Thank you to the publishers for reaching out and sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Thief sets off slowly, our main character Gen is locked up in a prison and we learn his journey through him. Obviously he gets freed and the second half of the story is where the action takes place.

The writing and description in this novel is good and well placed however the first half did drag a little bit slowly for me. The second part of the story was interesting and more actioned out.

The Thief is part of a series and since this is the 1st novel I understand that world/character building is important so I would recommend readers stick it out.

An adventure with a twist!
We follow Gen - a thief who can steal anything as he is taken on an adventure across the country to steal the impossible!
The journey is tough and perilous and Gen is pushed to his limits like never before. The twist at the end makes the book complete.
A great read with lots of action.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book.

The thief is a fantasy young adult novel by Megan Whalen Turner. I personally don’t normally enjoy fantasy novels but I found the adventure aspect of this book kept me hooked.

“I want you to steal something."
I smiled. "Do you want the king's seal? I can get it for you."
"If I were you," said the magus, "I'd stop bragging about that." His voice grated.
My smile grew. The gold ring with the engraved ruby had been in his safekeeping when I had stolen it away.”


The Thief follows the magus’ quest to find an ancient treasure. To do so he must employ a master thief. He selects Gen from the kings prison. Turner cleverly intertwines adventure, mystery and mythology in a novel that is a credit to the English language.

While reading I never felt massively loss, although I still felt a sense of mystery that kept my attention. Turner has a unique skill to keep the reader interested and her books are fascinating.

The ending was undeniably a plot twist, although it really wasn’t that hard to predict (I had already guessed due to clues not so quietly hidden). I enjoyed reading a book where I don’t feel the ending was pulled out of nowhere. Although would have liked if there was another element of surprise that was less easy to guess.

“That prison," I said with heartfelt sincerity, "Was absolutely the most awful thing that has happened to me in my entire life." I could tell by the way he looked at me that he thought my life had been filled with one awful thing after another.”


Gen (the thief) is certainly a likeable character. I found myself quickly becoming attached to Gen’s cheeky personality. The way he interacted with the other characters really made this novel in certain aspects for me.I enjoyed the other complex characters scattered throughout the novel and some characteristics that require some deeper reading.

I enjoyed the pacing of the novel towards the end and middle parts, however felt the first half was stressed out way to much. However you would argue you needed the long explanations for context. It may have been the authors way of clearly creating a setting to build the book on.

I did enjoy the mythological connotations throughout the book, although would have enjoyed it more if it was based on a set of particular myths. Due to the fact I have been left wanting to discover more. I am not normally a fan for Greek mythology either, so am in someways surprised why I liked this book so much.

I am excited to read the sequel, which I have high expectations for due to many other readers saying it is considerably better.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, and the joy I got out of it. I am massively looking forward to reading its sequel, and would recommend it for anyone looking for an adventure-fantasy novel.

4/5

So....maybe I overhyped myself for this? I'd been meaning to read it for years and I'd heard so many good things about the series, that I leapt at the chance of an arc. And it was a perfectly decent book. If you like straightforward, journey-based fantasy written in plain but beautiful prose, then this will probably be totally your bag.



I did enjoy large sections of it even as other parts left me underwhelmed. I think the problem is that if you don't click with the characters, you won't care about the minutiae of their very uneventful interactions. I'm sure that if I'd fallen in love with the characters, I would have relished every second and been happy to have more. As it was, I was only starting to warm to Gen and Sophos by about 70% of the way through. So that was a bit of a bust as far as I was concerned. My second issue, is that the author pulls a swift reversal in the last half a dozen pages. Now, I'm all for providing subtle clues so that the reader can look back after the big reveal and say 'omg of course!' But that isn't what happened here. We're literally excluded from the merest hint of what is really going on. This doesn't read as clever, it's simply annoying. And unfortunately compounds the sense that the book never really gets going because that reveal feels like the inciting incident we should have had at the 30 - 40% mark.



So in conclusion, this didn't entirely work for me. Lovely prose, interesting world building and just not enough happening.

