Thief's Cunning

The companion novel to Assassin’s Heart—an action-packed fantasy that Printz Award winner Laura Ruby said “will keep you turning the pages all night long”—Thief’s Cunning picks up eighteen years later and follows Allegra Saldana as she uncovers the secrets about the line of killers she descends from.

Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making.

But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family, though—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of.  But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming.

In this dark and enthralling fantasy that fans of Sarah Maas and Leigh Bardugo will devour, one girl must decide if she’s destined to pay for the wrongs of her family’s past—whether Saldana or Da Via—or if the future is hers for the taking.

• Secret Identity: Allegra was raised a Saldana, the most hunted clipper family in the kingdom. But the truth is far more dangerous: she was born a Da Via, the very people sworn to destroy them.
• Found Family Drama: She loves the family that raised her, but their lies have shattered her trust. Can she forgive the aunt who stole her as a baby to "save" her?
• A World of Gods and Ghosts: In a kingdom where assassins serve the god of death and ghosts haunt the plains, Allegra’s heritage puts her at the center of a divine and deadly conflict.
• A Forbidden Love: Her only escape is Nev, a mysterious Traveler boy. But their connection puts them both in danger, forcing Allegra to choose between a life with him and the deadly legacy of her bloodline.