Who Would Like This Book:
This twisty, intricate tale is perfect for those who savor slow-burn fantasy adventures packed with clever, witty dialogue and subtle worldbuilding. Set in a lush, Greek-inspired world with its own mythology, "The Thief" hooks readers who enjoy character-driven stories and masterful plotting. If you love books with unreliable narrators, surprising plot twists, and a cast of complex, endearing characters (think fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, or Patrick Rothfuss), you'll find much to love here. Plus, the series only gets richer as it goes - perfect for both YA readers and adults who crave intelligent storytelling and don't mind a leisurely build-up.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you want non-stop action from page one or a fast-paced story, this might not be your cup of tea. Many readers find the first half a bit slow, with lots of traveling, campfire stories, and worldbuilding that can feel meandering. Some found the twist either predictable or too dependent on the main character hiding things from both the party and the reader, making the first-person narration feel a little detached or deceptive. If you need immediate emotional connection, extensive female representation early on, or strong magical elements, you may want to look elsewhere - or at least be prepared for a patience-testing start.
About:
A young thief named Gen finds himself in jail after boasting about his latest heist, only to be recruited by the King's Magus for a quest to find a mythical stone that could unite kingdoms. The book is a mix of fantasy and Greek mythology, with charming characters and unexpected twists that keep readers engaged throughout the adventure.
The writing style of the book is described as clever, engaging, and filled with witty dialogue. The plot unfolds with elements of mystery and suspense, leading to a reveal twist at the end that surprises readers and leaves them eager to explore more of the series.
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From The Publisher:
ALA Notable Children's Book
Newbery Honor Book
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults
Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)
Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed novel The Thief to the thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen's Thief can be read in any order.
New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner's entrancing and award-winning Queen's Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics. This first book in series introduces one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. The Queen's Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin.
Eugenides, the queen's thief, can steal anything-or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he's in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen's Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, "best of" citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.
A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection
"The Queen's Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner's books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come."-Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer
"Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail-you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again."-Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows
"Trust me. Just read it. Then read it again, because it will not be the same river twice."-Lois McMaster Bujold, acclaimed and Hugo Award-winning author of the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion Series, and the Sharing Knife series
"In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all-a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"To miss this thief's story would be a crime."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel."-The Horn Book (starred review)
Ratings (78)
Incredible (17) | |
Loved It (24) | |
Liked It (21) | |
It Was OK (11) | |
Did Not Like (4) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (218):
Read It (82) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (107) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (24) |
7 comment(s)
Brain machine goes zzzzzzzz every time I try to feed it ye olde fantasy--but I've heard really good things about its sequel, Queen of Attolia, so I figured I'd power through. Not only is this book ye olde fantasy, but it also tries to jazz you on its lore via faux folklore retellings. Jack off motion, etc. Half the novel and some change can be summed up in a paragraph, and I wasn't quite as endeared to the protagonist as others purport being, but the post-Dark Night of the Soul twist does feel good and the sense of adventure in the latter half is nice and Goonies-esque. Hopefully, I will love the sequels and come back to this one endeared in future rereads. If you don't see me back here in a year, assume that I've given up on liking fantasy as a genre entirely. My taste just skews differently.
I read this book years ago on the recommendation of a friend and all I remember was that I wasn’t impressed.
Upon rereading, I can say I like it more now; especially how it draws on Greek myths and settings for the story. The biggest downside is the writing itself. It’s choppy and kind of dull, and were it not for the characters I wouldn’t have finished it.
I do plan to finally read at least the first of the sequels, if only to finally know what all the fuss is about.
2021 Edit
Lol just kidding I love this book. I reread it as an audio in 2020, during my complete read through of the series, and it still wasn’t my favorite but I enjoyed it more than previous read-through.
Now I’m back after reading Return of the Thief and spending some time in the fandom and yes hi hello all of the little details killed me this time. I am not ok. I love this series. (QOA and KOA are still tied for my favorite though)
It was all right. Dragged in some parts, especially the middle, but the ending was a nice surprise. I hope the next book is better
(This is really more of a 3.5 for me, but I have high hopes for the series).
A bit simple, but relatively solid. The tone of this book is quite young, which isn’t a bad thing, but it did have me Jim Halperting at the camera from time to time.
I would’ve liked to see more women in the story, (especially some doing adventure-y things), but the characters are multifaceted. I liked not knowing where certain people’s allegiances lay.
I read this on a couple of friends’ suggestion, and I’m excited to see where the rest of the series goes.
This book reminded me of Jennifer Nielsen's
The False Prince.
I loved it. It satisfied my fantasy/Greek mythology inspired craving.
The last few pages barely made up for the rest of this pointless book. I may read the next one just because this was a short read and I am curious about whether the series gets better or stays the same
Unbearably slow. Boring. Some plot twists in the end, but no reason to care about them.
What can you read after
The Thief?
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