Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Gideon Sable series. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. Previous to reading this I had read all of the Nightside series (loved it), the first couple books of Secret Histories (eh...it was okay), and the first book of the Ghost Finders series (yuck..it was awful).

Story (4/5): This was very reminiscent of Green's Nightside series and I really enjoyed it. There is a cast of incredibly quirky characters here along with snappy dialogue and a fast moving plot. This is basically a heist story. We are introduced to the background of each crew member and then delve into the plan for the heist. There are a lot of supernatural and paranormal elements thrown in for good measure.

I love the creativity in here and all the strange situations we end up in and the strange devices we learn about. I absolutely loved the Nightside series and if you enjoyed the Nightside series I think you will enjoy this as well.

Characters (4/5): Gideon Sable is an intriguing and mysterious character with a lot of attitude and a device to solve any problem. We are also introduced to Annie Anybody (always pretends to be different people and machines fall in love with her), Wild Card (reality and him don’t mix), The Damned (killed some angels for the halos on his wrists), and Ghost (who is a ghost).

As with the Nightside the characters are creative, quirky, and mainly defined by a main power/skill they have. They are fun to read about but don’t have a ton of depth to them. I really enjoy them anyway and am always eager to find out what strange thing new characters we run into can do.

Setting (4/5): This is set in London and I enjoyed it. We get to journey into a mysterious part of the Underground and venture into unknown areas of the city. It’s the perfect setting for this strange heist-like story.

Writing Style (4/5): The writing style here is incredibly similar to the Nightside series. Very fast-paced, lots of witty dialogue, all the characters are a bit over characterized and everything feels a bit kitschy noir. It’s a gritty slap-dash style that I absolutely love and it is absolutely unique to Green. I think you will either love this or hate it. If you loved The Nightside style you will love this.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I am tentatively hopeful about this series, it is the first series since The Nightside by Green that I have really enjoyed. I am betting that as the series continues I will come to love it just as much as the Nightside. For now I plan to keep reading it and time will tell. If you like gritty, funny, slapdash urban fantasy heist novels with crazy characters I think you will enjoy this. ( )

The Best Thing You Can Steal
by Simon R. Green

My favorite fantasy in 60 years of reading has been Simon R. Green's Nightside series! It has the absolute best world building and unique characters ever! This book brings back that wonderful imagination and creative spark I so loved from the Nightside. These new characters are so bizarre, zany, unique, and perfectly reckless that they are perfect for the crew to storm a highly fortified hideout and steal an enchanted artifact. This world is also just as crazy as the people in it! I am so in love with this book!

A man that has supernatural powers of a demon and an angel. A ghost with a bit more than just mist under his sheets. A gal that dresses up as anyone but herself and has a special gift when she needs it or not. A man everyone fears because he is smart he's crazy. Then there is the one who planned the heist using a famous thief's name.

This is a whirlwind of action, totally unpredictable, witty, insane, sprinkled heavily with humor, tossed with amazing and amusing dialogue, and covered with unlikely friendships! I hope this is a book one of a series! I am ready for a long, lovely ride down crazy town with these delightful zany characters! Loved it so much!

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this. The review is my opinion. I recommend it highly! ( )