Book Review + Guest Post | The Thieves' Carousel by Briana Chen
They're not running from the truth. They're running toward it—and straight into danger.
Welcome to my stop on the iRead Book Tour for The Thieves Carousel by Briana Chen! I love when a fantasy novel pulls me into its world within just a few pages, and this one hooked me immediately with its blend of desperation, illusion, and fierce devotion. Chen’s city of Aspizia is a labyrinth of shadows, masks, and half-told truths—exactly the kind of setting where a dangerous wish might become possible… for a price.
This is a novel steeped in grief, loyalty, and the terrible temptation of second chances. If you love morally gray characters, tense emotional stakes, and fantasy worlds that feel alive even in their cruelty, keep reading. You’re in for something rich, sharp, and unforgettable.
And don’t miss Briana Chen's powerful guest post below—her insight into “gaslighting your characters” adds a layer of depth that makes the story resonate even more.
👇 Keep scrolling for the giveaway.
📝 All About the Book
The Thieves' Carousel
By Briana Chen
Series: The Carousel Series #1
Published by Z-Choice International on August 2025
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Fantasy
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 300
Source: iRead Book Tours, Kindle UnlimitedWhat price would you pay to undo a death?
In the shadowed streets of Aspizia, two thieves—Lyo Morandi and Jasper Bray—risk everything to rewrite the past. Haunted by the death of their friend Milo, they set their sights on a forbidden prize: a ring reputed to alter time.
To steal it, they must infiltrate the Thieves' Carousel, a ruthless exhibition where the city’s most dangerous criminals flaunt their treasures—and fight to keep them. But as Lyo and Jasper descend deeper into the catacombs beneath Aspizia, they uncover a truth far more dangerous than they imagined: the ring’s power comes at a devastating cost.
Loyalties splinter. Betrayal lurks around every corner. Loyalties splinter. As the game turns deadly, they must ask themselves: How far will they go to rescue the past and save the future—and how much of themselves are they willing to lose?
The Thieves' Carousel is a gripping tale of ambition, sacrifice, and the haunting price of second chances.
📚 Where to Find The Thieves' Carousel
Available on Amazon
If the above links don't direct you to your country's Amazon page, please feel free to contact me—I'm happy to provide the correct link.
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Prefer to shop local?
🛍️ You can also purchase this book from your favorite indie bookstore online.
Bookshop.org is an excellent option that supports indie authors—and book bloggers like me—while avoiding the big-box route.
Also available at:
📘 Barnes & Noble
✨ My Thoughts on The Thieves' Carousel ✨
The Thieves' Carousel is one of those stories that sinks in quietly and then refuses to let go. From the very beginning, Lyo and Jasper aren't just thieves chasing a magical artifact—they're grieving young men carrying heavy emotional scars. Their shared loss of Milo is the beating heart of this novel, and every decision they make spirals outward from that wound. That alone gives the story more weight than the typical magical-heist premise.
But Briana Chen takes things further by grounding the fantasy in raw, uncomfortable emotional truths. The characters don't stumble into danger blindly—they understand the risks, feel the dread, and still walk forward because hope, guilt, and loyalty pull harder than reason. That emotional complexity is what makes the story shine.
Aspizia is gorgeously atmospheric: a “city of masks and mirrors” where the truth is sharp enough to cut and everyone hides pieces of themselves to survive. The Thieves' Carousel itself is a fascinating blend of spectacle and brutality, and the descent into the catacombs is filled with the kind of tension that sits in your chest.
This story is dark in the way grief is dark—not gratuitous, but deeply human. Sacrifice lives at the edge of every chapter. The characters are flawed, aching, and compelling, and their choices feel as inevitable as they are heartbreaking. I couldn't look away.
This one stayed with me long after I closed the book.
⭐ REVIEW AT A GLANCE
| Genre | Fantasy |
|---|---|
| Setting | Aspizia, a city of illusions, masks, and dangerous secrets |
| Length | 300 pages |
| Content Rating | PG-13 +M (language, violence, dark themes including implied abuse & self-harm) |
| My Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 of 5) |
| Quick Take | A beautifully dark, emotionally charged fantasy about grief, loyalty, and the devastating cost of second chances. Rich worldbuilding, morally gray characters, and tension that never loosens its grip. |
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review represents my honest and unbiased opinion.
🖋️ Guest Post from Author Briana Chen
One of my favorite parts of hosting an iRead Book Tour stop is getting to share special behind-the-scenes insights straight from the author. Today, Briana Chen—fantasy writer, digital artist, and creator of the mesmerizing world of Aspizia—joins us with a thought-provoking look into the psychology of dark fiction.
