Published: November 8, 2022
Publisher: DAW
Series: The Streets of Maradaine #4
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 390 (Kindle)
My Rating: 4.5/5.0
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Mixing urban and high fantasy, the fourth Streets of Maradaine novel follows the crew of outlaws led by the Rynax brothers as they struggle to protect the city they love.
After having thwarted some of the forces responsible for ruining their lives, reformed thieves Asti and Verci Rynax and the rest of the Holver Alley Crew had mostly settled back into sedate lives as upright citizens of Maradaine. But when they are suddenly arrested in mysterious circumstances, they find themselves in Quarrygate Prison, which tests the limits of their cunning and skill. While Verci struggles to keep their friends alive and safe in the prison, Asti gets pulled into a mysterious scheme in the underbelly of the prison, teaming him up with some of the most dangerous people in Maradaine. The cracks in Asti’s tenuous sanity get torn open as he is thrown into a cat-and-mouse game with one of the city’s most infamous killers.
Meanwhile back in their neighborhood, Verci’s wife Raych is desperate to help him and Asti and get them home. When her attempts to go through proper channels fail, she accepts a ludicrous deal from the local crime boss: Verci and Asti’s freedom in exchange for her pulling off a daring, nigh-impossible heist that would challenge even seasoned thieves. Raych doesn’t know how a simple baker like her could hope to succeed at such a task, but she will use every trick and wild idea she has to help her family. None of the Rynaxes will rest until they are free from Quarrygate and together at home again, no matter the risk, no matter the cost.
I admit, I didn’t even read the synopsis for this before accepting the review copy that was offered. I enjoy the Maradaine books so thoroughly that I don’t need to – the quality and entertainment value never wavers, plus I knew this featured Asti, Verci, and the gang and they’re some of my favorites. The Quarrygate Gambit is somewhat different from previous books in that it switches main POVs throughout to show what’s happening to the characters who have been split up and all the events are happening more or less simultaneously. After the initial action, Raych Rynax gets a section, Asti gets a section, and Verci gets a section. It was unexpected (because you know, I didn’t read the synopsis) and quite cool!
As this is now the fourth book in the Streets of Maradaine series, I’ve already shared my love for this particular cast of characters that are basically an unorthodox family unit. Their bravery, loyalty, and general shenanigans always make for an interesting read. I’m sure I could re-iterate all my praise, but you would be better served by checking out my review for The Holver Alley Crew, where their stories began.
This time around, the Rynax brothers and numerous other members of the Holver Alley Crew have been rounded up and thrown into Quarrygate prison under charges of terrorism. Instead of immediately focusing on their assessment of this bizarre and frankly alarming situation, the scene cuts to Raych. She, Jhoqull, Kimber, and Helene put their heads together but when legal methods get them nowhere, they turn to Josie who can help but not without a price. This is the first of three heists (or heist-adjacent) misadventures that occur during the course of The Quarrygate Gambit. Verci is doing what he can to take care of the crew that remained with him in prison, but it’s a rough place with rougher punishments. Asti and Almer Cort have the truly interesting stuff going on because Druth Intelligence can never truly let Asti go. They’ve been pulled into a strange crew with the worst of Quarrygate and set on a mission that has them up against a familiar enemy. I shan’t spoil that as it was quite a surprising turn and felt almost like the evil Avengers uniting.
I really enjoyed this and it was a fine way to spend my free time for a couple days because I really devoured this. I loved that Raych and the other women got their chance to shine and show off their myriad skills and I also loved Asti’s segment, which was both exciting and extremely dangerous. Maresca also throws in some fear, heartbreak, triumph, and moments of tenderness and leaves readers with one hell of a story.
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