The Traitor and the Thief

A thief, a spy and a steampunk showdown at Traitor's Gate!
Caught picking pockets at Coxford's Corn Market, 14-year-old Sin is offered a way out of his life of crime: join the Covert Operations Group (COG) and train to become a spy. At Lenheim Palace, he learns spy craft and is befriended by eccentric Zonda Chubb. After an assassination attempt on the founder of COG, they endeavour to unmask the traitor. Sin is then forced into an uneasy alliance with the school bully, Velvet Von Darque. But can he trust her? And will COG try to bury him with the secrets he discovers?
The Traitor and the Thief is the debut young adult novel from New Zealand author Gareth Ward. This fantastic steampunk adventure story is the perfect book for fans of Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series and Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series. It was the winner of the 2016 Storylines Tessa Duder Award. "The Traitor and the Thief should delight readers at the younger end of the YA spectrum who enjoy quirky worldbuilding and stories that are more adventure and mystery than coming-of-age and romance (although there are hints of both). 4/5 stars." Books+Publishing