Children of the Fox – Book 1 in the Thieves of Shadow Trilogy by Kevin Sands (2021)

Although it’s been a while since we first read this book together, my kids and I were stoked to find a new series on par with—heck, possibly even better than!—Harry Potter. It caused us to seek out other Kevin Sands books (like The Blackthorn Key), and it’s made us big fans of this fantasy-adventure genre.

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Quick Summary of Children of the Fox

This first part of the Thieves of Shadow trilogy introduces us to Callan, a young orphan trained by his con-artist mentor, who early teaches him the craft of the “gaff”:

“Need. Greed. And speed,” he said. “These, boy, are the three pillars of a most effective gaff.” (Chapter 3)

One of Callan’s “gaff” in the opening chapters fails, leaving him owing a 50,000-coin debt, a quandary which leads him to join a ragtag group of orphans each gifted in her own special way.

Key to this group is Foxtail, the masked leader who secures a new job that could score the gang a healthy 2 million. The only problem is that this job to steal the enchanted Dragon’s Eye threatens powerful city leaders steeped in magic. The deeper the kids go into this mystery, the more they realize that money isn’t all that’s at stake here.

Some Lessons Taught in the Book

In its own unique way, this book uses the stories of “bad guys” (a group of young thieves) taking on a host of worse guys (the city leaders and magicians) to teach a number of solid lessons. Perhaps the most stand-out lesson is that of personal gifting, which bleeds into the value of partnership and friendship, and then to the power of brains over brawn.

As noted above, Callan begins this journey as a gifted con-artist. His ability to watch people closely is akin to reading people’s minds, and he succeeds even when going it alone. But then he fails miserably. This failure forces him to realize that, despite his gifts, he really can’t go it alone.

Each of his partners has already faced the same, and has come to the same conclusion: I need others in my life—a healthy lesson for kids to learn. While it’s totally fantastic for kids to realize, pursue, and hone their own skills, they need to realize that their skills (whatever they may be) won’t solve all of life’s problems. They won’t prevent weakness in other areas. Everyone needs friends and partners to balance and offset personal weaknesses—for as Ecclesiastes 4:12 says:

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The book also references a legend about a fox and a bear, where the small fox ultimately outwits and defeats the bear. The lesson: Intelligence trumps strength. This truth becomes a metaphor (or more?) for this small group of “weak” kids taking on the city’s most powerful leaders.

Likewise, there’s a hidden message in here for kids facing life’s “bullies”: size, strength, and force don’t always have to win—intelligence, cunning, and wit can be formidable tools when wielded wisely. Just look at David and Goliath (1Samuel 17)!

Comparing It to Harry Potter

If you don’t know already, I’m a big Harry Potter fan. My family first listened to the series when my kids were seven and nine. I’ve expounded elsewhere on my views of sorcery as a story element, so I won’t belabor the point here. But if I had to pit wizards against thieves in a head-to-head battle of literary interest, I’d personally put my money on the thieves. They’re simply more interesting.

In a way, that’s what takes place in this book. A group of young thieves attempts a major heist against the elite—people who use sorcery and magical artifacts to gain power. For me, magic can sometimes open the door to so many possibilities that a story risks becoming less believable (though not necessarily less enjoyable). Thieves, on the other hand, are “real world” characters whose skills of observation, deception, and daring feel more relatable—though hopefully not too relatable.

Callan himself shows a certain reluctance when confronting the magical world, particularly when he learns that enchantments require animal sacrifice. It’s a moral hiccup that adds weight to the book. Although the fanciful setting echoes Potter’s wizardly world in some ways, the “normal” people—Muggles in Potter—often succeed through intelligence, cunning, and skill not magic.

From the outset, the gang of thieves don’t really understand what they’re up against, but that uncertainty adds to the intrigue. It’s really a fun book to read.

Better than Harry Potter though? It’s still too early to say.

Conclusion

I speak for the kids when I say we look forward to finding Books 2 and 3 in this series and finding out more about this Dragon’s Eye. I think it will make for a good road-trip series, so hopefully we can find it on audio somewhere before the summer.

©2026 E.T.