I can’t quite believe that The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner was first published in 1996. It has only now come over to this side of the Atlantic thanks to the good work of the lovely folk over at Hodderscape – and reads like a newly published book. A timeless YA classic, really. The Thief is a compelling, fast read centred around a thief, Eugenides, called Gen and a massive heist, politics and a misfit gang. In short, lots of things still on trend in YA and with good reason. I had the pleasure to listen to Megan chat about the book and her journey as a writer last week, and I have been assured that the second book in the series is even better than this first one by my lovely flatmate who has read them all growing up. Definitely a wonderful series to get your teeth into and read as they’re now published in the UK in quick succession with stunning covers!

While the characters aren’t my favorite ever, a few have serious potential. Sophos is a really sweet character I wanted the best for. (Am I the only one who spent around eight pages thinking him and Gen would be a thing?) The magus is a character I started out hating and ended up sort of liking. Gen, our lead character, has a sarcastic sense of humor and a somewhat duplicitous narrative that made him easy to love.

Something that stood out to me here was the subtle discussion around classism, the mage’s belief that Gen is lesser because he is an immigrant. Some of the things he said about Gen’s culture – the comments about how he knows Gen’s culture better than Gen’s mother did.

My biggest thesis statement about this book - my most overreaching opinion, if you will - is that this book is an extended prequel to what promises to be an intriguing series. And not to offend anyone, but honestly: isn’t that every first book in every good series I’ve read in my life? I’ve heard a lot that the sequels to this get better, and I totally believe it — the worldbuilding here is so complex, so intricate, that a mediocre first book is almost needed to build it up. You can’t go straight to the climax - you have to go for the basic premise first.

This is a book that I dived into and I loved it when I was younger. I was so happy to see that this book has been refreshed with a new release via Hodder. This is the first book in the Queen’s thief series. I love a book where there is a quest and a stolen item; this book really took off in the second half. I’m so excited to continue this series: the world building was fab and the rate of change towards the end was incredible

This really wasn’t my cup of tea and I can’t really be a true judge of this book, plenty of others will enjoy this far more than me and so thanks for the opportunity to read this

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Content warnings: violence, injury, and death (of minor characters); main character is beaten up a lot.

I was so excited when I saw this book, which I really enjoyed as a kid, was getting a rerelease!

This sits in that awkward 90s bracket somewhere between middle grade and YA fiction; it’s not as complex as a lot of modern YA, but the themes are pretty dark and it’s quite violent, though not too graphically described. I’d say it was probably suitable from about 10+, which is about when I read it. I vividly remember borrowing this from the library, and enjoying the Ancient Greek-inspired world, but never managing to find the later books; it was really interesting coming back to it as an adult, because I’d forgotten a lot of it, but remembered the vibes! Mostly I remembered how cool it was to have the myths of the world being told by the characters while on their journey (plus one particular scene) so most of the plot was fresh for me, which I think was the perfect way to read it.

Gen’s narration is just fantastic. He’s a charming, cheeky, often cynical guy, and if his voice wasn’t so entertaining, a lot of this book could be quite boring, as unless you really love travelling sequences, you’d be forgiven for thinking the journey in the first half of the book is pretty long. It’s Gen’s sparky observations that keep things flowing; I loved seeing the growing mutual respect between him and the magus, the leader of the party. I was less a fan of the constant violent bullying Gen faced from the other members of the team; it’s pretty unrelenting, to the point that he’s almost always recovering from some injury or another. That kind of leads me into my other issue with the book, which is the lack of significant female characters. It’s only in the very, very last section that we meet any women at all, let alone important ones – if you’re at all familiar with my reviews, you’ll know that this is usually a real problem for me. I think it is actually somewhat mitigated here by the very small cast of the book and the evidently negative patriarchal setting of Sounis (as opposed to the other countries depicted, which both have powerful queens), not to mention the fact that Gen’s narration never seems to see women as lesser, but it’s worth bearing in mind. The character work is excellent, so it would have been nice to see a couple of female characters given the same depth; it seems like that might happen in later books, though.

There’s a strong theme of storytelling and handling stories in this book, whether that’s in the different versions of the myths that Gen and the magus exchange, or in the layers of archetypal roles the characters play. The main bulk of the story is a traditional quest: gather your party and take a treacherous journey to find a magical object for the king. But while you can read this as just a straightforward quest story, it also plays with your expectations, which humanises the characters, taking them from legendary types to real people – contrast the magus, who is always referred to by his role, never a personal name, and Gen, who takes great pains to remind the reader that while he might be ‘the thief’ of the title, he’s also a very human person. I can’t say too much more without spoiling it, but the reflection of myths and the truth behind them really offers a fascinating parallel to the way Gen presents his own story; are the gods, like him, just people caught up in adventures that become legend?

If the idea of a classic adventure quest in an Ancient Greek-ish world, full of legends, snark, and great character work appeals to you, then this is definitely worth picking up – and the rerelease is the perfect time, because this new cover is lovely. The story is satisfying as a standalone, but also feels like it’s setting up for something really interesting in the later books, so I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the rest of the series. Four out of five cats.

