Children of the Fox

For years afterward, all I remembered was the snake.

I heard its hiss first. The soft sssssss barely registered over my panting, the thumping of my heart. I ignored it, thinking the sound was blood rushing in my ears. Or maybe it was the Old Man, huddled next to me in the bedroom, both of us squeezed inside the long wicker basket, his own chest heaving, out of breath.

We d sprinted a full mile before breaking into that house, looking for a place to hide. I was six years old at the time. I d been with the Old Man for a month and a half, and though he d begun to teach me his trade, I wasn t any good at it yet. So we did a lot of running back then.

The air in the basket was cloying, scented with musk. I re-member thinking it was an odd smell for a clothes hamper. Too strong, too animal. I curled up in a ball, breathing into my sleeve, trying to fend off the reek and muffle my breath at the same time.

But the hissing in my ears wasn t me. I realized that the moment the snake touched me.

It slithered over my foot. Startled, I jerked my leg, but the snakehad already wrapped around my ankle. It wound its way up my calf, its hiss growing louder, more insistent.

sssssssssssssssssssssssss

I reached for the Old Man beside me. My left hand grasped his shirt. My right still clutched the enchanted coin we d swindled from the spice merchant. Its edge dug into my fingers, the emperor s face pressed against my palm. It glowed, that coin, shining through my skin, giving my flesh a faint halo of blue.

The Old Man said nothing. He peered through the gaps in the wicker, listening, as the front door banged open below.

Heavy boots clomped on the floorboards. Whoever owned this home was out, unable to protest as the Stickmen -the city guard -began tearing the place apart.

I barely listened. The snake climbed higher, up to my untucked shirt. It slithered inside, smooth scales slinking around my

Since escaping from university with a pair of degrees in theoretical physics, Kevin Sands has worked as a researcher, a business consultant, a teacher, and a professional poker player. He is the author of Children of the Fox and the bestselling Blackthorn Key series. He lives in Ontario, Canada. 

NPR Best Book of the Year
Amazon Best Book of the Month
Rocky Mountain Book Award Gold Medal Winner
Junior Tome Book Award Winner

 "In a sharp-witted series opener, Sands crafts an adventure with mythological undertones and a heist framework. The protagonists natural chemistry as they learn to collaborate and trust one another helps to ground the epic story, especially once it leans more heavily into fantasy elements, while Callan s narrative voice adds just the right amount of self-aware humor." 
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Kevin Sands brings mystery, magic and a pretty major con-job to his first fantasy novel, a story where things are never quite as they seem. It s not easy to create an entirely new mythology, but Sands does a fine job with this first installment in his new series. Be prepared for an exciting read." 
NPR

"This high-energy thriller is perfect for younger fans of Six of Crows, the movie Ocean s Eleven, and other inside-job narratives. Readers will be sure to delight in narrator Callan s sharp wit and snappy voice as they are introduced to the rest of the crew and their unusual skills. Cryptic messages, creepy characters, and unexpected but endearing friendships abound."
Booklist

"Sands has created a rip-roaring story full of frantic twists and turns that leave readers questioning what is real and what is not. The magic is believable, and the world is easy to imagine. And one cannot help but root for these young protagonists whose lives have been so difficult and yet who manage to hope for a better future. A fabulous choice."
School Library Journal

"In a world of Spellweavers and airships, a team comes together for a legendary heist...Callan is an excellent narrator, constantly observing body language for tells that reveal secrets as the kids plan an elaborate, multistage operation to break into a seemingly unbreakable location, all with a life-changing financial prize on the