Fire and heist by Sarah Beth Durst

For centuries wyverns lived with humans in secret, easy to do when you have lost the ability to transform into your dragon shape.  With the coming out of wyverns some of them have become quite the celebrities, including Sky Hawkins and her family.  Being wyverns with a high social standing gave them wealth and power, and Sky was popular with wyverns and humans alike.  For wyverns your rank is decided by your skill and ability to commit heists, adding to the fabled dragon hoards that are so popular in fantasy novels and folk lore.  Leading your first heist is what introduces you to wyvern society and lets you join the ranks as an adult, but getting caught is very bad no matter how old you are.  When Sky's mother fails during and ambitious heist attempt and disappears Sky and her family are dropped to the bottom of the wyvern ranks and stripped of most of their wealth.

As Sky struggles to come to turns with the lose of her boyfriend, who dumped her as soon as her family's shame was announced, her whole family is struggling to come to terms with the lose of power, status, and family.  Determined to find out what happened to her mother, Sky starts researching her mother's last heist and making plans for a heist of her own.  Her first heist is going to be epic, even if it doesn't go as planned as her solo mission soon turns into leading a mixed crew of humans and wyverns.  On the night of the big heist Sky makes a startling discovery, and learns that not everything is as it seems. 

Fire and heist was am interesting read, bringing together elements of the classic fantasy novel with a coming of age story and a little twist of crime and mystery as well.  Sky and her family were easy to relate to and had little sparks that made them stand out as individuals, and the wyvern mythology that goes with them is pretty cool.  The pace of the novel was pretty good, though there was a short period where it seemed to drag a little - but that was most likely as a result of comparing it to the previous pace.  Urban fantasy is quite a unique niche, and a lot of authors struggle with balancing real world with mythology but Sarah Beth Durst does it seamlessly in Fire and heist.

If you are looking for a fun read with some well thought out mythology and great characters you can't really go wrong with Fire and heist.  The bonus is that if you like her writing style there are plenty of other books by Sarah Beth Durst to enjoy when you are done!

If you like this book then try:

• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Long may she reign by Rhiannon Thomas
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith
• Dealing with dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson
• Sandry's book (The magic in the weaving) by Tamora Pierce
• Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• The halfmen of O by Maurice Gee
• Under the mountain by Maurice Gee
• Walk on Earth a stranger by Rae Carson
• Soundless by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Brilla