I knew nothing about the author or the series when I was gifted this book. The surprise was a pleasant one!

First of all, I liked the plot. The main story is a very interesting one and I do love a nice quest! The mystical places, the artefact and it’s significance, the magic and it’s world, all of it was beautifully written and presented.

The characters are extremely interesting! And I mean all of them. I haven’t read a book in a while that has just interesting characters and not just focusing on the main ones!

What I liked as well is the fact that the mystery carries throughout the story and we get bits here and there not only about the quest but for the world and the characters. This makes the book a lot more engrossing.

Lovely read and I’m definitely will be looking to read the sequel!

I read this many, many years ago, so this is a re-read.

As the first in the series, this book feels a little self-conscious and honestly isn't as good at the Queen of Attolia which follows, which is genuinely brilliant. By comparison, The Thief feels quite mediocre, bogged down by long sequences of travel where nothing much happens, with a twist reveal at the end which - if you read on to the sequels - you realise will be repeated in every every book in some way, so hopefully you like the twist.

As the beginning of a series that improves and becomes genuinely great, it's worth giving a go, as it introduces the characters and the setting. But honestly, you can skip ahead to the Queen of Attolia and you won't have missed any important developments.

Once again, a cover image that drew me in and I had no clue that it was first published in 1996 as a children's book. 25 plus years and the book still hold water. Megan Whalen Turner creates an alternate world with the sky and the earth as gods, their children, and the three kingdoms called Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia always looking for a way to get the upper hand over the other. The setting of the story reminds the reader of Greece and the mythologies that surround it.

Book #1 in The Queen’s Thief series is like a prequel to the highly rated Book #2 The Queen of Attolia and unless you are a fan of travel experience kind of books, the Thief is probably gonna be boring for you. The first half of the book is literally an exercise in reading wherein Eugenides, Sophos, Ambiades, Pol and the King's magus undertake a journey across kingdoms from Sounis, crossing into Eddis and reaching Attolia to search for an ancient relic. Sophos and Ambiades are the Magus' apprentices and Pol is the soldier assigned to accompany Sophos, and our darling Gen is the thief whose claim to fame of stealing anything and everything lands him in the king’s prison.

The story is narrated thru Gen and his sneaky, cunning, and incorrigible persona makes for some delightful reading. Interspersed with the tales of the GODS, as recounted by Gen and the Magus, the author gives a fair idea about the fights and intrigue that sways the three kingdoms. As an adult, it was easy to fall in love with Gen, he is lovable and endearing and I loved his sarcastic and witty responses to his companions, sometimes exasperating though subtly handling his companions and understanding the dynamics of the team. A child would miss out on the nuanced writing exhibited by the author and probably enjoy Gen and his antics as it is but for an adult, it is clearly the impressive word building in the story that captures their attention.

The Thief is not an adventure thriller, even with some brilliant twists at the end of the story, and it is definitely not the fantasy-like LOTR that enraptures its readers, but Megan Turner’s world is equally fascinating what with understanding how thoroughly we have all been fooled by Gen. This slow-paced character-driven story would appeal to only those who have time and patience to enjoy the author’s marvelous writing and I wouldn’t mind seeing Gen on the big screen soon.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Hodder, and Stoughton, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

One thing I must say is that this book gets better.

The beginning of the book is very lengthy and detailed even though nothing really happens. You get a sense of the world and the characters but it seems like it is being thoroughly dragged out.

However, once you read past the start, it begins to gain its plot and structure. Here, the thief becomes a bit faster paced and more interesting than before.

I really enjoyed the ending of the thief. The twist reveal near the end made this book significantly better than I had previously thought.

With a mix of positives and negatives, I’d say this book is definitely for the committed. It took me a couple of months to actually read past the beginning but as I did so I became glad that I hadn’t given up.

All I can say that I wish is that there could be less abuse of the characters. The main character endures some torture along the way and I feel like it could have been avoided.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

While I can see most people loved this book, it just wasn’t for me. I found the main just a little annoying. I gave up at the 20% mark!

I have heard many good things about the book and I couldn't pass reading it when I had the opportunity.
I really liked it. It is a more traditional fantasy and I really liked the author's writing and the storyline. It also had a really good plot twist. I found the main character really interesting and I enjoyed reading his story. I loved the world and I am eager to learn more about it in the next book.

this review is a long time coming, mainly i haven't had a chance to write it but this book is wonderful and the world was really well thought out and the characters really well-written.

most YA are in the female POV and so it was a nice read to have it from a male POV and so i found it refreshing. he was a very sassy character and his ARC was cleverly worked out. the world building was easy to follow and wasn't dumbed on you within the first few chapters.

i will say this the first half of this book is a little slow but the pace does pick up in the second half and so it all make sense. i would recommend this book to someone who needs a easy read and love the YA fantasy.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This started off really slow so I was losing interest in it, however during the 2nd half it really started to pick up and im interested to see how the rest of the series will go. I feel like all of the action was packed into the 2nd half of the book which threw the pacing off slightly but overall a really enjoyable book,.

