BOOK REVIEW – The Thief (The Queen’s Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1)
by Megan Whalen Turner
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Huh. I really, really liked this? True enough, I’ve decided to start The Thief in order to get to the sequels – that all my friends adore – and somehow I was at peace with the probable boredom I would feel during this first novel and… My enjoyment felt so
effortless?
From the characters to the world and the writing, I’ve been enchanted. Truly.

“I hate horses. I know people who think that they are noble, graceful animals, but regardless of what a horse looks like from a distance, never forget that it is as likely to step on your foot as look at you.
“What?” I dissembled.
“Get on the horse, you idiot.”
“Me?”

So there’s a lot of walking around as I’m sure Fantasy writers are somewhat paid by hiking brands but eh! I wasn’t bored. I said that! So. We’re not confronted with Frodo and Sam level of walking, therefore I’m still here and not sleeping on my couch, drooling. That’s something! And for those of you who swear by TLOTR, that’s okay! We can be friends still! I’m not lending you my couch though. YOUR CHOICE.

Anyway, in The Thief, Gen and his *cough* companions have a mission : to steal a magical stone that will have the deplorable effect to give immense powers to the King of Sounis, a… complete asshole. Don’t be too hard on Gen, though : that’s not as if the boy had a choice, being a prisoner and all. Their journey gives us the opportunity to learn more about the world Megan Whalen Turner created, as well as the characters and the complex relationship they develop between each other – there’s more than meets the eyes, and I live for this stuff, okay?

And how I loved following these characters!

“For my part, I wanted Ambiades to understand that I considered myself a hierarchy of one.”

● Sophos, you’re too sweet for this world, let me cuddle you what stop blushing
● Ambiades, what’s your deal shut up shut up I am annoyed
● Magus, I’ve still not forgiven you for the beating
● Pol, ehhhhhhhhhhhhh
● Gen! Little filthy mouth! Quick-witted and arrogant little thief! I ADORE YOU. He shows just the right amount of selfishness and cleverness to appeal to me and I can’t hide that I loved his voice. Indeed the story’s told through his POV, and having started The Queen of Attolia, which is told in 3rd person POV, I can say this : The sequel’s writing is objectively more elaborate and I really enjoy getting to know other characters and seeing Gen through other people eyes, but in my opinion the choice of the first POV for this debut is perfect, needed, even, as it makes it so much easier to connect with Gen at first and I’ve never wanted to let go. Now I’m ready to meet more characters, and the author’s choice is perfect.

Ohhhhh, and I know that some readers were annoyed by the Mythology bits but have you met me? Sure, the folklore is not so discreetly ripped straight from Greek Mythology, but as I LOVE these tales I was damn pleased. In the end, I am so, so curious about the directions Megan Whalen Turner will choose for her story, I cannot wait a day to find out. I need more.

Now, let me confess you something : The Thief tricked me… and I couldn’t be more happy. If you’re curious to know where my weird mind went, and you HAVE READ THE BOOK, please look at the spoiler below and… shake your head at me, I guess. I am shameless though, because being so far off made the experience even better.

[Alright, so I know that 90% of my friends seem to have found out the truth about Gen, but I… didn’t. I knew there was a twist, but to my delight, my hypothesis proved to be utterly wrong : I thought that maybe, Gen was a girl?? And I know, I KNOW, there are scenes where he strips down, but I could always convince myself that he could hide it, one way or another. Crazy, right? *awkward giggle* Even Sonos’s reactions – when he acts so surprised that Gen’s dad wanted him to be a soldier – fed my delusion XD (hide spoiler)]View Spoiler »Alright, so I know that 90% of my friends seem to have found out the truth about Gen, but I… didn’t. I knew there was a twist, but to my delight, my hypothesis proved to be utterly wrong : I thought that maybe, Gen was a girl?? And I know, I KNOW, there are scenes where he strips down, but I could always convince myself that he could hide it, one way or another. Crazy, right? *awkward giggle* Even Sonos’s reactions – when he acts so surprised that Gen’s dad wanted him to be a soldier – fed my delusion XD « Hide Spoiler

Oh, well. In the end, I am so glad I was wrong, and I can’t recommend The Thief enough : even if this first novel is by no means astounding, it’s short, fun, and you’ll meet the most endearing thief I’ve ever read about. What more could a reader ask for, really?

PS. I’m sorry, this review is TERRIBLE, but I need to get to The Queen of Attolia so… priorities, you know.

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