Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar

At sixteen, Ariadne recognizes the danger that lurks in her future should she continue living in Athens. She and her brother, Theo, flee to their father in Corinth and it is there that she discovers her father steals from the city's corrupt, elite citizens. Blessed with a love of running and athletics, Ariadne determines to partner with him and revels in the heists. But her secrets undermine her relationships with her brother, Theo, and her love interest, Justus. When Paul, a Jewish rabbi, enters their lives, everything begins to change. Unfortunately, a powerful man discovers their secret and Ariadne finds her future in jeopardy. Read more in Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar.

In my opinion, Thief of Corinth is in the top three books that Tessa Afshar has written. Between Ariadne's determination, tense relationships, and dangerous situations, I found myself constantly eager to read more of the story. I liked that the author did not fully explain Ariadne's plans for her heists ahead of time. It was nerve-wracking (in a good way) to read some of Ariadne's adventures and one of them was laugh out loud hilarious.

As expected, Ariadne grows and changes throughout the story. Ariadne's character is not only vibrantly written, but her character development is complex and beautiful – one of the story's greatest strengths. I also appreciated the themes of forgiveness, honesty, and empowerment.

In Thief of Corinth, Tessa Afshar returns to the first century, the same time period of her book, Bread of Angels. There is a brief tie-in between the two novels, but Thief of Corinth is a stand-alone novel.

I recommend Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar to anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction, man or woman. My husband also read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. While Ariadne is sixteen at the beginning of the book, I would categorize this as Christian Fiction, not Christian Young Adult (YA).

Read an excerpt from Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar on Tyndale Publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."