The Thief

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
 

Genre: YA – Adventure/Fantasy
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Age Range: 12+ (safe for all ages)
Pages:  280
Book Source: Purchased eBook

Synopsis (via Goodreads): "I can steal anything."
After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.
To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

Scoot’s Review:

Gen is in prison and the odds of sneaking out aren’t looking great. Then something unexpected happens – the King’s Magus pulls him out of prison and recruits him (willing or not) for a secret mission. A mission only a talented thief could hope to succeed in.  The mission? To steal a mythological stone and bring it back for the King.  Let me start out by saying that I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into it and now I wish I had picked The Thief up ages ago! It was such a great read.  The reader is dropped right into the storyline and you learn about the book-world and Gen as you go, in fact if you are like me and hadn’t even read the synopsis beforehand you don’t know who Gen is, or that he is a teenage boy for a while.  But this in no way detracts from the story, the writing flows so well and the pace keeps you intrigued and looking for the next clue.  Blended throughout the main plot are mythology tales that flow nicely with the storyline and bring an element of fantasy into the tale. The plot has plenty of mystery and adventure to keep you on your toes.  I was thrown for a loop (in a good way) when the story took a few surprising twists.  Gen is an easily likable character – he is sarcastic, funny and has a warm heart.  The story tied up nicely, but I definitely want to read more about this world and the potential new plot developments.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series – lucky for me I won’t have to wait! If you are looking for a fun, fantasy adventure novel that is safe for all ages be sure to check out The Thief!

Notable Quotable:

“All I wanted to do was lie in the dry grass with my feet in a ditch forever. I could be a convenient sort of milemarker, I thought. Get to the thief and you know you're halfway to Methana.”
                   - Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief

Grade:

 

 Random: Right now you can get The Thief for only $1.99 for the Kindle!