• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12
• Reading age: 14 to 18

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.

M.K. Lobb's profile page

M.K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark—whether literature, humor, or general aesthetic. She is the author of Seven Faceless Saints and Disciples of Chaos. She lives in Ontario with her partner and cats and invites you to visit her online at mklobb.com and follow her @mk_lobb.

"Utterly immersive, this book will plunge you straight into the grimy alleys of London for a high stakes adventure that's impossible to put down. These two thieves will steal hours of your life, and you won't regret it for a moment."—Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of The Isles of the Gods

"If you took Six of Crows, set it in London during the Great Exhibition & added alchemy, then you'd get M.K. Lobb’s To Steal from Thieves. Lobb has written the fast-paced, sexy, magical caper of my dreams—I'm a little jealous of anyone about to experience it for the first time!"—Emily Varga, author of For She Is Wrath

“To Steal From Thieves has it all—an alchemical magic system, banter-filled romance, and dangerous heist, all set against the glittering backdrop of London’s Great Exhibition. Lobb’s writing is what really ties the skillfully plotted heist together: clever and sharply gorgeous, it perfectly fits this engrossing, can’t-stop-reading wild ride of a book.”—Isabel Strychacz, author of Starling and House of Thorns

"A heist that unfolds in a flurry of nail-biting twists and turns...for patient readers seeking a moody, character-driven fantasy."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Sparking with delicious cons, impossible heists, and an infuriatingly twisty romance, To Steal From Thieves is a jewel of a novel—one every reader will want to make off with!"—Kika Hatzopoulou, internationally bestselling author of Threads That Bind

“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

"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

“Filled with all the heart and rage I’ve come to expect from Lobb, To Steal from Thieves is a cunning heist with a cutthroat romance. If you love pretty boys, angry girls, and enemies-to-lovers in your books, do not miss this one!”

—Kate Dylan, author of Mindwalker and Until We Shatter

Praise for the Seven Faceless Saints duology:

“With lush prose, gripping characters, and an intricate lore that will keep you turning the pages, Seven Faceless Saints is an absolute hit.” —Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna

"With an impressive and balanced command of gorgeous prose and compelling pace, Seven Faceless Saints draws its readers into a mystery as intelligent as it is intriguing.... Truly, this is an exceptional debut, sure to find many, many fans." —Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Beasts of Prey trilogy

“Brimming with intrigue, peril, and scores of delicious angst, Disciples of Chaos marks a triumphant return to Ombrazia and a pitch-perfect sequel to Seven Faceless Saints. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed by the explosive conclusion to Lobb’s debut duology.” —Kate Dylan, author of Mindwalker

“A satisfying conclusion to Lobb’s Seven Faceless Saints duology, Disciples of Chaos is equal parts heartbreaking, propulsive, and achingly romantic.” —Kelly Andrew, author of The Whispering Dark

* "The tension never lets up in this electric tale that’s equal parts clever heist, searing romance, and pulse-pounding action-adventure with crossover potential that will entice fans of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard Sequence."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“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

“The kind of book that makes you forget the world and reminds you why you love reading. With taut pacing and twisty plotting, To Steal from Thieves sweeps us through London’s back alleys and into the glittering Crystal Palace, outshined only by the desperate dreams of the compellingly drawn heist crew. They may hate each other half the time, but readers will adore Kane, tortured and teetering on the edge of villainy, and Zaria, a deeply relatable and complex neurodivergent heroine, multifaceted as the jewels everyone is after. A perfect read.”—Leanne Schwartz, author of A Prayer for Vengeance and To a Darker Shore