Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief #1)

What a great way to start a series! Nic is a very easy character to like, and his adventures were non stop. I couldn't put the book down, it flowed perfectly. I especially loved Caela :-) The way the other used Roman history in her story was very well done. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This was such a good book O love the Griffin and the story line so much that I asked for these books for my birthday and books have to be really good for me to ask for them.
Love the writing but don't like Aurelia so much in this book but in the next two you start to like her more.

Absolutely glorious! True to historical setting, captivating, dramatic, fast paced, totally consuming read. It is educational and entertaining at the same time. Additional compliments go to the author and the editors for fantastic style and grammar; a rare find nowadays.

The premise is interesting, but the minor errors about ancient Rome are annoying. Women did not wear togas, there was no concrete.A surprising twist towards the end makes it a worthwhile read although it's not believable. Interesting characters.

There is no better book to start a series the minute I started reading I could not stop not even to go to the bathroom, i also love the Rome setting kinda like Percy jackson though this is better. All those people out there debating on wether to buy the book, u should trust me there is no better book putting money on even though it's only five dollars its actually worth thousands. - shobha's daughter

Very mediocre book. I had high hopes for a book set in ancient Rome, following Nic as he tries to save his sister from slavery. The addition of magic didn't bother me, because in Roman times it was believed to exist. But what made this a hard book for me to accept was that there wasn't anything Roman about it. You could sub in any place name at all through out this book and it would make no difference. That was very disappointing to me. As it is, the writing is tolerable and the plot is mediocre - the whole thing feels like a rush job to capitalize on the young readers looking for something to indulge in after Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. What could have been a great book is sadly a bit of a let down.

I really enjoyed this story of a slave and his sister, magic and a veneer of the ancient Romans. Is it historically accurate? I am sure not. I am quite certain the Romans did not have griffins. I found the writing addictively fast paced with no slow spots in the story at all. There is a lot of action, the plot rolls right along and secrets are revealed. Did I guess those secrets along the way? Yes. I didn't find that made the book any less enjoyable.

Despite the modern tone of the dialogue, I could really suspend disbelief and buy into the story throughout. I think the quality of the writing here sold me and kept me engaged. I definitely want to read more of thee adventures. As an adult you can not always tell what would appeal to a child but I would have enjoyed this as a kid.

This is a good, solid fantasy adventure and darn it if it shouldn't be appreciated for just how delightful it is. Set in Rome, it accounts the adventures of a slave boy Nic who finds an amulet of the gods and a griffin. A good character, an interesting item, and a magical creature. It's the right ingredients and the accompanying story does it all justice. The writing is solid, fast-paced, and Nic is an empathetic narrator and leading man. It's a classic adventure story that doesn't try too hard to be original but focuses just being entertaining and well-done. I love the adventure, I love the plot, and I love this building conundrum of a story. Great start and highly recommended.

My mom recommeded this book to me and since this is the first book I have read by this author, I didn't know if I'd like it. Well, I loved it. It is an action packed story that I know you will not be disappointed with. It is captivating from the first chapter and I can't wait for the other books in the series to be published.

This is a very captivating read. The first hundred pages just fly by. It is part historical fiction mixed with a little bit of the current fad for magical/super powers. It features a young male protagonist who stumbles upon these much sought after powers and then there is also a spunky young girl featured in the story. It sets the stage for a sequel, as only the immediate issue is resolve at the conclusion of the book. However, it has some historical and cultural insight into Ancient Rome. And it is fairly clean for a present day young adult read.

Don't expect this to be even a fraction as good as the ascendancy series. The plot is disjointed, the writing is sloppy, and the protagonist is unconvincing both as a male and as a character we should care about. It seems like the author was told by some marketing person to try to imitate Rick Riordan. I question whether this author has had any training as a writer at all. Her lack of grasp of storytelling, of character, and of plot are really disappointing. As i read I felt either bored or frustrsted or stranded or disgusted at these asinine plot twists that make no sense. I won't be reading anything further by this author. Her First book was good but she doesn't seem to have the inmate talent to do anything more than that. Beating cheap imitations of ill conceived storylines is a waste of time.

I was a bit disappointed in this book, I was expecting something that would incorporate a lot more about Rome and Roman history given the backdrop, but it's more magic and fantasy, and the protagonist I found not particularly compelling or someone I found myself routing for. He definitely does not show the kind of characteristics I'd want young readers to try and emulate. I could maybe forgive the book for the total lack of a compelling historical picture of ancient Rome, if the main story was particularly good, but it's not.

Mark of the Thief left me disappointed in the fact that unless you are a history buff, the author pre-supposes that you have a certain level of knowledge. If you really aren't too studied on the culture of ancient Rome, and simply do not care to know more you might never grasp where the author was going.
Sometimes a little fleshing out of why or how something is might seem a little boring or repetitive. In the case of Mark of the Thief, the lack of what something is, and why it is can leave holes in the story. Like leaving out one color of seven that make up the rainbow in a painting; you'd might rather see the whole picture not just what is missing. In my opinion, the Thief steals what could be a great story on the
premise, and leaves me wondering what else is missing.

It's as though the writer may have assumed that anyone picking up the Mark of the Thief was already a well-read reader on the period of Rome. Rather than bore the history buff, this title may actually bore those who that do happen to take an interest. I had actually read this book a month before having forgotten to write the review, and unfortunately when your first recollection of something you read is that you were somehow missing something the first time around, it's not a very inspiring feeling leading me to look for the book for a second go-around, either. I cannot recommend it to you, if I cannot convince myself it is worth re-reading, how could I convince anyone else to read it the first time.

Good read. Plot is engaging and very interesting. Characters are compelling. The only thing I can think of against it is that it seems to take it's own sweet time getting to where it's going. All in all a good book.

I got this book for my 9 yo son who reads faster than I can keep up! My issue is that he is an advanced reader and finding age appropriate content, that is also written in a more advanced manner, is difficult. However, I found this book worked for what I was looking. He's not reading it as fast & I notice he's slowing down a little to take in the details. He discusses the book with me and I'm enjoying hearing the story through his perception. He is enjoying it enough to have peaked the interest of his 15 yo brother who plans to read it after his brother.

It has been awhile since I've read a great story with a Roman Empire setting, and it looks like it will be a while longer. As other reviewers have pointed out, the world building, the characterization, and even the magic seem a bit "off".

This was surprisingly a fast read. The plot was entertaining and kept you on your feet although some parts were pretty predictable. Its an adventure book that could have been better. I felt as if I was waiting for something to happen, but it never did. Something was missing, but I'm hoping it will appear in the next book.