Evie Wilder is good at fading into the background. But one day at work, she gets caught in the middle of a theft gone wrong and finds she has the power to literally turn invisible. The crew of thieves approaches her and invites her to join La Fable Sombre e Dark Fable, a legendary group of superpowered criminals. As she joins their world of opulent wealth and exciting heists, Evie also finds a place to belong. But the secrets of the Dark Fable d the terrifying Father Silence and Mother Night who rules it ld the key to a past that Evie keeps deeply buried. The plot is fast-moving and twisty, with a slightly rushed resolution that skims over important moments. The cast of characters is intriguing (like Evie, each harbors a dark past and a special power), and a possible love triangle adds an extra fun element. This YA fantasy is a great read for fans of magical heists and found family.

A glamorous world of heists and cons hides a dark evil that lurks beneath lavish lifestyles.Eighteen-year-old Evie grew up in foster homes after an unspeakable tragedy took her parents and younger siblings 10 years ago. She now works three jobs and squats in the attic of an apartment building. When a glamorous crew of thieves cause mayhem at a gala where she's working as a server and also make her an accessory to their crime, she's fascinated. The members of La Fable Sombre each bring a special magical talent to their heists, and they need Evie's newly discovered ability to turn invisible. She willingly joins their crew and soon considers charismatic leader Ciaran, frothy Mad, trickster Devon, and alchemist Queenie as family. She learns that LFS is one of several international gangs that, for centuries, have stolen artifacts for the Collectors. Evie quickly proves her worth, drawing the attention of fences Mother Night and Father Silence, the "royalty" of the syndicate. Evie's conversations with several characters provide backstory, although the level of immediately forthcoming detail stretches credulity. These talks open Evie's eyes to the participants' varied motivations-and she discovers a startling truth that fuels her own sense of purpose, leading to a cinematic climax that unfortunately resolves fairly quickly, wrapping up with a neat ending that doesn't feel earned. Most characters are cued white; Dev reads Black.An imaginative heist fantasy bogged down in descriptions and expository dialogue. (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)

A teen with the ability to turn invisible finds honor among magical thieves in this daring fantasy by Harbour (the Night and Nothing series). In modern-day Los Angeles, Evie Wilder, an orphaned 18-year-old who lives alone following a family tragedy, can inexplicably turn invisible at will. When a band of burglars robs a museum gala at which Evie is employed as catering staff, she’s forced to put her unpracticed ability to the test. But these aren’t ordinary thieves; they’re La Fable Sombre, the Dark Fable, an ancient society of magical bandits out to steal priceless occult artifacts. After Evie demonstrates her magical prowess, the Dark Fable recruits her, and she relishes in the easy acceptance of this found family. As Evie bonds with the group’s enigmatic members, she falls deeper into the danger that follows them—and the havoc they wreak—and learns that her past may be connected to the Dark Fable’s own fraught history. Overcrowded plotting and a reliance on expository description hampers a suspenseful and emotive plot. Nevertheless, witty dialogue, immersive world building, original magic systems, and emotionally rich characters culminate in a tale that celebrates the intimacy of being seen and accepted. Characters are ethnically diverse. Ages 13–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Jan.)