story and just enjoyed the narrative that was being shared in these pages. It is a story that will hook you from the very beginning and not let go until you are left gasping for the sequel. It felt like a blend of all of my favorite heist movies all combined together in a fantasy world. The stakes seem to get higher and higher in no time at all, leading to an explosion of epic proportions. This is the type of story that will appeal to a wide variety of readers.

The strength of the novel is hard to pinpoint. The mystery of what is going on is something that will compel readers to keep reading to know what is happening. For me the magic is very strong and really makes the story it’s most dynamic. The rules that it follows are easy to understand but also make it more real. The limits allow it to be more powerful than some magics, but are tempered in a lot of interesting ways. The heist is also a focal point, not just for the main character of Ren to learn skills. He is talented and I love the way in which the heist is planned and carried out. Throughout all of this is the subtle blending of  relationships between all of the characters. I really liked most of them and was cheering to know more about how the characters would work together as well as become closer together. There are times where the pacing might pull a reader out of the story and make it a little more difficult to be fully immersed. It is moderately paced with some exciting moments that will really stand out. The world is awesome and there is a lot of politics that are going on behind the scenes. I do wish that I was able to get more understanding of these politics as it would have made me more immersed in what was happening around the characters.

I am impressed with this debut from Alex C. Pierce, a true testament to the heist genre. I feel that this is the type of book that will gain a cult following and will be championed by many readers who discover much in the same way that I did. After falling prey to the beauty of the cover, I was sucked in by the beauty of the words that were used to tell this story. I know that I will count myself as a big fan of the author and hope for his continued success as it is a story that I am very much eager to keep learning more and more. The heists are best compared to that of Ocean’s 11 with that touch of magic that will tickle the fancy of the fantasy reader. I encourage all types of readers to try this one. It is a fast read that will leave everyone wondering how they can steal the next one before the story is finished.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!