A scrappy dragon-egg thief is kidnapped by the attractive son of her employer's enemy in Realm of Thieves, the adventurous, bighearted romantasy by Karina Halle (The Royals Upstairs).
Orphan Brynla Aihr lives in a world where hostile dragons are contained inside a limited territory by magical wards. Brynla grew up in and escaped from a convent where the cruel nuns worship the dragons. Now she makes a living sneaking into the warded lands to raid nests. Dragon eggs contain a magical compound called suen, which gives special powers to people who eat the eggs. Families called syndikats control the suen black market and employ egg thieves like Brynla. A routine raid brings Brynla into contact with Andor, a son from one of her employer's rival syndikats whom she would consider "handsome, if only he hadn't kidnapped me" to work for his family. She initially wants to escape but quickly becomes fascinated by Andor, whose suen-granted healing powers may hold the key to curing her debilitating menstrual pain. The pair must navigate Andor's father's anger, attacks from unknown enemies, and a death-defying heist, or else find their love story cut short--along with their throats.
Halle's draconic realm includes varied species of the mythical monsters. Details such as Brynla's naturally lavender-colored hair and magical teleporting dog bring a touch of whimsy to balance the gritty setting of cults and underworld bosses. Readers interested in the concept of Jurassic Park meeting Fourth Wing will find plenty to fascinate, and romance fans will enjoy the leads' supportive, affirming relationship. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads