Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst (DRC): Heists & Dragons & Family–What More Do You Need?!

4.5 stars

Leading your first heist is a major milestone–it’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within Sky’s family and society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

🌸 This is a lighthearted read and I’d definitely recommend to 13 or 14+! It’s super fun and has a very genuine voice, which I loved!

Can I just say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel? And by very pleasantly surprised I mean I was absolutely blown away by this!

I just . . . did not expect this to be that great? Right from chapter 1 I was hit with something akin to awe.

Because the voice in this book is so stellar. I still can’t properly describe it, but know that I am IN LOVE with how genuine the voice sounds and how Sky felt so teenage and real and interesting.

Straight from the beginning, Sky felt super relatable while still being an actually interesting person. This is a really weird comparison, but her voice draws on the good parts of those crazy Wattpad novels with manic MCs who are inordinately random, and mixes it with actual moderation.

The voice was just really unique, and I can wholeheartedly say that I have never read a book with a similar voice before, and I think we need more distinct voices like Sky’s. Not Sky’s exact voice, but more teenage voices that are unique and not just blending into each other.

So yeah. I’m cutting this short now and just saying that I loved Sky’s voice so much don’t you dare @ me saying she’s immature. I could use up all my 500 words talking about her voice but I’m cutting it short at 220.

Besides this, I mean, the concept is just really cool & fun & engaging. I love magical creatures, so a HEIST BOOKS feat. PEOPLE-DRAGONS (aka were-dragons aka wyverns) was so much fun.

Heist books in general are so much fun, and anyone who likes those types of reads should pick this up! I thought it was paced really well, and the fact that this book didn’t solely focus on the heist was honestly really nice? There’s more to it than just “finish the heist,” but there’s also other things happening!

The fantasy aspect was also really fun and I loved how it was sort of a portal fantasy/contemporary fantasy (no spoilers though!) which made the whole wyvern thing even more interesting. Magical creature/human relations are always really interesting to read about, and Fire and Heist did a really good job explaining this!

And the romance was adequately low-key! I mean, it wasn’t about falling in love. It was about mending bridges, and I really liked that. There was a huge focus on family and social outcasts and friendship, and all of these themes were really enjoyable in the way that they made Fire and Heist stand out.

I definitely think the themes were a huge part of what made this novel more than just a meh fantasy, and as a standalone, they really helped wrap things up nicely! Sky’s relationship with her family was complex enough that I wanted to read about it, but not too much that I felt it was unresolved.

Overall, Sarah Beth Durst is an author who I need to look more into, as Fire and Heist was a refreshingly fun read that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something entertaining yet outside of the norm!

Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Do you have any recommendations for dragon books? I love dragon novels so much!