It is rare - for me at least - that I find the middle book to be actually stronger than the first book. This is one of those occasions. I liked Scarlet, but I didn't love it, and I really struggled with the love triangle that the author felt she needed to add to the story. Far from adding, I felt like the triangulation between Scarlet, Little John and Robin Hood detracted tremendously from book 1.

That's over, and Gaughen amps up the stakes tremendously in this book. Shit. Gets. Real. There is heartbreak, and pain, and we feel it with the characters. This is an epic fight, and our main characters are the underdogs and are just getting the shit beat out of them constantly. There is self-sacrifice. Literally, characters lose body parts. A main character dies.

It ends on a mostly sad note. Up next: Lionheart.

“I’m not making you do anything, Gisbourne. Hurt me if you want, but I’ve felt pain. I know what pain is. And it’s less than love, than loyalty, than hope. You can make me cry, or scream, or whatever else. All that will mean is that I feel the pain, that I’m still alive. And as long as I’m living I can promise I’m not afraid of you, Gisbourne. I’m afraid of sitting quiet while the people that are meant to protect others do their best to hurt them. I’m afraid of people like you and Prince John going by unchecked. That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m stronger than your damn pain, and I do not give up.”

This book does not pull its punches. 

 As soon as I put down book 1 in this trilogy (Scarlet ) . I started the next book. This was a wonderful sequel. With just as much action in the last book it was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end and I am waiting and wanting more. Twist and turns aplenty make this a great read and the third can not come out soon enough. I will be first in line to get this book I need to see what happens next. I want more. 

The Lady Thief infiltrates a team of spies whose members include her nemesis Kittie, a brilliant scientist who also happens to play her in movies; Devon, the actor who stars opposite Kittie as the Lady Thief's love interest; Jared, her confidential informant and a few others, previously unknown to her.

Disguised by make-up and hair dye and using the name Kristi, the Lady Thief successfully becomes accepted into the team and part of their experimental use of a superpower injection. As the experiment gets underway, it becomes clear that a leak in the team needs to be stopped.

The Lady Thief must discover who is responsible for the leak, whilst fighting her growing feelings for the charming Devon.

On the whole, the characters are well written with their personalities coming through. The likeability factor is there, and flaws in some of the characters show their vulnerable sides. The story is interesting and multi-faceted - there is a lot going on here, but not too much to keep track of. It's easy to read, with minimal grammatical errors to distract the reader.

A negative for me is that it is rather long-winded. After a hectic action scene in the middle of the novel, the subtlety of the story didn't hold my interest as well. The Young Adult market is flooded with so many books that it is very difficult for a new novel to stand out from the crowd. I just hope that this title attracts attention in the overcrowded market.

Sincere thanks to author Shelby M. Hailstone for providing me with a review copy.