title: Thief's Cunning
author: Sarah Ahiers
description: Thematically, love and freedom are set in compelling opposition. The climactic battles thrill. A well-realized fantasy with strong action and romance. (Kirkus Reviews)<br /><br />[A] stunning sequel. The characters are richly developedand appealing to readers. Ahiers is certainly one to watch. (Booklist Online)<br /><br />Just as the first title was full of fantasy and adventure, this companion does not disappoint. (School Library Journal)<br /><br />An electrifying debut that captivated me from the first nail-biting chapter. Spellbinding! (Gennifer Albin, New York Times bestselling author (on Assassin's Heart))<br /><br />Love, death, familyand vengeance. This gripping fantasy thriller will keep you turning the pages all night long. (Laura Ruby, author of the Printz Award-winning Bone Gap (on Assassin's Heart))<br /><br />A lavishly constructed fantasy world with an intricate society. (Kirkus Reviews (on Assassin's Heart))<br /><br />Equal parts adventure, romance, and politics, Ahiers first novel is astonishingly good. This is a unique twist on a love story, and the exciting Godfather-esque plotline adds layers of intrigue. Fans of Robin LaFevers His Fair Assassins series will snatch this one up in a heartbeat. (Booklist (starred review) (on Assassin's Heart))<br /><br />Ahierss Romeo and Juliet-inspired world of gods, angry ghosts, and assassins is darkly lush, and Leas voice is strong and pragmatic, making for a stylish and rich read. (Publishers Weekly (on Assassin's Heart))
zlib_text: _**The Jewel of Bas**_
  
  _**Leigh Brackett**_
  
   **Planet Stories**
  
  _**Spring, 1944**_
  
  Mouse stirred the stew in the small iron pot. There wasn't much of it. She
  sniffed and said:
  
  "You could have stolen a bigger joint. We'll go hungry before the next town."
  
  "Uh huh," Ciaran grunted lazily.
  
  Anger began to curl in Mouse's eyes.
  
  "I suppose it's all right with you if we run out of food," she said sullenly.
  
  Ciaran leaned back comfortably against a moss-grown boulder and watched her
  with lazy gray eyes. He liked watching Mouse. She was a head shorter than he,
  which made her very short indeed, and as thin as a young girl. Her hair was
  black and wild, as though only wind ever combed it. Her eyes were black, too,
  and very bright. There was a small red thief's brand between them. She wore a
  ragged crimson tunic, and her bare arms and legs were as brown as his own.
  
  Ciaran grinned. His lip was scarred, and there was a tooth missing behind it.
  He said, "It's just as well. I don't want you get