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Dance of Thieves, a young-adult novel by Mary E. Pearson features a boy and a girl from two very different kingdoms. Kazi of Brightmist is a Rahtan in the quickly modernizing kingdom of Venda, whereas Jase Ballenger is from the isolated rebel settlement of Tor’s Watch. The Rahtan are the Queen of Venda’s premier guard and Kazi is one of them, along with her closest friends Wren and Synove. Jase is the new Patrei, or leader, of Tor’s Watch after his father suddenly passed away. The Rahtan are on a mission to find a serial murderer, thief, and manipulator of kingdoms; the only location they have yet to search is Tor’s Watch. With this attempt, Kazi and Jase are accidently kidnapped by human traffickers. Initially, they loathed each other because of the differentiations and tension between their kingdoms. With their journey together to survive and find their way back to Tor’s Watch, their relationship with each other grows. Both of them are on their own missions, but their missions become intertwined with each others’ as the plot develops. Furthermore, they also learn about the situations of each others’ kingdoms in addition to each other and their personal stories. 

What I liked: 

This young-adult novel by Mary E. Pearson is very detailed and includes all of the appropriate imagery descriptions for each scene. Heartfelt scenes use the appropriate descriptions that make the readers feel most touched; angry scenes use the appropriate descriptions that make the readers feel most frustrated. For instance, each chapter displays the feelings and opinions of all the characters. Every character that is mentioned in the book has a moment of attention from the readers, for their opinions are implied. Not only are the opinions of main characters shared, the opinions of regular characters are also shared to add layers of complexity and relatability for the readers. 

Secondly, every character has strengths and weaknesses. There is no character who is flawless or entirely rotten, just as it is in real society. This contributes to the plot and the characters being more relatable to the readers. Some other authors may create the protagonist with pure awesomeness and the antagonist full of flaws, but in Dance of Thieves, all of the characters have flaws and redeeming qualities. 

Additionally, every scene has the appropriate amount of emotion. Sometimes, the author makes scenes uncomfortable for readers due to an overuse of emotion. Sometimes, the author writes a scene with a lack of emotion, making it unrelatable to the reader. In Dance of Thieves, there is no overuse of emotion or lack of emotion in the sentimental parts. This positive aspect of the novel makes the book appealing to readers who enjoy a mix of adventure, fantasy, scientific fiction, and relationships. 

What I dislike: 

In this novel by Mary E. Pearson, there are not many factors that I dislike. One aspect that certain readers may possibly notice is that there are some mentions of insignificant occurrences that are not conducive towards the development of the plot. Some of the moments are extraneous and unnecessary. For instance, in the heat of an especially heated and intense argument, there may be occasional comments that tie in with other occurrences that do not contribute any importance. 

Recommended for people who: 

This novel by Mary E. Pearson is highly recommended to readers who enjoy books with an appropriate balance of emotions, adventure, and rationality. Although the book is fantasy, the occurrences are very realistic, assuming the fictional setting is real. The plot of the book is adventurous and spontaneous; enjoyable for readers who appreciate action and. The tension is very high and for readers who enjoy the suspense, this book provides many scenes with high levels of tension. 

This novel also comes recommended to readers who give much attention to ardent relationships. The relationship between Kazi and Jase, as well as between other couples, is especially dramatic and fervent. Furthermore, other significant characters also experience character development and create new relationships with friends and other characters.