Book Review: The Thief

A great friend of mine recently recommended The Thief written by Megan Whalen Turner,. I’d been noodling around searching for my next book or series to jump in on, and getting a recommendation that came with so much hype sparked my curiosity (and relief that I didn’t have to keep searching). Plus, I don’t read nearly enough fantasy from the nineties or early oughts. Despite being skeptical for the first few chapters, ultimately I was very glad to be recommended this gem! Not only is the world itself rich and beautiful, but our protagonist is absolutely, as my friend would say, “The Guy of All Time.” 

The Thief was published by Greenwillow Books (an imprint of what would later become Harper Collins) in 1996. The book opens with our thief, Gen, imprisoned by the King of Sounis for bragging too loudly about being able to steal anything, including the King’s Seal. Having languished pathetically in prison for some months, Gen is pulled from his cell (shouting and crying the entire way because the sun is too bright) and pressed into the service of the king’s top advisor and scholar, only ever called “the magus”. The magus’ goal: travel across the mountains into the hostile nation of Attolia and steal a legendary artifact… by using the self proclaimed greatest thief in the country. 

Joining them on their long journey are the two apprentices Sophos (young, sweet, and bookish) and Ambiades (arrogant, snide, and temperamental) as well as strong and silent bodyguard Pol. The five make their journey together, showing us the world of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia. On the way, we listen to Gen whine about his poor treatment, demand to stop for lunch every couple hours, complain about his many ills, and overall makes himself a nuisance while somehow still being charming. Like a shivering, big eyed chihuahua. When they arrive at their destination, a small temple submerged in a river for all but four days a year, Gen undertakes the simple task of stealing the gift of a god and then somehow slipping away to freedom before he can be taken back to Sounis. How hard can that be for the man who can steal anything?

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This book requires your patience and undivided attention, without being a difficult read. Ultimately it’s a straightforward travelling adventure. As our characters journey to find their precious artifact, we learn about the world and its gods, see its landscapes, and skim the surface of its tumultuous politics. Unfortunately, this means that the first half of the book is excruciatingly slow. I found myself wondering when the plot would start to take off amidst the pages and pages of exposition and descriptions. That being said, those exquisite descriptions and turns of phrases are also the book’s greatest strength. Turner’s use of language is mesmerizing, and my absolute favourite thing was the “Sea of Olives.” Something about sweeping forests of olive trees with leaves shimmering in the breeze through the mountain valleys just captured my imagination like nothing else. 

Now, my qualms on pacing were compounded by our main characters only being sketched out in broad strokes for most of the story. Even Gen! I wanted to read more about all of them and their relationships with each other, but never felt that I got a good sense of who they were despite the focus being set so squarely on them for the entire book. Travelling is usually all character study. Of course it quickly became apparent that there was more to Gen than meets the eye, and come the climax of the story everyone felt very fleshed out and nuanced. But it takes an awfully long time to get there. I don’t think the subtlety and sparseness is a bad thing by any means; I’d gone into this book completely blind and as I mentioned, I don’t read much older fantasy. It’s all about setting expectations. 

As for the twist (thieves always come with a twist), it completely re-contextualizes everything that preceded it, which is exactly what a “twist” should do. It was well thought out and foreshadowed to the point that I would hesitate to call it a twist at all. The small details that lead you there are subtle. While it didn’t take me long to start suspecting what was really going on, even if you don’t, you’ll be nothing but satisfied with the result. It truly elevates Gen to the level of “Guy Of All Time,” and makes him exponentially more interesting. 

Overall I rate this book 9/10! The only reason for the less-than-perfect score is for the aforementioned beginning that’s so ponderous and exposition heavy to the point of doubting the book. I’m excited to pick up The Queen’s Thief, since this book felt most like a prologue to whatever is going to happen next. The stage has been set and now the show really begins.

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That’s all for me today! Please like, comment, and share if you enjoy what you’ve read. 

Above all, be kind to one another. 

Love, Charlotte