n  Yesterday, my life at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, came to the end of its run.n

You don't wanna mess with the French, folks. Believe me, they've proven it time and again.

The 1790s, in case you weren't yet aware of this, were a very interesting time to be in France. (And you can choose how to interpret 'interesting' by yourself.) After all, they came right after a small matter some of you may have heard of and which is called 'the French Revolution'.
It really was only a matter of time before Cat would cross the UK border and into another country; she starts off by visiting - dare we mention it? - the predecessor of the EU. Set in 1791, it makes for some very exhilirating parts, only two years after the Storming (and falling) of the Bastille. Golding does an awesome job in painting a picture of Paris divided into all factions, breaking down while at the same time being reinvented. It reminds the reader of everything that's happening in Paris (and France) right now and looking at it like that, Den of Thieves is a very fitting and interesting book to (re-)read.
The part before Cat leaves England is exciting too; everything changes, and something happens to Cat that you're not used to. She's lost and she doesn't land on her feet - to the contrary, she stumbles onward into the dark. Very interesting character development. That development continues in Paris as well; no one can say that Cat isn't intelligent and worldwise, much more than you'd expect even, but her experiences in Paris make her even more so. She finds herself in the midst of an uprising and right between Parisian royalists and republicans and people who don't know what they are... and neither does she. At times, it's clear she's much more sympathetic for the republicans - the citizens, it's a bit of a shame that the author chose not to use citoyen instead, that would have been much more fitting here - and very critical of kings and queens, but she's also smart enough to not be entirely swayed by them. Instead, she takes a step back and sees Paris as it really is: A divided city, and she's just as divided, also understanding that what the Parisian are doing has its negative aspects as well.
It was a bit of a shame that Frank and Lizzie are not that present in this book - and I can't remember if Lizzie will have an important in the later books now that she's left Europe - but, fine, I'll survive.
8.4/10

I really like some aspects of these books: they're exciting, easy to read, and I really think they would appeal to the tween audience. At least, if said tween is into history. I just thought this storyline was kind of weak - the gratuitous insertion of French monarchy, the fact that Cat was virtually abandoned by her supposedly loyal friends, briefly...I know it's just a work of fiction, but I like my fiction somewhat believable. The relationships that Golding crafted between characters in the first two books didn't seem to hold true in this one. It was good, but not amazing.

"You're a pile of rotting offal from a diseased pig." His mouth twitched. I was on to his game. I had better make the last one my best. "You're a lying, thieving..."
"Now, now, don't spoil it with compliments," J-F said modestly.
"...low-down steaming pile of dog dirt fired from the behind of a rabid mongrel."
This got the biggest cheer yet. I heard several "hear, hears!" from the crowd.

This book has Cat and friends heading to France just in time for some revolution. Cat and her friends arrive in Paris the night that Louis XVI and his family flee, and it ends shortly after the king and his family are found. The plot, as seems to be the case with the rest of these books, is a bit unbelievable (seriously...people are going to think a young girl is a spy??), but I enjoy the characters more and more.

Cat is definitely starting to be interested in boys now, and her options seem wide open. Syd loves her, I think Frank loves her, and Billy makes no secret of his love/obsession. There's also the French king of thieves, J-F, who falls for her and asks her to stay with him. Cat herself seems to be leaning more toward Billy than any of the other boys, which, at least right now, I'm not a fan of. He's creepy and has tried to kill her on more than one occasion. I'd like to see her end up with Frank or Syd, but we shall just have to wait and see.

Cat Royal has grown up as ward of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Now she's growing up and a parting of the ways is necessary, at least temporarily, for Mr. Sheridan has plans to build a bigger and better Theatre Royal. Cat doesn't seem to figure into the plans for the new theater. Too proud to admit she needs help, Cat strikes out on her own. Not quite ready yet to be totally independent, she finds it difficult and nearly falls into the clutches of Billy Shepherd. Then she's sent on a secret spying mission to France, to discover what the French people think of the Revolution and their king. Upon arrival, Cat and her escort get lost, discover the king has fled Paris and nearly lose their heads! Cat discovers that Paris is truly run by a network of thieves and she has to determine whom she can trust to help her and help her friends return to England. This adventure is nearly as breathlessly exciting as the last but for some reason I didn't find it as enchanting as the previous two. There's lots of vulgar language which is amusing but some of the charm of Cat's earlier adventures is missing now that she's on her own and growing up. There's also heavy handed morals and lessons learned spelled out too plainly and I don't care for books that do that. I still liked the book a lot, just not as much as the first two. I look forward to seeing what she gets up to next.

I REALLY liked this third installment to the "Cat Royal" series. There were a few curse words (or it would be 5*) that I wish they wouldn't put in (as they aren't needed), but other than that- VERY good!!

After becoming homeless and finding the future a bit hopeless, Cat lands a job as a spy in Paris disguised as a ballerina. As per usual Cat finds herself in hot water with new friends and foes.

The Den of Thieves may not be my favorite Cat Royal book but I definitely enjoyed it just the same. Can't wait to read more about the tales of the mischievous orphan girl from Drury Lane.

The series gets better. I love the location change to France and I like how the author keeps things interesting with new characters.

Awesome book! I love Cat Royal!

Why did it have to end?!? I want to live in these books!

These books are so good. I love Cat's voice. And it's great that Golding deals with the difficult issues in her books. She leaves no stone unturned--she doesn't flinch from examining the difficult issues. She also ages Cat well--it takes Cat a shorter time now to figure things out than it did in the first book, and Cat is more aware of her own emotions than she used to be. Cat also acknowledges when she has been in denial about her own feelings--in short, Golding creates a believably maturing character with a likable voice and personality.

I love these books! I can't wait to get the next one!