To Steal from Thieves

By: M.K. Lobb

Narrated by: Frankie Porter, Nico Evers-Swindell

In this high-stakes heist novel, an alchemologist and a con man team up to steal a rare necklace—but complicated feelings of attraction and deception threaten to destroy everything and everyone they love—for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Judy I. Lin.

Within the dazzling halls of London’s Crystal Palace, the event of the season has arrived: The Great Exhibition. An opportunity for the greatest minds of the century to come together under one roof in an unprecedented display of art and invention. And for two unlikely partners in crime, it’s about to become the score of a lifetime.

Charming con man Kane Durante works alone—or on occasion with his best friend, Fletcher. But when his boss, the infamous Kingpin of London’s magical dark market, gives him the impossible task of stealing a priceless artifact from the Great Exhibition, he knows it’s a job he can’t pull off alone. Enter Zaria Mendoza, daughter of one of London’s greatest alchemologists. Ever since her father’s death, Zaria’s been struggling to keep her underground business afloat, and impatient clients are becoming violent. When the infuriatingly handsome Kane offers her the promise of enough money to get out of debt and leave London entirely, she knows she can’t walk away from this dangerous partnership.

But robbing one of the most public, heavily-guarded buildings in London isn’t going to be easy, especially when love and betrayal threaten to ruin everything they've worked so hard for.

©2025 M.K. Lobb (P)2025 Little, Brown Young Readers

Critic reviews

"Insightful and fun, To Steal from Thieves spins a clever, unforgettable narrative about how desperation forges us into dangerous people—and how to reconcile and love those parts of ourselves anyway. M.K. Lobb has never heard of a sophomore slump. This new series opener is a sophomore success, in every sense of the word."—Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn

“A fresh take on clockpunk London. Lobb takes us on a pulse-pounding tour of a criminal underworld filled with dark magic, desperation, and desire. To Steal from Thieves is a fantasy heist that will have you questioning if you’re team Kane or team Zaria right to the very end. Fans of Six of Crows and These Violent Delights will be all over this!”—Courtney Smyth, author of The Undetectables

“An intricately crafted, high-stakes adventure, where the bitter scent of alchemical magic mixes with the smoggy London streets, To Steal from Thieves drew me into its darkly atmospheric world—and into the lives of Kane and Zaria: two utterly flawed, utterly compelling, antiheroes.”—Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Tenderly, I am Devoured