sadea7's review against another edition
3.0
*ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I enjoyed the concept idea of were-dragons and it’s not often I come across a story with dragon mythology, especially when the setting of the story is in the present day. Normally they take place in medieval times and are a dying breed/race. Durst however gave were-dragon status among social media era and all the celebrity allure that grounds this concept that could have turned into a cheesy story.
What I liked most about Fire & Heist was the family unity and how were-dragons are treasure hunters who thrive and rise in rank based on their love for gold. Gold is their way of life and how they value worth based on conquering prize jewels. Sky Hawkins is a spunky character who meld perfectly with the intriguing and clever Gabriela. Their relationship was just so fresh and funny it was charming. The humor really held the story together and balanced all the other tones that maybe didn’t rise to the occasion. I did feel like the antagonist and climax was a bit lack luster the stakes never seemed to high or propel the story anywhere. Overall, I enjoyed the story and really liked all the characters personalities.
I enjoyed the concept idea of were-dragons and it’s not often I come across a story with dragon mythology, especially when the setting of the story is in the present day. Normally they take place in medieval times and are a dying breed/race. Durst however gave were-dragon status among social media era and all the celebrity allure that grounds this concept that could have turned into a cheesy story.
What I liked most about Fire & Heist was the family unity and how were-dragons are treasure hunters who thrive and rise in rank based on their love for gold. Gold is their way of life and how they value worth based on conquering prize jewels. Sky Hawkins is a spunky character who meld perfectly with the intriguing and clever Gabriela. Their relationship was just so fresh and funny it was charming. The humor really held the story together and balanced all the other tones that maybe didn’t rise to the occasion. I did feel like the antagonist and climax was a bit lack luster the stakes never seemed to high or propel the story anywhere. Overall, I enjoyed the story and really liked all the characters personalities.
luciabooksnstuff's review against another edition
4.0
4,5⭐️
This is a very good urban fantasy about were-dragons thieves and the way they live in a human world. This book is very well written and is has always something going on. I loved Sky and her family. She is the narrator and she has a very good sense of humor. We’re-dragons, heists and adventures apart, this story is about family and their union. Well done Sarah Beth and well done Fairyloot team!
This is a very good urban fantasy about were-dragons thieves and the way they live in a human world. This book is very well written and is has always something going on. I loved Sky and her family. She is the narrator and she has a very good sense of humor. We’re-dragons, heists and adventures apart, this story is about family and their union. Well done Sarah Beth and well done Fairyloot team!
kirstyeilidh's review against another edition
2.0
I didn’t mind this book at the beginning, I thought it was definitely on the road to being a 3 star read - meh but I could get through it easy enough. But it got to a point around half way through where the plot line felt a bit all over the place and I was just really fucking bored lol, so 2 stars it is
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
4.0
It's not arrogant to know who you are.
It's powerful.
And I am powerful.
Oh my gosh, this book was SO fun! I found Durst's prose to be quirky and engaging - I laughed out loud more than once. I absolutely loved the concept, it was fantastic! MAGIC. HEISTS. WERE. DRAGONS. Yes, that's right. Weredragons!! How awesome is that?! I also loved that they were thieves of gold and hoarders of treasure by nature.
I absolutely loved the sense of family that this book had going on. Sky had a close relationship with her brothers and father, and despite being told that her missing mother was a lost cause, she still fought tooth and nail to find out what happened to her.
Spoiler
And I love that she finally found her and they were reunited as a family! Yay!While I didn't care much for the romance between Sky and Ryan, I loooved Sky and Gabriela's friendship! Gabriela was fabulous and I related to her hardcore. She wanted adventure so bad, it was endearing!
It's hard to talk about my favorite part without spoilers, so don't click the tag if you haven't read it!
Spoiler
I really enjoyed seeing the home world of the dragons!! Also, I was thrilled that they could actually change into dragons (um, weredragon helloooo they'd better be able to)! I was pretty sad in the beginning when it was stated that they couldn't change *anymore*, but I was hoping that we would see it anyway. I wasn't disappointed!There's not much else I can say about this book other than I had fun reading it! The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is it lacked that extra something for me to connect 100% to the characters. But it was a super quick and easy read, and I definitely recommend!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
linaria's review against another edition
2.0
This book, seems like it has it all. Were-dragons and heists, what more can you need? It turns out, you need characters that are more than one-dimensional stereotypes.
The premise is amazing . Dragons like shiny things, so it makes sense that in modern times they would have a hoard of gold. It also makes sense that they would be super paranoid and protective of that treasure, thereby employing high-tech security systems. Of course, dragons want more gold, so were-dragon thieves seems like just about the coolest thing ever.
