These Thieving Hearts
I was looking forward to These Thieving Hearts before I knew exactly what it was I was looking forward to. All I needed to know was that Raven de Hart was working on another title for Heart’s Choice. His first, Freshman Magic: Spellbooks and Tangled Sheets, was one of my most eagerly anticipated titles of 2022 and somehow managed to exceed my expectations. Whatever the author chose to do next, I was eager to be on board for the ride.
And These Thieving Hearts is one heck of a ride. In this game, you play as a celebrated (or notorious, I suppose, depending on whom you ask) thief, hired by a billionaire to lead a team on a dangerous - yet irresistible - quest. He’s obtained a copy of the Thief’s Demise, a list of heavily guarded magical artifacts rumored to be all but impossible to steal. He and his brother, who has assembled a team of his own, intend, between the two of them, to steal every item on that list - and the brother whose team collects the most artifacts will win a hefty bet. Suddenly you find yourself on a race around the world, dividing your time between luxury hotels and ominous vaults in which the marriage of magic and mechanics is elevated to its highest art. And maybe it’s just the heady mix of adrenaline and decadence getting to you, but there’s one companion on your journey you suddenly find yourself wanting to know more intimately: your billionaire benefactor? one of the skilled thieves on your team? your dashing, confident rival?
These Thieving Hearts doesn’t come anywhere near dethroning Freshman Magic from its place on my short list of favorites. Part of that’s simply a matter of personal preference - school stories are a favorite genre of mine, while heist capers I can take or leave - but TTH suffers a bit from trying to do too much at once. It’s modern low fantasy and a heist and a race and a romance, just for starters, but there’s also a god of thieves who takes a special interest in the PC, and a mystic cult looking to thwart said god, so suddenly it’s a chase, too. As for the potent magical artifacts of the Thief’s Demise, they came across as little more than a series of MacGuffins - I never even found out what some of them did.
That said, there’s a lot about this game that I liked. Although there wasn’t much time for sightseeing, I couldn’t help enjoying the fantasy of a trip around the world by way of private jets and posh hotels. The PC can employ a variety of techniques to accomplish each heist, from the subtleties of nimble fingers and charismatic manner to showier displays of magic and explosives. There are five ROs, all comfortably tropey and each appealing in his own way. There are plenty of opportunities for flirtatious banter - and quite a few very steamy encounters, if you’re so inclined. I wasn’t necessarily convinced in the end that my character had met the love of his life, but he and his boyfriend had a sweet, sexy connection they were excited to explore further, and that felt more right for them than if I were supposed to be convinced they were head over heels in love.
This is a game I can definitely see myself playing a few times to explore different heist strategies, as well as romantic possibilities. And I can’t help wrapping up this review the same way I did my review for Freshman Magic: already looking forward to whatever Raven de Hart is (I hope!) working on next.