Shadow Thieves (Shadow Thieves, Book 1)
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Shadow Thieves (Shadow Thieves, Book 1)
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Zac Lowe-McAlley
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By:
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Peter Burns
About this listen
“Utterly fabulous” ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG
“I have never been as quickly hooked by a book. Debut author? And it’s this good? Shadow Thieves is the real thing” MICHAEL GRANT
“A thrilling read!” JONATHAN STROUD
13-year-old Tom Morgan and his friends live on the streets of an alternate London, shining shoes and picking pockets – until one day Tom’s friends are caught and sent to a brutal workhouse.
Frantic and without a way to save them, Tom bumps into the mysterious Corsair, who offers him an opportunity to train at an elite international boarding school for thieves. Seeing a glimmer of hope, Tom lets himself be whisked away to the snowy Alps in a zeppelin. Swept into a thrilling world of danger and intrigue, the more secrets he learns about the Shadow League, the harder it becomes for Tom to leave. But there are dark forces at work and real danger is coming…
Can Tom save his fellow pupils from disaster – and ever be able to get home again to rescue his friends?
Get ready for the stunning debut in what is guaranteed to become every reader’s favourite new series! Heart-pounding adventure, thrilling heists, remote boarding schools full of ancient secrets waiting to be discovered and much much more…
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Readers LOVE Shadow Thieves!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“One of my favourite reads of all time"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"Reading this book helped me to escape the real world and enter into a world full of imagination"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“I couldn’t put the book down"
©2025 Peter Burns (P)2025 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"This high-octane, fast-paced debut will be impossible to put down, especially for 9+ Skandar fans” – Imogen Russell Williams, Guardian
“A rip-snorting series opener … top marks” – Observer
“Fun, exciting and deliciously inventive” – Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller
“A mix of Dickensian atmosphere, Bond-like stunts and boarding school rivalries, this is a must for Harry Potter or Percy Jackson fans” – Daily Mail
“Destined to be every youngster’s must read!” – The Lancashire Evening Post,
“Propulsive pacing and action-packed plotting … a page-turning, edge-of-the-seat adventure. Meticulously unraveled secrets and personable characters will have readers clamoring for the next volume of this enthralling series starter” – Publishers’ Weekly starred review
“Clever, mysterious and the start of a promising new series” New Statesman
"I have never been as quickly hooked by a book as I have been reading Shadow Thieves by debut fiction author Peter Burns. Debut author? And it’s this good? Shadow Thieves is the real thing. Gripping from page one, this epic novel is a more grounded Percy Jackson, a fun read start to finish” — Michael Grant
“Utterly fabulous … engrossing and charmingly done” — Alexander Armstrong
"Dark, daring and delightful, Shadow Thieves is packed with spectacular heists, stylish cons and breathtaking set-pieces. This unputdownable new fantasy is conjured with immense imagination and verve. A brilliant achievement and a thrilling read” – Jonathan Stroud
‘Deeply atmospheric, Shadow Thieves sweeps you along from one daring escapade to the next. Set in an alternate-history vision of London, I loved the rich, immersive world-building and can’t wait to read more!’ Jack Jackman, author of Maisie vs Antarctica
A sort of Oliver Twist or Raven Boy, but it's own, a "what if" book.
Tom is a orphan who grew up in a workhouse. At 7 all his class mates died from the crimson flu. He and someone escaped the workhouse. He lived on the streets with some over kids in an abandoned office. ,One day the other kids are caught by workhouse masters,and Tom is taken to thief school. He takes part in a school competition where he must steal a deadly weapon from the French Emperor. A mission that ends in death, the kids brake out from the workhouse, and Tom is given a new life. Friends and enemies and lies stalk every where he turns.
Who can he trust, how can he get the kids out, will he fail and die?
Can he trust the shadow Guild?
How can he win the competition and save a student from a competing school with out being caught?
A good book, but like Raven Boy ,you will want there to be another.
Greatd descriptions of personal feelings for Tom, of scenery...
Might be beter if other characters where expanded on.
I hope this is useful, I would recommend reading it,
But it might be unsuitable for little kids, there is a bit of swearing and little kids might need help with knowing some of the words, and people do die. .Before reading with little kids make sure they can cope with death of good, evil and neutral characters.
it is not a fairy tale like Cinderrela where noone dies, or Rapunzel where the witch dies.
Great book, must read, real and "what if" all at once.
Hope this is helpful .
Review by Emily age 14.
shadow thieves
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