Review: Devils & Thieves

Title: Devils & Thieves 

Series: Devils & Thieves #1

Author: Jennifer Rush 

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Source: Bought 

Power corrupts. Magic kills.
Eighteen-year-old Jemmie Carmichael is surrounded by magic in the quiet town of Hawthorne, New York. In her world, magic users are called “kindled,” and Jemmie would count herself among them if only she could cast a simple spell without completely falling apart. It doesn't help that she was also recently snubbed by Crowe—the dangerous and enigmatic leader of Hawthorne’s kindled motorcycle gang, the Devils’ League.
When the entire kindled community rolls into Hawthorne for an annual festival, a rumor spreads that someone is practicing forbidden magic. Then people start to go missing. With threats closing in from every side, no one can be trusted. Jemmie and Crowe will have to put aside their tumultuous history to find their loved ones, and the only thing that might save them is the very flaw that keeps Jemmie from fully harnessing her magic. For all her years of feeling useless, Jemmie may just be the most powerful kindled of all. 

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Finally, a book that breaks my three star rating streak!  The past few new books I've read have all ended up being pretty meh for me but this one I really enjoyed!  I've been excited for it for a while and I'm so pleased that it lived up to my expectations!  I had some problems with it, mainly having to do with the end, but for the most part I had a great time reading about Jemmie, Crow, and the magic in their world!

Character driven stories always tend to be my favorites and this one was no exception.  The characters were all so interesting and fun to read about.  Jemmie was a great main character and I loved the relationship we saw between her and her best friend, Alex, who was Crowe's sister.  It's always so nice to see healthy and supportive female friendships in books, especially in young adult literature.  I hope we see more of Alex and Jemmie together in the next books!  

Crowe was, of course, the love interest.  This guy was so complicated and interesting, especially in the beginning.  I liked the responsibility he took on and how willing he was to do anything to protect those in his family and his club.  He was a serious badass and super swoony.  I will say though, I felt like he got less interesting toward the end and fell into some cliches that happen super often in YA lit.  He almost felt like a completely different character at the end of the book compared to the beginning.  

Outside of the characters, I really enjoyed the world building.  The story is set in Hawthorne, NY and I loved the way the author set the scene and described the setting.  It was so vibrant and well built, especially with the addition of the magic and the motorcycle gangs.  I loved the way the magic system worked and how each family had a certain type of magic they were known for.  

For the most part, I really enjoyed this story but the ending did feel a little rushed.  There was so much going on and so many different characters and threads that came together so quickly; it didn't feel like there was enough time spent on the ending.  But after how things were left in the end, I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series!  

"If Alex was a pearl, then her brother was obsidian.  Black volcanic glass.  Pretty and shiny, quick to cut."

Four out of Five Teapots