This book started off slow and I didn't think it started to pick up until I got to about 40%. While I love descriptive books I did find that a lot of it was filler, not an info dump as such, but a lot of details that didn't need to be included - the type of dirt under an olive tree, what shape an orange was etc. That being said, I did like the premise and the mythology and once Eugenides actually started his task it became intriguing.The plot twist was a surprise to me and I didn't guess how the book would end.

Overall, while I did struggle to begin with, I did enjoy it but I wouldn't continue with the rest of the books in this series.


*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @hodderbooks for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This story follows Gen, a thief freed from prison by the King's magus on the condition of helping them find some long-lost treasure.

This story was quite slow at parts with a good chunk just dialogue between the characters whilst travelling - though that helped flesh out the main character, Gen who definitely grew on me throughout. It was interspersed with tales of God's told around the campfire and I would have personally liked to have seen more of that mythical side.

I'd say the last 30% of the book picks up the pace and there is a superb ending. As the first book in a series, it laid the groundwork well and I would definitely read the sequel.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

OH MY GOSH I couldn't put this book down. It was absoluitely gripping with a fast pace that left me literally feeling like my kindle was going to start sparking flames. The writing was so good with a well executed storyline that was engaging and captivating, well developed charcaters that I loved and a great setting. The whole world building in this book was incredible honestly and I felt like I was there inbetween the pages. A really enjoyable read, I loved it.

A really great fantasy book. The plot was the first thing that caught my attention and I wasn’t left disappointed.
Also I love the new cover.
Would recommend!

A fun, entertaining and light hearted fantasy heist story. Follow Gen the Thief as he is forcibly taken out of prison and made to accompany the King's magus and his disciples on a mountainous quest to find a lost treasure that holds the keys to the kingdom. There are some great characters and unexpected plot twists that make this a read that draws you in from the first page - I read the whole lot in one night and can't wait for part 2 to come out!

DNF at 55%

I've been intrigued by this series for so long that I couldn't resist the chance to try it when I spotted it on NetGalley. I know this is a very popular series and it's one of those series I think I would have enjoyed if I'd read it when I was younger, but for the reader I am this book just isn't for me. It started out well, and it's a fairly quick read, but I'm very bored, and none of the characters are holding my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I am at a crossroads with this book. In one sense, I did read this quickly but in another sense, I read it because I didn't want to DNF the book and wanted to see how it ended and if it could get better.
The story isn't the most memorable. The travelling is long and the characters sometimes fall quite flat. I think it would be a fine book for a quick read but definitely not something mind-blowing. Overall, it was alright.

A big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.

This Is a book that I have read previously as it was originally published in 2005, however it was an absolute blast to revisit this world. The story does fall somewhere into a category of adventure between Middle Grade and Young Adult, with the plot following a boy named Gen who has been imprisoned for stealing the King's seal and bragging about it to the wrong person.

The story starts where Gen is taken from the prison by the king's scholar, the Magus, to tell him that he will be taken on a journey to steal something. The thing he will have to steal is highly secretive and the Magus does not tell anyone in the company where or what it is.

This is the first book in the series and it follows the group on their expedition and the twists and turns that this mission takes. There are quite a few surprises along the way, the best of which is saved for last and which also sets up the premise for the entire series to follow.

I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for it to be available in our stores again and to introduce more people to the lovable Gen and the imposing Magus (and maybe one or two other characters as well)!

This is a charming fantasy for younger readers - and a fun, quick read for older ones as well - like an old Hollywood swashbuckler, and with some lovely twists and turns. The genre has come a fair way since the book first came out 25 years ago, but it mostly stands up, and must have stood out before. It's strange to think this is the first time it's out in the UK. A few things about the worldbuilding struck me, as an older reader used to more nuance, as odd, like the mix of ancient greeks names and architecture with a sprinkling of firearms that lead to a general anachronistic uncertainty - but I'm fairly sure younger readers won't be as picky, and will love the adventure and the snarky voice that was immediately captivating. I could hardly put it down in the day it took me to read it, and must say I enjoyed every minute.

Gen is a thief, currently in prison for stealing from the royal court and then unwisely boasting about it in a tavern.

The king’s magus needs something found, a trinket from the gods, and he needs a master thief to help him find it. So he dregs Gen out of prison and onto a horse and the quest begins.

