The Knight Thieves
by Jenn Bennett (Author)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish meets Gail Carson Levine in this charming middle grade fractured fairy tale about an outlaw who teams up with a cursed prince to save the kingdom.
Former fair maiden Rosebud is dread bandit Ruthless Rose, leader of the small but mighty Blackhearts outlaw gang. Ever since the evil Firebrand army torched half their village, the thirteen-year-old daughter of a fallen knight has been living by her own code, picking off evil Firebrand caravans to avenge her village--and her father. But Rosebud's honor is put to the test when the Blackhearts mistakenly ambush a carriage smuggling a mysterious passenger: young Prince Timo.
The prince is on the run from the Firebrands...and wearing a hexed wolf mask that can only be removed along with his head. Even worse, the magical object that can free the prince is hidden inside the darkly enchanted Nowhere Wood, where people go in, but they don't come back out. Helping people isn't easy. Can a "bad" girl put aside her own need for revenge to save a good prince...and the entire kingdom?
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Kirkus
Cleverly crafted and convincingly episodic, with a dose of madcap humor.
Publishers Weekly
Two years before this book's start, the tyrant known as Otto the Torch and his army of Firebrands conquered the kingdom of Rin, slaying many of its defenders and imprisoning the surviving royal family. With her knight father dead, 12-year-old Rosebud and her best friend Wilda make a living as the Blackheart bandits, covertly stealing from greedy tax collectors and the like. Then they try to hijack a royal carriage, only to discover it contains Prince Timo, cursed by Otto the Torch to wear a wolf's head mask. The Blackhearts reluctantly agree to help Prince Timo track down the one magical artifact capable of breaking his curse so he can claim the throne, depose Rin, and restore the kingdom to its former glory. But their quest takes them deep into the monster-infested Nowhere Wood, a place of dark enchantments and deadly surprises from whence adventurers rarely return. Bennett (Always Jane) balances danger and humor in this fast-paced fantasy, crafting a world of memorable magical creatures and constant twists. The formidable heroes rise to every occasion, confronting both tangible threats and their own flaws with equal strength, making for a wholly enjoyable adventure. Rosebud and Prince Timo cue as white; Wilda's skin is described as "the warm shade of turning leaves." Ages 8-12. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (July)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV012030 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | General
Magic
Robbers and outlaws
Princes
Novels