This first instalment in Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series has the feel of a traditional fantasy quest, mixed with a heist plot.
Gen, the Queen's Thief, has landed in prison for stealing from the king and boasting about it at a tavern. When the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a magical artifact, he takes this chance to regain his freedom.

At just over 300 pages, The Thief is a quick read, which had me absolutely engrossed. The relationships between the travel companions on this quest were well written, and their interactions were entertaining. I found Gen particularly witty and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I absolutely love the look of the new covers of this series, which had previously been published, and which deserve to be discovered by a whole new generation of readers.

I'd heard some great things about this series, and decided to request it, and I wasn't disappointed. It was definitely an interesting book, and I loved that you got to hear stories about the world that the book was set in throughout, told by the characters.

It took a while to get into the main plot, but I admit it was still nice to get the building blocks for this world. The ending was also worth it for the slower start, it was definitely not what I was expecting at all!

I'll definitely be looking into the rest of this series now!

This is a charming fantasy first published in 1996 - and it still holds up. It follows Gen, a thief who was caught performing some ambitious thievery, and is released from prison in return for aiding in a fools-errand that will put his skills to use.
My favourite thing about this book is Gen’s distinct voice. His personality and world-view suffuses every page. And I deeply relate to his constant need for naps and his refusal to ever go hungry.
The first half is slow-paced in the sense that it’s a long journey from one place to another, but I have a distinct fondness for grumpy people bickering on horseback so really enjoyed it. The pacing really ramps up in the second half, with some marvellous twists and turns.
The worldbuilding is clearly influenced by classical Greek mythology, with a pantheon of Gods which feature heavily (some of the in-novel creation legends are told), and the landscape seems to be Mediterranean-inspired, with lots of olive and fig trees and impressive geography.
The prose is solid but does not linger - the focus is on the action and (at times to a lesser extent) the character development, and so sometimes the story doesn’t quite have the room to breathe. But this also makes it a page-turner, and a quick read. I look forward to reading the sequel.
This was written before the YA market was established, so I don’t know where it could fall in current classification - YA typically requires a protagonist between 15-18, and I’m not sure of Gen’s age (he might be in his late teens, I think he’s probably in his twenties). But it has the energy of a novel suitable for adults and teenagers alike.

This was a little meh for me. The way it’s written made me feel a little removed from the characters, especially as we are told everything going on with them rather than shown.

That being said - I rather liked Gen. I was curious to see how he would top the Magus and get out of his situation. I also really liked Pol and wanted more of him. I didn’t like the Magus in the beginning and I had mixed feelings about him at the end. The mythology and storytelling of the gods was quite interesting and added to the world building.

Overall it was fairly interesting. A little slow paced but I was curious enough about how Gen would survive to keep reading.

A tale of quests, adventures, kingdoms, old gods and legends.
I enjoyed the setting and descriptions immensely, as well as the gradual world
-building, with little references here and there to old gods which I found exciting and kept me hooked.
The main character, Gen, was intriguing from the start. I couldn't figure him out (right up until the end actually!) which kept me invested in the story. I liked that he was quite moody and sour - often times in stories, really horrific things happen to characters yet they recover so quickly that it is completely unrealistic. This wasn't the case with Gen, who was weak and ill from his time in prison, and who struggled to recover and regain his strength. I kept cracking up that after a day of travelling, they would reach an inn and Gen would eat and fall asleep at the table, only to wake the next morning having been carried to bed. Every time. That would definitely be me if I had to travel all day!
The group dynamic was interesting and I enjoyed the changing shifts in relationships as the story progressed.
The second half of the book was certainly more action packed and had some nice little twists at the end that I didn't see coming.
The main reason I didn't rate it higher was there was simply too much travelling and at times I lost interest. Overall though it was a fun and well written story and I think the world and characters have a lot of potential if this were to be a series.

A truly delightful read. There is plenty of fun, mystery, and adventure with fantastic characters that bring the story to life. And another striking aspect of this book is the writing because it is stunning and adds to the joy of reading this.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which I have read is even better.

I'm sorry this review is shorter than usual I have a chaotic personal life at the moment (training and starting a new job), so my time is limited, but I will add to my review as and when time allows me.

This book is the first installment of 'The Queen's Thief' series. I picked it up without knowing that it was part of a series, tbh.

It's a short book with much description about the journey Gen makes with the magus and his team. I finished the book in one sitting! The first and major part of the book was very slow paced for it solely describes their extremely long journey to the site of the object that Gen has to steal. At one point I even felt like I was losing interest in the whole book. But thankfully the second half picks up pace! The scenes of the heist and rest is written so well, you just can't wait to know what happens next!

The twist in the end is undoubtedly my favourite part of the book. I did not see that coming! I didn't even think of that possibility!! I love and am happy with how the book ended. That last conversation between Gen and the queen 💛🥺 I might actually even check out the next book, and that's something because I generally don't read book series'.

If you love mythology and heists, you should pick this one up! It's been a favourite of the world for such a long time for a good reason :)