Like all good quests to find hidden treasure this is a journey through enemy territory, dangerous terrain and with travelling companions who can’t stand each other. It could be very boring, if it wasn’t for the stories of the old gods and goddesses they tell each other to while away the time on the road.

Although the stories might be inspired by the myths, stories and the countryside around the Mediterranean, this series is not a retelling of any myths, it is set in its own fantasy world and has its own unique voice and plot.

Some reviewers classify this novel and series as Young Adult. I’m not so sure about this. The protagonist might be on the younger side and is often described as a boy and not a grown man yet, though the story reads far more mature than your average YA fantasy. Probably because the usual tropes, like chosen one, love triangle, etc, are missing.

I have never once picked up a book and thought, man I hope this book has a main protagonist that spends 150 pages sitting on a horse, complaining about sitting on a horse. And complaining about being hungry, while sitting on a frickin horse. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I got with this book. Other reviewers have noted that the sequels are much stronger, which made me persevere.

This book felt like a set up for a bigger story, which proved correct. So you don't get infodumped by the history of this fantasy land, Gen's accompanied by Magus, Sophos, Pol and Ambiades, who are basically there to cook food, stab things and learn from the Magus. It's the latter where the story gently nudges you in the ribs with enough force to leave a bruise, but you come away getting the history.

I had this crazy theory all the way through the book that Gen was going to turn out to be a girl, and I was wrong. So that was disappointing. The ending did have an interesting payoff, explaining Gen's actions throughout but I'm not quite sure it made up for just how freaking boring the story was for the most part. It took me a full freaking weekend to finish this less than 300 page book.

The Thief the first book in The Queen’s Thief series by Meghan Whalen Turner, published 27 December 2005. TheLadyDuckOfDoom and myself had this book on our #SeptreSummer reading lists and we accidentally on purpose read it at the same time; or rather we listened to it (see below).

Gen is a thief, currently in prison for stealing from the royal court and then unwisely boasting about it in a tavern.

The king’s magus needs something found, a trinket from the gods, and he needs a master thief to help him find it. So he dregs Gen out of prison and onto a horse and the quest begins.

Like all good quests to find hidden treasure this is a journey through enemy territory, dangerous terrain and with travelling companions who can’t stand each other. It could be very boring, if it wasn’t for the stories of the old gods and goddesses they tell each other to while away the time on the road.

Although the stories might be inspired by the myths, stories and the countryside around the Mediterranean, this series is not a retelling of any myths, it is set in its own fantasy world and has its own unique voice and plot.

Some reviewers classify this novel and series as Young Adult. I’m not so sure about this. The protagonist might be on the younger side and is often described as a boy and not a grown man yet, though the story reads far more mature than your average YA fantasy. Probably because the usual tropes, like chosen one, love triangle, etc, are missing.

A big thank you to the publishers and netgalley for an eARC in exchange of an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book.
While it very much reminds me of Jennifer L. Nielsen I’m not surprised. Because this book came out in 1996! So really it’s Jennifer who has the similarities probably.

My original review of this book was simply: I honestly can’t believe this was written in 1996 and no one I know talks about it. Until 2017 I’d never even seen it in a bookstore wtf.

It’s such a shame and I’m glad this series is getting some love now! This is exactly the right time for it and I’m glad I read it this year.

It’s a fun and straightforward read that’s scary, smart and romanceless. Which is something we all know I like!

Pick this up if you like heists, thieves, and smart mouthed boys who really are asking to get crushed to death by a ruin or two.

I recently realised this was a book I had already read some time ago (stood in a corner of the school library and devoured this book because I was trying hard to finish it before the bell dismissed us) and I remember loving it. The world-building wasn't too complex and the magic systems were easy to understand and follow. The characters were loveable and so easily relatable now looking back on it and this is the kind of books I would want to recommend to younger readers trying to get into fantasy :))

This book is an appetizer - it leaves you hungry but definitely whets your appetite for the next book in the series.

If you read this as a standalone novel, you might think that it's slow and half of the book is a long march during which nothing really happens. Don't let yourself be deceived!

As the first book in a fantasy series, it introduces us to this imaginary world with its countries, people, their history, gods and beliefs. This takes time, and undoubtedly, the author teaches us to be patient, but events in the second half of the book forecast a captivating and epic story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an Advance Review Copy.