Except I hated Sky Hawkins, the main character. Her mother disappears during a failed heist, and her family loses status and wealth as a result. So she moans about her loss of wealth as she and her brothers are driving recklessly in a Ferrari. It makes it a wee bit hard to empathize with the main character when really she's still better off than 99% of the human race and whinging about her lack of wealth.
Sky is just so bland. She's the only girl in a family of boys and that trope is played to the extreme. Really, that's all she seems to be. Gabriela is the smart one obsessed with magic. Except, you really never see Gabriela being smart, you just hear her described as smart. Ryan is perhaps the worst. I kept forgetting his name, he was that vanilla. Worm was the only character I was actually interested in, but we got almost no page time with him.
The book picks up a lot around halfway through, after Sky's heist, but by then I honestly had lost a lot of interest. It's not an unexpected twist, and I wish we would have spent more time focusing on that part of the book, rather than the parts that took place in Aspen.
It's a shame. It's an incredibly intriguing concept, but the characters are so bland and one-dimensional that I can't really recommend it.
The premise is amazing . Dragons like shiny things, so it makes sense that in modern times they would have a hoard of gold. It also makes sense that they would be super paranoid and protective of that treasure, thereby employing high-tech security systems. Of course, dragons want more gold, so were-dragon thieves seems like just about the coolest thing ever.
Except I hated Sky Hawkins, the main character. Her mother disappears during a failed heist, and her family loses status and wealth as a result. So she moans about her loss of wealth as she and her brothers are driving recklessly in a Ferrari. It makes it a wee bit hard to empathize with the main character when really she's still better off than 99% of the human race and whinging about her lack of wealth.
Sky is just so bland. She's the only girl in a family of boys and that trope is played to the extreme. Really, that's all she seems to be. Gabriela is the smart one obsessed with magic. Except, you really never see Gabriela being smart, you just hear her described as smart. Ryan is perhaps the worst. I kept forgetting his name, he was that vanilla. Worm was the only character I was actually interested in, but we got almost no page time with him.
The book picks up a lot around halfway through, after Sky's heist, but by then I honestly had lost a lot of interest. It's not an unexpected twist, and I wish we would have spent more time focusing on that part of the book, rather than the parts that took place in Aspen.
It's a shame. It's an incredibly intriguing concept, but the characters are so bland and one-dimensional that I can't really recommend it.
dragonclaws18's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really liked reading this. It was a quick, witty, and fun read. I wished there was a little more on the world and world building itself, but they gave a general picture.
Granted, there were still, what felt like to me, plot holes that didn't make sense. Like why Sky's mother spoke in a mysterious way? Plus, how would the two worlds combine and deal with people going back and forth? Would they still do that ranking or would they have changed it?
I still have questions that I would liked answered, but that's okay. I did like the characters except Ryan. I felt he was a little fake or 2D. Sometimes, he had the bare minimum of character development. Other times, I felt he was just there and that was it.
But I do like the concept of what Sly would call "were-dragons." Plus, I loved the idea that they could still actually shape shift on Earth.
I think my favorite scene is when Liam and Tuck just learned to transform and they head bump into each other then, they tried to stalk after Charles. It made me laugh so much at the imagery of it.
Granted, there were still, what felt like to me, plot holes that didn't make sense. Like why Sky's mother spoke in a mysterious way? Plus, how would the two worlds combine and deal with people going back and forth? Would they still do that ranking or would they have changed it?
I still have questions that I would liked answered, but that's okay. I did like the characters except Ryan. I felt he was a little fake or 2D. Sometimes, he had the bare minimum of character development. Other times, I felt he was just there and that was it.
But I do like the concept of what Sly would call "were-dragons." Plus, I loved the idea that they could still actually shape shift on Earth.
I think my favorite scene is when Liam and Tuck just learned to transform and they head bump into each other then, they tried to stalk after Charles. It made me laugh so much at the imagery of it.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Were-dragons! Sky and her family are part of a long line of wyverns, or were-dragons. While they have lost the ability to transform into dragons, they are still obsessed with their golden hordes, are fire proof, and can shoot flames from their mouths. It is typical that wyverns launch heists to gather more gold for their horde. However, after the last secret heist, Sky’s mother disappeared and the failed heist forced Sky’s family to lose their rank in the were-dragon community. Nothing has been the same since her mother went missing, so Sky is determined to find out what happened to her mother and get her family’s status back. With the help of several unlike crew members, Sky begins her first heist, to bring her mother back. It is important for her to be successful, otherwise her family might be completely reject from the wyvern community. Will she make it? Will she find her mother?
