Review Detail

To Deal With Kings is the conclusive sequel that started with To Steal From Thieves. As Zaria and Jules' home is still in flames on the night of the big heist, she is held at gunpoint and blackmailed into helping a new kingpin named Vaughn. Meanwhile, Kane is being blackmailed by Police Inspector Price to find the person who is leaving weird alchemological devices in the Crystal Palace exhibit or their part in the burglary will be exposed, and they will all go to prison.
Kane and Zaria have undeniable chemistry, but with her betrayal in the first book, they have many issues keeping them apart. Through forced proximity, they start to repair their relationship and solve each of their problems.
It took me a while to get into this story in the beginning. There is a plot hole where, in the first book, it clearly states Zaria grabbed more than the targeted necklace, and then in this book, she is lamenting how poor they are and must live with a friend of Jules’ father and how she wishes she had grabbed more than just the necklace. It is not long that she is in that situation, but it leaves an opening that the story might have gone differently if that had been accounted for. It also seemed to take a long time to get Zaria and Kane back to each other’s company, which is the plot point that interested me the most.
The first book’s title tells you in the name exactly how it will end, so this book is a nice addition with many unforeseen surprises involving Vaughn, a secret society, Zaria’s unknown mother, and Fletcher’s long-lost sister.
Overall, this book is a solid ending to the duology. Kane is a bit gruff and hateful, but Zaria knows how to mellow him. There are many surprising events and exciting actions to find out how it will all turn out.