In this exclusive guest post, Gaslighting Your Characters, Briana explores the tension between truth, illusion, and self-deception, and how those layers shape the emotional core of The Thieves' Carousel. It’s a sharp, compelling reflection on why her characters walk willingly into danger, why they lie to themselves, and why those choices resonate so deeply with readers.
Enjoy this atmospheric and brilliantly introspective piece from Briana Chen!
Gaslighting Your Characters
The first rule of writing dark fiction is to make your characters trust you. The second:
betray them.
Writing The Thieves' Carousel taught me a strange truth: every character who believes
they know the rules of their world is already doomed. Not because they’re wrong, but because
they’re right—and they can’t bear to live with what that knowledge costs.
Aspizia, my invented city of masks and mirrors, thrives on illusion. It’s a place where
even sincerity feels performed, where truth is too sharp to touch directly. The characters aren't
fumbling toward clarity. They understand exactly what they are doing. They know which
betrayals will destroy them. They know which door not to open.
And still, they walk through it.
That's the real cruelty of fiction. It isn't that the author lies to the characters, but that the
characters lie to themselves, over and over, just to keep existing inside a story they already
understand the ending of. It's the same in life. We call it hope, denial, faith—but it's the same
beautiful sleight of hand.
When I say “gaslighting”, I don't mean the usual tricks of structure, the red herrings, the
hidden clues, the late reveals. I mean the deeper manipulation. I mean the building of a world
where the characters' only comfort is to pretend they still have a choice. Lyo knows he'll take
the path that damns him. Jasper knows he'll follow. Seraphina knows she'll burn everything she
loves for control.
That's not a lack of agency…
It's the tragedy of having it.
They aren't puppets, but rather, they're mirrors. They're the versions of us who keep
walking into the fire because turning away would mean accepting what we've become.
We think stories are about transformation, but I think they're about recognition. The plot
doesn't change the characters; it reveals the limits of their self-deception. In that way, fiction and
reality are not opposites but reflections—each teaching us how to lie to ourselves more artfully,
and sometimes, how to finally stop.
When readers tell me the world of Carousel feels alive, I think what they mean is that it
feels complicit. The book gaslights them, too—whispering that love can undo fate, that sacrifice
redeems guilt, that there's still one more chance to fix everything if you just try harder this time.
It's the same story the characters believe, and the same one we all tell ourselves whenever we
call something inevitable and then still do it.
And I know it may sound dark, but there's a strange kind of mercy in that. To watch
someone face the truth and still choose to love, to try, to walk forward anyway—that's hope,
even if it's coated in ash.
Maybe that's what makes storytelling divine, or damning. You don't need to lie to your
characters.
You just need to give them the truth—and watch what they do to avoid it.
Meet the Author
Briana Chen is an award-winning fantasy author with a passion for morally gray characters, twisty plots, and stories that linger long after the final page. When she's not writing, she works as a digital artist, dives into her favorite fandoms, and occasionally battles both art and writing block at the same time.
A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Briana brings a multi-layered, emotionally intelligent perspective to her fiction. She currently spends her days creating complex characters, immersive worlds, and the kind of narratives that keep readers staring at a wall in the best way possible.
Connect with Briana:
Website | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads
Pin this to your favorite dark fantasy board
✍️Closing Notes
Thank you for joining me for today's stop on the iRead Book Tour for The Thieves’ Carousel. If you enjoy fantasy that leans into emotional depth, sharp worldbuilding, and characters who walk straight into danger because their hearts give them no other choice, I highly encourage you to pick this one up.
A big thank-you to Briana Chen for her introspective guest post and iRead Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this captivating story. It's a must-read for anyone who loves dark, introspective fiction.
Happy reading, friends!
💛 Gina
If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read my review of The Quest for Freedom by Matthew Devitt.
🎁 Giveaway!
Enter below for your chance to win an author-signed copy of The Thieves' Carousel plus merchandise! Be sure to follow the tour for more chances at every stop.
THE THIEVES' CAROUSEL Book Tour Giveaway
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📌 Quick #ireadbooktours Recap:
Book Title: THE THIEVES CAROUSEL by Briana Chen
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 300 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Z-Choice International
Release date: August 2025
Tour dates: Nov 17 to Dec 12, 2025
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: Some bad language, violence, and dark themes (implied abuse, self-harm)
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I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy but the plot for this one sounded quite interesting actually.