I found this concept super fascinating. I actually enjoyed many of the characters and look foreword to further exploration of the world in future books.
Were-dragons! Sky and her family are part of a long line of wyverns, or were-dragons. While they have lost the ability to transform into dragons, they are still obsessed with their golden hordes, are fire proof, and can shoot flames from their mouths. It is typical that wyverns launch heists to gather more gold for their horde. However, after the last secret heist, Sky’s mother disappeared and the failed heist forced Sky’s family to lose their rank in the were-dragon community. Nothing has been the same since her mother went missing, so Sky is determined to find out what happened to her mother and get her family’s status back. With the help of several unlike crew members, Sky begins her first heist, to bring her mother back. It is important for her to be successful, otherwise her family might be completely reject from the wyvern community. Will she make it? Will she find her mother?
I found this concept super fascinating. I actually enjoyed many of the characters and look foreword to further exploration of the world in future books.
softasapanda's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
marykherrera's review against another edition
4.0
The cover is what grabbed my attention. It is beautiful, don’t you think? Such rich colors. And DRAGONS!! I have a soft spot for all things dragon. I’ve read many books with dragons in it and enjoyed them quite well. I have not read a book about a were-dragon before now.
Fire and Heist
by Sarah Beth Durst
IMG_6383 Sky Hawkins is a teenage girl whose mom has just disappeared, her long-time boyfriend just broke up with her in a very public manner, and her family has been disgraced. Sky, her three brothers, and her father are still in shock from these events. They are trying to move on and accept their new life minus their mom, position in the were-dragons society, and half their fortune is gone. Nothing is the same as it was before. She is desperate to literally and figuratively put her family back together. Since money, specifically, gold is so very important to were-dragons, Sky plans her first heist.
In dragon society, leading a heist is a coming of age tradition. Sky cobbles together a team and a plan to pull it off. But of course, heists never go as planned.
Along the way, she uncovers family secrets and even societal secrets that will change her future forever.
The Writing
I devoured this story. The writing of this story is very clean and clear. The tone is fun and relatable. The pacing is quick but not breakneck speed. The characters are engaging and surprising, in a pleasant way. Durst has created an entire culture for these wyverns (were-dragons). These people, who used to be able to transform into dragons but have lost the ability over the last few centuries, are culturally more like dragons stuck in human form. The culture she has created seems extremely plausible given a dragon’s love of gold. It makes sense that the wyverns would base their society on the size of their hoards.
Another thing I like about this book: It is not an angsty romance. Yes, there is a boy involved, but she does not spend pages and pages merely pining over the boy who rejected her. She regrets what happened and she does spend some time working through this rejection and her future, but the author weaves it into the story very well.
Who Will Like This? Look at the post here: https://quillandbooks.com/2018/09/09/fire-and-heist-book-review/
Fire and Heist
by Sarah Beth Durst
IMG_6383 Sky Hawkins is a teenage girl whose mom has just disappeared, her long-time boyfriend just broke up with her in a very public manner, and her family has been disgraced. Sky, her three brothers, and her father are still in shock from these events. They are trying to move on and accept their new life minus their mom, position in the were-dragons society, and half their fortune is gone. Nothing is the same as it was before. She is desperate to literally and figuratively put her family back together. Since money, specifically, gold is so very important to were-dragons, Sky plans her first heist.
In dragon society, leading a heist is a coming of age tradition. Sky cobbles together a team and a plan to pull it off. But of course, heists never go as planned.
Along the way, she uncovers family secrets and even societal secrets that will change her future forever.
The Writing
I devoured this story. The writing of this story is very clean and clear. The tone is fun and relatable. The pacing is quick but not breakneck speed. The characters are engaging and surprising, in a pleasant way. Durst has created an entire culture for these wyverns (were-dragons). These people, who used to be able to transform into dragons but have lost the ability over the last few centuries, are culturally more like dragons stuck in human form. The culture she has created seems extremely plausible given a dragon’s love of gold. It makes sense that the wyverns would base their society on the size of their hoards.
Another thing I like about this book: It is not an angsty romance. Yes, there is a boy involved, but she does not spend pages and pages merely pining over the boy who rejected her. She regrets what happened and she does spend some time working through this rejection and her future, but the author weaves it into the story very well.
Who Will Like This? Look at the post here: https://quillandbooks.com/2018/09/09/fire-and-heist-book-review/